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Pláč Jeremjášův 1

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1 Ach, město tak lidné, jakť jest samotné zůstalo, a učiněno jako vdova! Nejznamenitější mezi národy, přední mezi krajinami pod plat uvedeno.

2 Ustavičně pláče v noci, a slzy jeho na lících jeho, ze všech milovníků svých nemá žádného potěšitele; všickni přátelé jeho nevěrně se k němu mají, obrátili se mu v nepřátely.

3 Zastěhoval se Juda, proto že byl trápen a u veliké porobě, však osadiv se mezi pohany, nenalézá odpočinutí; všickni, kteříž jej honí, postihají jej v těsně.

4 Cesty Siona kvílí, že žádný nepřichází k slavnosti. Všecky brány jeho zpustly, kněží jeho vzdychají, panny jeho smutné jsou, on pak sám pln jest hořkosti.

5 Nepřátelé jeho jsou hlavou, odpůrcům jeho šťastně se vede; nebo jej Hospodin zarmoutil pro množství přestoupení jeho. Maličcí jeho odešli do zajetí před oblíčejem nepřítele.

6 A tak odňata od dcery Sionské všecka okrasa její. Knížata její jsou podobná jelenům, kteříž nenalézají pastvy, a ucházejí bez moci před tím, kdož je honí.

7 Rozpomínáť se dcera Jeruzalémská ve dnech trápení svého a kvílení svého na všecka svá utěšení, kteráž mívala ode dnů starodávních, když padá lid její od ruky nepřítele, nemajíc žádného, kdo by ji retoval. Protivníciť se jí dívajíce, posmívají se klesnutí jejímu.

8 Těžce hřešila dcera Jeruzalémská, protož jako nečistá odloučena jest. Všickni, kteříž ji v poctivosti mívali, neváží jí sobě, proto že vidí nahotu její; ona pak vzdychá, obrácena jsuci zpět.

9 Nečistota její na podolcích jejích; nepamatovala na skončení své, protož patrně klesá, nemajíc žádného, kdo by ji potěšil. Popatřiž, Hospodine, na trápení mé, neboť se vyvýšil nepřítel.

10 Sáhl rukou svou nepřítel na všecky drahé věci její; nebo musí se dívati pohanům, an chodí do svatyně její, o čemž jsi byl přikázal, aby tobě nevcházeli do shromáždění.

11 Všecken lid její vzdychajíce, hledají chleba, vynakládají nejdražší věci své za pokrm k očerstvení života. Vzezřiž, Hospodine, a popatřiž, neboť jsem v nevážnosti.

12 Nic-liž vám do toho, ó všickni, kteříž tudyto jdete? Pohleďte a vizte, jest-li bolest podobná bolesti mé, kteráž jest mi učiněna, jak mne zámutkem naplnil Hospodin v den prchlivosti hněvu svého.

13 Seslal s výsosti oheň do kostí mých, kterýž opanoval je; roztáhl sít nohám mým, obrátil mne zpět, obrátil mne v pustinu, celý den neduživá jsem.

14 Tuze svázáno jest rukou jeho jho přestoupení mých, tuze spletené houžve připadly na hrdlo mé, porazilo sílu mou; vydal mne Pán v ruku nepřátel, nemohuť povstati.

15 Pošlapal Pán všecky mé silné u prostřed mne, svolal proti mně zástupy, aby potřel mládence mé, tlačil Pán presem pannu dceru Judskou.

16 Pro tyť věci já pláči, z očí mých, z očí mých tekou vody, a že jest vzdálen ode mne potěšitel, kterýž by očerstvil duši mou; synové moji jsou pohubeni, nebo ssilil se nepřítel.

17 Rozprostírá dcera Sionská ruce své, nemá žádného, kdo by ji potěšil; vzbudiltě Hospodin proti Jákobovi všudy vůkol něho nepřátely jeho, mezi nimiž jest dcera Jeruzalémská jako pro nečistotu oddělená.

18 Spravedlivý jest Hospodin, neboť jsem na odpor činila ústům jeho. Slyšte medle všickni lidé, a vizte bolest mou; panny mé i mládenci moji odebrali se do zajetí.

19 Volala jsem na milovníky své, oni oklamali mne; kněží moji a starci moji v městě pomřeli, hledajíce pokrmu, aby posilnili života svého.

20 Popatřiž, ó Hospodine, neboť mi úzko; vnitřnosti mé zkormouceny jsou, srdce mé svadne ve mně, proto že jsem na odpor velice činila. Vně meč na sirobu přivodí, v domě pouhá smrt.

21 Slýchajíť, že já vzdychám, ale není žádného, kdo by mne potěšil. Všickni nepřátelé moji slyšíce o mých bídách, radují se, že jsi to učinil, a přivedl den předohlášený, ale budouť mně podobní.

22 Nechť přijde všecka nešlechetnost jejich před oblíčej tvůj, a učiň jim, jakož jsi učinil mně pro všecka přestoupení má; neboť jsou mnohá úpění má, a srdce mé neduživé.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #270

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270. (Verse 4) And round about the throne were four-and-twenty thrones, and upon the thrones I saw four-and-twenty elders sitting. That this signifies all truths from good in the higher heavens, arranged by the Lord before judgment is evident from the signification of the throne on which one sat, as being the Lord as to the Last Judgment (concerning which see above, n. 267; and that throne signifies judgment, see n. 253); and from the signification of four-and-twenty thrones round about it, and four-and-twenty elders upon them, as being all the truths of heaven in the aggregate, arranged before judgment. Twenty-four signify all, and thrones signify judgment, and the elders those who are in truths from good, and, in the abstract, truths from good. The reason why the higher heavens are here meant is that all those who are there are in truths from the good of love, and that in what presently follows the lower heavens are treated of. The reason why twenty-four signify all is that that number signifies the same as the number twelve, and twelve signifies all, and is said of truths (see Arcana Coelestia 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913). That the number twenty-four signifies the same as the number twelve is because it is its double, and the double signifies the same as the number from which it arises by multiplication (as may be seen, n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973).

[2] The same is signified by thrones upon which the twelve apostles were to sit, of which it is said in Matthew:

"Ye who have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (19:28; Luke 22:30);

where by the twelve apostles are signified all truths in the aggregate. Similarly in the following words in the Apocalypse:

"I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them" (20:4).

Judgment being given to those that sat upon the thrones signifies that judgment belongs to the Lord alone; for by elders in the Word are signified all those who are in truths from good, and abstractly, truth from good from which is judgment.

He who believes that by elders and apostles in the Word are meant elders and apostles is much deceived; for, in the spiritual sense of the Word, persons are not perceived, but things abstractly from persons; for what is spiritual has nothing in common with persons. The case is otherwise in the sense of the letter of the Word, which is natural; in this sense persons are not only mentioned, but also the idea of a person is implied in many expressions, in order that the Word in its ultimates may be natural, and thus form a basis for the spiritual sense. The same is the case with the signification of elders as with that of infants, children, young men, old men, virgins, women, and many things of the same kind. All are thought of, in the natural sense, as persons; but, in the spiritual sense, by infants innocence is meant; by children, charity; by young men, intelligence; by old men, wisdom; by virgins are meant the affections of truth and good, and by women, the goods of the church; and so in other cases. The same may be said of the natural and spiritual sense of the term neighbour. In the natural sense, by neighbour is meant every man; but in the spiritual sense are meant good itself, truth, sincerity and justice, which are in the person. Every one who thinks in himself may know that this is the neighbour in the spiritual sense; for who loves any one from anything else but the good that is in him? for good and truth constitute the man, and cause him to be loved, and not the countenance and the body. But to return to the signification of elders. That elders signify truths from good is evident from those passages in the Word where they are mentioned.

[3] As in Isaiah:

"Then the moon shall blush, and the sun shall be ashamed, and Jehovah Zebaoth shall reign in the mount of Zion and in Jerusalem; and before his elders shall be glory" (24:23).

By the moon and the sun are meant their idolatrous worship, the falsity of their faith, and the evil of their love; by mount Zion and by Jerusalem are meant heaven and the church; by the elders are meant truth from good; therefore it is also said, that before them shall be glory; for by glory is signified the Divine truth in heaven, as may be seen above (n. 33).

[4] In Lamentations:

"My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. I have cried to my lovers, they have deceived me; and mine elders have expired in the city" (1:18, 19).

The subject here treated of is the vastation of the church, over which there is lamentation, which vastation takes place when there is no longer any spiritual affection of truth, and consequently no intelligence in such things as pertain to the church, and hence when there is no truth. By the virgins which are gone into captivity is meant the spiritual affection of truth; by the young men intelligence; captivity denotes removal from those principles; by the elders who expired are meant the truths of the church.

[5] In Ezekiel:

"Slay to destruction the old man and the young man, and the virgin, and the infant and the women; begin from my sanctuary. Therefore they began from the men, the elders who were before the house" (9:6).

The subject here treated of is also the vastation of the church; and by an old man and a young man are meant wisdom and intelligence; by virgin is meant the affection of truth and good; by infant innocence; by women goods of the church. To slay to destruction signifies devastation; the sanctuary at which they should begin signifies the church as to the good of love and the truth of faith, which are the men, the elders who were before the house.

[6] In Lamentations:

"The faces of the old men were not honoured. The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their singing" (5:12, 14).

The old men signify the wisdom which is of good; the elders, the truths which are from good; the young men, intelligence. That the God of Israel was seen having "under His feet as it were the work of sapphire," by Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders, and not by the rest (Exodus 24:9-12), signified that the Lord is seen only by those who are in good, and in truth from good (as may be seen in the explanation of the passage in Arcana Coelestia 9403-9411). These are the things which the seventy elders of Israel represented, and which are signified by the four-and-twenty elders sitting upon as many thrones. The same things also are signified by the twelve apostles, concerning whom it is said that they should sit upon thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (That the twelve apostles signify all truths from good, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397; that the same are signified by the twelve tribes of Israel, n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335, and also by the elders of Israel, n. 6524, 6525, 6890, 7912, 8578, 8585, 9376, 9404.)

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.