The Bible

 

Jezekilj 17

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1 Opet mi dođe reč Gospodnja govoreći:

2 Sine čovečji, zagonetni zagonetku i kaži priču o domu Izrailjevom,

3 I reci: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Orao velik, velikih krila, dugih pera, pun perja, šaren, dođe na Livan i uze vrh od kedra,

4 Odlomi vrh od mladih grana njegovih, i odnese ga u zemlju trgovačku, u grad trgovački metnu ga.

5 I uze seme iz one zemlje, i metnu ga na njivu, odnese ga gde ima mnogo vode, i ostavi ga dobro.

6 I izniče, i posta busat čokot, nizak, kome se loze pružahu k njemu a žile behu pod njim; posta čokot, i pusti grane i izbi odvode.

7 A beše drugi orao velik, velikih krila i pernat, i gle, taj čokot pusti k njemu žile svoje i grane svoje pruži k njemu da bi ga zalivao iz brazda svog sada.

8 Posađen beše u dobroj zemlji kod mnoge vode, da pusti grane i rađa rod i bude krasna loza.

9 Kaži: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Hoće li napredovati? Neće li mu počupati žile i rod mu odlomiti da se posuši? Sve će mu se grane što je pustio posušiti, i bez velike sile i bez mnogog naroda iščupaće ga iz korena.

10 Eto, posađen je, hoće li napredovati? I neće li se sa svim posušiti čim ga se dohvati ustoka? Posušiće se u brazdi gde je posađen.

11 Potom, dođe mi reč Gospodnja govoreći:

12 Kaži tom domu odmetničkom: Ne znate li šta je ovo? Reci: Evo, dođe car vavilonski u Jerusalim, i uze mu cara i knezove, i odvede ih sa sobom u Vavilon.

13 I uze jednog od carskog semena, i učini s njom veru, i zakle ga, i uze silne u zemlji,

14 Da bi carstvo bilo sniženo da se ne bi podiglo, nego da bi držeći veru s njim stajalo.

15 Ali se odmetnu od njega poslavši poslanike svoje u Misir da mu da konja i mnogo naroda. Hoće li biti srećan? Hoće li uteći ko tako čini? Ko prestupa veru hoće li uteći?

16 Tako ja živ bio, govori Gospod Gospod, u mestu onog cara koji ga je zacario, kome je zakletvu prezreo i kome je veru prestupio, kod njega će u Vavilonu umreti.

17 Niti će mu Faraon s velikom vojskom i mnogim narodom pomoći u ratu, kad iskopa opkope i pogradi kule da pogubi mnoge duše.

18 Jer prezre zakletvu prestupajući veru; i gle, davši ruku čini sve to; neće pobeći.

19 Zato ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Tako ja živ bio, obratiću mu na glavu zakletvu svoju koju prezre i veru svoju koju prestupi.

20 Jer ću razapeti nad njim mrežu svoju i uhvatiće se u zamku moju; i odvešću ga u Vavilon, i onde ću se suditi s njim za bezakonje koje mi učini.

21 I sva bežan njegova sa svom vojskom njegovom pašće od mača, a koji ostanu raspršaće se u sve vetrove, i poznaćete da sam ja Gospod govorio.

22 Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Ali ću ja uzeti s vrha od tog visokog kedra, i posadiću; s vrha od mladih grana njegovih odlomiću grančicu, i posadiću na gori visokoj i uzdignutoj.

23 Na visokoj gori Izrailjevoj posadiću je, i pustiće grane, i rodiće, i postaće krasan kedar, i pod njim će nastavati svakojake ptice, u hladu grana njegovih nastavaće.

24 I sva će drveta poljska poznati da ja Gospod snizih visoko drvo i uzvisih nisko drvo, posuših zeleno drvo i učinih da ozeleni suvo drvo. Ja Gospod rekoh, i učiniću.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #7679

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7679. 'And Jehovah brought an east wind' means an agent of destruction. This is clear from the meaning of 'an east wind' as an agent of destruction. 'An east wind' has this meaning because it was dry and turbulent, and because it therefore withered the produce of that land, and by its force shattered trees, and ships at sea. This is why that wind, acting as an agent [of destruction], describes the effect that Divine power can have. In addition 'the east' means the good of love and charity, for the Lord is meant by it in the highest sense, 101, 1250, 3708. Also, being Divine, the good of love and charity is in origin very gentle, and consequently is also such in its movements when it passes into heaven. But when it comes down into hell it becomes rough and fierce, because the inhabitants of hell make it so. Therefore the inflow and presence there of that Divine good not only torments them but also devastates them. This too explains why a wind from the east or 'an east wind' means an agent of destruction.

[2] The fact that this wind means an agent of destruction is evident from the places in which it is mentioned in the Word, as in Jeremiah,

Like an east wind I will scatter them before the enemy. Jeremiah 18:17.

In Ezekiel,

The vine that was planted, will it thrive? 1 When the east wind strikes it, will it not wither completely?. Ezekiel 17:10.

In the same prophet,

That vine has been plucked up in anger, it has been cast down onto the ground, the east wind has dried its fruit. Ezekiel 19:12.

In Hosea,

He will be among his brothers a ferocious one; an east wind will come, Jehovah's wind rising up from the desert, and his spring mill become dry, and his fountain dried up. Hosea 13:15.

In David,

By an east wind You will shatter the ships of Tarshish. Psalms 48:7.

In Ezekiel,

They brought you down to many waters, those who despise you; the east wind broke you in the heart of the seas. Ezekiel 27:26.

From these places it is evident that 'an east wind' means an agent of destruction, because it was a dry wind and a turbulent one. It therefore also means an agent of devastation, as in Hosea,

Ephraim feeds the wind, and pursues the east wind. All the day long he multiplies lies and devastation. Hosea 12:1.

'Ephraim' stands for the Church's understanding, 5354, 6222, 6238. 'Feeding the wind' is multiplying lies, and 'pursuing the east wind' is multiplying devastation. A state of devastation and temptation is also called 'the day of the east wind' in Isaiah 27:7-8.

Footnotes:

1. Reading num prosperabitur (will it thrive?), which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse and which is the meaning of the Hebrew, for non prosperabitur (it will not thrive)

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #6222

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6222. 'And he took his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim' means the Church's will and the Church's understanding, born from the internal. This is clear from the representation of 'Manasseh' as the new will in the natural and its essential nature, dealt with in 5354 (end); and from the representation of 'Ephraim' as the new understanding in the natural and its essential nature, dealt with in 5354. The birth of the two from the internal is meant by the fact that they were the sons of Joseph, who represents the internal celestial, 5869, 5877.

[2] What the Church's understanding is and what its will is must be stated. The Church's understanding consists in perceiving from the Word what the truth of faith is and what the good of charity is. As is well known, the literal sense of the Word is by nature such that a person can use that sense to support any opinion at all that he may adopt. The reason for this is that ideas appearing in the literal sense of the Word serve as general vessels to receive truths, though not until they have actually received truths does the real nature of those vessels reveal itself as if through transparency. Thus those ideas form merely a general impression which a person must gain first in order that he may aptly receive particular aspects and specific details. This fact - that the literal sense of the Word is by nature such that a person can use that sense to support any opinion at all that he may adopt - is clearly evident from the great number of heresies that have existed in the Church, and still exist in it. Adherents of each heresy find support for it in the literal sense of the Word, support which enables them to believe fully that it is the truth, which means that if they were to hear the actual truth from heaven they would receive nothing at all of it.

[3] The reason why they would not receive it is that they do not share in the understanding that the Church possesses; for that understanding exists when people read the Word, assiduously take one statement together with another, and by doing so see what they ought to believe and what they ought to do. Such understanding comes only to those who receive light from the Lord, whom the Christian world also calls 'the enlightened'. That enlightenment does not come to any but the kind of people who have the desire to know truths, not for the sake of reputation and glory but for the sake of life and service. That same enlightenment is received by a person in his understanding, for the understanding is the receiver of light. This is clearly evident from the fact that people who have little understanding cannot by any means see such things from the Word but have faith in those who they think are the enlightened. Furthermore it should be recognized that those who have been regenerated receive from the Lord an understanding which is capable of being enlightened; and it is the light of heaven coming from the Lord that flows into the understanding and gives it light, for the understanding receives its light, its sight, and consequently its perception from no other source.

[4] But this understanding which is being called the Church's understanding is more internal than an understanding based merely on factual knowledge, for it consists in a discernment that a thing is true not because factual evidence and philosophical deductions dictate it but because the Word in its spiritual sense does so. For example, people who possess the Church's understanding can perceive clearly that in every single part the Word teaches that love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour are the essential qualities of the Church, that a person's life continues after death, and that his life arises out of his loves. They can also perceive that faith separated from charity is not faith, that faith contributes nothing to eternal life except in the measure that the good of love to the Lord and the good of charity towards the neighbour are linked to it, and that faith and charity must therefore be joined together so that spiritual life may exist. People with an enlightened understanding can perceive quite clearly that these things are true; but those without it can by no means see that they are.

[5] It is thought that the people with an understanding in things of the Church are those who know how to substantiate extensively the opinions or teachings of their Church, to the point of convincing others that they are true, and who know how to refute numerous heresies in a masterly way. But this is not what is meant by the Church's understanding, for substantiating opinions is not a characteristic of the understanding but of mental ability at a sensory level, which sometimes comes to exist in very wicked people; indeed those without any beliefs at all, also those who are steeped in actual falsities, can have that ability. Nothing comes more easily to both these kinds of people than to substantiate whatever idea they like, so thoroughly that they convince the simple. But before substantiating any opinion the Church's understanding engages in seeing and perceiving whether it is true or not, and in substantiating it only after that.

[6] This understanding is what is represented by 'Ephraim'. But the Church's good, which is represented by 'Manasseh', is the good of charity, which the Lord instills into a member of the Church through the truths of faith. For these truths together with the good of charity are what flow into the understanding and give it light, and also enable the understanding and the will to constitute one mind. The truth that both these - the understanding and the will - are born from the internal may be seen from what was stated and shown previously; for the whole affection for goodness and truth, the affection through which enlightenment comes, flows in from no other origin, thus is born from no other origin than the internal; that is, it comes from the Lord through the internal.

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