The Bible

 

Амос 1

Study

1 Reči Amosa koji beše između pastira iz Tekuje, što vide za Izrailja za vremena Ozije cara Judinog i za vremena Jerovoama sina Joasovog cara Izrailjevog, dve godine pre trusa.

2 Reče dakle: Gospod će riknuti sa Siona, i iz Jerusalima će pustiti glas svoj, i tužiće stanovi pastirski i posušiće se vrh Karmilu.

3 Ovako veli Gospod: Za tri zla i za četiri što učini Damask, neću mu oprostiti, jer vrhoše Galad gvozdenom branom.

4 Nego ću pustiti oganj u dom Azailov, te će proždreti dvorove Ven-Adadove.

5 I polomiću prevornice Damasku, i istrebiću stanovnike iz polja Avena, i onog koji drži palicu iz doma Edenovog, i otići će u ropstvo narod sirski u Kir, veli Gospod.

6 Ovako veli Gospod: Za tri zla i za četiri što učini Gaza, neću joj oprostiti, jer ih zarobiše sasvim i predadoše Edomcima.

7 Nego ću pustiti oganj u zidove Gazi, te će joj proždreti dvorove.

8 I istrebiću stanovnike iz Azota i onog koji drži palicu iz Askalona, i okrenuću ruku svoju na Akaron, i izginuće ostatak filistejski, veli Gospod Gospod.

9 Ovako veli Gospod: Za tri zla i za četiri što učini Tir, neću mu oprostiti, jer sasvim dadoše u ropstvo Edomcima i ne sećaše se bratske vere.

10 Nego ću pustiti oganj u zidove Tiru, te će proždreti dvorove njegove.

11 Ovako veli Gospod: Za tri zla i za četiri što učini Edom, neću mu oprostiti, jer goni brata svog mačem potrvši u sebi sve žaljenje, i gnev njegov razdire jednako, i srdnju svoju drži uvek.

12 Nego ću pustiti oganj u Teman, i proždreće dvore u Vosori.

13 Ovako veli Gospod: Za tri zla i za četiri što učiniše sinovi Amonovi, neću im oprostiti, jer paraše trudne žene u Galadu da rašire među svoju.

14 Nego ću zapaliti oganj u zidovima Ravi, te će joj proždreti dvorove s vikom u dan boja i s burom u dan vihora.

15 I car će njihov otići u ropstvo, on i knezovi njegovi s njim, veli Gospod.

Commentary

 

Exploring the Meaning of Amos 1

By New Christian Bible Study Staff, Joe David

Amos was a prophet in ancient Israel during the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah. His writings/sayings date from around 760-755 BC.

In his explanations of the inner meaning of the Word, Swedenborg summarizes the meaning of Amos's prophecies in his unpublished work, "The Inner Meaning of the Prophets and Psalms". We've used that text, and references made elsewhere by Swedenborg to these verses, and then the more general system of words and their symbolism that he described, to suggest the outlines of the internal sense of these Bible chapters.

In Amos 1:1-2, the verses describe the Lord teaching us about the Word and doctrine from the Word. In this book of the Bible, the prophet Amos symbolizes the Lord. Amos was a shepherd, and of course that metaphor is used to describe the Lord Jesus Christ, too, in the New Testament.

The book of Amos describes the Lord's anger and impatience with the Children of Israel - in the literal sense. Inside, though, it is really a story of the Lord’s great love and concern for us. This is a book of promise: The Lord will triumph over hell’s quest to dominate us and destroy the gift of salvation. This victory is not an occasional interest of the Lord’s; He has an “ardent zeal” to protect us.

In verse 2, the "roaring of the Lord from Zion" and the "uttering of His voice from Jerusalem" teach us several things about Him in this context:

- He has grievous distress for His church and people.

- He has an ardent zeal for protecting heaven and the church.

- He warns of coming vastations.

- He points to the drying up of our “Mount Carmel” and the effects this will have on our “vineyards.”

There are different ways to destroy true ideas and good loves. Verses 3-15 in this chapter describe the different ways that people do this.

Verses 3-5 are talking about people who pervert knowledges from the Word, knowledges which help us form true, useful doctrine. When people successfully corrupt knowledge from the Word, they also undermine the good that would come from that knowledge. But, people who do this will perish, spiritually.

Verses 6-8 describe people who apply the Word to create or reinforce heretical false ideas. That's not a good thing to do; they will perish, too.

Verses 9-10 address people who pervert knowledges [cognitiones] of good and truth, and thereby injure the external sense of the Word.

Verses 11-12 are about people who pervert the sense of the letter of the Word by falsity, by which doctrine perishes.

Finally, verses 13-15 describe people who falsify the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word: they do not resist in the day of combat, but destroy the truth of doctrine.

What are we to make of this? One take-away is that the Lord loves us, and wants to protect us. But how can we avoid these various falsity traps? The Lord wants us to carefully, holistically, read the Word and seek the truths in it - those in the literal sense, and those in the internal sense. From these we should form sound doctrine, and develop good loves that can be built on true ideas.

For further reading, see Arcana Coelestia 2606, 10325, and The Inner Meaning of the Prophets and Psalms 201.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #10325

Study this Passage

  
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10325. The books of the Word are all those which have the internal sense; books which do not have it are not the Word. The books of the Word in the Old Testament are: The five Books of Moses; the Book of Joshua; the Book of Judges; the two Books of Samuel; the two Books of Kings; the Psalms of David; and the Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. And in the New Testament they are: The four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John; and the Book of Revelation.

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