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Genesis 15

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1 μετα-P δε-X ο- A--APN ρημα-N3M-APN ουτος- D--APN γιγνομαι-VCI-API3S ρημα-N3M-NSN κυριος-N2--GSM προς-P *αβραμ-N---ASM εν-P οραμα-N3M-DSN λεγω-V1--PAPNSM μη-D φοβεω-V2--PMD2S *αβραμ-N---VSM εγω- P--NS υπερασπιζω-V1--PAI1S συ- P--GS ο- A--NSM μισθος-N2--NSM συ- P--GS πολυς-A1P-NSM ειμι-VF--FMI3S σφοδρα-D

2 λεγω-V1--PAI3S δε-X *αβραμ-N---NSM δεσποτης-N1M-VSM τις- I--ASN εγω- P--DS διδωμι-VF--FAI2S εγω- P--NS δε-X απολυω-V1--PMI1S ατεκνος-A1B-NSM ο- A--NSM δε-X υιος-N2--NSM *μασεκ-N---GSF ο- A--GSF οικογενης-A3H-GSF εγω- P--GS ουτος- D--NSM *δαμασκος-N2--NS *ελιεζερ-N---NSM

3 και-C ειπον-VBI-AAI3S *αβραμ-N---NSM επειδη-C εγω- P--DS ου-D διδωμι-VAI-AAI2S σπερμα-N3M-ASN ο- A--NSM δε-X οικογενης-A3H-NSM εγω- P--GS κληρονομεω-VF--FAI3S εγω- P--AS

4 και-C ευθυς-D φωνη-N1--NSF κυριος-N2--GSM γιγνομαι-VBI-AMI3S προς-P αυτος- D--ASM λεγω-V1--PAPNSM ου-D κληρονομεω-VF--FAI3S συ- P--AS ουτος- D--NSM αλλα-C ος- --NSM εκερχομαι-VF--FMI3S εκ-P συ- P--GS ουτος- D--NSM κληρονομεω-VF--FAI3S συ- P--AS

5 εκαγω-VBI-AAI3S δε-X αυτος- D--ASM εξω-D και-C ειπον-VBI-AAI3S αυτος- D--DSM αναβλεπω-VA--AAD2S δη-X εις-P ο- A--ASM ουρανος-N2--ASM και-C αριθμεω-VA--AAD2S ο- A--APM αστηρ-N3--APM ει-C δυναμαι-VF--FMI2S εκαριθμεω-VA--AAN αυτος- D--APM και-C ειπον-VBI-AAI3S ουτως-D ειμι-VF--FMI3S ο- A--NSN σπερμα-N3M-NSN συ- P--GS

6 και-C πιστευω-VAI-AAI3S *αβραμ-N---NSM ο- A--DSM θεος-N2--DSM και-C λογιζομαι-VSI-API3S αυτος- D--DSM εις-P δικαιοσυνη-N1--ASF

7 ειπον-VBI-AAI3S δε-X προς-P αυτος- D--ASM εγω- P--NS ο- A--NSM θεος-N2--NSM ο- A--NSM εκαγω-VB--AAPNSM συ- P--AS εκ-P χωρα-N1A-GSF *χαλδαιος-N2--GPM ωστε-C διδωμι-VO--AAN συ- P--DS ο- A--ASF γη-N1--ASF ουτος- D--ASF κληρονομεω-VA--AAN

8 ειπον-VBI-AAI3S δε-X δεσποτης-N1M-VSM κυριος-N2--VSM κατα-P τις- I--ASN γιγνωσκω-VF--FMI1S οτι-C κληρονομεω-VF--FAI1S αυτος- D--ASF

9 ειπον-VBI-AAI3S δε-X αυτος- D--DSM λαμβανω-VB--AAD2S εγω- P--DS δαμαλις-N3I-ASF τριετιζω-V1--PAPASF και-C αιξ-N3G-ASF τριετιζω-V1--PAPASF και-C κριος-N2--ASM τριετιζω-V1--PAPASM και-C τρυγων-N3N-ASF και-C περιστερα-N1A-ASF

10 λαμβανω-VBI-AAI3S δε-X αυτος- D--DSM πας-A3--APN ουτος- D--APN και-C διααιρεω-VBI-AAI3S αυτος- D--APN μεσος-A1--APN και-C τιθημι-VAI-AAI3S αυτος- D--APN αντιπροσωπος-A1B-APN αλληλω- D--DPM ο- A--APN δε-X ορνεον-N2N-APN ου-D διααιρεω-VBI-AAI3S

11 καταβαινω-VZI-AAI3S δε-X ορνεον-N2N-NPN επι-P ο- A--APN σωμα-N3M-APN ο- A--APN διχοτομημα-N3M-APN αυτος- D--GPM και-C συν καταιζω-VAI-AAI3S αυτος- D--DPM *αβραμ-N---NSM

12 περι-P δε-X ηλιος-N2--GSM δυσμη-N1--APF εκστασις-N3I-NSF επιπιπτω-VBI-AAI3S ο- A--DSM *αβραμ-N---DSM και-C ιδου-I φοβος-N2--NSM σκοτεινος-A1--NSM μεγας-A1P-NSM επιπιπτω-V1--PAI3S αυτος- D--DSM

13 και-C ειρω-VCI-API3S προς-P *αβραμ-N---ASM γιγνωσκω-V1--PAPNSM γιγνωσκω-VF--FMI2S οτι-C παροικος-A1B-NSN ειμι-VF--FMI3S ο- A--NSN σπερμα-N3M-NSN συ- P--GS εν-P γη-N1--DSF ου-D ιδιος-A1A-DSF και-C δουλοω-VF--FAI3P αυτος- D--APM και-C κακοω-VF--FAI3P αυτος- D--APM και-C ταπεινοω-VF--FAI3P αυτος- D--APM τετρακοσιοι-A1A-APN ετος-N3E-APN

14 ο- A--ASN δε-X εθνος-N3E-ASN ος- --DSN εαν-C δουλευω-VA--AAS3P κρινω-VF2-FAI1S εγω- P--NS μετα-P δε-X ουτος- D--APN εκερχομαι-VF--FMI3P ωδε-D μετα-P αποσκευη-N1--GSF πολυς-A1--GSF

15 συ- P--NS δε-X αποερχομαι-VF--FMI2S προς-P ο- A--APM πατηρ-N3--APM συ- P--GS μετα-P ειρηνη-N1--GSF θαπτω-VA--APPNSM εν-P γηρας-N3--DSN καλος-A1--DSN

16 τεταρτος-A1--NSF δε-X γενεα-N1A-NSF αποστρεφω-VD--FPI3P ωδε-D ουπω-D γαρ-X αναπληροω-VX--XMI3P ο- A--NPF αμαρτια-N1A-NPF ο- A--GPM *αμορραιος-N2--GPM εως-P ο- A--GSN νυν-D

17 επει-C δε-X γιγνομαι-V1I-IMI3S ο- A--NSM ηλιος-N2--NSM προς-P δυσμη-N1--DPF φλοξ-N3G-NSF γιγνομαι-VBI-AMI3S και-C ιδου-I κλιβανος-N2--NSM καπνιζω-V1--PMPNSM και-C λαμπας-N3D-NPF πυρ-N3--GSN ος- --NPF διαερχομαι-VBI-AAI3P ανα-P μεσος-A1--ASM ο- A--GPN διχοτομημα-N3M-GPN ουτος- D--GPM

18 εν-P ο- A--DSF ημερα-N1A-DSF εκεινος- D--DSF διατιθημι-VEI-AMI3S κυριος-N2--NSM ο- A--DSM *αβραμ-N---DSM διαθηκη-N1--ASF λεγω-V1--PAPNSM ο- A--DSN σπερμα-N3M-DSN συ- P--GS διδωμι-VF--FAI1S ο- A--ASF γη-N1--ASF ουτος- D--ASF απο-P ο- A--GSM ποταμος-N2--GSM *αιγυπτος-N2--GSF εως-P ο- A--GSM ποταμος-N2--GSM ο- A--GSM μεγας-A1--GSM ποταμος-N2--GSM *ευφρατης-N1M-GSM

19 ο- A--APM *καιναιος-N2--APM και-C ο- A--APM *κενεζαιος-N2--APM και-C ο- A--APM *κεδμωναιος-N2--APM

20 και-C ο- A--APM *χετταιος-N2--APM και-C ο- A--APM *φερεζαιος-N2--APM και-C ο- A--APM *ραφαιν-N---APM

21 και-C ο- A--APM *αμορραιος-N2--APM και-C ο- A--APM *χαναναιος-N2--APM και-C ο- A--APM *ευαιος-N2--APM και-C ο- A--APM *γεργεσαιος-N2--APM και-C ο- A--APM *ιεβουσαιος-N2--APM

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #757

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757. "A prison for every foul spirit, and a prison for every unclean and loathsome bird!" This symbolically means that the evils willed and so done by the people in those hells, and the falsities entertained in thought and in consequent intention, are diabolical, because the people have turned away from the Lord to themselves.

A prison symbolizes a hell, because these Roman Catholics were imprisoned there. A spirit symbolizes everything pertaining to their affection or will and of the consequent action, and a bird symbolizes everything pertaining to the thought or intellect and consequent intention. A foul spirit and an unclean bird accordingly symbolize all the evils willed and so done, and all the falsities entertained in thought and consequent intention. Moreover, since the evils and falsities entertained by these people are found in the hells, therefore the symbolical meaning is that their evils and falsities are diabolical. In addition, because these people have turned away from the Lord to themselves, every unclean bird is also called loathsome.

Similar symbolism is used to describe Babylon in the Prophets, as in Isaiah:

Babylon... will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited..., so that Arabs will not tarry there... But ziyyim 1 will lie there, their houses will be full of 'ochim, 2 the offspring of owls will dwell there, and satyrs will caper there. 'Iyyim 3 also will reply in its palaces, and dragons in its pleasant palaces. (Isaiah 13:19-22)

I will... cut off from Babylon the name and remnant... I will make it a possession of the bittern... (Isaiah 14:22-23)

And in Jeremiah:

...in Babylon shall dwell ziyyim 1 and 'iyyim 3 and the offspring of owls... As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors..., no son of man shall dwell in it. (Jeremiah 50:39-40)

It is apparent from this that a prison for every foul spirit, and a prison for every unclean and loathsome bird, means symbolically that the evils willed and so done by the people in those hells, and the falsities entertained in thought and consequent intention, are diabolical, because the people have turned away from the Lord to themselves.

[2] It is apparent from the Word that birds symbolize such things as have to do with the intellect and thought and consequent intention, and this in both senses, bad and good. They are found in a bad sense in the following passages there:

In the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice... (At length) on the bird of abominations shall be desolation. Even until the consummation... there shall rain down devastation. (Daniel 9:27)

The pelican and the bittern shall possess (the land). The screech owl and the raven shall dwell in it. (Isaiah 34:11)

Nothing else than hellish falsities are symbolized by 'ochim, 2 ziyyim, 1 the offspring of owls, and dragons in the passages cited above, as also by the birds that came down on the carcasses which Abram drove away (Genesis 15:11), by the birds which were given human corpses for food (Jeremiah 7:33; 15:3; 16:4; 19:7; 34:20; Ezekiel 29:5; Psalms 79:1-2).

[3] Birds are found in a good sense in the following passages:

Creeping thing and bird... shall praise the name of Jehovah. (Psalms 148:10, 13)

In that day I will make a covenant for them... with the birds of the sky, and the creeping things of the ground. (Hosea 2:18)

...ask the beasts, and they will teach you, and the birds of the sky, and they will tell you... Who among all these does not know that the hand of Jehovah does this? (Job 12:7-9)

I looked, when behold, there was no man; all the birds of the sky had flown away. (Jeremiah 4:24-26)

Both the birds of the sky and the beasts have fled away..., (because) I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a den of dragons. (Jeremiah 9:10-11)

There is no truth, no mercy, no knowledge of God... Therefore the land will mourn... as regards the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky. (Hosea 4:1, 3)

I am God... calling a bird from the east, a man of My counsel from a far country. (Isaiah 46:9, 11)

Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon... In its branches all the birds of the sky made their nests..., and in its shade all great nations dwelled. (Ezekiel 31:3, 6)

[4] Similar statements to that made of Assyria as a cedar here are found elsewhere, as in Ezekiel 17:23, Daniel 4:10-14, 20-21, Mark 4:32, Luke 13:19.

Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field: ."..come... to... a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel...." (Thus) I will set My glory among the nations. (Ezekiel 39:17, 21, cf. Revelation 19:17)

And so on regarding birds elsewhere, as in Isaiah 18:1, 6; Ezekiel 38:20; Hosea 9:11; 11:10-11.

That birds symbolize such things as have to do with the intellect and its consequent thought and intention is clearly apparent from birds in the spiritual world. There, too, one sees birds of every kind and every species - in heaven very beautiful ones, birds of paradise, turtle doves, and doves - in hell dragons, screech owls, eagle owls, and others of that kind - all of which are objective representations of thoughts springing from good affections in heaven, and of thoughts springing from evil affections in hell.

Footnotes:

1. A Hebrew word (צִיִּים), appearing six times in the Old Testament (Psalms 72:9; 74:14). It seems to refer to desert dwellers, and in contexts suggesting animals, to desert creatures, but the actual identity is unknown. It may not be a precise term.

2. Another Hebrew word (אֹחִים), appearing only once in the Old Testament (Isaiah 13:21:4 identifies them as birds of the night.

3. Another Hebrew word (אִיִּים), appearing only three times in the Old Testament (Isaiah 13:22; 34:14

  
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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.

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