The Bible

 

Ezekiel 17

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

2 Ho filo de homo, proponu enigmon kaj parabolon al la domo de Izrael;

3 kaj diru:Tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Granda aglo kun grandaj flugiloj kaj grandaj korpomembroj, plene kovrita de diverskoloraj plumoj, venis sur Lebanonon kaj prenis pinton de cedro;

4 gxi desxiris gxian supran junan brancxeton kaj alportis gxin en la landon de komercado kaj kusxigis gxin en urbo de komercistoj.

5 GXi prenis iom el la semoj de la lando, plantis gxin sur prisemebla kampo, arangxis gxin apud abunda akvo, tre singarde.

6 Kaj gxi elkreskis kaj farigxis vasta vinberkreskajxo kun malalta trunko; gxiaj flankobrancxoj fleksigxis al gxi malsupren, kaj gxiaj radikoj estis sub gxi; kaj gxi farigxis vinbertrunko kaj elkreskigis brancxojn kaj brancxetojn.

7 Kaj estis alia granda aglo kun grandaj flugiloj kaj abundaj plumoj; kaj jen tiu vinbertrunko tiris sin per siaj radikoj al gxi kaj etendis al gxi siajn brancxojn, por ke gxi trinkigu gxin, de la bedoj, kie gxi estis plantita.

8 Sur bona kampo, apud abunda akvo, gxi estis plantita, por ke gxi elkreskigu brancxojn kaj portu fruktojn kaj estu belega vinbertrunko.

9 Diru:Tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:CXu gxi havos sukceson? oni ja elsxiros gxiajn radikojn, oni desxiros gxiajn fruktojn, kaj gxi velkos; cxiuj gxiaj elkreskintaj folioj velkos, kaj oni ne bezonos grandan forton kaj multon da homoj, por desxiri gxin de gxiaj radikoj.

10 Kaj jen, kvankam gxi estas plantita, cxu gxi havos sukceson? cxu gxi ne tute forvelkos, kiam la orienta vento gxin tusxos? gxi forvelkos sur la bedoj, kie gxi kreskis.

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

12 Diru do al la domo malobeema:CXu vi ne scias, kion tio signifas? Diru:Jen venis la regxo de Babel en Jerusalemon, kaj prenis gxian regxon kaj gxiajn eminentulojn kaj venigis ilin al si en Babelon;

13 kaj li prenis iun el la regxa idaro kaj faris kun li interligon kaj prenis de li jxuron, kaj la potenculojn de la lando li forprenis,

14 por ke la regno estu humila kaj ne altigu sin, kaj por ke gxi konservu lian interligon kaj povu sin teni.

15 Sed tiu defalis de li, kaj sendis siajn senditojn en Egiptujon, por ke oni donu al li cxevalojn kaj multe da homoj. CXu li povas havi sukceson? cxu povas savigxi tiu, kiu tiel agas? cxu li savigxos, se li rompis la interligon?

16 Kiel Mi vivas, diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo, sur la loko de tiu regxo, kiu faris lin regxo kaj antaux kiu li malsxatis sian jxuron kaj rompis lian interligon, cxe li, en Babel, li mortos.

17 Kaj Faraono kun granda forto kaj multenombra anaro ne helpos al li en la milito, kiam estos sursxutitaj remparoj kaj estos konstruitaj bastionoj, por ekstermi multe da homoj.

18 Kaj cxar li malsxatis la jxuron kaj rompis la interligon, cxar li donis sian manon kaj tamen faris cxion cxi tion, tial li ne savigxos.

19 Tial tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Kiel Mi vivas, Mian jxuron, kiun li malsxatis, kaj Mian interligon, kiun li rompis, Mi metos sur lian kapon.

20 Mi jxetos sur lin Mian reton, kaj li kaptigxos en Mian kaptilon; kaj Mi forkondukos lin en Babelon, kaj tie Mi faros sur li jugxon pro la krimo, kiun li faris kontraux Mi.

21 Kaj cxiuj liaj forkurintoj el cxiuj liaj tacxmentoj falos de glavo, kaj la restintoj estos dispelitaj al cxiuj ventoj; kaj vi ekscios, ke Mi, la Eternulo, tion diris.

22 Tiele diras la Sinjoro, la Eternulo:Mi mem prenos brancxon de alta cedro kaj metos gxin; el la supraj junaj brancxetoj Mi desxiros la plej delikatan, kaj Mi plantos gxin sur monto alta kaj eminenta.

23 Sur la alta monto de Izrael Mi gxin plantos, kaj gxi elkreskigos brancxojn kaj donos fruktojn kaj farigxos belega cedro; kaj logxos sub gxi cxiaspecaj birdoj, cxiaspecaj flugiluloj nestos en la ombro de gxiaj brancxoj.

24 Kaj ekscios cxiuj arboj de la kampo, ke Mi, la Eternulo, malaltigas arbon altan kaj altigas arbon malaltan, ke Mi velkigas arbon sukoplenan kaj verdigas arbon velkintan; Mi, la Eternulo, tion diris, kaj Mi tion plenumos.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9688

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9688. 'The work of an embroiderer' means things that belong to factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'the work of an embroiderer', or embroidery, as factual knowledge. A large number of places in the Word speak of that which has been embroidered and of embroidery, and in every case factual knowledge is meant by it. The reason for this goes back to representatives in the next life; there garments embroidered in various ways are seen, and by these garments truths on the level of factual knowledge are meant.

[2] Truths on the level of factual knowledge differ from those on the level of the understanding in the same way as outward things differ from inward ones, or as the natural level with a person differs from the spiritual. Facts serve the understanding as objects from which it may deduce truths; for the power of understanding is the internal or spiritual man's power of sight, and known facts are its objects in the external or natural man. These facts are meant by 'the work of an embroiderer' whereas that power of understanding is meant by 'the work of a designer', 9598, for designing is a function of the understanding, and embroidering a function of the knowledge and skill employed by the understanding. This explains why the objects within the dwelling-place, which were signs meaning inner realities, were the work of a designer, such as the curtains that formed it, verse 1, and the veil between the holy place and the holy of holies, verse 31. But the objects which were signs meaning outer realities were the work of an embroiderer, such as the screen in place of a tent door, and the screen in place of a gate of the court, Exodus 38:18, and also the girdle, Exodus 39:29, 'the girdle' being what is external linking everything internal, 'the court' being the lowest part of heaven, and 'the tent door' the place where there is an exit from the middle heaven into the lowest.

[3] The fact that 'embroidery' and that which has been 'embroidered' mean factual knowledge belonging to the external or natural man is clear from the following places in the Word: In Ezekiel,

Fine linen with embroidery from Egypt was your sail; violet and purple from the islands of Elishah was your covering. Syria was your merchant by reason of the multitude of your handiworks; [they exchanged for your wares] chrysoprase and purple, and embroidered work, and fine linen. The merchants of Sheba [came] with balls of violet and with embroidered work. Ezekiel 27:7, 16, 24.

This refers to Tyre, by which those in possession of cognitions or knowledge of truth and good are meant, and in the abstract sense those cognitions themselves, 1201. 'Fine linen with embroidery' means truth on the level of factual knowledge, for 'fine linen' means truth from a celestial origin, 5319, 9469, and 'embroidery' is factual knowledge. This also is the reason why it says that it came from Egypt - for 'Egypt' means factual knowledge, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 2588, 4749, 4964, 4966, 5700, 5702, 6004, 6015, 6125, 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692, 6750, 7779 (end), 9391 - and also from Syria and from Sheba, since cognitions of truth and good are meant by 'Syria', 1232, 1234, 3051, 3249, 3664, 3680, 4112, and in like manner by 'Sheba', 1171, 3240. Cognitions of truth and good constitute the Church's factual knowledge. Anybody endowed with the ability to think intelligently and weigh things up can see that in these verses from Ezekiel one should not understand embroidery, fine linen, violet, or purple, but that these commodities mean things such as are worthy of mention in the Word, namely spiritual realities that belong to heaven and the Church.

[4] In the same prophet,

All the princes of the sea will step down from upon their thrones, and will cast away their robes and will strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with tremblings. Ezekiel 26:16.

This too refers to Tyre. 'The princes of the sea' are the first and foremost known facts, which are called dogmas, 'princes' meaning things which are first and foremost, see 1482, 2089, 5044, and 'the sea' factual knowledge in general 28, 2850. 'Robes' are external truths, 'embroidered' are truths on the level of factual knowledge, which too are external ones. For the meaning of 'garments' as truths, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248, 5319, 5954, 6914, 6917, 6918, 9093, 9158, 9212, 9216.

[5] In the same prophet,

I clothed you with embroidered cloth, and shod you with badger; I swathed you in fine linen and covered you with silk. Thus were you adorned with gold and silver; and your garments were fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. But you took your embroidered garments and covered the images, with which you committed whoredom. 1 Ezekiel 16:10, 13, 18.

This refers to Jerusalem, by which the Church is meant. 'Embroidered garments' stands for truths on the level of factual knowledge. 'Covering the images, with which she committed whoredom' stands for giving strength to falsities, for 'committing whoredom' means perverting truths by bringing them into contact with falsities or with evils. Is there anyone who cannot see that since these verses describe Jerusalem 'fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth' are not used to mean fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth? Yet what they really mean the Christian world does not seek to know, because it supposes that heavenly and spiritual matters in the Word reside in its literal sense; the more internal contents of the Word it calls mystical, but has no interest in them.

[6] In the same prophet,

A great eagle with great wings, with long pinions, full of feathers, 2 which had embroidery ... Ezekiel 17:3.

This refers to the house of Israel, which means the spiritual Church; and this Church is called 'an eagle' by virtue of its perception of truth, 3901, 8764, 'which had embroidery' standing for its possession of factual knowledge. In David,

All glorious is the king's daughter within, in her clothing with gold interweavings; in an embroidered [robe] she will be led to the king. Psalms 45:13-14.

'The king's daughter' stands for an affection for truth, 'an embroidered [robe]' for factual knowledge of truth. In the Book of Judges,

Will they not divide the spoil, ... the spoil of colours for Sisera, the spoil of colours of embroidered work, embroiderers' colour - on the necks of the spoil? 3 Judges 5:30.

In this verse, which is part of the Song of Deborah and Barak, 'embroidered [work]' stands for factual knowledge belonging to the natural man.

Footnotes:

1. Here verse 18 of Ezekiel 16 has become confused with the preceding verse 17.

2. literally, A great eagle, great with wings, long with pinions, and full with feathers,

3. The meaning in the Hebrew of this verse is very obscure. The Latin rendering by Sebastian Schmidt, which Swedenborg relies on here, is literal and equally difficult to make sense of.

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

The Bible

 

Psalms 45:13-14

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13 The princess inside is all glorious. Her clothing is interwoven with gold.

14 She shall be led to the king in embroidered work. The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to you.