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Esekiel 27

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1 Og Herrens ord kom til mig, og det lød så:

2 Og du menneskesønn! Stem i en klagesang over Tyrus!

3 Si til Tyrus, som bor ved havets innløp, som handler med folkene på mange kyster: Så sier Herren, Israels Gud: Tyrus! du sier: Jeg er fullkommen i skjønnhet.

4 Midt i havet er dine landemerker; dine bygningsmenn gjorde din skjønnhet fullkommen.

5 Av cypresser fra Senir bygget de begge dine plankesider; sedrer fra Libanon hentet de for å gjøre mast på dig.

6 Av eker fra Basan gjorde de dine årer; dine rorbenker gjorde de av elfenben innlagt i buksbom fra Kittims øer.

7 Fint utsydd lin fra Egypten var det du foldet ut som ditt flagg; blått og purpurrødt tøi fra Elisa-øene var ditt soltelt.

8 Folk fra Sidon og Arvad var dine rorskarer; de kloke menn som fantes hos dig, Tyrus, var dine styrmenn.

9 Gebals eldste og dets kloke menn var hos dig og bøtte dine brøst; alle havets skib og sjøfolk var hos dig og handlet med dig.

10 Menn fra Persia og Lud og Put gjorde krigstjeneste i din hær; skjold og hjelm hengte de op i dig, de gav dig glans.

11 Arvads sønner stod med din egen hær på dine murer rundt omkring og djerve menn på dine tårn; sine skjold hengte de op på dine murer rundt omkring; de gjorde din skjønnhet fullkommen.

12 Tarsis handlet med dig fordi du var rik på alle slags gods; med sølv, jern, tinn og bly betalte de dine varer.

13 Javan, Tubal og Mesek var dine kremmere; med mennesker* og kobberkar betalte de dine varer. / {* d.e. træler.}

14 Togarma-folket betalte dine varer med vognhester og ridehester og mulesler.

15 Dedans sønner var dine kremmere; mange kystland mottok varer av din hånd, elfenben og ibenholt gav de dig til betaling.

16 Syria handlet med dig fordi du var rik på alle slags kunstarbeider; med karfunkler, purpur og utsydd tøi og fint lin og koraller og rubiner betalte de dine varer.

17 Juda og Israels land var dine kremmere; med hvete fra Minnit og søte kaker og honning og olje og balsam betalte de dine varer.

18 Damaskus handlet med dig fordi du var rik på alle slags kunstarbeider, på allslags gods; de kom med vin fra Helbon og hvit ull.

19 Vedan og Javan fra Usal betalte dine varer, så skinnende jern, kassia og kalmus kom i din handel.

20 Dedan handlet med dig med dekkener til å ride på.

21 Arabia og alle Kedars fyrster mottok varer av din hånd; med lam og værer og bukker handlet de med dig.

22 Sjebas og amas kremmere var dine kremmere; med beste slag av allehånde velluktende urter og med allehånde kostbare stener og gull betalte de dine varer.

23 Karan og Kanne og Eden, Sjebas kremmere, Assur og Kilmad handlet med dig;

24 de handlet med dig med prektige klær, med kapper av purpurfarvede og utsydde tøier og med hele skatter av tvunnet, mangefarvet garn, med tvunne og sterke snorer på ditt marked.

25 Tarsis-skib var dine karavaner, de drev din handel, og du blev fylt og overmåte rik, der du lå midt ute i havet.

26 På store vann førte dine rorskarer dig ut - østenvinden knuser dig midt i havet.

27 Ditt gods og dine varer, din handel, dine sjøfolk og dine styrmenn, de som bøter dine brøst, og de som driver din handel, alle de krigsmenn du har hos dig, og hele det mannskap du har ombord, skal falle midt ute i havet på den dag du faller.

28 Ved lyden av dine styrmenns skrik skal dine marker beve.

29 Og de skal stige ut av sine skib, alle de som sitter ved årene, sjøfolkene og alle styrmenn på havet; de skal gå i land.

30 De skal bryte ut i jammerrop over dig, og de skal kaste støv på sine hoder og velte sig i asken.

31 De skal rake sig skallet for din skyld og binde sekk om sig, og de skal gråte over dig i bitter sorg, med bitter veklage.

32 I sin jammer skal de stemme i en klagesang over dig og si: Hvem er lik Tyrus, den stad som nu er blitt taus, der den ligger midt ute i havet?

33 Da dine varer kom inn fra havene, mettet du mange folkeslag; med alt ditt gods og alle dine varer gjorde du jordens konger rike.

34 Nu, da du er knust og er sunket i havets dyp, er dine varer og hele ditt mannskap gått til grunne med dig.

35 Alle de som bor i kystlandene, skal forferdes over dig, og deres konger skal gyse med redsel i sine ansikter.

36 Kjøbmennene rundt om blandt folkene skal spotte over dig: En redsel er du blitt, og du er blitt borte - for evig tid.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #10253

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10253. 'Five hundred [shekels]' means what is complete. This is clear from the meaning of the number 'five hundred' as what is complete. The reason why 'five hundred' has this meaning is that this number is the product of five multiplied by ten tens, or fives times a hundred; and 'five' means much, as do 'ten' and 'a hundred', and therefore 'five hundred' means what is complete.

'Five' means much, see 5708, 5956, 9102, as likewise does 'ten', 3107, 4638, and also 'a hundred', 4400, 6582, 6594.

All numbers in the Word mean spiritual realities, see in the places referred to in 9488.

Compound numbers have a similar meaning to the simple ones that give rise to them through multiplication, 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973.

[2] The fact that numbers mean spiritual realities is perfectly clear in Ezekiel, where the house of God, together with everything there inside and outside, and also the new earth or land, are measured and are described by numbers pertaining to measure, in Chapters 40-48. By the new land there the Church should be understood, and by the house of God its holiness. The same is so in John, in the Book of Revelation, where also a new Jerusalem is described by the numbers where measurements are given, by which too a new Church should be understood. Unless the numbers had meant spiritual realities all those measurements would have been pointless.

[3] 'Five hundred' means the whole from one end to the other, thus what is complete. This is clear from those chapters in Ezekiel,

He measured outside the house (or the temple), to the east quarter five hundred rods round about, to the north quarter five hundred rods round about, to the south quarter five hundred rods, and to the west quarter 1 five hundred rods. Its wall round about, the length was five hundred rods, and the breadth five hundred rods, to distinguish between the holy and the profane. Ezekiel 42:15-20.

From these words it is evident that 'five hundred' means the whole in its entirety, or everything holy from one end to the other, thus what is complete; for it says that the wall, which - according to this account of its length and breadth - formed a square, served to distinguish the holy from the profane.

[4] 'Five hundred' also means much, while a tenth of that number or fifty means some. This is clear from the Lord's words addressed to Simon, in Luke,

Jesus said, There were two debtors who had a certain creditor. One owed five hundred denarii, but the other fifty. When they did not have [anything with which] to repay, he forgave them both. Which of the two loves him more? Simon answered, The one to whom he forgave more. Jesus said, So have the many sins of the woman been forgiven, because she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, [that person] loves little. Luke 7:41-end.

The reason why the Lord used those numbers was that they meant much and some; for He spoke from a Divine [perspective], thus used words carrying a spiritual meaning, in accord with correspondences. The same is so everywhere else, as when He spoke about the virgins, of whom - He said - there were ten, and that five were wise and five were foolish. He spoke of ten because that number means all, that is to say, all who belong to the Church, and of five because this number means some, see 4637, 4638.

Footnotes:

1. literally, the quarter of the sea

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #8480

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8480. 'And some did leave part of it until the morning' means the abuse of God's goodness, in that they wished to obtain it of themselves. This is clear from the meaning of 'leaving it until the morning' as being anxious to acquire good of themselves, dealt with above in 8478, which is therefore the abuse of God's goodness. It is called an abuse when something of a like nature to outward appearances arises, yet springs from a contrary origin. Good arises from a contrary origin when it springs from man, not from the Lord. For the Lord is absolute Good and therefore the source of all good. Good that originates in Him has the Divine within it, and so is good right through to its inmost or prime being. But good that originates in man is not good, because in himself man is nothing but evil. Consequently good originating in him is primarily and in essence evil, though to outward appearance it may look like good. These things are like flowers portrayed in a picture compared to flowers that grow in the garden. The latter flowers are beautiful through to their inmost parts, for the more they open out the more beautiful they become. But flowers portrayed in a picture are beautiful merely in outward appearance; for inwardly they are nothing other than clay and a mass of particles of earth lying in disorder within it. This is also what the Lord teaches when He says,

Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of the lilies of the field. Matthew 6:29.

[2] So it is with good that originates in man and good that originates in the Lord. Man cannot know that those kinds of good are so greatly different from each other because he judges by external appearances. But angels have a clear perception of where man's good originates and what it is therefore like. The angels with a person are present and so to speak dwelling in good originating in the Lord. They are unable to be present in good originating in man; they get as far away from it as they can, since inmostly it is evil. For good originating in the Lord has heaven within it; that good images the form of heaven, concealing in itself inmostly the Lord Himself. For in all good that comes from the Lord there is a likeness of Him and therefore a likeness of heaven. But in all good that comes from man there is a likeness of man; and since man in himself is nothing but evil it is a likeness of hell. This is how greatly different good originating in the Lord is from good originating in man.

Good originating in the Lord exists with those who love the Lord above all things and their neighbour as themselves; but good originating in man exists with those who love themselves above all things and despise their neighbour in comparison with themselves. The latter are also those who are concerned for the morrow because they trust in themselves, whereas the former are those who are unconcerned for the morrow because they trust in the Lord, a matter dealt with above in 8478. Those who trust in the Lord are constantly receiving good from Him; for whatever happens to them, whether it seems to be advantageous or not advantageous, is nevertheless good, for it serves as a means contributing to their eternal happiness. But those who trust in themselves are constantly bringing evil on themselves, for whatever happens to them, even if it seems to be advantageous and fortunate, is nevertheless bad, and consequently acts as a means contributing to their eternal unhappiness. These are the things that are meant when it says that they were to leave none of the manna till the morning, and that any they did leave bred worms and putrified.

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