27
Men om den ogudaktige vänder om från den ogudaktighet som han har övat, och i stället övar rätt och rättfärdighet, då får han behålla sin själ vid liv.
Hesekiel 18:27
Apocalypse Explained #238
238. And miserable and poor. That this signifies that neither do they know that these have neither knowledges of truth nor knowledges of good, is evident from the signification of misery, or miserable, as being those who are destitute of the knowledges of truth; and from the signification of poor, as being those who are without the knowledges of good. That the terms miserable and poor have such signification is evident from many passages in the Word, and moreover from this consideration, that spiritual misery and poverty are nothing else but a defect of the knowledges of truth and good, for when such defect exists, the spirit is both miserable and poor; but when these knowledges are possessed, the spirit is rich and opulent; therefore by riches and wealth in the Word are signified spiritual riches and wealth, which are the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good, as was shown above (n. 236).
[2] Miserable and poor are terms used in many passages in the Word; but when the spiritual sense of these terms is not known, it is believed that only those are meant who are miserable and poor as to the things of the world; when nevertheless these are not meant, but those who are not in truths and goods and in the knowledges thereof. Indeed, by the miserable are meant those who are not in truths because not in the knowledges of them, and by the poor, those who are not in goods because they are not in the knowledges thereof. Because truths and goods, are meant by these two expressions, therefore in many places both are mentioned, as in David:
"I am miserable and poor, Lord, remember me" (Psalms 40:17; 70:5).
Again:
"Incline thine ear, O Jehovah, answer; for I am miserable and poor" (Psalms 86:1).
That by the miserable and poor are not meant those who are so as to worldly riches, but as to spiritual riches, is clear, because David spoke this concerning himself; therefore he also said, "Jehovah, incline thine ear, and answer."
[3] Again:
"The wicked make bare the sword, and bend their bow, to cast down the miserable and poor" (Psalms 37:14).
That by the miserable and poor are here also meant those who are spiritually such but yet desire the knowledges of truth and good is evident, for it is said that the wicked make bare the sword, and bend their bow; the sword signifying falsity fighting against truth and endeavouring to destroy it; and the bow, the doctrine of falsity against the doctrine of truth; therefore it is said that they do this to cast down the miserable and poor. (That by sword is signified truth fighting against falsity, and, in an opposite sense, falsity fighting against truth, may be seen above, n. 131; and that by bow is signified doctrine in both senses, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 2686, 2709.)
[4] Again:
The wicked "persecuted the miserable and poor, and the dejected in heart to slay him" (Psalms 109:16).
In Isaiah:
"The fool speaketh foolishness, and his heart doeth iniquity to practise hypocrisy and to speak error against Jehovah, to make empty the hungry soul, and to make him who thirsteth for drink to faint. He deviseth wicked devices to destroy the miserable with words of falsehood, even when the poor speaketh judgment" (32:6, 7).
In this passage, also, by the miserable and poor are meant those who are destitute of the knowledges of truth and good; therefore it is said that the wicked deviseth wicked devices to destroy the miserable with words of falsehood, even when the poor speaketh judgment; words of falsehood denote falsities, and to speak judgment denotes what is right. Because such are here treated of, it is also said that they practise hypocrisy and utter error against Jehovah, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause him that thirsteth for drink to faint. To practise hypocrisy and to utter error denotes to do evil from falsity, and to speak falsity from evil; to make empty the soul of the hungry denotes to deprive of the knowledges of good those who desire them, and to cause the thirsty to faint for drink is to deprive of the knowledges of truth those who desire them. Again:
"The miserable shall have joy in Jehovah, and the poor of men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel" (29:19).
By the miserable and poor are here also signified those with whom there is a deficiency of truth and good, and who, nevertheless, desire them; of these it is said that they "shall have joy in Jehovah, and exult in the Holy One of Israel," and not of those who are miserable and poor as to worldly wealth.
[5] From these considerations it is evident what is signified by the miserable and poor in other passages in the Word, as in the following:
"The poor shall not always be forgotten; and the hope of the miserable shall not perish for ever" (Psalms 9:18).
Again:
"God shall judge the miserable of the people, he shall keep the sons of the poor. He shall liberate the poor when he crieth; the miserable also. He shall spare the poor and the needy, and shall save the souls of the poor" (Psalms 72:4, 12, 13).
Again:
"The miserable shall see, those seeking Jehovah shall be glad, because Jehovah heareth the poor" (Psalms 69:32, 33).
Again:
"Jehovah delivereth the miserable from him that is too strong for him, and the poor from him that spoileth him?" (Psalms 35:10).
Again:
"The miserable and poor praise thy name" (74:21; 109:22).
"I know that Jehovah will maintain the cause of the miserable, and the judgment of the poor" (Psalms 140:12).
And also elsewhere; as in Isaiah 10:2; Jeremiah 22:16; Ezekiel 16:49; 18:12; 22:29; Amos. 8:4; Deuteronomy 15:11; 24:14. The reason why both the miserable and the poor are mentioned in the passages adduced above, is, that it is according to the style of the Word that where truth is treated of good is also treated of; and, in the opposite sense, where falsity is treated of evil is also treated of, because they form one, and are like a marriage. On this account the miserable and the poor are mentioned together; for by the miserable are meant those who are deficient in the knowledges of truth, and by the poor those who are deficient in the knowledges of good. (That there is such a marriage almost everywhere in the prophetical parts of the Word, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 683, 793, 801, 2516, 2712, 3004, 3005, 3009, 4138, 5138, 5194, 5502, 6343, 7022, 7945, 8339, 9263, 9314.) On this account also it is said in what follows: "And blind and naked;" for by the blind are meant those who have no understanding of truth, and by the naked those who have no understanding and will of good. Also, in the verse following, it is said, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed;" for by gold tried in the fire is meant the good of love, and by white raiment the truths of faith. And further, it is said, "That the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see," by which is meant lest the evils and falsities should be seen. The case is the same in other passages; but that such a marriage exists in every part of the Word, none can see but those who are acquainted with its internal sense.
Ezekiel 18
1
The word of Yahweh came to me again, saying,
2
What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
3
As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, you shall not have [occasion] any more to use this proverb in Israel.
4
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins, he shall die.
5
But if a man is just, and does that which is lawful and right,
6
and has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither has defiled his neighbor's wife, neither has come near to a woman in her impurity,
7
and has not wronged any, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has taken nothing by robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;
8
he who has not given forth on interest, neither has taken any increase, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,
9
has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, says the Lord Yahweh.
10
If he fathers a son who is a robber, a shedder of blood, and who does any one of these things,
11
and who does not any of those [duties], but even has eaten on the mountains, and defiled his neighbor's wife,
12
has wronged the poor and needy, has taken by robbery, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination,
13
has given forth on interest, and has taken increase; shall he then live? he shall not live: he has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be on him.
14
Now, behold, if he fathers a son, who sees all his father's sins, which he has done, and fears, and does not such like;
15
who has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor's wife,
16
neither has wronged any, has not taken anything to pledge, neither has taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;
17
who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who has not received interest nor increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
18
As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity.
19
Yet you say, Why doesn't the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he shall surely live.
20
The soul who sins, he shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.
21
But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22
None of his transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him: in his righteousness that he has done he shall live.
23
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord Yahweh; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?
24
But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered: in his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die.
25
Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren't your ways unequal?
26
When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies therein; in his iniquity that he has done shall he die.
27
Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
28
Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
29
Yet says the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. house of Israel, are not my ways equal? Aren't your ways unequal?
30
Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways, says the Lord Yahweh. Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
31
Cast away from you all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, house of Israel?
32
For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the Lord Yahweh: therefore turn yourselves, and live.
