The Bible

 

Θλίψεις 2

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1 Πως περιεκαλυψεν ο Κυριος με νεφος την θυγατερα Σιων εν τη οργη αυτου, κατερριψεν απο του ουρανου εις την γην την δοξαν του Ισραηλ, και δεν ενεθυμηθη εν τη ημερα της οργης αυτου το υποποδιον των ποδων αυτου

2 Ο Κυριος κατεποντισε πασας τας κατοικιας του Ιακωβ και δεν εφεισθη· κατεστρεψεν εν τω θυμω αυτου τα οχυρωματα της θυγατρος Ιουδα· κατηδαφισεν αυτα· εβεβηλωσε το βασιλειον και τους αρχοντας αυτου.

3 Συνεθλασεν εν τη εξαψει του θυμου αυτου παν το κερας του Ισραηλ· εστρεψεν οπισω την δεξιαν αυτου απ' εμπροσθεν του εχθρου· και εξηφθη κατα του Ιακωβ ως πυρ φλογερον, κατατρωγον τα περιξ.

4 Ενετεινε το τοξον αυτου ως εχθρος, εστησε την δεξιαν αυτου ως υπεναντιος, και εφονευσε παν το αρεστον εις τους οφθαλμους εν τη σκηνη της θυγατρος Σιων· εξεχεεν ως πυρ τον θυμον αυτου.

5 Ο Κυριος εγεινεν ως εχθρος, κατεποντισε τον Ισραηλ· κατεποντισε παντα τα παλατια αυτου· ηφανισε τα οχυρωματα αυτου· και επληθυνεν εις την θυγατερα Ιουδα το πενθος και την θλιψιν.

6 Και εξεσπασε την σκηνην αυτου ως καλυβην κηπου· κατηφανισε τον τοπον των συναξεων αυτου· ο Κυριος εκαμε να λησμονηθη εν Σιων η εορτη και το σαββατον, και εν τη αγανακτησει της οργης αυτου απερριψε βασιλεα και ιερεα.

7 Ο Κυριος απεβαλε το θυσιαστηριον αυτου, εβδελυχθη το αγιαστηριον αυτου· συνεκλεισεν εν τη χειρι των εχθρων τα τειχη των παλατιων αυτης· ηλαλαξαν εν τω οικω του Κυριου ως εν ημερα εορτης.

8 Ο Κυριος εβουλευθη να αφανιση το τειχος της θυγατρος Σιων· εξετεινε την σταθμην, δεν απεστρεψε την χειρα αυτου απο του να καταποντιζη, και εκαμε να πενθηση το περιτειχισμα και το τειχος· τα παντα ητονησαν ομου.

9 Αι πυλαι αυτης ενεπηχθησαν εις την γην· ηφανισε και κατεσυντριψε τους μοχλους αυτης· ο βασιλευς αυτης και οι αρχοντες αυτης ειναι εν τοις εθνεσι· νομος δεν υπαρχει· ουδε οι προφηται αυτης ευρισκουσιν ορασιν παρα Κυριου.

10 Οι πρεσβυτεροι της θυγατρος Σιων, καθηνται κατα γης, σιωπωντες· ανεβιβασαν χωμα επι την κεφαλην αυτων, εζωσθησαν σακκους· αι παρθενοι της Ιερουσαλημ κατεβιβασαν τας κεφαλας αυτων προς την γην.

11 Οι οφθαλμοι μου εμαρανθησαν υπο των δακρυων, τα εντοσθια μου ταραττονται, η χολη μου εξεχυθη εις την γην, δια τον συντριμμον της θυγατρος του λαου μου, επειδη τα νηπια και τα θηλαζοντα ελιποψυχουν εν ταις πλατειαις της πολεως.

12 Ειπον προς τας μητερας αυτων, Που ειναι σιτος και οινος; Οποτε ελιποθυμουν εν ταις πλατειαις της πολεως ως ο τραυματιας, οποτε η ψυχη αυτων εξεχεετο εις τον κολπον των μητερων αυτων.

13 Τινα να λαβω μαρτυρα εις σε; με τι να σε συγκρινω, θυγατηρ της Ιερουσαλημ; Με ποιον να σε εξομοιωσω δια να σε παρηγορησω, παρθενε, θυγατηρ Σιων; Διοτι ο συντριμμος σου ειναι μεγας ως η θαλασσα· τις δυναται να σε ιατρευση;

14 Οι προφηται σου ειδον περι σου ματαια και αφροσυνην, και δεν εφανερωσαν την ανομιαν σου, δια να αποστρεψωσι την αιχμαλωσιαν σου· αλλ' ειδον περι σου φορτια ματαια και προξενα εξωσεως.

15 Παντες οι διαβαινοντες την οδον εκροτησαν επι σε χειρας· εσυριξαν και εσεισαν τας κεφαλας αυτων εις την θυγατερα της Ιερουσαλημ, λεγοντες, Αυτη ειναι η πολις, περι της οποιας ελεγετο, Η εντελεια της ωραιοτητος, η χαρα πασης της γης;

16 Παντες οι εχθροι σου ηνοιξαν επι σε το στομα αυτων· εσυριξαν και ετριξαν τους οδοντας λεγοντες, Κατεπιομεν αυτην· αυτη τωοντι ειναι η ημερα, την οποιαν περιεμενομεν· ευρομεν, ειδομεν.

17 Ο Κυριος εκαμεν ο, τι εβουλευθη· εξεπληρωσε τον λογον αυτου, τον οποιον διωρισεν απο ημερων αρχαιων· Κατεστρεψε και δεν εφεισθη, και ευφρανεν επι σε τον εχθρον· υψωσε το κερας των εναντιων σου.

18 Η καρδια αυτων εβοησε προς τον Κυριον, Τειχος της θυγατρος Σιων, καταβιβαζε ως χειμαρρον δακρυα ημεραν και νυκτα· μη δωσης παυσιν εις σεαυτον· ας μη σιωπηση η κορη των οφθαλμων σου.

19 Σηκωθητι, βοησον την νυκτα, οταν αρχιζωσιν αι φυλακαι· εκχεον την καρδιαν σου ως υδωρ εμπροσθεν του προσωπου του Κυριου· υψωσον προς αυτον τας χειρας σου, δια την ζωην των νηπιων σου, τα οποια λιποθυμουσιν απο της πεινης επι των ακρων πασων των οδων.

20 Ιδε, Κυριε, και επιβλεψον, εις τινα ποτε εκαμες ουτω; Να φαγωσιν αι γυναικες τον καρπον της κοιλιας αυτων, τα νηπια εν τοις σπαργανοις αυτων; Να φονευθωσιν εν τω αγιαστηριω του Κυριου ιερευς και προφητης;

21 Το παιδιον και ο γερων κοιτονται κατα γης εν ταις οδοις· αι παρθενοι μου και οι νεανισκοι μου επεσον εν μαχαιρα· εφονευσας εν τη ημερα της οργης σου, κατεσφαξας, δεν εφεισθης.

22 Προσεκαλεσας πανταχοθεν, ως εν ημερα πανηγυρεως, τους τρομους μου, και ουδεις εσωθη ουδε υπελειφθη εν τη ημερα της οργης του Κυριου· εκεινους, τους οποιους εσπαργανωσα και ηυξησα, ο εχθρος μου συνετελεσεν αυτους.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #6419

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6419. 'Daughters, [each one] marches onto the wall' means going out to fight against falsity. This is clear from the meaning of 'a daughter' as the Church, dealt with in 2362, 3963, here the spiritual Church since that Church is the subject; and from the meaning of 'marching onto the wall' as going out to fight against falsity, as is evident from the words that immediately follow - 'they exasperate him and shoot at him and hate him, do the archers; and he will sit in the strength of his bow', meaning the fight put up by falsity against truth.

[2] The expression 'marches onto the wall' is used because the subject in the internal sense is the attack made by falsities on truth and the protection of truth against falsity; for the spiritual Church represented by 'Joseph' is constantly under attack, but the Lord is constantly protecting it. This explains why in the Word all that makes up that Church is compared to a city with a wall, rampart, gates, and bars; and attacks made on the city describe attacks made on truth by falsities. Hence it also is that 'a city' means matters of doctrine, 402, 2268, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493, and 'a wall' the truths of faith that serve to defend, or in the contrary sense falsities that serve to destroy. The first meaning - the truths of faith that serve to defend - may be seen in Isaiah,

Ours is a strong city; He will establish salvation for walls and rampart. Open the gates, so that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. Isaiah 26:1-2.

In the same prophet,

You will call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. Isaiah 60:18.

In the same prophet,

Behold, I have engraved you upon [My] hands, your walls are continually before Me. Isaiah 49:16

'Walls' stands for the truths of faith. In the same prophet,

Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have placed watchmen, all day and night they will not be silent, calling Jehovah to mind. Isaiah 62:6.

Here the meaning is similar. In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, the God of Israel, 1 I will convert the weapons of war with which you are fighting with the king of Babel, besieging you outside the wall; I Myself will fight with you with an outstretched hand. Jeremiah 21:4-5.

In the same prophet,

Jehovah thought to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion, He caused rampart and wall to mourn; they will languish together. Her gates have sunk into the earth, He has destroyed and broken in pieces her bars. Lamentations 2:8-9.

In Ezekiel,

The sons of Arvad, and your army, were on your walls round about, and the Gammadim were in your towers; they hung their shields on your walls round about and they made perfect your beauty. Ezekiel 27:11.

This refers to Tyre, which means cognitions of good and truth.

[3] The fact that such things are meant by a city and its walls becomes perfectly clear from the description of the holy Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, as seen by John. From every detail of the description it is evident that a new Church is meant by that city; and by its wall is meant Divine Truth going forth from the Lord. The city is depicted in John as follows,

The holy Jerusalem coming down from heaven, having a wall great and high, having twelve gates - the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. He who talked to me measured the city and its gates, and its wall. Its wall was a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The structure of the wall was jasper, and the city pure gold, like pure glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone. Revelation 21:10, 12, 14, 15, 17-19.

[4] The fact that 'the wall' means Divine Truth going forth from the Lord, and from this means the truth of faith coming out of the good of charity, is evident from the details regarding the wall that are mentioned in that description, such as the detail that the wall had twelve foundations, and in them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; for 'twelve means all, 3272, 3858, 3913, and 'the wall and its foundations' the truths of faith - much the same as is meant by 'the twelve apostles', 3488, 3858 (end), 6397. Then there is the detail that the wall was a hundred and forty-four cubits high, much the same being meant by that number as by twelve, which is all, since it is the product of twelve multiplied by twelve. And since that number used in reference to the wall means all truths and goods of faith, the expression 'which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel' is added. Other details that are given are that the structure of the wall was jasper, and that its foundations were adorned with every precious stone; for 'jasper' and 'precious stones' mean the truths of faith, 114.

[5] The meaning of 'wall' in the contrary sense - falsities that serve to destroy - is evident from the following places: In Isaiah,

A day of tumult in the valley of vision. The Lord Jehovih Zebaoth has destroyed the wall, so that there is a shout towards the mountain. For Elam bore the quiver with chariots of men (homo), [and] horsemen. The horsemen surely positioned themselves right at the gate. Isaiah 22:5-7.

In the same prophet,

The defence-work of your walls providing refuge 2 He will pull down, cast down, lay flat on the ground, 3 right down into the dust. Isaiah 25:12.

In Jeremiah,

Go up onto its walls and throw down. Jeremiah 5:10.

In the same prophet,

I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, which will consume the palaces of Benhadad. Jeremiah 49:27.

In the same prophet,

Raise a standard against the walls of Babel, keep watch, post watchmen. Jeremiah 51:12.

In Ezekiel,

They will overturn the walls of Tyre, and destroy her towers, and I will scrape her dust from her and make her a bare rock. Ezekiel 16:4, 8-9, 11.

Footnotes:

1. The Latin means Jehovah Zebaoth but the Hebrew means Jehovah, the God of Israel.

2. literally, The fortification of refuge of your walls

3. literally, earth or land

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