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Genesis 26

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1 Orta autem fame super terram post eam sterilitatem, quæ acciderat in diebus Abraham, abiit Isaac ad Abimelech regem Palæstinorum in Gerara.

2 Apparuitque ei Dominus, et ait : Ne descendas in Ægyptum, sed quiesce in terra quam dixero tibi,

3 et peregrinare in ea : eroque tecum, et benedicam tibi : tibi enim et semini tuo dabo universas regiones has, complens juramentum quod spopondi Abraham patri tuo.

4 Et multiplicabo semen tuum sicut stellas cæli : daboque posteris tuis universas regiones has : et benedicentur in semine tuo omnes gentes terræ,

5 eo quod obedierit Abraham voci meæ, et custodierit præcepta et mandata mea, et cæremonias legesque servaverit.

6 Mansit itaque Isaac in Geraris.

7 Qui cum interrogaretur a viris loci illius super uxore sua, respondit : Soror mea est : timuerat enim confiteri quod sibi esset sociata conjugio, reputans ne forte interficerent eum propter illius pulchritudinem.

8 Cumque pertransissent dies plurimi, et ibidem moraretur, prospiciens Abimelech rex Palæstinorum per fenestram, vidit eum jocantem cum Rebecca uxore sua.

9 Et accersito eo, ait : Perspicuum est quod uxor tua sit : cur mentitus es eam sororem tuam esse ? Respondit : Timui ne morerer propter eam.

10 Dixitque Abimelech : Quare imposuisti nobis ? potuit coire quispiam de populo cum uxore tua, et induxeras super nos grande peccatum. Præcepitque omni populo, dicens :

11 Qui tetigerit hominis hujus uxorem, morte morietur.

12 Sevit autem Isaac in terra illa, et invenit in ipso anno centuplum : benedixitque ei Dominus.

13 Et locupletatus est homo, et ibat proficiens atque succrescens, donec magnus vehementer effectus est :

14 habuit quoque possessiones ovium et armentorum, et familiæ plurimum. Ob hoc invidentes ei Palæstini,

15 omnes puteos, quos foderant servi patris illius Abraham, illo tempore obstruxerunt, implentes humo :

16 in tantum, ut ipse Abimelech diceret ad Isaac : Recede a nobis, quoniam potentior nobis factus es valde.

17 Et ille discedens, ut veniret ad torrentem Geraræ, habitaretque ibi,

18 rursum fodit alios puteos, quos foderant servi patris sui Abraham, et quos, illo mortuo, olim obstruxerant Philisthiim : appellavitque eos eisdem nominibus quibus ante pater vocaverat.

19 Foderuntque in torrente, et repererunt aquam vivam.

20 Sed et ibi jurgium fuit pastorum Geraræ adversus pastores Isaac, dicentium : Nostra est aqua, quam ob rem nomen putei ex eo, quod acciderat, vocavit Calumniam.

21 Foderunt autem et alium : et pro illo quoque rixati sunt, appellavitque eum Inimicitias.

22 Profectus inde fodit alium puteum, pro quo non contenderunt : itaque vocavit nomen ejus Latitudo, dicens : Nunc dilatavit nos Dominus, et fecit crescere super terram.

23 Ascendit autem ex illo loco in Bersabee,

24 ubi apparuit ei Dominus in ipsa nocte, dicens : Ego sum Deus Abraham patris tui : noli timere, quia ego tecum sum : benedicam tibi, et multiplicabo semen tuum propter servum meum Abraham.

25 Itaque ædificavit ibi altare : et invocato nomine Domini, extendit tabernaculum, præcepitque servis suis ut foderunt puteum.

26 Ad quem locum cum venissent de Geraris Abimelech, et Ochozath amicus illius, et Phico, dux militum,

27 locutus est eis Isaac : Quid venistis ad me, hominem quem odistis, et expulistis a vobis ?

28 Qui responderunt : Vidimus tecum esse Dominum, et idcirco nos diximus : Sit juramentum inter nos, et ineamus fœdus,

29 ut non facias nobis quidquam mali, sicut et nos nihil tuorum attigimus, nec fecimus quod te læderet : sed cum pace dimisimus auctum benedictione Domini.

30 Fecit ergo eis convivium, et post cibum et potum

31 surgentes mane, juraverunt sibi mutuo : dimisitque eos Isaac pacifice in locum suum.

32 Ecce autem venerunt in ipso die servi Isaac annuntiantes ei de puteo, quem foderant, atque dicentes : Invenimus aquam.

33 Unde appellavit eum Abundantiam : et nomen urbi impositum est Bersabee, usque in præsentem diem.

34 Esau vero quadragenarius duxit uxores, Judith filiam Beeri Hethæi, et Basemath filiam Elon ejusdem loci :

35 quæ ambæ offenderant animum Isaac et Rebeccæ.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 3417

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3417. 'And camped in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there' means that He did so for lower rational concepts, that is, He abandoned interior appearances for exterior. This is clear from the meaning of 'camping' as arranging into order, from the meaning of 'the Valley of Gerar' as lower rational concepts or exterior appearances of truth - for 'a valley' means lower things, or what amounts to the same, exterior things, 1723, while 'Gerar' means matters of faith and so of truth, 1209, 2504, 3365, 3384, 3385; and from the meaning of 'dwelling' as having one's being and life, dealt with in 3384. From this it is evident that 'he camped in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there' means that the Lord arranged truths so that they would also be suitable for the mental grasp and the disposition of those who are not concerned so much with life as they are with matters of doctrine concerning faith, as may be seen from the Word, in which likewise truths are suited to people's ability to grasp them.

[2] For example, people who are concerned with matters of doctrine and not so much with life do not know anything other than this, that the heavenly kingdom is like kingdoms on earth, in that people are made great there when they govern others. The delight that comes from this is the only delight they know of; and this they prefer to all other delight. For this reason the Lord has also spoken in the Word according to that appearance, as in Matthew,

He who does and teaches so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19.

And in David,

I said, You are gods, and sons of the Most High, all of you. Psalms 82:6; John 10:34-35.

And because at first the disciples themselves did not have any other conception of the heavenly kingdom than that of greatness and position over others, like that on earth - as is clear in Matthew 18:1; Mark 9:34; Luke 9:46, and also the idea of their sitting on the right hand and on the left of a king, Matthew 20:20-21, 24; Mark 10:37 - the Lord therefore replied according to their mental grasp and also inclination of mind when an argument arose among them about which one of them was to be greatest,

You will eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Luke 22:24, 30; Matthew 19:28.

For at that time they did not know that the delight of heaven is not the delight that goes with being great and having position over others, but the delight that goes with being humble and with the affection for serving others; and so it does not consist in wishing to be the greatest but to be the least, as the Lord teaches in Luke,

Whoever presents himself as least among you all will be great. Luke 9:48.

[3] Thus people who have a knowledge of cognitions but are devoid of the life of charity cannot know of the existence of any other delight than that which results from having position over others. And since that delight alone occupies their minds and constitutes the whole of their life, therefore they do not have any knowledge at all of the heavenly delight which results from humility and from the affection for serving others. That is, they do not know the delight that accompanies love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, and the consequent bliss and happiness. The reason why the Lord adapted what He had to say to their imperfect outlook was so that they could be aroused and led on to good, to learn it, to teach it, and to do it. And yet He does teach what greatness and position actually are in heaven, as in Matthew 19:30; 20:16, 25-28; Mark 10:31, 42-45; Luke 9:48; 13:30; 22:25-28. These and other ideas like them belong to the lower degree of appearances of truth, for in relation to others those in heaven are made great, and are given positions, power, and authority over others, in that one single angel is more powerful than ten thousands of spirits in hell, yet not so from himself but from the Lord. And he has that power from the Lord in the measure that he believes he can achieve nothing from himself and is accordingly the least. And he is able to have such a belief in the measure that humility and an affection for serving others exist in him, that is, insofar as the good that is essentially love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour is present in him.

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