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Jeremiah 48

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1 Mooabia vastaan. Näin sanoo Herra Sebaot, Israelin Jumala: "Voi Neboa, sillä se on hävitetty! Häpeään joutunut, valloitettu on Kirjataim, häpeään joutunut, kauhistunut on linnoitus.

2 Mennyt on Mooabin maine, Hesbonissa hankitaan sille pahaa: 'Tulkaa, hävittäkäämme se kansojen luvusta'. Myöskin sinä, Madmena, kukistut, miekka on sinun kintereilläsi.

3 Kuule! Huuto Hooronaimista! Tuho ja suuri hävitys!

4 Hävitetty on Mooab, sen pienokaisten parku kuuluu.

5 Luuhitin solatietä noustaan itkien, Hooronaimin rinteeltä kuuluu tuskan huuto hävityksen tähden.

6 Paetkaa, pelastakaa henkenne ja olkaa kuin alaston puu erämaassa.

7 Sillä koska sinä turvaat omiin töihisi ja aarteisiisi, niin sinutkin valloitetaan, ja Kemos lähtee pakkosiirtolaisuuteen ja hänen pappinsa ja ruhtinaansa hänen kanssaan.

8 Hävittäjä tulee jokaiseen kaupunkiin, ei pelastu yksikään kaupunki; laakso hävitetään ja tasanko tuhotaan, niinkuin Herra on puhunut.

9 Antakaa siivet Mooabille, sillä lentämällä on hänen lähdettävä pois. Hänen kaupunkinsa tulevat autioiksi, niin ettei niissä yhtään asukasta ole.

10 Kirottu olkoon se, joka Herran työn laiskasti tekee, kirottu olkoon se, joka pidättää miekkansa verestä.

11 Surutonna on Mooab ollut nuoruudestaan asti ja levännyt rauhassa sakkansa päällä; ei sitä ole tyhjennetty astiasta astiaan, eikä se ole pakkosiirtolaisuuteen vaeltanut. Sentähden siihen on jäänyt sen oma maku, eikä sen haju ole muuttunut.

12 Sentähden, katso, päivät tulevat, sanoo Herra, jolloin minä lähetän sille viininlaskijat, jotka sen laskevat ja tyhjentävät sen astiat ja rikkovat sen leilit.

13 Ja Mooab joutuu häpeään Kemoksen tähden, niinkuin Israelin heimo joutui häpeään Beetelin tähden, johon se turvasi.

14 Kuinka te sanotte: 'Me olemme sankareita ja aimomiehiä taisteluun'?

15 Mooab hävitetään, sen kaupunkeihin hyökätään, ja sen valionuorukaiset vaipuvat teurastettaviksi, sanoo kuningas-Herra Sebaot on hänen nimensä.

16 Lähellä, tulossa on Mooabin turmio, sen onnettomuus kiiruhtaa kovin.

17 Surkutelkaa sitä, kaikki sen naapurit, kaikki, jotka tunnette sen nimen. Sanokaa: 'Voi, kuinka onkaan murrettu voiman valtikka, kunnian sauva!'

18 Astu alas kunniasta ja istu janoiseen erämaahan, sinä valtiatar, tytär Diibon; sillä Mooabin hävittäjä hyökkää sinun kimppuusi, kukistaa sinun linnoituksesi.

19 Seiso tiellä ja tähystele, sinä Aroerin asukas; kysy pakolaisilta ja pelastuneilta, sano: 'Mitä on tapahtunut?'

20 Häpeään on joutunut Mooab, sillä se on kukistettu. Valittakaa ja huutakaa, julistakaa Arnonin äyräillä, että Mooab on hävitetty.

21 Tuomio on tullut tasangon maalle, Hoolonille, Jahaalle ja Meefaatille,

22 Diibonille, Nebolle ja Beet-Diblataimille,

23 Kirjataimille, Beet-Gaamulille ja Beet-Meonille,

24 Kerijotille, Bosralle ja kaikille Mooabin maan kaupungeille, kaukaisille ja läheisille.

25 Katkaistu on Mooabin sarvi ja murskattu hänen käsivartensa, sanoo Herra.

26 Juovuttakaa hänet, sillä hän on ylpeillyt Herraa vastaan, niin että Mooab suistuu omaan oksennukseensa ja tulee nauruksi hänkin.

27 Vai eikö Israel ollut sinulle nauruksi? Onko hänet tavattu varasten joukosta, koska sinä, milloin vain hänestä puhuit, pudistit päätäsi?

28 Jättäkää kaupungit ja asukaa kallioilla, te Mooabin asukkaat, ja olkaa kuin kyyhkynen, joka tekee pesänsä ammottavan kuilun taakse.

29 Me olemme kuulleet Mooabin ylpeilyn, tuon ylen ylpeän, hänen korskeutensa, ylpeilynsä ja kopeilunsa ja hänen sydämensä pöyhkeyden.

30 Minä tunnen, sanoo Herra, hänen vihansa ja hänen väärät puheensa; väärin he ovat tehneet.

31 Siksi minä valitan Mooabin tähden, koko Mooabin tähden minä huudan; Kiir-Hereksen miesten tähden huokaillaan.

32 Enemmän kuin Jaeser itkee, itken minä sinua, Sibman viinipuu; sinun köynnöksesi menivät yli meren, ulottuivat Jaeserin mereen asti. Sinun hedelmän-ja viininkorjuusi keskeen on hävittäjä hyökännyt.

33 Ilo ja riemu on tauonnut hedelmätarhoista ja Mooabin maasta. Viinin minä olen lopettanut viinikuurnista; ei poljeta enää viiniä ilohuudoin, ilohuuto ei ole enää ilohuuto.

34 Hesbonin parku kuuluu Elaleen, Jahaaseen asti, he antavat äänensä kuulua Sooarista Hooronaimiin, Eglat-Selisijjaan asti, sillä Nimrimin vedet ehtyvät erämaaksi.

35 Minä lopetan Mooabista, sanoo Herra, kukkuloilla-uhraajat, ne, jotka polttavat uhreja jumalillensa.

36 Siksi minun sydämeni väräjää Mooabin tähden niinkuin huilu, minun sydämeni väräjää Kiir-Hereksen miesten tähden niinkuin huilu, sillä mennyttä on heidän hankkimansa säästö.

37 Kaikki päät ovat paljaiksi ajellut ja kaikki parrat leikatut, kaikki kädet viileskellyt, ja lanteilla on säkit.

38 Kaikilla Mooabin katoilla ja toreilla on pelkkää valitusta, sillä minä olen murskannut Mooabin kuin kelpaamattoman astian, sanoo Herra.

39 Kuinka se on kauhuissansa! Valittakaa! Kuinka Mooab kääntyikään selin ja häpesi! Mooab on tullut nauruksi ja kauhuksi kaikille naapureilleen.

40 Sillä näin sanoo Herra: Katso, kotkan kaltainen liitää siivet levällään Mooabia kohti.

41 Kerijot valloitetaan ja vuorilinnoitukset vallataan; sinä päivänä on Mooabin sankarien sydän niinkuin synnytystuskissa olevan vaimon sydän.

42 Ja Mooab hävitetään kansojen luvusta, sillä se on ylpeillyt Herraa vastaan.

43 Kauhu ja kuoppa ja paula on edessäsi, sinä Mooabin asukas, sanoo Herra.

44 Joka pakenee kauhua, se putoaa kuoppaan, ja joka kuopasta nousee, se puuttuu paulaan; sillä minä tuotan Mooabille heidän rangaistusvuotensa, sanoo Herra.

45 Hesbonin varjossa seisovat pakolaiset voimaa vailla. Sillä tuli lähti Hesbonista, liekki Siihonin vaiheilta; ja se kulutti Mooabin ohimon ja melskeen miesten päälaen.

46 Voi sinua, Mooab! Hukkunut on Kemoksen kansa, sillä sinun poikasi ovat vangeiksi otetut ja tyttäresi viedyt vankeuteen.

47 Mutta minä käännän Mooabin kohtalon aikojen lopulla, sanoo Herra." Tähän asti Mooabin tuomiosta.

   

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Arcana Coelestia #3021

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3021. 'Put now your hand under my thigh' means being bound, as regards its power, to the good of conjugial love. This is clear from the meaning of 'the hand' as power, dealt with in 878, and from the meaning of 'the thigh' as the good of conjugial love, dealt with in what follows. A binding of this good to that power is indeed the meaning, as is clear from the consideration that those who were bound by an obligation to carry out some matter connected with conjugial love put their hand, according to ancient custom, under the thigh of the one to whom they were so bound, and in so doing swore by him. This was done because 'the thigh' meant conjugial love, and 'the hand' power, or the full extent of whatever one's capability might be. For all parts of the human body correspond to spiritual and celestial things in the Grand Man, which is heaven, as shown in 2996, 2998, and will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown more extensively later on. The thighs themselves, together with the loins, correspond to conjugial love. Those things were well known to the most ancient people, and for that reason so many customs came down from them, including that of putting their hands under the thigh when being bound by an obligation to carry out something connected with the good of conjugial love. Their knowledge of such things, which was valued most highly by the ancients, and belonged among the chief things that constituted their knowledge and intelligence, is totally lost today, so much so that not even the existence of any such correspondence is known, and for this reason people will probably be astounded that such things are meant by that custom. Here, because the subject is the betrothal of Isaac his son to another member of Abraham's family, and the oldest servant was called on to perform that task, this custom was therefore followed.

[2] It has been stated that 'the thigh', because of its correspondence, means conjugial love, and this may also be seen from other places in the Word, for example, from the procedure to be followed when a woman was accused by her husband of adultery, in Moses,

The priest shall make the woman take the oath of a curse, and the priest shall say to the woman, Jehovah will make you a curse and an oath in the midst of your people, when Jehovah makes your thigh fall away and your belly swell. When he has made her drink the water, then it will happen, if she has defiled herself and committed a trespass against her husband, that the water causing the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, and her thigh will fall away; and the woman will be a curse in the midst of her people. Numbers 5:21, 27.

'The falling away of the thigh' means the evil of conjugial love, which is adultery. Every other detail in the same procedure had some specific meaning, so that not even the smallest detail fails to embody something, though anyone reading the Word who has no concept of its sacredness will wonder why such things are included there. It is because 'the thigh' means the good of conjugial love that the expression 'those coming out of the thigh' is used frequently, as in a reference to Jacob,

Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will go out from your thighs. Genesis 35:11.

And elsewhere in the same author,

Every soul coming with Jacob to Egypt, who came out of his thigh. Genesis 46:26; Exodus 1:5.

And in a reference to Gideon, Gideon had seventy sons, who came out of his thigh. Judges 8:30.

[3] Since 'the thigh' and 'the loins' mean the things that belong to conjugial love they also mean those that belong to love and charity, the reason being that conjugial love underlies every other kind of love, see 686, 2733, 2737-2739. These all have the same source - the heavenly marriage - which is a marriage of good and truth, regarding which see 2727-2759. For 'the thigh' means the good of celestial love and the good of spiritual love, as may be seen from the following places: In John,

He who sat on the white horse had on His robe and on His thigh the name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:16.

'He who sat on the white horse' is the Word, and so the Lord, who is the Word, see 2760-2762. 'Robe' means Divine Truth, 2576, and for that reason He is called 'King of kings', 3009. From this it is evident what 'the thigh' means, namely the Divine Good which flows from His love, on account of which He is also named 'Lord of lords', 3004-3011. And this being the Lord's essential nature, it is said that He had a name written on His robe and on His thigh, for 'name' means essential nature, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006.

[4] In David,

Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One, in Your glory and honour! Psalms 45:3.

This refers to the Lord. 'Sword' stands for truth engaged in conflict, 2799, 'thigh' for the good of love. 'Girding the sword on the thigh' means that the truth which He was to use in the fight was allied to the good of love. In Isaiah,

Righteousness will be the girdle of His loins, and truth the girdle of His thighs. Isaiah 11:5.

This too refers to the Lord. Because 'righteousness' has reference to the good that flows from love, 2235, it is called 'the girdle of His loins', while 'truth' because it comes from good, is called 'the girdle of His thighs'. Thus 'loins' is used in reference to the love within good, and 'thighs' to the love within truth.

[5] In the same prophet'

None will be weary, and none will stumble in Him. He will not slumber nor sleep. Nor has the girdle of His thighs been loosed, nor the thong of His shoes torn away. Isaiah 5:27.

This refers to the Lord. 'The girdle of His thighs' stands, as above, for the love within truth. In Jeremiah Jehovah told the prophet to buy a linen girdle and put it over his loins but not dip it in water. He was then told to go away to the Euphrates and hide it in a cleft of the rock. When he went back at a later time to retrieve it from that place it was spoiled, Jeremiah 13:1-7. 'A linen girdle' stands for truth, but the placing of it over his loins was representative of the fact that truth was the outward expression of good. Anyone may see that these actions are representative. Their meaning however cannot be known except from correspondences, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with at the ends of certain chapters further on.

[6] It is similar with the meaning of the things seen by Ezekiel, Daniel, and Nebuchadnezzar: Ezekiel saw,

Above the firmament that was above the heads of the cherubim, in appearance like a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of a throne, and above the likeness of a throne, there was a likeness, as the appearance of a Man (Homo) upon it above. And I saw as it were the shape of fiery coals, as the shape of fire, within it round about. From the appearance of His loins and upwards, and from the appearance of His loins and downwards, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, whose brightness was round about it like the appearance of the rainbow which is in the cloud on the day of rain; so was the appearance of the brightness round about, thus was the appearance of the likeness of the Glory of Jehovah. Ezekiel 1:26-28.

This scene was clearly representative of the Lord and His kingdom. 'The appearance of His loins upwards and the appearance, of His loins downwards' is descriptive of His love, as is evident from the meaning of 'fire' as love, 934, and from the meaning of 'brightness' and of 'the rainbow' as wisdom and intelligence from that love, 1042, 1043, 1053.

[7] Daniel saw,

A man clothed in linen whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz, and whose body was like tarshish, 1 and whose face was like the appearance of lightning and whose eyes were like fiery torches, and whose arms and feet were like the shine of burnished bronze. Daniel 10:5-6.

What each of these expressions means - the loins, the body, the face, the eyes, the arms, and the feet - does not become clear to anyone except from representations and correspondences involved in these. From these it is evident that in what Daniel saw the Lord's heavenly kingdom was represented, in which Divine Love constitutes the loins, and 'the gold of Uphaz' with which He was girded, the good resulting from wisdom that is grounded in love, 113, 1551, 1552.

[8] In Daniel: Nebuchadnezzar saw a statue whose head was fine gold, breast and arms silver, belly and thighs bronze, feet partly iron, partly clay, Daniel 2:32-33. This statue represented consecutive states of the Church. The head of gold represented the first state, which was celestial because it was a state of love to the Lord; the breast and arms of silver represented the second state, which was spiritual because it was a state of charity towards the neighbour; the belly and thighs of bronze represented the third state, which was a state of natural good meant by 'bronze', 425, 1551 - natural good being love or charity towards the neighbour as this exists on a lower level than spiritual good - while the feet of iron and clay were the fourth state, which was a state of natural truth meant by 'iron', 425, 426, and also a state involving complete lack of cohesion with good, which is meant by 'clay'.

From all this one may see what is meant by the thighs and loins, namely conjugial love primarily, and from this love every genuine kind of love, as is evident from the places quoted and also from Genesis 32:25, 31-32; Isaiah 20:2-4; Nahum 2:1; Psalms 69:23; Exodus 12:11; Luke 12:35-36. The thighs and loins also mean in the contrary sense those loves that are the reverse of conjugial love and all genuine loves, namely self-love and love of the world, 1 Kings 2:5-6; Isaiah 32:10-11; Jeremiah 30:6; 48:37; Ezekiel 29:7; Amos 8:10.

Footnotes:

1. A Hebrew word for a particular kind of precious stone, possibly a beryl.

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