The Bible

 

Hosea 2

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1 και ην ο αριθμος των υιων ισραηλ ως η αμμος της θαλασσης η ουκ εκμετρηθησεται ουδε εξαριθμηθησεται και εσται εν τω τοπω ου ερρεθη αυτοις ου λαος μου υμεις εκει κληθησονται υιοι θεου ζωντος

2 και συναχθησονται οι υιοι ιουδα και οι υιοι ισραηλ επι το αυτο και θησονται εαυτοις αρχην μιαν και αναβησονται εκ της γης οτι μεγαλη η ημερα του ιεζραελ

3 ειπατε τω αδελφω υμων λαοσ-μου και τη αδελφη υμων ηλεημενη

4 κριθητε προς την μητερα υμων κριθητε οτι αυτη ου γυνη μου και εγω ουκ ανηρ αυτης και εξαρω την πορνειαν αυτης εκ προσωπου μου και την μοιχειαν αυτης εκ μεσου μαστων αυτης

5 οπως αν εκδυσω αυτην γυμνην και αποκαταστησω αυτην καθως ημερα γενεσεως αυτης και θησομαι αυτην ως ερημον και ταξω αυτην ως γην ανυδρον και αποκτενω αυτην εν διψει

6 και τα τεκνα αυτης ου μη ελεησω οτι τεκνα πορνειας εστιν

7 οτι εξεπορνευσεν η μητηρ αυτων κατησχυνεν η τεκουσα αυτα ειπεν γαρ ακολουθησω οπισω των εραστων μου των διδοντων μοι τους αρτους μου και το υδωρ μου και τα ιματια μου και τα οθονια μου και το ελαιον μου και παντα οσα μοι καθηκει

8 δια τουτο ιδου εγω φρασσω την οδον αυτης εν σκολοψιν και ανοικοδομησω τας οδους αυτης και την τριβον αυτης ου μη ευρη

9 και καταδιωξεται τους εραστας αυτης και ου μη καταλαβη αυτους και ζητησει αυτους και ου μη ευρη αυτους και ερει πορευσομαι και επιστρεψω προς τον ανδρα μου τον προτερον οτι καλως μοι ην τοτε η νυν

10 και αυτη ουκ εγνω οτι εγω δεδωκα αυτη τον σιτον και τον οινον και το ελαιον και αργυριον επληθυνα αυτη αυτη δε αργυρα και χρυσα εποιησεν τη βααλ

11 δια τουτο επιστρεψω και κομιουμαι τον σιτον μου καθ' ωραν αυτου και τον οινον μου εν καιρω αυτου και αφελουμαι τα ιματια μου και τα οθονια μου του μη καλυπτειν την ασχημοσυνην αυτης

12 και νυν αποκαλυψω την ακαθαρσιαν αυτης ενωπιον των εραστων αυτης και ουδεις ου μη εξεληται αυτην εκ χειρος μου

13 και αποστρεψω πασας τας ευφροσυνας αυτης εορτας αυτης και τας νουμηνιας αυτης και τα σαββατα αυτης και πασας τας πανηγυρεις αυτης

14 και αφανιω αμπελον αυτης και τας συκας αυτης οσα ειπεν μισθωματα μου ταυτα εστιν α εδωκαν μοι οι ερασται μου και θησομαι αυτα εις μαρτυριον και καταφαγεται αυτα τα θηρια του αγρου και τα πετεινα του ουρανου και τα ερπετα της γης

15 και εκδικησω επ' αυτην τας ημερας των βααλιμ εν αις επεθυεν αυτοις και περιετιθετο τα ενωτια αυτης και τα καθορμια αυτης και επορευετο οπισω των εραστων αυτης εμου δε επελαθετο λεγει κυριος

16 δια τουτο ιδου εγω πλανω αυτην και ταξω αυτην εις ερημον και λαλησω επι την καρδιαν αυτης

17 και δωσω αυτη τα κτηματα αυτης εκειθεν και την κοιλαδα αχωρ διανοιξαι συνεσιν αυτης και ταπεινωθησεται εκει κατα τας ημερας νηπιοτητος αυτης και κατα τας ημερας αναβασεως αυτης εκ γης αιγυπτου

18 και εσται εν εκεινη τη ημερα λεγει κυριος καλεσει με ο ανηρ μου και ου καλεσει με ετι βααλιμ

19 και εξαρω τα ονοματα των βααλιμ εκ στοματος αυτης και ου μη μνησθωσιν ουκετι τα ονοματα αυτων

20 και διαθησομαι αυτοις εν εκεινη τη ημερα διαθηκην μετα των θηριων του αγρου και μετα των πετεινων του ουρανου και μετα των ερπετων της γης και τοξον και ρομφαιαν και πολεμον συντριψω απο της γης και κατοικιω σε επ' ελπιδι

21 και μνηστευσομαι σε εμαυτω εις τον αιωνα και μνηστευσομαι σε εμαυτω εν δικαιοσυνη και εν κριματι και εν ελεει και εν οικτιρμοις

22 και μνηστευσομαι σε εμαυτω εν πιστει και επιγνωση τον κυριον

23 και εσται εν εκεινη τη ημερα λεγει κυριος επακουσομαι τω ουρανω και ο ουρανος επακουσεται τη γη

24 και η γη επακουσεται τον σιτον και τον οινον και το ελαιον και αυτα επακουσεται τω ιεζραελ

25 και σπερω αυτην εμαυτω επι της γης και ελεησω την ουκ-ηλεημενην και ερω τω ου-λαω-μου λαος μου ει συ και αυτος ερει κυριος ο θεος μου ει συ

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9475

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9475. 'And for the incense of spices' means for delightful perception. This is clear from the meaning of 'incense' as the things of worship that are perceived with delight, such as acts of thanksgiving, adoration, prayer, and the like; and from the meaning of 'spices' as truths of faith which are delightful because they originate in good. For sweet odours, such as spicy ones, mean that which is delightful; and whatever is delightful is such by virtue of the good made known through truths. So it is that 'the incense of spices' means the delightful perception that belongs to truth originating in good. The spices which went into the making of that incense are listed, and the preparation of it is described in the following words,

Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum - [these] spices, and pure frankincense. You shall make them an incense, salted, pure, holy. You shall beat some of it very small, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tent of meeting. Most holy 1 shall it be to you. The incense shall be to you holy for Jehovah. Exodus 30:34-38.

The altar of incense, along with the incense itself, is described as follows,

You shall make an altar for burning incense. You shall overlay it with pure gold. You shall put it before the veil that is over the ark of the Testimony before the mercy-seat, that Aaron may burn on it spicy incense every morning; when he trims the lamps he shall burn it, and between the evenings. Exodus 30:1-10; 37:25-end; 40:26-27.

And elsewhere,

When Aaron comes into the Holy Place he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire 2 from upon the altar, with his hands full of spicy incense beaten fine. 3 Then he shall bring it inside the veil, in order that he may put the incense onto the fire before Jehovah, and the cloud of incense may cover the mercy-seat which is over the Testimony. Leviticus 16:12-13.

[2] Since 'incense' meant acts of worship such as had their origin in good made known through truths, as do all expressions of faith that have their origin in the good of love, the fire was taken from the altar; for the fire on the altar meant the good of God's love, 934, 4906, 5071 (end), 5215, 6314, 6832, 6834, 6849, 7324, 7852. On this account when fire had been taken from any other source they were struck down by a plague and died, Leviticus 10:1-2ff; Numbers 16:45-48; for fire from any other source, or 'foreign fire', meant love that was not God's.

[3] The fact that expressions of faith having their origin in the good of love and charity, for example thanksgivings, acts of adoration, and prayers, are meant by 'incense' is clear in David,

My prayers are acceptable, [as] incense before You. Psalms 141:2.

In John,

The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Revelation 5:8.

In the same book,

An angel holding a golden censer ... And much incense was given to him, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. The smoke of the incense went up from the prayers of the saints. Revelation 8:3-4.

[4] The reason why such expressions of faith are meant by 'incense' is that they are matters of thought and consequently of the lips. But matters of affection and consequently of the heart are meant by 'the minchah' in Malachi 1:11, where it says that from the rising of the sun even to its setting Jehovah's name will be great among the nations, and 'in every place incense has been offered to My name, and a pure minchah'; and the same things are meant by 'the burnt offering' in Moses,

The sons of Levi will teach Jacob Your judgements and Israel Your law. They will put incense in Your nose, and burnt offering on Your altar. Deuteronomy 33:10.

'Incense' in these places stands for such things as are matters of thought and the lips and have regard to the truths of faith; 'minchah' and 'burnt offering' stand for such things as are matters of affection and the heart and have regard to forms of the good of love. All this being so, in the contrary sense worship arising from falsities of faith is meant by burning incense to other gods, Jeremiah 1:16; 44:3, 5; burning incense to idols, Ezekiel 8:11; 16:18; and burning incense to the baalim, Hosea 2:13.

Footnotes:

1. literally, The holy thing of holy things

2. literally, the fullness of a censer, burning coals of fire

3. literally, the fullness of his fists, spicy incense [beaten] fine

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

The Bible

 

Exodus 25

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1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they take an offering for me. From everyone whose heart makes him willing you shall take my offering.

3 This is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, brass,

4 blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats' hair,

5 rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood,

6 oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense,

7 onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate.

8 Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.

9 According to all that I show you, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all of its furniture, even so you shall make it.

10 "They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Its length shall be two and a half cubits, its breadth a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height.

11 You shall overlay it with pure gold. You shall overlay it inside and outside, and you shall make a gold molding around it.

12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four feet. Two rings shall be on the one side of it, and Two rings on the other side of it.

13 You shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.

14 You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark.

15 The poles shall be in the rings of the ark. They shall not be taken from it.

16 You shall put the testimony which I shall give you into the ark.

17 You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two and a half cubits shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth.

18 You shall make two cherubim of hammered gold. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.

19 Make one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. You shall make the cherubim on its two ends of one piece with the mercy seat.

20 The cherubim shall spread out their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.

21 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I will give you.

22 There I will meet with you, and I will tell you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the testimony, all that I command you for the children of Israel.

23 "You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth, and one and a half cubits its height.

24 You shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.

25 You shall make a rim of a handbreadth around it. You shall make a golden molding on its rim around it.

26 You shall make four rings of gold for it, and put the rings in the four corners that are on its four feet.

27 the rings shall be close to the rim, for places for the poles to carry the table.

28 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them.

29 You shall make its dishes, its spoons, its ladles, and its bowls to pour out offerings with. You shall make them of pure gold.

30 You shall set bread of the presence on the table before me always.

31 "You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. Of hammered work shall the lampstand be made, even its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers, shall be of one piece with it.

32 There shall be six branches going out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of its one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of its other side;

33 three cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower; and three cups made like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bud and a flower, so for the six branches going out of the lampstand;

34 and in the lampstand four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers;

35 and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of the lampstand.

36 Their buds and their branches shall be of one piece with it, all of it one beaten work of pure gold.

37 You shall make its lamps seven, and they shall light its lamps to give light to the space in front of it.

38 Its snuffers and its snuff dishes shall be of pure gold.

39 It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these accessories.

40 See that you make them after their pattern, which has been shown to you on the mountain.