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Genesis 37

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1 Jákob pak bydlil v zemi putování otce svého, v zemi Kananejské.

2 Tito jsou příběhové Jákobovi: Jozef, když byl v sedmnácti letech, pásl s bratřími svými dobytek, (a byl mládeneček), s syny Bály a Zelfy, žen otce svého. A oznamoval Jozef zlou pověst o nich otci svému.

3 Izrael pak miloval Jozefa nad všecky syny své; nebo v starosti své zplodil jej. A udělal mu sukni proměnných barev.

4 A když spatřili bratří jeho, že ho miluje otec jejich nad všecky bratří jeho, nenáviděli ho, aniž mohli pokojně k němu promluviti.

5 Měl pak Jozef sen, a vypravoval jej bratřím svým; pročež v větší nenávisti ho měli.

6 Nebo pravil jim: Slyšte, prosím, sen, kterýž jsem měl.

7 Hle, vázali jsme snopy na poli, a aj, povstal snop můj, a stál. Vůkol také stáli snopové vaši, a klaněli se snopu mému.

8 Jemužto odpověděli bratří jeho: Zdaliž kralovati budeš nad námi, aneb pánem naším budeš? Z té příčiny ještě více nenáviděli ho pro sny jeho, a pro slova jeho.

9 Potom ještě měl jiný sen, a vypravoval jej bratřím svým, řka: Hle, opět jsem měl sen, a aj, slunce a měsíc, a jedenácte hvězd klanělo mi se.

10 I vypravoval otci svému a bratřím svým. A domlouval mu otec jeho, a řekl jemu: Jakýž jest to sen, kterýž jsi měl? Zdaliž přijdeme, já a matka tvá i bratří tvoji, abychom se klaněli před tebou až k zemi?

11 Tedy záviděli mu bratří jeho; ale otec jeho měl pozor na tu věc.

12 Odešli pak bratří jeho, aby pásli dobytek otce svého v Sichem.

13 A řekl Izrael Jozefovi: Zdaliž nepasou bratří tvoji v Sichem: Poď, a pošli tě k nim. Kterýžto odpověděl: Aj, teď jsem.

14 I řekl jemu: Jdi nyní, zvěz, jak se mají bratří tvoji, a co se děje s dobytkem; a zase mi povíš o tom. A tak poslal ho z údolí Hebron, a on přišel do Sichem.

15 Našel ho pak muž nějaký, an bloudí po poli. I zeptal se ho muž ten, řka: Čeho hledáš?

16 Odpověděl: Bratří svých hledám; pověz mi, prosím, kde oni pasou?

17 I řekl muž ten: Odešli odsud; nebo slyšel jsem je, ani praví: Poďme do Dothain. Tedy šel Jozef za bratřími svými, a našel je v Dothain.

18 Kteřížto, jakž ho uzřeli zdaleka, prvé než k nim došel, ukládali o něm, aby jej zahubili.

19 Nebo řekli jeden druhému: Ej, mistr snů teď jde.

20 Nyní tedy poďte, a zabíme jej, a uvržeme ho do některé čisterny, a díme: Zvěř lítá sežrala jej. I uzříme, nač jemu vyjdou snové jeho.

21 A uslyšev to Ruben, aby ho vytrhl z ruky jejich, (nebo řekl: Neodjímejme mu hrdla,)

22 Řekl jim Ruben: Nevylévejte krve. Vrzte jej do této čisterny, kteráž jest na poušti, a nevztahujte ruky na něj. Ale on chtěl vysvoboditi ho z ruky jejich, a pomoci mu, aby se navrátil k otci svému.

23 A když přišel Jozef k bratřím svým, strhli s něho sukni jeho, sukni proměnných barev, kterouž měl na sobě.

24 A pochopivše, uvrhli jej do čisterny. Čisterna pak ta byla prázdná, v níž nebylo vody.

25 I usadili se, aby jedli chléb. A pozdvihše očí svých, uzřeli, a aj, množství Izmaelitských přicházejících z Galád, kteřížto na velbloudích svých nesli vonné věci a kadidlo a mirru do Egypta.

26 I řekl Juda bratřím svým: Jaký zisk míti budeme, zabijeme-li bratra svého, a zatajíme-li krve jeho?

27 Poďte, prodejme ho Izmaelitským, a nevztahujme na něj rukou svých, nebo bratr náš, tělo naše jest. I uposlechli ho bratří jeho.

28 Když pak mimo ně jeli muži ti, kupci Madianští, vytáhli a vyvedli Jozefa z té čisterny, a prodali jej Izmaelitským za dvadceti stříbrných. Ti zavedli Jozefa do Egypta.

29 A navrátil se Ruben k čisterně, a aj, již nebylo Jozefa v ní. I roztrhl roucha svá.

30 A navrátiv se k bratřím svým, řekl: Pacholete není, a já kam se mám podíti?

31 Tedy vzali sukni Jozefovu, a zabivše kozla, smočili sukni tu ve krvi.

32 A poslali sukni tu proměnných barev, a dali ji donésti k otci svému, aby řekli: Tuto jsme nalezli; pohleď nyní, jest-li sukně syna tvého, či není?

33 A on poznav ji, řekl: Sukně syna mého jest; zvěř lítá sežrala jej, konečně roztrhán jest Jozef.

34 I roztrhl Jákob roucha svá, a vloživ žíni na bedra svá, zámutek nesl po synu svém za mnoho dní.

35 Sešli se pak všickni synové jeho, a všecky dcery jeho, aby ho těšili. Ale on nedal se potěšiti, a řekl: Nýbrž já tak v zámutku sstoupím za synem svým do hrobu. A plakal ho otec jeho.

36 Mezi tím Madianští prodali Jozefa do Egypta Putifarovi, dvořeninu Faraonovu, hejtmanu žoldnéřů.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 4769

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4769. 'And killed a he-goat of the she-goats' means external truths received from delights. This is clear from the meaning of 'a he-goat of the she-goats' in the Word as natural truths, that is, truths belonging to the external man which give rise to the delights of life, and also as external truths received from delights, dealt with below. Truths belonging to the external man which give rise to the delights of life are Divine truths such as are present in the literal sense of the Word, which form the basis of the teachings of the genuine Church. These truths are meant strictly speaking by 'the he-goat', and the delights which spring from them are meant by 'the she-goats'. This being so, 'a he-goat of the she-goats' in the genuine sense means those who know truths of this kind and enjoy the delights that spring from them. But in the contrary sense 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means those who know external truths, that is, appearances of truth drawn from the sense of the letter which go along with their delights of life, such as things delighting the body, which are generally called pleasures, and those delighting the mind, which are generally called honours and gains. People of this kind are meant in the contrary sense by 'a he-goat of the she-goats'. In short, 'a he-goat of the she-goats' in this contrary sense means adherents to faith separated from charity, for these people take no other truths from the Word than those which are in agreement with their delights of life, that is, which accord with self-love and love of the world. And they reduce other truths to the same level by the use of interpretations, and in this way they present falsities as appearances of truth.

[2] This meaning of 'a he-goat of the she-goats' as adherents to faith separated from charity may be seen in Daniel,

Behold, a he-goat of the she-goats came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground; 1 and this goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. Out of one of the four horns there came forth one little hoary, and it grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]. Indeed, it grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them; and it cast down truth to the earth. Daniel 8:5, 9-10, 12.

This refers to the state of the Church in general, not merely to the state of the Jewish Church but also to the state of the Church that followed it, the Christian one; for the Word of the Lord is all-embracing. When used in reference to the Jewish Church 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means those who considered internal truths to be worthless; but they did accept external truths, insofar as these were in accord with their loves, which were their desire to be the greatest and to be the wealthiest people. Consequently they did not think of their expected Christ or Messiah as anyone other than a king who would exalt them above all nations and peoples throughout the world and would make these subject to them as the meanest slaves. This was the level to which they reduced their love of Him. As for what love towards the neighbour was, they had no knowledge at all, except as being associated with others with whom they shared the exalted position referred to above and as enjoying material gain.

[3] But when used in reference to the Christian Church 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means those who possess external truths received from delights, that is, who adhere to faith separated from charity, for these people too have no interest at all in internal truths. If they do teach these it is solely so that they may thereby earn acclaim, be raised to exalted positions, and acquire material gains. These are the delights their hearts are set on when they utter truths with their lips. What is more, by wrong interpretations of the truths of genuine faith they make these accord with their own loves. From this one may see what the words in Daniel that are quoted above mean in the internal sense. The phrase 'a he-goat of the she-goats' means adherents to faith separated from charity. The he-goat 'came from the west' means coming from evil, for 'the west' means evil, see 3708. It came 'across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground' means coming into the whole Church, for 'earth' or 'land' in the Word means nothing else than the earth where the Church exists, and so means the Church, 566, 662, 1067, 1262, 1413, 1607, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 2928, 3355, 4435, 4447. 'The horns' it had means powers derived from falsity, 2832, 'a conspicuous horn between the eyes' meaning power derived from reasoning about the truths of faith, as becomes clear from what has been shown regarding the eye in 4403-4421, 4523-4534. 'The one horn which grew towards the south, the east, and the glorious [land]' means the expansion of power derived from faith separated from charity even into states lit by the light of heaven - states of goodness and truth; for 'the south' means a state of light, see 3708, 'the east' a state of goodness, 1250, 3249, 3708, 'the glorious [land]' a state of truth, as is clear from various places in the Word. 'It grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them' means that such a thing happened to cognitions of good and truth, for 'the hosts of heaven, and the stars' means cognitions of good and truth, 4697. From this one may see what is meant by 'it cast down truth to the earth', namely that faith itself was cast down, which in essence is charity; for faith looks to charity because it stems from it. That which in the Ancient Church was called truth is in the new one called faith, 4690.

[4] 'He-goat' is used with a similar meaning in Ezekiel,

Behold, I am judging between one member of the flock and another, between rams and he-goats. Is it a small thing to you? You feed off the good pasture and tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures; you drink the water that has settled down 2 and stir up the rest with your feet. You butt with your horns all the weak [sheep] till you have scattered them abroad. Ezekiel 34:17-18, 21.

Here also 'he-goats' means adherents to faith separated from charity, that is, those who set doctrine above life and at length have no interest at all in life. Yet it is life that makes the human being, not doctrine separated from life; and it is life that remains after death, not doctrine except insofar as this teaches about life. Of these people it is said that they feed off the good pasture and tread down the rest of the pastures with their feet, and that they drink the water that has settled down and stir up the rest with their feet; also that with their horns they butt the weak [sheep] till they have scattered them.

[5] From this one may now see which persons are meant by 'the he-goats', and which by 'the sheep', that the Lord speaks of in Matthew,

Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the he-goats; and He will peace the sheep at His right hand, out the he-goats at the left, etc. Matthew 25:32-33.

The fact that 'the sheep' means those who have charity and therefore have the truths of faith, and that 'the he-goats' means those who do not have any charity even though they have the truths of faith - that is, they are adherents to faith separated from charity - is plain from each detail in this passage, where such people are described.

[6] Which ones are the adherents to faith separated from charity, meant by 'the he-goats', and what kind of people they are, may be seen from the following two places: In Matthew,

Every tree that does not make good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and by Your name cast out demons, and do many mighty works in Your name? But then I will confess to them, I do not know you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. Matthew 7:19-23.

And in Luke,

Then you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He replying will say to you, I do not know where you are from. Then you will begin to say, We ate in Your presence and we drank; and You taught in our streets. But He will say, I tell you, I to not know where you come from; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity. Luke 13:25-27.

These are the ones who adhere to faith separated from charity and are called 'the he-goats'. But what is meant by 'he-goats' in the good sense, such as the ones used in sacrifices and those mentioned in various places in the Prophets, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated elsewhere.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, earth or land

2. literally, the sediment of the waters

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