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Exodo 23

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1 Huwag kang magkakalat ng kasinungalingan: huwag kang makikipagkayari sa masama, na maging saksi kang sinungaling.

2 Huwag kang susunod sa karamihan na gumawa ng masama; ni magbibigay patotoo man sa isang usap, na ang kiling ay sa karamihan upang sirain ang kahatulan:

3 Ni huwag mo ring kikilingan ang dukha sa kaniyang usap.

4 Kung iyong masumpungan ang baka ng iyong kaalit o ang kaniyang asno, na nakawala, ay tunay na ibabalik mo sa kaniya.

5 Kung iyong makita ang asno ng napopoot sa iyo, na nakalugmok sa ilalim ng kaniyang pasan, at ayaw mo mang alisan ng pasan, ay walang pagsalang iyong tutulungan pati ng may-ari niyaon.

6 Huwag mong sisirain ang kahatulan ng iyong dukha, sa kaniyang usap.

7 Layuan mo ang bagay na kasinungalingan, at ang walang sala at ang matuwid, ay huwag mong papatayin: sapagka't hindi ko patototohanan ang masama.

8 At huwag kang tatanggap ng suhol: sapagka't ang suhol ay bumubulag sa mga may paningin, at sinisira ang mga salita ng mga banal.

9 At ang taga ibang lupa ay huwag mong pipighatiin sapagka't talastas ninyo ang puso ng taga ibang lupa, yamang kayo'y naging mga taga ibang lupa, sa lupain ng Egipto.

10 Anim na taong hahasikan mo ang iyong lupa at aanihin mo ang bunga niyaon:

11 Datapuwa't sa ikapitong taon ay iyong iiwan at babayaan, upang kumain ang dukha sa iyong bayan: at ang kanilang iwan ay kakanin ng hayop sa bukid. Gayon din ang iyong gagawin sa iyong ubasan at sa iyong olibohan.

12 Anim na araw, na iyong gagawin ang iyong gawain, at sa ikapitong araw, ay magpapahinga ka: upang ang iyong baka at ang iyong asno ay makapagpahinga; at ang anak na lalake ng iyong aliping babae, at ang taga ibang lupa ay makapagpahinga.

13 At lahat ng mga bagay na aking sinabi sa inyo ay inyong ingatan: at huwag ninyong banggitin ang pangalan ng ibang dios, o marinig man sa inyong bibig.

14 Makaitlong magdidiwang ka ng pista sa akin, sa bawa't taon.

15 Ang pista ng tinapay na walang lebadura ay iyong ipagdidiwang; pitong araw na kakain ka ng tinapay na walang lebadura, gaya ng iniutos ko sa iyo, sa takdang panahon, sa buwan ng Abib (sapagka't niyaon ka umalis sa Egipto); at walang lalapit sa harap ko na walang dala:

16 At ang pista ng pagaani ng mga unang bunga ng iyong kapagalan, na iyong inihasik sa bukid: at ang pista ng pagaani, sa katapusan ng taon, nang pagaani mo ng iyong kapagalan sa bukid.

17 Makaitlo sa bawa't taon na ang lahat na iyong mga lalake ay haharap sa Panginoong Dios.

18 Huwag mong ihahandog ang dugo ng hain sa akin, na kasabay ng tinapay na may lebadura; o iiwan mo man ang taba ng aking pista sa buong magdamag hanggang sa kinaumagahan.

19 Ang mga pinakauna ng mga unang bunga ng iyong lupa ay iyong ipapasok sa bahay ng Panginoon mong Dios. Huwag mong lulutuin ang batang kambing sa gatas ng kaniyang ina.

20 Narito, aking sinusugo ang isang anghel sa unahan mo, upang ingatan ka sa daan, at upang dalhin ka sa dakong aking inihanda sa iyo.

21 Magingat kayo sa kaniya, at dinggin ninyo ang kaniyang tinig; huwag ninyong mungkahiin siya: sapagka't hindi niya patatawarin ang inyong pagsalangsang; sapagka't ang aking pangalan ay nasa kaniya.

22 Datapuwa't kung didinggin mong lubos ang kaniyang tinig, at gagawin mo ang lahat ng aking sinasalita; ay magiging kaaway nga ako ng iyong mga kaaway, kaalit ng iyong mga kaalit.

23 Sapagka't ang aking anghel ay magpapauna sa iyo at dadalhin ka sa Amorrheo, at sa Hetheo at sa Perezeo, at sa Cananeo, at sa Heveo, at sa Jebuseo, at aking lilipulin.

24 Huwag kang yuyukod sa kanilang mga dios, o maglilingkod man sa mga yaon, o gagawa man ng ayon sa kanilang mga gawa, kundi iyong iwawaksi at iyong pagpuputulputulin ang kanilang mga haligi na pinakaalaala.

25 At inyong paglilingkuran ang Panginoon ninyong Dios, at kaniyang babasbasan ang iyong tinapay at ang iyong tubig; at aking aalisin ang sakit sa gitna mo.

26 Walang babaing makukunan, o magiging baog man, sa iyong lupain: ang bilang ng iyong mga araw ay aking lulubusin.

27 Aking susuguin ang sindak sa unahan mo, at aking liligaligin ang buong bayan na iyong paroroonan, at aking patatalikurin sa iyo ang lahat ng iyong mga kaaway.

28 At aking susuguin ang mga putakti sa unahan mo, na magpapalayas sa Heveo, sa Cananeo at sa Hetheo, sa harap mo.

29 Hindi ko palalayasin sila sa harap mo sa isang taon; baka ang lupa'y maging ilang, at ang mga ganid sa parang ay magsidami laban sa iyo.

30 Untiunting aking palalayasin sila sa harap mo, hanggang sa ikaw ay kumapal at manahin mo ang lupain.

31 At aking itatatag ang iyong hangganan na mula sa Dagat na Mapula hanggang sa dagat ng Filistia at mula sa ilang hanggang sa Ilog ng Eufrates: sapagka't aking ibibigay ang mga nananahan sa lupain sa iyong kamay, at iyo silang palalayasin sa harap mo.

32 Huwag kang makikipagtipan sa kanila, ni sa kanilang mga dios.

33 Sila'y hindi tatahan sa iyong lupain, baka papagkasalahin ka nila laban sa akin: sapagka't kung ikaw ay maglingkod sa kanilang mga dios, ay tunay na magiging silo sa iyo.

   

Från Swedenborgs verk

 

Arcana Coelestia #9320

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9320. 'For you shall utterly destroy them' means that evils must be completely removed. This is clear from the meaning of 'destroying' - when it has reference to evils and falsities, meant by the nations of the land of Canaan and their gods - as removing. The reason why 'destroying' means removing is that those governed by goodness and truth never destroy those ruled by evil and falsity, but merely move them away. This they do because good, not evil, governs their actions, and good comes from the Lord, who never destroys anyone. Those ruled by evil however and consequently by falsity try to destroy, and so far as they can they do destroy those governed by good. This they do because evil rules their actions. But since, when they try to do so, they make their attack on good which comes from the Lord, thus on what is of God, they destroy themselves, that is, they hurl themselves into damnation and into hell. Such is the law of order. And why it is such, see 4299, 7643, 7679, 7710, 7926, 7989, 8137, 8146, 8265, 8945, 8946.

[2] The reason why the Israelites and Jews were to destroy the nations of the land of Canaan was that they themselves represented spiritual and heavenly realities, while the nations represented hellish and devilish things, which can never exist together with those realities since they are opposites. The reason why they were allowed to destroy the nations was that no Church existed among them, only a representative of the Church, so that the Lord was not present among them either except through things of a representative nature, 4307. For they were interested in outward forms but not their inner substances, that is, in the worship that represented goodness and truth but not goodness and truth themselves. People like this are allowed to destroy, kill, and consign to slaughter and complete destruction. But people who are interested in outward forms and at the same time in their inner substance are not allowed to do those things, since their actions must be governed by good, and good comes from the Lord.

[3] The fact that the Jews and Israelites were such is declared explicitly by Moses,

Do not say in your heart, when Jehovah your God has thrust out the nations before you, Because of my righteousness Jehovah has brought me in to possess this land. It is not because of your righteousness and because of the uprightness of your heart; for you are a stiff-necked people. Deuteronomy 9:4-6.

And elsewhere,

They are a nation from whom counsel has perished, nor is there intelligence in them. From the vine of Sodom comes their vine, and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison, they have clusters of bitterness. The poison of snakes (draco) is their wine, and the cruel poison of asps. Is not this hidden away with Me, sealed up in My treasuries? Deuteronomy 32:28, 32-34.

'The vine' in the internal sense means the Church, 1069, 5113, 6375, 6376, 9277; 'grapes' and 'clusters' mean the internal forms and the external forms of that Church's good, 1071, 5117, 6378; and 'wine' means that Church's internal truth, 1071, 1798, 6377. From this one may see what is meant by the assertions that their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah, that their grapes are grapes of poison and clusters of bitterness, and that their wine is the poison of snakes and the cruel poison of asps. The fact that all this was known to Jehovah, that is, to the Lord, is meant by the remarks about its being hidden away with Him and sealed up in His treasuries.

[4] In John,

Jesus said to the Jews, You are from your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth. John 8:44.

This is why they are called a wicked and adulterous generation, Matthew 12:39, as well as a brood of vipers, Matthew 3:7; 12:34; 23:33; Luke 3:7. That they were like this is also described by the Lord in His parables in Matthew 21:33-45; Mark 12:1-9; Luke 14:16-24; 20:9ff.

Regarding that nation, that it was the worst nation; that in their worship they were interested in outward forms but not their inner substance; that no Church existed among them, only a representative of the Church; but that nevertheless they were able to represent the internal realities of the Church, see 3398, 3479, 3480, 3732 (end), 3881 (end), 4208, 4281, 4288-4290, 4293, 4307, 4314, 4316, 4317, 4429, 4433, 4444, 4500, 4503, 4680, 4815, 4818, 4820, 4825, 4832, 4837, 4844, 4847, 4865, 4868, 4874, 4899, 4903, 4911-4913, 5057, 5998, 6304, 6832, 6877, 7048, 7051, 7248, 7401, 7439, 8301, 8588, 8788, 8806, 8814, 8819, 8871, 8882, 9284.

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

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Arcana Coelestia #1069

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1069. That 'he planted a vineyard' means a Church resulting from this, 'vineyard' being the spiritual Church, is clear from the meaning of 'a vineyard'. In the Word Churches are frequently described as 'gardens' and also as 'the trees of a garden', and are actually named such as well. They are so described from the fruits which the trees bear, which mean the things belonging to love or charity. Hence the saying that a man is known by his fruit. Comparisons of Churches to gardens, trees, and fruits have their origins in the representations in heaven, where also gardens of indescribable beauty are sometimes manifested in accordance with the spheres of faith. This also why the celestial Church was described as a paradisal garden containing trees of every kind. 'The trees of the garden' meant the perceptions of that Church, and 'the fruit' of every kind the goods that stem from love. The Ancient Church however, being spiritual, is described as 'a vineyard' on account of its fruit, namely grapes, which represent and mean charitable works. This is quite clear from many places in the Word, as in Isaiah,

[2] I will sing for My beloved a song of My beloved concerning his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill, 1 and He enclosed it, and surrounded it with stones, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it and also hewed out a winepress in it. And He looked for it to yield grapes, and it yielded wild grapes. And now, O inhabitant of Jerusalem and man of Judah, judge, I pray you, between Me and My vineyard. The vineyard of Jehovah Zebaoth is the house of Israel. Isaiah 5:1-3, 7.

Here 'a vineyard' means the Ancient, and so the spiritual, Church, which is referred to explicitly as 'the house of Israel', for 'Israel' in the Word means the spiritual Church, whereas 'Judah' means the celestial Church. In Jeremiah,

Again I will build you, and you will be built, O virgin of Israel! Again you will adorn yourself with your timbrels and will go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. Again you will plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria. Jeremiah 31:4-5.

Here 'vineyard' stands for the spiritual Church, the subject being Israel, which, as stated, means the spiritual Church.

[3] In Ezekiel,

When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples, they will dwell securely upon the land, and they will build houses and plant vineyards. Ezekiel 28:15, 16.

Here 'vineyard' stands for the spiritual Church, which is Israel. 'Planting vineyards' stands for being furnished with truths and goods of faith. In Amos,

I smote you with blight and mildew; your very many gardens, and your vineyards, and your fig trees and your olive groves the locust will devour. Thus will I do to you, O Israel. Amos 4:9, 12.

'Gardens' stands for the things of the Church; 'vineyards' stands for the spiritual things of the Church, 'fig trees' for the natural things, 'olive groves' for the celestial things - and so for the things of the spiritual Church, which is Israel. In the same prophet,

I will bring again the captivity; of My people Israel, and they will build the ruined cities and inhabit them. And they will plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they will make gardens and eat their fruit. Amos 9:14.

'Planting vineyards' stands for the planting of the spiritual Church, and so 'a vineyard' stands for the spiritual Church, which is Israel.

[4] As 'a vineyard' means the spiritual Church so also does 'the vine', for the vine is part of the vineyard. They are as Church and member of the Church, and therefore have the same meaning. In Jeremiah,

Is Israel a slave? Is he a home-born [servant]? Why has he become a prey? I had planted you, a wholly choice vine, a seed of truth. How have you turned from Me into the degraded branches of a strange vine? Jeremiah 2:14, 21.

'Vine' stands for the spiritual Church, which is Israel. In Ezekiel,

Take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel Your mother was like a vine in your likeness, planted beside the waters, fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. Ezekiel 19:1, 10.

'Vine' stands for the Ancient spiritual Church, meant by 'mother', and so for Israel; hence also the expression 'in your likeness'. In Hosea,

Israel is an empty vine, it bears fruit like itself. Hosea 10:1.

'Vine' stands for the spiritual Church, or Israel, in this case a desolated Church. In the same prophet,

Return, O Israel, to Jehovah your God. I will be as the dew to Israel. Those dwelling under His shadow will return, they will give life to the grain, and they will blossom out as the vine, the memory of it will be as the wine of Lebanon. Hosea 14:1, 5, 7.

Here 'vine' stands for the spiritual Church, which is Israel. In Moses,

Until Shiloh comes . . . binding his colt to the vine, and the foal of his she-ass to a choice vine. Genesis 49:10-11.

This is a prophecy concerning the Lord. 'Vine' and 'choice vine' stand for spiritual Churches.

[5] The Lord's parables about workers in vineyards similarly meant spiritual Churches, Matthew 20:1-16; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-18; Matthew 21:33-44.

Since 'the vine' means the spiritual Church, and the chief thing of the spiritual Church is charity within which the Lord is present, by means of which He joins Himself to man, and by means of which He alone works everything good, the Lord therefore compares Himself to the vine, and describes the member of the Church, that is, describes the spiritual Church, in the following way in John,

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, but every one that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you cannot do anything. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:1-5, 12.

From this it is clear what the spiritual Church is.

Fotnoter:

1. literally, on a horn of a son of oil

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