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Ιεζεκιήλ 26

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1 Και εν τω ενδεκατω ετει, τη πρωτη του μηνος, εγεινε λογος Κυριου προς εμε, λεγων,

2 Υιε ανθρωπου, επειδη η Τυρος ειπε κατα της Ιερουσαλημ, Ευγε, συνετριβη η πυλη των λαων· εστραφη προς εμε· θελω γεμισθη, διοτι ηρημωθη·

3 δια τουτο ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· Ιδου, εγω ειμαι εναντιον σου, Τυρος, και θελω επεγειρει εναντιον σου εθνη πολλα, ως επεγειρει η θαλασσα τα κυματα αυτης.

4 Και θελουσι καταστρεψει τα τειχη της Τυρου και κατεδαφισει τους πυργους αυτης· και θελω ξυσει το χωμα αυτης απ' αυτης και καταστησει αυτην ως λειοπετραν.

5 Θελει εισθαι δια να εξαπλονωσι δικτυα εν μεσω της θαλασσης· διοτι εγω ελαλησα, λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· και θελει κατασταθη διαρπαγη των εθνων.

6 Και αι κωμαι αυτης, αι εν τη πεδιαδι, θελουσιν εξολοθρευθη εν μαχαιρα· και θελουσι γνωρισει οτι εγω ειμαι ο Κυριος.

7 Διοτι ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· Ιδου, θελω φερει κατα της Τυρου τον Ναβουχοδονοσορ βασιλεα της Βαβυλωνος, βασιλεα βασιλεων, απο βορρα, μεθ' ιππων και μετα αρματων και μεθ' ιππεων και συναξεως και λαου πολλου.

8 Ουτος θελει εξολοθρευσει εν μαχαιρα τας κωμας σου εν τη πεδιαδι· και θελει εγειρει προμαχωνας εναντιον σου και θελει καμει προχωματα εναντιον σου και υψωσει κατα σου ασπιδας.

9 Και θελει στησει τας πολεμικας μηχανας αυτου επι τα τειχη σου και με τους πελεκεις αυτου θελει καταβαλει τους πυργους σου.

10 Απο του πληθους των ιππων αυτου ο κονιορτος αυτων θελει σε σκεπασει· τα τειχη σου θελουσι σεισθη απο του ηχου των ιππεων και των τροχων και των αμαξων, οταν εισερχωνται εις τας πυλας σου, καθως εισερχονται εις πολιν εκπορθουμενην.

11 Με τας οπλας των ιππων αυτου θελει καταπατησει πασας τας οδους σου· τον λαον σου θελει θανατωσει εν μαχαιρα, και οι ισχυροι σου φρουροι θελουσι καταβληθη εις την γην.

12 Και θελουσι διαρπασει τα πλουτη σου και λαφυραγωγησει τα εμπορευματα σου· και θελουσι καταβαλει τα τειχη σου και κρημνισει τους οικους σου τους ωραιους· και θελουσι ριψει εις το μεσον των υδατων τους λιθους σου και τα ξυλα σου και το χωμα σου.

13 Και θελω παυσει τον θορυβον των ασματων σου, και η φωνη των κιθαρων σου δεν θελει ακουσθη πλεον·

14 και θελω σε καταστησει ως λειοπετραν· θελεις εισθαι δια να εξαπλονωσι δικτυα· δεν θελεις πλεον οικοδομηθη· διοτι εγω ο Κυριος ελαλησα, λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος.

15 Ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος προς την Τυρον· δεν θελουσι σεισθη αι νησοι εις τον ηχον της πτωσεως σου, οταν οι τραυματιαι σου στεναζωσιν, οταν η σφαγη γινηται εν μεσω σου;

16 Τοτε παντες οι ηγεμονες της θαλασσης θελουσι καταβη απο των θρονων αυτων, και θελουσιν εκβαλει τας χλαμυδας αυτων και εκδυθη τα κεντητα ιματια αυτων· θελουσιν ενδυθη τρομον· κατα γης θελουσι καθησει και τρεμει κατα πασαν στιγμην και εκπληττεσθαι δια σε.

17 Και αναλαβοντες θρηνον δια σε θελουσι λεγει προς σε, Πως κατεστραφης, η κατοικουμενη υπο θαλασσοπορων, η περιφημος πολις, ητις ησο ισχυρα εν θαλασση, συ και οι κατοικοι σου, οιτινες διεδιδον τον τρομον αυτων εις παντας τους ενοικουντας εν αυτη.

18 Τωρα αι νησοι θελουσι τρεμει εν τη ημερα της πτωσεως σου, ναι, αι νησοι αι εν τη θαλασση θελουσι ταραχθη εν τη αφανεια σου.

19 Διοτι ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· Οταν σε καταστησω πολιν ηρημωμενην ως τας πολεις τας μη κατοικουμενας, οταν επιφερω επι σε την αβυσσον και σε σκεπασωσιν υδατα πολλα,

20 οταν σε καταβιβασω μετα των καταβαινοντων εις λακκον, προς λαον αιωνιον, και σε θεσω εις τα κατωτατα της γης, εις τοπους ερημους απ' αιωνος, μετα των καταβαινοντων εις λακκον, δια να μη κατοικηθης, και οταν αποκαταστησω δοξαν εν τη γη των ζωντων,

21 θελω σε καταστησει τρομον και δεν θελεις υπαρχει· και θελεις ζητηθη και δεν θελεις ευρεθη πλεον εις τον αιωνα, λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1171

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1171. 'The sons of Raamah' similarly means those who had no internal worship but cognitions of faith, in the mere possession of which they made religion consist; and 'Sheba and Dedan' are nations with whom they existed and by these same nations cognitions themselves are meant in the internal sense. This is evident from the places in the Prophets given below, and from the following in David concerning Seba, Sheba, and Raamah,

The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring a gift, and the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer a present; and all kings will fall down before Him. Psalms 72:10-11.

This refers to the Lord, His kingdom, and the celestial Church. Anyone may see that here 'gift' and 'present' mean types of worship, though exactly which types of worship, and the nature of them, cannot be known unless it is known what 'Tarshish and the islands' and 'Sheba and Seba' are used to mean. The fact that 'Tarshish and the islands' is used to mean forms of external worship corresponding to internal has been shown already, from which it follows that 'Sheba and Seba' is used to mean forms of internal worship - 'Sheba' the celestial things of worship, and 'Seba' the spiritual.

[2] In Isaiah,

I gave Egypt as your expiation, Cush and Seba in place of you. Isaiah 43:3.

Here 'Cush and Seba' stands for the spiritual things of faith. In the same prophet,

The labour of Egypt, and the wares of Cush and of the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you. Isaiah 45:14.

'The labour of Egypt' stands for knowledge, 'the wares of Cush and the Sabeans' for cognitions of spiritual things which serve people who believe in the Lord.

[3] In the same prophet,

A drove of camels will cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense and will proclaim the praises of Jehovah. The whole Rock of Arabia will be gathered to you. Isaiah 60:6-7.

Here 'Sheba' is used to mean celestial things and the spiritual things deriving from these, described as 'gold and frankincense', which, as now explained, are 'the praises of Jehovah', that is, internal worship.

[4] In Ezekiel,

The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they were your traders in the best of every spice, and in every precious stone, and they gave gold for your resources. Ezekiel 27:22-23.

This refers to Tyre. What 'Sheba and Raamah' means is clear from the commodities in which they are said to have traded - spices, precious stones, and gold. 'Spices' in the internal sense are charity, 'precious stones' are faith deriving from charity, and 'gold' is love to the Lord, all of which are the celestial things meant by 'Sheba'. Strictly, 'Sheba' means the cognitions of those things - and this is why they are here called 'merchandise' - with which those who become members of the Church are endowed, for without cognitions no one is able to become a member of the Church.

[5] Similar things were represented by the Queen of Sheba who came to Solomon and brought him spices, gold, and precious stones, 1 Kings 10:1-3, and also by the wise men from the east who came to Jesus at His birth, and who fell down and worshipped Him, and who opened their treasures, and offered Him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, Matthew 2:1, 11. These gifts meant celestial, spiritual, and natural good. In Jeremiah,

To what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba, and best sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable. Jeremiah 6:20.

Here also it is evident that 'Sheba' stands for cognitions and adoration, meant by 'frankincense and sweet cane', though here they are those things devoid of charity, which are not pleasing.

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

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