9248. Thou shalt not take up a report of emptiness. That this signifies no listening to falsities, is evident from the signification of "taking up a report," as being to hear and do, thus to listen, for in the original tongue "a report" is expressed by a term which means "hearing;" and from the signification of "emptiness," as being falsity, and indeed the falsity of doctrine and of religion, as can be seen from the following passages. In Ezekiel:
There shall be no more any vision of emptiness and flattering divination, in the midst of the house of Israel (Ezek. 12:24);
"vision of emptiness" denotes false revelation. In the same:
They have seen emptiness and the divination of a lie. Because ye speak emptiness, and see a lie, therefore behold I am against you, that Mine hand may be against the prophets that see emptiness, and that divine a lie (Ezek. 13:6-9);
"the prophets," of whom it is here said that they "see emptiness and divine a lie," signify those who teach, and in the abstract sense the teaching or doctrine (n. 2534, 7269); and "seeing" is predicated of "the prophets," who therefore were in ancient times called "seers" (1 Sam. 9:9); and "divining" also is predicated of them. [2] By "seeing," or by "vision," when predicated of the prophets, is signified in the internal sense the revelation which has regard to doctrine; and by "divining," or by "divination," is signified the revelation which has regard to life; and as "emptiness" signifies the falsity of doctrine, and "a lie" the falsity of life, it is said, "they have seen emptiness and the divination of a lie." Again:
In seeing thou hast emptiness, in divining thou hast a lie (Ezek. 21:29). The teraphim speak iniquity, and the diviners see a lie, and they speak dreams of emptiness (Zech. 10:2). The prophets have seen vanity (Lam. 2:14). That "emptiness" denotes the falsity of doctrine and of religion, is also plain in these passages:
They are become emptiness; in Gilgal they sacrifice bullocks (Hos. 12:11). My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to emptiness (Jer. 18:15). In like manner in Isa. 5:18; 30:28; 59:4; Ps. 12:2; 119:37; 144:8, 11.
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