Bible

 

Genesis 18

Studie

   

1 Apparuit autem ei Dominus in convalle Mambre sedenti in ostio tabernaculi sui in ipso fervore diei.

2 Cumque elevasset oculos, apparuerunt ei tres viri stantes prope eum : quos cum vidisset, cucurrit in occursum eorum de ostio tabernaculi, et adoravit in terram.

3 Et dixit : Domine, si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, ne transeas servum tuum :

4 sed afferam pauxillum aquæ, et lavate pedes vestros, et requiescite sub arbore.

5 Ponamque buccellam panis, et confortate cor vestrum : postea transibitis : idcirco enim declinastis ad servum vestrum. Qui dixerunt : Fac ut locutus es.

6 Festinavit Abraham in tabernaculum ad Saram, dixitque ei : Accelera, tria sata similæ commisce, et fac subcinericios panes.

7 Ipse vero ad armentum cucurrit, et tulit inde vitulum tenerrimum et optimum, deditque puero : qui festinavit et coxit illum.

8 Tulit quoque butyrum et lac, et vitulum quem coxerat, et posuit coram eis : ipse vero stabat juxta eos sub arbore.

9 Cumque comedissent, dixerunt ad eum : Ubi est Sara uxor tua ? Ille respondit : Ecce in tabernaculo est.

10 Cui dixit : Revertens veniam ad te tempore isto, vita comite, et habebit filium Sara uxor tua. Quo audito, Sara risit post ostium tabernaculi.

11 Erant autem ambo senes, provectæque ætatis, et desierant Saræ fieri muliebria.

12 Quæ risit occulte dicens : Postquam consenui, et dominus meus vetulus est, voluptati operam dabo ?

13 Dixit autem Dominus ad Abraham : Quare risit Sara, dicens : Num vere paritura sum anus ?

14 Numquid Deo quidquam est difficile ? juxta condictum revertar ad te hoc eodem tempore, vita comite, et habebit Sara filium.

15 Negabit Sara, dicens : Non risi, timore perterrita. Dominus autem : Non est, inquit, ita : sed risisti.

16 Cum ergo surrexissent inde viri, direxerunt oculos contra Sodomam : et Abraham simul gradiebatur, deducens eos.

17 Dixitque Dominus : Num celare potero Abraham quæ gesturus sum :

18 cum futurus sit in gentem magnam, ac robustissimam, et benedicendæ sint in illo omnes nationes terræ ?

19 Scio enim quod præcepturus sit filiis suis, et domui suæ post se ut custodiant viam Domini, et faciant judicium et justitiam : ut adducat Dominus propter Abraham omnia quæ locutus est ad eum.

20 Dixit itaque Dominus : Clamor Sodomorum et Gomorrhæ multiplicatus est, et peccatum eorum aggravatum est nimis.

21 Descendam, et videbo utrum clamorem qui venit ad me, opere compleverint ; an non est ita, ut sciam.

22 Converteruntque se inde, et abierunt Sodomam : Abraham vero adhuc stabat coram Domino.

23 Et appropinquans ait : Numquid perdes justum cum impio ?

24 si fuerint quinquaginta justi in civitate, peribunt simul ? et non parces loco illi propter quinquaginta justos, si fuerint in eo ?

25 Absit a te ut rem hanc facias, et occidas justum cum impio, fiatque justus sicut impius, non est hoc tuum : qui judicas omnem terram, nequaquam facies judicium hoc.

26 Dixitque Dominus ad eum : Si invenero Sodomis quinquaginta justos in medio civitatis, dimittam omni loco propter eos.

27 Respondensque Abraham, ait : Quia semel cœpi, loquar ad Dominum meum, cum sim pulvis et cinis.

28 Quid si minus quinquaginta justis quinque fuerint ? delebis, propter quadraginta quinque, universam urbem ? Et ait : Non delebo, si invenero ibi quadraginta quinque.

29 Rursumque locutus est ad eum : Sin autem quadraginta ibi inventi fuerint, quid facies ? Ait : Non percutiam propter quadraginta.

30 Ne quæso, inquit, indigneris, Domine, si loquar : quid si ibi inventi fuerint triginta ? Respondit : Non faciam, si invenero ibi triginta.

31 Quia semel, ait, cœpi loquar ad Dominum meum : quid si ibi inventi fuerint viginti ? Ait : Non interficiam propter viginti.

32 Obsecro, inquit, ne irascaris, Domine, si loquar adhuc semel : quid si inventi fuerint ibi decem ? Et dixit : Non delebo propter decem.

33 Abiitque Dominus, postquam cessavit loqui ad Abraham : et ille reversus est in locum suum.

   

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 2145

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

2145. 'He was sitting at the tent door' means the holiness which existed with Him at that time, namely the holiness of love, which is meant by 'as the day was getting warmer', dealt with in what follows next. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tent' as holiness, dealt with in 414, 1102, 1566. And for the reason why 'tents' meant forms of holiness, see the same paragraphs. Since the Lord at this time had the perception meant by the oak-groves of Mamre, which is a lower rational perception, yet more interior than that meant by the oak-grove of Moreh, dealt with in 1442, 1443, it is here represented and so is meant by his sitting at the tent door, that is, at the entrance to holiness. As regards perceptions being more interior or less interior, this may be illustrated from the perceptions which the most ancient people had. From these people I have heard that the more they were immersed in mere facts acquired from the objects of hearing and sight the lower their perceptions became; but the more they were raised up from them towards the celestial things of charity and love the more interior these perceptions became, as they were then closer to the Lord.

  
/ 10837  
  

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

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 1102

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

1102. 'He will dwell in the tents of Shem' means so that the internal features of worship may be present in the external features. This becomes clear from all that has been stated already about Shem, to the effect that 'Shem' is the internal Church or internal worship, and that external worship is something altogether soulless or unclean if it does not have internal worship to give it life and sanctify it. That 'tents' means nothing else than the holiness of love and worship arising out of this becomes clear from the meaning of 'tents' dealt with already in 414. Among the ancients 'wandering about and dwelling in tents' was common expression, and by 'tents' in the internal sense was meant holy worship, for the reason that the most ancient people not only wandered about with tents but also dwelt in tents and used to celebrate holy worship in them. Consequently 'wandering about and dwelling' also meant in the internal sense living.

[2] In addition to the places quoted already in 414, let the following as well serve to confirm that 'tents' means holy worship: In David,

God forsook the dwelling-place at Shiloh, the tent where He dwelt with man. Psalms 78:60.

Here 'tent' has a similar meaning to the Temple, in which God is said 'to dwell' when He is present with someone within love. For this reason the individual in whose life holy worship had a place was called by the ancients 'a tent', and later 'a temple'. In Isaiah,

Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out. Isaiah 54:1.

This stands for enlightenment in the things that belong to true worship. In Jeremiah,

The whole land has been laid waste; suddenly My tents have been laid waste, My curtains in a moment. Jeremiah 4:20.

Here it is quite evident that tents are not meant but holy worship. In Zechariah,

Jerusalem will dwell yet again in her own place, in Jerusalem Jehovah will save the tents of Judah. Zechariah 12:6-7.

Here 'the tents of Judah' stands for worship of the Lord arising out of the holiness of love.

[3] From these quotations it now becomes clear what 'dwelling in the tents of Shem' means, namely, so that internal worship may be present in external. But because 'Japheth', the member of the external Church, has little knowledge of what internal things are, a brief description of him will be given. When a person feels or perceives within himself that he has thoughts regarding the Lord which are good and thoughts regarding the neighbor which are good, and he wishes to perform acts of kindness for him, but not for the sake of any gain or for the sake of his own position, and when he feels that he has pity for anyone who suffers misfortune, and more so for him who errs in regard to the doctrine of faith, he may then know that 'he is dwelling in the tents of Shem', that is, that there are with him things of an internal nature by means of which the Lord is working.

  
/ 10837  
  

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