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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 # 3670

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3670. 'And He will give you the blessing of Abraham' means the joining of the Divine itself to the good and truth of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing' as a joining together, dealt with above in 3660, 3667, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord's Divine itself, which is called the Father, dealt with in 2011, 3251, 3439. And as these words are addressed to Jacob, who is to represent the Divine Good and Truth of the Lord's Divine Natural, it is a joining together of the Divine itself to the good and truth of the Natural - this joining together being meant in the internal sense by 'He will give you the blessing of Abraham'. In the sense of the letter it is possession of the land of Canaan that is meant by 'the blessing of Abraham', and also by the words that follow, 'to inherit the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham'. This also is what these words are taken to mean by all who believe that the historical descriptions of the Word do not embody anything more heavenly and deeper than that. This is especially so with the Jewish nation, which also claims from that sense to hold a superior position to all other nations and peoples. Their forefathers understood those words in the same way, especially Jacob, who had that kind of disposition, as becomes clear from what has been stated just above in 3667. That is to say, he did not know Jehovah and was unwilling to acknowledge Him unless He conferred bodily and worldly benefits on him. The fact that neither Abraham, nor Isaac, nor Jacob were meant, but that Jacob represented the Lord's Natural which He was to make Divine is abundantly evident from the explanations given. The same applies to the character of any person who represents, whether evil or good; for the evil are no less able to represent, and have represented, the Lord's Divine, see 665, 1097, 1361.

[2] The same may be seen from the representatives which also exist at the present day. For all kings, no matter who they are or what they are like, represent the Lord through the kingly office itself residing with them; and in like manner all priests, no matter who they are or what they are like, do so through their priestly office. The kingly office itself and the priestly office itself are sacred, no matter who serves in them. Consequently the Word taught by someone evil is no less sacred; nor is the Sacrament of Baptism, or the Holy Supper, or similar ministrations any less so. From this it may also be seen that no king can possibly claim as his own the sacredness that goes with his kingly office, nor any priest the sacredness that goes with his priestly office. Insofar as he does claim it or attribute it to himself he brands himself with the sign of a spiritual thief, or the mark of spiritual theft. And insofar as he commits what is evil, that is, acts contrary to what is right and fair, and contrary to what is good and true, a king throws off his representation of the sacred kingly office, and a priest his representation of the sacred priestly office, and then represents the reverse of this. This explains why so many laws were laid down in the Jewish representative Church concerning the sacredness which was to be attached in particular to priests when ministering. More on this matter will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated later on.

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