Bible

 

創世記 47

Studie

   

1 約瑟進去告訴法老:我的父親和我的弟兄帶著羊群牛群,並一切所有的,從迦南來了,如今在歌珊

2 約瑟從他弟兄中挑出五個人來,引他們去見法老

3 法老問約瑟的弟兄:你們以可事為業?他們對法老:你僕人是牧的,連我們的祖宗也是牧的。

4 他們又對法老迦南的饑荒甚大,僕人的羊群沒有吃,所以我們到這寄居。現在求你容僕人歌珊

5 法老對約瑟:你父親和你弟兄到你這裡來了

6 埃及都在你面前,只管叫你父親和你弟兄在國中最好的;他們可以歌珊。你若知道他們中間有甚麼能人,就派他們看管我的牲畜。

7 約瑟領他父親雅各進到法老面前,雅各就給法老祝福

8 法老雅各:你平生的年日是多少呢?

9 雅各法老:我寄居在世的年日是一三十歲,我平生的年日又少又苦,不及我列祖早在世寄居的年日。

10 雅各又給法老祝福,就從法老面前出去了。

11 約瑟遵著法老的命,把埃及國最好的,就是蘭塞境內的父親和弟兄居住,作為產業。

12 約瑟用糧食奉養他父親和他弟兄,並他父親全家的眷屬,都是照各家的人奉養他們。

13 饑荒甚大,全都絕了糧,甚至埃及迦南的人因那饑荒的緣故都餓昏了。

14 約瑟收聚了埃及迦南所有的子,就是眾人糴糧的子,約瑟就把那法老的宮裡。

15 埃及迦南子都花盡了,埃及眾人都見約瑟,我們子都用盡了,求你給我們糧食,我們為甚麼在你面前呢?

16 約瑟:若是子用盡了,可以把你們的牲畜我,我就為你們的牲畜你們糧食。

17 於是他們把牲畜趕到約瑟那裡,約瑟就拿糧食換了他們的;那一年因換他們一切的牲畜,就用糧食養活他們。

18 那一年過去,第二年他們又見約瑟,:我們不瞞我,我們的子都花盡了,牲畜也都歸了我。我們在我眼前,除了我們的身體和田地之外,一無所剩。

19 你何忍見我們地荒呢?求你用糧食買我們我們的地,我們我們的地就要法老效力。又求你我們種子,使我們得以存活,不至亡,地土也不至荒涼。

20 於是,約瑟為法老買了埃及所有的埃及人因被饑荒所迫,各都了自己的田;那就都歸了法老

21 至於百姓,約瑟叫他們,從埃及這邊直到埃及那邊,都各歸各城。

22 惟有祭司的地,約瑟沒有買,因為祭司有從法老所得的常俸。他們法老的常俸,所以他們不自己的地。

23 約瑟對百姓:我今日為法老買了你們和你們的地,看哪,這裡有種子給你們,你們可以種地。

24 後來打糧食的時候,你們要把五分之一納法老分可以歸你們做地裡的種子,也做你們和你們家口孩童的食物。

25 他們:你我們的性命。但願我們在我眼前蒙恩,我們就作法老的僕人

26 於是約瑟為埃及地定下常例,直到今日:法老必得五分之一,惟獨祭司的地不歸法老

27 以色列人埃及歌珊。他們在那裡置了產業,並且生育甚多。

28 雅各住在埃及十七年,雅各平生的年日是一十七歲。

29 以色列的期臨近了,他就了他兒子約瑟來,:我若在你眼前蒙恩,請你把放在我大腿,用慈愛和誠實待我,請你不要將我葬在埃及

30 我與我祖我父同睡的時候,你要將我帶出埃及,葬在他們所葬的地方。約瑟:我必遵著你的命而行。

31 雅各:你要向我起誓。約瑟就向他起了誓,於是以色列上(或作扶著杖)敬拜神。

   

Komentář

 

Exploring the Meaning of Genesis 47

Napsal(a) Helen Kennedy

This chapter continues the "Joseph story" and his family has come to Egypt to escape the famine in Canaan. Joseph is thrilled to have them with him, especially his father, Jacob. He gives them land in Goshen, the best part of Egypt. Pharaoh welcomes them, too, asking Joseph’s brothers about their work, and talking with Jacob, too.

In verses 1-6, Pharaoh corresponds here to external, scientific knowledge, while Joseph includes also the inner enlightenment that flows from the deepest things (Secrets of Heaven 6062). Without this influx our natural level does not have any life, for it is totally devoid of life on its own. Life comes to us directly from the Lord, and this chapter gives a glimpse of how the Lord creates life in us (Secrets of Heaven 6063).

When Joseph brings five of his brothers to meet Pharaoh, this means that some truths, meant by “five,” flowing from heaven reached into the natural part of us where factual things (Pharaoh) reside.

Pharaoh asks about their occupation, and they tell him that they are shepherds, as were their fathers. Here the natural part of us becomes aware of new things flowing in from the spiritual depths. It wonders what good these new insights will lead to. Since shepherds tend sheep that are innocently led, it follows that Joseph’s brothers represent truths that lead to innocence. In all innocence there is good from the Lord.

The brothers talking with Pharaoh means the perception the natural was having is continuing. Truth and knowledge sustain the human soul just as food does the body, but famine represents a severe lack of it. When we are regenerating or being made spiritual, we have a desire for knowledge and wisdom, and when we don’t find it, we are desolate, listless, and famished. Goshen is the best land in Egypt; living in it symbolizes that a person who is being regenerated has access to the types of natural knowledges that begin our heavenly instruction.

Pharaoh's generosity illustrates how the natural part of us starts perceiving some deeper things. Jacob’s father and brothers being permitted to dwell in “the best of the land” shows how delighted our external mind is in receiving insights from spiritual things. Any “competent men” or “energetic men” (the latter used in a different translation) signifies that the outermost part of us is perceiving the most powerful or important truths, letting them be first or foremost among known facts. An example could be the instruction in Deuteronomy 6:4 to “Love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul and all our strength.”

In verse 7, Joseph brings Jacob to meet Pharaoh, "and Jacob blessed Pharaoh." This shows the sequence in our spiritual growth: our inmost spirit (Joseph) flows into intermediate truths (Jacob) which become present in the outermost part of us (Pharaoh).

Pharaoh asks Jacob his age, which shows a continuing interest on the part of our outer selves to learn about spiritual things. (Secrets of Heaven 6093).

In verse 9, we read this:

"And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”

A pilgrimage is a journey for a spiritual end. Jacob’s has been full of temptations, producing inner feelings of anxiety and distress, which is why Jacob says his days have been “few and evil.” The natural person is particularly subjected to temptations when it is starting to receive the things of spiritual life. Evils of life and falsities of doctrine reside only in the outer or external part of us (Secrets of Heaven 6097).

Jacob’s blessing of Pharaoh, in verse 10, shows a heartfelt desire on the part of spiritual things to join natural ones. This will result in fruitfulness of life if we actually live according to inner dictates. The actuality of it has yet to be effected; so far there has only been an introduction to it. That Jacob “went out from Pharaoh” shows there still is some separation.

In verse 10 Joseph settles his father and brothers in the best land—an image of all the good and true things we receive from the innermost or celestial (Joseph) as it flows into the natural part of us. Then a true “church” can exist, a “church” being the place inside us where the things of the Lord are known (Secrets of Heaven 10761). That the natural acquiesces to this conjunction is shown by Pharaoh having commanded for Joseph’s family to be settled in the best land.

Joseph's providing for his father and brothers in verse 12 again shows the flow of good from the inmost or deepest level into the middle or spiritual level, and then into the outermost or natural levels of a person.

“According to their families.” Families, especially children, signify innocence, or a willingness to be led—here to receive this spiritual influx.

“No bread in the land” in verse 13 symbolizes what happens to us when we don't receive this inflowing spiritual good from an inner connection with the Lord. Even knowledges of spiritual things (represented by “Egypt" and “Canaan”) get desperate.

In verse 14 Joseph gathers up all the money found in Egypt and Canaan. This represents that all the factual knowledge of the Church that had truth in it, represented here by the money, was now being subordinated to the innermost or deepest part of ourselves, the part closest to the Lord and His leading. The knowledge was no longer going to be spurious or falsified because of being subject to our own evil loves and self-serving "truths," or things in our outer self only.

When the money failed in the land in verse 15, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence?” This happens when our life is so devastated that we no longer know anything, or have any truth, that leads to good. Even what we thought were our knowledges of truth and good have failed. This is because they came from ourselves and therefore were not life-giving. All of our being needs to turn toward the deepest of inner things, represented by Joseph.

In verse 16, Joseph says, “Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.” This sounds sort of harsh but, again, we need to look at the inner meaning. Giving livestock for bread shows that truths need to be filled in with good. In other words, it is no longer good enough to know truths for their own sake; they must serve good or have good within them. That can only be done by living according to them. We can't just know things. And we can’t do good from ourselves.

The following verses 17-27 deal with the actual joining together of spiritual with natural things. In verse 17 the Egyptians bring their livestock to Joseph and exchange them for bread. We bring the lesser things in our lives under the direction or control of our inmost spiritual selves. “Horses” represent things of our understanding; “flocks,” inner truths that contain good; “herds,” more external truths; and “donkeys,” things of our outermost self that serve inner things. Joseph's feeding the people corresponds to how our outer self is sustained and given life by an inflow from inner things.

In verses 18 and 19, things are getting much more serious. “When that year ended” means that a new state is beginning and the previous one has ended. “We will not hide from my lord” shows that our outermost self is now fully aware that it can only be helped by an inflow from deepest or inmost things. Nothing being left “but our bodies and our lands” shows the utter desolation of our outer self, completely lacking any knowledge of good, or the true things that lead to good. This desolation comes from trying to live in the outer or bodily self without any influx from the inner or spiritual parts of ourselves (Secrets of Heaven 6108).

“Why should we die” shows how our outer self gets more and more desperate. It realizes that it can’t be helped by anything external. Its desperation is becoming great, so great that it is willing to give up its autonomy and totally submit, becoming a servant to inward things.

The people are asking for seed. This is a sign that there can now be an inflow of charitable good and truth, because our outer self has become humbled and is willing to give up thinking it does things entirely on its own. It stops blocking the Lord's influx, fighting it, or twisting it into falsities. With help from "Joseph" or inner things, we no longer have to fear the damnation which is close at hand. “That the land may not be desolate” shows that now our minds can be cultivated with true things of the church, the “church” being the place inside a person where things from the Lord are known (Secrets of Heaven 10761).

In verse 20 “Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharoah” directly corresponds to how the inmost part of us now governs the entire natural mind, this because it is conjoined with the Lord. In other words we're no longer struggling on our own because of our self-centeredness. An example can be seen in a person who is destroying his or her life with an addiction, but who gets a realization of how bad things are, and slowly stops drinking or doing the drug, eventually getting away from it entirely, and becoming healed.

Joseph, in verse 21, moves the people into the cities, throughout Egypt. Cities correspond to doctrines which are organized sets of truths. Moving people into cities corresponds to the way that our inmost mind is now directing our thoughts into areas where there are knowledges that hold truths within them.

Joseph doesn't buy the priests' land (verse 22). Here Pharaoh’s priests represent the capacity to receive good that exists only from the inner levels flowing outward, not from anything that exists externally of itself (Secrets of Heaven 6148). “The priests having rations from Pharaoh all along” shows how important these capacities are. “Therefore they did not sell their lands” shows that those parts of us never did things on their own without inner guidance.

Joseph looks kindly on the people and quickly gives them seed (verse 23). This parallels how our inmost spiritual self is excited at being joined with outermost natural things. It quickly flows out with truths through which spiritual things can grow. The excitement here is parallel to the excitement Joseph felt when he first saw that his brothers came to Egypt to buy grain (Genesis 43).

In verse 24, there's an interesting division of the yield of the seed: “And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households, and as food for your little ones.”

As things of good and truth start to grow, the natural or outer part of us needs to constantly acknowledge that its good comes from somewhere other than itself. Giving one-fifth to Pharoah accomplishes that. Tithing, or giving a percentage of one’s salary to the church, is reminiscent of this. The people were able to keep four-fifths of the produce as their own, showing that there will still be lots of things we think and feel where it seems like they originate from ourselves. In the reality of spiritual life, though, they actually are coming from the Lord. The difference is that we do them “as of ourself” or “as if” they originate from us. “Your little ones” shows that when it is done this way, the person will be innocent or without fault.

In verses 25 and 26, the people are grateful. “You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.” Our outer self starts with pride, self-centeredness, and some delusions that lead to a disconnectedness from the Lord's love and wisdom. But now, after hardship, temptation, and spiritual famine, we've made the decision to allow the Lord to flow into our minds, and to be governed by real love and wisdom. And now, finally, our outer self is grateful. To “find favor in the sight of my lord” shows a willingness to be led in this way.

We need to give consent in order for spiritual things to flow in; they will not be forced on us. When we give consent, we're on the road to having our whole life be nourished. The parallel to Joseph’s law is that we need to always respond to the prompting of inner leading. “To this day” means forever. “That Pharaoh should have one-fifth” shows that the Lord just wants us to acknowledge Him. He still wants us to have freedom, and the feeling that we do things on our own is signified by the four-fifths the people keep. For the sake of our spiritual life, at the same time we need to remember the Lord and recognize that our life comes from Him.

The Children of Israel thrive in Goshen (verse 27). Spiritual good is present with the person now. “Israel” means spiritual good, different from “Jacob,” which means natural truth. “In the country of Goshen”—the spiritual good is in the middle or best part of the natural. That Joseph’s family “grew and multiplied exceedingly” shows that goods and truths are being formed and shared with the natural, and the outermost part of us is responding to them (Secrets of Heaven 6172).

From verse 28 on, the focus is on Jacob and his impending death. Swedenborg says that Jacob living one hundred and forty-seven years is not easy to explain. The “numbers contain the entire state of reality represented by ‘Jacob’ and its essential nature” (Secrets of Heaven 6175). As for one hundred and forty-seven, it probably has something to do with “forty” meaning “temptations” (as seen in the story of Noah), and “seven” meaning “completeness."

Israel calls Joseph to his side (verse 29). As Israel dies, deeper things are present, because ‘Joseph’ represents inmost things. “Now if I have found favor in your sight” shows the desire on the part of our outer self for inner things to predominate. “Please put your hand under my thigh.” This was a way of expressing a sacred bond, the “hand” having to do with power in outer things and the “thigh” with things of heavenly married love. (Think of the sacred bond which is made at weddings.) That we are reaching a state of humility is shown in Israel’s request for Joseph to “deal kindly and truly with me.” Not wanting to be buried in Egypt indicates the desire to dwell in things of the spirit, i.e., heaven, and not be left only in knowledges of them, which are in our outermost self (Secrets of Heaven 6181).

Jacob's lying with his fathers represents our desire, when opening to inner things, to live the type of spiritual life that the earliest people on earth had. They lived in spiritual innocence. Carrying Jacob “out of Egypt” corresponds to being carried out of knowledges only. (See Secrets of Heaven 6183).

Swearing a vow is a sacred thing, an unchangeable agreement to do something (verse 31). The “head of the bed” is the part that is higher up when compared to the rest of the bed and “bowing oneself” indicates humility. This shows that natural truth meant by “Jacob” was raised to “spiritual good” meant by “Israel” (Secrets of Heaven 6188). The intention of the Lord in all this has been to join with us by flowing in and giving us the capacities to live according to heavenly truths. Knowledge is not enough; understanding is not enough; only living according to spiritual things will do.

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 6181

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

6181. 'Do not, I beg you, bury me in Egypt' means regeneration not among known facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'being buried' as resurrection and regeneration, dealt with in 2916, 2917, 4621, 5551; and from the meaning of 'Egypt' as factual knowledge, often dealt with already. For what is meant by regeneration not among known facts, see just below in 6187.

  
/ 10837  
  

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