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Hosea 12

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1 Ο Εφραιμ βοσκεται ανεμον και κυνηγει τον ανατολικον ανεμον· καθ' ημεραν πληθυνει ψευδη και ολεθρον καμνουσι δε συνθηκην μετα των Ασσυριων και φερουσιν ελαιον εις την Αιγυπτον.

2 Ο Κυριος εχει ετι κρισιν μετα του Ιουδα, και θελει επισκεφθη τον Ιακωβ κατα τας οδους αυτου· κατα τας πραξεις αυτου θελει ανταποδωσει εις αυτον.

3 Εν τη κοιλια επτερνισε τον αδελφον αυτου και εν τη ανδρικη ηλικια αυτου ενισχυσε προς τον Θεον.

4 Ναι, ενισχυσε μετα αγγελου και υπερισχυσεν· εκλαυσε και εδεηθη αυτου· εν Βαιθηλ ευρηκεν αυτον, και εκει ελαλησε προς ημας·

5 ναι, Κυριος ο Θεος των δυναμεων, ο Κυριος ειναι το μνημοσυνον αυτου.

6 Δια τουτο συ επιστρεψον προς τον Θεον σου· φυλαττε ελεος και κρισιν και ελπιζε επι τον Θεον σου δια παντος.

7 Ο Εφραιμ ειναι εμπορος· ζυγια απατης ειναι εν τη χειρι αυτου· αγαπα να αδικη.

8 Και ο Εφραιμ ειπε, Βεβαιως εγω επλουτησα, απεκτησα υπαρχοντα εις εμαυτον· εν πασι τοις κοποις μου δεν θελει ευρεθη εν εμοι ανομια, ητις να λογιζηται αμαρτια.

9 Εγω δε ειμαι Κυριος ο Θεος σου εκ γης Αιγυπτου, θελω σε κατοικισει ετι εν σκηναις ως εν ημεραις επισημου εορτης.

10 Ελαλησα ετι δια προφητων και ορασεις επληθυνα εγω, και παρεστησα ομοιωσεις δια χειρος των προφητων.

11 Εν Γαλααδ ταχα υπηρξεν ανομια; εν Γαλγαλοις μαλιστα εσταθησαν ματαιοτης· θυσιαζουσι ταυρους, και τα θυσιαστηρια αυτων ειναι ως σωροι εν ταις αυλαξι των αγρων.

12 Ο δε Ιακωβ εφυγεν εις την γην της Συριας και ο Ισραηλ εδουλευσε δια γυναικα και δια γυναικα εφυλαξε προβατα.

13 Και δια προφητου ανεβιβασεν ο Κυριος τον Ισραηλ εξ Αιγυπτου και δια προφητου διεφυλαχθη.

14 Ο Εφραιμ παρωξυνεν αυτον πικροτατα· δια τουτο θελει εκχεει το αιμα αυτου επ' αυτον και τον ονειδισμον αυτου ο Κυριος αυτου θελει επιστρεψει επ' αυτον.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9248

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9248. 'You shall not take up a report of vanity' means not listening to false ideas. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking up a report' as hearing and doing, thus listening, for to express the idea of a report the original language uses a word that means hearing; and from the meaning of 'vanity' as falsity, in particular falsity in doctrine and religious practice, as becomes clear from the following places: In Ezekiel,

No more will there be any vision of vanity or flattering divination in the midst of the house of Israel. Ezekiel 12:24.

'A vision of vanity' stands for a false revelation. In the same prophet,

They have seen vanity and lying divination. 1 Because you speak vanity and see a lie, therefore behold, I am against you, that My hand may be against the prophets who see vanity and divine a lie. Ezekiel 13:6-9.

'The prophets', of whom it says here that they see vanity and divine a lie, means teachers, and in the abstract sense doctrinal teachings, 2534, 7269. Furthermore prophets are spoken of as seeing things, which also is why they were called 'seers' in ancient times, 1 Samuel 9:9; and they are spoken of as divining them too.

[2] When 'seeing' or 'vision' is attributed to the prophets, revelation in regard to doctrine is meant in the internal sense; and when 'divining' or 'divination' is attributed to them, revelation in regard to life is meant. And since 'vanity' means falsity in doctrine and 'a lie' falsity in life, the words 'they have seen vanity and lying divination' are used. In the same prophet,

What they see for you is vanity, and what they divine for you is a lie. Ezekiel 21:29.

In Zechariah,

The teraphim speak iniquity, and the diviners see a lie, and they speak dreams of vanity. 2 Zechariah 10:2.

In Jeremiah,

The prophets have seen vanity. Lamentations 2:14.

The fact that 'vanity' means falsity in doctrine and religious practice is also evident in Hosea,

They have become vanity; in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls. Hosea 12:11.

In Jeremiah,

My people have forgotten Me; they have burned incense to vanity. Jeremiah 18:15.

The like may be seen elsewhere, such as Isaiah 5:18; 30:28; 59:4; Psalms 12:2; 119:37-38; 144:7-8.

Footnotes:

1. literally, divination of a lie

2. i.e. they tell false dreams

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

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