Doctrine of Holy Scripture - Swedenborg Foundation

DOCTRINE OF HOLY SCRIPTURE 211I know Ephraim, that he hath altogether committed whoredom, and Israelis defiled (Hos. 5:3).In the house of Israel I have seen a foul thing; there Ephraim hathcommitted whoredom, and Israel hath been defiled (Hos. 6:10).“Israel” is the church itself, and “Ephraim” is the understanding ofthe Word, from and according to which is the church, andtherefore it is said “Ephraim hath committed whoredom, and Israelhath been defiled.”[7] As the church among the Jews had been utterly destroyedthrough falsifications of the Word, it is said of Ephraim,I will give thee up, Ephraim, I will deliver thee over, Israel, as Admah, and Iwill set thee as Zeboim (Hos. 11:8).Now as the prophet Hosea, from the first chapter to the last, treatsof the falsification of the Word, and of the destruction of thechurch thereby; and as the falsification of truth is there signified by“whoredom,” therefore in order that he might represent this stateof the church, that prophet was commanded to take unto himself aharlot for a woman, and of her to beget sons (chapter 1); and, asecond time, to take a woman who was an adulteress (chapter 3).[8] These passages have been adduced in order that it may beknown and confirmed from the Word that such as is theunderstanding of the Word in the church, such is the church:excellent and precious if this understanding is from genuine truthsof the Word, but ruined and even foul if it is from truths falsified.In confirmation of the truth that Ephraim signifies theunderstanding of the Word, and in the opposite sense the samefalsified, and that the destruction of the church comes from this,the other passages in which Ephraim is treated of may be consulted,As Hos. 4:17–18; 7:1, 11; 8:9, 11; 9:11–13, 16; 10:11; 11:3; 12:1, 8, 14;13:1, 12; Isa. 17:3; 28:1; Jer. 4:15; 31:6, 18; 50:19; Ezek. 37:16; 48:5; Obad.19; Zech. 9:10.