De Bijbel

 

Hesekiel 23

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1 Und des HERRN Wort geschah zu mir und sprach:

2 Du Menschenkind, es waren zwei Weiber, einer Mutter Töchter.

3 Die trieben Hurerei in Ägypten in ihrer Jugend; daselbst ließen sie ihre Brüste begreifen und den Busen ihrer Jungfrauschaft betasten.

4 Die große heißt Ohola und ihre Schwester Oholiba. Und ich nahm sie zur Ehe, und sie gebaren mir Söhne und Töchter. Und Ohola heißt Samaria und Oholiba Jerusalem.

5 Ohola trieb Hurerei, da ich sie genommen hatte, und brannte gegen ihre Buhlen, nämlich gegen die Assyrer, die zu ihr kamen,

6 gegen die Fürsten und Herren, die mit Purpur gekleidet waren, und alle junge, liebliche Gesellen, Reisige, so auf Rossen ritten.

7 Und sie buhlte mit allen schönen Gesellen in Assyrien und verunreinigte sich mit allen ihren Götzen, wo sie auf einen entbrannte.

8 Dazu ließ sie auch nicht die Hurerei mit Ägypten, die bei ihr gelegen hatten von ihrer Jugend auf und die Brüste ihrer Jungfrauschaft betastet und große Hurerei mit ihr getrieben hatten.

9 Da übergab ich sie in die Hand ihrer Buhlen, den Kindern Assur, gegen welche sie brannte vor Lust.

10 Die deckten ihre Blöße auf und nahmen ihre Söhne und Töchter weg; sie aber töteten sie mit dem Schwert. Und es kam aus unter den Weibern, wie sie gestraft wäre.

11 Da es aber ihre Schwester Oholiba sah, entbrannte sie noch viel ärger denn jene und trieb die Hurerei mehr denn ihre Schwester;

12 und entbrannte gegen die Kinder Assur, nämlich die Fürsten und Herren, die zu ihr kamen wohl gekleidet, Reisige, so auf Rossen ritten, und alle junge, liebliche Gesellen.

13 Da sah ich, daß sie alle beide gleichermaßen verunreinigt waren.

14 Aber diese treib ihre Hurerei mehr. Denn da sie sah gemalte Männer an der Wand in roter Farbe, die Bilder der Chaldäer,

15 um ihre Lenden gegürtet und bunte Mützen auf ihren Köpfen, und alle gleich anzusehen wie gewaltige Leute, wie denn die Kinder Babels, die Chaldäer, tragen in ihrem Vaterlande:

16 entbrannte sie gegen sie, sobald sie ihrer gewahr ward, und schickte Botschaft zu ihnen nach Chaldäa.

17 Als nun die Kinder Babels zu ihr kamen, bei ihr zu schlafen nach der Liebe, verunreinigten sie dieselbe mit ihrer Hurerei, und sie verunreinigte sich mit ihnen, bis sie ihrer müde ward.

18 Und da ihre Hurerei und Schande so gar offenbar war, ward ich ihrer überdrüssig, wie ich ihrer Schwester auch war müde geworden.

19 Sie aber trieb ihre Hurerei immer mehr und gedachte an die Zeit ihrer Jugend, da sie in Ägyptenland Hurerei getrieben hatte,

20 und entbrannte gegen ihre Buhlen, welcher Brunst war wie der Esel und der Hengste Brunst.

21 Und du bestelltest deine Unzucht wie in deiner Jugend, da die in Ägypten deine Brüste begriffen und deinen Busen betasteten.

22 Darum, Oholiba, so spricht der HERR HERR: Siehe, ich will deine Buhlen, deren du müde bist geworden, wider dich erwecken und will sie ringsumher wider dich bringen,

23 nämlich die Kinder Babels und alle Chaldäer mit Hauptleuten, Fürsten und Herren und alle Assyrer mit ihnen, die schöne junge Mannschaft, alle Fürsten und Herren, Ritter und Edle, die alle auf Rossen reiten.

24 Und sie werden über dich kommen, gerüstet mit Wagen und Rädern und mit großem Haufen Volks, und werden dich belagern mit Tartschen, Schilden und Helmen um und um. Denen will ich das Recht befehlen, daß sie dich richten sollen nach ihrem Recht.

25 Ich will meinen Eifer über dich gehen lassen, daß sie unbarmherzig mit dir handeln sollen. Sie sollen dir Nase und Ohren abschneiden; und was übrigbleibt, soll durchs Schwert fallen. Sie sollen deine Söhne und Töchter wegnehmen und das übrige mit Feuer verbrennen.

26 Sie sollen dir deine Kleider ausziehen und deinen Schmuck wegnehmen.

27 Also will ich deiner Unzucht und deiner Hurerei mit Ägyptenland ein Ende machen, daß du deine Augen nicht mehr nach ihnen aufheben und Ägyptens nicht mehr gedenken sollst.

28 Denn so spricht der HERR HERR: Siehe, ich will dich überantworten, denen du feind geworden und deren du müde bist.

29 Die sollen wie Feinde mit dir umgehen und alles nehmen, was du erworben hast, und dich nackt und bloß lassen, daß die Schande deiner Unzucht und Hurerei offenbar werde.

30 Solches wird dir geschehen um deiner Hurerei willen, so du mit den Heiden getrieben, an deren Götzen du dich verunreinigt hast.

31 Du bist auf dem Wege deiner Schwester gegangen; darum gebe ich dir auch deren Kelch in deine Hand.

32 So spricht der HERR HERR: Du mußt den Kelch deiner Schwester trinken, so tief und weit er ist: du sollst zu so großem Spott und Hohn werden, daß es unerträglich sein wird.

33 Du mußt dich des starken Tranks und Jammers vollsaufen; denn der Kelch deiner Schwester Samaria ist ein Kelch des Jammers und Trauerns.

34 Denselben mußt du rein austrinken, darnach die Scherben zerwerfen und deine Brüste zerreißen; denn ich habe es geredet, spricht der HERR HERR.

35 Darum so spricht der HERR HERR: Darum, daß du mein vergessen und mich hinter deinen Rücken geworfen hast, so trage auch nun deine Unzucht und deine Hurerei.

36 Und der HERR sprach zu mir; Du Menschenkind, willst du nicht Ohola und Oholiba strafen und ihnen zeigen ihre Greuel?

37 Wie sie Ehebrecherei getrieben und Blut vergossen und die Ehe gebrochen haben mit den Götzen; dazu ihre Kinder, die sie mir geboren hatten, verbrannten sie denselben zum Opfer.

38 berdas haben sie mir das getan: sie haben meine Heiligtümer verunreinigt dazumal und meine Sabbate entheiligt.

39 Denn da sie ihre Kinder den Götzen geschlachtet hatten, gingen sie desselben Tages in mein Heiligtum, es zu entheiligen. Siehe, solches haben sie in meinem Hause begangen.

40 Sie haben auch Boten geschickt nach Leuten, die aus fernen Landen kommen sollten; und siehe, da sie kamen, badetest du dich und schminktest dich und schmücktest dich mit Geschmeide zu ihren Ehren

41 und saßest auf einem herrlichen Polster, vor welchem stand ein Tisch zugerichtet; darauf legtest du mein Räuchwerk und mein Öl.

42 Daselbst erhob sich ein großes Freudengeschrei; und es gaben ihnen die Leute, so allenthalben aus großem Volk und aus der Wüste gekommen waren, Geschmeide an ihre Arme und schöne Kronen auf ihre Häupter.

43 Ich aber gedachte: Sie ist der Ehebrecherei gewohnt von alters her; sie kann von der Hurerei nicht lassen.

44 Denn man geht zu ihr ein, wie man zu einer Hure eingeht; ebenso geht man zu Ohola und Oholiba, den unzüchtigen Weibern.

45 Darum werden sie die Männer strafen, die das Recht vollbringen, wie man die Ehebrecherinnen und Blutvergießerinnen strafen soll. Denn sie sind Ehebrecherinnen, und ihre Hände sind voll Blut.

46 Also spricht der HERR HERR: Führe einen großen Haufen über sie herauf und gib sie zu Raub und Beute,

47 daß die Leute sie steinigen und mit ihren Schwertern erstechen und ihre Söhne und Töchter erwürgen und ihre Häuser mit Feuer verbrennen.

48 Also will ich der Unzucht im Lande ein Ende machen, daß alle Weiber sich warnen lassen und nicht nach solcher Unzucht tun.

49 Und man soll eure Unzucht auf euch legen, und ihr sollt eurer Götzen Sünden tragen, auf daß ihr erfahret, daß ich der HERR HERR bin.

   

Van Swedenborgs Werken

 

Apocalypse Explained #780

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780. Verse 2. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, signifies reasonings that are discordant, and yet appear as if they cohere. This is evident from the signification of "a beast coming up out of the sea," which is here treated of, as being reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life (See above, n. 774), so here it means such reasonings; also from the signification of a "leopard," as being reasonings that are discordant and yet appear as if true. Such is the signification of a "leopard" because the skin of the leopard is marked and variegated with spots, from which variegation it appears not unbeautiful; also because it is a fierce and insidious animal, and swifter than the others in seizing its prey; and because those are of like character who are versed in reasoning adroitly in confirming the dogma of the separation of faith from good works by reasonings from the natural man, and because this dogma, although it is inconsistent with truths, is made to appear as if it cohered with truths, therefore that beast appeared as to its body like a leopard.

[2] As this is the signification of the "leopard," I will first illustrate by some examples how those who separate faith from its life, which is good works, make things that are discordant to appear by their reasonings to be coherent. In many passages of the Word heresies are represented by "idols" which the workman forms by various means until he makes them appear in the figure of a man, and yet no life can be imparted to them so that they may see, hear, move the hands and feet, and speak. This I have also seen done in the spiritual world by some who had separated faith from good works; and this work continued for many hours; and when the idol had been made it appeared the sight of many like an image of a man, but before the eyes of angels like a monster. Moreover, they wished to impart to it something of life by means of their arts; but this they were unable to do.

[3] Such things take place in the spiritual world, because all things that are seen in that world are representative of spiritual things, which are presented in such forms as exist in this world; consequently beasts of the earth of every kind and birds of heaven are seen there; also houses and apartments in them, with various decorations, likewise gardens and paradises full of trees bearing fruits and flowers, also tables are seen and eatables of every kind upon them, with innumerable other things, which, however, are all from a spiritual origin, and are therefore representative of spiritual things. For the same reason some there form various things by means of which spiritual things are presented in effigy. This is why they also desired to exhibit faith separated from good works under the image of a man in order to persuade the simple by that appearance that that heretical dogma is Divine truth. For every truth from the Lord is in its form a man; therefore the angels, as they are recipients of Divine truth from the Lord, are human forms, yea, whatever is with an angel from Divine truth has such a form. (That this is so can be seen from many things in the work on Heaven and Hell, especially in n. 460.) That "idols" signify in the Word false doctrinals from self-intelligence that appear as truths, can be seen above n. 587. This has been said to make known that upon all heresies, and especially upon this universal one of the separation of faith from good works, an appearance can be induced by reasonings as if they were from truths and not from falsities.

[4] But this shall be illustrated by an example. Who may not be brought to believe that faith alone is the only means of salvation, since man is unable to do good of himself which is good in itself? For this appears to everyone at first sight as a consequence, and thus to agree with truth; and it is not then recognized to be a reasoning from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from good works; and when a man has been persuaded by this reasoning he thinks that there is no need to attend to his life, because he has faith. But he who is in this persuasion is not aware that to do good from the Word, that is, because it is commanded in the Word, is to do good from the Lord, and that thus a man may do good from himself, and yet may believe that it is from the Lord. But about this more will be said in what follows. From this much it can be seen how the appearance can easily be induced by reasonings that this falsity which universally prevails in the Christian Church is in agreement with this truth, that every good that is good in itself is from the Lord, and not at all from man, from which it is inferred that a man can cease doing good and yet be saved; when in fact, this is altogether in disagreement with the truth.

[5] That such is the signification of the "leopard" can be seen from the following passages. In Jeremiah:

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then can ye also do good who have been taught to do evil (Jeremiah 13:23).

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin" signifies that evil cannot change its nature, for "the Ethiopian" because he is wholly black, is evil in its form, and the skin, because it is the outermost part of man, and corresponds to his sensual, means his nature. "Or the leopard his spots" signifies that neither can the falsity of evil change, "leopard" here meaning the falsity from evil, since it means truth falsified by reasonings; and "spots" mean things falsified. As both of these are against good it is said, "Then may ye also do good who have been taught to do evil." It is said that both are against good, namely, evil and the falsity of evil, because evil of the will and falsity of the understanding therefrom are meant. Evil of the will is evil from one's nature, and falsity of the understanding becomes evil by act; for the will acts and does evil by means of the understanding.

[6] In Isaiah:

Righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and truth the girdle of His hips; therefore the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard with the kid, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little boy shall lead them (Isaiah 11:5, 6).

This is said of the Lord and of His kingdom, and of the state of innocence and peace therein. That this is said of the Lord is evident from the first verse of this chapter, where it is said that "there shall go forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a shoot out of his roots shall bear fruit." "Righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and truth the girdle of His hips," signifies that the Divine good proceeding from the Lord's Divine love shall conjoin those in heaven and in the church who are in love to Him; and that the Divine truth proceeding from Him shall conjoin those in heaven and in the church who are in love towards the neighbor. "Righteousness" when predicated of the Lord means the Divine good, and "His loins" means those who are in love to Him; "truth" means the Divine truth; "His hips" mean those who are in love towards the neighbor; and "girdle" signifies the conjunction with these in heaven and in the church. "Therefore shall dwell" signifies the state of peace which exists when nothing of evil from hell is feared, because it can do no harm; "the wolf with the lamb and the leopard with the kid" signifies that no evil or falsity shall harm those who are in innocence and in charity from the Lord; a "wolf" signifying the evil that is the opposite of innocence, and that endeavors to destroy it, a "leopard" meaning the falsity that is the opposite of charity and that endeavors by reasonings in favor of faith to destroy charity; "a lamb" signifying innocence, and a "kid" charity. "The calf also and the young lion and the fatling together" signifies that infernal falsity shall not harm the innocence of the natural man, or any affection for good of the natural man; a "calf" signifying the innocence of the natural man, a "fatling or ox" the affection of the natural man, and a "lion" infernal falsity in respect to its power and eagerness to destroy Divine truth. "And a little boy shall lead them" signifies the state of innocence and love to the Lord in which they will be; "boy" signifying innocence together with love to the Lord, for love to the Lord makes one with innocence; because those who are in that love are also in innocence, as those are who are in the third heaven, and who consequently appear to the eyes of others like infants and boys.

[7] In Jeremiah:

A lion out of the forest hath smitten the great men of Jerusalem; the wolf of the plains shall devastate them; the leopard is watching against their cities; everyone that shall go out shall be torn in pieces, because their prevarications have been multiplied, their backslidings have become strong (Jeremiah 5:6).

This is said of the falsification of truth in the church. "The great men of Jerusalem" mean those who excel others in teaching truths and goods; and "Jerusalem" means the church in respect to doctrine. "A lion out of the forest" that smote the great men, signifies the dominion of infernal falsity; the "wolf" that shall devastate them signifies the dominion of evil therefrom; both of these, the falsity and the evil, destroying the truths and goods of the church. "The leopard watching against the cities" signifies reasonings from the falsities of evil against the truths of doctrine, "cities" signifying doctrinals, thus the truths of doctrine. "Everyone that shall go out shall be torn in pieces" signifies that everyone who recedes from the truths of doctrine shall be destroyed by falsities. The "prevarications" that have been multiplied signify the falsifications of truth; the "backslidings" that have become strong signify the adulterations of good. That the falsifications of truth and the adulterations of good are signified by "prevarications" and "backslidings" is evident from the following verse, where it is said that "they committed adultery, and entered in crowds the house of the harlot," which signifies these falsifications and alterations.

[8] In Habakkuk:

Whose horses are lighter than eagles 1 and more fierce than the wolves of the evening, so that her horsemen spread themselves (Habakkuk 1:8).

This is said of the devastation of the church by the adulteration of truth, which is signified by the Chaldean nation, of which these things are spoken. "Whose horses are lighter than leopards" signifies the eagerness to seduce by reasonings, and a consequent expertness in seducing; such eagerness and expertness are signified by their "lightness" or "swiftness;" "horses" here signifying reasonings from the natural man. And as "horses" and "leopards" have a like signification it is said, "whose horses are lighter than leopards." "More fierce than the wolves of the evening" signifies craftiness in deceiving by fallacies; the fallacies of the senses are here signified by "the wolves of the evening" because the fallacies are from the sensual man, which in darkness sees falsities as truths. "So that her horsemen spread themselves" signifies that the truths of the Word by adulteration become heresies; "horsemen" signify heresies because "horses" mean reasonings by which falsities are confirmed.

[9] In Daniel:

The third beast coming up out of the sea was like a leopard, which had four wings like birds' wings upon its back (Daniel 7:6).

The successive devastation of the church is here depicted by "the four beasts coming up out of the sea," and this third beast, which was "like a leopard," has a similar signification as the leopard here treated of in Revelation, namely, reasonings that are discordant and yet appear as if coherent; "which had four wings like birds' wings upon its back" signifies appearing like the understanding of good and truth from the application thereto of the sense of the letter of the Word.

[10] In Hosea:

I knew thee in the wilderness, in the land of droughts; when they had pasture they were satiated; when they were satiated their heart was elated; therefore they have forgotten Me, therefore am I become to them as a lion, as a leopard will I watch over the way (Hosea 13:5-7).

"I knew thee in the wilderness, in the land of droughts," signifies a state without good and without truths; "wilderness" meaning a state without good, and "land of droughts" a state without truths; "when they had pasture they were satiated" signifies when goods and truths were given them, that is, when they were instructed respecting them from the Word, even to the full nourishment of the soul; "when they were satiated their heart was elated" signifies when by reason of such fullness they exalted themselves above all others, believing that for that reason heaven was for them alone and for no others. "Therefore they have forgotten Me" signifies that pride has obliterated goods and truths, and thus their desire and with it their heart has receded from the Lord. "Therefore am I become to them as a lion" signifies the consequent devastation of every truth of the church; "and as a leopard will I watch over the way" signifies the falsification of truth by reasonings from the natural man; a "leopard" signifying falsification by reasonings; "the way" truth leading to good, and "to watch" the intention to pervert. This is said of the Lord in the sense of the letter of the Word, from the appearance of truth, in which nevertheless lies hidden the genuine truth (which is the spiritual sense of the Word) that it is not the Lord that as a lion devastates the church, or that as a leopard falsifies truths by reasonings, but it is the man himself that does this when his heart is lifted up. From this it is clear what is signified in the Word by a "leopard."

Voetnoten:

1. The photolithograph has eagles, the Hebrew has leopards. In the explanation Swedenborg translates it leopards.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.