The Bible

 

Ezechiele 38

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1 POI la parola del Signore mi fu indirizzata, dicendo:

2 Figliuol d’uomo, volgi la tua faccia verso Gog, verso il paese di Magog, principe, e capo di Mesec, e di Tubal; e profetizza contro a lui; e di’:

3 Così ha detto il Signore Iddio: Eccomi a te, o Gog, principe e capo di Mesec, e di Tubal.

4 E ti farò tornare indietro, e ti metterò de’ graffi nelle mascelle, e ti trarrò fuori, con tutto il tuo esercito, cavalli, e cavalieri, tutti quanti perfettamente ben vestiti, gran raunata di popolo, con targhe, e scudi, i quali trattano le spade tutti quanti.

5 E con loro le gente di Persia, di Cus, e di Put, tutti con iscudi, ed elmi;

6 Gomer, e tutte le sue schiere; la casa di Togarma, dal fondo del Settentrione, insieme con tutte le sue schiere; molti popoli teco.

7 Mettiti in ordine, ed apparecchiati, tu, e tutta la tua gente, che si è radunata appresso di te; e sii loro per salvaguardia.

8 Tu sarai visitato dopo molti giorni; in su la fin degli anni tu verrai nel paese del popolo riscosso dalla spada, e raccolto da molti popoli, ne’ monti d’Israele, i quali erano stati ridotti in deserto perpetuo; allora che il popolo di quel paese, essendo stato ritratto d’infra i popoli, abiterà tutto in sicurtà.

9 E salirai, e verrai a guisa di ruinosa tempesta; tu sarai a guisa di nuvola, da coprir la terra; tu, e tutte le tue schiere, e molti popoli teco.

10 Così ha detto il Signore Iddio: Egli avverrà in quel giorno, che molte cose ti saliranno nel cuore, e penserai un malvagio pensiero.

11 E dirai: Io salirò contro al paese delle villate; io verrò sopra la gente quieta, che abita in sicurtà eglino abitano tutti in luoghi senza mura, e non han nè sbarre, nè porte;

12 per ispogliare spoglie, e per predar preda; rimettendo la tua mano sopra i luoghi deserti, di nuovo abitati; e sopra il popolo raccolto dalle genti, che si adopererà intorno al bestiame, ed alle sue facoltà; ed abiterà nel bellico del paese.

13 Seba, e Dedan, e i mercatanti di Tarsis, e tutti i suoi leoncelli, ti diranno: Sei tu venuto per ispogliare spoglie? hai tu fatta la tua raunata per predar preda, per portarne via argento ed oro; per rapir bestiame, e facoltà; per ispogliar molte spoglie?

14 Perciò, figliuol d’uomo, profetizza, e di’ a Gog: Così ha detto il Signore Iddio: In quel giorno, quando il mio popolo Israele abiterà in sicurtà, nol saprai tu?

15 E tu verrai dal tuo luogo, dal fondo del Settentrione; tu, e molti popoli teco, tutti montati sopra cavalli, gran raunata, e grosso esercito.

16 E salirai contro al mio popolo Israele, a guisa di nuvola, per coprir la terra; tu sarai in su la fine de’ giorni, ed io ti farò venir sopra la mia terra; acciocchè le genti mi conoscano, quando io mi sarò santificato in te, nel cospetto loro, o Gog.

17 Così ha detto il Signore Iddio: Non sei tu quello, del quale io parlai a’ tempi antichi, per li profeti d’Israele, miei servitori, i quali profetizzarono in quei tempi, per molti anni, che io ti farei venir contro a loro?

18 Ma egli avverrà in quel giorno, nel giorno che Gog sarà venuto sopra il paese d’Israele, dice il Signore Iddio, che l’ira mi salirà nelle nari.

19 Ed io ho parlato nella mia gelosia, nel fuoco della mia indegnazione: Se in quel giorno non vi è un gran tremoto nel paese d’Israele.

20 E i pesci del mare, e gli uccelli del cielo, e le fiere della campagna, ed ogni rettile che va serpendo sopra la terra, ed ogni uomo che è sopra la terra, tremeranno per la mia presenza; e i monti saranno diroccati e i balzi caderanno, e ogni muro ruinerà a terra.

21 Ed io chiamerò la spada contro a lui, per tutti i miei monti, dice il Signore Iddio; la spada di ciascun di loro sarà contro al suo fratello.

22 E verrò a giudicio con lui con pestilenza, e con sangue; e farò piover sopra lui, e sopra le sue schiere, e sopra i molti popoli, che saranno con lui, una pioggia strabocchevole, pietre di gragnuola, fuoco, e zolfo.

23 Ed io mi magnificherò, e mi santificherò, e sarò conosciuto nel cospetto di molte genti; e conosceranno che io sono il Signore.

   


To many Protestant and Evangelical Italians, the Bibles translated by Giovanni Diodati are an important part of their history. Diodati’s first Italian Bible edition was printed in 1607, and his second in 1641. He died in 1649. Throughout the 1800s two editions of Diodati’s text were printed by the British Foreign Bible Society. This is the more recent 1894 edition, translated by Claudiana.

Commentary

 

Horse

  
white horse

In Ezekiel 26:11, this signifies the love of learning or intellectual things. (Arcana Coelestia 3727)

In Revelation 6:2, this signifies the love of understanding the Word. (Apocalypse Revealed 298)

In Zechariah 12:4, this signifies that the intellectual should be filled with falsities. (Arcana Coelestia 2383[2])

In general, 'a horse' signifies knowledge or understanding of the Word. In an opposite sense it signifies the understanding of the Word falsified by reasonings, and likewise destroyed from self-derived intelligence. 'A dead horse' signifies no understanding of truth from the Word.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #298

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298. And I looked, and behold, a white horse. (6:2) This symbolizes an understanding of truth and goodness from the Word among those people.

A horse symbolizes an understanding of the Word, and a white horse an understanding of truth from the Word. For the color white is predicated of truths (no. 167).

That a horse symbolizes an understanding of the Word is something we showed in a separate short work titled The White Horse. But because we cited only some passages there, we will present more here by way of confirmation. The reality of it is clearly apparent from the fact that horses were seen to go forth from the book which the Lamb opened, and that the living creatures said, "Come and see." For the living creatures symbolize the Word (nos. 239, 275, 286). So, too, does the book (no. 256). And the Son of Man, who here is the Lamb, is the Lord in relation to the Word (no. 44).

It is apparent from this, first, that nothing else is meant here by the horse than an understanding of the Word. This can be still more clearly seen from this later description in the book of Revelation:

I saw heaven opened, when behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called... The Word of God... And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS... And His armies in heaven... followed Him on white horses. (Revelation 19:11, 13-14, 16)

[2] That a horse symbolizes an understanding of the Word can be further seen from the following passages:

O Jehovah..., is Your wrath against the sea, that You ride on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation? ...You trampled the sea with your horses, the mud of many waters. (Habakkuk 3:8, 15)

The hooves of Jehovah's horses are regarded as rocks... (Isaiah 5:28)

On that day... I will strike every horse with stupor, and its rider with madness...; and I will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. (Zechariah 12:4)

On that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, "Holiness to Jehovah." (Zechariah 14:20)

Because God has made her forget wisdom, and did not impart to her understanding. When she lifts herself on high, she scorns the horse and its rider. (Job 39:17-18, and following verses)

I will cut off... the horse from Jerusalem... Rather He shall speak peace to the nations. (Zechariah 9:10)

At Your rebuke, (O Jehovah,) both the chariot and horse fell asleep. (Psalms 76:6)

I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms... and I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down... (Haggai 2:22)

With you I will disperse... kingdoms; with you I will disperse the horse and its rider. (Jeremiah 51:20-21)

Assemble yourselves... from round about to My sacrifice... You will be satisfied at My table with horses and riders... (Thus) I will set My glory among the nations. (Ezekiel 39:17, 20-21)

...gather together for the great supper of God, (and) you (will) eat... the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them... (Revelation 19:17-18)

Dan shall be... a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels, so that its rider falls backward. I have waited for your salvation, O Jehovah! (Genesis 49:17-18)

Gird Your sword..., O Mighty One... Mount up..., ride upon the Word of truth... (Psalms 45:3-4)

Sing to God...; extol Him who rides on the clouds... (Psalms 68:4)

Behold, Jehovah is riding on a... cloud... (Isaiah 19:1)

Sing praises to the Lord..., to Him who rides on the heaven of the heaven of old...! (Psalms 68:32-33)

(God) rode upon a cherub... (Psalms 18:10)

Then you shall delight yourself in Jehovah; and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the earth... (Isaiah 58:14)

Jehovah alone led him... (And) He made him ride in the heights of the earth... (Deuteronomy 32:12-13)

I will make Ephraim ride. (Hosea 10:11)

Ephraim also symbolizes an understanding of the Word.

[3] Since Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord in relation to the Word, therefore they were called the chariot of Israel and his horsemen. Elisha said to Elijah,

"My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" (2 Kings 2:12)

And Joash said to Elisha,

"O my father..., the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" (2 Kings 13:14)

Jehovah opened the eyes of (Elisha's) servant, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:17)

A chariot symbolizes doctrine from the Word, and a horseman one who is wise as a result of it.

The following have similar symbolic meanings: The four chariots coming from between the bronze mountains in Zechariah, and the four horses harnessed to them, which were red, black, white, and dappled, called also four spirits, and said to go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth (Zechariah 6:1-8, 15). Horses in these places symbolize an understanding of the Word, or an understanding of truth from the Word. So, too, in other places.

[4] This can be further seen from horses mentioned in an opposite sense, in which they symbolize an understanding of the Word or of truth falsified by reasonings, and also extinguished, and likewise a person's own intelligence, as in the following passages:

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses..., and do not look to the Holy One of Israel... Egypt is man and not God, and its horses are flesh and not spirit. (Isaiah 31:1, 3)

You shall... set a king over (Israel) whom Jehovah... chooses... Only let him not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses. (Deuteronomy 17:15-16)

These statements are made because Egypt symbolizes knowledge and reasoning springing from a person's own intelligence, the result of which is a falsification of the Word's truth, which is the meaning of horses here.

Assyria shall not save us. We will not ride on a horse... (Hosea 14:3)

Some glory in chariots, and some in horses; but we will glory in the name of... our God. (Psalms 20:7)

A horse is a false means for safety. (Psalms 33:17)

(Jehovah) does not delight in the strength of the horse. (Psalms 147:10)

...thus says... the Holy One of Israel: ."..In... confidence shall be your strength." But... you said, "No..., ...we will flee on a horse...." And, "We will ride on a swift horse." (Isaiah 30:15-16)

...Jehovah... will make (Judah) as a glorious horse... ...the riders on horses shall be put to shame. (Zechariah 10:3, 5)

Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies... ...and the neighing horse, and the jolting chariot... The horseman causing to ascend... (Nahum 3:1-4)

...I will bring against Tyre... the king of Babylon..., with horses, with chariots, and with horsemen... Because of the abundance of his horses, their dust will cover you; your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen... and the chariots... With the hooves of his horses he will trample all your streets. (Ezekiel 26:7-11)

Tyre symbolizes the church in respect to its concepts of truth, in this case these concepts falsified in it, which are the horses of Babylon. And so on in other places, as in Isaiah 5:28; Ezekiel 17:15; 23:6, 20; Habakkuk 1:6, 8-10; Psalms 66:12.

An understanding of the Word extinguished is symbolized also by the horses, fiery red, black and pale, in the verses that now follow.

To be shown that a horse symbolizes an understanding of truth from the Word owing to appearances in the spiritual world, see my small book titled The White Horse.

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.