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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 # 3249

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3249. 'Eastwards to the land of the east' means towards the good of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'the east' and 'the land of the east', to be dealt with below. The good of faith which is meant by 'the land of the east' is nothing else but that which in the Word is called charity towards the neighbour. And charity towards the neighbour is nothing else than a life according to the Lord's commandments. This is what 'the land of the east' means, see 1250. Those therefore who possessed cognitions regarding the good of faith were called 'the sons of the east'. The land of the sons of the east was Aram or Syria - Aram or Syria meaning cognitions of good, see 1232, 1234, and Aram Naharaim or Syria of the [Two] Rivers cognitions of truth, 3051. And because the Syrians, or 'the sons of the east' means those who possessed cognitions of good and truth, they above all others were referred to as wise, as in 1 Kings where Solomon is referred to,

The wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east. 1 Kings 4:30.

And in Matthew, in reference to those who came to Jesus at His birth,

Wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him. Matthew 2:1-2.

[2] Indeed in Syria there existed the final remnants of the Ancient Church, which is why cognitions of good and truth still remained there, as also becomes clear from Balaam who not only worshipped Jehovah but also prophesied concerning the Lord and called Him,

A star out of Jacob and a sceptre out of Israel. Numbers 24:17.

The fact that he belonged to the sons of the east in Syria is self-evident, for he says of himself when delivering his discourse,

From Syria Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. Numbers 23:7.

The fact that Aram or Syria was where the sons of the east lived is made additionally clear from the consideration that when Jacob went to Syria he is said to have gone to the land of the sons of the east, Genesis 29:1.

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