Arcana Coelestia #1715
1715. 'And he pursued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus' means to that particular extent. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus'. Where Hobah was nobody knows, for it is not mentioned again in the Word. Damascus however was the capital city of Syria, as is clear in 2 Samuel 8:5-6; Isaiah 7:8, which has almost the same meaning as Syria, dealt with already at Chapter 10:22. The furthest boundary of the land of Canaan, but beyond Dan, is described as being Damascus, as in Amos,
You have taken up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyun your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves And I will cause you to go away beyond Damascus. Amos 5:26-27.
The northern boundary of the holy land or the Lord's kingdom is also called the boundary of Damascus in Ezekiel 47:16 18; 48:1. When it is said in the present verse that 'they were smitten and driven away as far as Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus', the extent to which apparent goods and truths were purified is meant. But unless the nature of those apparent goods and truths is known and by what means they were purified to make them genuine, no proper explanation of the meaning here of 'Hobah on the left of Damascus' is possible, apart from the general observation that they were purified.
Amos 6
1
Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who are secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come!
2
Go to Calneh, and see; and from there Go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. are they better than these kingdoms? or is their border greater than your border?
3
Those who put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
4
Who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch themselves on their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
5
who strum on the strings of a harp; who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David;
6
who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best oils; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
7
Therefore they will now go captive with the first who go captive; and the feasting and lounging will end.
8
"The Lord Yahweh has sworn by himself," says Yahweh, the God of Armies: "I abhor the pride of Jacob, and detest his fortresses. Therefore I will deliver up the city with all that is in it.
9
It will happen, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.
10
"When a man's relative carries him, even he who burns him, to bring bodies out of the house, and asks him who is in the innermost parts of the house, 'Is there yet any with you?' And he says, 'No;' then he will say, 'Hush! Indeed we must not mention the name of Yahweh.'
11
"For, behold, Yahweh commands, and the great house will be smashed to pieces, and the little house into bits.
12
Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness;
13
you who rejoice in a thing of nothing, who say, 'Haven't we taken for ourselves horns by our own strength?'
14
For, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, house of Israel," says Yahweh, the God of Armies; "and they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of the Arabah."
