The Bible

 

Ezekiel 13

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1 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, Hear the word of Yahweh:

3 Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

4 Israel, your prophets have been like foxes in the waste places.

5 You have not gone up into the gaps, neither built up the wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of Yahweh.

6 They have seen falsehood and lying divination, who say, Yahweh says; but Yahweh has not sent them: and they have made men to hope that the word would be confirmed.

7 Haven't you seen a false vision, and Haven't you spoken a lying divination, in that you say, Yahweh says; but I have not spoken?

8 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you have spoken falsehood, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, says the Lord Yahweh.

9 My hand shall be against the prophets who see false visions, and who divine lies: they shall not be in the council of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and you shall know that I am the Lord Yahweh.

10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there is no Peace; and when one builds up a wall, behold, they plaster it with whitewash:

11 tell those who plaster it with whitewash, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and you, great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it.

12 Behold, when the wall has fallen, shall it not be said to you, Where is the plaster with which you have plastered it?

13 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will even tear it with a stormy wind in my wrath; and there shall be an overflowing shower in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to consume it.

14 So will I break down the wall that you have plastered with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation shall be uncovered; and it shall fall, and you shall be consumed in its midst: and you shall know that I am Yahweh.

15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath on the wall, and on those who have plastered it with whitewash; and I will tell you, The wall is no more, neither those who plastered it;

16 [to wit], the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, says the Lord Yahweh.

17 You, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy against them,

18 and say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Woe to the women who sew pillows on all elbows, and make kerchiefs for the head of [persons of] every stature to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of my people, and save souls alive for yourselves?

19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to kill the souls who should not die, and to save the souls alive who should not live, by your lying to my people who listen to lies.

20 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am against your pillows, with which you there hunt the souls to make [them] fly, and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let the souls go, even the souls whom you hunt to make [them] fly.

21 Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.

22 Because with lies you have grieved the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, and be saved alive:

23 Therefore you shall no more see false visions, nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1178

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1178. 'He was mighty in hunting before Jehovah' means that he persuaded many people. This is clear from the fact that faith separated from charity is such, and also from the meaning of 'hunting' in the Word. Faith separated from charity is such that people are easily persuaded. The vast majority of mankind do not know what internal things are, but they do know what external are. The vast majority are also given to sensualism, low pleasures and desires, considering only themselves and the world, and are therefore easily captivated by that kind of religion. From the meaning of 'hunting': in the Word 'hunting' means in general persuading and in particular captivating people's minds, by pandering to the senses, low pleasures and desires, and by the use of matters of doctrine which in an arbitrary fashion they explain in a way that satisfies their own disposition and that of the other person. They do this for the selfish reason that they may be important in position and in wealth, and so by the use of persuasion.

[2] This is clear in Ezekiel,

Woe to those who sew little pillows on all the joints of My hands and make veils upon the head [of persons] of every stature to hunt souls! You hunt souls for My people, and you keep souls alive for yourselves; and you have desecrated Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for crusts of bread, to slay souls that will not die, and to keep alive souls that will not live, by lying to My people that listen to lies. behold, I am against your little pillows with which you there hunt the souls to make them fly away, and I will tear them from on your arms, and I will let the souls go that you hunt, souls to fly away; and I will tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they will be no more in your hand to be hunted. Ezekiel 13:18-21.

These verses explain what 'hunting' means - a deceiving by means of persuasions and by means of cognitions which they pervert and explain to their own advantage, and at the same time according to the other person's disposition.

[3] In Micah,

The compassionate man has perished from the earth, and there is none upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; 1 they hunt every man his brother with a net. When they do evil with the hands instead of doing good, the prince asks for and gives judgement for the sake of a reward, and the great man utters the perversity of his soul; and they twist it around. Micah 7:2-3.

This in a similar way explains what 'hunting' means, namely lying in wait for the sake of self, that is, calling true that which is false, uttering perversity, and twisting things around, and in these ways persuading. In David,

A slanderer 2 will not be established in the land; as for the violent man, evil hunts him down, to overthrow him! Psalms 140:11.

This refers to wicked persons who persuade by means of falsities, think wickedly, and speak smoothly, with deceitful intent. 'Tongue' here stands for lying.

Footnotes:

1. literally, bloods

2. literally, A man of tongue

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