The Bible

 

Ezekiel 17

Study

   

1 και εγενετο λογος κυριου προς με λεγων

2 υιε ανθρωπου διηγησαι διηγημα και ειπον παραβολην προς τον οικον του ισραηλ

3 και ερεις ταδε λεγει κυριος ο αετος ο μεγας ο μεγαλοπτερυγος ο μακρος τη εκτασει πληρης ονυχων ος εχει το ηγημα εισελθειν εις τον λιβανον και ελαβε τα επιλεκτα της κεδρου

4 τα ακρα της απαλοτητος απεκνισεν και ηνεγκεν αυτα εις γην χανααν εις πολιν τετειχισμενην εθετο αυτα

5 και ελαβεν απο του σπερματος της γης και εδωκεν αυτο εις το πεδιον φυτον εφ' υδατι πολλω επιβλεπομενον εταξεν αυτο

6 και ανετειλεν και εγενετο εις αμπελον ασθενουσαν και μικραν τω μεγεθει του επιφαινεσθαι αυτην τα κληματα αυτης επ' αυτην και αι ριζαι αυτης υποκατω αυτης ησαν και εγενετο εις αμπελον και εποιησεν απωρυγας και εξετεινεν την αναδενδραδα αυτης

7 και εγενετο αετος ετερος μεγας μεγαλοπτερυγος πολυς ονυξιν και ιδου η αμπελος αυτη περιπεπλεγμενη προς αυτον και αι ριζαι αυτης προς αυτον και τα κληματα αυτης εξαπεστειλεν αυτω του ποτισαι αυτην συν τω βωλω της φυτειας αυτης

8 εις πεδιον καλον εφ' υδατι πολλω αυτη πιαινεται του ποιειν βλαστους και φερειν καρπον του ειναι εις αμπελον μεγαλην

9 δια τουτο ειπον ταδε λεγει κυριος ει κατευθυνει ουχι αι ριζαι της απαλοτητος αυτης και ο καρπος σαπησεται και ξηρανθησεται παντα τα προανατελλοντα αυτης και ουκ εν βραχιονι μεγαλω ουδ' εν λαω πολλω του εκσπασαι αυτην εκ ριζων αυτης

10 και ιδου πιαινεται μη κατευθυνει ουχ αμα τω αψασθαι αυτης ανεμον τον καυσωνα ξηρανθησεται ξηρασια συν τω βωλω ανατολης αυτης ξηρανθησεται

11 και εγενετο λογος κυριου προς με λεγων

12 υιε ανθρωπου ειπον δη προς τον οικον τον παραπικραινοντα ουκ επιστασθε τι ην ταυτα ειπον οταν ελθη βασιλευς βαβυλωνος επι ιερουσαλημ και λημψεται τον βασιλεα αυτης και τους αρχοντας αυτης και αξει αυτους προς εαυτον εις βαβυλωνα

13 και λημψεται εκ του σπερματος της βασιλειας και διαθησεται προς αυτον διαθηκην και εισαξει αυτον εν αρα και τους ηγουμενους της γης λημψεται

14 του γενεσθαι εις βασιλειαν ασθενη το καθολου μη επαιρεσθαι του φυλασσειν την διαθηκην αυτου και ιστανειν αυτην

15 και αποστησεται απ' αυτου του εξαποστελλειν αγγελους εαυτου εις αιγυπτον του δουναι αυτω ιππους και λαον πολυν ει κατευθυνει ει διασωθησεται ο ποιων εναντια και παραβαινων διαθηκην ει σωθησεται

16 ζω εγω λεγει κυριος εαν μη εν ω τοπω ο βασιλευς ο βασιλευσας αυτον ος ητιμωσεν την αραν μου και ος παρεβη την διαθηκην μου μετ' αυτου εν μεσω βαβυλωνος τελευτησει

17 και ουκ εν δυναμει μεγαλη ουδ' εν οχλω πολλω ποιησει προς αυτον φαραω πολεμον εν χαρακοβολια και εν οικοδομη βελοστασεων του εξαραι ψυχας

18 και ητιμωσεν ορκωμοσιαν του παραβηναι διαθηκην και ιδου δεδωκεν την χειρα αυτου και παντα ταυτα εποιησεν αυτω μη σωθησεται

19 δια τουτο ειπον ταδε λεγει κυριος ζω εγω εαν μη την διαθηκην μου ην παρεβη και την ορκωμοσιαν μου ην ητιμωσεν και δωσω αυτα εις κεφαλην αυτου

20 και εκπετασω επ' αυτον το δικτυον μου και αλωσεται εν τη περιοχη αυτου

21 εν παση παραταξει αυτου εν ρομφαια πεσουνται και τους καταλοιπους εις παντα ανεμον διασπερω και επιγνωσεσθε διοτι εγω κυριος λελαληκα

22 διοτι ταδε λεγει κυριος και λημψομαι εγω εκ των επιλεκτων της κεδρου εκ κορυφης καρδιας αυτων αποκνιω και καταφυτευσω εγω επ' ορος υψηλον και κρεμασω αυτον

23 εν ορει μετεωρω του ισραηλ και καταφυτευσω και εξοισει βλαστον και ποιησει καρπον και εσται εις κεδρον μεγαλην και αναπαυσεται υποκατω αυτου παν θηριον και παν πετεινον υπο την σκιαν αυτου αναπαυσεται τα κληματα αυτου αποκατασταθησεται

24 και γνωσονται παντα τα ξυλα του πεδιου διοτι εγω κυριος ο ταπεινων ξυλον υψηλον και υψων ξυλον ταπεινον και ξηραινων ξυλον χλωρον και αναθαλλων ξυλον ξηρον εγω κυριος λελαληκα και ποιησω

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #776

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

776. '[Every] bird according to its kind' means all spiritual truth, 'flying things' means natural truth, and 'winged thing' sensory truth. This is clear from what has been stated and shown already about birds, as in 40. The most ancient people likened man's thoughts to birds, for in relation to things of the will, thoughts are like birds. Since bird, flying thing, and winged thing are mentioned here, and come consecutively in the way that intellectual concepts, rational concepts, and sensory impressions do in man, and to prevent anyone doubting that this is what they mean, let other places from the Word of a confirmatory nature be quoted, from which as well it will be evident that 'beasts' means such things as have been stated.

[2] In David,

You have given Him dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under His feet, flocks and all cattle, and also the beasts of the fields, the flying things of the air, 1 and the fish of the sea. Psalms 8:6-8.

This refers to the Lord, whose dominion over man and over what belongs to man is described in this fashion. If this were not so, what would 'dominion over beasts and birds' really be? In the same author,

Fruit tree and all cedars, wild animal and every beast, creeping thing and flying thing - they shall glorify the name of Jehovah. Psalms 148:9-10, 13.

'Fruit tree' is the celestial man, 'cedar' the spiritual man, 'wild animal and beast and creeping thing' the goods of these kinds of man, as in the present context. 'Flying thing' is their truths from which they are able to glorify the name of Jehovah. This a wild animal, a beast, a creeping thing, or a flying thing can never do. In secular literature such statements can be used as hyperbole, but in the Word of the Lord they are never just hyperbole but meaningful signs and representatives.

[3] In Ezekiel,

They start to tremble before Me - the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, 2 and the wild animals of the field, and every creeping thing creeping over the ground, and every man that is on the face 3 of the ground. Ezekiel 38:20.

The fact that 'beasts' and 'birds' here have such meanings is quite clear, for what would Jehovah's glory be if fish, birds, and beasts were to start to tremble? Could anyone think that such utterances are holy if they did not embody holy things within them? In Jeremiah,

I looked, and behold, there was no man; all the birds of the air 2 had fled. Jeremiah 4:15.

This stands for all good and truth. Here 'man' stands as well for good that stems from love. In the same prophet,

They have been laid waste so that no man passes through, neither do men hear the voice of the herd. From the birds of the air 2 down to beasts, they have scattered, they have gone away. Jeremiah 9:10.

This in a similar way stands for the departure of all truth and good.

[4] In the same prophet,

How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? For the wickedness of those who dwell in it, the beasts and the birds have perished, for men said, He will not see our latter end. Jeremiah 11:4.

Here 'beasts' stands for goods, and 'birds' for truths, which perished. In Zephaniah,

I will consume man and beast, I will consume the birds of the air 2 and the fish of the sea, and the stumbling-blocks with the wicked; and I will cut off mankind from the face 4 of the ground. Zephaniah 1:3.

Here 'man and beast' stands for the things which belong to love and good deriving from love, 'the birds of the air 2 and the fish of the sea' for those which belong to the understanding and so to truth. These are called 'stumbling-blocks' because for wicked people it is goods and truths, not beasts and birds, that are stumbling-blocks. These are also plainly referred to as man's. In David,

The trees of Jehovah are watered abundantly, and the cedars of Lebanon which He planted. In them flying things build their nests. Psalms 104:16-17.

'The trees of Jehovah and the cedars of Lebanon' stands for spiritual man, 'flying things' for his rational or natural truths which are like 'nests'. What is more, 'the birds build nests in the branches' was a common saying by which people meant truths, as in Ezekiel,

[5] On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it, and it will bring forth a branch, and bear fruit, and it will become a noble cedar, and under it will dwell every flying thing of every sort, 5 in the shade of its branches they will dwell. Ezekiel 17:23.

This stands for the Church among gentiles which was spiritual and which is 'a noble cedar'. 'Birds of every sort' 5 stands for truths of every kind. In the same prophet,

In its branches all the birds of the air 2 made their nests, and under its branches every wild animal of the field gave birth, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations. Ezekiel 31:6.

This refers to Asshur, which is the spiritual Church and is called 'a cedar'. 'Birds of the air' 2 stands for its truths, 'beasts' for its goods.

[6] In Daniel,

Its branch was fair, and its fruit much, and food for all was on it. The beast of the field had shade under it, and in its branches dwelt the flying things of the air' 1 Daniel 4:12, 11.

Here 'beast' stands for goods, and 'flying thing of the air' 1 for truths. This may become clear to anyone, for what else would bird and beast dwelling there really be? The same applies to what the Lord said, The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed, which someone took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a big tree so that the birds of the air 1 dwelt in its branches. Luke 13:19; Matthew 13:32; Mark 4:32.

Footnotes:

1. literally, flying thing of the heavens (or the skies)

2. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)

3. literally, over the faces

4. literally, the faces

5. literally, of every wing

  
/ 10837  
  

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