New Christian Bible Study

The Bible

 

Ezekiel 14

Study

   

1 Venis al mi kelkaj el la plejagxuloj de Izrael, kaj sidigxis antaux mi.

2 Kaj aperis al mi vorto de la Eternulo, dirante:

3 Ho filo de homo! cxi tiuj homoj levis siajn idolojn en sian koron, kaj allogilon de sia malpieco ili starigis antaux sia vizagxo; cxu Mi nun respondu al ili, kiam ili Min demandas?

4 Tial parolu kun ili, kaj diru al ili:Tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Se iu el la domo de Izrael levis siajn idolojn en sian koron kaj starigis antaux si la allogilon de sia malpieco, kaj poste venas al la profeto, tiam Mi, la Eternulo, respondos al li tiel, kiel li meritas per sia granda idolisteco,

5 por ke la domo de Izrael estu kaptata konforme al sia koro, kiun ili defaligis de Mi per cxiuj siaj idoloj.

6 Tial diru al la domo de Izrael:Tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Pentu, kaj deturnu vin de viaj idoloj, kaj de cxiuj viaj abomenindajxoj deturnu vian vizagxon.

7 CXar se iu el la domo de Izrael, aux el la fremduloj, kiu logxas cxe Izrael, defalas de Mi, levas siajn idolojn en sian koron, starigas antaux sia vizagxo la allogilon de sia malpieco, kaj poste venas al la profeto, por fari per li demandojn al Mi, tiam Mi, la Eternulo, respondos al li per Mi mem;

8 Mi direktos Mian vizagxon kontraux tiun homon kaj faros lin avertilo kaj ekzemplo, kaj Mi ekstermos lin el inter Mia popolo; kaj vi ekscios, ke Mi estas la Eternulo.

9 Kaj se la profeto estos delogita kaj ion parolos, tiam Mi, la Eternulo, malsagxigis tiun profeton, kaj Mi etendos Mian manon sur lin kaj ekstermos lin el inter Mia popolo Izrael.

10 Tiamaniere ili estos punitaj pro sia malpieco:la puno de la demandanto kaj la puno de la profeto estos egalaj;

11 por ke ili ne plu forerarigu de Mi la domon de Izrael kaj ili ne plu malpurigu sin per cxiuj siaj krimoj; sed ili estu Mia popolo kaj Mi estu ilia Dio, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo.

12 Kaj aperis al mi vorto de la Eternulo, dirante:

13 Ho filo de homo! se lando pekos kontraux Mi, forte kulpigxante antaux Mi, tiam Mi etendos Mian manon sur gxin, kaj rompos al gxi la panan apogon, venigos sur gxin malsaton, kaj ekstermos en gxi la homojn kaj brutojn.

14 Kaj se meze de gxi trovigxus tiaj tri homoj, kiel Noa, Daniel, kaj Ijob, ili pro sia virteco savus sian vivon, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo.

15 Se Mi venigus en la landon sovagxajn bestojn, por gxin senhomigi, por ke gxi farigxu dezerta kaj neniu povu iri tra gxi pro la bestoj-

16 kiel Mi vivas, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo, ecx tiuj tri homoj en gxi ne savus la filojn nek filinojn; nur ili mem savigxus, sed la lando farigxus dezerta.

17 Aux se Mi venigus glavon sur tiun landon, kaj dirus:Glavo, trairu la landon; kaj Mi ekstermus en gxi homojn kaj brutojn-

18 kiel Mi vivas, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo, ecx tiuj tri homoj en gxi ne savus la filojn nek filinojn; nur ili mem savigxus.

19 Aux se Mi venigus peston sur tiun landon, kaj Mi elversxus sur gxin Mian koleron en sango, por ekstermi en gxi homojn kaj brutojn,

20 kaj Noa, Daniel, kaj Ijob estus en gxi-kiel Mi vivas, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo, ili ne savus filon nek filinon; nur ili pro sia virteco savus sian animon.

21 CXar tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Ecx se Mi venigus sur Jerusalemon la kvar malbonajn punojn, la glavon, malsaton, sovagxajn bestojn, kaj peston, por ekstermi en gxi homojn kaj brutojn-

22 tamen restos en gxi restajxo da mortevitintaj filoj kaj filinoj, kaj jen ili eliros al vi, kaj vi vidos ilian konduton kaj iliajn agojn, kaj vi konsoligxos pri la malbono, kiun Mi venigis sur Jerusalemon, pri cxio, kion Mi venigis sur gxin.

23 Kaj ili vin konsolos, kiam vi vidos ilian konduton kaj iliajn agojn, kaj ekscios, ke ne vane Mi faris cxion, kion Mi faris kontraux gxi, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #7102

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

7102. 'Lest perhaps He fall on us with pestilence and sword' means to avoid the damnation of evil and falsity. This is clear from the meaning of 'lest perhaps He fall on' as lest they run into - into damnation; from the meaning of 'pestilence' as the damnation of evil, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'sword' as the vastation of truth, and also the punishment of falsity, dealt with in 2799, and so also as damnation, since the punishment of falsity, when truth has been devasted, is damnation.

[2] The Word mentions four kinds of vastation and punishment - sword, famine, evil wild animal, and pestilence. 'Sword' means the vastation of truth and the punishment of falsity; 'famine' the vastation of good and the punishment of evil; 'evil wild animal' the punishment of evil that arises out of falsity; and 'pestilence' the punishment of evil that does not arise out of falsity but out of evil. And since punishment is meant, damnation is meant also, since damnation is the punishment suffered by those who persist in evil. Those four kinds of punishment are referred to as follows in Ezekiel,

. . . when I shall send My four severe 1 judgements - sword, and famine, and evil wild animal, and pestilence - onto Jerusalem, to cut off man and beast from it. Ezekiel 14:21.

In the same prophet,

I will send famine and evil wild animals upon you, and I will make you bereft. And pestilence and blood will pass through you; in particular I will bring the sword upon you. Ezekiel 5:17.

[3] The meaning of 'pestilence' as the punishment of evil and its damnation is evident from the following places: In Ezekiel,

Those in waste places will die by the sword, and the one who is in the open field 2 I will give to the wild animals to devour him, and those who are in fortifications and caverns will die from pestilence. Ezekiel 33:27.

'In waste places dying by the sword' stands for suffering the vastation of truth and consequently the damnation of falsity. 'The one who is in the open field being given to the wild animals to devour him' stands for the damnation of those ruled by evil arising out of falsity. 'Those who are in fortifications and caverns, dying from pestilence' stands for the damnation of evil which uses falsity to fortify itself.

[4] In the same prophet,

The sword is without, and pestilence and famine within; he that is in the field will die by the sword, but him that is in the city famine and pestilence will devour. Ezekiel 7:15.

'The sword' stands for the vastation of truth and the damnation of falsity; 'famine' and 'pestilence' stand for the vastation of good and the damnation of evil. The sword is said to be 'without' and famine and pestilence 'within' because the vastation of truth takes place externally but the vastation of good internally. When however a person leads a life that rests on falsity, damnation is meant by the words 'he that is in the field will die by the sword'; and when a person leads a life ruled by evil which he defends by the use of falsity, damnation is meant by the words 'him that is in the city famine and pestilence will devour'.

[5] In Leviticus,

I will bring upon you a sword executing the vengeance of the covenant; wherever you are gathered into your cities, I will send pestilence into the midst of you, and you will be delivered 3 into the hand of the enemy. When I have cut off your supply of bread 4 ... Leviticus 26:25-26.

Here in a similar way 'a sword' stands for the vastation of truth and the damnation of falsity, 'pestilence' for the damnation of evil. The vastation of good, meant by 'famine', is described when [the Lord] speaks of cutting off their supply of bread. 'Cities' into which they would be gathered has the same meaning as 'the city' just above - falsities that are used to defend evils. For the meaning of 'cities' as truths, and so in the contrary sense as falsities, see 402, 2268, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493.

[6] In Ezekiel,

Therefore because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your abominations, a third part of you will die from pestilence, and be annihilated [by famine] in your midst; then a third will fall by the sword around you; finally I will scatter a third to every wind, so that I will draw out a sword after them. Ezekiel 5:11-12.

'Famine' stands for the damnation of evil, 'sword' for the damnation of falsity. 'Scattering to every wind' and 'drawing out a sword after them' stand for getting rid of truths and seizing on falsities.

[7] In Jeremiah,

If they offer burnt offering or minchah, I am not accepting those things, but I will consume those people by sword, famine, and pestilence. Jeremiah 14:12.

In the same prophet,

I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they will die from a great pestilence. Afterwards I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and those in this city left from the pestilence, and from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. He who remains in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out and defects to the Chaldeans besieging you will live, and his soul will become spoil to him. Jeremiah 21:6-7, 9.

In the same prophet,

I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, till they are consumed from upon the earth. Jeremiah 24:10.

Here also 'sword' means the vastation of truth, 'famine' the vastation of good, and 'pestilence' damnation; and 'sword', 'famine', and 'pestilence' have the same meanings in the following places as well: Jeremiah 27:8; 29:17-18; 32:24, 36; 34:17; 38:2; 42:17, 22; 44:13; Ezekiel 12:16.

[8] Since those three scourges follow in their own particular order [of severity], David was presented by the prophet Gad with the three. He had to choose between the coming of seven years of famine, fleeing three months before his enemies, or three days of pestilence in the land, 2 Samuel 24:13. ('Fleeing before his enemies' implies 'the sword'.) In Amos,

I have sent the pestilence upon you in the way of Egypt, I have killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. 5 Amos 4:10.

'The pestilence in the way of Egypt' stands for the vastation of good by means of falsities, which are 'the way of Egypt'. 'Killing young men with the sword, along with captured horses' stands for the vastation of truth, truths being meant by 'young men' and intellectual concepts by 'horses', 5 2761, 2762, 3217, 5321, 6534.

[9] In Ezekiel,

Pestilence and blood will pass through you. Ezekiel 5:17.

In the same prophet,

I will send upon her pestilence and blood in her streets. Ezekiel 28:23.

Here 'pestilence' stands for good that has been adulterated, and 'blood' for truth that has been falsified. For the meaning of 'blood' as falsified truth, see 4735, 6978.

[10] In David,

You will not be afraid of the terror of the night, of the arrow that flies by day, of the pestilence that creeps in thick darkness, of death that lays waste at noonday. Psalms 91:5-6.

'The terror of the night' stands for falsity which lies concealed; 'the arrow that flies by day' for falsity which is out in the open; 'the pestilence that creeps in thick darkness' for evil which lies concealed; 'death which lays waste at noonday' for evil which is out in the open. The fact that 'pestilence' means evil and the damnation of evil is evident from the use of the word 'death', which is distinguished here from pestilence solely by its being said of death that it 'lays waste at noonday' but of pestilence that it 'creeps in thick darkness'. In the same author,

He opened a way for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, and He subjected their life to pestilence. Psalms 78:50.

This refers to the Egyptians, 'pestilence' standing for every kind of evil and its damnation.

Footnotes:

1. literally, evil

2. literally, upon the face of the field

3. The Latin means I will deliver you but the Hebrew means you will be delivered.

4. literally, While I am about to break the staff of bread for you

5. literally, the captivity of your horses

  
/ 10837  
  

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

©2024 New Christian Bible Study Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed from newchristianbiblestudy.org