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1 Mosebok 26

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1 Og det var atter hungersnød i landet - likesom forrige gang på Abrahams tid; og Isak drog til filistrenes konge Abimelek i Gerar.

2 Da åpenbarte Herren sig for ham og sa: Dra ikke ned til Egypten! Bo i det land som jeg sier dig!

3 Bli boende her i landet! Jeg vil være med dig og velsigne dig; for dig og din ætt vil jeg gi alle disse land - jeg vil holde den ed jeg har svoret Abraham, din far.

4 Og jeg vil gjøre din ætt tallrik som stjernene på himmelen, og jeg vil gi din ætt alle disse land, og i din ætt skal alle jordens folk velsignes,

5 fordi Abraham lød mitt ord og holdt alt det jeg bød ham å holde, mine bud, mine forskrifter og mine lover.

6 Så blev Isak boende i Gerar.

7 Og mennene der på stedet spurte ham ut om hans hustru. Da sa han: Hun er min søster. For han torde ikke si at hun var hans hustru; han tenkte: Mennene her på stedet kunde da slå mig ihjel for ebekkas skyld, siden hun er så vakker.

8 Da han nu hadde vært der en tid, hendte det engang at Abimelek, filistrenes konge, så ut gjennem vinduet og fikk se at Isak kjærtegnet ebekka, sin hustru.

9 Da kalte Abimelek Isak til sig og sa: Hun er jo din hustru, hvor kunde du da si: Hun er min søster? Isak svarte: Jeg tenkte jeg kunde komme til å miste livet for hennes skyld.

10 Da sa Abimelek: Hvorfor har du gjort dette mot oss? Hvor lett kunde det ikke ha hendt at en eller annen av folket hadde lagt sig hos din hustru, og da hadde du ført skyld over oss.

11 Så bød Abimelek alt folket og sa: Den som rører ved denne mann eller hans hustru, han skal late sitt liv.

12 Isak sådde korn der i landet og fikk det år hundre fold, for Herren velsignet ham.

13 Og han blev en rik mann, og blev rikere og rikere, så han til sist var overmåte rik.

14 Han eide småfe og storfe og mange tjenere, så filistrene blev misunnelige på ham.

15 Og alle de brønner som hans fars tjenere hadde gravd i Abrahams, hans fars dager, dem kastet filistrene til og fylte dem med jord.

16 Og Abimelek sa til Isak: Dra bort fra oss, for du er blitt oss altfor mektig.

17 Så drog Isak derfra og slo leir i Gerar-dalen og blev boende der.

18 Og Isak gravde op igjen de brønner som de hadde gravd i Abrahams, hans fars dager, og som filistrene hadde kastet til efter Abrahams død; og han gav dem de samme navn som hans far hadde gitt dem.

19 Og Isaks tjenere gravde i dalen og fant der en brønn med rinnende vann.

20 Men hyrdene fra Gerar trettet med Isaks hyrder og sa: Vannet hører oss til. Og han kalte brønnen Esek*, fordi de stredes med ham. / {* strid.}

21 Siden gravde de en annen brønn, og den trettet de også om; og han kalte den Sitna*. / {* fiendskap.}

22 Så brøt han op derfra og gravde ennu en brønn; den trettet de ikke om; og han kalte den ehobot* og sa: Nu har Herren gjort det rummelig for oss, så vi kan bli tallrike i landet. / {* åpent rum.}

23 Siden drog han derfra op til Be'erseba.

24 samme natt åpenbarte Herren sig for ham og sa: Jeg er Abrahams, din fars Gud; frykt ikke, for jeg er med dig, og jeg vil velsigne dig og gjøre din ætt tallrik for Abrahams, min tjeners skyld.

25 Der bygget han et alter og påkalte Herrens navn; og han slo op sitt telt der; og Isaks tjenere gravde der en brønn.

26 Siden kom Abimelek til ham fra Gerar, med Akussat, sin venn, og Pikol, sin hærfører.

27 Da sa Isak til dem: Hvorfor kommer I til mig, I som hater mig og har drevet mig bort fra eder?

28 De svarte: Vi har sett det grant at Herren er med dig; derfor sier vi: Kom, la oss sverge en ed oss imellem, vi og du, og la oss få gjøre en pakt med dig,

29 at du ikke skal gjøre oss noget ondt, likesom heller ikke vi har rørt dig, men bare gjort dig godt og latt dig fare i fred. Du er nu Herrens velsignede.

30 Så gjorde han et gjestebud for dem, og de åt og drakk.

31 Morgenen efter stod de tidlig op og svor hverandre sin ed; siden lot Isak dem fare, og de drog fra ham fred.

32 Samme dag hendte det at Isaks tjenere kom og fortalte ham om den brønn de hadde gravd, og sa til ham: Vi har funnet vann.

33 Og han kalte den Siba*; derfor heter byen Be'erseba** den dag i dag. / {* ed.} / {** 1MO 21, 31.}

34 Da Esau var firti år gammel, tok han til hustruer Judit, datter til hetitten Be'eri, og Basmat, datter til hetitten Elon.

35 Men de blev en hjertesorg for Isak og ebekka.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 3427

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3427. 'And he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him' means an attitude of denial on account of those things, and also others, as being contrary to those persons, and on account of more things besides. This is clear from the fact that names given in early times were meaningful signs of a thing or of a state, 3422. In this way they were enabled to recollect many details about that thing or state, especially its essential nature. Here the well took its name from the incident of the herdsmen of Gerar disputing with Isaac's herdsmen. The fact that 'disputing' or 'contending' also means an attitude of denial, see 3425. This is the origin of the name Esek which in the original language means contention or dispute, and is derived from a related word which means oppression and violence. And since 'a well' here means the Word as regards the literal sense which holds the internal sense, 'Esek' or contention means a denial of the existence of the internal sense of the Word. The same word also includes the reasons for such denial, which, it is evident, lie with those things described just above in 3425, that is to say, things that appear to be contraries and with other things also.

[2] Thus the position with the internal sense of the Word is that those in whom no more than a knowledge of cognitions exists, who are referred to as 'the Philistines', and those in whom no more than matters of doctrine concerning faith are present, who are called 'the herdsmen of the Valley of Gerar', and with whom no charity towards the neighbour exists, inevitably refuse to recognize the existence of the internal sense of the Word. There are several reasons why they do so, the chief of which is that they do not acknowledge the Lord in their hearts, however much they confess Him with their lips. Nor in their hearts do they love the neighbour, however much they outwardly declare their love towards him. And anyone who in his heart does not acknowledge the Lord and does not in his heart love the neighbour inevitably refuses to recognize the internal sense of the Word, for the Word does not in the internal sense have anything else as its subject than love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, on account of which the Lord says that on those two commandments depend the Law and the Prophets, that is, the whole Word, Matthew 22:37-40. I have also been allowed to see the extent to which those people do not recognize the internal sense of the Word from those who are like them in the next life. At the mere mention of the existence of the internal sense of the Word, which is not apparent in its literal sense, and of the fact that its subject is love to the Lord and towards the neighbour, not only is denial of its existence noticeable in those people but also repugnance and even loathing.

[3] This is the chief reason. A second reason is that they turn the Word completely upside down by placing the bottom on top, or what amounts to the same, making what is secondary primary. Indeed they set up faith as the essential thing of the Church, and the things that constitute love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour as the fruits of faith. But the truth is that if love to the Lord is compared to the tree of life in the paradise of Eden, charity and its works are the fruits from it, while faith and everything that is part of faith are merely the leaves. When therefore people so turn the Word upside down that they derive the fruit not from the tree but from the leaves, it is not surprising that they fail to recognize the internal sense of the Word and acknowledge merely its literal sense. For as is well known. the literal sense can be used to confirm any dogma, including the most heretical.

[4] A further reason why they do not recognize the internal sense is that the faith of people who are concerned solely with matters of doctrine concerning faith and not with goodness of life is inevitably persuasion of what is false, that is, it is a faith based on false assumptions as well as true ones. As a consequence they are more stupid than all others, for insofar as anyone is persuaded by what is false he is stupid, but insofar as anyone is concerned with goodness of life, that is, with love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, he has intelligence, that is, faith from the Lord. Consequently the former cannot do other than have a negative attitude regarding the internal sense of the Word, whereas the latter cannot do other than have a positive attitude. For the interiors of people who have merely a knowledge of matters of doctrine and are devoid of the good of life are closed, so much so that the light of truth from the Lord cannot flow in and enable them to discern that it is so, whereas the interiors of those in whom love to the Lord exists are open, so much so that the light of truth from the Lord can flow in, inspire their minds with affection, and enable them to discern that it is so.

[5] There is yet another reason why they do not take any delight in reading the Word, except to gain position and wealth, and a reputation on account of these things - which delight is the delight that goes with self-love and love of the world. So true is this that if such gains are not to be had they reject the Word altogether. Such people in their hearts refuse to recognize not only the internal sense of the Word when they hear about it but also the literal sense itself, no matter how much they imagine they do believe in it. For anyone whose end in view is the delight that goes with self-love and love of the world casts out of his heart altogether everything that has to do with eternal life, and speaks from his natural and bodily-minded man when he speaks about the kind of things that he calls truths not for the sake of the Lord and of His kingdom but for the sake of himself and those who are his own. These and many other considerations are what cause people called 'the herdsmen of the Valley of Gerar' and 'the Philistines' to refuse to recognize the internal sense of the Word.

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