The Bible

 

Jonah 3

Study

   

1 καί-C γίγνομαι-VBI-AMI3S λόγος-N2--NSM κύριος-N2--GSM πρός-P *ιωνας-N1T-ASM ἐκ-P δεύτερος-A1A-GSM λέγω-V1--PAPNSM

2 ἀναἵστημι-VH--AAD2S καί-C πορεύομαι-VC--APD2S εἰς-P *νινευη-N1--ASF ὁ- A--ASF πόλις-N3I-ASF ὁ- A--ASF μέγας-A1--ASF καί-C κηρύσσω-VA--AAD2S ἐν-P αὐτός- D--DSF κατά-P ὁ- A--ASN κήρυγμα-N3M-ASN ὁ- A--ASN ἔμπροσθεν-D ὅς- --ASN ἐγώ- P--NS λαλέω-VAI-AAI1S πρός-P σύ- P--AS

3 καί-C ἀναἵστημι-VHI-AAI3S *ιωνας-N1T-NSM καί-C πορεύομαι-VCI-API3S εἰς-P *νινευη-N1--ASF καθώς-D λαλέω-VAI-AAI3S κύριος-N2--NSM ὁ- A--NSF δέ-X *νινευη-N1--NSF εἰμί-V9--IAI3S πόλις-N3I-NSF μέγας-A1--NSF ὁ- A--DSM θεός-N2--DSM ὡσεί-D πορεία-N1A-APF ὁδός-N2--GSF ἡμέρα-N1A-GPF τρεῖς-A3--GPF

4 καί-C ἄρχω-VAI-AMI3S *ιωνας-N1T-NSM ὁ- A--GSN εἰςἔρχομαι-VB--AAN εἰς-P ὁ- A--ASF πόλις-N3I-ASF ὡσεί-D πορεία-N1A-ASF ἡμέρα-N1A-GSF εἷς-A1A-GSF καί-C κηρύσσω-VAI-AAI3S καί-C εἶπον-VBI-AAI3S ἔτι-D τρεῖς-A3--NPF ἡμέρα-N1A-NPF καί-C *νινευη-N1--NSF καταστρέφω-VD--FPI3S

5 καί-C ἐνπιστεύω-VAI-AAI3P ὁ- A--NPM ἀνήρ-N3--NPM *νινευη-N1--GSF ὁ- A--DSM θεός-N2--DSM καί-C κηρύσσω-VAI-AAI3P νηστεία-N1A-ASF καί-C ἐνδύω-VAI-AMI3P σάκκος-N2--APM ἀπό-P μέγας-A1--GSM αὐτός- D--GPM ἕως-P μικρός-A1A-GSM αὐτός- D--GPM

6 καί-C ἐγγίζω-VAI-AAI3S ὁ- A--NSM λόγος-N2--NSM πρός-P ὁ- A--ASM βασιλεύς-N3V-ASM ὁ- A--GSF *νινευη-N1--GSF καί-C ἐκ ἀναἵστημι-VHI-AAI3S ἀπό-P ὁ- A--GSM θρόνος-N2--GSM αὐτός- D--GSM καί-C περιαἱρέω-VBI-AMI3S ὁ- A--ASF στολή-N1--ASF αὐτός- D--GSM ἀπό-P ἑαυτοῦ- D--GSM καί-C περιβάλλω-VBI-AMI3S σάκκος-N2--ASM καί-C καταἵζω-VAI-AAI3S ἐπί-P σποδός-N2--GSF

7 καί-C κηρύσσω-VQI-API3S καί-C εἶπον-VCI-API3S ἐν-P ὁ- A--DSF *νινευη-N1--DSF παρά-P ὁ- A--GSM βασιλεύς-N3V-GSM καί-C παρά-P ὁ- A--GPM μεγιστάν-N3--GPM αὐτός- D--GSM λέγω-V1--PAPNSM ὁ- A--NPM ἄνθρωπος-N2--NPM καί-C ὁ- A--NPN κτῆνος-N3E-NPN καί-C ὁ- A--NPM βοῦς-N3--NPM καί-C ὁ- A--NPN πρόβατον-N2N-NPN μή-D γεύω-VA--AMD3P μηδείς-A3--ASN μηδέ-C νέμω-V1--PMD3P μηδέ-C ὕδωρ-N3--ASN πίνω-VB--AAD3P

8 καί-C περιβάλλω-VBI-AMI3P σάκκος-N2--APM ὁ- A--NPM ἄνθρωπος-N2--NPM καί-C ὁ- A--NPN κτῆνος-N3E-NPN καί-C ἀναβοάω-VAI-AAI3P πρός-P ὁ- A--ASM θεός-N2--ASM ἐκτενῶς-D καί-C ἀποστρέφω-VAI-AAI3P ἕκαστος-A1--NSM ἀπό-P ὁ- A--GSF ὁδός-N2--GSF αὐτός- D--GSM ὁ- A--GSF πονηρός-A1A-GSF καί-C ἀπό-P ὁ- A--GSF ἀδικία-N1A-GSF ὁ- A--GSF ἐν-P χείρ-N3--DPF αὐτός- D--GPM λέγω-V1--PAPNPM

9 τίς- I--NSM οἶδα-VX--XAI3S εἰ-C μετανοέω-VF--FAI3S ὁ- A--NSM θεός-N2--NSM καί-C ἀποστρέφω-VF--FAI3S ἐκ-P ὀργή-N1--GSF θυμός-N2--GSM αὐτός- D--GSM καί-C οὐ-D μή-D ἀποὀλλύω-V5--PMS1P

10 καί-C ὁράω-VBI-AAI3S ὁ- A--NSM θεός-N2--NSM ὁ- A--APN ἔργον-N2N-APN αὐτός- D--GPM ὅτι-C ἀποστρέφω-VAI-AAI3P ἀπό-P ὁ- A--GPF ὁδός-N2--GPF αὐτός- D--GPM ὁ- A--GPF πονηρός-A1A-GPF καί-C μετανοέω-VAI-AAI3S ὁ- A--NSM θεός-N2--NSM ἐπί-P ὁ- A--DSF κακία-N1A-DSF ὅς- --DSF λαλέω-VAI-AAI3S ὁ- A--GSN ποιέω-VA--AAN αὐτός- D--DPM καί-C οὐ-D ποιέω-VAI-AAI3S

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #588

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

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

  
/ 10837  
  

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