The Bible

 

Амос 9

Study

   

1 Videh Gospoda, a On stajaše na oltaru, i reče: Udari u gornji prag od vrata da se zatresu dovratnici, i rascepi ih sve od vrha njihova; a šta ostane iza njih pobiću mačem; neće uteći između njih nijedan, niti će se koji spasti.

2 Da se zakopaju u najdonji kraj zemlje, odande će ih uzeti ruka moja; i da izađu na nebo, odande ću ih skinuti;

3 I da se sakriju na vrh Karmila, naći ću ih i uzeću ih odande; i da se sakriju ispred mojih očiju na dno morsko, onde ću zapovedati zmiji da ih ujede;

4 Da odu u ropstvo pred neprijateljima svojim, i onde ću zapovedati maču da ih pobije, i obratiću oči svoje njima na zlo a ne na dobro.

5 Jer Gospod Gospod nad vojskama kad se dotakne zemlje, ona se rastapa i tuže svi koji žive na njoj, i razliva se sva kao reka i potapa se kao od reke misirske.

6 On je sagradio sebi kleti na nebu i svod svoj osnovao na zemlji; zove vode morske i izliva ih po zemlji; ime Mu je Gospod.

7 Niste li mi, sinovi Izrailjevi, kao sinovi etiopski? Govori Gospod; ne izvedoh li Izrailja iz zemlje misirske, a Filisteje iz Kaftora i Sirce iz Kira?

8 Gle, oči su Gospodnje upravljene na ovo grešno carstvo da ga zatresem sa zemlje; ali neću sasvim zatrti dom Jakovljev, govori Gospod.

9 Jer, evo, ja ću zapovediti i razmetaću među svim narodima dom Izrailjev kao što se razmeće žito u rešetu da ni zrno ne padne na zemlju.

10 Od mača će poginuti svi grešnici između mog naroda, koji govore: Neće doći, niti će nas zadesiti zlo.

11 U to ću vreme podignuti opali šator Davidov, i zatvoriću mu pukotine, i opraviću mu šta je razvaljeno, i opet ću ga sagraditi kao što je bio pre,

12 Da bi nasledili ostatak edomski i sve narode na koje se priziva ime moje, govori Gospod, koji čini ovo.

13 Evo, idu dani, govori Gospod, kad će orač stizati žeteoca, i koji gazi grožđe sejača, i gore će kapati slatkim vinom, a svi će se humovi rastapati.

14 I povratiću roblje naroda svog Izrailja, i opet će sagraditi puste gradove i naseliće se, i nasadiće vinograde i piti vino iz njih, i načiniće vrtove i jesti rod iz njih.

15 I posadiću ih u zemlji njihovoj, i neće se više iščupati iz zemlje svoje, koju im dadoh, govori Gospod Bog tvoj.

   

Commentary

 

Jacob or Israel (the man)

  

Jacob is told twice that his name will now be Israel. The first time is when he wrestles with an angel on his journey to meet Esau, and the angel tells him that his name will be changed. After he is reconciled with Esau, they go their separate ways. Jacob moves to Shechem and then on to Bethel, where he builds an altar to the Lord. The Lord appears to him there, renews the covenant He first made with Abraham and again tells him that his name will be Israel (Genesis 35). The story goes on to tell of Benjamin's birth and Rachel's death in bearing him, and then of Jacob's return to Isaac and Isaac's death and burial. But at that point the main thread of the story leaves Israel and turns to Joseph, and Israel is hardly mentioned until after Joseph has risen to power in Egypt, has revealed himself to his brothers and tells them to bring all of their father's household down to Egypt. There, before Israel dies, he blesses Joseph's sons, plus all his own sons. After his death he is returned to the land of Canaan for burial in Abraham's tomb. In the story of Jacob and Esau, Jacob represents truth, and Esau good. Jacob's stay in Padan-Aram, and the wealth he acquired there, represent learning the truths of scripture, just as we learn when we read the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount. The change of name from Jacob to Israel represents the realization that what we learn should not simply be knowledge, but should be the rules of our life, to be followed by action. This action is the good that Esau has represented in the story up to that time, but after the reconciliation between Jacob and Esau, Jacob as Israel now represents the truth and the good, together. It is interesting that even after his name change Jacob is rarely called Israel. Sometimes he is called one and sometimes the other, and sometimes he is called both Jacob and Israel in the same verse (Genesis 46:2, 5, & 8 also Psalm 14:7). This is because Jacob represents the external person and Israel the internal person, and even after the internal person comes into being, we spend much of our lives living on the external level.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 4274, 4292, 4570, 5595, 6225, 6256, Genesis 2:5, 46:8)