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Lamentaciones 2

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1 Alef : ¡Cómo oscureció el Señor en su furor a la hija de Sion! Derribó del cielo a la tierra la hermosura de Israel, y no se acordó del estrado de sus pies en el día de su ira.

2 Bet : Destruyó el Señor, y no perdonó; destruyó en su furor todas las tiendas de Jacob; echó por tierra las fortalezas de la hija de Judá, contaminó el Reino y sus príncipes.

3 Guímel : Cortó con la ira de su furor todo el cuerno de Israel; hizo volver atrás su diestra delante del enemigo; y se encendió en Jacob como llama de fuego que ha devorado alrededor.

4 Dálet : Entesó su arco como enemigo, afirmó su mano derecha como adversario, y mató toda cosa hermosa a la vista en la tienda de la hija de Sion; derramó como fuego su enojo.

5 He : Fue el Señor como enemigo; destruyó a Israel, destruyó todos sus palacios, disipó sus fortalezas, y multiplicó en la hija de Judá la tristeza y el luto.

6 Vau : Y traspasó como de huerto su tabernáculo, destruyó su congregación. El SEÑOR hizo olvidar en Sion solemnidades y sábados; y desechó en la ira de su furor rey y sacerdote.

7 Zain : Desechó el Señor su altar, menospreció su Santuario, entregó en mano del enemigo los muros de sus palacios; dieron grito en la Casa del SEÑOR como en día de fiesta.

8 Chet : El SEÑOR determinó destruir el muro de la hija de Sion; extendió el cordel, no retrajo su mano de destruir; se enlutó el antemuro y el muro; fueron destruidos juntamente.

9 Tet : Sus puertas fueron echadas por tierra, destruyó y quebrantó sus cerrojos; su rey y sus príncipes son llevados entre los gentiles; no hay ley; sus profetas tampoco hallaron visión del SEÑOR.

10 Yod : Se sentaron en tierra, callaron los ancianos de la hija de Sion; echaron polvo sobre sus cabezas, se ciñeron de cilicio; las hijas de Jerusalén bajaron sus cabezas a tierra.

11 Caf : Mis ojos desfallecieron de lágrimas, rugieron mis entrañas, mi hígado se derramó por tierra por el quebrantamiento de la hija de mi pueblo, desfalleciendo el niño y el que mamaba, en las plazas de la ciudad.

12 Lámed : Decían a sus madres: ¿Dónde está el trigo y el vino? Desfalleciendo como muertos en las calles de la ciudad, derramando sus almas en el regazo de sus madres.

13 Mem : ¿Qué testigo te traeré, o a quién te haré semejante, oh hija de Jerusalén? ¿A quién te compararé para consolarte, oh Virgen hija de Sion? Porque grande es tu quebrantamiento como el mar; ¿quién te medicinará?

14 Nun : Tus profetas te predicaron vanidad y locura; y no descubrieron tu pecado para estorbar tu cautiverio, sino que te predicaron vanas profecías y disgresiones.

15 Sámec : Todos los que pasaban por el camino, batieron las manos sobre ti. Silbaron, y movieron sus cabezas sobre la hija de Jerusalén, diciendo : ¿Es ésta la ciudad que decían de perfecta hermosura, el gozo de toda la tierra?

16 Pe : Todos tus enemigos abrieron sobre ti su boca; y silbaron, y rechinaron los dientes; dijeron: Devoremos; cierto éste es el día que esperábamos; lo hemos hallado, lo hemos visto.

17 Ayin : El SEÑOR hizo lo que determinó, cumplió su palabra que él había mandado desde tiempo antiguo; destruyó, y no perdonó; y alegró sobre ti al enemigo, y enalteció el cuerno de tus adversarios.

18 Tsade : El corazón de ellos clamaba al Señor: Oh muro de la hija de Sion, echa lágrimas como un arroyo día y noche; no descanses, ni calle la niña de tu ojo.

19 Cof : Levántate, da voces en la noche, en el principio de las velas; derrama como agua tu corazón ante la presencia del Señor; alza tus manos a él por la vida de tus pequeñitos, que desfallecen de hambre en las entradas de todas las calles.

20 Resh : Mira, oh SEÑOR, y considera a quién has vendimiado así. ¿Han de comer las mujeres su fruto, los pequeñitos de sus crías? ¿Han de ser muertos en el Santuario del Señor el sacerdote y el profeta?

21 Sin : Niños y viejos yacían por tierra en las calles; mis vírgenes y mis jóvenes cayeron a cuchillo. Mataste en el día de tu furor; degollaste, no perdonaste.

22 Tau : Llamaste, como a día de solemnidad, mis temores de todas partes; ni hubo en el día del furor del SEÑOR quien escapase ni quedase vivo; los que crié y mantuve, mi enemigo los acabó.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #6377

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6377. 'He washes his clothing in wine' means that His Natural consists in Divine Truth from His Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'washing' as purifying, dealt with in 3147; from the meaning of 'wine' as the good of love towards the neighbour and the good of faith, and in the highest sense as Divine Truth from the Lord's Divine Good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'clothing' as the exterior which covers the interior, dealt with in 5248, thus the natural since this is exterior and covers the rational, which is interior. Therefore 'clothing' also means truth since this is exterior and covers good, which is interior, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5319, 5954.

[2] The fact that 'wine' means love towards the neighbour and the good of faith may be recognized from what has been shown regarding the bread and wine in the Holy Supper, in 2165, 2177, 3464, 4581, 5915. These paragraphs show that 'bread' is the good of celestial love, and that 'wine' is the good of spiritual love. The same may also be recognized from the minchah and the drink-offering in sacrifices. The minchah in them meant the good of love, and the drink-offering the good of faith. The minchah consisted of the kinds of things that meant the good of love, while the drink-offering consisted of wine that meant the good of faith. The sacrifices themselves were also called 'bread', 2165. For the use in sacrifices of a drink-offering consisting of wine, see Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 23:12-13, 18-19; Numbers 15:2-15; 28:6-7, 18-end; 29:1-7 and following verses.

[3] The meaning that 'wine' has of love towards the neighbour and the good of faith is also evident in Isaiah,

Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! And come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1.

No one can fail to see that they did not have to buy wine and milk, but that they were to acquire what is meant by 'wine and milk', which is love towards the neighbour and faith. These gifts come from the Lord 'without money and without price'.

[4] In Hosea,

Threshing-floor and winepress will not feed them, and new wine will be deceptive to her. 1 Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean. They will not pour libations of wine to Jehovah, their sacrifices will not be pleasing to Him. Hosea 9:1-4.

Here also in the internal sense reference is made to the good of love and the good of faith, to the demise of them. The good of love is meant by 'threshing-floor' by virtue of the grain there and the bread made from it, while the good of faith is meant by 'winepress', 'new wine', and 'libation of wine'. 'Ephraim will return to Egypt' stands for the fact that the understanding would resort to factual knowledge for advice concerning the arcana of faith; 'in Assyria they will eat what is unclean' stands for that which is the outcome of consequent false reasoning - 'Ephraim' being the area of understanding in the Church, see 5754, 6112, 6238, 6267; 'Egypt' the area of factual knowledge, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 5702; and 'Assyria' that of reasoning, 1186. The line of thought in this passage also shows that the words used here contain something more than what one sees in the letter. For everything hangs together in the internal sense, but not so in the external sense, for example when it says that 'threshing-floor and winepress will not feed them, and new wine will be deceptive to her', immediately followed by 'Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean'. Moreover, without the internal sense what meaning would Ephraim's return to Egypt and their eating in Assyria what is unclean have?

[5] 'Winepress' and 'wine' are also used in Jeremiah to describe the demise of mutual love and the good of faith,

He who lays waste has fallen on your vintage, therefore joy and gladness have been plucked from Carmel, and from the land of Moab, for I have made the wine cease from the winepresses; none will tread the headed. 2 Jeremiah 48:32-33.

[6] The fact that 'wine' means the good of mutual love and of faith is also evident in John,

I heard a voice from the midst of the four living creatures, saying, Do no harm to oil and wine. Revelation 6:6.

[7] 'Oil' stands for the good of celestial love, and 'wine' for the good of spiritual love.

'Oil' and 'wine' have a similar meaning in the Lord's parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke,

A certain Samaritan was journeying, and seeing him who had been wounded by the robbers was moved with compassion for him; going therefore to him, he bandaged his wounds, and poured on oil and wine. Luke 10:33-34.

'He poured on oil and wine' means that he performed the works of love and charity, 'oil' being the good of love, see 886, 3728. A like meaning was involved in the practice of the ancients, who poured oil and wine onto a pillar when they consecrated it, Genesis 35:14, 4581, 4582.

[8] The fact that 'wine' means the good of love and faith is evident from the words the Lord used when He instituted the Holy Supper. He said then regarding the wine,

I tell you that I shall not drink from now on of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom. Matthew 26:29; Luke 22:17-18.

Anyone can see that He was not about to drink wine in that kingdom, but that the good of love and faith is meant, which He was about to impart to those who belonged to His kingdom. Much the same is meant by 'wine' in Isaiah 24:9, 11; Lamentations 2:11-12; Hosea 14:7; Amos 9:13-14; Zechariah 9:15-16; Luke 5:37-39.

[9] Since 'wine' means the good of love and faith, Divine Truth from the Lord's Divine Good is therefore meant in the highest sense, for that Truth, when it flows into a person and is accepted by him, brings him the good of love and faith.

[10] Since most things in the Word also have a contrary meaning, so too does 'wine', the contrary meaning of which is falsity from evil, as in Isaiah,

Woe to those who rise in the morning around dawn, and then follow strong drink, who continue into dusk, so that wine may inflame them! Woe to heroes at drinking wine, and to valiant men in mixing strong drink! Isaiah 5:11, 22

In the same prophet,

Also these err through wine, and go astray through strong drink. The priest and the prophet err through strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine, they go astray through strong drink. They err among the seers, they are tottery in judgement. Isaiah 28:7.

In the same prophet,

The shepherds know no understanding, they all look to their own way. Come, I will get wine, and we will be drunken from strong drink; and let there be tomorrow, as there is this day, great abundance. Isaiah 56:11-12.

In addition to these places 'wine' is used with the contrary meaning in Jeremiah 13:12; Hosea 4:11; 7:5; Amos 2:8; Micah 2:11; Psalms 75:8; Deuteronomy 32:33.

Falsity from evil is also meant by the cup of the wine of wrath in Jeremiah 25:15-16; Revelation 14:8, 10; 16:19; the winepress of the wrath of God's anger, Revelation 19:15; and the wine of whoredom, Revelation 17:2; 18:3.

Footnotes:

1. The Latin means them but the Hebrew means her, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse, as well as possibly here in his rough draft.

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