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Yeremiyah 51

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1 כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה הִנְנִי מֵעִיר עַל־בָּבֶל וְאֶל־יֹשְׁבֵי לֵב קָמָי רוּחַ מַשְׁחִית׃

2 וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי לְבָבֶל זָרִים וְזֵרוּהָ וִיבֹקְקוּ אֶת־אַרְצָהּ כִּי־הָיוּ עָלֶיהָ מִסָּבִיב בְּיֹום רָעָה׃

3 אֶל־יִדְרֹךְ [כ= יִדְרֹךְ] [ק= זז] הַדֹּרֵךְ קַשְׁתֹּו וְאֶל־יִתְעַל בְּסִרְיֹנֹו וְאַל־תַּחְמְלוּ אֶל־בַּחֻרֶיהָ הַחֲרִימוּ כָּל־צְבָאָהּ׃

4 וְנָפְלוּ חֲלָלִים בְּאֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים וּמְדֻקָּרִים בְּחוּצֹותֶיהָ׃

5 כִּי לֹא־אַלְמָן יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה מֵאֱלֹהָיו מֵיְהוָה צְבָאֹות כִּי אַרְצָם מָלְאָה אָשָׁם מִקְּדֹושׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

6 נֻסוּ מִתֹּוךְ בָּבֶל וּמַלְּטוּ אִישׁ נַפְשֹׁו אַל־תִּדַּמּוּ בַּעֲוֹנָהּ כִּי עֵת נְקָמָה הִיא לַיהוָה גְּמוּל הוּא מְשַׁלֵּם לָהּ׃

7 כֹּוס־זָהָב בָּבֶל בְּיַד־יְהוָה מְשַׁכֶּרֶת כָּל־הָאָרֶץ מִיֵּינָהּ שָׁתוּ גֹויִם עַל־כֵּן יִתְהֹלְלוּ גֹויִם׃

8 פִּתְאֹם נָפְלָה בָבֶל וַתִּשָּׁבֵר הֵילִילוּ עָלֶיהָ קְחוּ צֳרִי לְמַכְאֹובָהּ אוּלַי תֵּרָפֵא׃

9 [כ= רִפִּאנוּ] [ק= רִפִּינוּ] אֶת־בָּבֶל וְלֹא נִרְפָּתָה עִזְבוּהָ וְנֵלֵךְ אִישׁ לְאַרְצֹו כִּי־נָגַע אֶל־הַשָּׁמַיִם מִשְׁפָּטָהּ וְנִשָּׂא עַד־שְׁחָקִים׃

10 הֹוצִיא יְהוָה אֶת־צִדְקֹתֵינוּ בֹּאוּ וּנְסַפְּרָה בְצִיֹּון אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃

11 הָבֵרוּ הַחִצִּים מִלְאוּ הַשְּׁלָטִים הֵעִיר יְהוָה אֶת־רוּחַ מַלְכֵי מָדַי כִּי־עַל־בָּבֶל מְזִמָּתֹו לְהַשְׁחִיתָהּ כִּי־נִקְמַת יְהוָה הִיא נִקְמַת הֵיכָלֹו׃

12 אֶל־חֹומֹת בָּבֶל שְׂאוּ־נֵס הַחֲזִיקוּ הַמִּשְׁמָר הָקִימוּ שֹׁמְרִים הָכִינוּ הָאֹרְבִים כִּי גַּם־זָםַם יְהוָה גַּם־עָשָׂה אֵת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר אֶל־יֹשְׁבֵי בָבֶל׃

13 [כ= שֹׁכַנְתִּי] [ק= שֹׁכַנְתְּ] עַל־מַיִם רַבִּים רַבַּת אֹוצָרֹת בָּא קִצֵּךְ אַמַּת בִּצְעֵךְ׃

14 נִשְׁבַּע יְהוָה צְבָאֹות בְּנַפְשֹׁו כִּי אִם־מִלֵּאתִיךְ אָדָם כַּיֶּלֶק וְעָנוּ עָלַיִךְ הֵידָד׃ ס

15 עֹשֵׂה אֶרֶץ בְּכֹחֹו מֵכִין תֵּבֵל בְּחָכְמָתֹו וּבִתְבוּנָתֹו נָטָה שָׁמָיִם׃

16 לְקֹול תִּתֹּו הֲמֹון מַיִם בַּשָּׁמַיִם וַיַּעַל נְשִׂאִים מִקְצֵה־אָרֶץ בְּרָקִים לַמָּטָר עָשָׂה וַיֹּצֵא רוּחַ מֵאֹצְרֹתָיו׃

17 נִבְעַר כָּל־אָדָם מִדַּעַת הֹבִישׁ כָּל־צֹרֵף מִפָּסֶל כִּי שֶׁקֶר נִסְכֹּו וְלֹא־רוּחַ בָּם׃

18 הֶבֶל הֵמָּה מַעֲשֵׂה תַּעְתֻּעִים בְּעֵת פְּקֻדָּתָם יֹאבֵדוּ׃

19 לֹא־כְאֵלֶּה חֵלֶק יַעֲקֹוב כִּי־יֹוצֵר הַכֹּל הוּא וְשֵׁבֶט נַחֲלָתֹו יְהוָה צְבָאֹות שְׁמֹו׃ ס

20 מַפֵּץ־אַתָּה לִי כְּלֵי מִלְחָמָה וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ גֹּויִם וְהִשְׁחַתִּי בְךָ מַמְלָכֹות׃

21 וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ סוּס וְרֹכְבֹו וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ רֶכֶב וְרֹכְבֹו׃

22 וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ זָקֵן וָנָעַר וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ בָּחוּר וּבְתוּלָה׃

23 וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ רֹעֶה וְעֶדְרֹו וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ אִכָּר וְצִמְדֹּו וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ פַּחֹות וּסְגָנִים׃

24 וְשִׁלַּמְתִּי לְבָבֶל וּלְכֹל יֹושְׁבֵי כַשְׂדִּים אֵת כָּל־רָעָתָם אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ בְצִיֹּון לְעֵינֵיכֶם נְאֻם יְהוָה׃ ס

25 הִנְנִי אֵלֶיךָ הַר הַמַּשְׁחִית נְאֻם־יְהוָה הַמַּשְׁחִית אֶת־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ וְנָטִיתִי אֶת־יָדִי עָלֶיךָ וְגִלְגַּלְתִּיךָ מִן־הַסְּלָעִים וּנְתַתִּיךָ לְהַר שְׂרֵפָה׃

26 וְלֹא־יִקְחוּ מִמְּךָ אֶבֶן לְפִנָּה וְאֶבֶן לְמֹוסָדֹות כִּי־שִׁמְמֹות עֹולָם תִּהְיֶה נְאֻם־יְהוָה׃

27 שְׂאוּ־נֵס בָּאָרֶץ תִּקְעוּ שֹׁופָר בַּגֹּויִם קַדְּשׁוּ עָלֶיהָ גֹּויִם הַשְׁמִיעוּ עָלֶיהָ מַמְלְכֹות אֲרָרַט מִנִּי וְאַשְׁכְּנָז פִּקְדוּ עָלֶיהָ טִפְסָר הַעֲלוּ־סוּס כְּיֶלֶק סָמָר׃

28 קַדְּשׁוּ עָלֶיהָ גֹויִם אֶת־מַלְכֵי מָדַי אֶת־פַּחֹותֶיהָ וְאֶת־כָּל־סְגָנֶיהָ וְאֵת כָּל־אֶרֶץ מֶמְשַׁלְתֹּו׃

29 וַתִּרְעַשׁ הָאָרֶץ וַתָּחֹל כִּי קָמָה עַל־בָּבֶל מַחְשְׁבֹות יְהוָה לָשׂוּם אֶת־אֶרֶץ בָּבֶל לְשַׁמָּה מֵאֵין יֹושֵׁב׃

30 חָדְלוּ גִבֹּורֵי בָבֶל לְהִלָּחֵם יָשְׁבוּ בַּמְּצָדֹות נָשְׁתָה גְבוּרָתָם הָיוּ לְנָשִׁים הִצִּיתוּ מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶיהָ נִשְׁבְּרוּ בְרִיחֶיהָ׃

31 רָץ לִקְרַאת־רָץ יָרוּץ וּמַגִּיד לִקְרַאת מַגִּיד לְהַגִּיד לְמֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל כִּי־נִלְכְּדָה עִירֹו מִקָּצֶה׃

32 וְהַמַּעְבָּרֹות נִתְפָּשׂוּ וְאֶת־הָאֲגַמִּים שָׂרְפוּ בָאֵשׁ וְאַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה נִבְהָלוּ׃ ס

33 כִּי כֹה אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאֹות אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּת־בָּבֶל כְּגֹרֶן עֵת הִדְרִיכָהּ עֹוד מְעַט וּבָאָה עֵת־הַקָּצִיר לָהּ׃

34 [כ= אֲכָלָנוּ] [ק= אֲכָלַנִי] [כ= הֲמָמָנוּ] [ק= הֲמָמַנִי] נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל [כ= הִצִּיגָנוּ] [ק= הִצִּיגַנִי] כְּלִי רִיק [כ= בְּלָעָנוּ] [ק= בְּלָעַנִי] כַּתַּנִּין מִלָּא כְרֵשֹׂו מֵעֲדָנָי [כ= הֱדִיחָנוּ] [ק= הֱדִיחָנִי]׃

35 חֲמָסִי וּשְׁאֵרִי עַל־בָּבֶל תֹּאמַר יֹשֶׁבֶת צִיֹּון וְדָמִי אֶל־יֹשְׁבֵי כַשְׂדִּים תֹּאמַר יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃ ס

36 לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה הִנְנִי־רָב אֶת־רִיבֵךְ וְנִקַּמְתִּי אֶת־נִקְמָתֵךְ וְהַחֲרַבְתִּי אֶת־יַמָּהּ וְהֹבַשְׁתִּי אֶת־מְקֹורָהּ׃

37 וְהָיְתָה בָבֶל לְגַלִּים מְעֹון־תַּנִּים שַׁמָּה וּשְׁרֵקָה מֵאֵין יֹושֵׁב׃

38 יַחְדָּו כַּכְּפִרִים יִשְׁאָגוּ נָעֲרוּ כְּגֹורֵי אֲרָיֹות׃

39 בְּחֻםָּם אָשִׁית אֶת־מִשְׁתֵּיהֶם וְהִשְׁכַּרְתִּים לְמַעַן יַעֲלֹזוּ וְיָשְׁנוּ שְׁנַת־עֹולָם וְלֹא יָקִיצוּ נְאֻם יְהוָה׃

40 אֹורִידֵם כְּכָרִים לִטְבֹוחַ כְּאֵילִים עִם־עַתּוּדִים׃

41 אֵיךְ נִלְכְּדָה שֵׁשַׁךְ וַתִּתָּפֵשׂ תְּהִלַּת כָּל־הָאָרֶץ אֵיךְ הָיְתָה לְשַׁמָּה בָּבֶל בַּגֹּויִם׃

42 עָלָה עַל־בָּבֶל הַיָּם בַּהֲמֹון גַּלָּיו נִכְסָתָה׃

43 הָיוּ עָרֶיהָ לְשַׁמָּה אֶרֶץ צִיָּה וַעֲרָבָה אֶרֶץ לֹא־יֵשֵׁב בָּהֵן כָּל־אִישׁ וְלֹא־יַעֲבֹר בָּהֵן בֶּן־אָדָם׃

44 וּפָקַדְתִּי עַל־בֵּל בְּבָבֶל וְהֹצֵאתִי אֶת־בִּלְעֹו מִפִּיו וְלֹא־יִנְהֲרוּ אֵלָיו עֹוד גֹּויִם גַּם־חֹומַת בָּבֶל נָפָלָה׃

45 צְאוּ מִתֹּוכָהּ עַמִּי וּמַלְּטוּ אִישׁ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁו מֵחֲרֹון אַף־יְהוָה׃

46 וּפֶן־יֵרַךְ לְבַבְכֶם וְתִירְאוּ בַּשְּׁמוּעָה הַנִּשְׁמַעַת בָּאָרֶץ וּבָא בַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁמוּעָה וְאַחֲרָיו בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁמוּעָה וְחָמָס בָּאָרֶץ וּמֹשֵׁל עַל־מֹשֵׁל׃

47 לָכֵן הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים וּפָקַדְתִּי עַל־פְּסִילֵי בָבֶל וְכָל־אַרְצָהּ תֵּבֹושׁ וְכָל־חֲלָלֶיהָ יִפְּלוּ בְתֹוכָהּ׃

48 וְרִנְּנוּ עַל־בָּבֶל שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר בָּהֶם כִּי מִצָּפֹון יָבֹוא־לָהּ הַשֹּׁודְדִים נְאֻם־יְהוָה׃

49 גַּם־בָּבֶל לִנְפֹּל חַלְלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל גַּם־לְבָבֶל נָפְלוּ חַלְלֵי כָל־הָאָרֶץ׃

50 פְּלֵטִים מֵחֶרֶב הִלְכוּ אַל־תַּעֲמֹדוּ זִכְרוּ מֵרָחֹוק אֶת־יְהוָה וִירוּשָׁלִַם תַּעֲלֶה עַל־לְבַבְכֶם׃

51 בֹּשְׁנוּ כִּי־שָׁמַעְנוּ חֶרְפָּה כִּסְּתָה כְלִמָּה פָּנֵינוּ כִּי בָּאוּ זָרִים עַל־מִקְדְּשֵׁי בֵּית יְהוָה׃ ס

52 לָכֵן הִנֵּה־יָמִים בָּאִים נְאֻם־יְהוָה וּפָקַדְתִּי עַל־פְּסִילֶיהָ וּבְכָל־אַרְצָהּ יֶאֱנֹק חָלָל׃

53 כִּי־תַעֲלֶה בָבֶל הַשָּׁמַיִם וְכִי תְבַצֵּר מְרֹום עֻזָּהּ מֵאִתִּי יָבֹאוּ שֹׁדְדִים לָהּ נְאֻם־יְהוָה׃ ס

54 קֹול זְעָקָה מִבָּבֶל וְשֶׁבֶר גָּדֹול מֵאֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים׃

55 כִּי־שֹׁדֵד יְהוָה אֶת־בָּבֶל וְאִבַּד מִמֶּנָּה קֹול גָּדֹול וְהָמוּ גַלֵּיהֶם כְּמַיִם רַבִּים נִתַּן שְׁאֹון קֹולָם׃

56 כִּי בָא עָלֶיהָ עַל־בָּבֶל שֹׁודֵד וְנִלְכְּדוּ גִּבֹּורֶיהָ חִתְּתָה קַשְּׁתֹותָם כִּי אֵל גְּמֻלֹות יְהוָה שַׁלֵּם יְשַׁלֵּם׃

57 וְהִשְׁכַּרְתִּי שָׂרֶיהָ וַחֲכָמֶיהָ פַּחֹותֶיהָ וּסְגָנֶיהָ וְגִבֹּורֶיהָ וְיָשְׁנוּ שְׁנַת־עֹולָם וְלֹא יָקִיצוּ נְאֻם־הַמֶּלֶךְ יְהוָה צְבָאֹות שְׁמֹו׃ ס

58 כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאֹות חֹמֹות בָּבֶל הָרְחָבָה עַרְעֵר תִּתְעַרְעָר וּשְׁעָרֶיהָ הַגְּבֹהִים בָּאֵשׁ יִצַּתּוּ וְיִגְעוּ עַמִּים בְּדֵי־רִיק וּלְאֻמִּים בְּדֵי־אֵשׁ וְיָעֵפוּ׃ ס

59 הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא אֶת־שְׂרָיָה בֶן־נֵרִיָּה בֶּן־מַחְסֵיָה בְּלֶכְתֹּו אֶת־צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה בָּבֶל בִּשְׁנַת הָרְבִעִית לְמָלְכֹו וּשְׂרָיָה שַׂר מְנוּחָה׃

60 וַיִּכְתֹּב יִרְמְיָהוּ אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר־תָּבֹוא אֶל־בָּבֶל אֶל־סֵפֶר אֶחָד אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הַכְּתֻבִים אֶל־בָּבֶל׃

61 וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָהוּ אֶל־שְׂרָיָה כְּבֹאֲךָ בָבֶל וְרָאִיתָ וְקָרָאתָ אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה׃

62 וְאָמַרְתָּ יְהוָה אַתָּה דִבַּרְתָּ אֶל־הַמָּקֹום הַזֶּה לְהַכְרִיתֹו לְבִלְתִּי הֱיֹות־בֹּו יֹושֵׁב לְמֵאָדָם וְעַד־בְּהֵמָה כִּי־שִׁמְמֹות עֹולָם תִּהְיֶה׃

63 וְהָיָה כְּכַלֹּתְךָ לִקְרֹא אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה תִּקְשֹׁר עָלָיו אֶבֶן וְהִשְׁלַכְתֹּו אֶל־תֹּוךְ פְּרָת׃

64 וְאָמַרְתָּ כָּכָה תִּשְׁקַע בָּבֶל וְלֹא־תָקוּם מִפְּנֵי הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מֵבִיא עָלֶיהָ וְיָעֵפוּ עַד־הֵנָּה דִּבְרֵי יִרְמְיָהוּ׃ ס

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9341

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9341. 'And from the wilderness even to the River' means from delight belonging to the sensory level even to good and truth belonging to the rational level. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting the boundary' as the full range, dealt with immediately above in 9340; from the meaning of 'the wilderness' as a place where no one lives and nothing is grown, so that when it applies to the spiritual matters of faith and the celestial aspects of love 'the wilderness' is a place where no good nor any truth resides, as is the situation with the level of the senses (that this is what the sensory level of the human mind is like, see end of 9331), for no celestial good nor any spiritual truth exists on the sensory level, only delight and pleasure having a bodily and worldly origin exist there, which being so 'the wilderness' means this outermost level of mind in a member of the Church; and from the meaning of the Euphrates, to which 'the River' refers here, as good and truth belonging to the rational level. The reason why the Euphrates has this meaning is that Assyria lay there, and Assyria or Asshur means the rational level of the mind, 119, 1186.

[2] This rational level is meant by 'the Euphrates' where the words 'from the wilderness to the Euphrates' occur, and also 'from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates', as in Joshua,

From the wilderness and Lebanon even to the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea, the going down of the sun, will be your boundary. Joshua 1:4.

And in Moses,

To your seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river, the River Euphrates. Genesis 15:18.

Similarly in David,

You caused a vine to journey out of Egypt. You sent out its shoots even to the sea, and its little branches to the River. Psalms 80:8, 11.

'A vine out of Egypt' stands for the spiritual Church represented by the children of Israel; 'to the sea' and 'to the River' stand for interior truths and forms of good. The like occurs in Micah,

They will come to you from Asshur and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, 1 from mountain to mountain. Micah 7:12.

[3] But something different is meant by 'the Euphrates' when, from the middle of the land of Canaan as the standpoint, it is seen to be the furthest limit of the land on one side or that which encloses it on one side. In this case that river means the last and lowest level of the Lord's kingdom, that is, the last and lowest level of heaven and the Church in respect of rational goodness and truth. The fact that the boundaries of the land of Canaan, which were seas and rivers, meant the lowest things in the Lord's kingdom, see 1585, 1866, 4116, 4240, 6516. 'The Euphrates' therefore meant the kinds of truths and forms of good on the sensory level that were in agreement with truths and forms of good on the rational level. But since the sensory level of the human mind lies next to earth and the world and receives its impressions from them, 9331 (end), it does not acknowledge anything as good except that which delights the body, nor anything as truth except that which lends support to that delight. In this sense therefore 'the River Euphrates' means pleasure which is attributable to self-love and love of the world, and falsity that supports it with reasonings based on the illusions of the senses.

[4] These things are meant by 'the River Euphrates' in John,

A voice said to the sixth angel, Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. They were released, and they killed a third part of mankind. Revelation 9:14-15.

'The angels bound at the Euphrates' stands for falsities which arise through reasonings based on the illusions of the senses, and which lend support to pleasures attributable to self-love and love of the world. In the same book,

The sixth angel poured out his bowl over the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way of the kings who were from the rising of the sun. 2 Revelation 16:12.

Here 'the Euphrates' stands for falsities from a similar origin. 'Dried up water' stands for those falsities after they had been removed by the Lord; and 'the way of the kings from the rising of the sun' stands for the fact that at that time the truths of faith were seen by and revealed to those governed by love to the Lord.

'Waters' are truths and in the contrary sense falsities, see 705, 739, 756, 790, 839, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 7307, 8137, 8138, 8568, 9323.

'The way' is truth that has been seen and revealed, 627, 2333, 3477.

'The kings' are those with whom truths exist, 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148.

'The rising' or 'the east' is the Lord, also love from Him and to Him, 101, 1250, 3708.

'The sun' has the same meaning, 1529, 1530, 2440, 2495, 3636, 3643, 4060, 4696, 5377, 7078, 7083, 7171, 7173, 8644, 8812.

[5] In Jeremiah,

You have forsaken Jehovah your God at a time when He led you in the way. For this reason what have you to do with the way of Egypt, that you drink the waters of Shihor, or what [have you to do] with the way of Asshur, that you drink the waters of the River? Jeremiah 2:17-18.

'Leading in the way' stands for teaching truth. 'What have you to do with the way of Egypt, that you drink the waters of Shihor?' stands for, What have you to do with falsities arising through a perverse use of factual knowledge? 'What have you to do with the way of Asshur, that you drink the waters of the River?' stands for, What have you to do with falsities that arise on account of reasonings - reasonings which are based on the illusions of the senses and lend support to pleasures attributable to self-love and love of the world?

[6] In the same prophet,

Jehovah [said] to the prophet, Take the girdle which you have bought, which is over your loins, and arise, go away to the Euphrates, and hide it there in the cleft of a rock. He went away and hid it by the Euphrates. Afterwards it happened at the end of many days, that Jehovah said, Arise, go away to the Euphrates, take from there the girdle. Therefore he went away to the Euphrates and dug, and took the girdle from the place where he had hidden it. But behold, the girdle was spoiled; it was profitable for nothing. Jeremiah 13:3-7.

'The girdle of the loins' is the outward bond that holds within itself all things of love and consequently of faith. 'Being hidden in the cleft of a rock beside the Euphrates' means in a place where faith dwells in obscurity and is rendered no faith at all by falsities that are the product of reasonings. 'The girdle that had been spoiled, so that it was profitable for nothing' stands for the fact that then all the things of love and faith had been broken apart and scattered.

[7] When Jeremiah was to tie a stone to the book written by him and to throw it into the middle of the Euphrates, Jeremiah 51:63, the meaning was that the prophetical part of the Word would be destroyed by like falsities. In the same prophet,

The swift will not flee away, nor the strong man escape. Northwards on the bank of the River Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen. But Jehovah Zebaoth takes revenge on His adversaries, for the Lord Jehovah Zebaoth holds a sacrifice in the land of the north beside the River Euphrates. Jeremiah 46:6, 10.

Here also 'the River Euphrates' stands for truths that have been falsified and forms of good that have been adulterated by reasonings based on illusions, and therefore stands for factual knowledge which lends support to self-love and love of the world.

Footnotes:

1. literally, and [to] sea from sea

2. i.e. from the east

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

The Bible

 

Ezekiel 40:20-46

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20 The gate of the outer court whose prospect is toward the north, he measured its length and its breadth.

21 The lodges of it were three on this side and three on that side; and its posts and its arches were after the measure of the first gate: its length was fifty cubits, and the breadth twenty-five cubits.

22 The windows of it, and its arches, and the palm trees of it, were after the measure of the gate whose prospect is toward the east; and they went up to it by seven steps; and its arches were before them.

23 There was a gate to the inner court over against the [other] gate, [both] on the north and on the east; and he measured from gate to gate one hundred cubits.

24 He led me toward the south; and behold, a gate toward the south: and he measured its posts and its arches according to these measures.

25 There were windows in it and in its arches all around, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth twenty-five cubits.

26 There were seven steps to go up to it, and its arches were before them; and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, on its posts.

27 There was a gate to the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south a hundred cubits.

28 Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures;

29 and its lodges, and its posts, and its arches, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and in its arches all around; it was fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits broad.

30 There were arches all around, twenty-five cubits long, and five cubits broad.

31 The arches of it were toward the outer court; and palm trees were on its posts: and the ascent to it had eight steps.

32 He brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures;

33 and its lodges, and its posts, and its arches, according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in its arches all around; it was fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits broad.

34 The arches of it were toward the outer court; and palm trees were on its posts, on this side, and on that side: and the ascent to it had eight steps.

35 He brought me to the north gate: and he measured [it] according to these measures;

36 its lodges, its posts, and its arches: and there were windows therein all around; the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth twenty-five cubits.

37 The posts of it were toward the outer court; and palm trees were on its posts, on this side, and on that side: and the ascent to it had eight steps.

38 A room with its door was by the posts at the gates; there they washed the burnt offering.

39 In the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to kill thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering.

40 On the [one] side outside, as one goes up to the entry of the gate toward the north, were two tables; and on the other side, which belonged to the porch of the gate, were two tables.

41 Four tables were on this side, and Four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they killed [the sacrifices].

42 There were four tables for the burnt offering, of cut stone, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high; whereupon they laid the instruments with which they killed the burnt offering and the sacrifice.

43 The hooks, a handbreadth long, were fastened within all around: and on the tables was the flesh of the offering.

44 Outside of the inner gate were rooms for the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south; one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.

45 He said to me, This room, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the duty of the house;

46 and the room whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the duty of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok, who from among the sons of Levi come near to Yahweh to minister to him.