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Genesis 23

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1 Now the years of Sarah's life were a hundred and twenty-seven.

2 And Sarah's death took place in Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan: and Abraham went into his house, weeping and sorrowing for Sarah.

3 And Abraham came from his dead and said to the children of Heth,

4 I am living among you as one from a strange country: give me some land here as my property, so that I may put my dead to rest.

5 And in answer the children of Heth said to Abraham,

6 My lord, truly you are a great chief among us; take the best of our resting-places for your dead; not one of us will keep back from you a place where you may put your dead to rest.

7 And Abraham got up and gave honour to the children of Heth, the people of that land.

8 And he said to them, If you will let me put my dead to rest here, make a request for me to Ephron, the son of Zohar,

9 That he will give me the hollow in the rock named Machpelah, which is his property at the end of his field; let him give it to me for its full price as a resting-place for my dead among you.

10 Now Ephron was seated among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite gave Abraham his answer in the hearing of the children of Heth, and of all those who came into his town, saying,

11 No, my lord, I will give you the field with the hollow in the rock; before all the children of my people will I give it to you for a resting-place for your dead.

12 And Abraham went down on his face before the people of the land.

13 And Abraham said to Ephron, in the hearing of the people of the land, If only you will give ear to me, I will give you the price of the field; take it, and let me put my dead to rest there.

14 So Ephron said to Abraham,

15 My lord, give ear to me: the value of the land is four hundred shekels; what is that between me and you? so put your dead to rest there.

16 And Abraham took note of the price fixed by Ephron in the hearing of the children of Heth, and gave him four hundred shekels in current money.

17 So Ephron's field at Machpelah near Mamre, with the hollow in the rock and all the trees in the field and round it,

18 Became the property of Abraham before the eyes of the children of Heth and of all who came into the town.

19 Then Abraham put Sarah his wife to rest in the hollow rock in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, that is, Hebron in the land of Canaan.

20 And the field and the hollow rock were handed over to Abraham as his property by the children of Heth.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 2960

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2960. What is that between me and thee? That this signifies that he gave his assent, but still desired it to be from himself, namely, his being prepared or reformed, is evident from the sense of the letter when applied to the internal sense which treats of reformation. Above, it was said by Ephron, “The field give I thee, and the cave that is therein I give it thee” (verse 11), by which was signified that they desired to prepare themselves in regard to the things which are of the church and of faith, that is, reform themselves; that such is the first state of those who are being reformed may be seen above (n. 2946). But when they progress further in the knowledges of truth or of faith, then comes their second state, in which they indeed give assent, but still desire it to be from themselves; this is the state treated of in this verse; but a third state is presently described, namely, the state of belief that they are reformed by the Lord. The cause of their being such in the beginning was stated above (n. 2946). But that when they advance in the knowledges of truth or of faith they indeed acknowledge that they are reformed by the Lord, but still desire it to be from themselves, is for the reason that the cloud of ignorance is only gradually dispersed, and that the confirmations of truth are strengthened with time, and that good is perfected by imbuements of the knowledges of truth. It is the good itself in which the truth has been implanted that causes them not only to acknowledge but also to believe that reformation is from the Lord. This is the third state; and it is followed by a fourth, namely, that in which they perceive it to be from the Lord. But there are few who come into this state in the life of the body, for it is an angelic state; but they who are regenerate come into it in the other life. Hence it is evident that in the internal sense is here described the man of the spiritual church, and what his state is while he is yet immature; also what it is when he begins to mature, and at last when he has matured.

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