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Genesis 35

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1 Potom mluvil Bůh k Jákobovi: Vstana, vstup do Bethel, a bydli tam; a udělej tam oltář Bohu silnému, kterýž se ukázal tobě, kdyžs utíkal před Ezau bratrem svým.

2 Tedy řekl Jákob čeládce své, a všechněm, kteříž s ním byli: Odvrzte bohy cizí, kteréž máte mezi sebou, a očisťte se, a změňte roucha svá.

3 A vstanouce, vstupme do Bethel, a udělám tam oltář silnému Bohu, kterýž vyslyšel mne v den ssoužení mého, a byl se mnou na cestě, kterouž jsem šel.

4 Tedy dali Jákobovi všecky bohy cizí, kteréž měli, i náušnice, kteréž byly na uších jejich; i zakopal je Jákob pod tím dubem, kterýž byl u Sichem.

5 I brali se odtud. (A byl strach Boží na městech, kteráž byla vůkol nich, a nehonili synů Jákobových.)

6 Tedy přišel Jákob do Lůz, kteréž jest v zemi Kananejské, (to již slove Bethel,) on i všecken lid, kterýž byl s ním.

7 I vzdělal tu oltář, a nazval to místo Bůh silný Bethel; nebo tu se mu byl zjevil Bůh, když utíkal před bratrem svým.

8 Tehdy umřela Debora, chovačka Rebeky, a pochována jest pod Bethel, pod dubem; i nazval jméno jeho Allon Bachuth.

9 Ukázal se pak opět Bůh Jákobovi, když se navracoval z Pádan Syrské, a požehnal mu.

10 I řekl jemu Bůh: Jméno tvé jest Jákob. Nebude více nazývano Jméno tvé toliko Jákob, ale Izrael také bude Jméno tvé. Protož nazval Jméno jeho Izrael.

11 Řekl ještě Bůh jemu: Já jsem Bůh silný všemohoucí; rostiž a množ se; národ, nýbrž množství národů bude z tebe, i králové z bedr tvých vyjdou.

12 A zemi tu, kterouž jsem dal Abrahamovi a Izákovi, tobě ji dám; semeni také tvému po tobě dám tu zemi.

13 I vstoupil od něho Bůh z místa, na kterémž mluvil s ním.

14 Jákob pak vyzdvihl znamení pamětné na místě tom, na kterémž mluvil s ním, sloup kamenný; a pokropil ho skropením, a svrchu polil jej olejem.

15 A nazval Jákob jméno místa toho, na kterémž mluvil s ním Bůh, Bethel.

16 I brali se z Bethel, a bylo již nedaleko do Efraty. I porodila Ráchel, a těžkosti trpěla roděci.

17 A když s těžkostí rodila, řekla jí baba: Neboj se, nebo také tohoto syna míti budeš.

18 I stalo se, když k smrti pracovala, (nebo umřela), nazvala jméno jeho Ben Oni; ale otec jeho nazval ho Beniaminem.

19 I umřela Ráchel, a pochována jest na cestě k Efratě, jenž jest Betlém.

20 A postavil Jákob znamení pamětné nad hrobem jejím; toť jest znamení hrobu Ráchel až do dnešního dne.

21 I odebral se odtud Izrael, a rozbil stan svůj za věží Eder.

22 Stalo se pak také, když bydlil Izrael v té krajině, že Ruben šel, a spal s Bálou, ženinou otce svého; o čemž uslyšel Izrael. Bylo pak synů Jákobových dvanácte.

23 Synové pak Líe: Prvorozený Jákobův Ruben, potom Simeon, a Léví, a Juda, a Izachar, a Zabulon.

24 Synové Ráchel: Jozef a Beniamin.

25 A synové Bály, děvky Ráchel: Dan a Neftalím.

26 A synové Zelfy, děvky Líe: Gád a Asser. Tiť jsou synové Jákobovi, kteříž mu zrozeni jsou v Pádan Syrské.

27 Tedy přišel Jákob k Izákovi otci svému do Mamre, do města Arbe, jenž jest Hebron, kdežto bydlil pohostinu Abraham a Izák.

28 A bylo dnů Izákových sto osmdesáte let.

29 I dokonal Izák, a umřel, a připojen jest k lidu svému, stár jsa a plný dnů; i pochovali ho Ezau a Jákob, synové jeho.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 921

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921. 'Noah built an altar to Jehovah' means a representative of the Lord. This is clear from what has been stated just above. All the religious observances of the Ancient Church were representative of the Lord, as also were those of the Jewish Church. But the chief representative in later times was the altar, and also the burnt offering, which, because it was made from clean beasts and clean birds, represented the same as that of which it was the meaningful sign. Clean beasts represented goods that stem from charity, and clean birds the truths of faith. And when offering these, members of the Ancient Church meant that they were offering gifts of those goods or truths to the Lord. Nothing else can be offered up to the Lord that will please Him. But their descendants, like the gentiles, and also the Jews, corrupted these offerings, for they did not even know that these had such a meaning. They confined worship solely to things of an external nature.

[2] That the altar was the chief representative of the Lord becomes clear also from the consideration that there were altars even among gentiles before all the other religious observances were established, before the Ark [of the Covenant] was made, and before the Temple was built. This is clear from Abram's going on to the mountain east of Bethel, erecting an altar, and calling on the name of Jehovah, Genesis 12:8; from his being commanded to offer Isaac as a burnt offering on an altar, Genesis 22:2, 9, from Jacob's building an altar in Luz, which was Bethel, Genesis 35:6-7; and from Moses' building an altar at the foot of Mount Sinai and offering sacrifice, Exodus 24:4-6. Each of these events took place before the establishment of the sacrificial system and before the construction of the Ark, the place where worship was at a later time celebrated in the wilderness. The fact that gentiles too had altars is clear from what is said about Balaam telling Balak to build seven altars and to prepare seven young bulls and seven rams, Numbers 23:1-7, 15-18, 29-30, and also from the command to destroy the altars of the nations, as in Deuteronomy 7:5; Judges 2:2. Consequently Divine worship involving the use of altars and sacrifices was not something new when it was established among the Jews. Indeed men were building altars, especially those for commemorative purposes, before they ever knew of immolating young bulls and other animals on them.

[3] That 'altars' means a representative of the Lord, and 'burnt offerings' consequent worship of Him, is quite clear from the Prophets and also in Moses where Levi to whom the priesthood was entrusted is the subject,

They will teach Jacob Your judgements and Israel Your law. They will put incense in Your nostrils, and whole (burnt offering) upon Your altar. Deuteronomy 33:10.

This stands for the whole of worship. 'Teaching Jacob His judgements, and Israel His law' stands for internal worship, while 'putting incense in His nostrils, and whole [burnt offering] on the altar' stands for corresponding external worship, and so for the whole of worship. In Isaiah,

On that day a man will look to his Maker and his eyes will regard the Holy One of Israel. And he will not look to the altars, the work of his hands. Isaiah 17:7-8.

Here 'looking to the altars' clearly means representative worship in general, which was to be abolished. In the same prophet,

On that day there will be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border to Jehovah. Isaiah 19:19.

Here too 'altar' stands for external worship.

[4] In Jeremiah,

The Lord has abandoned His altar, He has abhorred His sanctuary. Lamentations 2:7.

'Altar' stands for representative worship which had become idolatrous. In Hosea,

Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they have been to him altars for sinning. Hosea 8:11.

'Altars' here stands for all representative worship separated from internal, and so stands for what is idolatrous. In the same prophet,

The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. Thorn and thistle will grow up on their altars. Hosea 10:8.

Here too 'altars' stands for idolatrous worship. In Amos,

On the day I visit Israel for his transgressions, I will visit the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar will be cut off. Amos 3:14.

Here also 'altars' stands for representative worship that had become idolatrous.

[5] In David,

They will bring me to Your holy mountain, and to Your dwellings! Then I will go in to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy. Psalms 43:3-4.

Here 'altar' clearly stands for the Lord. So the making of an altar in the Ancient and the Jewish Churches stood for a representative of the Lord. Because worship of the Lord was carried out principally by means of burnt offerings and sacrifices, and these principally meant representative worship, it is clear that the altar itself means representative worship itself.

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