The Bible

 

Amós 1

Study

1 Las palabras de Amós, que estuvo entre los pastores de Tecoa, las cuales vio sobre Israel en días de Uzías rey de Judá, y en días de Jeroboam hijo de Joás, rey de Israel, dos años antes del terremoto.

2 Y dijo: El SEÑOR bramará desde Sion, y dará su voz desde Jerusalén; y las estancias de los pastores serán destruidas, y se secará la cumbre del Carmelo.

3 Así dijo el SEÑOR: Por tres pecados de Damasco, y por el cuarto, no la convertiré; porque trillaron a Galaad con trillos de hierro.

4 Y meteré fuego en la casa de Hazael, y consumirá los palacios de Ben-adad.

5 Y quebraré la barra de Damasco, y talaré los moradores de Bicat-avén, y los gobernadores de Bet-edén; y el pueblo de Siria será transportado a Kir.

6 Así dijo el SEÑOR: Por tres pecados de Gaza, y por el cuarto, no la convertiré; porque llevó cautiva toda la cautividad, para entregarlos a Edom.

7 Y meteré fuego en el muro de Gaza, y quemará sus palacios.

8 Y talaré a los moradores de Azoto, y a los gobernadores de Ascalón; y tornaré mi mano sobre Ecrón, y el remanente de los palestinos perecerá, dijo el Señor DIOS.

9 Así dijo el SEÑOR: Por tres pecados de Tiro, y por el cuarto, no la convertiré; porque entregaron la cautividad entera a Edom, y no se acordaron del concierto de hermanos.

10 Y meteré fuego en el muro de Tiro, y consumirá sus palacios.

11 Así dijo el SEÑOR: Por tres pecados de Edom, y por el cuarto, no la convertiré; porque persiguió a cuchillo a su hermano, y rompió sus misericordias; y con su furor le ha robado siempre, y ha guardado perpetuamente el enojo.

12 Y meteré fuego en Temán, y consumirá los palacios de Bosra.

13 Así dijo el SEÑOR: Por tres pecados de los hijos de Amón, y por el cuarto, no la convertiré; porque rompieron los montes de Galaad, para ensanchar su término.

14 Y encenderé fuego en el muro de Rabá, y consumirá sus palacios como con estruendo en día de batalla, como con tempestad en día de torbellino;

15 y su rey irá en cautiverio, él y sus príncipes todos, dijo el SEÑOR.

Commentary

 

Extremity (of land)

  
On the Viga, Outskirts of the City of Mexico, by Samuel Colman

Often translated as “edge,” “border,” “boundary,” “outskirts,” “far places” and other ways, this term is used in the Bible for the farthest reaches of an area, and generally represents either an introduction into the state it surrounds, a protection for that state or simply the area within that state which is lowest and furthest from the Lord.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 2349, 2936, 8104, 8539, 8796)

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2349

Study this Passage

  
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2349. 'All the people from furthest away' means every single one of them. This is clear from what is said immediately above, that there 'boys and old men' means falsities and evils, recent as well as confirmed, so that at this point 'people from furthest away' means every single one of them. Also, the word 'people' in general means falsities, see 1259, 1260.

[2] The description at this point then is of the initial state of those inside the Church who are opposed to the good of charity and who are as a consequence opposed to the Lord, for one entails the other. Indeed nobody can be joined to the Lord except by means of love and charity. Love is spiritual conjunction itself, as may become clear from the essence of love, and anybody who is unable to be joined to Him is unable to acknowledge Him either. That those with whom good does not exist cannot acknowledge the Lord, that is, cannot have faith in Him, is clear in John,

Light has come into the world, but men preferred darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. He who performs evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed. He however who does the truth comes to the light, so that his deeds may be clearly seen, because they have been wrought in God. John 3:19-21.

From these words it is evident that people who are opposed to the good of charity are opposed to the Lord, or what amounts to the same, people immersed in evil hate the light and do not come to the light. That 'the light' is faith in the Lord, and is the Lord Himself, is evident in John 1:9-10; 12:35-36, 46.

[3] The same point is made in another part of the same gospel,

The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. John 7:7.

And it is said more plainly still in Matthew,

He will say to those On His left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me. Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it to Me. Matthew 25:41-43, 45.

[4] This shows in what way they are opposed to the Lord who are opposed to the good of charity. It also shows that everyone is judged according to good that flows from charity, not according to the truth of faith when the latter has been separated from good, as is also shown elsewhere in Matthew,

The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father together with His angels, and at that time He will repay everyone according to his deeds. Matthew 16:27.

'Deeds' stands for the good actions which flow from charity. The deeds of charity are also called the fruits of faith.

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