Here are some excerpts from Swedenborg's "Arcana Coelestia" that help explain the inner meaning of this chapter:

AC 6328. In this chapter the subject treated of in the internal sense is not the descendants of Jacob, and what would befall them; but the truths of faith and the goods of love which the twelve tribes named from the sons of Jacob represent and signify.

AC 6329. It first treats of faith separated from charity, which is utterly rejected. This faith is "Reuben," " Simeon," and "Levi."

AC 6330. It then treats of the celestial church, which is the "tribe of Judah,’ and in the supreme sense there, of the Divine Human of the Lord.

AC 6331. Then of the rest of the tribes according to the states of good and truth which they represent.

AC 6332. Lastly of the celestial spiritual church which is "Joseph;" and here also in the supreme sense of the Divine Human of the Lord.

6328. Genesis 49

1. And Jacob called his sons, and said, Gather together, and I will tell you what will happen to you at the end of days.

2. Assemble, and hear, O sons of Jacob, and hear ¹ Israel your father.

3. Reuben my firstborn, you are my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in eminence and excelling in worth.

4. Light as water, may you not excel, because you went up to your father's bed; at that time you profaned [it] - he went up to my couch.

5. Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of violence are their swords.

6. Into their secret place let my soul not come; in their congregation let not my glory be united; for in their anger they killed a man, and in their pleasure they hamstrung an ox.

7. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is hard. ² I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel.

8. Judah are you, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons will bow down to you.

9. A lion's cub is Judah; from the plunder you have gone up, my son. He crouched, he lay down like a lion, and like an old lion; who will rouse him?

10. The sceptre will not be removed from Judah, or a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him will be the obedience of the peoples.

11. He binds his young ass to the vine, and the foal of his she-ass to the outstanding vine; he washes his clothing in wine, and his garment in the blood of grapes.

12. His eyes are red from wine, and his teeth white from milk.

13. Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the seas, and he will be at the haven of ships; and his side will be over towards Sidon.

14. Issachar is a bony ass, lying down between burdens.

15. And he will see rest that it is good, and the land that it is pleasant; and he will bend his shoulder to bear a burden, and will be one serving for tribute.

16. Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

17. Dan will be a serpent on the road, a darting serpent on the path, biting the horse's heels; and its rider will fall backwards.

18. I wait for Your salvation, O Jehovah.

19. Gad - a troop will ravage him, and he will ravage the heel.

20. From Asher, fat will be his bread, and he will yield a king's delights.

21. Naphtali is a hind let loose, making elegant utterances.

22. The son of a fertile one is Joseph, the son of a fertile one beside a spring; daughters, [each one] marches onto the wall.

23. And they exasperate him and shoot at him and hate him, do the archers.

24. And he will sit in the strength of his bow, and the arms of his hands are made strong by the hands of the powerful Jacob - from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel.

25. By the God of your father, who will help you, and together with Shaddai, who will bless you with the blessings of heaven from above, the blessings of the deep lying beneath, the blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26. The blessings of your father will prevail over the blessings of my ancestors, even as far as the desire of the everlasting hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of the Nazirite among his brothers.

27. Benjamin is a wolf; he will seize in the morning, he will devour the spoil, and at evening he will divide the plunder.

28. All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them; and he blessed them, each according to his blessing he blessed them.

29. And he commanded them and said to them, I am being gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers, at the cave which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

30. In the cave which is in the field of Machpelah, which faces Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a grave.

31. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.

32. The buying of the field and of the cave that was in it was from the sons of Heth.

33. And Jacob finished commanding his sons, and he gathered up his feet towards the bed, and expired, and was gathered to his peoples.

CONTENTS

This chapter does not deal in the internal sense with the descendants of Jacob, with what is going to happen to them, but with the truths of faith and the forms of the good of love which the twelve tribes named after Jacob's sons represent and mean.

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