The Bible

 

Jezekilj 19

Study

   

1 A ti nariči za knezovima Izrailjevim;

2 I reci: Šta beše mati tvoja? Lavica; među lavovima ležaše, mlad svoju među lavovima hranjaše.

3 I othrani jedno mlado svoje, i posta lavić, i naučiv se loviti žderaše ljude.

4 I čuše narodi za nj; uhvati se u jamu njihovu, i odvedoše ga u verigama u zemlju misirsku.

5 A ona kad vide gde se nadala, ali joj nada propade, uze jedno mlado svoje, i učini od njega lavića.

6 I on idući među lavovima posta lavić, i nauči se loviti i žderaše ljude.

7 I pozna dvore njihove, i pustošaše gradove njihove tako da opuste zemlja i šta je u njoj od rike njegove.

8 I ustaše na nj narodi iz okolnih zemalja, i razapeše mu mrežu svoju, i uhvati se u jamu njihovu.

9 I metnuše ga u krletku u verigama, i odvedoše ga caru vavilonskom, i metnuše ga u grad da mu se više ne čuje glas po gorama Izrailjevim.

10 Dok beše miran, mati tvoja beše kao vinova loza, posađena kraj vode, rodna i granata beše od mnoge vode.

11 I behu na njoj jaki prutovi za palicu vladalačku, i rastom svojim uzvisi se iznad gustih grana, i bi naočita visinom svojom, mnoštvom grana svojih.

12 Ali bi iščupana u gnevu i na zemlju bačena, i ustoka osuši rod njen; polomiše se i posušiše se jaki prutovi njeni; oganj ih proždre.

13 A sada je posađena u pustinji, u zemlji suvoj i bezvodnoj.

14 I izađe oganj iz pruta grana njenih i proždre rod njen da nema na njoj pruta jakog za palicu vladalačku. To je naricanje, i biće naricanje.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #289

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

289. 'Wife' is used to mean the Church, in the universal sense the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth. This too has been shown already, while the fact that 'mother' as well has the same meaning follows from this. In the Word the Church is commonly called 'mother', as in Isaiah,

Where is your mother's bill of divorce? Isaiah 50:1.

In Jeremiah,

Your, mother has been utterly shamed, she who bore you is covered with shame. Jeremiah 50:12.

In Ezekiel,

[You are] your mother's daughter who loathes her husband and her sons. Your mother is a Hittite and your father an Amorite. Ezekiel 16:45.

Here 'husband' (vir) stands for the Lord and everything celestial, 'sons for truths of faith, 'Hittite' for falsity, and 'Amorite' for evil. In the same prophet,

Your mother was like a vine in your likeness, planted beside the waters, fruitful, full of branches by reason of many waters. Ezekiel 19:10.

Here 'mother' stands for the Ancient Church. The Most Ancient Church is pre-eminently called a 'mother' because it was the first Church, and the only one to be celestial. For that reason it was the Lord's beloved more than any other.

  
/ 10837  
  

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