The Bible

 

Jona 2

Study

   

1 Und Jona betete zu dem HERRN, seinem Gott, im Leibe des Fisches.

2 Und sprach: Ich rief zu dem HERRN in meiner Angst, und er antwortete mir; ich schrie aus dem Bauche der Hölle, und du hörtest meine Stimme.

3 Du warfest mich in die Tiefe mitten im Meer, daß die Fluten mich umgaben; alle deine Wogen und Wellen gingen über mich,

4 daß ich gedachte, ich wäre von deinen Augen verstoßen, ich würde deinen heiligen Tempel nicht mehr sehen.

5 Wasser umgaben mich bis an mein Leben, die Tiefe umringte mich; Schilf bedeckte mein Haupt.

6 Ich sank hinunter zu der Berge Gründen, die Erde hatte mich verriegelt ewiglich; aber du hast mein Leben aus dem Verderben geführt, HERR, mein Gott.

7 Da meine Seele bei mir verzagte, gedachte ich an den HERRN; und mein Gebet kam zu dir in deinen heiligen Tempel.

8 Die da halten an dem Nichtigen, verlassen ihre Gnade.

9 Ich aber will mit Dank dir opfern, mein Gelübde will ich bezahlen; denn die Hilfe ist des HERRN.

10 Und der HERR sprach zum Fisch, und der spie Jona aus ans Land.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #6726

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

6726. 'And put him in the weed at the bank of the river' means that at first it was among false factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'the weed' as factual knowledge, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the river of Egypt' as falsity, dealt with in 6697. For what this really means, that those who are introduced into God's truth are at first put among falsities, see just above in 6724. The reason why 'the weed' means factual knowledge is that every small plant mentioned in the Word means some type of factual knowledge. 'The weed' which grows at the bank of a river is inferior factual knowledge, as also in Isaiah,

The rivers will recede, and the streams of Egypt will dry up; reed and weed will wither. Isaiah 19:6.

'The rivers' stands for matters of intelligence, 2702, 3051; 'the streams of Egypt will dry up' stands for matters of knowledge; 'reed and weed' stands for the lowest forms of factual knowledge, which are sensory impressions. 'The weed' stands for false factual knowledge in Jonah,

The waters surrounded me, even to my soul, the deep closed around me, weed was wrapped about my head. Jonah 2:5.

This prophecy describes a state of temptations. The waters which surrounded him, even to his soul, are falsities, 'deluges of water' being temptations and desolations, see 705, 739, 790, 5725. The deep which closed around him is the evil of falsity. The weed that was wrapped about his head stands for false factual knowledge that beset truth and goodness. This is how it is in a state of desolations.

  
/ 10837  
  

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