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Hosea 9

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1 μη-D χαιρω-V1--PAD2S *ισραηλ-N---VSM μηδε-C ευφραινω-V1--PMD2S καθως-D ο- A--NPM λαος-N2--NPM διοτι-C πορνευω-VAI-AAI2S απο-P ο- A--GSM θεος-N2--GSM συ- P--GS αγαπαω-VAI-AAI2S δομα-N3M-APN επι-P πας-A3--ASM αλων-N3W-ASF σιτος-N2--GSM

2 αλων-N3W-NSF και-C ληνος-N2--NSF ου-D γιγνωσκω-VZI-AAI3S αυτος- D--APM και-C ο- A--NSM οινος-N2--NSM ψευδω-VAI-AMI3S αυτος- D--APM

3 ου-D καταοικεω-VAI-AAI3P εν-P ο- A--DSF γη-N1--DSF ο- A--GSM κυριος-N2--GSM καταοικεω-VAI-AAI3S *εφραιμ-N---NSM εις-P *αιγυπτος-N2--ASF και-C εν-P *ασσυριος-N2--DPM ακαθαρτος-A1B-APN εσθιω-VF--FMI3P

4 ου-D σπενδω-VAI-AAI3P ο- A--DSM κυριος-N2--DSM οινος-N2--ASM και-C ου-D ηδυνω-VA--AAI3P αυτος- D--DSM ο- A--NPF θυσια-N1A-NPF αυτος- D--GPM ως-C αρτος-N2--NSM πενθος-N3E-GSN αυτος- D--DPM πας-A3--NPM ο- A--NPM εσθιω-V1--PAPNPM αυτος- D--APN μιαινω-VC--FPI3P διοτι-C ο- A--NPM αρτος-N2--NPM αυτος- D--GPM ο- A--DPF ψυχη-N1--DPF αυτος- D--GPM ου-D ειςερχομαι-VF--FMI3P εις-P ο- A--ASM οικος-N2--ASM κυριος-N2--GSM

5 τις- I--ASN ποιεω-VF--FAI2P εν-P ημερα-N1A-DSF πανηγυρις-N3I-GSF και-C εν-P ημερα-N1A-DSF εορτη-N1--GSF ο- A--GSM κυριος-N2--GSM

6 δια-P ουτος- D--ASN ιδου-I πορευομαι-VF--FMI3P εκ-P ταλαιπωρια-N1A-GSF *αιγυπτος-N2--GSF και-C εκδεχομαι-VF--FMI3S αυτος- D--APM *μεμφις-N---NS και-C θαπτω-VF--FAI3S αυτος- D--APM *μαχμας-N---NS ο- A--ASN αργυριον-N2N-ASN αυτος- D--GPM ολεθρος-N2--NSM κληρονομεω-VF--FAI3S ακανθα-N1A-NPF εν-P ο- A--DPN σκηνωμα-N3M-DPN αυτος- D--GPM

7 ηκω-V1--PAI3P ο- A--NPF ημερα-N1A-NPF ο- A--GSF εκδικησις-N3I-GSF ηκω-V1--PAI3P ο- A--NPF ημερα-N1A-NPF ο- A--GSF ανταποδοσις-N3I-GSF συ- P--GS και-C κακοω-VC--FPI3S *ισραηλ-N---NSM ωσπερ-D ο- A--NSM προφητης-N1M-NSM ο- A--NSM παρα εκιστημι-VXI-XAPNSM ανθρωπος-N2--NSM ο- A--NSM πνευματοφορος-N2--NSM υπο-P ο- A--GSN πληθος-N3E-GSN ο- A--GPF αδικια-N1A-GPF συ- P--GS πληθυνω-VCI-API3S μανια-N1A-NSF συ- P--GS

8 σκοπος-N2--NSM *εφραιμ-N---NSM μετα-P θεος-N2--GSM προφητης-N1M-NSM παγις-N3D-NSF σκολιος-A1A-NSF επι-P πας-A1S-APF ο- A--APF οδος-N2--APF αυτος- D--GSM μανια-N1A-ASF εν-P οικος-N2--DSM κυριος-N2--GSM καταπηγνυμι-VAI-AAI3P

9 φθειρω-VDI-API3P κατα-P ο- A--APF ημερα-N1A-APF ο- A--GSM βουνος-N2--GSM μιμνησκω-VS--FPI3S αδικια-N1A-APF αυτος- D--GSM εκδικεω-VF--FAI3S αμαρτια-N1A-APF αυτος- D--GSM

10 ως-C σταφυλη-N1--ASF εν-P ερημος-N2--DSF ευρισκω-VB--AAI1S ο- A--ASM *ισραηλ-N---ASM και-C ως-C σκοπος-N2--ASM εν-P συκη-N1--DSF πρωιμος-A1B-ASM οραω-VBI-AAI1S πατηρ-N3--APM αυτος- D--GPM αυτος- D--NPM ειςερχομαι-VBI-AAI3P προς-P ο- A--ASM *βεελφεγωρ-N---ASM και-C αποαλλοτριοω-VCI-API3P εις-P αισχυνη-N1--ASF και-C γιγνομαι-VBI-AMI3P ο- A--NPM αγαπαω-VM--XMPNPM ως-C ο- A--NPM βδελυσσω-VKI-XPPNSM

11 *εφραιμ-N---NSM ως-C ορνεον-N2N-NSN εκπεταζω-VCI-API3S ο- A--NPF δοξα-N1S-NPF αυτος- D--GPM εκ-P τοκος-N2--GPM και-C ωδιν-N3--GPF και-C συλληψις-N3I-GPF

12 διοτι-C και-D εαν-C εκτρεφω-VA--AAS3P ο- A--APN τεκνον-N2N-APN αυτος- D--GPM ατεκνοω-VC--FPI3P εκ-P ανθρωπος-N2--GPM διοτι-C και-D ουαι-I αυτος- D--DPM ειμι-V9--PAI3S σαρξ-N3K-NSF εγω- P--GS εκ-P αυτος- D--GPM

13 *εφραιμ-N---NSM ος- --ASM τροπος-N2--ASM οραω-VBI-AAI1S εις-P θηρα-N1A-ASF παραιστημι-VHI-AAI3P ο- A--APN τεκνον-N2N-APN αυτος- D--GPM και-C *εφραιμ-N---NSM ο- A--GSN εκαγω-VB--AAN εις-P αποκεντησις-N3I-ASF ο- A--APN τεκνον-N2N-APN αυτος- D--GSM

14 διδωμι-VO--AAD2S αυτος- D--DPM κυριος-N2--VSM τις- I--ASN διδωμι-VF--FAI2S αυτος- D--DPM διδωμι-VO--AAD2S αυτος- D--DPM μητρα-N1A-ASF ατεκνοω-V4--PAPASF και-C μαστος-N2--APM ξηρος-A1A-APM

15 πας-A1S-NPF ο- A--NPF κακια-N1A-NPF αυτος- D--GPM εις-P *γαλγαλ-N---AS οτι-C εκει-D αυτος- D--APM μισεω-VAI-AAI1S δια-P ο- A--APF κακια-N1A-APF ο- A--GPN επιτηδευμα-N3M-GPN αυτος- D--GPM εκ-P ο- A--GSM οικος-N2--GSM εγω- P--GS εκβαλλω-VF2-FAI1S αυτος- D--APM ου-D μη-D προςτιθημι-VF--FAI1S ο- A--GSN αγαπαω-VA--AAN αυτος- D--APM πας-A3--NPM ο- A--NPM αρχων-N3--NPM αυτος- D--GPM απειθεω-V2--PAPNPM

16 πονεω-V2I-IAI3S *εφραιμ-N---NSM ο- A--APF ριζα-N1S-APF αυτος- D--GSM ξηραινω-VCI-API3S καρπος-N2--ASM ουκετι-D μη-D φερω-VA--AAS3S διοτι-C και-D εαν-C γενναω-VA--AAS3P αποκτεινω-VF2-FAI1S ο- A--APN επιθυμημα-N3M-APN κοιλια-N1A-GSF αυτος- D--GPM

17 αποωθεω-VF--FMI3S αυτος- D--APM ο- A--NSM θεος-N2--NSM οτι-C ου-D ειςακουω-VAI-AAI3P αυτος- D--GSM και-C ειμι-VF--FMI3P πλανητης-N1M-NPM εν-P ο- A--DPN εθνος-N3E-DPN

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Sacred Scripture #79

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79. There are many passages in the prophets about our understanding of the Word, passages about the church, where it tells us that the church exists only where the Word is properly understood, and that the quality of a church depends on the quality of the understanding of the Word among its members. There are also many passages in the prophets that describe the church among the Israelite and Jewish people, a church that was utterly destroyed and annihilated by the distortion of the Word’s meaning or message, for this is exactly what destroys a church.

[2] The name Ephraim in the prophets, especially in Hosea, symbolizes both true and false understandings of the Word, because Ephraim in the Word means the understanding of the Word in the church. It is because the understanding of the Word makes a church that Ephraim is called “a precious child, and one born of delights” (Jeremiah 31:20), “the firstborn” (Jeremiah 31:9), “the strength of Jehovah’s head” (Psalms 60:7; 108:8), “powerful” (Zechariah 10:7), and “filled with a bow” (Zechariah 9:13); and the children of Ephraim are called “armed” and “bow-shooters” (Psalms 78:9). The bow means a body of teaching from the Word fighting against what is false.

So too, Ephraim was transferred to the right of Israel and blessed, and accepted in place of Reuben (Genesis 48:5, 11, and following; [1 Chronicles 5:1]). And therefore Ephraim, together with his brother Manasseh, was exalted over all by Moses in his blessing of the children of Israel in the name of their father Joseph (Deuteronomy 33:13-17).

[3] The prophets, especially Hosea, also use “Ephraim” to describe what the church is like when its understanding of the Word has been lost, as we can see from the following:

Israel and Ephraim will stumble. Ephraim will be desolate. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment. I will be like a lion to Ephraim: I will tear them and leave; I will carry them off and no one will rescue them. (Hosea 5:5, 9, 11, 14)

What shall I do to you, Ephraim? Your holiness goes away like a cloud at dawn and like the morning dew that falls. (Hosea 6:4)

[4] They will not dwell in the land of Jehovah: Ephraim will go back to Egypt and will eat what is unclean in Assyria. (Hosea 9:3)

The land of Jehovah is the church, Egypt is the preoccupation of the earthly self with mere facts, and Assyria is rationalizing based on those facts; all of which lead to distortion of the Word in regard to the way it is understood. That is why it says that Ephraim will go back to Egypt and will eat what is unclean in Assyria.

[5] Ephraim feeds on the wind and chases the east wind. Every day he increases lies and devastation. He makes a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried down into Egypt. (Hosea 12:1)

To feed on the wind, chase the east wind, and increase lies and devastation is to distort what is true and in this way destroy the church.

[6] Much the same is also meant by Ephraim’s whoredom, since whoredom means distortion of the way the Word is understood - that is, distortion of its genuine truth. See the following passages:

I know Ephraim; he has committed whoredom in every way and Israel has been defiled. (Hosea 5:3)

I have seen something foul in the house of Israel: Ephraim has committed whoredom there, and Israel has been defiled. (Hosea 6:10)

Israel is the church itself and Ephraim is the understanding of the Word that is the source of the church and that determines its quality, so it says that Ephraim has committed whoredom and Israel has been defiled.

[7] Since the church among Jews had been completely destroyed because of its distortions, it says of Ephraim,

Am I to give you up, Ephraim? Am I to hand you over, Israel? Like Admah? Shall I make you like Zeboiim? (Hosea 11:8)

Since the book of the prophet Hosea, from the first chapter to the last, is about the distortion of the Word and the consequent destruction of the church, and since whoredom means the distortion of truth in the church, the prophet was commanded to represent that state of the church by taking a whore as his wife and fathering children by her (chapter 1); and also by forming a relationship with a woman who was committing adultery (chapter 3).

[8] These instances have been presented so that readers may know and be assured from the Word that the quality of a church depends on the quality of the understanding of the Word in it - outstanding and priceless if its understanding comes from genuine truths from the Word, but in ruins, actually filthy, if it comes from distortions.

For further evidence that Ephraim means the understanding of the Word, and in its opposite sense a distorted understanding leading to the destruction of the church, you may check some other passages that deal with Ephraim: Hosea 4:17-18; 7:1, 11; 8:9, 11; 9:11-13, 16; 10:11; 11:3; 12:1, 8, 14; 13:1, 8, 14; Isaiah 17:3; 28:1; Jeremiah 4:15; 31:6, 18; 50:19; Ezekiel 37:16; 48:5; Obadiah verse 19; Zechariah 9:10.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.

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