The Bible

 

Ezequiel 31

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1 Y aconteció en el año undécimo, en el mes tercero, al primero del mes, que vino Palabra del SEÑOR a mí, diciendo:

2 Hijo de hombre, di a Faraón rey de Egipto, y a su pueblo: ¿A quién te comparaste en tu grandeza?

3 He aquí era el asirio, cedro en el Líbano, hermoso en ramas, y umbroso con sus ramas, y de grande altura, y su copa la más alta entre densas ramas.

4 Las aguas lo hicieron crecer, lo encumbró el abismo; sus ríos iban alrededor de su pie, y a todos los árboles del campo enviaba sus corrientes.

5 Por tanto, se encumbró su altura sobre todos los árboles del campo, y sus ramas se multiplicaron, y se alargaron sus ramas a causa de sus muchas aguas que enviaba.

6 En sus ramas hacían nido todas las aves del cielo, y debajo de su ramaje parían todas las bestias del campo, y a su sombra habitaban muchos gentiles.

7 Se hizo hermoso en su grandeza con la extensión de sus ramas; porque su raíz estaba junto a muchas aguas.

8 Los cedros no lo cubrieron en el huerto de Dios; las hayas no fueron semejantes a sus ramas, ni los castaños fueron semejantes a sus ramos; ningún árbol en el huerto de Dios fue semejante a él en su hermosura.

9 Yo lo hice hermoso con la multitud de sus ramas; y todos los árboles del Edén, que estaban en el huerto de Dios, tuvieron de él envidia.

10 Por tanto, así dijo el Señor DIOS: Por cuanto te encumbraste en altura, y puso su cumbre entre densas ramas, y su corazón se elevó con su altura,

11 Yo lo entregué en mano del fuerte de los gentiles, él lo tratará; por su impiedad lo derribé.

12 Y lo cortarán extraños, los fuertes de los gentiles, y lo abandonarán; sus ramas caerán sobre los montes y por todos los valles, y por todos los arroyos de la tierra serán quebrados sus ramos; y se irán de su sombra todos los pueblos de la tierra, y lo dejarán.

13 Sobre su ruina habitarán todas las aves del cielo, y sobre su ramas estarán todas las bestias del campo,

14 para que no se eleven en su altura todos los árboles de las aguas, ni levanten su cumbre entre las espesuras, ni en sus ramas se paren en su altura todos los que beben aguas; porque todos serán entregados a muerte, a la tierra baja, en medio de los hijos de los hombres, con los que descienden a la sepultura.

15 Así dijo el Señor DIOS: El día que descendió al infierno, hice hacer luto, hice cubrir por él el abismo, y detuve sus ríos, y las muchas aguas fueron detenidas; y al Líbano cubrí de tinieblas por él, y todos los árboles del campo se desmayaron.

16 Del estruendo de su caída hice temblar a los gentiles, cuando lo hice descender al infierno con los que descienden a la sepultura; y todos los árboles del Edén escogidos, y los mejores del Líbano, todos los que beben aguas, tomaron consolación en la tierra baja.

17 También ellos descendieron con él al infierno, con los muertos a cuchillo, los que fueron su brazo, los que estuvieron a su sombra en medio de los gentiles.

18 ¿A quién te has comparado así en gloria y en grandeza entre los árboles del Edén? Pues derribado serás con los árboles del Edén en la tierra baja; entre los incircuncisos yacerás, con los muertos a cuchillo. Este es Faraón y todo su pueblo, dijo el Señor DIOS.

   

Commentary

 

Field

  
The Sower, by Vincent van Gogh

A "field" in the Bible usually represents the Lord's church, and more specifically the desire for good within the church. It's where good things start, take root, and grow. When you have a desire to be a good person and to do good things, the natural first questions are "What does that mean?", "What should I do?", "What can I do?". You look for ideas, concepts, direction. Once you figure out something you want to do or a change you want to make in yourself, you seek specific knowledge. If you want to volunteer at a food pantry, say, you'd need to know whom to call, when they need help, where to go, what to bring. Armed with that knowhow, you're ready to get to work. That process could be compared to food production. You start with a field -- which is that desire to be good. Then you plant seeds -- those ideas and concepts. Those seeds sprout into plants -- the specific facts and knowledge needed for the task (easily seen in the food pantry example, but also true with deeper tasks like "being more tolerant of my co-workers" or "taking more time for prayer," or "consciously being a more loving spouse"). Finally, those plants produce food -- the actual good thing that you go and do. The Writings also say that in a number of cases a "field" represents the doctrine, or teachings, of the church. This sounds markedly different. The desire for good is emotional, a drive, a wanting; doctrine is a set of ideas. But for a church to be true, its doctrine must be centered on a desire for good, and must lead people toward doing what is good. So sound doctrine is actually closely bound up with the desire for good.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1186

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1186. That 'Asshur' is reasoning is clear from the meaning of 'Asshur' or Assyria in the Word, where in every case it stands for those things that belong to reason. It stands for them in both senses, namely for rational things and for reasonings - reason and rational things being used strictly speaking to mean things that are true, and reasoning and reasonings to mean those that are false. Because 'Asshur' means reason and reasoning it is very frequently linked with Egypt, which means facts, for reason and reasoning are based on facts. That Asshur means reasoning is clear in Isaiah,

Woe to Asshur, the rod of My anger, he does not think what is right and his heart does not consider what is right He has said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have intelligence. Isaiah 10:5, 7, 13.

Here 'Asshur' stands for reasoning, and therefore he is referred to as 'not thinking and not considering what is right', and it is said that 'he acts by his own wisdom, for he has intelligence'.

[2] In Ezekiel,

Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredom in Egypt. In their youth they committed whoredom. One committed whoredom and doted on her lovers, on Asshur (the Assyrians), her neighbours, clothed in violet, leaders and governors, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses The sons of Babel came to her and they defiled her with their whoredom. Ezekiel 23:2-3, 5-6, 17.

Here 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning, 'the sons of Babel' for falsities springing from evil desires.

[3] In the same prophet,

Jerusalem, you committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt, you committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur, you multiplied your whoredom even into the land of Canaan towards Chaldaea. Ezekiel 16:26, 28-29.

Here likewise 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning. Reasoning, based on facts, concerning spiritual and celestial things is called 'whoredom' both here and elsewhere in the Word. Anyone may see that committing whoredom with Egyptians and with Assyrians is not the meaning.

[4] In Jeremiah,

Israel, what have you to do with the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? And what have you to do with the way to Asshur, to drink the waters of the River (the Euphrates)? Jeremiah 2:18, 36.

Here likewise 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning. In the same prophet,

Israel is a scattered flock; the lions have driven him away. First the king of Asshur has devoured him, and last this king of Babel has removed his bones. Jeremiah 50:17-18

'Asshur' stands for reasoning concerning spiritual things.

[5] In Micah,

And this will be peace, when Asshur comes into our land and when he treads our palaces, and we will set up over him seven shepherds and eight princes of men and they will rule the land of Asshur with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates; and he will deliver [us] from Asshur when he comes into our land and when he treads our border. Micah 5:5-6.

This refers to Israel, or the spiritual Church, concerning which it is said that 'Asshur will not enter in', that is, reasoning will not do so. 'The land of Nimrod' stands for the kind of worship meant by Nimrod, which has interior evils and falsities within it.

[6] The fact that in the Word 'Asshur' also means reason present with the member of the Church, by means of which reason he sees clearly what is true and what is good, is clear in Hosea,

They will tremble like a bird out of Egypt, and like a dove from the land of Asshur. Hosea 11:11.

Here 'Egypt' stands for the knowledge a member of the Church possesses, 'Asshur' for his reason. That 'a bird' means facts that are known and understood, and 'a dove' rational good, has been shown already.

[7] In Isaiah,

On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur will come into Egypt and Egypt into Asshur, and the Egyptians will serve Asshur. 1 On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom Jehovah Zebaoth will bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage. Isaiah 19:23-25.

This refers to the spiritual Church, meant by Israel, 'Asshur' being its reason, and 'Egypt' its knowledge. These three constitute the intellectual powers of the member of the spiritual Church which come in that order one after another. In other places where Asshur is mentioned it means the rational, true or false, as in Isaiah 20:1-6; 23:13; 27:13; 30:31; 31:8; 36, 37; 52:4; Ezekiel 27:23-24; Ezekiel 31:3-18; 32:22; Micah 7:12; Zephaniah 2:13; Zechariah 10:11; Psalms 83:8. 'Asshur' stands for reasoning in Hosea 5:13; 7:11; 10:6; 11:5; 12:1; 14:3; and in Zechariah 10:10, where the reference is to Ephraim who means the intellectual part of the mind, though in this instance when perverted.

Footnotes:

1. The Hebrew of this text in Isaiah may be read in two different ways - serve Asshur or serve with Asshur. Most English versions of Isaiah prefer the second of these.

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