The Bible

 

Hošea 2

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1 "A djece Izraelove bit će brojem k'o pijeska u moru što se izmjerit' ne može ni izbrojit'. Umjesto da im govore: 'Vi niste moj narod,' zvat će ih: 'Sinovi Boga živoga.'

2 Ujedinit će se sinovi Judini i sinovi Izraelovi, postavit će sebi jednoga glavara i otići će iz zemlje; jer velik će biti dan jizreelski.

3 Recite braći svojoj: 'Narode moj,' sestrama svojim: 'Mila.'

4 Podignite tužbu, podignite, protiv majke svoje, jer ona mi nije više žena, a ja joj muž više nisam. Nek' odbaci od sebe bludničenja i preljube izmeđ' svojih dojki,

5 da je golu ne svučem te učinim da bude k'o na dan rođenja; da je ne obratim u pustinju, da je u zemlju suhu ne obratim i žeđu ne umorim.

6 Ja joj djece neću milovati, jer djeca su to bludnička.

7 Da, bludu se odala mati njihova, sramotila se ona koja ih zače. Da, rekla je: 'Trčat ću za svojim milosnicima, za njima koji mi daju kruh moj i vodu, vunu moju i lan, ulje i piće moje.'

8 Stoga ću put joj trnjem zagraditi, zidom opkoliti, da ne nađe više svojih staza.

9 I trčat će za milosnicima, ali ih stići neće, tražit će ih, al' ih neće pronaći. Tada će reći: 'Idem se vratiti prvome mužu, jer sretnija bijah prije nego sada.'

10 I ona nije razumjela da joj ja davah i žito i mošt i ulje, da je ja obasipah srebrom i zlatom od kojega načiniše baale.

11 Stoga ću uzeti natrag svoje žito u svoje vrijeme i svoj mošt u pravi čas; oduzet ću svoju vunu i svoj lan kojima je imala pokriti golotinju svoju;

12 sad ću joj otkriti sramotu na oči njenih milosnika, i nitko je iz moje neće izbaviti ruke.

13 Učinit ću kraj svim njenim veseljima, svetkovinama, mlađacima, subotama i svim blagdanima njezinim.

14 Opustošit ću joj čokote i smokve za koje je govorila: 'To je plaća što mi je dadoše moji milosnici.' Obratit ću ih u šikarje, i životinje će ih poljske obrstiti.

15 Kaznit ću je za dane Baalove kojima je kad palila, kitila se grivnom i kolajnom i trčala za svojim milosnicima; a mene je zaboravljala - riječ je Jahvina.

16 Stoga ću je, evo, primamiti, odvesti je u pustinju i njenu progovorit' srcu.

17 I vratit ću joj ondje njene vinograde, i od Doline ću akorske učiniti vrata nade. Ondje će mi odgovarat' ona kao u dane svoje mladosti, kao u vrijeme kada je izišla iz Egipta.

18 U onaj dan - riječ je Jahvina - ti ćeš me zvati: 'Mužu moj', a nećeš me više zvati: 'Moj Baale.'

19 Uklonit ću joj iz usta imena baalska i neće im više ime spominjati.

20 U onaj dan, učinit ću za njih savez sa životinjama u polju, sa pticama nebeskim i gmazovima zemskim; luk, mač i boj istrijebit ću iz zemlje da mirno u njoj počiva.

21 Zaručit ću te sebi dovijeka; zaručit ću te u pravdi i u pravu, u nježnosti i u ljubavi;

22 zaručit ću te sebi u vjernosti i ti ćeš spoznati Jahvu.

23 U onaj dan - riječ je Jahvina - odazvat ću se nebesima, a ona će se zemlji odazvati;

24 zemlja će se odazvati žitu, moštu i ulju, a oni će se odazvati Jizreelu.

25 I posijat ću ga u zemlji, zamilovat ću Nemilu, Ne-narodu mom reći ću: 'Ti si narod moj!' a on će reći: 'Bože moj!'"

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #299

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299. And he who sat on it had a bow. This symbolizes their having a doctrine of truth and goodness from the Word, from which they fought against falsities and evils emanating from hell, thus fighting against hell.

He who sat on the white horse in Revelation 19:11-13 means the Lord in relation to the Word, but he who sat on this white horse means an angelic person in relation to a doctrine of truth and goodness from the Word, thus a doctrine from the Lord, like the army of the Lord in heaven which followed the Lord on white horses in Revelation 19:14.

Regarding Him who sat on the white horse in Revelation 19, we are told that out of his mouth went a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations, and the sword going out of His mouth symbolizes the Divine truth of the Word fighting against falsities and evils (nos. 52, 108, 117). Here, however, we are told that he who sat on this white horse had a bow, and the bow symbolizes a doctrine of truth and goodness from the Word fighting against evils and falsities.

To fight against falsities and evils is also to fight against the hells, as evils and falsities emanate from there, and therefore this, too, is symbolically meant.

[2] That a bow in the Word symbolizes doctrine doing battle in both senses can be seen from the following passages:

(Jehovah's) arrows are sharp, and all His bows bent; His horses' hooves are accounted as rocks. (Isaiah 5:28)

(The Lord) has bent his bow like an enemy... (Lamentations 2:4)

O Jehovah..., You ride on Your horses; ...Your bow will be bared. (Habakkuk 3:8-9)

He gave the nations before Him, and made Him rule over kings. He gave them as the dust to His sword, as... stubble to His bow. (Isaiah 41:2)

Because the subject is Jehovah or the Lord, a bow in these places symbolizes the Word, from which the Lord fights in a person against evils and falsities.

I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; the war bow shall be cut off. Rather He shall speak peace to the nations. (Zechariah 9:10)

They bend their tongue, their bow a lie, and not the truth... (Jeremiah 9:3)

Lo, the wicked bend their bow; they make ready their arrows on the bowstring, to shoot in the dark the upright in heart. (Psalms 11:2)

They will provoke Joseph and shoot at him; the archers will hate him. But he will rest on the tautness of his bow... by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob... (Genesis 49:23-24)

Set yourselves in array against Babylon... All you who bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrow, for she has sinned against Jehovah. (Jeremiah 50:14, cf. 50:29)

David lamented... over Saul... to teach the children of Judah the Bow. (2 Samuel 1:17-18)

This lamentation describes the combat of truth against falsities.

[3] Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: "Lo, I am breaking the bow of Elam, the source of its might." (Jeremiah 49:35)

(Jehovah) made Me a polished arrow; in His quiver He has hidden Me. (Isaiah 49:2)

Behold, children are a heritage from Jehovah... Blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them. (Psalms 127:3-5)

Children here and elsewhere symbolize doctrinal truths.

In Salem shall be (Jehovah's) tabernacle... There He broke the strings of the bow, the shield, the sword, and the war. (Psalms 76:1-3)

(Jehovah) will make wars cease... He will break the bow..., cut asunder the spear; He will burn the chariot with fire. (Psalms 46:9; cf. Ezekiel 39:8-9, Hosea 2:18)

In these places a bow symbolizes a doctrine of truth fighting against falsities, and in an opposite sense, a doctrine of falsity fighting against truths. Arrows accordingly symbolize truths or falsities.

Since a war in the Word symbolizes a spiritual war, therefore the weapons of war - such as the sword, spear, shield, buckler, bow, and arrows - symbolize the kind of things that have to do with that war.

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