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Genesis 29

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1 And Jacob lifted·​·up his feet, and went to the land of the sons of the east.

2 And he saw, and behold a well in the field, and behold there three droves of the flock lying·​·down by it; for out·​·of that well they watered the droves; and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth.

3 And all the droves were gathered thither; and they rolled the stone from upon the well’s mouth, and watered the flock, and they returned the stone to its place upon the well’s mouth.

4 And Jacob said to them, My brothers, whence are you? And they said, We are from Haran.

5 And he said to them, Do you know Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.

6 And he said to them, Has he peace? And they said, Peace; and behold Rachel his daughter comes with the flock.

7 And he said, Behold as·​·yet the day is great, it is not time for the livestock to be gathered; water ye the flock, and go and pasture them.

8 And they said, We cannot until all the droves are gathered, and they roll the stone from upon the well’s mouth; then shall we water the flock.

9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with the flock which was her father’s, for she was pasturing them.

10 And it was, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the flock of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob approached, and rolled the stone from on the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.

11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted·​·up his voice and wept.

12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son; and she ran and told her father.

13 And it was, as Laban heard the rumor of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house; and he recounted to Laban all these things.

14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he dwelt with him a month of days.

15 And Laban said to Jacob, For thou art my brother, and shouldest thou serve me for·​·nothing? Tell me, what shall be thy wages?

16 And Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

17 And the eyes of Leah were weak*, and Rachel was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance.

18 And Jacob loved Rachel, and he said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

19 And Laban said, It is better that I should give her to thee than give her to another man; dwell with·​·me.

20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they were in his eyes as only days, in his love for her.

21 And Jacob said to Laban, Give me my woman, for my days are·​·fulfilled, and I will come to her.

22 And Laban gathered all the men of the place, and made a feast.

23 And it was, in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him, and he came to her.

24 And Laban gave to her Zilpah his handmaid, to Leah his daughter for a handmaid.

25 And it was, in the morning, that behold it was Leah; and he said to Laban, What is this that thou hast done to me? Did not I serve with thee for Rachel? And why hast thou deceived me?

26 And Laban said, It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn.

27 Fulfill this week, and we will give to thee her* also, for the service which thou shalt serve with·​·me yet seven other years.

28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled this week, and he gave to him Rachel his daughter to him for a woman.

29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be to her for a handmaid.

30 And he came also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more·​·than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

31 And Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, and He opened her womb, and Rachel was barren.

32 And Leah conceived and gave·​·birth·​·to a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, For Jehovah has seen my affliction, for now my man will love me.

33 And she conceived yet·​·again, and gave·​·birth·​·to a son, and said, Because Jehovah has heard that I was hated, and has given to me this one also; and she called his name Simeon.

34 And she conceived yet·​·again, and gave·​·birth·​·to a son, and said, Now this time will my man join to me, for I have given·​·birth·​·to three sons for him; therefore she called his name Levi.

35 And she conceived yet·​·again, and gave·​·birth·​·to a son, and she said, This time I will confess Jehovah; therefore she called his name Judah; and she stood still from giving·​·birth.

   


Thanks to the Kempton Project for the permission to use this New Church translation of the Word.

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Arcana Coelestia # 2643

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2643. 'Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle sons?' means that by His own power the Lord implanted the Human within the Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' and also of 'Sarah', and from the meaning of 'suckling', and of 'sons'. It has been shown already that 'Abraham' represents Divine Good and 'Sarah' Divine Truth. 'Milk' means that which is spiritual from a celestial origin, that is, truth deriving from good, see 2184, so that 'suckling' means implanting that truth; And 'sons' means truths, here truths that exist in the Rational, as is clear from the meaning of 'sons', 489-491, 533. The reason why in the internal sense the words under consideration mean that the Lord by His own power implanted the Human within the Divine is that Divine Truth is one and the same as the Divine Human, and when in reference to this it is said 'to suckle sons for Abraham' the meaning is that He implanted the Human within the Divine; and as it was the Human He implanted, He did so by His own power. But scarcely any clearer and more intelligible explanation of these matters is possible. To say more would obscure still further what is meant; for these are Divine matters, which can be presented to angels alone by means of celestial and spiritual things. If presented to men in some more exalted manner those matters would fall into the material and bodily ideas which men possess.

[2] What is more, it should be recognized that it is the nature of the Lord's Divine Rational when it was first born that is being described by these words, 'God has made laughter for me; everyone that hears will laugh for me; and she said, Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle sons?' For this was in keeping with an ancient custom that when an infant was born it was given a name which served to mean the state; and at the same time a description of that state was added, as when Cain was born to Eve and Adam, Genesis 4:1, and when Seth was born to the same, Genesis 4:25; and as when Noah was born to Lamech, Genesis 5:29, Esau and Jacob to Isaac, Genesis 25:25-26, the twelve sons to Jacob, Genesis 29:32-35; 30:6, 8, 11, 13, 18, 20, 24; 35:18, Perez and Zerah to Tamar, Genesis 38:29-30, Manasseh and Ephraim to Joseph, Genesis 41:51-52, and Gershom and Eliezer to Moses, Exodus 2:22; 18:4. What all these represent, and what they mean in the internal sense, was embodied in the descriptions added to the names that were given. The same is the case here with what Isaac represents and means. What this name embodies is evident to some small extent from this brief explanation that has been given, but deeper arcana are nevertheless concealed there since they are Divine matters, which no sentences or phrases can be formed to express.

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