The Bible

 

Γρουσούζης 3

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1 Και εγεινε λογος Κυριου προς Ιωναν εκ δευτερου, λεγων,

2 Σηκωθητι, υπαγε εις Νινευη, την πολιν την μεγαλην, και κηρυξον προς αυτην το κηρυγμα, το οποιον εγω λαλω προς σε.

3 Και εσηκωθη ο Ιωνας και υπηγεν εις Νινευη κατα τον λογον του Κυριου. Η δε Νινευνη ητο πολις μεγαλη σφοδρα, οδου τριων ημερων·

4 Και ηρχισεν ο Ιωνας να διερχηται εις την πολιν οδον μιας ημερας και εκηρυξε και ειπεν, Ετι τεσσαρακοντα ημεραι και η Νινευη θελει καταστραφη.

5 Και οι ανδρες της Νινευη επιστευσαν εις τον Θεον και εκηρυξαν νηστειαν και ενεδυθησαν σακκους απο μεγαλου αυτων εως μικρου αυτων·

6 διοτι ο λογος ειχε φθασει προς τον βασιλεα της Νινευη και εσηκωθη απο του θρονου αυτου και αφηρεσε την στολην αυτου επανωθεν εαυτου και εσκεπασθη με σακκον και εκαθησεν επι σποδου.

7 Και διεκηρυχθη και εγνωστοποιηθη εν τη Νινευη δια ψηφισματος του βασιλεως και των μεγιστανων αυτου και ελαληθη, οι ανθρωποι και τα κτηνη, οι βοες και τα προβατα, να μη γευθωσι μηδεν, μηδε να βοσκησωσι, μηδε υδωρ να πιωσιν·

8 αλλ' ανθρωπος και κτηνος να σκεπασθωσι με σακκους και να φωναξωσιν ισχυρως προς τον Θεον· και ας επιστρεψωσιν εκαστος απο της οδου αυτου της πονηρας και απο της αδικιας, ητις ειναι εν ταις χερσιν αυτων.

9 Τις εξευρει αν επιστρεψη και μεταμεληθη ο Θεος και επιστρεψη απο της οργης του θυμου αυτου και δεν απολεσθωμεν;

10 Και ειδεν ο Θεος τα εργα αυτων, οτι επεστρεψαν απο της οδου αυτων της πονηρας· και μετεμεληθη ο Θεος περι του κακου, το οποιον ειπε να καμη εις αυτους· και δεν εκαμεν αυτο.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #588

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588. The Lord is referred to as repenting and grieving in heart however because all human mercy seems to involve those feelings. Consequently as is the case many times elsewhere in the Word, the manner of speaking here is in accordance with the outward appearance. Nobody can know what the Lord's mercy is, for it infinitely transcends all human understanding. But one does know what human mercy is; it is repenting and grieving. And unless a person grasps the idea of mercy from some different feeling whose nature he knows, he can have no possible conception of it and so cannot learn anything about it. This is the reason why human characteristics are frequently attributed to Jehovah, or the Lord - for example, that Jehovah or the Lord punishes, leads into temptation, destroys, and burns with anger, when in fact He never punishes anybody, never leads anybody into temptation, never destroys anybody, and never burns with anger. Now seeing that such things are attributed to the Lord, repentance and grief may be attributed as well, for the attribution of the one follows on from that of the other, as is quite clear from the following places in the Word:

[2] In Ezekiel,

My anger will be accomplished, I will make My wrath die down again, and I will repent. Ezekiel 5:13.

Here, because 'anger' and 'wrath' are attributed to Him, 'repenting' is attributed as well. In Zechariah,

As I thought to do Evil when your fathers provoked Me to anger, said Jehovah Zebaoth, and I did not repent, so again I will think in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Zechariah 8:14-15.

Here it is said that Jehovah 'thought to do evil', when in fact He never thinks to do evil to anyone, but good to every single human being. And when Moses sought to placate the face 1 of Jehovah, Turn from the heat of Your anger, and repent over the evil of Your people. And Jehovah repented over the evil which He said He would do to His people. Exodus 32:12, 14.

Here also the heat of anger, and consequently repentance, is ascribed to Jehovah. In Jonah,

The king of Ninevah [said], Who knows, God may turn and repent, and turn from the heat of His anger, and we shall not perish! Jonah 3:9.

Here similarly 'repentance' is attributed to Him because 'anger' is also.

[3] In Hosea,

My heart has turned within Me, and at the same time My repentings have been kindled; I will not execute the heat of My anger. Hosea 11:8-9.

Here 'repentings having been kindled', said of the heart, is similar in meaning to 'He was grieved in heart'. 'Repentings' clearly stands for abundant mercy. Similarly in Joel,

Return to Jehovah your God, for He is gracious and merciful, long-suffering, abounding in mercy, and repenting of evil. Joel 2:13.

Here again 'repenting' quite clearly means mercy. In Jeremiah,

It may be they will listen and every man turn from his evil way, that I may repent of the evil. Jeremiah 26:3.

'Repent' stands for having mercy. In the same prophet,

If that nation turns from its evil, I will repent of the evil. Jeremiah 18:8.

Here also 'repenting' stands for having mercy on them if only they would turn back, for it is man who turns the Lord's mercy away from himself. It is never the Lord who turns it away from man.

Footnotes:

1. literally, the faces

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