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创世记 7

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1 耶和华挪亚:你和你的全家都要进入方舟;因为在这世代中,我见你在我面前是人。

2 凡洁净的畜类,你要带母;不洁净的畜类,你要带一公一母;

3 空中的飞也要带母,可以留种,活在全上;

4 因为再过,我要降四十昼夜,把我所造的各种活物都从上除灭。

5 挪亚就遵着耶和华所吩咐的行了。

6 洪水泛滥在上的时候,挪亚整岁。

7 挪亚就同他的妻和儿子儿妇都进入方舟,躲避洪水。

8 洁净的畜类和不洁净的畜类,飞并地上一切的昆虫,

9 是一对一对的,有公有母,到挪亚那里进入方舟,正如所吩咐挪亚的。

10 过了那洪水泛滥在上。

11 当挪亚岁,二十七日那一天,大渊的泉源都裂开了上的窗户也敞开了

12 四十昼夜降大雨在上。

13 正当那日,挪亚和他个儿子、含、雅弗,并挪亚的妻子个儿妇,都进入方舟。

14 他们和百,各从其类,一切牲畜,各从其类,爬在上的昆虫,各从其类,一切禽,各从其类,都进入方舟。

15 凡有血、有气息的活物,一对一对地到挪亚那里,进入方舟。

16 凡有血进入方舟的,都是有公有母,正如所吩咐挪亚的。耶和华就把他在方舟里头。

17 洪水泛滥在四十,水往上长,把方舟从上漂起。

18 水势浩大,在上大大往上长,方舟在水面上漂来漂去。

19 水势在上极其浩大,都淹没了。

20 势比高过十五肘,岭都淹没了。

21 凡在上有血动物,就是飞牲畜、走,和爬在上的昆虫,以及所有的人,都死了。

22 凡在旱地上、鼻孔有气息的生灵都死了

23 上各类的活物,连人带牲畜、昆虫,以及空中的飞,都从上除灭了,只留下挪亚和那些与他同在方舟里的。

24 水势浩大,在上共一五十

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #790

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790. 'Waters' here and in what follows means falsities. This becomes clear from the places in the Word quoted in the preliminary section of this chapter 1 and from those at verse 6 of this chapter, where the flood or inundation of waters is the subject. In those places it was shown that 'inundations of waters' meant desolations and temptations, which entail the same thing as falsities, for desolations and temptations are nothing else than inundations of falsities that have been activated by evil spirits. The reason why such waters mean falsities is that generally 'waters' in the Word means that which is spiritual, that is, that which is intellectual, rational, and factual. And since waters mean these they also mean their opposites, for every falsity is a factual matter, and seemingly rational and intellectual since it is a matter belonging to thought.

[2] That 'waters' means spiritual things is clear from very many places in the Word. But that 'waters' also means falsities, let the passages that follow, in addition to those quoted already, serve to confirm the point. In Isaiah,

This people have refused the waters of Shiloah that go out gently. Therefore, behold the Lord is causing to rise up over them the waters of the river, mighty and many. And it will rise up over all its channels and go over all its banks. Isaiah 8:6-7.

Here 'waters that go out gently' stands for spiritual things, 'waters mighty and many' for falsities. In the same prophet,

Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Cush, sending ambassadors to the sea, and in vessels of papyrus over the face' of the waters! Go, you swift ambassadors, to a nation marked out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled. Isaiah 18:1-2.

This stands for falsities, which belong to 'the land shadowing with wings'.

[3] In the same prophet,

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. Isaiah 43:2.

'Waters' and 'rivers' stand for difficulties, and also for falsities. In Jeremiah,

What have you to do with the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? And what have you to do with the way to Asshur, to drink the waters of the River? Jeremiah 2:18.

'Waters' stands for falsities arising out of reasonings. In the same prophet,

Who is this coming up like a river, like the rivers his waters are tossed about? Egypt comes up like the river, and like the rivers his waters are tossed about. And he said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and those who dwell in it. Jeremiah 46:7-8.

'Waters' stands for falsities arising out of reasonings.

[4] In Ezekiel,

Thus said the Lord Jehovah, When I make you a city laid waste, like the cities that are not inhabited, when I shall cause the deep to come up over you, and many waters have covered you, I will cause you to go down with those who go down into the Pit. Ezekiel 16:19, 20.

'Waters' stands for evils and derivative falsities. In Habakkuk,

You did trample the sea with Your horses, the mud of many waters. Habakkuk 3:15.

'Waters' stands for falsities. In John,

The dragon poured water like a stream out of his mouth after the woman, to swallow her up in the river. Revelation 11:15, 16.

Here 'waters' stands for falsities and lies. In David,

Send forth Your hands from on high, rescue me, and deliver me from the many waters, from the hands of sons of the foreigner, whose mouths speak lies, and whose right hands are right hands of falsity. Psalms 144:7-8.

Here 'many waters' clearly stands for falsities, and 'sons of the foreigner also means falsities.

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