The Bible

 

Jeremijine tužbalice 2

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1 Kako obastre Gospod oblakom u gnevu svom kćer sionsku! Svrže s neba na zemlju slavu Izrailjevu, i ne opomenu se podnožja nogu svojih u dan gneva svog!

2 Gospod potre nemilice sve stanove Jakovljeve, razvali u gnevu svom gradove kćeri Judine, i na zemlju obori, oskvrni carstvo i knezove njegove.

3 Odbi u žestokom gnevu sav rog Izrailju, obrati natrag desnicu svoju od neprijatelja, i raspali se na Jakova kao oganj plameni, koji proždire sve oko sebe.

4 Nateže luk svoj kao neprijatelj, podiže desnicu svoju kao protivnik, i pobi sve što beše drago očima; na šator kćeri sionske prosu kao oganj gnev svoj.

5 Gospod posta kao neprijatelj; potre Izrailja, potre sve dvore njegove, raskopa sve gradove njegove, i umnoži kćeri Judinoj žalost i jad.

6 Razvali mu ogradu kao vrtu; potre mesto sastancima njegovim; Gospod vrže u zaborav na Sionu praznike i subotu, i u žestini gneva svog odbaci cara i sveštenika.

7 Odbaci Gospod oltar svoj, omrze na svetinju svoju, predade u ruke neprijateljima zidove dvora sionskih; stade ih vika u domu Gospodnjem kao na praznik.

8 Gospod naumi da raskopa zid kćeri sionske, rasteže uže, i ne odvrati ruke svoje da ne zatre, i ojadi opkop i zid, iznemogoše skupa.

9 Utonuše u zemlju vrata njena, polomi i potre prevornice njene; car njen i knezovi njeni među narodima su; zakona nema, i proroci njeni ne dobijaju utvare od Gospoda.

10 Starešine kćeri sionske sede na zemlji i ćute, posule su prahom glavu i pripasale kostret; oborile su k zemlji glave svoje devojke jerusalimske.

11 Iščileše mi oči od suza, utroba se moja uskolebala, prosipa se na zemlju jetra moja od pogibli kćeri naroda mog, jer deca i koja sisaju obamiru na ulicama gradskim.

12 Govore materama svojim: Gde je žito i vino? Obamiru kao ranjenici na ulicama gradskim, i ispuštaju dušu svoju u naručju matera svojih.

13 Koga ću ti uzeti za svedoka? S čim ću te izjednačiti, kćeri jerusalimska? Kakvu ću ti priliku naći, da te utešim, devojko, kćeri sionska? Jer je nesreća tvoja velika kao more, ko će te isceliti?

14 Proroci tvoji prorokovaše ti laž i bezumlje, i ne otkrivaše bezakonja tvog da bi odvratili ropstvo tvoje; nego ti kazivaše utvare lažne i koje će te prognati.

15 Pljeskaju rukama nad tobom svi koji prolaze, zvižde i mašu glavom za kćerju jerusalimskom: To li je grad, za koji govorahu da je prava lepota, radost svoj zemlji?

16 Razvaljuju usta na te svi neprijatelji tvoji, zvižde i škrguću zubima govoreći: Proždresmo; ovo je doista dan koji čekasmo; dočekasmo, videsmo.

17 Učini Gospod šta naumi, ispuni reč svoju, koju kaza odavna; razori nemilice i razveseli tobom neprijatelja, podiže rog protivnicima tvojim.

18 Viče srce njihovo ka Gospodu: Zide kćeri sionske, prolivaj potokom suze dan i noć, ne daj sebi mira, i zenica oka tvog da ne staje.

19 Ustani, viči obnoć, u početku straže, prolivaj srce svoje kao vodu pred Gospodom, podiži k Njemu ruke svoje za dušu dece svoje koja obamiru od gladi na uglovima svojih ulica.

20 Pogledaj, Gospode, i vidi, kome si ovako učinio. Eda li žene jedu porod svoj, decu koju nose u naručju? Eda li se ubija u svetinji Gospodnjoj sveštenik i prorok?

21 Leže na zemlji po ulicama deca i starci, devojke moje i mladići moji padoše od mača, pobio si ih u dan gneva svog i poklao ne žaleći.

22 Sazvao si kao na praznik strahote moje od svuda, i u dan gneva Gospodnjeg niko ne uteče niti osta. Koje na ruku nosih i othranih, njih mi neprijatelj moj pobi.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9496

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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

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2712

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2712. 'He dwelt in the wilderness of Paran' means the life of the spiritual man as regards good. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as being used in reference to good residing in truth, which is spiritual good, that is, good present with the spiritual man. The essential nature of that good is described by his dwelling in the wilderness of Paran, dealt with immediately below. That 'dwelling' is used in reference to good residing in truth, or to the affection for truth, is clear from many places in the Word where it is said of cities, which mean truths, that they will be without any inhabitant, by whom good is meant, 2268, 2449, 2451; for truths are inhabited by good, and truths devoid of good are like a city that has no one dwelling in it, as in Zephaniah,

I have laid their streets waste, so that none passes through; their cities are desolate, so that there is no one dwelling in them. Zephaniah 3:6.

[2] In Jeremiah,

Jehovah was leading us through the wilderness. No man passed through in that [land], and no one dwelt there. They have turned his land into a solitary place, his cities have been burned, so that none is dwelling there. Jeremiah 2:6, 15.

In the same prophet,

Every city has been forsaken, with no one dwelling in them. Jeremiah 4:29.

In the same prophet,

In the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate there is no human being, no inhabitant, no beast. Jeremiah 33:10.

'Streets' stands for truths, 2336, 'no human being' for no celestial good, 'no inhabitant' for no spiritual good, 'no beast' for no natural good. In the same prophet,

The cities of Moab will become a desolation, with no one dwelling in them. Jeremiah 48:9.

[3] With each particular expression in the Prophets there exists the marriage of truth and good. Consequently when 'a city' is said to be desolate, the phrase 'no one dwelling in it' is also added, the reason being that 'a city' means truths and 'one dwelling in it' good. Otherwise it would be superfluous to say 'no one dwelling in it' when it has been stated that the city is desolate. In a similar way certain terms occur consistently to mean things that belong to celestial good, others that belong to spiritual good, and others also that belong to truths, as in Isaiah,

Your seed will possess the nations, and they will dwell in the desolate cities. Isaiah 54:3

Here 'possessing' has reference to celestial good, 'dwelling in' to spiritual good. In the same prophet,

My chosen ones will possess it, and My servants will dwell there. Isaiah 65:9.

Here the meaning is similar.

[4] In David,

God will save Zion and will build the cities of Judah; and they will dwell there and possess it, and the seed of His servants will inherit it, and those loving His name will dwell in it. Psalms 69:35-36.

'Dwelling there' and at the same time 'possessing' has reference to celestial good, 'dwelling in' to spiritual good. In Isaiah,

He who says to Jerusalem, You will be dwelt in; and to the cities of Judah, You will be built. Isaiah 44:26.

Here 'dwelling in' has reference to the good of the spiritual Church, which is Jerusalem. To such an extent do the terms used in the Word have reference to their own goods and their own truths that simply from a knowledge of that usage of terms one may recognize what the subject is in general that is being dealt with.

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