26
και απο των οριων των ισσαχαρ απο των προς ανατολας εως των προς θαλασσαν ζαβουλων μια
Ezekiel 48:26
Arcana Coelestia # 1715
1715. 'And he pursued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus' means to that particular extent. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus'. Where Hobah was nobody knows, for it is not mentioned again in the Word. Damascus however was the capital city of Syria, as is clear in 2 Samuel 8:5-6; Isaiah 7:8, which has almost the same meaning as Syria, dealt with already at Chapter 10:22. The furthest boundary of the land of Canaan, but beyond Dan, is described as being Damascus, as in Amos,
You have taken up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyun your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves And I will cause you to go away beyond Damascus. Amos 5:26-27.
The northern boundary of the holy land or the Lord's kingdom is also called the boundary of Damascus in Ezekiel 47:16 18; 48:1. When it is said in the present verse that 'they were smitten and driven away as far as Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus', the extent to which apparent goods and truths were purified is meant. But unless the nature of those apparent goods and truths is known and by what means they were purified to make them genuine, no proper explanation of the meaning here of 'Hobah on the left of Damascus' is possible, apart from the general observation that they were purified.
Ezekiel 19
1
Moreover, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2
and say, What was your mother? A lioness: she couched among lions, in the midst of the young lions she nourished her cubs.
3
She brought up one of her cubs: he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.
4
The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit; and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.
5
Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her cubs, and made him a young lion.
6
He went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.
7
He knew their palaces, and laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and its fullness, because of the noise of his roaring.
8
Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces; and they spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit.
9
They put him in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into strongholds, that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.
10
Your mother was like a vine, in your blood, planted by the waters: it was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
11
It had strong rods for the scepters of those who bore rule, and their stature was exalted among the thick boughs, and they were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches.
12
But it was plucked up in fury, it was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit: its strong rods were broken off and withered; the fire consumed them.
13
Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
14
Fire is gone out of the rods of its branches, it has devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong rod to be a scepter to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
