The Bible

 

Jeremijine tužbalice 1

Study

1 Kako sedi sam, posta kao udovica, grad koji beše pun naroda! Velik među narodima, glava među zemljama potpade pod danak!

2 Jednako plače noću, i suze su mu na obrazima, nema nikoga od svih koji ga ljubljahu da ga poteši; svi ga prijatelji njegovi izneveriše, postaše mu neprijatelji.

3 Iseli se Juda od muke i ljutog ropstva; sedi među narodima, ne nalazi mir; svi koji ga goniše stigoše ga u tesnacu.

4 Putevi sionski tuže, jer niko ne ide na praznik; sva su vrata njegova pusta, sveštenici njegovi uzdišu, devojke su njegove žalosne, i sam je jadan.

5 Protivnici njegovi postaše glava, neprijateljima je njegovim dobro; jer ga Gospod ucveli za mnoštvo bezakonja njegovog; deca njegova idu u ropstvo pred neprijateljem.

6 I otide od kćeri sionske sva slava njena; knezovi su njeni kao jeleni koji ne nalaze paše; idu nemoćni pred onim koji ih goni.

7 Opominje se Jerusalim u muci svojoj i u jadu svom svih milina što je imao od starine, kad pada narod njegov od ruke neprijateljeve, a nikoga nema da mu pomogne; neprijatelji gledaju ga i smeju se prestanku njegovom.

8 Teško sagreši Jerusalim, zato posta kao nečista žena; svi koji su ga poštovali preziru ga, jer videše golotinju njegovu; a on uzdiše, i okreće se natrag.

9 Nečistota mu beše na skutovima; nije mislio na kraj svoj; pao je za čudo, a nema nikoga da ga poteši. Pogledaj, Gospode, muku moju, jer se neprijatelj poneo.

10 Neprijatelj poseže rukom na sve drage stvari njegove, i on gleda kako narodi ulaze u svetinju njegovu, za koje si zapovedio da ne dolaze na sabor Tvoj.

11 Sav narod njegov uzdiše tražeći hleba, daju dragocene stvari svoje za jelo da okrepe dušu. Pogledaj, Gospode, i vidi kako sam poništen.

12 Zar vam nije stalo, svi koji prolazite ovuda? Pogledajte i vidite, ima li bola kakav je moj, koji je meni dopao, kojim me ucveli Gospod u dan žestokog gneva svog.

13 S visine pusti oganj u kosti moje, koji ih osvoji; razape mrežu nogama mojim, obori me nauznako, pustoši me, te po vas dan tužim.

14 Svezan je rukom njegovom jaram od greha mojih, usukani su i dođoše mi na vrat; obori silu moju; predade me Gospod u ruke, iz kojih se ne mogu podignuti.

15 Polazi Gospod sve junake moje usred mene, sazva na me sabor da potre mladiće moje; kao grožđe u kaci izgazi Gospod devojku, kćer Judinu.

16 Zato ja plačem, oči moje, oči moje liju suze, jer je daleko od mene utešitelj, koji bi ukrepio dušu moju; sinovi moji propadoše, jer nadvlada neprijatelj.

17 Sion širi ruke svoje, nema nikoga da ga teši; Gospod zapovedi za Jakova, te ga opkoliše neprijatelji; Jerusalim posta među njima kao nečista žena.

18 Pravedan je Gospod, jer se suprotih zapovesti Njegovoj; čujte, svi narodi, i vidite bol moj; devojke moje i mladići moji otidoše u ropstvo.

19 Zvah prijatelje svoje, oni me prevariše; sveštenici moji i starešine moje pomreše u gradu tražeći hrane da okrepe dušu svoju.

20 Pogledaj, Gospode, jer mi je tuga, utroba mi se uskolebala, srce se moje prevrće u meni, jer se mnogo suprotih; napolju učini me sirotim mač, a kod kuće sama smrt.

21 Čuju gde uzdišem, ali nema nikoga da me poteši; svi neprijatelji moji čuše za nesreću moju i raduju se što si to učinio; dovešćeš dan koji si oglasio, te će oni biti kao ja.

22 Neka izađe preda te sva zloća njihova, i učini kao što si učinio meni za sve grehe moje; jer je mnogo uzdaha mojih i srce je moje žalosno.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9496

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

9496. 'And you shall make poles of shittim wood' means power derived from this. This is clear from the meaning of 'poles' as the power which truth from good possesses, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'shittim wood' as the good of merit that is the Lord's alone, dealt with above in 9472, 9486. Here it must now be stated what it was that enabled the ark and the dwelling-place to represent heaven, and at the same time the rim of the ark to represent a border, the corners firmness, the rings the joining of good to truth, and the poles power. It has been shown that the whole natural system, thus every single thing existing in true order there, is representative of the Lord's kingdom, that is, of heaven and heavenly realities present there, 9280. It has also been shown that the whole of heaven resembles a human being, and that for this reason heaven has been called the Grand Man, 9276 (end). From this it now follows that all objects which serve to represent heavenly realities correlate with the human form, and that they carry spiritual meanings according to their similarity to that form.

[2] From this it is now evident how the ark can come to mean heaven where the Lord is, the rim on it to mean a border, the sides to mean good to which truth must be joined, the corners to mean firmness, the rings to mean the actual joining together, and the poles to mean power. For the poles resemble a person's arms and therefore also have a similar meaning to the arms; the rings resemble the ginglymi or sockets where the arms are linked to the breast; the corners resemble the actual protrusions where that link is made; the sides resemble the chest cavity or thorax, and the rim resembles the [shoulder-]girdle which forms a border for it. From this it becomes clear that power is meant by 'poles', as it is by 'arms' (for the meaning of 'arms' and 'hands' as power, see 878, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 6292, 6947, 7188, 7189, 7205, 7518, 7673, 8050, 8153, 8281, 9025, 9133); and that the same thing is meant by 'the sides' as by the chest or thorax of the body, namely good, since the chest contains the heart and lungs, and 'the heart' means celestial good and 'the lungs' spiritual good, 3883-3896, 9300. From all this it is evident that by 'rings' the same thing is meant as by ginglymi or joints which join the chest to the shoulders, and the shoulders to the arms, namely the joining of good to truth, and that firmness is meant by 'the corners', for the strength of the body is exerted there, and the body is equipped with strength and power through the arms. From all this one may recognize how it comes about that natural objects which are inanimate can represent the same realities as ones that are animate, that is, as parts of the human body. That is to say, it comes about because heaven resembles a human being, and the things present in heaven resemble those that exist in the human being, as may be seen from what has been shown at great length regarding the correspondence of the human being with the Grand Man or heaven. See the places referred to in 9276 (end).

[3] Just as the poles which were used to carry the ark meant power, so did the poles or bars which were used to secure the gates of cities, as is clear from the following places: In Hosea,

The sword falls on its cities, and consumes its bars. Hosea 11:6.

'The sword' stands for truth battling against falsity, 'cities' for matters of doctrine, and 'bars' for power. In Isaiah,

For your sake I have sent to Babel, and I will break down all the bars. Isaiah 43:14.

In Jeremiah,

The mighty ones of Babel are seated in strongholds; their power has been destroyed. 1 Its bars have been broken. Jeremiah 51:30.

In Amos,

I will break the bar of Damascus. Amos 1:5.

In Isaiah,

I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron. Isaiah 45:2.

Similar words occur in David, Psalms 107:16. In Jeremiah,

It has no gates or bars; they dwell alone. Jeremiah 49:31.

In Ezekiel,

They all dwell without a wall; 2 they do not have bars and gates. Ezekiel 38:11.

In Jeremiah,

Her gates have sunk into the earth, He has destroyed and broken in pieces her bars. Lamentations 2:9.

In David,

Praise your God, O Zion! For He strengthens the bars of your gates. Psalms 147:12-13.

In these places matters of doctrine are meant by 'cities', 2449, 2712, 3216, 4492, 4493, firmness and protection by 'gates', and the power which belongs to truth derived from good by 'bars'. The fact that all power belongs to truth, but to truth that is derived from good, see 6344, 6423, 8200, 8304, 9133, 9327, 9410.

Footnotes:

1. literally, given to oblivion

2. i.e. they live in villages which do not have walls around them

  
/ 10837  
  

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

The Bible

 

Amos 1:5

Study

       

5 I will break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, and him who holds the scepter from the house of Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity to Kir," says Yahweh.