ബൈബിൾ

 

Hesekiel 16

പഠനം

   

1 Und des HERRN Wort geschah zu mir und sprach:

2 Du Menschenkind, offenbare der Stadt Jerusalem ihre Greuel und sprich:

3 So spricht der HERR HERR zu Jerusalem: Dein Geschlecht und deine Geburt ist aus der Kanaaniter Lande, dein Vater aus den Amoritern und deine Mutter aus den Hethitern.

4 Deine Geburt ist also gewesen: Dein Nabel, da du geboren wurdest, ist nicht verschnitten; so hat man dich auch mit Wasser nicht gebadet, daß du sauber würdest, noch mit Salz gerieben, noch in Windeln gewickelt.

5 Denn niemand jammerte dein, daß er sich über dich hätte erbarmet und der Stücke eins dir erzeiget, sondern du wurdest aufs Feld geworfen. Also verachtet war deine Seele, da du geboren warest.

6 Ich aber ging vor dir über und sah dich in deinem Blut liegen und sprach zu dir, da du so in deinem Blut lagest: Du sollst leben! Ja, zu dir sprach ich, da du so in deinem Blut lagest: Du sollst leben!

7 Und habe dich erzogen und lassen groß werden wie ein Gewächs auf dem Felde; und warest nun gewachsen und groß und schön worden. Deine Brüste waren gewachsen und hattest schon lange Haare gekriegt; aber du warest noch bloß und beschamet.

8 Und ich ging vor dir über und sah dich an; und siehe, es war die Zeit, um dich zu werben. Da breitete ich meinen Geren über dich und bedeckte deine Scham. Und ich gelobte dir's und begab mich mit dir in einen Bund, spricht der HERR HERR, daß du solltest mein sein.

9 Und ich badete dich mit Wasser und wusch dich von deinem Blut und salbete dich mit Balsam

10 und kleidete dich mit gestickten Kleidern und zog dir sämische Schuhe an; ich gab dir feine leinene Kleider und seidene Schleier

11 und zierte dich mit Kleinoden und legte Geschmeide an deine Arme und Kettlein an deinen Hals

12 und gab dir Haarband an deine Stirn und Ohrringe an deine Ohren und eine schöne Krone auf dein Haupt.

13 Summa, du warest geziert mit eitel Gold und Silber und gekleidet mit eitel Leinwand, Seiden und Gesticktem. Du aßest auch eitel Semmel, Honig und Öl und warest überaus schön und bekamest das Königreich.

14 Und dein Ruhm erscholl unter die Heiden deiner Schöne halben, welche ganz vollkommen war durch den Schmuck, so ich an dich gehänget hatte, spricht der HERR HERR.

15 Aber du verließest dich auf deine Schöne; und weil du so gerühmet warest, triebest du Hurerei, also daß du dich einem jeglichen, wer vorüberging, gemein machtest und tatest seinen Willen.

16 Und nahmest von deinen Kleidern und machtest dir bunte Altäre daraus und triebest deine Hurerei darauf, als nie geschehen ist noch geschehen wird.

17 Du nahmest auch dein schön Gerät, das ich dir von meinem Gold und Silber gegeben hatte, und machtest dir Mannsbilder daraus und triebest deine Hurerei mit denselben.

18 Und nahmest deine gestickten Kleider und bedecktest sie damit; und mein Öl und Räuchwerk legtest du ihnen vor.

19 Meine Speise, die ich dir zu essen gab, Semmel, Öl, Honig, legtest du ihnen vor zum süßen Geruch. Ja, es kam dahin, spricht der HERR HERR,

20 daß du nahmest deine Söhne und Töchter, die du mir gezeuget hattest, und opfertest sie denselben zu fressen. Meinest du denn, daß ein Geringes sei um deine Hurerei,

21 daß du mir meine Kinder schlachtest und lässest sie denselben verbrennen?

22 Noch hast du in allen deinen Greueln und Hurerei nie gedacht an die Zeit deiner Jugend, wie bloß und nackend du warest und in deinem Blut lagest.

23 Über alle diese deine Bosheit (ach, wehe, wehe dir!), spricht der HERR HERR,

24 bauetest du dir Bergkirchen und machtest dir Bergaltäre auf allen Gassen.

25 Und vornean auf allen Straßen bauetest du deine Bergaltäre und machtest deine Schöne zu eitel Greuel. Du gretetest mit deinen Beinen gegen alle, so vorübergingen, und triebest große Hurerei.

26 Erstlich triebest du Hurerei mit den Kindern Ägyptens, deinen Nachbarn, die groß Fleisch hatten, und triebest große Hurerei, mich zu reizen.

27 Ich aber streckte meine Hand aus wider dich und steuerte solcher deiner Weise und übergab dich in den Willen deiner Feinde, den Töchtern der Philister, welche sich schämten vor deinem verruchten Wesen.

28 Danach triebest du Hurerei mit den Kindern Assur und konntest des nicht satt werden; ja, da du mit ihnen Hurerei getrieben hattest, und des nicht satt werden konntest,

29 machtest du der Hurerei noch mehr im Lande Kanaan bis nach Chaldäa; noch konntest du damit auch nicht satt werden.

30 Wie soll ich dir doch dein Herz beschneiden, spricht der HERR HERR, weil du solche Werke tust einer großen Erzhure,

31 damit daß du deine Bergkirchen bauetest vornean auf allen Straßen und deine Altäre machtest auf allen Gassen? Dazu warest du nicht wie eine andere Hure, die man muß mit Geld kaufen,

32 noch wie die Ehebrecherin, die anstatt ihres Mannes andere zuläßt.

33 Denn allen andern Huren gibt man Geld; du aber gibst allen deinen Buhlern Geld zu und schenkest ihnen, daß sie zu dir kommen allenthalben und mit dir Hurerei treiben.

34 Und findet sich an dir das Widerspiel vor andern Weibern mit deiner Hurerei, weil man dir nicht nachläuft, sondern du Geld zugibst und man dir nicht Geld zugibt. Also treibest du das Widerspiel.

35 Darum, du Hure, höre des HERRN Wort!

36 So spricht der HERR HERR: Weil du denn so milde Geld zugibst und deine Scham durch deine Hurerei gegen deine Buhlen entblößest und gegen alle Götzen deiner Greuel und vergeußest das Blut deiner Kinder, welche du ihnen opferst,

37 darum, siehe, will ich sammeln alle deine Buhlen, mit welchen du Wollust getrieben hast, samt allen, die du für Freunde hieltest, zu deinen Feinden; und will sie beide wider dich sammeln allenthalben und will ihnen deine Scham blößen, daß sie deine Scham gar sehen sollen.

38 Und will das Recht der Ehebrecherinnen und Blutvergießerinnen über dich gehen lassen und will dein Blut stürzen mit Grimm und Eifer.

39 Und will dich in ihre Hände geben, daß sie deine Bergkirchen abbrechen und deine Bergaltäre umreißen und dir deine Kleider ausziehen und dein schön Gerät dir nehmen und dich nackend und bloß sitzen lassen.

40 Und sollen Haufen Leute über dich bringen, die dich steinigen und mit ihren Schwertern zerhauen

41 und deine Häuser mit Feuer verbrennen und dir dein Recht tun vor den Augen vieler Weiber. Also will ich deiner Hurerei ein Ende machen, daß du nicht mehr sollst Geld noch zugeben.

42 Und will meinen Mut an dir kühlen und meinen Eifer an dir sättigen, daß ich ruhe und nicht mehr zürnen dürfe.

43 Darum daß du nicht gedacht hast an die Zeit deiner Jugend, sondern mich mit diesem allem gereizet, darum will ich auch dir all dein Tun auf den Kopf legen, spricht der HERR HERR; wiewohl ich damit nicht getan habe nach dem Laster in deinen Greueln.

44 Siehe, alle die, so Sprichwort pflegen zu üben, werden von dir dies Sprichwort sagen: Die Tochter ist wie die Mutter.

45 Du bist deiner Mutter Tochter, welche ihren Mann und Kinder verstößt, und bist eine Schwester deiner Schwestern, die ihre Männer und Kinder verstoßen. Eure Mutter ist eine von den Hethitern und euer Vater ein Amoriter.

46 Samaria ist deine große Schwester mit ihren Töchtern, die dir zur Linken wohnet, und Sodom ist deine kleine Schwester mit ihren Töchtern, die zu deiner Rechten wohnet;

47 wiewohl du dennoch nicht gelebet hast nach ihrem Wesen noch getan nach ihren Greueln. Es fehlet nicht weit, daß du es ärger gemacht hast denn sie in all deinem Wesen.

48 So wahr ich lebe, spricht der HERR HERR, Sodom, deine Schwester, samt ihren Töchtern hat nicht so getan wie du und deine Töchter.

49 Siehe, das war deiner Schwester Sodom Missetat: Hoffart und alles vollauf und guter Friede, den sie und ihre Töchter hatten; aber dem Armen und Dürftigen halfen sie nicht,

50 sondern waren stolz und taten Greuel vor mir; darum ich sie auch weggetan habe, da ich begann dareinzusehen.

51 So hat auch Samaria nicht die Hälfte deiner Sünden getan, sondern du hast deiner Greuel so viel mehr über sie getan, daß du deine Schwester gleich fromm gemacht hast gegen alle deine Greuel, die du getan hast.

52 So trage auch nun deine Schande, die du deine Schwester fromm machst durch deine Sünden, in welchen du größere Greuel denn sie getan hast, und machst sie frömmer, denn du bist. So sei nun auch du schamrot und trage deine Schande, daß du deine Schwester fromm gemacht hast.

53 Ich will aber ihr Gefängnis wenden, nämlich das Gefängnis dieser Sodom und ihrer Töchter und das Gefängnis dieser Samaria und ihrer Töchter und die Gefangenen deines jetzigen Gefängnisses samt ihnen,

54 daß du tragen müssest deine Schande und Hohn für alles, das du getan hast, und dennoch ihr getröstet werdet.

55 Und deine Schwester, diese Sodom und ihre Töchter sollen bekehret werden, wie sie vor gewesen sind, und Samaria und ihre Töchter sollen bekehret werden, wie sie vor gewesen sind, dazu du auch und deine Töchter sollet bekehret werden, wie ihr vor gewesen seid.

56 Und wirst nicht mehr dieselbige Sodom, deine Schwester, rühmen wie zur Zeit deines Hochmuts,

57 da deine Bosheit noch nicht entdeckt war, als zur Zeit, da dich die Töchter Syriens und die Töchter der Philister allenthalben schändeten und verachteten dich um und um,

58 da ihr mußtet eure Laster und Greuel tragen, spricht der HERR HERR.

59 Denn also spricht der HERR HERR: Ich will dir tun, wie du getan hast, daß du den Eid verachtest und brichst den Bund.

60 Ich will aber gedenken an meinen Bund, den ich mit dir gemacht habe zur Zeit deiner Jugend, und will mit dir einen ewigen Bund aufrichten.

61 Da wirst du an deine Wege gedenken und dich schämen, wenn du deine großen und kleinen Schwestern zu dir nehmen wirst, die ich dir zu Töchtern geben werde, aber nicht aus deinem Bunde,

62 sondern will meinen Bund mit dir aufrichten, daß du erfahren sollst, daß ich der HERR sei,

63 auf daß du daran gedenkest und dich schämest und vor Schanden nicht mehr deinen Mund auftun dürfest, wenn ich dir alles vergeben werde, was du getan hast, spricht der HERR HERR.

   

സ്വീഡൻബർഗിന്റെ കൃതികളിൽ നിന്ന്

 

Arcana Coelestia #6804

ഈ ഭാഗം പഠിക്കുക

  
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6804. 'And God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob' means on account of being joined to the Church through the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'the covenant' as a joining together, dealt with below; and from the representation of 'Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob', with whom a covenant had been made, as the Lord's Divine Human. 'Abraham' represents the Lord in respect of the Divine itself, 'Isaac' in respect of the Divine Rational, and 'Jacob' in respect of the Divine Natural, see 1893, 2011, 2066, 2072, 2083, 2630, 3194, 3210, 3245, 3251, 3305 (end), 3439, 4538, 4570, 4615, 6098, 6185, 6276, 6425. When Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are mentioned in the Word those patriarchs are not meant in the spiritual sense, as may be recognized from the consideration that names never pass through into heaven. Only what is really meant by the people who are referred to - real things, the essential nature of real things, and the states of real things, that is to say, aspects of the Church, of the Lord's kingdom, and of the Lord Himself - passes through.

[2] But in addition to this the angels in heaven never fix their thoughts on specific persons; that would restrict their thoughts and remove them from that all-inclusive perception of real things that lies behind angelic speech. This explains why the things that the angels in heaven say are indescribable, far surpassing human thought, whose range does not extend to seeing things in their totality but is restricted to particular aspects. When one reads therefore in Matthew 8:11 that many will come from the east and the west and recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, the angels perceive the Lord's presence and the way people make the truth and goodness emanating from His Divine Human their own. Also when one reads in Luke 16:22 that Lazarus was carried into Abraham's bosom, the angels perceive that he was carried into heaven, where the Lord is present. This too goes to show that 'a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' means in the internal sense being joined through the Lord's Divine Human.

[3] The fact that the Divine Human is 'a covenant', that is, the actual joining together, may be seen from many places in the Word, as in Isaiah,

I will give You as a covenant of the people', a light of the nations. Isaiah 42:6.

In the same prophet,

I have given You as a covenant of the people, 1 to restore the land, to share out the devastated inheritances. Isaiah 49:8.

In the same prophet,

Incline your ear and come to Me; hear, and let your soul live. So will I make with you an eternal covenant, even the sure mercies of David. Lo, I have given Him as a witness to the peoples, a prince and lawgiver to the peoples. 2 Isaiah 55:3-4.

In Malachi,

Suddenly there comes to His temple the Lord whom you seek, and the angel of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming. Malachi 3:1

In the second Book of Samuel,

He has established an eternal covenant for Me, to be set in order for all and to be kept safe. 2 Samuel 23:5.

[4] These places plainly refer to the Lord and to the joining of the human race to the Lord's Divine Being itself through His Divine Human. In respect of His Divine Human the Lord is the Mediator, and no one can come to the Divine Being itself within the Lord, called the Father, except through the Son, that is, the Divine Human, as is well known in the Church. Thus the Lord in respect of His Divine Human is the actual joining together. Can anyone in his thought begin to comprehend the Divine Being itself? And if he cannot do this in thought how can he be joined to the Divine itself in love? But the Divine Human anyone can comprehend in thought and be joined to in love.

[5] The meaning of 'a covenant' as a joining together may be seen in the fact that covenants between countries join them together. They are bargains made by both parties which must be kept if their alliance is to remain intact. These bargains or agreements are also called a covenant. On man's side the bargains or agreements that are called 'a covenant' in the Word are in a restricted sense the ten commandments or the Decalogue. In a wider sense they are all the statutes, orders, laws, testimonies, and commandments that the Lord decreed from Mount Sinai through Moses; and in an even wider sense they are the Books of Moses. The contents of these books were what the children of Israel were required on their side to carry out. On the Lord's side it is mercy and election.

[6] The ten commandments or the Decalogue are a covenant.

This is clear from the following places: In Moses,

Jehovah declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the ten words which He wrote on two tablets of stone. Deuteronomy 4:13, 23.

And since the two tablets of stone on which the ten commandments had been written were placed in the ark, Exodus 25:16, 21, 22, 31:18; 32:15, 16, 19; 40:20, the ark was called the ark of the covenant, Deuteronomy 31:9, 24-26; Joshua 3:3, 6, 14; 4:7; Judges 20:27; 2 Samuel 15:24; 1 Kings 8:21. In the last of these references Solomon says,

I have made a place there for the ark, where there is the covenant of Jehovah which He made with our fathers.

And in John,

The temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. Revelation 11:19.

[7] All the judgements and statutes which the Lord commanded the people of Israel through Moses are called a covenant; so too are the actual Books of Moses. In Moses,

According to the tenor 3 of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel. Exodus 34:27.

What are called a covenant here were many regulations regarding sacrifices, feasts, and unleavened bread. In the same author,

Moses took the book of the covenant, and read it in the ears of the people, who said, All that Jehovah has spoken we will do and hear. Exodus 24:7-8.

In the second Book of Kings,

Josiah the king of Judah read before them all in the house of Jehovah the words of the book of the covenant which had been found in the house of Jehovah. And he made a covenant before Jehovah, to establish the words of the covenant that were written in that book. And all the people took a stand on the covenant. The king commanded all the people to keep the Passover to Jehovah their God, in accordance with what was written in the book of the covenant. 2 Kings 23:2-3, 21.

In David,

If your sons keep My covenant and My testimony which I have taught them, their sons also will sit even forever on your throne. Psalms 132:12.

[8] A covenant is a joining together through love and faith.

In Jeremiah,

Behold, the days are coming, said Jehovah, in which I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers, for they made My covenant invalid. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days: I will put My law in the midst of them, and will write it on their heart, and I will be their God, and they will be My people. Jeremiah 31:31-33.

'Putting the law in their midst, and writing it on their heart' is endowing with faith and charity, faith and charity being the means by which the joining together described by 'I will be their God, and they will be My people' is effected. In the same prophet,

I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not any more turn away from them, and I will do good to them. But I will put My fear into their heart so that they do not depart from Me. Jeremiah 32:40.

A joining together through love, which is a covenant, is meant by 'I will put My fear into their heart so that they do not depart from Me'.

[9] In Ezekiel,

I will make with them a covenant of peace; it will be an eternal covenant with them. And I will bless 4 them and will multiply them, and I will set a sanctuary in their midst, and it will be My dwelling-place among them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. Ezekiel 37:26-27.

Here a joining together through love and faith, which are a covenant, is described by 'a sanctuary in their midst' and 'dwelling-place among them', and by 'I will be their God, and they will be My people'. In the same prophet,

When I passed by you and saw you, behold, it was your time, the time of love; 5 and I entered into a covenant with you, so that you would be Mine. Ezekiel 16:8.

This refers to Jerusalem, by which the Ancient Church is meant, 'entering into a covenant, so that you would be Mine' plainly being a marriage or spiritual joining together. Since 'a covenant' means a joining together a wife is also called in Malachi 2:14 the wife of a covenant, while a joining together that exists among brothers is called in Amos 1:9 a covenant of brothers. 'A covenant' is also used in David to mean a joining together,

I have made a covenant with My chosen one, I have sworn to David My servant. Psalms 89:3.

[10] The agreement in a covenant on the Lord's side is mercy and election. This is clear in David,

All the ways of Jehovah are mercy and truth to those keeping His covenant and His testimonies. Psalms 25:10.

In Isaiah,

The mountains will depart and the hills be removed, but My mercy will not depart from you, nor the covenant of My peace be removed, said Jehovah, who has mercy on you. Isaiah 54:10.

In Moses,

Jehovah your God, He is God, the faithful God keeping covenant and mercy with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to the thousandth generation. Deuteronomy 7:9, 11.

In the same author,

If you keep My covenant, you will be to Me a peculiar treasure from among all peoples. Exodus 19:5.

In the same author,

I will have regard for you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and confirm My covenant with you. Leviticus 26:9.

'Having regard for them' is viewing with mercy. 'Making them fruitful and multiplying them' is endowing with charity and faith, and those endowed with them are called 'the elect'. Thus the words used here have to do with election and so do those which say that they will be 'a peculiar treasure'.

[11] In the representative Church they also had signs of the covenant. These served to remind people of the joining together. Circumcision was one such sign, Genesis 17:11; for circumcision was a sign meaning purification from filthy loves. After these loves are removed, heavenly love is introduced, through which a joining together is effected. The sabbath too is called an eternal covenant, Exodus 31:16; and of the loaves of the presence it is said that to the children of Israel they should be for an eternal covenant, Leviticus 24:8-9. Blood in particular was a sign, as is clear in Moses,

Moses took the book of the covenant, and read it in the ears of the people, who said, All that Jehovah has spoken we will do and hear. Then Moses took the blood of the sacrifice of a peace-offering and sprinkled it over the people, and said, Behold, the blood of the covenant which Jehovah has made with you, upon all these words. Exodus 24:7-8.

In Zechariah,

Through the blood of your covenant I will let out the bound ones from the pit in which there is no water. Zechariah 9:11.

'The blood' was the covenant or sign of the covenant because it meant a joining together through spiritual love, that is, through charity towards the neighbour. This was why, when the Lord instituted the Holy Supper, He called His blood 'the blood of the new covenant', Matthew 26:28. From all this one may now see what 'the covenant' is used to mean in the internal sense of the Word.

അടിക്കുറിപ്പുകൾ:

1. The Latin means for the people but the Hebrew means of the people, which Swedenborg has in some other places where he quotes this verse.

2. The Latin means nations but the Hebrew means peoples, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.

3. literally, Upon the mouth

4. literally, give

5. literally, loves

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

സ്വീഡൻബർഗിന്റെ കൃതികളിൽ നിന്ന്

 

Arcana Coelestia #4538

ഈ ഭാഗം പഠിക്കുക

  
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4538. 'God said to Jacob' means the perception which the kind of natural good that 'Jacob' now represents received from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in historical descriptions in the Word as perceiving, dealt with in 1602, 1791, 1815, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2061, 2080, 2238, 2260, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509, so that 'God said' means perception received from the Divine; and from the representation of 'Jacob' in the highest sense here as the Lord as regards natural good. Jacob's representation in the Word has been shown in previous sections; but because it is varying, his representation must be discussed briefly here.

[2] In the highest sense 'Jacob' represents in general the Lord's Divine Natural. But the Lord's Natural, when He glorified it, was different at the beginning of the process of glorification from what it was during this and at the end of it; and this is why Jacob's representation was varying. That is to say, at the beginning of the process the Lord's Natural as regards truth is represented by him, during that process the Lord's Natural as regards the good of truth, and at the end of it as regards good. For the Lord's glorification advanced from truth to the good of truth, and finally to good, as shown many times in what has gone before. The end of the process being the subject at present, 'Jacob' represents the Lord as regards natural good. See what has been shown already about these matters, that is to say, about Jacob's representation in the highest sense - how at the beginning of the process he represents the Lord's Divine Natural as regards truth, 3305, 3509, 3525, 3546, 3576' 3599, during it the Lord's Divine Natural as regards the good of truth, 3659, 3669, 3677, 4234, 4273, 4337. But now he represents the Lord's Divine Natural as regards good, for the reason, as stated, that it is the end of the process.

[3] Such was the process which took place when the Lord made His Natural Divine. A similar process also takes place when the Lord regenerates man, for when the Lord made His Human Divine He was pleased to do things in the same sequence as He does when He makes man new. This explains why it has been stated frequently that man's regeneration is an image of the Lord's glorification, 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4402. When the Lord makes man new He first of all supplies him with the truths of faith, for without the truths of faith he does not know who the Lord is, what heaven is, or what hell is; he does not even know of their existence, let alone of the countless things which have to do with the Lord, His kingdom in heaven, and His kingdom on earth, which is the Church. Nor does he know the identity or nature of the opposite of these, namely the things of hell.

[4] Until he does know these things no one can know what good is. The word 'good' is not used to mean the public good or the good of the individual, for one can learn in the world about these through laws and regulations and through reflection on human customs and habits, which is why gentiles outside the Church know such things too. 'Good' is a word used to mean spiritual good, which in the Word is called charity, and this good in general implies willing and doing to another that which is good not for any selfish reason but out of delight and affection for doing it. This good is spiritual good, which no one can possibly arrive at except through the truths of faith, which are taught by the Lord through the Word and regular preaching of the Word.

[5] Once a person has been supplied with the truths of faith he is then gradually led by the Lord to will the truth, and from willing it to putting it into practice. This truth is called the good of truth, for that good is truth present in will and action and is called the good of truth because truth which has been a matter of doctrine now becomes a matter of life. When at length the person takes delight in willing good and so putting it into practice, it is no longer called the good of truth, but simply good. For now he is regenerate, and it is no longer truth leading him to will and do what is good, but good moving him to will and put truth into practice. And the truth now practiced by him is also so to speak good, since that truth derives its essential being from that in which it originates - in good. From all this one may see what is meant by the statement that in the highest sense 'Jacob' represents the Lord's Natural as regards good, and one may see where that representation has its origin. The reason why 'Jacob' here represents this good is that the subject now in the internal sense is further advances, that is to say, advances made into more interior parts of the natural, which are meant by 'Israel', 4536. No one who is being regenerated by the Lord can be led to those more interior things until the truth present with him has become good.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.