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Genesis 24

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1 καὶ αβρααμ ἦν πρεσβύτερος προβεβηκὼς ἡμερῶν καὶ κύριος εὐλόγησεν τὸν αβρααμ κατὰ πάντα

2 καὶ εἶπεν αβρααμ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ τῷ ἄρχοντι πάντων τῶν αὐτοῦ θὲς τὴν χεῖρά σου ὑπὸ τὸν μηρόν μου

3 καὶ ἐξορκιῶ σε κύριον τὸν θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τὸν θεὸν τῆς γῆς ἵνα μὴ λάβῃς γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ισαακ ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν χαναναίων μεθ' ὧν ἐγὼ οἰκῶ ἐν αὐτοῖς

4 ἀλλὰ εἰς τὴν γῆν μου οὗ ἐγενόμην πορεύσῃ καὶ εἰς τὴν φυλήν μου καὶ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ισαακ ἐκεῖθεν

5 εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ παῖς μήποτε οὐ βούλεται ἡ γυνὴ πορευθῆναι μετ' ἐμοῦ ὀπίσω εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην ἀποστρέψω τὸν υἱόν σου εἰς τὴν γῆν ὅθεν ἐξῆλθες ἐκεῖθεν

6 εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν αβρααμ πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸν υἱόν μου ἐκεῖ

7 κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ὁ θεὸς τῆς γῆς ὃς ἔλαβέν με ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἧς ἐγενήθην ὃς ἐλάλησέν μοι καὶ ὤμοσέν μοι λέγων σοὶ δώσω τὴν γῆν ταύτην καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου αὐτὸς ἀποστελεῖ τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ ἔμπροσθέν σου καὶ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ισαακ ἐκεῖθεν

8 ἐὰν δὲ μὴ θέλῃ ἡ γυνὴ πορευθῆναι μετὰ σοῦ εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην καθαρὸς ἔσῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὅρκου τούτου μόνον τὸν υἱόν μου μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς ἐκεῖ

9 καὶ ἔθηκεν ὁ παῖς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὸν μηρὸν αβρααμ τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ περὶ τοῦ ῥήματος τούτου

10 καὶ ἔλαβεν ὁ παῖς δέκα καμήλους ἀπὸ τῶν καμήλων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἀναστὰς ἐπορεύθη εἰς τὴν μεσοποταμίαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ναχωρ

11 καὶ ἐκοίμισεν τὰς καμήλους ἔξω τῆς πόλεως παρὰ τὸ φρέαρ τοῦ ὕδατος τὸ πρὸς ὀψέ ἡνίκα ἐκπορεύονται αἱ ὑδρευόμεναι

12 καὶ εἶπεν κύριε ὁ θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ εὐόδωσον ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ σήμερον καὶ ποίησον ἔλεος μετὰ τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ

13 ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἕστηκα ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος αἱ δὲ θυγατέρες τῶν οἰκούντων τὴν πόλιν ἐκπορεύονται ἀντλῆσαι ὕδωρ

14 καὶ ἔσται ἡ παρθένος ᾗ ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω ἐπίκλινον τὴν ὑδρίαν σου ἵνα πίω καὶ εἴπῃ μοι πίε καὶ τὰς καμήλους σου ποτιῶ ἕως ἂν παύσωνται πίνουσαι ταύτην ἡτοίμασας τῷ παιδί σου ισαακ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνώσομαι ὅτι ἐποίησας ἔλεος τῷ κυρίῳ μου αβρααμ

15 καὶ ἐγένετο πρὸ τοῦ συντελέσαι αὐτὸν λαλοῦντα ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ ἰδοὺ ρεβεκκα ἐξεπορεύετο ἡ τεχθεῖσα βαθουηλ υἱῷ μελχας τῆς γυναικὸς ναχωρ ἀδελφοῦ δὲ αβρααμ ἔχουσα τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων αὐτῆς

16 ἡ δὲ παρθένος ἦν καλὴ τῇ ὄψει σφόδρα παρθένος ἦν ἀνὴρ οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτήν καταβᾶσα δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν ἔπλησεν τὴν ὑδρίαν καὶ ἀνέβη

17 ἐπέδραμεν δὲ ὁ παῖς εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῆς καὶ εἶπεν πότισόν με μικρὸν ὕδωρ ἐκ τῆς ὑδρίας σου

18 ἡ δὲ εἶπεν πίε κύριε καὶ ἔσπευσεν καὶ καθεῖλεν τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐπὶ τὸν βραχίονα αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπότισεν αὐτόν

19 ἕως ἐπαύσατο πίνων καὶ εἶπεν καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις σου ὑδρεύσομαι ἕως ἂν πᾶσαι πίωσιν

20 καὶ ἔσπευσεν καὶ ἐξεκένωσεν τὴν ὑδρίαν εἰς τὸ ποτιστήριον καὶ ἔδραμεν ἔτι ἐπὶ τὸ φρέαρ ἀντλῆσαι καὶ ὑδρεύσατο πάσαις ταῖς καμήλοις

21 ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος κατεμάνθανεν αὐτὴν καὶ παρεσιώπα τοῦ γνῶναι εἰ εὐόδωκεν κύριος τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ ἢ οὔ

22 ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα ἐπαύσαντο πᾶσαι αἱ κάμηλοι πίνουσαι ἔλαβεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐνώτια χρυσᾶ ἀνὰ δραχμὴν ὁλκῆς καὶ δύο ψέλια ἐπὶ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς δέκα χρυσῶν ὁλκὴ αὐτῶν

23 καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτὴν καὶ εἶπεν θυγάτηρ τίνος εἶ ἀνάγγειλόν μοι εἰ ἔστιν παρὰ τῷ πατρί σου τόπος ἡμῖν καταλῦσαι

24 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ θυγάτηρ βαθουηλ εἰμὶ ἐγὼ τοῦ μελχας ὃν ἔτεκεν τῷ ναχωρ

25 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἄχυρα καὶ χορτάσματα πολλὰ παρ' ἡμῖν καὶ τόπος τοῦ καταλῦσαι

26 καὶ εὐδοκήσας ὁ ἄνθρωπος προσεκύνησεν κυρίῳ

27 καὶ εἶπεν εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ ὃς οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπεν τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου μου ἐμὲ εὐόδωκεν κύριος εἰς οἶκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ κυρίου μου

28 καὶ δραμοῦσα ἡ παῖς ἀπήγγειλεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῆς κατὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα

29 τῇ δὲ ρεβεκκα ἀδελφὸς ἦν ᾧ ὄνομα λαβαν καὶ ἔδραμεν λαβαν πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἔξω ἐπὶ τὴν πηγήν

30 καὶ ἐγένετο ἡνίκα εἶδεν τὰ ἐνώτια καὶ τὰ ψέλια ἐπὶ τὰς χεῖρας τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὅτε ἤκουσεν τὰ ῥήματα ρεβεκκας τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτοῦ λεγούσης οὕτως λελάληκέν μοι ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἑστηκότος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῶν καμήλων ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς

31 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ δεῦρο εἴσελθε εὐλογητὸς κύριος ἵνα τί ἕστηκας ἔξω ἐγὼ δὲ ἡτοίμακα τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ τόπον ταῖς καμήλοις

32 εἰσῆλθεν δὲ ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ ἀπέσαξεν τὰς καμήλους καὶ ἔδωκεν ἄχυρα καὶ χορτάσματα ταῖς καμήλοις καὶ ὕδωρ νίψασθαι τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῖς ποσὶν τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶν μετ' αὐτοῦ

33 καὶ παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς ἄρτους φαγεῖν καὶ εἶπεν οὐ μὴ φάγω ἕως τοῦ λαλῆσαί με τὰ ῥήματά μου καὶ εἶπαν λάλησον

34 καὶ εἶπεν παῖς αβρααμ ἐγώ εἰμι

35 κύριος δὲ εὐλόγησεν τὸν κύριόν μου σφόδρα καὶ ὑψώθη καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ πρόβατα καὶ μόσχους ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον παῖδας καὶ παιδίσκας καμήλους καὶ ὄνους

36 καὶ ἔτεκεν σαρρα ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ κυρίου μου υἱὸν ἕνα τῷ κυρίῳ μου μετὰ τὸ γηρᾶσαι αὐτόν καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὅσα ἦν αὐτῷ

37 καὶ ὥρκισέν με ὁ κύριός μου λέγων οὐ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν χαναναίων ἐν οἷς ἐγὼ παροικῶ ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτῶν

38 ἀλλ' ἢ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου πορεύσῃ καὶ εἰς τὴν φυλήν μου καὶ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ἐκεῖθεν

39 εἶπα δὲ τῷ κυρίῳ μου μήποτε οὐ πορεύσεται ἡ γυνὴ μετ' ἐμοῦ

40 καὶ εἶπέν μοι κύριος ᾧ εὐηρέστησα ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ αὐτὸς ἀποστελεῖ τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ μετὰ σοῦ καὶ εὐοδώσει τὴν ὁδόν σου καὶ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς μου καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου

41 τότε ἀθῷος ἔσῃ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρᾶς μου ἡνίκα γὰρ ἐὰν ἔλθῃς εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν φυλὴν καὶ μή σοι δῶσιν καὶ ἔσῃ ἀθῷος ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁρκισμοῦ μου

42 καὶ ἐλθὼν σήμερον ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν εἶπα κύριε ὁ θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ εἰ σὺ εὐοδοῖς τὴν ὁδόν μου ἣν νῦν ἐγὼ πορεύομαι ἐπ' αὐτήν

43 ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐφέστηκα ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῆς πόλεως ἐξελεύσονται ὑδρεύσασθαι ὕδωρ καὶ ἔσται ἡ παρθένος ᾗ ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω πότισόν με μικρὸν ὕδωρ ἐκ τῆς ὑδρίας σου

44 καὶ εἴπῃ μοι καὶ σὺ πίε καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις σου ὑδρεύσομαι αὕτη ἡ γυνή ἣν ἡτοίμασεν κύριος τῷ ἑαυτοῦ θεράποντι ισαακ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνώσομαι ὅτι πεποίηκας ἔλεος τῷ κυρίῳ μου αβρααμ

45 καὶ ἐγένετο πρὸ τοῦ συντελέσαι με λαλοῦντα ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ εὐθὺς ρεβεκκα ἐξεπορεύετο ἔχουσα τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων καὶ κατέβη ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν καὶ ὑδρεύσατο εἶπα δὲ αὐτῇ πότισόν με

46 καὶ σπεύσασα καθεῖλεν τὴν ὑδρίαν αὐτῆς ἀφ' ἑαυτῆς καὶ εἶπεν πίε σύ καὶ τὰς καμήλους σου ποτιῶ καὶ ἔπιον καὶ τὰς καμήλους μου ἐπότισεν

47 καὶ ἠρώτησα αὐτὴν καὶ εἶπα τίνος εἶ θυγάτηρ ἡ δὲ ἔφη θυγάτηρ βαθουηλ εἰμὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ ναχωρ ὃν ἔτεκεν αὐτῷ μελχα καὶ περιέθηκα αὐτῇ τὰ ἐνώτια καὶ τὰ ψέλια περὶ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς

48 καὶ εὐδοκήσας προσεκύνησα κυρίῳ καὶ εὐλόγησα κύριον τὸν θεὸν τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ ὃς εὐόδωσέν μοι ἐν ὁδῷ ἀληθείας λαβεῖν τὴν θυγατέρα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ κυρίου μου τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ

49 εἰ οὖν ποιεῖτε ὑμεῖς ἔλεος καὶ δικαιοσύνην πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου ἀπαγγείλατέ μοι εἰ δὲ μή ἀπαγγείλατέ μοι ἵνα ἐπιστρέψω εἰς δεξιὰν ἢ εἰς ἀριστεράν

50 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ λαβαν καὶ βαθουηλ εἶπαν παρὰ κυρίου ἐξῆλθεν τὸ πρόσταγμα τοῦτο οὐ δυνησόμεθα οὖν σοι ἀντειπεῖν κακὸν καλῷ

51 ἰδοὺ ρεβεκκα ἐνώπιόν σου λαβὼν ἀπότρεχε καὶ ἔστω γυνὴ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ κυρίου σου καθὰ ἐλάλησεν κύριος

52 ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαι τὸν παῖδα τὸν αβρααμ τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν κυρίῳ

53 καὶ ἐξενέγκας ὁ παῖς σκεύη ἀργυρᾶ καὶ χρυσᾶ καὶ ἱματισμὸν ἔδωκεν ρεβεκκα καὶ δῶρα ἔδωκεν τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτῆς καὶ τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῆς

54 καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ ὄντες καὶ ἐκοιμήθησαν καὶ ἀναστὰς πρωὶ εἶπεν ἐκπέμψατέ με ἵνα ἀπέλθω πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου

55 εἶπαν δὲ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτῆς καὶ ἡ μήτηρ μεινάτω ἡ παρθένος μεθ' ἡμῶν ἡμέρας ὡσεὶ δέκα καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπελεύσεται

56 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς μὴ κατέχετέ με καὶ κύριος εὐόδωσεν τὴν ὁδόν μου ἐκπέμψατέ με ἵνα ἀπέλθω πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου

57 οἱ δὲ εἶπαν καλέσωμεν τὴν παῖδα καὶ ἐρωτήσωμεν τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς

58 καὶ ἐκάλεσαν ρεβεκκαν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῇ πορεύσῃ μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τούτου ἡ δὲ εἶπεν πορεύσομαι

59 καὶ ἐξέπεμψαν ρεβεκκαν τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῆς καὶ τὸν παῖδα τὸν αβρααμ καὶ τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ

60 καὶ εὐλόγησαν ρεβεκκαν τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῇ ἀδελφὴ ἡμῶν εἶ γίνου εἰς χιλιάδας μυριάδων καὶ κληρονομησάτω τὸ σπέρμα σου τὰς πόλεις τῶν ὑπεναντίων

61 ἀναστᾶσα δὲ ρεβεκκα καὶ αἱ ἅβραι αὐτῆς ἐπέβησαν ἐπὶ τὰς καμήλους καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἀναλαβὼν ὁ παῖς τὴν ρεβεκκαν ἀπῆλθεν

62 ισαακ δὲ ἐπορεύετο διὰ τῆς ἐρήμου κατὰ τὸ φρέαρ τῆς ὁράσεως αὐτὸς δὲ κατῴκει ἐν τῇ γῇ τῇ πρὸς λίβα

63 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ισαακ ἀδολεσχῆσαι εἰς τὸ πεδίον τὸ πρὸς δείλης καὶ ἀναβλέψας τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς εἶδεν καμήλους ἐρχομένας

64 καὶ ἀναβλέψασα ρεβεκκα τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς εἶδεν τὸν ισαακ καὶ κατεπήδησεν ἀπὸ τῆς καμήλου

65 καὶ εἶπεν τῷ παιδί τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ὁ πορευόμενος ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ εἰς συνάντησιν ἡμῖν εἶπεν δὲ ὁ παῖς οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ κύριός μου ἡ δὲ λαβοῦσα τὸ θέριστρον περιεβάλετο

66 καὶ διηγήσατο ὁ παῖς τῷ ισαακ πάντα τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἐποίησεν

67 εἰσῆλθεν δὲ ισαακ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλαβεν τὴν ρεβεκκαν καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῦ γυνή καὶ ἠγάπησεν αὐτήν καὶ παρεκλήθη ισαακ περὶ σαρρας τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 3061

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3061. 'O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham' means of the Divine itself, which is the Father, with the Divine Human, which is the Son, that is to say, communication of these. This is clear from what has been stated and shown several times above, namely the following:

'Jehovah God' is the Lord's Divine itself, which is called the Father, while 'Abraham' represents His Divine Human, 2833, 2836.

Jehovah in the Old Testament Word is the Lord Himself, see 1736, 1815, 2921.

The Most Ancient Church before the Flood, and the Ancient Church after the Flood, meant by 'Jehovah' none other than the Lord, 1343, 1676, 1990, 2016, 3035.

Within the Lord exists the Trinity of the Divine itself, the Divine Human, and the Divine Holy proceeding, and these are one, 1999, 2149, 2156, 2288, 2329, 2447.

The entire Trinity within the Lord is Jehovah, 2156, 2329; and every single thing in the Lord is Jehovah, 1902, 1921.

The Lord is one with the Father, and no other is meant in heaven by the Father, 14, 15, 1725, 1729, 1733, 1815, 2005, 2018, 2025, 2803, 3038.

The Lord constitutes the whole of heaven since He is its All; from Him comes the whole of innocence, peace, love, charity, mercy, and conjugial love, as do all Good and Truth; Moses and the Prophets, and so the Word in every detail, have reference to Him; and all the religious observances of the Church were representative of Him, 2751.

As to the Divine Human the Lord is called the Son, 2628.

The Lord's Divine Human was not only conceived but also born from His Divine Essence, which is Jehovah, 2798.

Thus as to the Human the Lord became Jehovah, and Life from Himself, 1603, 1737

[2] The Lord has existed from eternity, as is quite clear from the Word, see 2803, even though He was born at a particular point in time. For He it was who spoke through Moses and the Prophets (having also appeared to many) in whose writings it is said that He was Jehovah. But this very deep arcanum cannot be revealed to anyone except to those who possess Divine perception, and so to scarcely any apart from members of the Most Ancient Church, who were celestial and possessed such perception. From these people I have heard that Jehovah Himself was the Lord as regards the Divine Human whenever He came down into heaven or flowed in by way of heaven, for heaven resembles one human being as to all its members, and for that reason is also called the Grand Man, 684, 1276, 2996, 2998, 3021. The Divine itself within heaven or the Grand Man was the Divine Human, and was Jehovah Himself clothed in that manner with the Human.

[3] But when the human race had become such that the Divine itself clothed as the Divine Human could no longer exert any influence on it, that is, when Jehovah could no longer reach down to mankind in that way because it had moved so far away, Jehovah, who is the Lord as regards the Divine Essence, came down and took upon Himself the Human, which was by conception Divine, but by birth from the virgin was like that of any other human being. But what He received from the virgin He cast out, and by Divine means made Divine the Human that had been born. From this Human made Divine proceeds all that is holy. Thus the Divine Human has come into being as an Essence by itself which fills the whole of heaven and causes those to be saved who previously could not be saved. This now is the Lord, who alone as to the Divine Human is Man, and from whom everyone has it to be [truly] human, 49, 288, 477, 565, 1894.

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

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Arcana Coelestia # 1999

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1999. That 'Abram fell on his face' 1 means adoration is clear without explanation. Falling on one's face' was the reverent way in which the Most Ancient Church, and as a consequence the ancients, expressed adoration. The reason they expressed it in this way was that 'the face' meant the inward parts, and 'falling on one's face' 1 represented a state of humiliation of those inward parts; and from this it became in the Jewish representative Church an act of reverence. True adoration or humility of heart entails prostration before the Lord face-downwards on the ground as the natural action resulting from it. Indeed humiliation of heart entails the acknowledgement of oneself as being nothing but uncleanness, and at the same time the acknowledgement of the Lord's infinite mercy towards such. When these acknowledgements are fixed in the mind, the mind itself casts itself down towards hell and prostrates the body. Nor does it raise itself until raised up by the Lord, as happens in all true humiliation, accompanied by a perception that such raising up is of the Lord's mercy. Such was the humiliation of members of the Most Ancient Church. It is different however with adoration which does not flow from humiliation of heart, see 1153.

[2] It is well known from the Word, in the Gospels, that the Lord adored and prayed to Jehovah, His Father, and that He did so as though to Someone other than Himself, even though Jehovah was within Him. But the state that the Lord experienced at such times was the state of His humiliation, the nature of which has been discussed in Volume One, namely this, that at such times as these He was in the infirm human derived from the mother. But to the extent He cast this off and took on the Divine His state was different, which state is called the state of His glorification. In the first state He adored Jehovah as Someone other than Himself, even though He was within Him, for, as has been stated, His Internal was Jehovah. In the latter state however, that is to say, the state of glorification, He spoke to Jehovah as to Himself, since He was Jehovah Himself.

[3] The truth of all this however cannot be grasped unless one knows what the internal is and how the internal operates into the external, and furthermore how the internal and external are distinct and separate and yet joined together. The matter may be illustrated however by means of something similar, namely by means of the internal with man and of its influx and operation into the external with him. For the fact that man has an internal, an interior or rational, and an external, see what has appeared already in 1889, 1940. Man's internal is that which makes him human and distinguishes him from animals. It is by means of this internal that man lives on after death and for ever, and by means of it the Lord can raise him up among angels. It is the prior or primary form from which anyone becomes and is a human being, and it is by means of this internal that the Lord is united to man. The heaven itself that is nearest to the Lord consists of these human internals, but being above even the inmost angelic heaven these internals therefore belong to the Lord Himself. In this way the entire human race is directly present beneath the eyes of the Lord. Distance, a visible feature of this sublunary world, does not exist in heaven, still less above heaven - see what has been mentioned from experience in 1275, 1277.

[4] These inward aspects of men possess no life in themselves but are recipient forms of the Lord's life. To the extent then that anyone is under the influence of evil, both that of his own doing and that which is hereditary, he has been so to speak separated from this internal which is the Lord's and resides with the Lord, and so has been separated from the Lord. For although that human internal is joined to the person and cannot be separated from him, yet to the extent he moves away from the Lord he does in a way separate himself from it, see 1594. But such separation is not a complete severance from that human internal - for if it were, man would no longer be able to live after death; but it is a lack of harmony and agreement with it on the part of his capacities which are beneath it, that is, of his rational and external man. Insofar as disharmony and disagreement are present there is no conjunction, but insofar as they are absent man is joined to the Lord by means of the internal, which is achieved in the measure that he is moved by love and charity, for love and charity effect conjunction. Such is the situation with man.

[5] But the Lord's Internal was Jehovah Himself, since He was conceived from Jehovah, who cannot be divided or become the relative of another, like a son who has been conceived from a human father. For unlike the human, the Divine is not capable of being divided but is and remains one and the same. To this Internal the Lord united the Human Essence. Moreover because the Lord's Internal was Jehovah it was not, like man's internal, a recipient form of life, but life itself. Through that union His Human Essence as well became life itself. Hence the Lord's frequent declaration that He is Life, as in John,

As the Father has Life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have Life in Himself. John 5:26.

And elsewhere besides this in the same gospel, 1:4; 5:21; 6:33, 35, 48; 11:25. 'The Son' is used to mean the Lord's Human Essence. To the extent therefore that the Lord was in the human which He received by heredity from the mother, He appeared to be distinct and separate from Jehovah, and worshipped Jehovah as Someone other than Himself. But to the extent He cast off this human, the Lord was not distinct and separate from Jehovah but one with Him. The first state, as has been mentioned, was the state of the Lord's humiliation, but the second the state of His glorification.

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