The Bible

 

何西阿书 2

Study

   

1 你们要称你们的弟兄为阿米(就是我民的意思),称你们的姊妹为路哈玛(就是蒙怜悯的意思)。

2 你们要与你们的母亲大大争辩;因为她不是我的妻子,我也不是她的丈夫。叫她除掉脸上的淫像和胸间的淫态,

3 免得我剥她的衣服,使她赤体,与才生的时候一样,使她如旷野,如乾旱之,因渴而

4 我必不怜悯她的儿女,因为他们是从淫乱而生的。

5 他们的母亲行了淫乱,怀他们的母做了可羞耻的事,因为她:我要随从所的;我的饼、、羊毛、麻、、酒都是他们的。

6 因此,我必用荆棘堵塞她的道,筑挡住她,使她不着

7 她必追随所的,却追不上;她必寻找他们,却寻不见,便:我要归回前夫,因我那时的光景比如今还好。

8 她不知道是我她五谷、新酒,和油,又加增她的;她却以此供奉(或译:制造)巴力。

9 因此到了收割的日子,出酒的时候,我必将我的五谷新酒收回,也必将她应当遮体的羊毛和麻夺回来

10 如今我必在她所的眼前显露她的丑态;必无能救她脱离我的

11 我也必使她的宴乐、节期、朔、安息日,并她的一切大会都止息了。

12 我也必毁坏她的葡萄树和无花果树,就是她这是我所我为赏赐的。我必使这些树变为荒林,为田野的走兽所

13 我必追讨她素日给诸巴力烧香的罪;那时她佩带耳环和别样妆饰,随从她所的,却忘记我。这是耶和华的。

14 後来我必劝导她,领她到旷野,对她安慰的话。

15 她从那里出来,我必赐她葡萄园,又赐她亚割作为指望的。她必在那里应声(或译:歌唱),与幼年的日子一样,与从埃及上来的时候相同。

16 耶和华:那日你必称呼我伊施(就是我夫的意思),不再称呼我巴力(就是我主的意思);

17 因为我必从我民的中除掉诸巴力的名号,这名号不再提起。

18 当那日,我必为我的民,与田野的走兽和空中的飞,并上的昆虫立约;又必在国中折断刀,止息争战,使他们安然躺卧。

19 我必聘你永远归我为妻,以仁、公平、慈爱、怜悯聘你归我;

20 也以诚实聘你归我,你就必认识我─耶和华

21 耶和华:那日我必应允,我必应允必应允

22 必应允五谷、新酒,和油,这些必应允耶斯列民。〔耶斯列就是神栽种的意思〕

23 我必将她种在这。素不蒙怜悯的,我必怜悯;本非我民的,我必对他:你是我的民;他必:你是我的

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #208

Study this Passage

  
/ 962  
  

208. "'And do not know that you are miserable.'" This symbolically means that they do not know that nothing at all of what they know and think about the truths and goods of the church has any coherence, and that these are its walls.

Misery here symbolizes a lack of coherence; thus to be miserable symbolizes someone who thinks incoherently about matters connected with the church. The reason is that the people who are the subject here at times deny the reality of God, heaven, eternal life, the holiness of the Word, and at other times acknowledge them. Consequently what they build with one hand, they destroy with the other. Thus they are like people who build a house and then tear it down. Or they are like people who dress themselves in beautiful garments and then rend them. Their houses are consequently rubble and their garments in pieces.

Such is the nature of everything these people think regarding heaven and the church, although they are not aware of it.

This is the meaning of misery also in the following passages:

Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, when you said in your heart, "I am, and there is no one else besides me." ...Therefore... misery shall fall upon you... (Isaiah 47:10-11)

Misery will come upon misery... The king will mourn, and the prince will be clothed with insensibility... (Ezekiel 7:26-27)

The king who will mourn and the prince who will be clothed with insensibility are people who are impelled by the truths of the church.

...there is no rectitude in their mouth; in their inward part is misery. (Psalms 5:9)

Walls have a similar symbolic meaning in Jeremiah 49:3, Ezekiel 13:10-13, and Hosea 2:6.

  
/ 962  
  

Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.