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Hosea 12

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1 εκυκλωσεν με εν ψευδει εφραιμ και εν ασεβειαις οικος ισραηλ και ιουδα νυν εγνω αυτους ο θεος και λαος αγιος κεκλησεται θεου

2 ο δε εφραιμ πονηρον πνευμα εδιωξεν καυσωνα ολην την ημεραν κενα και ματαια επληθυνεν και διαθηκην μετα ασσυριων διεθετο και ελαιον εις αιγυπτον ενεπορευετο

3 και κρισις τω κυριω προς ιουδαν του εκδικησαι τον ιακωβ κατα τας οδους αυτου και κατα τα επιτηδευματα αυτου ανταποδωσει αυτω

4 εν τη κοιλια επτερνισεν τον αδελφον αυτου και εν κοποις αυτου ενισχυσεν προς θεον

5 και ενισχυσεν μετα αγγελου και ηδυνασθη εκλαυσαν και εδεηθησαν μου εν τω οικω ων ευροσαν με και εκει ελαληθη προς αυτον

6 ο δε κυριος ο θεος ο παντοκρατωρ εσται μνημοσυνον αυτου

7 και συ εν θεω σου επιστρεψεις ελεον και κριμα φυλασσου και εγγιζε προς τον θεον σου δια παντος

8 χανααν εν χειρι αυτου ζυγος αδικιας καταδυναστευειν ηγαπησε

9 και ειπεν εφραιμ πλην πεπλουτηκα ευρηκα αναψυχην εμαυτω παντες οι πονοι αυτου ουχ ευρεθησονται αυτω δι' αδικιας ας ημαρτεν

10 εγω δε κυριος ο θεος σου ανηγαγον σε εκ γης αιγυπτου ετι κατοικιω σε εν σκηναις καθως ημερα εορτης

11 και λαλησω προς προφητας και εγω ορασεις επληθυνα και εν χερσιν προφητων ωμοιωθην

12 ει μη γαλααδ εστιν αρα ψευδεις ησαν εν γαλγαλ αρχοντες θυσιαζοντες και τα θυσιαστηρια αυτων ως χελωναι επι χερσον αγρου

13 και ανεχωρησεν ιακωβ εις πεδιον συριας και εδουλευσεν ισραηλ εν γυναικι και εν γυναικι εφυλαξατο

14 και εν προφητη ανηγαγεν κυριος τον ισραηλ εξ αιγυπτου και εν προφητη διεφυλαχθη

15 εθυμωσεν εφραιμ και παρωργισεν και το αιμα αυτου επ' αυτον εκχυθησεται και τον ονειδισμον αυτου ανταποδωσει αυτω κυριος

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9248

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9248. 'You shall not take up a report of vanity' means not listening to false ideas. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking up a report' as hearing and doing, thus listening, for to express the idea of a report the original language uses a word that means hearing; and from the meaning of 'vanity' as falsity, in particular falsity in doctrine and religious practice, as becomes clear from the following places: In Ezekiel,

No more will there be any vision of vanity or flattering divination in the midst of the house of Israel. Ezekiel 12:24.

'A vision of vanity' stands for a false revelation. In the same prophet,

They have seen vanity and lying divination. 1 Because you speak vanity and see a lie, therefore behold, I am against you, that My hand may be against the prophets who see vanity and divine a lie. Ezekiel 13:6-9.

'The prophets', of whom it says here that they see vanity and divine a lie, means teachers, and in the abstract sense doctrinal teachings, 2534, 7269. Furthermore prophets are spoken of as seeing things, which also is why they were called 'seers' in ancient times, 1 Samuel 9:9; and they are spoken of as divining them too.

[2] When 'seeing' or 'vision' is attributed to the prophets, revelation in regard to doctrine is meant in the internal sense; and when 'divining' or 'divination' is attributed to them, revelation in regard to life is meant. And since 'vanity' means falsity in doctrine and 'a lie' falsity in life, the words 'they have seen vanity and lying divination' are used. In the same prophet,

What they see for you is vanity, and what they divine for you is a lie. Ezekiel 21:29.

In Zechariah,

The teraphim speak iniquity, and the diviners see a lie, and they speak dreams of vanity. 2 Zechariah 10:2.

In Jeremiah,

The prophets have seen vanity. Lamentations 2:14.

The fact that 'vanity' means falsity in doctrine and religious practice is also evident in Hosea,

They have become vanity; in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls. Hosea 12:11.

In Jeremiah,

My people have forgotten Me; they have burned incense to vanity. Jeremiah 18:15.

The like may be seen elsewhere, such as Isaiah 5:18; 30:28; 59:4; Psalms 12:2; 119:37-38; 144:7-8.

Footnotes:

1. literally, divination of a lie

2. i.e. they tell false dreams

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

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