The Bible

 

Ámos 4

Study

   

1 Halljátok meg e beszédet Básánnak ünõi, a kik Samaria hegyén vagytok; a kik nyomorgatjátok a szegényeket, megrontjátok az ügyefogyottakat, a kik azt mondják az õ uroknak: Hozd elõ, hadd igyunk!

2 Megesküdt az Úr Isten az õ szentségére, hogy ímé napok következnek reátok, a mikor szigonyokkal visznek el titeket, és a ti maradékotokat halászó horgokkal.

3 És a réseken mentek ki, mindenikõtök egyenest; és a Hermónba vettettek, ezt mondja az Úr.

4 Menjetek Béth-Elbe és vétkezzetek, szaporítsátok a vétkeket Gilgálban. Vigyétek fel reggelente áldozataitokat, és harmad-naponként tizedeiteket.

5 Kovászosból gyújtsatok hálaáldozatot; ajánljatok önkéntes áldozatokat, híreszteljétek; mert így szeretitek, Izráel fiai, azt mondja az Úr Isten.

6 De én is bocsátottam rátok fogak tisztaságát minden városaitokban és kenyérszükséget minden helységeitekben, és még sem tértetek vissza hozzám, ezt mondja az Úr.

7 De én is megvontam tõletek az esõt, három hónappal az aratás elõtt, és esõt adtam egy városra, más városra pedig nem adtam esõt. Az egyik rész esõt kapott, az a rész pedig, a melyre nem esett esõ, megszáradott.

8 És két-három város tántorgott egy-egy városba, vizet inni, de meg nem elégíttettek; és még sem tértetek vissza hozzám, ezt mondja az Úr.

9 Megvertelek titeket szárazsággal és ragyával; kerteiteknek, szõlõiteknek, fügefáitoknak és olajfáitoknak nagy részét megette a sáska; és még sem tértetek vissza én hozzám, ezt mondja az Úr.

10 Döghalált bocsátottam rátok, mint Égyiptomra; fegyverrel öltem ifjaitokat, fogságra [vitettem] lovaitokat; és táborotok bûzét egész orrotokig emeltem, és még sem tértetek vissza hozzám, ezt mondja az Úr.

11 Felforgattam közületek [többeket,] a mint felforgatta Isten Sodomát és Gomorát, és olyanokká lettetek, mint a tûzbõl kikapott üszök; és még sem tértetek vissza hozzám, ezt mondja az Úr.

12 Azért hát ekképen cselekeszem veled Izráel! Minthogy pedig ekképen cselekeszem veled, készülj Istened elé, oh Izráel!

13 Mert ímé, a ki hegyeket alkotott és a szelet teremtette, és a ki megjelenti az embernek az õ gondolatját, a ki a hajnalt sötétséggé változtatja és a föld magaslatain lépdel: az Úr õ, a Seregeknek Istene az õ neve.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #5198

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

5198. 'Seven cows were coming up' means the truths belonging to the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'cows' as the truths belonging to the natural, dealt with below. The reason there were seven is that 'seven' means that which is holy, 395, 433, 716, and therefore this number contributes to any matter under consideration the idea of holiness, dealt with in 881. The matter under consideration here is likewise of a holy nature since it concerns a further rebirth of the natural through the joining of this to the celestial of the spiritual. As regards 'cows' or 'young cows' meaning the truths belonging to the natural, this becomes clear from the fact that 'bulls' and 'young bulls' mean forms of good belonging to the natural, 2180, 2566, 2781, 2830. For in the Word, when a male means good, its female means truth, and conversely when the male means truth its female means good, so that 'a cow' means some truth belonging to the natural, because 'a bull' means some form of good belonging to it.

[2] All beasts without exception that are mentioned in the Word mean affections, evil and useless beasts meaning evil affections, gentle and useful ones meaning good affections, see 45, 46, 142, 143, 246, 714, 715, 719, 776, 1823, 2179, 2180, 3218, 3519. The reason why they have such a meaning lies in the representations that occur in the world of spirits, for whenever a discussion about affections is taking place in heaven, beasts corresponding to affections of the kind under discussion are represented in the world of spirits, as I have also been allowed quite often to see. On several occasions I have wondered about the origin of that phenomenon, but have been led to perceive that the lives led by beasts are nothing else than affections; for they respond instinctively, devoid of reason, to their innate affections and are led by these to fulfill their specific functions. No other physical forms are suited to these affections devoid of reason than the kinds in which they are seen on earth. This explains why, when the discussion in heaven is about affections alone, the ultimate forms that those affections take in the world of spirits are the same in appearance as the physical forms of such beasts; for those affections cannot be clothed with any other forms than ones such as correspond to them. I have also seen beasts, the like of which do not appear anywhere at all in the natural world. They were the forms taken by affections that are not known and by affections that are mingled together.

[3] Here then is the reason why in the Word affections are meant by 'beasts', though which particular affections are meant cannot be seen from anywhere else than the internal sense. 'Bulls' means the good belonging to the natural, as may be seen in the paragraphs listed above; and as for the meaning of 'cows' as the truths belonging to the natural, this becomes clear from other places where they are referred to, such as Isaiah 11:7; Hosea 4:16; Amos 4:1, as well as from the reference in Numbers 19:2-10 to the water of separation by which they were to be made clean and which was prepared from the red cow burned to ashes outside the camp, with which cedar wood was mixed, hyssop, and twice-dyed scarlet. When the meaning of this procedure is disclosed with the help of the internal sense, it shows that 'the red cow', meaning unclean truth within the natural, is made clean by 'burning', and also by the kinds of things meant by 'cedar wood, hyssop, and twice-dyed scarlet'. The water prepared by that process represented the means of purification.

  
/ 10837  
  

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