Bible

 

Genesis 35

Studie

   

1 And God said to Jacob, Arise, go·​·up to Bethel, and dwell there; and make there an altar to God, who was seen of thee when thou didst run·​·away from before Esau thy brother.

2 And Jacob said to his house, and to all who were with him, Remove the gods of the foreigner which are in the midst of you, and clean yourselves, and change your raiment;

3 and let us arise, and go·​·up to Bethel, and I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my adversity, and was with·​·me in the way which I walked.

4 And they gave to Jacob all the gods of the foreigner which were in their hand, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob concealed them under the oak which was by Shechem.

5 And they journeyed; and a terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

6 And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, this is Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.

7 And he built there an altar, and called the place El-bethel*; for there the gods* were revealed to him when he ran·​·away from before his brother.

8 And Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under the oak; and he called the name of it Allon-bacuth.

9 And God was seen of Jacob yet·​·again when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him.

10 And God said to him, Thy name is Jacob; thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name; and He called his name Israel.

11 And God said to him, I am God Shaddai; be·​·fruitful and multiply; a nation and an assembly of nations shall be from thee, and kings shall go·​·forth from thy loins.

12 And the land which I gave to Abraham and to Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

13 And God went·​·up from over him in the place where He spoke with him.

14 And Jacob set·​·up a pillar in the place in which He spoke with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured·​·out a poured·​·offering on it, and poured oil on it.

15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.

16 And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was still a tract of land to come toward Ephrath; and Rachel gave·​·birth, and it was hard for her’ in giving·​·birth.

17 And it was, when it was hard for her in her giving·​·birth, that the midwife said to her, Fear not, for this also is a son for thee.

18 And it was, when her soul was going·​·out that she was·​·about·​·to·​·die; and she called his name Benoni; and his father called him Benjamin.

19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way toward Ephrath, this is Bethlehem.

20 And Jacob set·​·up a pillar over her grave; this is the pillar of the grave of Rachel even·​·until today.

21 And Israel journeyed, and stretched·​·out his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

22 And it was, when Israel inhabited this land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah the concubine of his father, and Israel heard. And the sons of Jacob were twelve:

23 the sons of Leah, Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun;

24 the sons of Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin;

25 and the sons of Bilhah Rachel’s handmaid, Dan and Naphtali;

26 and the sons of Zilpah Leah’s handmaid, Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who was·​·born* to him in Paddan-aram.

27 And Jacob came to Isaac his father to Mamre Kiriath-arba, this is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned*

28 And the days of Isaac were a hundred years and eighty years.

29 And Isaac expired and died, and was gathered to his people, old and sated of days; and Esau and Jacob his sons buried him.

   


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

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 4538

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

4538. 'God said to Jacob' means the perception which the kind of natural good that 'Jacob' now represents received from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in historical descriptions in the Word as perceiving, dealt with in 1602, 1791, 1815, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2061, 2080, 2238, 2260, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509, so that 'God said' means perception received from the Divine; and from the representation of 'Jacob' in the highest sense here as the Lord as regards natural good. Jacob's representation in the Word has been shown in previous sections; but because it is varying, his representation must be discussed briefly here.

[2] In the highest sense 'Jacob' represents in general the Lord's Divine Natural. But the Lord's Natural, when He glorified it, was different at the beginning of the process of glorification from what it was during this and at the end of it; and this is why Jacob's representation was varying. That is to say, at the beginning of the process the Lord's Natural as regards truth is represented by him, during that process the Lord's Natural as regards the good of truth, and at the end of it as regards good. For the Lord's glorification advanced from truth to the good of truth, and finally to good, as shown many times in what has gone before. The end of the process being the subject at present, 'Jacob' represents the Lord as regards natural good. See what has been shown already about these matters, that is to say, about Jacob's representation in the highest sense - how at the beginning of the process he represents the Lord's Divine Natural as regards truth, 3305, 3509, 3525, 3546, 3576' 3599, during it the Lord's Divine Natural as regards the good of truth, 3659, 3669, 3677, 4234, 4273, 4337. But now he represents the Lord's Divine Natural as regards good, for the reason, as stated, that it is the end of the process.

[3] Such was the process which took place when the Lord made His Natural Divine. A similar process also takes place when the Lord regenerates man, for when the Lord made His Human Divine He was pleased to do things in the same sequence as He does when He makes man new. This explains why it has been stated frequently that man's regeneration is an image of the Lord's glorification, 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4402. When the Lord makes man new He first of all supplies him with the truths of faith, for without the truths of faith he does not know who the Lord is, what heaven is, or what hell is; he does not even know of their existence, let alone of the countless things which have to do with the Lord, His kingdom in heaven, and His kingdom on earth, which is the Church. Nor does he know the identity or nature of the opposite of these, namely the things of hell.

[4] Until he does know these things no one can know what good is. The word 'good' is not used to mean the public good or the good of the individual, for one can learn in the world about these through laws and regulations and through reflection on human customs and habits, which is why gentiles outside the Church know such things too. 'Good' is a word used to mean spiritual good, which in the Word is called charity, and this good in general implies willing and doing to another that which is good not for any selfish reason but out of delight and affection for doing it. This good is spiritual good, which no one can possibly arrive at except through the truths of faith, which are taught by the Lord through the Word and regular preaching of the Word.

[5] Once a person has been supplied with the truths of faith he is then gradually led by the Lord to will the truth, and from willing it to putting it into practice. This truth is called the good of truth, for that good is truth present in will and action and is called the good of truth because truth which has been a matter of doctrine now becomes a matter of life. When at length the person takes delight in willing good and so putting it into practice, it is no longer called the good of truth, but simply good. For now he is regenerate, and it is no longer truth leading him to will and do what is good, but good moving him to will and put truth into practice. And the truth now practiced by him is also so to speak good, since that truth derives its essential being from that in which it originates - in good. From all this one may see what is meant by the statement that in the highest sense 'Jacob' represents the Lord's Natural as regards good, and one may see where that representation has its origin. The reason why 'Jacob' here represents this good is that the subject now in the internal sense is further advances, that is to say, advances made into more interior parts of the natural, which are meant by 'Israel', 4536. No one who is being regenerated by the Lord can be led to those more interior things until the truth present with him has become good.

  
/ 10837  
  

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

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 4536

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

4536. Genesis 35

1. And God said to Jacob, Rise up, go up to Bethel and settle there, and make there an altar to the God who appeared to you when you fled from before Esau your brother.

2. And Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, Remove the gods of the foreigner which are in the midst of you, and be purified, and change your garments.

3. And let us rise up and go up to Bethel, and I will make there an altar to the God who answered me on the day of my distress, and was with me in the way that I went. 1

4. And they gave to Jacob all the gods of the foreigner which were in their hand, and the jewels which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

5. And they travelled on; and the terror of God was on the cities which were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

6. And Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan - that is, Bethel - he and all the people who were with him.

7. And he built an altar there, and called the place El Bethel, for there the gods were revealed to him, when he was fleeing from before his brother.

8. And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and was buried below Bethel under an oak; and its name was called Allon Bacuth.

9. And God was seen by Jacob again, when he was coming from Paddan Aram; and He blessed him.

10. And God said to him, Your name is Jacob; your name will no longer be called Jacob, but indeed Israel will be your name; and He called his name Israel.

11. And God said to him, I am God Shaddai, be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will go out from your loins.

12. And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and to your seed after you I will give the land.

13. And God went up from over him in the place where He talked to him.

14. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked to him, a stone pillar, and poured out a drink-offering onto it, and poured oil onto it.

15. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke to him, Bethel.

16. And they travelled on from Bethel, and there was still a stretch of land to go to Ephrath; and Rachel gave birth, and suffered severely' in giving birth.

17. And it happened in her suffering severely, 2 in giving birth, that the midwife said to her, Do not be afraid, for this also is a son for you.

18. And it happened as her soul was departing, when she was about to die, that she called his name Ben-oni; and his father called him Benjamin.

19. And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem.

20. And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; this is the pillar of Rachel's grave even to this day.

21. And Israel travelled on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

22. And it happened while Israel was residing in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard of it. And the sons of Jacob were twelve.

23. The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun.

24. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

25. And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant-girl: Dan and Naphtali.

26. And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

27. And Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

28. And the days of Issac were a hundred and eighty years.

29. And Isaac breathed his last, and died, and was gathered to his peoples, old and full of days. And Esau and Jacob his sons buried him.

CONTENTS

This chapter deals in the internal sense with how all else in the Lord's Natural was made Divine, the interior aspects of the Natural which were made Divine being meant by 'Israel' now. Progress towards aspects even more interior, where the Rational is situated, is described by the birth of Benjamin, and after that by Jacob's sons when they came to Isaac.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, walked

2. literally, hard things

  
/ 10837  
  

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