----中文待译----
887.(Verse 10) The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, mixed pure in the cup of his indignation. That this signifies appropriation of falsity and of the evil, conjoined with falsified truths from the sense of the letter of the Word, is evident from the signification of drinking, as denoting to take in and appropriate to themselves; concerning which see above (n. 617); and from the signification of wine, as denoting truth from good, and, in the opposite sense, falsity from evil (see n. 376); and from the signification of wrath, as denoting evil, because this is angry with good, and desires its destruction (concerning which see (n. 693, 754). It is said, the anger of God, but anger against God is meant, as in many passages where anger and wrath are attributed to God, and also evil in general (see n. 481, at the end, and n. 647). In this case, therefore, by drinking the wine of the wrath of God, is signified the imbibing and appropriation of falsity and of the evil therefrom. The reason why imbibing and appropriating evil is effected by faith separated from good works is, that goods of life, which constitute good works, are separated as having no justifying power, thus as not being saving; in their place these evils then succeed. For in proportion as goods recede, in the same proportion evils enter; for no one can serve two masters - evil and good together. And from the signification of being mixed pure, as denoting to be conjoined with falsified truths, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of cup, as denoting the external containant of truth, thus the Word in the sense of its letter. For when by wine is signified truth, by cup is signified its containant; and the sense of the letter of the Word is that which contains truth, both natural and spiritual. That cup signifies the same as wine, thus the thing contained; and that it also signifies that which is contained, is evident from the passages in the Word where cup, chalice, goblet, and vial are mentioned; these will be adduced in the explanation of chapters xvii. and xviii., following. Because cup signifies the external or containant of truth, that is, the sense of the letter of the Word, which is falsified by those who are in the doctrine and also in the life of faith separated, therefore it is called the cup of God's indignation. It is here said, the anger and indignation of God, as in many other passages of the Word; and by anger is meant the love of and desire for evil in man; and by indignation the love of and desire for falsity in him; for anger is said of evil, and indignation of falsity; concerning which see above (n. 481, at the end). From these things it is clear, that by wine mixed pure in the cup of the indignation of God, is signified conjunction with falsified truths derived from the sense of the letter of the Word.
[2] The reason why being mixed pure signifies to be conjoined with falsified truths of the Word is, that by pure (merum) is meant intoxicating wine, and thence also intoxication; consequently, in the spiritual sense, delirium as to truths by means of falsities; for such delirium is spiritual intoxication. The word, also, by which pure (merum) is expressed in the original tongue, is derived from a word signifying to be intoxicated. Because this is signified by pure (merum), and those who falsify the Word are spiritually drunken, that is, are in a state of delirium as to truths; therefore, in the two passages where pure (merum) is mentioned in the Word, the subject is the falsification of truth. As in Isaiah and Hosea.
[3] In Isaiah:
"How is the faithful city become a harlot; full of judgment, justice lodged in her; but now murderers. Thy silver is become dross, thy pure (merum) [wine] mixed with waters" (141, 161); and by city is signified doctrine. Hence by the faithful city becoming a harlot, is signified that the doctrine, which before had been the doctrine of genuine truth, is become the doctrine of falsified truth. Full of judgment, justice lodged in her, signifies where the truth of doctrine and the good of love were in abundance; for judgment, in the Word, is said of the truth of doctrine and of the understanding; and justice, of the good of love and of the will. But now murderers, signifies that falsification has extinguished the understanding of truth and the perception of good. That these things are signified by a murderer, may be seen above (n. 859). Thy silver is become dross, signifies that genuine truth was converted into falsity. Thy pure [wine] mixed with waters, signifies truth made vile and destroyed by its falsification.
[4] And in Hosea:
"Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone. Their wine (vinum) hath gone; they have committed whoredom continually, they have doated" (4:17, 18).
By Ephraim is signified the understanding of the truth of the church; by idols are signified the falsities of religion. It is evident, therefore, what is signified by Ephraim being joined to idols. Let him alone, signifies the rejection of the falsities of that religion from the church. Their wine (vinum) hath gone, signifies the truth of the Word having perished. They have committed whoredom continually, signifies the falsification of it. They have doated, signifies the love of falsity.
From these things it is now evident what is signified in particular by pure [wine] (merum).
887. Verse 10. Even he shall drink of the wine of the anger of God mixed with unmixed wine in the cup of His wrath, signifies appropriation of falsity and its evil, conjoined with falsified truths from the sense of the letter of the Word. This is evident from the signification of "to drink," as being to take in and to appropriate to oneself (See above, n. 617); also from the signification of "wine," as being truth from good, and in the contrary sense falsity from evil (See above, n. 376); also from the signification of "anger," as being evil, because evil is angry against good and wishes to destroy it (See n. 693, 754). It is said "the anger of God," but anger against God is meant, as in many passages where anger and wrath and evil in general are attributed to God (See n. 481, 647); so here, "to drink the wine of the anger of God" signifies to take in and appropriate falsity and its evil. The taking in and appropriation of evil is effected by faith separated from good works, because when goods of life, which are good works, are set aside as not justifying, thus as not saving, evils take their place; for so far as goods withdraw evils enter, "for no one can serve two masters," namely, evil and good, at the same time. The above is evident also from the signification of "mixed with unmixed wine," as being to be conjoined with falsified truths (of which presently); also from the signification of "cup," as being an external container of truth, thus the Word in the sense of its letter; for when "wine" signifies truth, "cup" signifies that which contains it, and the sense of the letter of the Word is the containant of truth, both natural and spiritual. (That "cup" has a similar signification as "wine," that is, what it contains, and that it signifies the containant, can be seen from the passages in the Word where "cup," "chalice," "goblet," and "vial" are mentioned, which will be cited in the explanation of chapters 16 and 17 that follows.) As "cup" signifies the external or containant of truth, thus the sense of the letter of the Word, and as this is falsified by those who are in the doctrine and at the same time in the life of faith separated, so it is called "the cup of God's wrath." The "anger" and the "wrath" of God are here mentioned as in many other passages of the Word, and "anger" means the love and desire for evil in man; and "wrath" the love and desire for falsity in him, for "anger" is predicated of evil, and "wrath" of falsity (See above, n. 481 at the end). All this makes clear that "the wine mixed with unmixed wine in the cup of the wrath of God" signifies conjunction with falsified truths from the sense of the letter of the Word.
[2] "To mix with unmixed wine" signifies to be conjoined with falsified truths of the Word, because "unmixed wine" means intoxicating wine, and thus intoxication, consequently in the spiritual sense delirium in respect to truths induced by falsities, for delirium in respect to truths induced by falsities is spiritual intoxication. Moreover, the word in the original translated "unmixed wine" is derived from a word that means to be intoxicated. As this is the signification of "unmixed wine," and those who falsify the Word are spiritually drunken, that is, are in a state of delirium in respect to truths, the two passages where "unmixed wine" is mentioned in the Word treat of the falsification of truth, as in Isaiah and Hosea.
[3] In Isaiah:
How hath the faithful city become a harlot; she was full of judgment, justice lodged in her; but now murderers. Thy silver hath become dross, thy unmixed wine mixed with waters (141, 161); and "city" signifies doctrine; so "the faithful city becoming a harlot" signifies that doctrine that had previously been the doctrine of genuine truth has become the doctrine of falsified truth. "She was full of judgment, justice lodged in her," signifies where the truth of doctrine and the good of love had been abundant, for "judgment" is predicated in the Word of the truth of doctrine and the understanding, and "justice" of the good of love and of the will; "but now murderers" signifies that falsification has extinguished the understanding of truth and the perception of good. (That this is the signification of a "murderer" may be seen above, n. 589.) "Thy silver hath become dross" signifies that genuine truth has been changed into falsity; "thy unmixed wine mixed with waters" signifies that truth has been made vile and destroyed by falsifying it.
[4] In Hosea:
Ephraim is associated with idols, let him alone. Their wine 1is gone; in whoring they have committed whoredom, they are given up to love (Hosea 4:17, 18).
"Ephraim" signifies the understanding of the truth of the church, "idols" signify the falsities of religion. This makes clear what is signified by "Ephraim is associated with idols." "Let him alone" signifies the rejection of the falsities of that religion by the church. "Their wine 1is gone" signifies that the truth of the Word has perished; "in whoring they have committed whoredom" signifies the falsification of that truth; "they are given up to love" signifies the love of falsity. All this makes clear what is signified in particular by "unmixed wine."
Footnotes:
1. The Hebrew is the same expression as that used in the preceding passage translated "unmixed wine" merum, but Swedenborg has vinum, "wine."
887. [Vers. 10.] "Et ille bibet ex Vino irae Dei mixto mero in poculo excandescentiae Ipsius." Quod significet appropriationem falsi et inde mali, conjuncti cum falsificatis veris sensus litterae Verbi, constat ex significatione "bibere", quod sit imbuere et appropriare sibi (de qua supra, n. 617 [a, c-e]); ex significatione "vini", quod sit verum ex bono, et in opposito sensu falsum ex malo (de qua n. 376); ex significatione" irae, quod sit malum, quia hoc irascitur bono, et vult destructionem ejus (de qua, n. 693, 754); "ira Dei" dicitur, at intelligitur ira contra Deum, sicut pluribus in locis ubi tribuitur Deo ira et excandescentia, et in genere malum (videatur n. 481 fin. , 647); hic itaque per "bibere vinum irae Dei" significatur imbuitio et appropriatio falsi et inde mali: quod imbuitio et appropriatio mali fiat per fidem separatam a bonis operibus, est quia dum bona vitae, quae sunt bona opera, separantur sicut non justificantia, ita non salvantia, tunc loco illorum succedunt mala; nam quantum bona recedunt tantum mala intrant, "nemo enim servire potest duobus dominis", nempe malo et bono simul; ex significatione "misceri mero", quod sit conjungi falsificatis veris, de qua sequitur; ex significatione "poculi", quod sit externum continens veri, ita Verbum in sensu litterae ejus; cum enim per "vinum" significatur verum, per "poculum" significatur continens ejus, et sensus litterae Verbi est continens veri tam naturalis quam spiritualis; (quod "poculum" simile significet quod "vinum", ita contentum, et quod etiam continens, constare potest a locis in Verbo, ubi "poculum", "calix", "scyphus" et "phiala" nominantur, quae in explicatione ad capita 16 et 17 sequentia, adducentur): quia "poculum" significat externum seu continens veri, ita sensum litterae Verbi, et hoc falsificatum est ab illis qui in doctrina et simul vita fidei separatae sunt, ideo dicitur "poculum excandescentiae Dei." Dicitur hic "ira" et "excandescentia" Dei, ut multis aliis in locis in Verbo; ac per "iram" intelligitur amor et cupiditas mali apud hominem, et per "excandescentiam" amor et cupiditas falsi apud illum; nam "ira dicitur de malo, et "excandescentia" de falso (de qua re videantur aliqua supra, n. 481 fin. ). Ex his patet quod per "vinum mixtum mero in poculo excandescentiae Dei" significetur conjunctio cum falsificatis veris sensus litterae Verbi.
[2] Quod "misceri mero" significet conjungi falsificatis veris Verbi, est quia per "merum" intelligitur vinum inebrians, et inde quoque inebriatio, proinde in sensu spirituali deliratio in veris per falsa, nam deliratio in veris per falsa est spiritualis inebriatio; vox etiam qua exprimitur "merum" in lingua originali, derivatur a voce quae significat inebriari. Quia hoc significatur per "merum", et illi qui falsificant Verbum spiritualiter inebriati sunt, hoc est, quoad vera delirant, ideo in binis locis ubi in Verbo nominatur "merum", agitur de falsificatione veri, ut apud Esaiam et apud Hoscheam:
[3] Apud Esaiam,
"Quomodo evasit in meretricem urbs fidelis, plena judicio, justitia pernoctabat..; nunc autem homicidae: argentum tuum evasit in scorias, merum tuum mixtum aquis" (1:21, 22):
per "meretricem" in Verbo ubivis significatur falsificatum verum (videatur supra, n. 141, 161), et per "urbem" significatur doctrina; inde per quod "evaserit in meretricem urbs fidelis", significatur quod doctrina, quae prius fuerat doctrina genuini veri, facta sit doctrina falsificati veri: "plena judicio, justitia pernoctabat", significat ubi verum doctrinae et bonum amoris in copia fuit, nam "judicium" in Verbo dicitur de vero doctrinae et intellectus, et "justitia" de bono amoris et voluntatis; "nunc autem homicidae", significat quod falsificatio exstinxerit intellectum veri et perceptionem boni; (quod haec per "homicidam" significentur, videatur supra, n. 589 1
): "argentum evasit in scorias", significat quod genuinum verum conversum sit in falsum; "merum tuum mixtum aquis", significat verum vile factum et deperditum per falsificationem ejus.
[4] Apud Hoscheam,
"Sociatus idolis Ephraim, dimitte eum; recessit 2
vinum eorum, scortando scortari fecerunt, dilexerunt" (4:17, 18):
per "Ephraimum" significatur intellectus veri ecclesiae; per "idola" significantur falsa religionis; inde patet quid significatur per quod "sociatus est idolis Ephraim": "dimitte eum", significat rejectionem falsorum illius religionis ab ecclesia: "recessit 3
vinum eorum", significat quod verum Verbi perierit; "scortando scortari fecerunt", significat falsificationem ejus; "dilexerunt" significat amorem falsi. Ex his nunc patet quid in specie significatur per "merum."
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.
3. The editors made a correction or note here.