Bible

 

Gênesis 24

Studie

   

1 Ora, Abraão era já velho e de idade avançada; e em tudo o Senhor o havia abençoado.

2 E disse Abraão ao seu servo, o mais antigo da casa, que tinha o governo sobre tudo o que possuía: Põe a tua mão debaixo da minha coxa,

3 para que eu te faça jurar pelo Senhor, Deus do céu e da terra, que não tomarás para meu filho mulher dentre as filhas dos cananeus, no meio dos quais eu habito;

4 mas que irás à minha terra e à minha parentela, e dali tomarás mulher para meu filho Isaque.

5 Perguntou-lhe o servo: Se porventura a mulher não quiser seguir-me a esta terra, farei, então, tornar teu filho à terra donde saíste?

6 Respondeu-lhe Abraão: Guarda-te de fazeres tornar para lá meu filho.

7 O Senhor, Deus do céu, que me tirou da casa de meu pai e da terra da minha parentela, e que me falou, e que me jurou, dizendo: Â tua o semente darei esta terra; ele enviará o seu anjo diante de si, para que tomes de lá mulher para meu filho.

8 Se a mulher, porém, não quiser seguir-te, serás livre deste meu juramento; somente não farás meu filho tornar para lá.

9 Então pôs o servo a sua mão debaixo da coxa de Abraão seu senhor, e jurou-lhe sobre este negócio.

10 Tomou, pois, o servo dez dos camelos do seu senhor, porquanto todos os bens de seu senhor estavam em sua mão; e, partindo, foi para a Mesopotâmia, à cidade de Naor.

11 Fez ajoelhar os camelos fora da cidade, junto ao poço de água, pela tarde, à hora em que as mulheres saíam a tirar água.

12 E disse: Ó Senhor, Deus de meu Senhor Abraão, dá-me hoje, peço-te, bom êxito, e usa de benevolência para com o meu Senhor Abraão.

13 Eis que eu estou em pé junto à fonte, e as filhas dos homens desta cidade vêm saindo para tirar água;

14 faze, pois, que a donzela a quem eu disser: Abaixa o teu cântaro, peço-te, para que eu beba; e ela responder: Bebe, e também darei de beber aos teus camelos; seja aquela que designaste para o teu servo Isaque. Assim conhecerei que usaste de benevolência para com o meu senhor.

15 Antes que ele acabasse de falar, eis que Rebeca, filha de Betuel, filho de Milca, mulher de Naor, irmão de Abraão, saía com o seu cântaro sobre o ombro.

16 A donzela era muito formosa à vista, virgem, a quem varão não havia conhecido; ela desceu à fonte, encheu o seu cântaro e subiu.

17 Então o servo correu-lhe ao encontro, e disse: Deixa-me beber, peço-te, um pouco de água do teu cântaro.

18 Respondeu ela: Bebe, meu senhor. Então com presteza abaixou o seu cântaro sobre a mão e deu-lhe de beber.

19 E quando acabou de lhe dar de beber, disse: Tirarei também água para os teus camelos, até que acabem de beber.

20 Também com presteza despejou o seu cântaro no bebedouro e, correndo outra vez ao poço, tirou água para todos os camelos dele.

21 E o homem a contemplava atentamente, em silêncio, para saber se o Senhor havia tornado próspera a sua jornada, ou não.

22 Depois que os camelos acabaram de beber, tomou o homem um pendente de ouro, de meio siclo de peso, e duas pulseiras para as mãos dela, do peso de dez siclos de ouro;

23 e perguntou: De quem és filha? dize-mo, peço-te. Há lugar em casa de teu pai para nós pousarmos?

24 Ela lhe respondeu: Eu sou filha de Betuel, filho de Milca, o qual ela deu a Naor.

25 Disse-lhe mais: Temos palha e forragem bastante, e lugar para pousar.

26 Então inclinou-se o homem e adorou ao Senhor;

27 e disse: Bendito seja o Senhor Deus de meu Senhor Abraão, que não retirou do meu Senhor a sua benevolência e a sua verdade; quanto a mim, o Senhor me guiou no caminho à casa dos irmãos de meu Senhor.

28 A donzela correu, e relatou estas coisas aos da casa de sua mãe.

29 Ora, Rebeca tinha um irmão, cujo nome era Labão, o qual saiu correndo ao encontro daquele homem até a fonte;

30 porquanto tinha visto o pendente, e as pulseiras sobre as mãos de sua irmã, e ouvido as palavras de sua irmã Rebeca, que dizia: Assim me falou aquele homem; e foi ter com o homem, que estava em pé junto aos camelos ao lado da fonte.

31 E disse: Entra, bendito do Senhor; por que estás aqui fora? pois eu já preparei a casa, e lugar para os camelos.

32 Então veio o homem à casa, e desarreou os camelos; deram palha e forragem para os camelos e água para lavar os pés dele e dos homens que estavam com ele.

33 Depois puseram comida diante dele. Ele, porém, disse: Não comerei, até que tenha exposto a minha incumbência. Respondeu-lhe Labão: Fala.

34 Então disse: Eu sou o servo de Abraão.

35 O Senhor tem abençoado muito ao meu Senhor, o qual se tem engrandecido; deu-lhe rebanhos e gado, prata e ouro, escravos e escravas, camelos e jumentos.

36 E Sara, a mulher do meu senhor, mesmo depois, de velha deu um filho a meu senhor; e o pai lhe deu todos os seus bens.

37 Ora, o meu senhor me fez jurar, dizendo: Não tomarás mulher para meu filho das filhas dos cananeus, em cuja terra habito;

38 irás, porém, à casa de meu pai, e à minha parentela, e tomarás mulher para meu filho.

39 Então respondi ao meu senhor: Porventura não me seguirá a mulher.

40 Ao que ele me disse: O Senhor, em cuja presença tenho andado, enviará o seu anjo contigo, e prosperará o teu caminho; e da minha parentela e da casa de meu pai tomarás mulher para meu filho;

41 então serás livre do meu juramento, quando chegares à minha parentela; e se não ta derem, livre serás do meu juramento.

42 E hoje cheguei à fonte, e disse: Senhor, Deus de meu Senhor Abraão, se é que agora prosperas o meu caminho, o qual venho seguindo,

43 eis que estou junto à fonte; faze, pois, que a donzela que sair para tirar água, a quem eu disser: Dá-me, peço-te, de beber um pouco de água do teu cântaro,

44 e ela me responder: Bebe tu, e também tirarei água para os teus camelos; seja a mulher que o Senhor designou para o filho de meu Senhor.

45 Ora, antes que eu acabasse de falar no meu coração, eis que Rebeca saía com o seu cântaro sobre o ombro, desceu à fonte e tirou água; e eu lhe disse: Dá-me de beber, peço-te.

46 E ela, com presteza, abaixou o seu cântaro do ombro, e disse: Bebe, e também darei de beber aos teus camelos; assim bebi, e ela deu também de beber aos camelos.

47 Então lhe perguntei: De quem és filha? E ela disse: Filha de Betuel, filho de Naor, que Milca lhe deu. Então eu lhe pus o pendente no nariz e as pulseiras sobre as mãos;

48 e, inclinando-me, adorei e bendisse ao Senhor, Deus do meu Senhor Abraão, que me havia conduzido pelo caminho direito para tomar para seu filho a filha do irmão do meu Senhor.

49 Agora, pois, se vós haveis de usar de benevolência e de verdade para com o meu senhor, declarai-mo; e se não, também mo declarai, para que eu vá ou para a direita ou para a esquerda.

50 Então responderam Labão e Betuel: Do Senhor procede este negócio; nós não podemos falar-te mal ou bem.

51 Eis que Rebeca está diante de ti, toma-a e vai-te; seja ela a mulher do filho de teu senhor, como tem dito o senhor.

52 Quando o servo de Abraão ouviu as palavras deles, prostrou-se em terra diante do Senhor:

53 e tirou o servo jóias de prata, e jóias de ouro, e vestidos, e deu-os a Rebeca; também deu coisas preciosas a seu irmão e a sua mãe.

54 Então comeram e beberam, ele e os homens que com ele estavam, e passaram a noite. Quando se levantaram de manhã, disse o servo: Deixai-me ir a meu senhor.

55 Disseram o irmão e a mãe da donzela: Fique ela conosco alguns dias, pelo menos dez dias; e depois irá.

56 Ele, porém, lhes respondeu: Não me detenhas, visto que o Senhor me tem prosperado o caminho; deixai-me partir, para que eu volte a meu Senhor.

57 Disseram-lhe: chamaremos a donzela, e perguntaremos a ela mesma.

58 Chamaram, pois, a Rebeca, e lhe perguntaram: Irás tu com este homem; Respondeu ela: Irei.

59 Então despediram a Rebeca, sua irmã, e à sua ama e ao servo de Abraão e a seus homens;

60 e abençoaram a Rebeca, e disseram-lhe: Irmã nossa, sê tu a mãe de milhares de miríades, e possua a tua descendência a porta de seus aborrecedores!

61 Assim Rebeca se levantou com as suas moças e, montando nos camelos, seguiram o homem; e o servo, tomando a Rebeca, partiu.

62 Ora, Isaque tinha vindo do caminho de Beer-Laai-Rói; pois habitava na terra do Negebe.

63 Saíra Isaque ao campo à tarde, para meditar; e levantando os olhos, viu, e eis que vinham camelos.

64 Rebeca também levantou os olhos e, vendo a Isaque, saltou do camelo

65 e perguntou ao servo: Quem é aquele homem que vem pelo campo ao nosso encontro? respondeu o servo: É meu senhor. Então ela tomou o véu e se cobriu.

66 Depois o servo contou a Isaque tudo o que fizera.

67 Isaque, pois, trouxe Rebeca para a tenda de Sara, sua mãe; tomou-a e ela lhe foi por mulher; e ele a amou. Assim Isaque foi consolado depois da morte de sua mãe.

   

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 3147

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

3147. 'And water to wash his feet' means purification there. This is clear from the meaning of 'water to wash' or 'washing with water' as purifying, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'feet' as natural things, or what amounts to the same, those things that are in the natural man, dealt with in 2162. In the representative Church washing feet with water was a ceremonial act which meant washing away the filth of the natural man. The filth of the natural man is composed of all the things that belong to self-love and love of the world, and when such filth has been washed away goods and truths flow in, for that filth alone is what hinders the influx of good and truth from the Lord.

[2] For good is flowing in constantly from the Lord, but when by way of the internal or spiritual man it reaches the external or natural man it is either perverted there, or turned away, or stifled. But when indeed the things that belong to self-love and love of the world are removed, good is received there, and bears fruit there, since the person now performs the works of charity. This may become clear from many considerations, such as this: When the things that belong to the external or natural man are quiescent - as they are in times of ill-fortune, wretchedness, and sickness - a person instantly starts to become spiritually-minded and to will what is good, and also to perform acts of devotion insofar as he is able. But when that state alters, these things are altered too.

[3] In the Ancient Church 'washings' were signs meaning these things, and in the Jewish Church the same were representations. The reason why in the Ancient Church they were meaningful signs but in the Jewish Church representations was that members of the Ancient Church regarded that custom as some external act of worship. Nor did they believe that they were purified by that kind of washing but by a washing away of the filth of the natural man, which, as has been stated, is composed of the things that belong to self-love and love of the world. But the member of the Jewish Church did believe that he was purified by such washing, for he did not know, and did not wish to know, that the purifying of a person's interior self was meant.

[4] That 'washing' means the washing away of that filth is clear in Isaiah,

Wash yourselves; purify yourselves; remove the evil of your doings from before My eyes; cease to do evil. Isaiah 1:16.

Here it is evident that 'washing themselves' means purifying themselves and removing evils. In the same prophet,

When the Lord will have washed the excrement of the daughters of Zion and washed away the blood of Jerusalem from its midst in a spirit of judgement and in a spirit of purging. Isaiah 4:4.

Here 'washing the excrement of the daughters of Zion and washing away the blood of Jerusalem' stands for purifying from evils and falsities. In Jeremiah,

Wash your heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long will your iniquitous thoughts lodge within you? Jeremiah 4:14.

[5] In Ezekiel,

I washed you with water, and washed away the blood from upon you, and anointed you with oil. Ezekiel 16:9.

This refers to Jerusalem, which is used here to mean the Ancient Church. 'Washing with water' stands for purifying from falsities, 'washing away the blood' for purging from evils, 'anointing with oil' for filling with good at that time. In David,

Wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. You will purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; You will wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalms 51:2, 7.

'Being washed' plainly stands for being purified from evils and derivative falsities.

[6] These were the things that were meant by 'washing' in the Representative Church. For the sake of the representation, when they had been made unclean and needed to be cleansed, people were commanded in that Church to wash the skin, hands, feet, and also their garments. All these meant things that belong to the natural man. Also for the sake of the representation, lavers made of bronze were placed outside the Temple - that is to say, 'the bronze sea and the ten bronze lavers' mentioned in 1 Kings 7:23-29; there was also the bronze laver from which Aaron and his sons were to wash themselves, placed between the Tent of Meeting and the Altar, and so outside the Tent of Meeting, Exodus 30:18-19, 21 - the meaning of which was that only external or natural things needed to be purified. And unless they have been purified, that is, unless things belonging to self-love and love of the world have been removed from them, internal things which belong to love to the Lord and towards the neighbour cannot possibly flow in, as stated above.

[7] To enable these matters to be understood more easily, that is to say, regarding the need for external things to be purified, let good works - or what amounts to the same, the goods of charity, which are at the present day called the fruits of faith, and which, since they are actions, are external - serve to exemplify and illustrate the point: Good works are bad works unless the things belonging to self-love and love of the world are removed. For until these have been removed works, when performed, are good to outward appearance but are inwardly bad. They are inwardly bad because they are done either for the sake of reputation, or for financial gain, or for improvement of one's position, or for reward. They are accordingly either merit-seeking or hypocritical, for the things that belong to self-love and love of the world cause those works to be such. But when indeed these evils are removed, works become good, and are the goods of charity. That is to say, they are done regardless of self, the world, reputation, or reward, and so are not merit-seeking or hypocritical, because in that case celestial love and spiritual love flow from the Lord into those works and cause them to be love and charity in action. And at the same time the Lord also purifies the natural or external man by means of those things and orders it so that that man receives correspondingly the celestial and spiritual things that flow in.

[8] This becomes quite clear from what the Lord taught when He washed the disciples' feet: In John,

He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, Lord, do You wash my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, What I am doing you do not know now, but you will know afterwards. Peter said to Him, You will never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me. Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and head! Jesus said to him, He who is washed has no need except that his feet be washed, but is clean all over. Now you are clean, but not all of you. John 13:4-17.

'He who is washed has no need except that his feet be washed' means that anyone who has been reformed needs to be cleansed only in regard to natural things, that is, to have evils and falsities removed from them. For when that happens all is ordered by the influx of spiritual things from the Lord. Furthermore 'feet-washing' was an act of charity, meaning that one ought not to dwell on the evils of another person. It was also an act of humility, meaning the cleansing of another from evils, like filth from the body, as also becomes clear from the Lord's words in verses 12-17 of that chapter in John, and also in Luke 7:37-38, 44, 46; John 11:2; 1 Samuel 25:41.

[9] Anyone may see that washing himself does not purify a person from evils and falsities, only from the filth that clings to him. Yet because it belonged among the religious observances commanded in the Church it follows that it embodies some special idea, namely spiritual washing, which is purification from the filth that clings to man inwardly. Members of that Church therefore who knew these things and thought of purification of the heart, that is, the removal of the evils of self-love and love of the world from the natural man, and tried to achieve it with utmost zeal, practiced ritual washing as an external act of worship, as commanded. But among those who did not know and did not wish to know those things but who supposed that the mere ritual act of washing garments, skin, hands, and feet would purify them, and who supposed that provided they performed such rituals they would be allowed to continue leading lives of avarice, hatred, revenge, mercilessness, and cruelty - all of which constitute spiritual filth - the performance of the ritual was idolatrous. Nevertheless by means of that ritual they were still able to represent, and by means of the representation to display, some vestige of a Church, by means of which heaven was in a way joined to mankind prior to the Lord's Coming. But that conjunction was such that heaven had little or no influence at all on the member of that Church.

[10] The Jews and Israelites were such that they did not think at all of the internal man, nor did they wish to know anything about the same. Thus they knew absolutely nothing about the celestial and spiritual things which belong to the life after death. Nevertheless to prevent the end of all communication with heaven and so with the Lord, they were bound to the performance of external observances by which internal things were meant. All their captivities and plagues were in general to the end that external observances might be duly carried out for the sake of the representation. It was for this reason that the following laws were given:

Moses was to wash Aaron and his sons with water at the tent door, to sanctify them. Exodus 29:4; 40:12; Leviticus 8:6.

Aaron and his sons were to wash their hands and feet before entering the Tent of Meeting and approaching the Altar to minister, lest they died. This was to them a statute for ever. Exodus 30:18-21; 40:30-31.

Before putting on his vestments Aaron was to wash his flesh. Leviticus 16:4, 24.

Levites were to be purified by sprinkling the water of expiation over them, passing a razor over their flesh, and washing their clothes - then they were pure. Numbers 8:6-7.

Anyone who ate the carcass of a clean animal, 1 or that which had been torn to pieces, was to wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and if he did not wash himself and bathe his flesh he would bear his iniquity. Leviticus 17:15-16.

Anyone who touched the bed of a person who had a discharge, or sat on a vessel on which that person had sat, and anyone who touched that person's flesh was to wash his clothes and to bathe himself with water, and be unclean until the evening. Leviticus 15:5-7, 10-12 and following verses.

The person who sent the goat away to Azazel was to wash his flesh. Leviticus 16:26.

When a leper was to be cleansed he was to wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, wash himself in water, and then he would be clean. Leviticus 14:8-9.

Even vessels themselves which had become unclean through contact with unclean persons were made to go through water and be unclean until the evening. Leviticus 11:32.

From all these laws it may be seen that nobody was made clean or pure internally through ritual washing, but that such a person merely represented him who was pure or spiritually clean, for the reason stated above. The Lord teaches the same quite explicitly in Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. i.e. an animal that had not been slaughtered but had died naturally

  
/ 10837  
  

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