The Bible

 

Ezekiel 27

Study

   

1 Ang salita ng Panginoon ay dumating uli sa akin, na nagsasabi:

2 At ikaw, anak ng tao, panaghuyan mo ang Tiro;

3 At sabihin mo sa Tiro, Oh ikaw na tumatahan sa pasukan sa dagat, na ikaw ang mangangalakal sa mga bansa sa maraming pulo, ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Dios: Ikaw, Oh Tiro, nagsabi, Ako'y sakdal sa kagandahan.

4 Ang iyong mga hangganan ay nangasa kalaliman ng mga dagat, ang nagsipagtayo sa iyo ay nangagpasakdal ng iyong kagandahan.

5 Ang ginawa nilang makakapal mong tabla ay mga puno ng abeto na mula sa Senir: sila'y nagsikuha ng cedro mula sa Libano, upang gawing palo ng sasakyan mo.

6 Ginawa nilang iyong mga saguwan ang mga encina sa Basan; ang kanilang ginawang mga bangko mong garing na nalalapat sa kahoy na boj ay mula sa mga pulo ng Chittim.

7 Manipis na kayong lino na yaring may burda na mula sa Egipto ang iyong layag, upang maging sa iyo'y isang watawat; kulay asul at morado na mula sa mga pulo ng Elisah ang iyong kulandong.

8 Ang mga nananahan sa Sidon at Arvad ay iyong mga mananaguwan: ang iyong mga pantas, Oh Tiro, ay nangasa iyo, sila ang iyong mga tagaugit.

9 Ang mga matanda sa Gebal at ang mga pantas niyao'y pawang tagapagpasak mo: ang lahat na sasakyan sa dagat sangpu ng mga tao ng mga yaon ay nangasa iyo upang pangasiwaan ang iyong kalakal.

10 Ang Persia, ang Lud, at ang Phut ay nangasa iyong hukbo, na iyong mga lalaking mangdidigma: kanilang ibinitin ang kalasag at ang turbante sa iyo; nagpapaganda sa iyo.

11 Ang mga lalake sa Arvad na kasama ng iyong hukbo ay nangasa ibabaw ng iyong mga kuta sa palibot, at ang mga matatapang ay nasa iyong mga moog; kanilang isinabit ang kanilang mga kalasag sa iyong mga kuta sa palibot; kanilang pinasakdal ang iyong kagandahan.

12 Ang Tarsis ay iyong mangangalakal dahil sa karamihan ng sarisaring kayamanan; na ang pilak, bakal, lata, at tingga, ay ipinapalit nila sa iyong mga kalakal.

13 Ang Javan, ang Tubal, at ang Mesec, mga mangangalakal mo: kanilang kinakalakal ang mga tao at ang mga sisidlang tanso na ipinapalit nila sa iyong mga kalakal.

14 Ang sangbahayan ni Togarma ay nakikipagpalitan sa iyong mga kalakal ng mga kabayo at ng mga kabayong pangdigma at ng mga mula.

15 Ang mga tao sa Dedan ay iyong mangangalakal: maraming pulo ay nangagdadala ng kalakal sa iyong kamay: kanilang dinadala sa iyo na pinakapalit ay mga sungay na garing at ebano.

16 Naging mangangalakal mo ang Siria dahil sa karamihan ng iyong mga gawang kamay: sila'y nakikipagpalitan sa iyong mga kalakal ng mga esmeralda, kulay ube, at yaring may burda, at manipis na kayong lino, at gasang at mga rubi.

17 Naging mga mangangalakal mo ang Juda, at ang lupain ng Israel: sila'y nakikipagpalitan sa iyong mga kalakal ng trigo ng Minith, at ng pannag, at ng pulot, at ng langis, at ng balsamo.

18 Mangangalakal mo ang Damasko dahil sa karamihan ng iyong mga gawang kamay, dahil sa karamihan ng sarisaring kayamanan, sangpu ng alak sa Helbon, at maputing lana.

19 Nakikipagpalitan ang Vedan at Javan sa iyong mga kalakal ng sinulid na lana: ang makinang na bakal, ang kasia, at ang kalamo, ay ilan sa iyong mga kalakal.

20 Naging iyong mangangalakal ang Dedan sa mga mahalagang kayo na ukol sa pangangabayo.

21 Ang Arabia, at lahat na prinsipe sa Cedar, mga naging mangangalakal ng iyong kamay; sa mga cordero, at mga lalaking tupa, at mga kambing, sa mga ito'y naging mga mangangalakal mo sila.

22 Ang mga mangangalakal sa Seba at sa Raama, mga naging mangangalakal mo; kanilang ipinapalit sa iyong mga kalakal ang mga pinakamainam na especia, at lahat na mahalagang bato, at ang ginto.

23 Ang Haran at ang Canneh at ang Eden, na mga mangangalakal sa Seba, ang Assur at ang Chilmad ay naging mga mangangalakal mo.

24 Ang mga ito ang iyong mga mangangalakal sa mga piling kalakal sa mga balutan ng mga yaring asul at may burda, at sa mga baul na may mainam na hiyas, natatalian ng mga sintas, at yaring cedro, na ilan sa iyong mga kalakal.

25 Ang mga sasakyan sa Tarsis ay iyong mga pulutong sa iyong kalakal: at ikaw ay napuno at naging totoong maluwalhati sa kalagitnaan ng mga dagat.

26 Dinala ka ng iyong mga manggagaod sa malawak na dagat: binagbag ka ng hanging silanganan sa kalagitnaan ng dagat.

27 Ang iyong kayamanan, at ang iyong mga kalakal, ang iyong tinda, at ang iyong mga manggagaod, at ang iyong mga tagaugit, ang iyong mga tagapagpasak, at ang nagsisipamahala ng iyong mga kalakal, at ang lahat mong lalaking mangdidigma na nangasa iyo, sangpu ng iyong lahat na pulutong na nangasa gitna mo, mangalulubog sa kalagitnaan ng dagat sa kaarawan ng iyong pagkasira.

28 Sa lakas ng hiyaw ng iyong mga tagaugit, ang mga nayon ay mangayayanig.

29 At lahat na nagsisihawak ng gaod, ang mga tao sa sasakyan, at lahat ng tagaugit sa dagat, ay magsisibaba sa kanilang mga sasakyan; sila'y magsisitayo sa ibabaw ng lupain,

30 At iparirinig ang kanilang tinig sa iyo, at hihiyaw ng kalagimlagim, at mangagbubuhos ng alabok sa kanilang mga ulo, sila'y magsisigumon sa mga abo:

31 At mangagpapakakalbo dahil sa iyo, at mangagbibigkis ng kayong magaspang, at kanilang iiyakan ka ng kapanglawpanglaw sa kalooban, na may mapanglaw na pananangis.

32 At sa kanilang pagtangis ay pananaghuyan ka nila, at tatangisan ka, na sasabihin, Sino ang gaya ng Tiro na gaya niya na nadala sa katahimikan sa gitna ng dagat?

33 Pagka ang iyong mga kalakal ay inilalabas sa mga dagat, iyong binubusog ang maraming bayan; iyong pinayaman ang mga hari sa lupa ng karamihan ng iyong mga kayamanan at ng iyong mga kalakal.

34 Sa panahon na ikaw ay bagbag sa tabi ng mga dagat sa kalaliman ng tubig, ang iyong kalakal at ang iyong buong pulutong ay lumubog sa gitna mo.

35 Lahat ng mananahan sa mga pulo ay nangatitigilan dahil sa iyo, at ang kanilang mga hari ay nangatakot ng di kawasa, sila'y nangamanglaw sa kanilang mukha.

36 Pinagsutsutan ka ng mga mangangalakal sa gitna ng mga bayan; ikaw ay naging kakilakilabot, at hindi ka na mabubuhay pa.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3923

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

3923. 'Therefore she called his name Dan' means the essential nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3421. The particular nature is contained in the name Dan, for he was so called from the verb 'to judge'. But although he was given this name from that verb, it nevertheless includes those things meant in the whole of Rachel's utterance 'God has judged me, and also has heard my voice'. That is, the name Dan holds within it the good of life and the holiness of faith, and also in the highest sense the Lord's righteousness and mercy. This general essential of the Church is meant by Dan and represented by the tribe named after Dan, and it is the first that has to be affirmed and acknowledged before a person can be regenerated or become the Church. Unless such goodness and holiness are affirmed and acknowledged, all the other qualities constituting faith and life cannot possibly be received, nor therefore affirmed, still less acknowledged. For anyone whose affirmation does not go beyond faith to the holiness of faith, which is charity - for charity is the holiness of faith - and does not affirm that holiness of faith through the good of life, that is, through charitable works, can no longer have any enthusiasm for the essence of faith since he rejects it. Acknowledgement as well as affirmation is the first general attainment in a person who is being regenerated but the last with one who has been regenerated. This explains why Dan comes first with one who is to be regenerated and Joseph last, for Joseph is the spiritual man himself, but why Joseph comes first with one who has been regenerated and Dan last. The reason for this is that one who is to be regenerated is at the point of beginning to affirm that these qualities - the holiness of faith and the good of life - are truly such. But one who is regenerate - a spiritual man - has arrived at spiritual good itself, and from here he sees the affirmation of those qualities as that which comes last, because the things that constitute the holiness of faith and the good of life have become firmly established in him.

[2] That 'Dan' means this affirmative attitude which must exist first when a person is being regenerated may also be seen from other places in the Word where Dan is mentioned, for example from the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel, concerning his own sons, Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent on the road, an asp on the path, biting the horse's heels; and its rider falls backwards. I am awaiting Your salvation, O Jehovah. Genesis 49:16-18.

'Dan' in this case stands for an affirmative attitude to truth. This attitude is spoken of as a serpent which will be on the road and an asp on the path when someone reasoning about truth does so from sensory evidence. 'Biting the horse's heels' means when that person resorts to the lowest level of the understanding - namely factual knowledge - and bases his conclusions on this. And the fact that when he does so he is drawn away from the truth is meant by 'its rider falls backwards', as a consequence of which it is said that 'I am awaiting Your salvation, O Jehovah'. For 'a serpent' means one who reasons from sensory evidence and from factual knowledge about Divine arcana, see 195-197; 'road' and 'path' mean truth, 627, 2333; 'the horse's heels' means the lowest level of the understanding, which is factual knowledge, 259 - 'a horse' meaning the understanding, 2761, 2762, the lowest level of which is meant by 'the heel'.

[3] In Moses' prophecy regarding the twelve tribes,

To Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp; he leaps out from Bashan. Deuteronomy 33:22.

'A lion' in the internal sense of the Word means the truth of the Church, on account of its strength, truth being that which fights and overcomes. 'A lion's whelp' therefore stands for the first stage truth passes through, which is one of affirmation and acknowledgement. The phrase 'from Bashan' is used because these begin in the good of the natural. In Jeremiah,

Wash your heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long are you causing your iniquitous thoughts to lodge within you? For there is a voice of one declaring from Dan, and of one causing iniquity to be heard from Mount Ephraim. Jeremiah 4:14-15.

'From Dan' stands for truth that is to be affirmed, 'from Mount Ephraim' for this being done from the affection for it.

[4] In the same prophet,

Await peace, and no good comes; for a time of healing, and behold, terror! From Dan the snorting of his horses was heard; at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones the whole land quaked. And they came and devoured the land and the fulness of it, the city and those dwelling in it. For behold, I am sending into you poisonous serpents which do not respond to charming; and they will bite you. Jeremiah 8:15-17.

'From Dan the snorting of horses was heard' stands for reasoning about truth from an unaffirmative attitude. 'The land which quaked' and 'they devoured the fulness of it' stand for the Church and all things constituting the Church. For people who reason about truth from an unaffirmative or negative attitude destroy everything that is part of faith. 'Poisonous serpents' stands for reasonings, as above.

[5] In Ezekiel,

Dan and Javan came and exchanged wrought iron at your fairs, cassia and calamus were in your trading. Ezekiel 27:19.

This refers to Tyre, which means cognitions of truth and good, 1201. 'Dan' stands for the first truths that are affirmed, 'fairs and tradings' for acquisitions of truth and good, 2967, 'wrought iron' stands for natural truth, which is primary, 425, 426, 'cassia and calamus' for the same, but natural truth from which good flows.

[6] In Amos,

On that day the beautiful virgins and the young men will faint for thirst. Those swearing to the offence of Samaria, who say, Your God lives, O Dan, and the way of Beersheba lives, they will both fall and not rise again. Amos 8:13-14.

'Your God lives, O Dan, and the way of Beersheba lives' stands for their negative attitude towards everything that constitutes faith and its doctrine - 'way' meaning truth, 627, 2333, and 'Beersheba' doctrine, 2723, 2858, 2859, 3466. The reason a negative attitude towards everything constituting faith is meant is that Dan was the last boundary of the land of Canaan, and Beersheba the first; that is, it was situated in the middle or inmost part of the land. For the land of Canaan represented and meant the Lord's kingdom, and so the Church, 1607, 3038, 3481, and therefore every detail of love and faith, since these constitute the Lord's kingdom and Church. Consequently everything in the land of Canaan was representative, being determined by the distances, positions, and boundaries there, 1585, 1866, 3686.

[7] The first - that is, the central or inmost - point of reference to the land, before Jerusalem became such, was Beersheba; for this was where Abraham and also Isaac lived. But the outermost point of reference or the last boundary was Dan. Consequently when everything in its entirety was meant the phrase 'Dan even to Beersheba' was used, as in the second Book of Samuel,

To transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba. 2 Samuel 3:10:.

In the same book,

David said to Joab, Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan even to Beersheba. 2 Samuel 24:2, 15.

In the first Book of Kings,

Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every one under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba. 1 Kings 4:25.

This phrase is used in the historical sense to mean every part of the land of Canaan, but in the internal sense everything constituting the Lord's kingdom, and also everything constituting the Church.

[8] Dan means the first boundary, and also - as stated above - the last boundary, for the reason that the affirmative attitude towards truth and good is the first requirement of all when faith and charity begin to be present in a person, but the last when charity and consequently faith are established in him. This is also why the last lot fell to Dan when the land of Canaan was divided up for inheritance, Joshua 19:40 and following verses; for the lot was cast before Jehovah, Joshua 18:6.

[9] That lot fell therefore according to what each tribe represented. And since the lot to Dan did not fall among the inheritances of all the other tribes but beyond their boundaries, Judges 18:1, that tribe was also left out of the description in John, in Revelation 7:5-8, concerning each twelve thousand who had been sealed. For those who merely affirm truth and also good, but go no further, are not within the Lord's kingdom, that is, among those who have been sealed. Even very wicked people may know truths and goods, and may also affirm them; but the true nature of their affirming is recognized from the life they lead.

[10] Dan is also referred to as a boundary in Genesis 14:14, in which verse it is said that Abraham pursued his enemies as far as there, and in which verse Dan has a similar meaning. The city called Dan, it is true, had yet to be built by Dan's descendants at a later time, Joshua 19:47; Judges 18:29; but even at that time it was referred to as the first boundary when one was entering the land of Canaan but the last when one was leaving it, the inmost part of the land being Hebron, and later on Beersheba, where Abraham and Isaac lived.

  
/ 10837  
  

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