1 Mosebok 24
1
Abraham var nu gammel og langt ute i årene, og Herren hadde velsignet Abraham i alle ting.
2
Da sa Abraham til sin tjener, han som var den eldste i hans hus og rådet over alt det han hadde: Kjære, legg din hånd under min lend,
3
så vil jeg la dig sverge ved Herren, himmelens Gud og jordens Gud, at du ikke skal la min sønn ta sig en hustru av døtrene til kana'anitterfolket, som jeg bor iblandt,
4
men du skal dra til mitt eget land og til min slekt og hente en hustru til min sønn Isak.
5
Tjeneren sa til ham: Men om nu kvinnen ikke vil følge mig hit til dette land, skal jeg da føre din sønn tilbake til det land som du er kommet fra?
6
Abraham svarte: Vokt dig for å føre min sønn tilbake dit!
7
Herren, himmelens Gud, som førte mig bort fra min fars hus og fra mitt fedreland, og som talte til mig, og som svor mig til og sa: Din ætt vil jeg gi dette land, han skal sende sin engel foran dig, så du kan hente en hustru til min sønn derfra.
8
Men dersom kvinnen ikke vil følge dig, da skal du være løst fra denne din ed til mig; bare du ikke fører min sønn tilbake dit!
9
Da la tjeneren sin hånd under Abrahams, sin herres lend og lovte ham dette med ed.
10
Så tok tjeneren ti kameler av dem som hørte hans herre til, og drog avsted, og han hadde med sig alleslags kostelige ting som hørte hans herre til; han tok avsted og drog til Mesopotamia, til Nakors by.
11
Og han lot kamelene legge sig utenfor byen ved brønnen ved aftenstid, den tid da kvinnene pleier å komme ut og hente vann.
12
Og han sa: Herre, min Herre Abrahams Gud! La det lykkes for mig idag, og gjør miskunnhet mot min Herre Abraham!
13
Se, nu står jeg her ved denne kilde mens døtrene til mennene i byen kommer ut for å hente vann.
14
La det nu bli så at den pike som jeg sier således til: Hell på din krukke, så jeg kan få drikke, og som da sier: Drikk, og jeg vil også gi dine kameler å drikke - at hun er den du har utsett for din tjener Isak, og av det vil jeg skjønne at du har gjort miskunnhet mot min herre.
15
Og se, før han hadde holdt op å tale, hendte det at
ebekka, en datter av Betuel, som var sønn til Milka og Nakor, Abrahams bror, kom ut med sin krukke på skulderen.
16
Det var en meget vakker pike, en jomfru, som ingen mann var kommet nær. Hun gikk ned til kilden og fylte sin krukke og steg op igjen.
17
Da løp tjeneren henne i møte og sa: Kjære, la mig få drikke litt vann av din krukke!
18
Og hun sa: Drikk, herre! Og hun skyndte sig og tok krukken ned i sin hånd og lot ham få drikke.
19
Og da hun hadde latt ham drikke så meget han vilde, sa hun: Jeg vil også hente vann til dine kameler, til de har fått nok.
20
Og hun skyndte sig og tømte sin krukke i vanntrauet og løp atter til brønnen efter vann og lot alle hans kameler få drikke.
21
Og mannen så på henne og undret sig, men tidde stille for å få vite om Herren hadde latt hans reise lykkes eller ikke.
22
Da så kamelene hadde drukket, tok mannen en gullring som veide en halv sekel, og to armbånd som veide ti sekel gull, og la dem om hennes armer.
23
Og han sa: Hvem er du datter til? Kjære, si mig det! Er det rum nok i din fars hus, sa vi kan overnatte der.
24
Hun svarte: Jeg er datter til Betuel, som er sønn til Nakor og Milka.
25
Så sa hun til ham: Det er fullt op både av halm og fôr hos oss, og det er også rum til å overnatte.
26
Da bøide mannen sig ned og tilbad Herren
27
og sa: Lovet være Herren, min herre Abrahams Gud, som ikke har tatt sin miskunn og sin trofasthet fra min herre! Herren har ført mig på rette vei til min herres frender.
28
Men piken sprang hjem til sin mor og fortalte alt dette.
29
ebekka hadde en bror, som hette Laban; han sprang ut til mannen der ute ved kilden.
30
For da han så ringen og armbåndene som hans søster bar, og hørte sin søster
ebekka si: Således talte mannen til mig, gikk han ut til mannen, og se, der stod han hos kamelene ved kilden.
31
og han sa: Kom inn, du Herrens velsignede! Hvorfor står du her ute? Jeg har jo gjort huset i stand, og der er rum for kamelene.
32
Så gikk mannen inn i huset og lesste av kamelene; og Laban gav kamelene halm og fôr og kom med vann til ham og de menn som var med ham, til å tvette føttene i.
33
Og de satte frem mat for ham; men han sa: Jeg vil ikke ete før jeg har båret frem mitt ærend. Og Laban sa: Tal!
34
Da sa han: Jeg er Abrahams tjener;
35
og Herren har storlig velsignet min herre, så han er blitt rik, og han har gitt ham småfe og storfe og sølv og gull og træler og trælkvinner og kameler og asener.
36
Og Sara, min herres hustru, fødte min herre en sønn på sine gamle dager; og ham har han gitt alt det han eier.
37
Og min herre lot mig sverge og sa: Du skal ikke la min sønn ta sig en hustru av døtrene til kana'anitterfolket, i hvis land jeg bor;
38
men du skal gå til min fars hus og til min slekt og hente en hustru til min sønn.
39
Da sa jeg til min herre: Men om nu kvinnen ikke vil følge mig?
40
Men han sa til mig: Herren, for hvis åsyn jeg har vandret, skal sende sin engel med dig og la din reise lykkes, sa du finner en hustru til min sønn av min slekt og av min fars hus.
41
Da skal du være løst fra din ed til mig, når du kommer til mitt folk; og vil de ikke gi dig henne, så er du også løst fra eden til mig.
42
Så kom jeg da idag til kilden, og jeg sa: Herre, min Herre Abrahams Gud! Å, om du vilde la denne min reise lykkes!
43
Se, nu står jeg her ved denne kilde; la det nu bli så at om en ung pike kommer ut for å hente vann, og jeg sier til henne: Kjære, la mig få litt vann av din krukke,
44
og hun da sier til mig: Drikk du, og jeg vil også hente vann til dine kameler - så er hun den kvinne som Herren har utsett for min herres sønn.
45
Før jeg hadde holdt op å tale således ved mig selv, se, da kom
ebekka ut med sin krukke på skulderen, og hun gikk ned til kilden og øste op vann; da sa jeg til henne: Kjære, la mig få drikke!
46
Og hun skyndte sig og tok sin krukke ned og sa: Drikk, og jeg vil også la dine kameler få drikke. Så drakk jeg, og hun lot også kamelene få drikke.
47
Og jeg spurte henne: Hvem er du datter til? Hun svarte: Jeg er datter til Betuel, som er sønn til Nakor og Milka. Da satte jeg ringen i hennes nese og armbåndene på hennes armer.
48
Og jeg bøide mig ned og tilbad Herren, og jeg lovet Herren, min herre Abrahams Gud, som hadde ledet mig på rette vei til å finne min herres brordatter til hustru for hans sønn.
49
Dersom I nu vil vise godhet og trofasthet mot min herre, da si mig det, og hvis ikke, da si mig det, så jeg kan vende mig til en annen kant, til høire eller til venstre.
50
Da svarte Laban og Betuel og sa: Dette kommer fra Herren; vi kan intet si dig, hverken ondt eller godt.
51
Se, der står
ebekka; ta henne og dra bort og la din herres sønn få henne til hustru, som Herren har sagt!
52
Da Abrahams tjener hørte disse ord, bøide han sig til jorden for Herren.
53
Og tjeneren tok frem sølvsmykker og gullsmykker og klær og gav
ebekka; og hennes bror og hennes mor gav han også kostelige gaver.
54
Så åt de og drakk, han og de menn som var med ham, og de blev der om natten. Men da de stod op om morgenen, sa han: La mig nu fare hjem til min herre!
55
Da sa hennes bror og hennes mor: La piken bli hos oss en tid, en ti dager eller så! Siden kan du reise.
56
Men han sa til dem: Hold mig ikke tilbake, nu da Herren har latt min reise lykkes! La mig få ta avsted, så jeg kan komme hjem til min herre!
57
Da sa de: La oss kalle på piken og spørre henne selv!
58
Så kalte de på
ebekka og sa til henne: Vil du reise med denne mann? Hun svarte: Ja, det vil jeg. -
59
Så lot de
ebekka, sin søster, og hennes fostermor og Abrahams tjener og hans menn reise.
60
Og de velsignet
ebekka og sa til henne: Vår søster, bli til tusen ganger ti tusen, og måtte din ætt ta sine fienders porter i eie!
61
Og
ebekka og hennes piker gjorde sig ferdig, og de satte sig på kamelene og fulgte med mannen og tjeneren tok
ebekka med sig og drog avsted.
62
Isak var nettop kommet tilbake fra en vandring til brønnen Lakai
o'i; for han bodde i sydlandet.
63
Og Isak gikk ved aftenstid ut på marken for å ha en stille stund og da han så op, fikk han se nogen kameler som kom gående.
64
Og da
ebekka så op, fikk hun øie på Isak; og hun skyndte sig og steg ned av kamelen.
65
Og hun sa til tjeneren: Hvem er denne mann som kommer oss i møte på marken? Tjeneren svarte Det er min herre. Så tok hun sløret og tilhyllet sig.
66
Og tjeneren fortalte Isak alt det han hadde gjort.
67
Og Isak førte henne inn i sin mor Saras telt; han tok
ebekka hjem, og hun blev hans hustru, og han hadde henne kjær. Så blev Isak trøstet i sorgen over sin mor.
Apocalypse Explained # 141
141. To eat idol-sacrifices and to commit whoredom, signifies that they may be imbued with evils and with falsities therefrom. This is evident from the signification of "eating," as being to appropriate to themselves, and to be consociated with (See Arcana Coelestia 2187, 2343, 3168, 3513, 5643, 8001); so also to be imbued with; and from the signification of "idol-sacrifices," which are things consecrated to idols, as being evils of every kind (of which more in what follows); and from the signification of "committing whoredom," as being to falsify truths (of which also more presently). That Balaam counseled Balak to invite the sons of Israel to the sacrifices of his gods appears from what was shown in the preceding article, and from these words of Moses:
Israel abode in Shittim, where the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab; for he called 1 the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. Especially did the people join themselves to Baal-peor; therefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel. And those that were slain were four and twenty thousand (Numbers 25:1-3, 9).
It was among the statutes where sacrifices were instituted that some part of the sacrifices, especially of the thank-offerings, should be burnt from the altar, and some part eaten in the holy place. The "sacrifices" themselves signified worship from love and faith, and the "eating" of them signified appropriation of the good thereof. (That "sacrifices" signified all things of worship from the good of love and faith, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 923, 6905, 8680, 8936, 10042; and "eating" the appropriation of goods, 10109.) As the eating of things sanctified to Jehovah signified the appropriation of good, so the eating of the sacrifices offered to the gods of the nations, and which were called "idol-sacrifices," signified the appropriation of evil.
[2] That to "commit whoredom," in the spiritual sense, signifies to become imbued with falsities, so also to falsify truths, can be seen from many passages in the Word. The same was signified by the whoredoms of the sons of Israel with the daughters of Moab; for all historical parts of the Word involve spiritual things and signify them (as can be seen from the explanations of Genesis and Exodus, called Arcana Coelestia). And as the eating of idol-sacrifices by the sons of Israel and their whoredoms with the daughters of Moab involved such things (for what things signify they involve), therefore it was commanded that the heads of the people should be hung up to Jehovah before the sun; and for the same reason Phinehas the son of Eleazar thrust through a man of Israel and a Midianitish woman in the place of their lust, and for doing that he also was blessed; and for the same reason there were slain of Israel twenty and four thousand (as may be seen, Numbers 25 to the end). Such punishments and such plagues merely because of the eating of idol-sacrifices, and committing whoredom with the women of another nation, would never have been commanded to be done, unless they had involved heinous offenses against heaven and the church, which do not appear in the literal sense of the Word, but only in its spiritual sense. The heinous offenses involved were the profanation at once of the goods and of the truths of the church, and this, as has been said above, was the appropriation of evil and falsity.
[3] That adulteries and whoredoms involve such things is evident from numerous passages in the Word, where they are recounted, which show clearly that they signify the adulterations of good and the falsifications of truth, as in the following. In Ezekiel:
Jerusalem, thou hast trusted in thy beauty, and hast committed whoredom because of thy renown, so that thou hast poured out thy whoredoms on everyone that passed by. Thou has committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt thy neighbors, great of flesh, and hast multiplied thy whoredom. Thou hast committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur, when there was no satiety to thee, with whom thou committedst whoredom. Thou hast multiplied thy whoredom even to Chaldea, the land of traffic. An adulterous woman receiveth strangers instead of her husband. All give reward to their harlots, 2 but thou hast given reward to all thy lovers, and hast rewarded them that they may come unto thee on every side in thy whoredoms. Wherefore, O harlot! hear the word of Jehovah (Ezekiel 16:15, 26, 28-29, 32-33, 35.).
Who cannot see that by "whoredoms" here are not meant whoredoms in the usual natural sense? For the church in which all the truths of the Word have been falsified is treated of; this is what is meant by "whoredoms;" for "whoredoms" in the spiritual sense, or spiritual whoredoms, are no other than falsifications of truth. "Jerusalem" here is the church; the "sons of Egypt," with whom she committed whoredom, are scientifics and knowledges of every kind, perversely applied to confirm falsities; the "sons of Asshur" are reasonings from falsities; "Chaldea," the land of traffic, is the profanation of truth; the "rewards" that she gave to her lovers are the vendings of falsities; and because of the adulteration of good by the falsifications of truth, that church is called a "woman adulterous while subject to her husband."
[4] In the same:
Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth. One committed whoredom while subject to me, and chose for lovers the Assyrians her neighbors; she bestowed her whoredoms upon them yet she hath not left her whoredoms in Egypt. The other hath corrupted her love more than she, and her whoredoms above the whoredoms of her sister; she increased her whoredoms, she loved the Chaldeans; the sons of Babel came to her to the bed of loves, and they defiled her with their whoredom (Ezekiel 23:2-3, 5-8, 11, 14, 16-17).
Here also by "whoredoms" are in like manner meant spiritual whoredoms, as is evident from every particular. "Two women, the daughters of one mother, are the two churches, the Israelitish and the Jewish; "whoredoms" with "the Egyptians," "the Assyrians," "the Chaldeans," signify the like as above; "the bed of loves with the sons of Babel" is the profanation of good.
[5] In Jeremiah:
Thou hast committed whoredoms with many companions, thou hast profaned the land with thy whoredoms, and with thine evil. Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? She hath gone away upon every high mountain, and under every green tree, and there committeth whoredom. Perfidious Judah also hath gone away and committed whoredom, so that by the voice of her whoredom she hath profaned the land; she hath committed adultery with stone and with wood (Jeremiah 3:1-2, 6, 8-9).
"Israel" is the church that is in truth, "Judah" the church that is in good, for they represented these two churches. The falsifications of truth are signified by the "whoredoms of Israel," and the adulterations of good by "the whoredoms of Judah." "To go away upon every high mountain and under every green tree and to commit whoredom" is to seek after all the knowledges of good and truth, even from the Word, and to falsify them; "to commit adultery with stone and wood" is to pervert and profane all truth and good; "stone" signifying truth, and "wood" signifying good.
[6] In the same:
Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man [vir], if there be any doing judgment, seeking truth. When I fed them to the full they committed whoredom and came by troops to the house of the harlot (Jeremiah 5:1, 7).
To "run to and fro through the streets, and to seek in the broad places of Jerusalem," is to see and explore the doctrinals of that church; for "Jerusalem" is the church, and "streets" and "broad places" are doctrinals. "If ye have found a man, if there be any doing judgment, seeking truth," means whether there be any truth in the church. "When I fed them to the full they committed whoredom," means that when truths were revealed to them they falsified them. Such a church, in respect to doctrine, is the "house of the harlot," into which they "came by troops."
[7] In the same:
Thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, thine abominations on the hills in the field have I seen. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! thou wilt not be made clean (Jeremiah 13:27).
"Neighings" are profanations of truth, because a "horse" signifies the intellectual where there is truth; "the hills in the field" are goods of truth in the church, which have been perverted.
[8] In the same:
In the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible stubbornness in adulterating and in walking in a lie (Jeremiah 23:14).
They have wrought folly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their companions' wives, and have spoken My 3 word in My name falsely (Jeremiah 29:23).
To "adulterate" and to "commit adultery" here clearly mean to pervert truths; "the prophets" signifying those who teach truths from the Word; for it is said "in adulterating and walking in a lie," and "they have spoken My word falsely." A "lie" in the Word signifies falsity.
[9] In Moses:
Your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your 4 whoredoms even till their carcasses are consumed in the wilderness (Numbers 14:33).
The sons of Israel did not bear whoredoms and were not for that reason consumed in the wilderness, but because they spurned heavenly truths, as is evident from this, that it was so said to them because they wished not to enter into the land of Canaan, but to return to Egypt; "the land of Canaan" signifies heaven and the church, with the truths thereof; and "Egypt" signifies the same falsified and turned into magic.
[10] In Micah:
All her graven images shall be beaten to pieces, and all the rewards of whoredom shall be burned up with fire; and all her idols will I lay waste, for she hath gathered them from the hire of an harlot, therefore even to the hire of an harlot shall they return (Micah 1:7).
"Graven images" and "idols" signify falsities that are from self-intelligence; "the rewards of whoredom" are the knowledges of truth and good that they have applied to falsities and evils and have thus perverted.
[11] In Hosea:
Jehovah said to the prophet, Take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms, for whoring the land doth commit whoredom in departing from Jehovah (Hosea 1:2).
By this was represented what the quality of the church was, namely, that it was wholly in falsities.
[12] In the same:
They sinned against Me; I will change their glory into disgrace. They committed whoredom; because they have forsaken Jehovah. Whoredom, wine, and new wine, have occupied the heart. Your daughters commit whoredom, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery (Hosea 4:7, 10-11, 13).
"Whoredom, wine, and new wine," are falsified truths; "whoredom" falsification itself; "wine" interior falsity; "new wine" exterior falsity; "daughters who commit whoredom" are the goods of truth perverted; "daughters-in-law who commit adultery" are evils conjoined with falsities therefrom.
[13] In Isaiah:
It shall come to pass after the end of seventy years that Jehovah will visit Tyre, that she may return to her meretricious hire, and commit whoredom with all the kingdoms of the earth upon the faces of the world; at length her merchandise [and her meretricious hire] shall be holiness to Jehovah (Isaiah 23:17, 18).
"Tyre," in the Word, is the church in respect to the knowledges of truth and good; "meretricious hire" the same knowledges applied, by perverting them, to evils and falsities; "her merchandise" the vending of these. "To commit whoredom with all the kingdoms of the earth," is with all and every truth of the church. "Her merchandise and her meretricious hire shall be holiness to Jehovah" because these signify the knowledges of truth and good applied by them to falsities and evils; and by means of the knowledges themselves regarded in themselves, a man can gain wisdom; for knowledges are means of becoming wise, and they are also means of becoming insane. They are the means of becoming insane when they are falsified by being applied to evils and falsities. The like is signified where it is said that:
They should make to themselves friends of the unrighteous mammon (Luke 16:9);
and where it is commanded that:
They should borrow from the Egyptians gold, silver, and raiment, and take them away from them (Exodus 3:22; 12:35-36).
By the "Egyptians" are signified scientifics of every kind which they used to falsify truths.
[14] In Moses:
I will cut off the soul that looketh unto them that have familiar spirits and unto wizards, to go a-whoring after them (Leviticus 20:5, 6).
In Isaiah:
He entereth into peace, he walketh in uprightness. But draw ye near, ye sons of the enchantress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot (Isaiah 57:2-3).
In Nahum:
Woe to the city of bloods, all in a lie, the horseman ascendeth, and the flaming of the sword, and the flashing of the spear, a multitude of the slain; for the multitude of the whoredoms of the harlot, of the mistress of sorceries, selling the nations through her whoredoms (Nahum 3:1, 3-4).
In Moses:
A covenant must not be made with the inhabitants of the land, lest the sons and daughters go a-whoring after their gods (Exodus 34:15-16).
In the same:
That ye may remember all the commandments of Jehovah, and do them; and that ye spy not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye are wont to go a-whoring (Numbers 15:39).
In Revelation:
Babylon hath made all nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom (Revelation 14:8);
The angel said, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters; with whom the kings of the earth have committed whoredom (Revelation 17:1-2);
Babylon hath made all nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her (Revelation 18:3);
He hath judged the great harlot, which did corrupt the earth with her whoredom (Revelation 19:2).
It is manifest that in these passages by "whoredoms" are meant the falsifications of truth.
[15] As such things are signified by "whoredoms" and "adulteries," and as these have the same signification in heaven, therefore in the Israelitish church, which was a representative church, in which all things were significative, the following commands were given:
That there should be no harlot nor whoremonger in Israel (Deuteronomy 23:17);
That the man that committed adultery with the wife of a man, and the man that committed adultery with the wife of his companion should be put to death (Leviticus 20:10);
That the hire of a harlot should not be brought into the house of Jehovah for any vow (Deuteronomy 23:18);
That the sons of Aaron should not take a harlot to wife, nor a woman put away by her husband. That the high priest should take a virgin to wife. That the daughter of a priest, if she profaned herself by committing whoredom, should be burned with fire (Leviticus 21:7, 9, 13-14). (Besides many other passages.)
[16] That "whoredoms" and "adulteries" involve such things has been testified to me from much experience in the other life. The spheres from spirits who have been of such character have made these things evident; from the presence of spirits who have confirmed falsities in themselves, and have applied truths from the sense of the letter of the Word to confirm them, there exhales an abominable sphere of whoredom. Such spheres correspond to all the prohibited degrees (of which, see Lev. 20:11-21) with a difference according to the application of truths to falsities and the conjunction of falsities with evils, especially with evils that gush out of the love of self (of which more may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 384-386).
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. In Hebrew: "they called," as also found in Apocalypse Explained 140, 401; Apocalypse Revealed 114; Arcana Coelestia 10652.
2. In Hebrew: "They give reward to all harlots," as also found in Apocalypse Explained 695; Arcana Coelestia 8904[1-12].
3. In Hebrew: "the word," as also found in Arcana Coelestia 2466, 8904. "My" is found in Apocalypse Revealed 134 and in True Christian Religion 314.
4. In Hebrew: "your," as also found in Apocalypse Explained 633; Arcana Coelestia 2466, 8904, but Apocalypse Revealed 134 has "their."
