New Christian Bible Study

The Bible

 

Amos 4

Study

   

1 ακουω-VA--AAD2P ο- A--ASM λογος-N2--ASM ουτος- D--ASM δαμαλις-N3I-VPF ο- A--GSF *βασανιτις-N3D-GSF ο- A--NPF εν-P ο- A--DSN ορος-N3E-DSN ο- A--GSF *σαμαρεια-N1A-GSF ο- A--NPF καταδυναστευω-V1--PAPNPF πτωχος-N2--APM και-C καταπατεω-V2--PAPNPF πενης-N3T-APM ο- A--NPF λεγω-V1--PAPNPF ο- A--DPM κυριος-N2--DPM αυτος- D--GPM επιδιδωμι-VO--AAD2P εγω- P--DP οπως-C πινω-VB--AAS1P

2 ομνυμι-V5--PAI3S κυριος-N2--NSM κατα-P ο- A--GPM αγιος-A1A-GPM αυτος- D--GSM διοτι-C ιδου-I ημερα-N1A-NPF ερχομαι-V1--PMI3P επι-P συ- P--AP και-C λαμβανω-VF--FMI3P συ- P--AP εν-P οπλον-N2N-DPN και-C ο- A--APM μετα-P συ- P--GP εις-P λεβης-N3T-APM υποκαιω-V1--PMPAPM ενβαλλω-VF2-FAI3P εμπυρος-A1B-NPM λοιμος-N2--NPM

3 και-C εκφερω-VQ--FPI2P γυμνος-A1--NPF κατεναντι-D αλληλω- D--GPM και-C αποριπτω-VD--FPI2P εις-P ο- A--ASN ορος-N3E-ASN ο- A--ASN *ρεμμαν-N---ASN λεγω-V1--PAI3S κυριος-N2--NSM ο- A--NSM θεος-N2--NSM

4 ειςερχομαι-VBI-AAI2P εις-P *βαιθηλ-N---ASF και-C ανομεω-VAI-AAI2P και-C εις-P *γαλγαλα-N---ASF πληθυνω-VAI-AAI2P ο- A--GSN ασεβεω-VA--AAN και-C φερω-VAI-AAI2P εις-P ο- A--ASN πρωι-D θυσια-N1A-APF συ- P--GP εις-P ο- A--ASF τριημερια-N1A-ASF ο- A--APN επιδεκατος-A1--APN συ- P--GP

5 και-C αναγιγνωσκω-VZI-AAI3P εξω-D νομος-N2--ASM και-C επικαλεω-VAI-AMI3P ομολογια-N1A-APF αποαγγελλω-VA--AAD2P οτι-C ουτος- D--APN αγαπαω-VAI-AAI3P ο- A--NPM υιος-N2--NPM *ισραηλ-N---GSM λεγω-V1--PAI3S κυριος-N2--NSM ο- A--NSM θεος-N2--NSM

6 και-C εγω- P--NS διδωμι-VF--FAI1S συ- P--DP γομφιασμος-N2--ASM οδους-N3--GPM εν-P πας-A1S-DPF ο- A--DPF πολις-N3I-DPF συ- P--GP και-C ενδεια-N1A-ASF αρτος-N2--GPM εν-P πας-A3--DPM ο- A--DPM τοπος-N2--DPM συ- P--GP και-C ου-D επιστρεφω-VAI-AAI2P προς-P εγω- P--AS λεγω-V1--PAI3S κυριος-N2--NSM

7 και-C εγω- P--NS αναεχω-VBI-AAI1S εκ-P συ- P--GP ο- A--ASM υετος-N2--ASM προ-P τρεις-A3--GPM μην-N3--GPM ο- A--GSM τρυγητος-N2--GSM και-C βρεχω-VF--FAI1S επι-P πολις-N3I-ASF εις-A1A-ASF επι-P δε-X πολις-N3I-ASF εις-A1A-ASF ου-D βρεχω-VF--FAI1S μερις-N3D-NSF εις-A1A-NSF βρεχω-VD--FPI3S και-C μερις-N3D-NSF επι-P ος- --ASF ου-D βρεχω-VF--FAI1S επι-P αυτος- D--ASF ξηραινω-VC--FPI3S

8 και-C συναθροιζω-VS--FPI3P δυο-M και-C τρεις-A3--NPF πολις-N3I-NPF εις-P πολις-N3I-ASF εις-A1A-ASF ο- A--GSN πινω-VB--AAN υδωρ-N3--ASN και-C ου-D μη-D ενπιμπλημι-VS--APS3P και-C ου-D επιστρεφω-VAI-AAI2P προς-P εγω- P--AS λεγω-V1--PAI3S κυριος-N2--NSM

9 πατασσω-VAI-AAI1S συ- P--AP εν-P πυρωσις-N3I-DPF και-C εν-P ικτερος-N2--DSM πληθυνω-VAI-AAI2P κηπος-N2--APM συ- P--GP αμπελων-N3W-APM συ- P--GP και-C συκων-N3W-APM συ- P--GP και-C ελαιων-N3W-APM συ- P--GP καταεσθιω-VBI-AAI3S ο- A--NSF καμπη-N1--NSF και-C ουδε-C ως-C επιστρεφω-VAI-AAI2P προς-P εγω- P--AS λεγω-V1--PAI3S κυριος-N2--NSM

10 εκ αποστελλω-VAI-AAI1S εις-P συ- P--AP θανατος-N2--ASM εν-P οδος-N2--DSF *αιγυπτος-N2--GSF και-C αποκτεινω-VAI-AAI1S εν-P ρομφαια-N1A-DSF ο- A--APM νεανισκος-N2--APM συ- P--GP μετα-P αιχμαλωσια-N1A-GSF ιππος-N2--GPM συ- P--GS και-C ανααγω-VBI-AAI1S εν-P πυρ-N3--DSN ο- A--APF παρεμβολη-N1--APF συ- P--GP εν-P ο- A--DSF οργη-N1--DSF εγω- P--GS και-C ουδε-C ως-C επιστρεφω-VAI-AAI2P προς-P εγω- P--AS λεγω-V1--PAI3S κυριος-N2--NSM

11 καταστρεφω-VAI-AAI1S συ- P--AP καθως-D καταστρεφω-VAI-AAI3S ο- A--NSM θεος-N2--NSM *σοδομα-N---AS και-C *γομορρα-N---AS και-C γιγνομαι-VBI-AMI2P ως-C δαλος-N2--NSM εκσπαω-VM--XMPNSM εκ-P πυρ-N3--GSN και-C ουδε-C ως-C επιστρεφω-VAI-AAI2P προς-P εγω- P--AS λεγω-V1--PAI3S κυριος-N2--NSM

12 δια-P ουτος- D--ASN ουτως-D ποιεω-VF--FAI1S συ- P--DS *ισραηλ-N---VSM πλην-D οτι-C ουτως-D ποιεω-VF--FAI1S συ- P--DS ετοιμαζω-V1--PMD2S ο- A--GSN επικαλεω-V2--PMN ο- A--ASM θεος-N2--ASM συ- P--GS *ισραηλ-N---VSM

13 διοτι-C ιδου-I εγω- P--NS στερεοω-V4--PAPNSM βροντη-N1--ASF και-C κτιζω-V1--PAPNSM πνευμα-N3M-ASN και-C αποαγγελλω-V1--PAPNSM εις-P ανθρωπος-N2--APM ο- A--ASM χριστος-A1--ASM αυτος- D--GSM ποιεω-V2--PAPNSM ορθρος-N2--ASM και-C ομιχλη-N1--ASF και-C επιβαινω-V1--PAPNSM επι-P ο- A--APN υψος-N3E-APN ο- A--GSF γη-N1--GSF κυριος-N2--NSM ο- A--NSM θεος-N2--NSM ο- A--NSM παντοκρατωρ-N3 -NSM ονομα-N3M-NSN αυτος- D--DSM

   

Commentary

 

Exploring the Meaning of Amos 4

By Helen Kennedy

In chapter 4 of the Book of Amos, verses 1-3 are talking about people who pervert the truths of the church. They will fall into falsities in outermost things.

In the Bible, fish represent "lower" things than mammals, so we can interpret the fishhooks in verse 2 as meaning being caught and held fast in natural or lower things.

Verses 4-6 are about acts of worship such as tithes and sacrifices. These look similar to genuine worship, but are only external sorts of things. We can tell because ‘teeth’ (in verse 6) represent ultimates or outermost things (see Secrets of Heaven 6380). It follows that “cleanness of teeth” would mean outermost things that look good but only imitate genuine worship. The Lord exhorts, “Yet you have not returned to me.”

Verses 7-8. Some things true will remain, when where there are too many false ideas, the truths don't get through. This can be seen where the Lord says, “I made it rain on one city; I withheld rain from another city... where it did not rain the part withered.” Again the Lord exhorts, “Yet you have not returned to me.”

Verse 9. Afterward all things of the church are falsified, shown by blight attacking the gardens, vineyards, fig tree and olive trees. The last three represent spiritual, natural and celestial things, or all the things of spiritual life. “Yet you have not returned to me,” says the Lord.

Verses 10-11. The Lord explains the devastating things he allowed to happen: plague in Egypt, death of young men by swords, stench in the camps, Sodom and Gomorrah. This is because they are profaned by sensual knowledges. Profanation means the mixing of good and evil together. (See Secrets of Heaven 1001[2]).

This extends to all things of the church, with the church being the Lord’s kingdom on earth (Secrets of Heaven 768[3]).

With profanation “as soon as any idea of what is holy arises, the idea of what is profane joins immediately to it,” (Secrets of Heaven 301).

Now there is hardly anything left. “Yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord again.

Verses 12-13: Because people adamantly remain in their profane ways, they are warned, “Prepare to meet your God!”. This is the God powerful and mighty, “who forms mountains, and creates the wind,” and even more close to home, “Who declares to man what his thought is.” As intimately a knowing as that is, the Lord’s love for all humanity is contained in His exhortations for them to turn themselves to Him.

See, for example, Luke 6:44-45, and True Christian Religion 373.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

True Christian Religion #373

Study this Passage

  
/ 853  
  

373. VIII. Charity and faith are present together in good deeds.

In every deed which proceeds from a person his whole nature is fully present, as regards his mind, or essential character. By mind is meant the affection of his love and his thought from this; these form his nature and, in general terms, his life. If we consider deeds in this way, they are so to speak mirrors reflecting the person. This can be illustrated by similar facts about animals and wild beasts: an animal is an animal, and a wild beast is a wild beast, in every one of its acts. A wolf is a wolf in every one of its acts, a tiger is a tiger in every one of its, a fox is a fox in every one of its, and a lion is a lion in every one of its. Likewise a sheep and a kid in all of their acts. The same is true of man, but his nature is such as it is in the internal man. If in this he is like a wolf or a fox, every internal deed of his is wolf-like or fox-like; and on the other hand the same is true if he is like a sheep or a lamb. But the fact that he is like this in every one of his deeds is not plain in his external man, for this can be twisted round the internal, although this character lies concealed within. The Lord says:

The good man brings forth good from the good treasury of his heart, and the wicked man brings forth wickedness from the wicked treasury of his heart, Luke 6:45.

And again:

Every tree is known by its own fruit; they do not gather figs from thorns, nor harvest grapes from the bramble, Luke 6:44.

[2] After death it is vividly shown that such as a person is in his internal man, such he is also in all the details proceeding from him. For then he lives as an internal man, and the external is no more. There is good in a person, and every deed proceeding from him is good, when the Lord, charity and faith dwell in his internal man, as will be shown in the following order.

(i) Charity is having good will, and good deeds are doing good from a good will.

(ii) Charity and faith are merely unstable mental concepts unless, when possible, they are realised in deeds and come into existence together in them.

(iii) Charity alone does not produce good deeds, much less does faith alone, but charity and faith together do.

These propositions will be examined one by one.

  
/ 853  
  

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

©2024 New Christian Bible Study Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed from newchristianbiblestudy.org