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Hesekiel 29

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1 Im zehnten Jahr, am zehnten Tage des zwölften Monden, geschah des HERRN Wort zu mir und sprach:

2 Du Menschenkind, richte dein Angesicht wider Pharao, den König in Ägypten, und weissage wider ihn und wider ganz Ägyptenland.

3 Predige und sprich: So spricht der HERR HERR: Siehe, ich will an dich, Pharao, du König in Ägypten, du großer Drache, der du in deinem Wasser liegst und sprichst: Der Strom ist mein, und ich habe ihn mir gemacht.

4 Aber ich will dir ein Gebiß ins Maul legen und die Fische in deinen Wassern an deine Schuppen hängen und will dich aus deinem Strom herausziehen samt allen Fischen in deinen Wassern, die an deinen Schuppen hangen.

5 Ich will dich mit den Fischen aus deinen Wassern in die Wüste wegwerfen: du wirst aufs Land fallen und nicht wieder aufgelesen noch gesammelt werden, sondern den Tieren auf dem Lande und den Vögeln des Himmels zum Aas werden.

6 Und alle, die in Ägypten wohnen, sollen erfahren, daß ich der HERR bin, darum daß sie dem Hause Israel ein Rohrstab gewesen sind,

7 welcher, wenn sie ihn in die Hand faßeten, so brach er und stach sie durch die Seiten, wenn sie sich aber darauf lehneten, so zerbrach er und stach sie in die Lenden.

8 Darum spricht der HERR HERR also: Siehe, ich will das Schwert über dich kommen lassen und beide, Leute und Vieh, in dir ausrotten.

9 Und Ägyptenland soll zur Wüste und öde werden, und sollen erfahren, daß ich der HERR sei, darum daß er spricht: Der Wasserstrom ist mein, und ich bin's, der es tut.

10 Darum siehe, ich will an dich und an deine Wasserströme und will Ägyptenland wüst und öde machen von dem Turm zu Syene an bis an die Grenze des Mohrenlandes,

11 daß weder Vieh noch Leute darin gehen oder da wohnen sollen vierzig Jahre lang.

12 Denn ich will Ägyptenland wüst machen, will ihre wüste Grenze und ihre Städte wüst liegen lassen, wie andere wüste Städte, vierzig Jahre lang; und will die Ägypter zerstreuen unter die Heiden und in die Länder will ich sie verjagen.

13 Doch, so spricht der HERR HERR: Wenn die vierzig Jahre aus sein werden, will ich die Ägypter wieder sammeln aus den Völkern, darunter sie zerstreuet sollen werden,

14 und will das Gefängnis Ägyptens wenden und sie wiederum ins Land Pathros bringen, welches ihr Vaterland ist, und sollen daselbst ein klein Königreich sein.

15 Denn sie sollen klein sein gegen andere Königreiche und nicht mehr herrschen über die Heiden; und ich will sie gering machen, daß sie nicht mehr über die Heiden herrschen sollen,

16 daß sich das Haus Israel nicht mehr auf sie verlasse und sich damit versündige, wenn sie sich an sie hängen; und sollen erfahren, daß ich der HERR HERR hin.

17 Und es begab sich im siebenundzwanzigsten Jahr, am ersten Tage des ersten Monden, geschah des HERRN Wort zu mir und sprach:

18 Du Menschenkind, Nebukadnezar, der König zu Babel, hat sein Heer mit großer Mühe vor Tyrus geführet, daß alle Häupter kahl und alle Seiten wund gerieben waren, und ist doch weder ihm noch seinem Heer seine Arbeit vor Tyrus belohnet worden.

19 Darum spricht der HERR HERR also: Siehe, ich will Nebukadnezar, dem Könige zu Babel, Ägyptenland geben, daß er all ihr Gut wegnehmen und sie berauben und plündern soll, daß er seinem Heer den Sold gebe.

20 Aber das Land Ägypten will ich ihm geben für seine Arbeit, die er daran getan hat; denn sie haben mir gedienet, spricht der HERR HERR.

21 Zur selbigen Zeit will ich das Horn des Hauses Israel wachsen lassen und will deinen Mund unter ihnen auftun, daß sie erfahren, daß ich der HERR bin.

   

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Arcana Coelestia #1462

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1462. 'Egypt' means, in reference to the Lord, knowledge comprised of cognitions, but in reference to all others, knowledge in general. This becomes clear from the meaning of that country in the Word, dealt with already in several places, and specifically in 1164, 1165. Indeed the Ancient Church existed in Egypt, as it did in many other places, 1238, and while the Church was in that region all kinds of knowledge flourished there more than anything else; and this explains why 'Egypt' came to mean knowledge. But after those people desired to penetrate the mysteries of faith by means of all this knowledge, and so to inquire into the truth of Divine arcana from their own power, Egypt became a place of magic, and so came to mean factual knowledge which perverts, and which gives rise to falsities and derivative evils, as is clear in Isaiah 19:11.

[2] That 'Egypt' means all kinds of knowledge that serve a use, thus at this point knowledge comprised of cognitions which is able to serve as vessels for celestial and spiritual things, becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,

They have led Egypt astray, the corner-stone of the tribes. Isaiah 19:13.

Here it is called 'the corner-stone of the tribes', which was to serve as the base on which the things of faith meant by 'the tribes' were to rest. In the same prophet,

On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak in the lip of Canaan and swear to Jehovah Zebaoth. Each will be called Ir Heres. On that day there will be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border to Jehovah; and it will be a sign and a witness to Jehovah Zebaoth in the land of Egypt, for they will cry to Jehovah because of the oppressors, and He will send a savior and a prince to them, and he will deliver them. And Jehovah will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know Jehovah on that day and will offer sacrifice and minchah, and will make vows to Jehovah and perform them. And Jehovah will smite Egypt, smiting and healing, and they will return to Jehovah; and He will be entreated by them, and He will heal them. Isaiah 19:18-22.

Used in a good sense here, 'Egypt' stands for people who possess facts, or natural truths, which are the vessels for spiritual truths.

[3] In the same prophet,

On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur will come into Egypt and Egypt into Asshur, and the Egyptians will serve Asshur. 1 On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom Jehovah Zebaoth will bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage. Isaiah 19:23-25.

Here 'Egypt' means knowledge consisting of natural truths, 'Asshur' reason or rational things, and 'Israel' spiritual things, which follow one another in that order. Hence the statement that 'on that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur'.

[4] In Ezekiel,

Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be to you an ensign. Ezekiel 27:7.

This refers to Tyre, which means the possession of cognitions. 'Fine linen with embroidered work' stands for the truths contained in all kinds of knowledge which are of service; belonging as they do to the external man facts ought to be of service to the internal man. In the same prophet,

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, At the end of forty years I will gather Egypt from the peoples among whom they were scattered, and I will bring back the captivity of Egypt. Ezekiel 29:13-14.

Here also 'Egypt' has much the same meaning, as is also said of Judah and Israel in many other places that they were to be gathered from the peoples and brought back from captivity. In Zechariah,

And it will be that whoever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Jehovah Zebaoth, there will be no rain upon them And if the family of Egypt does not go up, and does not come . . . Zechariah 14:17-18.

Here also 'Egypt' is used in a good sense to have a similar meaning.

[5] That knowledge or human wisdom is meant by 'Egypt' becomes clear also in Daniel 11:43 where knowledge of celestial and of spiritual things is called 'the secret hoards of gold and silver' and also 'the precious things of Egypt'. And of Solomon it is said that his wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of the Egyptians, 1 Kings 4:30. And the house built by Solomon for Pharaoh's daughter had no other representation, 1 Kings 7:8 and following verses.

[6] The Lord's being taken into Egypt when He was an infant had no other meaning than that which here is meant by Abram, though He was also taken there so that He might fulfill all things that had taken place and were representative of Himself. The passage of Jacob and his sons down into Egypt represented in the inmost sense nothing other than the Lord's initial instruction in cognitions from the Word, as is also evident from what follows. In reference to the Lord the following is said in Matthew,

The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Rise, take the boy and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I tell you. He rose and took the boy and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, so that what had been said by the prophet might be fulfilled, when he said, Out of Egypt have I called My son. Matthew 2:13-15, 19-21.

This promise is stated in Hosea as follows,

When Israel was a boy I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. Hosea 11:1.

From this it is clear that 'the boy Israel' is used to mean the Lord, His instruction when a boy being expressed by the words, 'Out of Egypt have I called My son'.

[7] In the same prophet,

By a prophet Jehovah brought Israel up out of Egypt and by a prophet he was preserved. Hosea 12:12-13.

Here similarly 'Israel' is used to mean the Lord. 'A prophet' means one who teaches, thus teaching consisting of cognitions. In David,

Turn us back, O God Zebaoth, cause Your face 2 to shine and we shall be saved. You caused a vine to set out from Egypt, You drove out the nations and planted it. Psalms 80:7-8.

This too refers to the Lord, who is called 'the vine out of Egypt' as regards the cognitions in which He was receiving instruction.

Footnotes:

1. The Hebrew of his text in Isaiah may be read in two different ways - serve Asshur or serve with Asshur. Most English versions of Isaiah prefer the second of these.

2. literally, Faces

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