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以西結書第16章

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1 耶和華的又臨到我說:

2 人子啊,你要使耶路撒冷知道他那些可憎的事,

3 耶和華耶路撒冷如此:你根本,你出世,是在迦南;你父親是亞摩利人,你母親是赫人。

4 論到你出世的景況,在你初生的日子沒有為你斷臍帶,也沒有用你,使你潔淨,絲毫沒有撒鹽在你身上,也沒有用布裹你。

5 誰的眼也不可憐你,為你做件這樣的事憐恤你;但你初生的日子扔在田野,是因你被厭惡。

6 我從你旁邊經過,見你滾在血中,就對你:你雖在血中,仍可存活;你雖在血中,仍可存活。

7 我使你生長好像田間所長的,你就漸漸長大,以致極其俊美,兩乳成形,頭髮長成,你卻仍然赤身露體。

8 我從你旁邊經過,見你的時候正動愛情,便用衣襟搭在你身上,遮蓋你的赤體;又向你起誓,與你結盟,你就歸於我。這是耶和華的。

9 那時我用你,洗淨你身上的血,又用抹你。

10 我也使你身穿繡花衣服,腳穿海狗皮鞋,並用細麻布給你束腰,用綢為衣披在你身上,

11 又用妝飾打扮你,將鐲子戴在你上,將金鍊戴在你項上。

12 我也將環子戴在你鼻子上,將耳環戴在你耳朵上,將華冠戴在你上。

13 這樣,你就有的妝飾,穿的是細麻衣和綢,並繡花衣;的是細麵、蜂蜜,並。你也極其美貌,發達到王后的尊榮。

14 你美貌的名聲傳在列邦中,你十分美貌,是因我加在你身上的威榮。這是耶和華的。

15 只是你仗著自己的美貌,又因你的名聲就行邪淫。你縱情淫亂,使過路的任意而行。

16 你用衣服為自己在處結彩,在其上行邪淫。這樣的事將必沒有,也必不再行了。

17 你又將我所你那華美的、寶器為自己製造人像,與他行邪淫;

18 又用你的繡花衣服給他披上,並將我的膏和香料擺在他跟前;

19 又將我賜你的食物,就是我賜的細麵、,和蜂蜜,都擺在他跟前為馨的供物。這是耶和華的。

20 並且你將給我所生的兒女焚獻給他。

21 你行淫亂豈是小事,竟將我的兒女殺了,使他們經火歸與他麼?

22 你行這一切可憎和淫亂的事,並未追念你幼年赤身露體滾在血中的日子。

23 你行這一切惡事之耶和華:你有禍了!有禍了!)

24 又為自己建造圓頂花樓,在各街上做了臺。

25 你在一切市口上建造臺,使你的美貌變為可憎的,又與一切過的多行淫亂。

26 你也和你鄰邦放縱情慾的埃及人行淫,加增你的淫亂,惹我發怒。

27 因此我伸攻擊你,減少你應用的糧食,又將你交恨你的非利士眾女(眾女是城邑的意思;本章下同),使他們任意待你。他們見你的淫行,為你羞恥。

28 你因貪色無厭,又與亞述人行淫,與他們行淫之後,仍不滿意

29 並且多行淫亂,直到那貿易之,就是迦勒底,你仍不滿意

30 耶和華:你行這一切事,都是不知羞恥妓女所行的,可見你的心是何等懦弱!

31 因你在一切市口上建造圓頂花樓,在各街上做了臺,你卻藐視賞賜,不像妓女

32 哎!你這行淫的妻啊,寧肯接外人,不接丈夫

33 妓女是得人贈送,你反倒贈送你所的人,賄賂他們從四圍與你行淫。

34 你行淫與別的婦女相反,因為不是人從你行淫;你既贈送人,人並不贈送你;所以你與別的婦女相反。

35 你這妓女啊,要耶和華的

36 耶和華如此:因你的污穢傾洩了,你與你所的行淫露出下體,又因你拜一切可憎的偶像,流兒女的血獻他,

37 我就要將你一切相歡相的和你一切所恨的都聚集來,從四圍攻擊你;又將你的下體露出,使他們盡了。

38 我也要審判你,好像官長審判淫婦和流人血的婦女一樣。我因忿怒忌恨,使流血的罪歸到你身上。

39 我又要將你交在他們中;他們必拆毀你的圓頂花樓,毀壞你的臺,剝去你的衣服,奪取你的華美寶器,留下你赤身露體。

40 他們也必帶多人來攻擊你,用石頭打死你,用刀刺透你,

41 焚燒你的房屋,在許多婦人眼前向你施行審判。我必使你不再行淫,也不再贈送與人。

42 這樣,我就止息向你發的忿怒,我的忌恨也要離開你,我要安靜不再惱怒。

43 因你不追念你幼年的日子,在這一切的事上向我發烈怒,所以我必照你所行的報應在你上,你就不再貪淫,行那一切可憎的事。這是耶和華的。

44 俗語的必用俗語攻擊你,母親怎樣,女兒也怎樣。

45 你正是你母親的女兒,厭棄丈夫和兒女;你正是你姊妹的姊妹,厭棄丈夫和兒女。你母親是赫人,你父親是亞摩利人。

46 你的姊姊是撒瑪利亞,他和他的眾女在你左邊;你的妹妹所多瑪,他和他的眾女在你右邊。

47 你沒有效法他們的行為,也沒有照他們可憎的事去做,你以那為小事,你一切所行的倒比他們更壞。

48 耶和華:我指著我的永生起誓,你妹妹所多瑪與他的眾女尚未行你和你眾女所行的事。

49 看哪,你妹妹所多瑪的罪孽是這樣:他和他的眾女都心驕氣傲,糧食飽足,大享安逸,並沒有扶助困苦和窮乏人的

50 他們狂傲,在我面前行可憎的事,我見便將他們除掉。

51 撒瑪利亞沒有犯你一半的,你行可憎的事比他更多,使你的姊妹因你所行一切可憎的事,倒顯為義。

52 你既斷定你姊妹為(為:或譯當受羞辱),就要擔當自己的羞辱;因你所犯的比他們更為可憎,他們就比你更顯為;你既使你的姊妹顯為,你就要抱愧擔當自己的羞辱

53 我必叫他們被擄的歸回,就是叫所多瑪和他的眾女,撒瑪利亞和他的眾女,並你們中間被擄的,都要歸回,

54 好使你擔當自己的羞辱,並因你一切所行的使他們得安慰,你就抱愧。

55 你的妹妹所多瑪和他的眾女必歸回原位;撒瑪利亞和他的眾女,你和你的眾女,也必歸回原位。

56 在你驕傲的日子,你的惡行沒有顯露以先,你的就不提你的妹妹所多瑪。那受了凌辱的亞蘭眾女和亞蘭四圍非利士的眾女都恨惡你,藐視你。

57 a

58 耶和華:你貪淫和可憎的事,你已經擔當了。

59 耶和華如此:你這輕看誓言、背棄盟約的,我必照你所行的待你。

60 然而我要追念在你幼年時與你所立的約,也要與你立定永約。

61 你接待你姊姊和你妹妹的時候,你要追念你所行的,自覺慚愧;並且我要將他們賜你為女兒,卻不是按著前約。

62 我要堅定與你所立的約(你就知道我是耶和華),

63 好使你在我赦免你一切所行的時候,心裡追念,自覺抱愧,又因你的羞辱就不再開。這是耶和華的。

   

来自斯威登堡的著作

 

Apocalypse Explained#577

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577. And the heads of the horses as the heads of lions, signifies knowledge (scientia) and thought therefrom destructive of truth. This is evident from the signification of "the heads of horses," as being knowledge [scientia] and thought therefrom (of which presently); and from the signification of "the heads of lions," as being the consequent destruction of truth. "The heads of lions" signify here the destruction of truth, because a "lion" in the highest sense signifies Divine truth in respect to power, and in the contrary sense falsity destroying truth, consequently the destruction of truth, and "the head of a lion" signifies the powers of the mind through which it destroys, which are reasonings from falsities. (That a "lion" signifies Divine truth in respect to power, and in the contrary sense falsity destroying truth, may be seen above, n. 278.) The "heads of horses" signify knowledge [scientia] and thought therefrom, because "head" signifies intelligence, and "the horse" the understanding; and as the sensual man and here his reasoning from falsities are treated of, and the sensual man who reasons from falsities has no intelligence, but only knowledge [scientia] and thought therefrom, therefore these are here signified by "the heads of the horses." (That those who are in falsities have no intelligence, but instead of intelligence only knowledge, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 33.)

[2] The "head" signifies intelligence, because the understanding and the will of man have their seat in the interiors of his head; consequently in the front part of the head, which is the face, are the senses of sight, hearing, smell, and taste, into which the understanding and the will flow from the interior and vivify them, and also cause them to enjoy their sensations; this is why the "head" signifies in the Word intelligence. But as those only who receive influx from heaven are intelligent, for all intelligence and wisdom flow in out of heaven from the Lord, it follows that they who are in the falsities of evil have no intelligence; for in them the higher and spiritual mind is closed, and only the lower mind, which is called the natural mind, is opened; and when the higher mind is closed the lower receives nothing of truth and good, consequently no intelligence from heaven, but only from the world. Such, therefore, in place of intelligence have mere knowledge [scientia] and thought from it, and from this proceeds reasoning, and by means of it the confirmation of falsity and evil against truth and good.

[3] That the "head" signifies in the Word intelligence and wisdom, and in the contrary sense knowledge [scientia] and fatuous thought therefrom, can be seen from the following passages in the Word. In Ezekiel:

I put a jewel upon thy nose, and ear-rings in thine ears, and a crown of adorning upon thy head (Ezekiel 16:12).

This is said of Jerusalem, which signifies the church, here such as it was in the beginning; "a jewel upon the nose" signifies the perception of truth from good; "the ear-rings in the ears" signify hearkening and obedience, and "a crown upon the head" signifies wisdom; for intelligence, which is from Divine truth, becomes wisdom from the good of love, and this is signified by "a crown of gold."

[4] In Revelation:

A woman encompassed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars (Revelation 12:1).

The "head" upon which was a crown of twelve stars, signifies intelligence, as will be seen in the explanation hereafter.

That the Jews placed a crown of thorns upon the Lord's head, and that they smote His head (Matthew 27:29, 30; Mark 15:17, 19; John 19:2);

signifies that they treated with such contumely Divine truth itself and Divine wisdom; for they falsified the Word, which is Divine truth and in which is Divine wisdom, and adulterated it by their traditions and by applying it to themselves; thus they desired a king who would exalt them over all in the whole earth. And as the Lord's kingdom was not earthly but heavenly, they perverted everything that was said respecting Him in the Word, and mocked at what was foretold of Him. This is what was represented by "their placing a crown of thorns upon His head, and smiting His head."

[5] Where the statue of Nebuchadnezzar seen in a dream is described, it is said in Daniel:

Its head was of pure gold, its breast and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of brass, its legs of iron, its feet part of iron and part of clay (Daniel 2:32, 33).

That statue represented the successive states of the church; "the head of gold" represented and signified the Most Ancient Church, which was in celestial wisdom, and thus in intelligence above the churches that followed; this wisdom and its intelligence are meant by the "head of gold." That the other parts of that statue signified the states of subsequent churches may be seen above (176, 411).

In David:

Thou hast brought us into the net; thou hast laid oppressions 1 upon our loins. Thou hast caused man to ride over our head (Psalms 66:11, 12).

"To cause man to ride over our head" signifies that there is no intelligence (See above, n. 355), where this is more fully explained).

[6] In Moses:

These blessings shall come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the head of the Nazirite of his brethren (Genesis 49:26; Deuteronomy 33:13-16).

That "blessings shall come upon the head of Joseph" signifies that all the things that had just been mentioned, that are blessings of heaven, should take place in the interiors of his mind, which are the lives of the understanding and will, for these are the interiors of the mind. That they shall come upon "the crown of the head of the Nazirite of his brethren" signifies that they should also take place in the exteriors of his natural mind, for the "Naziriteship" signifies the exteriors of the natural mind, since it means the hairs, or the hair of the head. (But these words may be seen further explained above, n. 448; and in (Arcana Coelestia 6437, 6435) the Arcana Coelestia 6437, 6438.) In the same:

Take you wise men and intelligent, and I will put them as your heads (Deuteronomy 1:13).

It is said "as your heads" because wisdom and intelligence, in which they should excel all others, are meant; therefore it is said, "Take you wise men and intelligent."

[7] In Isaiah:

Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, hath He covered (Isaiah 29:10).

"Prophets" signify those who teach truths and are intelligent, and in an abstract sense, the doctrine of truth and intelligence; therefore it is said, "Jehovah hath closed your eyes, the prophets, and your heads, the seers," where the prophets are called "eyes," and the seers "heads," because "eyes" signify the understanding of truth in respect to doctrine, and "seers" like as "heads" signify intelligence.

[8] In the same:

Jehovah will cut off from Israel 2 head and tail, branch and rush. The old man and the honorable will make the head, and the prophet, the teacher of lies the tail (Isaiah 9:14, 15).

In the same:

Neither shall there be for Egypt any work which will make the head or tail, branch or rush (19 Isaiah 19:15).

"He will cut off from Israel head and tail," and "neither shall there be for Egypt head or tail," signify that all the intelligence and knowledge [scientia] of truth they have shall perish (as may be seen above, n. 559, where these passages are more fully explained). In the same:

In that day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired in the crossings of the river, by the king of Assyria, the head and the hairs of the feet; and shall also consume the beard (Isaiah 7:20).

That this signifies that reasonings from falsities will deprive the men of the church of all wisdom and spiritual intelligence, may be seen above n. 569, where this is explained in particular; it is said "in the crossings of the river," because "the river Euphrates" signifies the reasonings from falsities, therefore here attack by these upon the truths of the church which are destroyed by reasoning from falsities.

[9] In Ezekiel:

Son of man, take thee a sharp sword, a barber's razor, and cause it to pass over 3 the head and over the beard; a third part thou shalt burn with fire, a third part thou shalt smite with the sword, and a third part thou shalt disperse in the wind (Ezekiel 5:1, 2).

Here also "to cause a razor to pass over the head" signifies to deprive of all intelligence of truth; for the reason that intelligence perishes when there are no ultimates of intelligence, which are signified by "the hairs of the head, which should be shaved with a razor by causing it to pass over the head;" for when ultimates are taken away it is as when the base is taken away from a column, or the foundation from a house. This is why it was unlawful in the Jewish Church, which was a representative church, to shave the hairs of the head and induce baldness, in like manner the beard; so also those who are without intelligence appear bald in the spiritual world.

[10] From all this the signification of "a bald head" and "baldness" in the following passages can be seen. In Isaiah:

On all their heads is baldness, every beard is cut off (Isaiah 15:2);

in other words, there is no intelligence. In Ezekiel:

Shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all heads (7 Ezekiel 7:18).

In the same:

Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled (2 Ezekiel 29:18).

These words have a similar meaning. So Aaron and his sons were forbidden to shave their heads and the corner of the beard, of which it is said in Moses:

That Aaron and his sons shall not shave their heads nor rend their clothes, lest they die, and lest Jehovah be angry in consequence with the whole congregation (Leviticus 10:6).

And in the same:

That the sons of Aaron should not make baldness upon their head, nor shave the corner of the beard (Leviticus 21:5).

The "beard" signifies the ultimate of the rational man, and "not shaving the beard" signifies not to be deprived of the rational, by taking away its ultimate; for, as was said above, when the ultimate is taken away the interior also perishes. What is meant by:

When a woman taken captive from the enemy is desired for a wife she must shave her head and pare her nails (Deuteronomy 21:11, 12);

may be seen explained above n. 555.

[11] Because shame was represented by the hands upon the head, it is said in Jeremiah:

Thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt also, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria. From her also thou shalt go forth with thy hands upon thy head (Jeremiah 2:36, 37).

And in the same:

They were ashamed and put to confusion and covered their heads (Jeremiah 14:3-4).

Because this was a representative of shame:

Tamar, after she had been ravished by her brother Amnon, put her hand on her head, and went weeping 4 and crying (2 Samuel 13:19).

To "put the hand upon the head" signified that no intelligence remained. Also grief for sin in having acted insanely and foolishly was represented by sprinkling dust upon the head, and by bowing the head down even to the earth; and by this cursing also was signified. As in Ezekiel:

They shall cast up dust upon thy head, they shall roll thee in ashes (Ezekiel 27:30).

In Lamentations:

The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the earth, they keep silence; they have cast up dust upon their head; they have girded themselves with sackcloth; the virgins of Jerusalem have made their head to hang down to the ground (Lamentations 2:10).

[12] But in the contrary sense the "head" signifies the craftiness that those have who are in the love of ruling. This is meant by the "head" in Moses:

The seed of the woman shall trample upon the head of the serpent, and the serpent shall hurt the heel (Genesis 3:15).

In David:

The Lord at thy right hand hath stricken through kings in the day of His anger; He hath judged among the nations; He hath filled with dead bodies; He hath stricken through the head over many a land; He shall drink out of the brook in the way; therefore shall He exalt the head (Psalms 110:5-7).

(This passage may be seen explained above, n. 518.) In the same:

God shall strike through the head of His enemies, the hairy scalp of such as go on in guilt (Psalms 68:21).

That the craftiness by which they purpose and contrive evil against others returns upon themselves is signified by:

Bringing their way upon their own head (Ezekiel 9:10; 11:21; 16:43; 17:19; 22:31; Joel 3:4, 7).

What is signified in Revelation by:

The seven heads upon which were seven diadems (Revelation 12:3; 13:1, 3; 17:3, 7, 9);

will be seen hereafter. Moreover, the "head," as what is highest and primary in man, has also many other meanings; as the peak of a mountain, the top of anything, what is primary, the beginning of a way, of a street, of a month, and the like.

脚注:

1. Latin has "oppressions," the Hebrew "oppression," as found in AE 355.

2. Latin has "Abraham," the passage quoted just before has "Israel," as in AE 559, 624.

3. Latin has "through," the passage, as cited before, has "over," with the Hebrew.

4. Latin has "weeping," the Hebrew "going."

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

来自斯威登堡的著作

 

Arcana Coelestia#6435

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6435. 'Even as far as the desire of the everlasting hills' means as far as celestial mutual love. This is clear from the meaning of 'the everlasting hills' as aspects of mutual love, dealt with below; for the vision that the spiritual Church may arrive at that love is meant by 'even as far as the desire of the everlasting hills'. Before other places in the Word are introduced to show that mutual love is meant by 'the everlasting hills' something must be said first about what one means by mutual love, a goal which the member of the spiritual Church represented by 'Joseph' has more than enough to do to reach. What has often been stated and shown already shows that there are two kingdoms constituting heaven - the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. The difference between those two kingdoms is that the internal good of the celestial kingdom is the good of love to the Lord, while its external good is the good of mutual love. Members of that kingdom are governed by the good of love, not by truth that is called the truth of faith; for such truth is so integrated into the good of that kingdom that it cannot be seen in isolation from good. This being so, members of that kingdom cannot even utter the word faith, 202, 103, 4448; for with them the good of mutual love stands in place of the truth of faith. But in the spiritual kingdom the good of charity towards the neighbour constitutes the internal aspect of it and the truth of faith the external aspect.

[2] From all this one may see what the difference is between the two kingdoms, and also that they meet each other, in that the external aspect of the celestial kingdom coincides with the internal of the spiritual kingdom through an intermediary called the celestial of the spiritual. For as stated above, the external of the celestial kingdom is the good of mutual love, and the internal of the spiritual kingdom is the good of charity towards the neighbour. But the good of mutual love is more internal than the good of charity towards the neighbour, because the former springs from the rational, the latter from the natural. But although the good of mutual love, which is the external of the celestial Church, is more internal, while the good of charity towards the neighbour is more external, the Lord nevertheless joins the two kinds of good together through, as has just been stated, an intermediary, and in that way joins the two kingdoms together.

[3] To distinguish between the external good of the celestial Church and the internal good of the spiritual Church, let the former kind of good be called in what follows below the good of mutual love and let the latter kind be called the good of charity towards the neighbour - a difference that has not been observed in previous sections. Once these things are known, what is meant by 'even as far as the desire of the everlasting hills', one of Israel's blessings regarding this spiritual Church, can be stated, which is the vision that the spiritual kingdom may rise above the good of charity and reach even as far as the good of mutual love which belongs to the celestial kingdom, and thus the two kingdoms may be joined together at a very deep level. These are the things that are meant by those words.

[4] Very many places in the prophetical part of the Word mention mountains and hills, by which forms of the good of love are meant in the internal sense. 'Mountains' means the good of love to the Lord, which is the internal of the celestial kingdom, while 'hills' means the good of mutual love, which is the external of the same kingdom. But when the spiritual kingdom is the subject 'mountains' means the good of charity towards the neighbour, which is the internal of that kingdom, while 'hills' means the truth of faith, which is its external. It should be recognized that every one of the Lord's Churches is internal and external; and so too are both His kingdoms.

[5] This meaning of 'hills' becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

In the latter days it will be, that the mountain of Jehovah will be on the top of the mountains, and raised above the hills. Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1.

'The mountain of Jehovah', which is Zion, stands for the Lord's celestial kingdom, thus for the good of that kingdom, which is the good of love to the Lord, and so in the highest sense is the Lord Himself since all love and all good in the celestial kingdom are the Lord's.

[6] 'Mount Zion' has the same meaning in other places in the Word; and by 'its hill' is meant the good of mutual love, as in Isaiah,

Jehovah Zebaoth will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. Isaiah 31:4.

Here 'hill' stands for the good of mutual love; and since 'hill' means the good of mutual love, and 'mountain' the good of celestial love, which is that of love to the Lord, it says 'Jehovah will come down to fight on that mountain'. Jehovah does not fight actually on Mount Zion and its hill; rather, where the good of love exists, that is what the Lord, meant here by Jehovah, fights for, that is, He fights for those with whom that good exists. If He ever did fight for Zion and Jerusalem, it was because they represented the celestial Church. This also explains why Mount Zion was called holy, and so also why Jerusalem was termed holy, when in fact it was unclean, as is evident in the Prophets where its abominations are referred to.

[7] In David,

The mountains will bring peace, and the hills, in righteousness. Psalms 72:3.

In the same author,

Praise Jehovah, mountains and all hills. Psalms 148:9.

In the same author,

The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. 1 Psalms 104:4, 6.

In the same author,

A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; a mountain of hills is the mountain of Bashan. Why do you leap up, O mountains, hills of mountains? God desires to inhabit it; yes, Jehovah will inhabit it perpetually. Psalms 68:15-16.

In these places 'mountains' stands for celestial love, and 'hills' for spiritual love. Mountains are obviously not what is meant, nor hills, nor even those who were on mountains and hills.

[8] In Isaiah,

It will be that on every high mountain, and on every lofty hill, there will be brooks, streams of water. Isaiah 30:25.

'Streams of water' stands for cognitions of good and truth, which are said to be 'on every high mountain, and on every lofty hill', for those cognitions flow from forms of the good of celestial and spiritual love.

[9] In Habakkuk,

Jehovah stood and measured the earth; He looked and scattered the nations, because the eternal mountains were dissolved, the everlasting hills sank down. Habakkuk 3:6.

'The eternal mountains' stands for the good of love that existed with the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial, and 'the everlasting hills' for the good of mutual love that existed with that Church - the former good being its internal, the latter its external. When that Church is what is meant in the Word, there is frequently added, because it was the Most Ancient Church, the word 'eternal', as in the expression 'the eternal mountains' used here, and in the expression 'eternal days' or 'days of eternity' used elsewhere, 6239. Also added was the word 'everlasting', as in the expression 'the everlasting hills' used here, as well as 'as far as the desire of the everlasting hills' appearing in Israel's prophetic utterances. From this one may see that 'the everlasting hills' means forms of the good of mutual love belonging to the celestial Church or the Lord's celestial kingdom.

[10] Something similar occurs in Moses' prophetic utterance concerning Joseph,

. . . in regard to the first fruits of the mountains of the east, and to the precious things of the eternal hills . . . Let them come upon the head of Joseph. Deuteronomy 33:15-16.

In Isaiah,

The mountains and the hills will resound with song, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12.

In Joel,

On that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the streams of Judah will flow with water. Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13.

In Ezekiel,

My sheep wander in all the mountains and on every high hill, and over all the face of the earth they were dispersed. I will give them and the places around My hill a blessing, and I will send down the rain in its season. Ezekiel 34:6, 26.

In Jeremiah,

On all the hills in the wilderness those who cause devastation have come, for the sword of Jehovah is devouring. Jeremiah 11:12.

In these places forms of the good of celestial love are meant by 'the mountains', and much the same, but in a lower degree, by 'the hills'.

[11] Because mountains and hills were signs that meant things such as these, Divine worship as well took place in the Ancient Church on mountains and hills. And later still the Hebrew nation set up altars on mountains and hills, offering sacrifice and incense there; or where there were no hills they built high places. But that worship became idolatrous, owing to the fact that they considered the actual mountains and hills to be holy and gave no thought at all to the holy things that they were signs of; and because that worship had become idolatrous the Israelite and Jewish people were forbidden to practise it, for those people were extremely prone, more than all others, to engage in idolatrous worship. But so as to retain that representative feature of mountains and hills which had existed in ancient times, Mount Zion was selected, which in the highest sense represented the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love, and in the relative sense the Divine Celestial and Divine Spiritual in His kingdom.

[12] Since mountains and hills were signs meaning such things, Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. it was also on a mountain that the Lord appeared to Moses, and from upon a mountain that the Law was proclaimed; for He appeared to Moses on Mount Horeb, and the Law was proclaimed on Mount Sinai. And in addition the temple in Jerusalem was built on a mountain.

[13] The fact that it was an age-old religious practice that led those people to celebrate sacred worship on mountains and hills, and that subsequently led the gentiles, also idolatrous Israelites and Jews, to offer sacrifice and incense on them, is evident in Jeremiah,

Your adulterous acts and your neighings, the wickedness of your whoredom committed on the hills, in the field - I have seen your abominations. Jeremiah 13:27.

This refers to Jerusalem. In Ezekiel,

When their slain will be in the midst of their idols, around their altars on every high hill, on all the mountain tops, and under every green tree, and under every entangled oak. Ezekiel 6:13.

In Jeremiah,

On every high hill, and under every green tree, you are a sinful prostitute. Jeremiah 2:20; 3:6.

And there are other places besides these - 1 Kings 14:23; 2 Kings 16:4; 17:10.

[14] Because idolatrous worship was performed on mountains and hills, the evils of self-love are meant by them in the contrary sense, as in Jeremiah,

[I saw] the mountains; and behold, they are shaken, and all the hills are overturned. I looked, and behold, there was no man, and every bird of the air had flown away. Jeremiah 4:24-25.

In Isaiah,

Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low. Isaiah 40:4.

In the same prophet,

Behold, I have made you into a new threshing-sledge 2 provided with sharp points. You are to thresh the mountains and crush them, and you are to make the hills like chaff. Isaiah 41:15.

In the same prophet,

I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up every plant on them. Isaiah 42:15.

In Micah,

Hear now what Jehovah is saying, Arise, contend with the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Micah 6:1.

In Jeremiah,

Lost sheep have My people been, their shepherds have led them astray, O rebellious mountains. They have gone from mountain onto hill, they have forgotten their resting-place. 3 Jeremiah 50:6.

And there are other places besides these, such as Jeremiah 16:16; Nahum 1:5-6.

[15] The reason why 'mountains and hills meant forms of the good of celestial and spiritual love was that they were places that rose up above the earth, and places that rose up high meant things belonging to heaven, and in the highest sense those belonging to the Lord. For 'the land of Canaan' meant the Lord's heavenly kingdom, 1607, 3038, 3481, 3705, 4240, 4447; consequently everything in that land had a spiritual meaning, its mountains and hills meaning the kinds of things that are 'high'. For when the most ancient people, who belonged to the celestial Church, went up a mountain, the idea of height came to mind, and from height the idea of what was holy, for the reason that Jehovah or the Lord was said to live in the most high places, and also for the reason that 'height' in the spiritual sense was the good of love, 650.

脚注:

1. literally, sons of the flock

2. literally, threshing-sledge of a recent threshing-sledge

3. literally, bed

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