Bible

 

Genesis 18

Studie

   

1 Ja Issand ilmutas ennast temale Mamre tammikus, kui ta istus telgi ukse ees kõige palavamal päevaajal.

2 Ta tõstis oma silmad üles ja vaatas, ja ennäe, kolm meest seisid ta ees. Ja nähes neid, tõttas ta telgi ukse juurest neile vastu ja kummardas maani

3 ning ütles: 'Issand, kui ma sinu silmis armu leian, siis ära mine oma sulasest mööda!

4 Toodagu nüüd pisut vett, peske jalgu ja nõjatuge puu alla!

5 Ma toon palukese leiba, kinnitage südant, enne kui edasi lähete, kui juba kord olete oma sulase kaudu käimas!' Ja nemad vastasid: 'Tee nõnda, nagu sa oled rääkinud!'

6 Ja Aabraham tõttas telki Saara juurde ning ütles: 'Võta ruttu kolm mõõtu nisujahu, sõtku ja tee kooke!'

7 Ja Aabraham jooksis karja juurde, võttis ühe noore ja ilusa vasika, andis poisi kätte ja see tõttas seda valmistama.

8 Ja ta tõi võid, piima ja vasika, mis oli valmistatud, ja pani nende ette; ta ise seisis nende juures puu all, kui nad sõid.

9 Siis nad küsisid temalt: 'Kus su naine Saara on?' Ja ta vastas: 'Seal telgis.'

10 Siis üks neist ütles: 'Ma tulen sinu juurde kindlasti tagasi aasta pärast samal ajal, ja vaata, su naisel Saaral saab olema poeg!' Ja Saara kuulis seda tema selja taga oleva telgi ukse juures.

11 Aga Aabraham ja Saara olid vanad ja elatanud; Saaral oli lakanud olemast ka see, mis muidu naistele on omane.

12 Ja Saara naeris iseeneses ja mõtles: 'Nüüd, kui ma olen vanaks jäänud, peaks mul veel himu olema! Ja ka mu isand on vana.'

13 Aga Issand ütles Aabrahamile: 'Miks Saara naerab ja ütleb: Kas ma tõesti peaksin sünnitama, kuna ma ju olen vana?

14 Kas peaks Issandal midagi olema võimatu? Ma tulen su juurde tagasi aasta pärast samal ajal, ja Saaral saab olema poeg!'

15 Kuid Saara salgas, öeldes: 'Mina ei naernud.' Sest ta kartis. Tema aga ütles: 'Sa naersid küll!'

16 Siis mehed tõusid sealt üles ja vaatasid alla Soodoma poole; ja Aabraham läks koos nendega, neid saatma.

17 Ja Issand ütles: 'Kas peaksin varjama Aabrahami eest, mida tahan teha?

18 Aabraham saab ometi suureks ja vägevaks rahvaks ja tema kaudu õnnistatakse kõiki maailma rahvaid.

19 Sest ma tean temast, et ta käsib oma poegi ja järeltulevat sugu hoida Issanda teed ning teha, mis õige ja kohus, et Issand võiks anda Aabrahamile, mis ta temale on tõotanud.'

20 Siis ütles Issand: 'Hädakisa Soodoma ja Gomorra pärast on suur ja nende patud on väga rasked!

21 Seepärast ma lähen alla ja vaatan, kas minuni jõudnud kisa kohaselt on nad teinud kõike seda või mitte. Ma tahan seda teada!'

22 Ja mehed pöördusid sealt ära ja läksid Soodomasse, aga Aabraham jäi veel seisma Issanda ette.

23 Ja Aabraham astus ligi ning ütles: 'Kas tahad tõesti hävitada õige koos õelaga?

24 Vahest on linnas viiskümmend õiget? Kas tahad siis need hävitada ega taha paigale andeks anda nende viiekümne õige pärast, kes seal on?

25 Jäägu sinust kaugele see tegu, et tapad õige koos õelaga, et õigel käib käsi nagu õelalgi! Jäägu see sinu poolt tegemata! Kas kogu maailma kohtumõistja ei peaks tegema õigust?'

26 Ja Issand ütles: 'Kui ma Soodoma linnast leian viiskümmend õiget, siis annan nende pärast andeks kogu paigale.'

27 Aga Aabraham kostis ning ütles: 'Vaata, ma olen nõuks võtnud siiski Issandaga rääkida, kuigi olen põrm ja tuhk.

28 Vahest puudub viiekümnest õigest viis? Kas tahad siis nende viie pärast hävitada kogu linna?' Ja tema vastas: 'Ma ei hävita, kui leian sealt nelikümmend viis.'

29 Ja ta jätkas veelgi kõnelust temaga ning ütles: 'Vahest leidub seal nelikümmend?' Ja tema vastas: 'Ma ei tee seda neljakümne pärast.'

30 Aga ta ütles: 'Ärgu süttigu põlema Issanda viha, et ma veel räägin! Vahest leidub seal kolmkümmend?' Ja tema vastas: 'Ma ei tee seda, kui leian sealt kolmkümmend.'

31 Siis ta ütles: 'Vaata, ma olen nõuks võtnud siiski Issandaga rääkida. Vahest leidub seal kakskümmend?' Ja tema vastas: 'Ma ei hävita kahekümne pärast.'

32 Aga ta ütles: 'Ärgu süttigu põlema Issanda viha, et ma veel üksainus kord räägin! Vahest leidub seal kümme?' Ja tema vastas: 'Ma ei hävita kümne pärast.'

33 Ja Issand läks ära, kui oli lõpetanud kõneluse Aabrahamiga; ja Aabraham läks koju.

   

Komentář

 

Exploring the Meaning of Genesis 18

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff

As this chapter opens, Abraham is sitting in the doorway of his tent, which is pitched in the oak groves of Mamre. Jehovah appears to Abraham, in the guise of three men, three angels. Abraham bows in humiliation and says, “My Lord, if I pray I have found grace in thine eyes, pass not I pray from over thy servant”. He wants to mark the occasion of this visit with a feast, and goes about preparing a special meal for his Heavenly guests.

Jehovah has come to inform Abraham and Sarah that they will have a child in the coming year. Abraham and Sarah are both very old, and find it hard to believe that this could be true - the Jehovah says to them, "Shall any thing be too wonderful for Jehovah?"

Jehovah tells them that a great nation will descend from Abraham and carry his name.

After the feast, as the visitors are about to leave, they turn their faces toward Sodom and Gomorrah. Jehovah then says, “the cry has become great, and their sin has become very grievous.” Jehovah is about to tell Abraham of his plan to destroy these cities due to their sinfulness. Upon hearing this news asks, Abraham what will happen to those who have not sinned. Jehovah tells Abraham that if there are as few as five good and truthful people there, He will not destroy these cities.

Supplementary Material

Here are some additional excerpts from Swedenborg's "Arcana Coelestia" that help explain the inner meaning of this chapter:

AC 2136. In the first place, this chapter treats concerning the Lord’s state of perception in the Human and concerning the communication with the Divine at that time, before the perfect union of His Human Essence with the Divine Essence, which state is also that in regard to which the Lord says,

"No one hath seen God at any time, the Only-begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father" (John 1:18).

AC 2137. The Lord‘s state of perception in the Human at that time is signified by the "oak-groves of Mamre" (verse 1); and that in this state He perceived the Divine which was manifesting itself before His Human (verse 2); at which He rejoiced (verse 3); and desired that the Divine should draw nearer to His Human by putting on something natural (verse 4), and His Human nearer to the Divine by putting on the celestial (verse 5). The celestial and the derivative spiritual, which He put on, are signified by the "three measures of meal of fine flour" of which the cakes were made (verse 6); and that He also put on a conforming natural, is signified by the "son of an ox" (verse 7); the result being conformation, and a communication of the Divine with the Human, and of the Human with the Divine (verse 8).

AC 2138. In the second place, this chapter treats concerning the Lord’s perception in that state respecting the rational with Him, in that it would put off the Human, and be made Divine.

AC 2139. That the rational would be made Divine, is signified by the "son" whom Sarah was to bear (verse 10). That the human rational truth that was with the Lord did not perceive this, and thus did not believe it, is signified by Sarah‘s "laughing" at the door of the tent that was behind him (verses 10-13, 15). It is confirmed that the Lord would put off this also, and would put on in its place truth Divine (verse 14).

AC 2140. In the third place, the chapter treats concerning the Lord’s grief and anxiety over the human race, because men were so greatly imbued with the love of self, and from this with the cupidity of exercising command over others from what is evil and false, for whom in that state He interceded, and obtained that those should be saved with whom there should be goods and truths; and who these are, is recounted in order.

AC 2141. The Lord‘s perception concerning the human race, that it was in evil and falsity, "Sodom" being the love of self and the derivative cupidity of exercising command from what is evil, and "Gomorrah" being the same from what is false (verses 16, 20). That this could not be concealed from the Lord in that state, because by Him and from Him is all salvation (verses 17 to 19); that is to say, they were to be visited when their wickedness reached its height (verses 20, 21). That when He was in this perception (verse 22), He interceded for them; first for those with whom there should be truths, and these truths full of goods, who are signified by the "fifty" (verses 23 to 26); also for those with whom there should be less of good, but this good nevertheless conjoined with truths, who are signified by the "forty-five" (verses 27, 28); next for those who have been in temptations, who are signified by the "forty" (verse 29); as likewise for those who have been in some combats against evils, who are signified by the "thirty" (verse 30); afterwards for those with whom there should be states of the affection of good from any other source, who are signified by the "twenty" (verse 31); lastly for those with whom there should be states of the affection of truth, who are signified by the "ten" (verse 32); and the constant answer was that they should be saved (verses 26, 28 to 32). These things being accomplished, the Lord returned into His former state of perception (verse 33). These are the arcana contained in the internal sense of this chapter, which are not manifest from the letter.

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 2140

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

2140. Third the chapter deals with the Lord's grief and anguish over the human race because it was steeped so much in self-love and therefore in the desire to exercise control over others from what is evil and false. In that state He interceded for the human race and secured salvation for those with whom goods and truths would be present. But who these are is indicated by the numbers of the righteous that are given.

  
/ 10837  
  

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