The Bible

 

Ezekiel 7

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1 και εγενετο λογος κυριου προς με λεγων

2 και συ υιε ανθρωπου ειπον ταδε λεγει κυριος τη γη του ισραηλ περας ηκει το περας ηκει επι τας τεσσαρας πτερυγας της γης

3 ηκει το περας

4 επι σε τον κατοικουντα την γην ηκει ο καιρος ηγγικεν η ημερα ου μετα θορυβων ουδε μετα ωδινων

5 νυν εγγυθεν εκχεω την οργην μου επι σε και συντελεσω τον θυμον μου εν σοι και κρινω σε εν ταις οδοις σου και δωσω επι σε παντα τα βδελυγματα σου

6 ου φεισεται ο οφθαλμος μου ουδε μη ελεησω διοτι τας οδους σου επι σε δωσω και τα βδελυγματα σου εν μεσω σου εσονται και επιγνωση διοτι εγω ειμι κυριος ο τυπτων

7 νυν το περας προς σε και αποστελω εγω επι σε και εκδικησω σε εν ταις οδοις σου και δωσω επι σε παντα τα βδελυγματα σου

8 ου φεισεται ο οφθαλμος μου επι σε ουδε μη ελεησω διοτι την οδον σου επι σε δωσω και τα βδελυγματα σου εν μεσω σου εσται και επιγνωση διοτι εγω κυριος

9 διοτι ταδε λεγει κυριος

10 ιδου το περας ηκει ιδου ημερα κυριου ει και η ραβδος ηνθηκεν η υβρις εξανεστηκεν

11 και συντριψει στηριγμα ανομου και ου μετα θορυβου ουδε μετα σπουδης

12 ηκει ο καιρος ιδου η ημερα ο κτωμενος μη χαιρετω και ο πωλων μη θρηνειτω

13 διοτι ο κτωμενος προς τον πωλουντα ουκετι μη επιστρεψη και ανθρωπος εν οφθαλμω ζωης αυτου ου κρατησει

14 σαλπισατε εν σαλπιγγι και κρινατε τα συμπαντα

15 ο πολεμος εν ρομφαια εξωθεν και ο λιμος και ο θανατος εσωθεν ο εν τω πεδιω εν ρομφαια τελευτησει τους δε εν τη πολει λιμος και θανατος συντελεσει

16 και ανασωθησονται οι ανασωζομενοι εξ αυτων και εσονται επι των ορεων παντας αποκτενω εκαστον εν ταις αδικιαις αυτου

17 πασαι χειρες εκλυθησονται και παντες μηροι μολυνθησονται υγρασια

18 και περιζωσονται σακκους και καλυψει αυτους θαμβος και επι παν προσωπον αισχυνη επ' αυτους και επι πασαν κεφαλην φαλακρωμα

19 το αργυριον αυτων ριφησεται εν ταις πλατειαις και το χρυσιον αυτων υπεροφθησεται αι ψυχαι αυτων ου μη εμπλησθωσιν και αι κοιλιαι αυτων ου μη πληρωθωσιν διοτι βασανος των αδικιων αυτων εγενετο

20 εκλεκτα κοσμου εις υπερηφανιαν εθεντο αυτα και εικονας των βδελυγματων αυτων εποιησαν εξ αυτων ενεκεν τουτου δεδωκα αυτα αυτοις εις ακαθαρσιαν

21 και παραδωσω αυτα εις χειρας αλλοτριων του διαρπασαι αυτα και τοις λοιμοις της γης εις σκυλα και βεβηλωσουσιν αυτα

22 και αποστρεψω το προσωπον μου απ' αυτων και μιανουσιν την επισκοπην μου και εισελευσονται εις αυτα αφυλακτως και βεβηλωσουσιν αυτα

23 και ποιησουσι φυρμον διοτι η γη πληρης λαων και η πολις πληρης ανομιας

24 και αποστρεψω το φρυαγμα της ισχυος αυτων και μιανθησεται τα αγια αυτων

25 εξιλασμος ηξει και ζητησει ειρηνην και ουκ εσται

26 ουαι επι ουαι εσται και αγγελια επ' αγγελιαν εσται και ζητηθησεται ορασις εκ προφητου και νομος απολειται εξ ιερεως και βουλη εκ πρεσβυτερων

27 αρχων ενδυσεται αφανισμον και αι χειρες του λαου της γης παραλυθησονται κατα τας οδους αυτων ποιησω αυτοις και εν τοις κριμασιν αυτων εκδικησω αυτους και γνωσονται οτι εγω κυριος

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #7918

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7918. 'And you shall take a bunch of hyssop' means the outward means by which purification is effected. This is clear from the meaning of 'hyssop' as outward truth, the means by which purification is effected, dealt with below. It says that they were to take a bunch of hyssop because 'a bunch' is used to refer to truths and the arrangement of them, 5530, 5881, 7408. The reason why 'hyssop' means outward truth, the means of purification, is that all spiritual purification is effected by means of truths. For the earthly and worldly types of love from which a person has to be purified are not recognized except by means of truths. When these truths are instilled by the Lord a horror of those types of love, as of things unclean and damnable, is also at the same time instilled. The effect this horror has is that when something similar enters the person's thinking the feeling of horror returns, producing a loathing of those types of love. That is how a person is purified by truths, which serve as outward means. This was the reason why it was laid down that knives or 'small swords' made of flint should be used when circumcision took place, 'small swords' or knives made of flint being the truths of faith by means of which purification is effected, see 2799, 7044, and 'circumcision purification from filthy types of love, 2039, 2632, 3412, 3413, 4461, 7045.

[2] Since 'hyssop' had that meaning it was used in cleansings, which in the internal sense meant purifications from falsities and evils, as in the cleansing of leprosy in Moses,

The priest shall take for cleansing a leper two living clean birds, and cedarwood, and scarlet, and hyssop; and he shall dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird, and sprinkle over the one to be cleansed. Leviticus 14:4-7.

Hyssop was likewise used in the cleansing of the house, if leprosy was in it, Leviticus 14:49-51. The preparation of the water of separation by which cleansings were accomplished also involved the use of cedarwood and hyssop, Numbers 19:6, 18. 'Cedarwood' meant inward spiritual truth, whereas 'hyssop' meant outward [spiritual] truth. Thus 'cedarwood' is the means effecting purification more internally, 'hyssop' the means effecting it more externally. That 'hyssop' is a means of purification is plainly evident in David,

You will purge me with hyssop and I shall become clean; You will wash me and I shall be made whiter than snow. Psalms 51:7.

'Purging with hyssop and becoming clean' stands for external purification, 'washing and being made whiter than snow' for internal purification, 'snow' and 'whiteness' having reference to truth, 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319. 'Hyssop' means a very low kind of truth and 'cedar' a superior kind of truth, as is evident from the following words in the first Book of Kings, Solomon spoke about trees, from the cedar which is in Lebanon even to the hyssop which comes out of the wall. 1 Kings 4:33.

Here 'the cedar' stands for the internal kind of truth and 'hyssop' for the external kind of truth that belong to intelligence.

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

The Bible

 

Exodus 12

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1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

2 "This month shall be to you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you.

3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth day of this month, they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household;

4 and if the household is too little for a lamb, then he and his neighbor next to his house shall take one according to the number of the souls; according to what everyone can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.

5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats:

6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at evening.

7 They shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel, on the houses in which they shall eat it.

8 They shall eat the flesh in that night, roasted with fire, and unleavened bread. They shall eat it with bitter herbs.

9 Don't eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted with fire; with its head, its legs and its inner parts.

10 You shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that which remains of it until the morning you shall burn with fire.

11 This is how you shall eat it: with your belt on your waist, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste: it is Yahweh's Passover.

12 For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and animal. Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am Yahweh.

13 The blood shall be to you for a token on the houses where you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be on you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

14 This day shall be to you for a memorial, and you shall keep it a feast to Yahweh: throughout your generations you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.

15 "'Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away yeast out of your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

16 In the first day there shall be to you a holy convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no kind of work shall be done in them, except that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you.

17 You shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this same day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance forever.

18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty first day of the month at evening.

19 Seven days shall there be no yeast found in your houses, for whoever eats that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a foreigner, or one who is born in the land.

20 You shall eat nothing leavened. In all your habitations you shall eat unleavened bread.'"

21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said to them, "Draw out, and take lambs according to your families, and kill the Passover.

22 You shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.

23 For Yahweh will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the lintel, and on the two doorposts, Yahweh will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you.

24 You shall observe this thing for an ordinance to you and to your sons forever.

25 It shall happen when you have come to the land which Yahweh will give you, according as he has promised, that you shall keep this service.

26 It will happen, when your children ask you, 'What do you mean by this service?'

27 that you shall say, 'It is the sacrifice of Yahweh's Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians, and spared our houses.'" The people bowed their heads and worshiped.

28 The children of Israel went and did so; as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

29 It happened at midnight, that Yahweh struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of livestock.

30 Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

31 He called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, "Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel; and go, serve Yahweh, as you have said!

32 Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also!"

33 The Egyptians were urgent with the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, "We are all dead men."

34 The people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes on their shoulders.

35 The children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing.

36 Yahweh gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. They despoiled the Egyptians.

37 The children of Israel traveled from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot who were men, besides children.

38 A mixed multitude went up also with them, with flocks, herds, and even very much livestock.

39 They baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt; for it wasn't leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt, and couldn't wait, neither had they prepared for themselves any food.

40 Now the time that the children of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred thirty years.

41 It happened at the end of four hundred thirty years, even the same day it happened, that all the armies of Yahweh went out from the land of Egypt.

42 It is a night to be much observed to Yahweh for bringing them out from the land of Egypt. This is that night of Yahweh, to be much observed of all the children of Israel throughout their generations.

43 Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, "This is the ordinance of the Passover. No foreigner shall eat of it,

44 but every man's servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then shall he eat of it.

45 A foreigner and a hired servant shall not eat of it.

46 In one house shall it be eaten; you shall not carry forth anything of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall you break a bone of it.

47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.

48 When a stranger shall live as a foreigner with you, and will keep the Passover to Yahweh, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one who is born in the land: but no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.

49 One law shall be to him who is born at home, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you."

50 All the children of Israel did so. As Yahweh commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

51 It happened the same day, that Yahweh brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.