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Génesis 41

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1 Y aconteció que pasados dos años tuvo el Faraón un sueño: Y he aquí que estaba sobre el río;

2 y que del río subían siete vacas, hermosas a la vista, y muy gordas, que pacían en el prado.

3 Y he aquí otras siete vacas subían tras ellas del río, de fea vista, y enjutas de carne, y se pararon cerca de las vacas hermosas a la orilla del río.

4 Y que las vacas de fea vista y enjutas de carne tragaban a las siete vacas hermosas y muy gordas. Y despertó el Faraón.

5 Se durmió de nuevo, y soñó la segunda vez: He aquí, siete espigas llenas y hermosas subían de una sola caña.

6 Y he aquí otras siete espigas menudas y abatidas del solano, salían después de ellas.

7 Y las siete espigas menudas tragaban a las siete espigas gruesas y llenas. Y despertó el Faraón, y le pareció que era sueño.

8 Y acaeció que a la mañana su espíritu se atormentó; y envió e hizo llamar a todos los magos de Egipto, y a todos sus sabios: y les contó el Faraón sus sueños, mas no había quién los declarase al Faraón.

9 Entonces el príncipe de los maestresalas habló al Faraón, diciendo: De mis pecados me acuerdo hoy:

10 El Faraón se enojó contra sus siervos, y a mí me echó en la cárcel de la casa del capitán de los de la guardia, a mí y al príncipe de los panaderos.

11 Y yo y él soñamos sueño una misma noche: cada uno soñó conforme a la declaración de su sueño.

12 Y estaba allí con nosotros un joven hebreo, siervo del capitán de los de la guardia; y se lo contamos, y él nos declaró nuestros sueños, y declaró a cada uno conforme a su sueño.

13 Y aconteció que como él nos declaró, así fue: a mí me hizo volver a mi asiento, e hizo colgar al otro.

14 Entonces el Faraón envió y llamó a José; y le hicieron salir corriendo de la cárcel, y le cortaron el pelo, y mudaron sus vestidos, y vino al Faraón.

15 Y dijo el Faraón a José: Yo he soñado un sueño, y no hay quién lo declare; mas he oído decir de ti, que oyes sueños para declararlos.

16 Y respondió José al Faraón, diciendo: No está en mí; Dios será el que responda paz al Faraón.

17 Entonces el Faraón dijo a José: En mi sueño, he aquí, que estaba a la orilla del río;

18 y que del río subían siete vacas gruesas de carne y hermosas de forma, que pacían en el prado.

19 Y que otras siete vacas subían después de ellas, flacas y de muy feo aspecto; tan extenuadas, que no he visto otras semejantes en toda la tierra de Egipto en fealdad.

20 Y las vacas flacas y feas tragaban a las siete primeras vacas gruesas;

21 y entraban en sus entrañas, mas no se conocía que hubiesen entrado en ellas, porque su parecer era aún malo, como de primero. Y yo desperté.

22 Vi también soñando, y he aquí siete espigas subían en una misma caña llenas y hermosas;

23 y que otras siete espigas menudas, marchitas, abatidas del solano, subían después de ellas.

24 Y las espigas menudas tragaban a las siete espigas hermosas; y lo he dicho a los magos, mas no hay quién me lo declare.

25 Entonces respondió José al Faraón: El sueño del Faraón es uno mismo: Dios ha mostrado al Faraón lo que él hace.

26 Las siete vacas hermosas siete años son; y las espigas hermosas son siete años: el sueño es uno mismo.

27 También las siete vacas flacas y feas que subían tras ellas, son siete años; y las siete espigas menudas y marchitas del solano, siete años serán de hambre.

28 Esto es lo que respondo al Faraón. Lo que Dios hace, lo ha mostrado al Faraón.

29 He aquí vienen siete años de gran abundancia en toda la tierra de Egipto.

30 Y se levantarán tras ellos siete años de hambre; y toda la abundancia será olvidada en la tierra de Egipto; y el hambre consumirá la tierra;

31 y aquella abundancia no se echará de ver a causa del hambre siguiente, la cual será gravísima.

32 Y el suceder el sueño al Faraón dos veces, significa que la cosa es firme de parte de Dios, y que Dios se apresura a hacerla.

33 Por tanto, provéase ahora el Faraón de un varón prudente y sabio, y póngalo sobre la tierra de Egipto.

34 Haga esto el Faraón, y ponga gobernadores sobre la provincia, y quinte la tierra de Egipto en los siete años de la abundancia;

35 y junten toda la provisión de estos buenos años que vienen, y alleguen el trigo bajo la mano del Faraón para mantenimiento de las ciudades; y guárdenlo.

36 Y esté aquella provisión en depósito para la tierra, para los siete años del hambre que serán en la tierra de Egipto; y la tierra no perecerá de hambre.

37 Y el negocio pareció bien a Faraón, y a sus siervos.

38 Y dijo el Faraón a sus siervos: ¿Hemos de hallar otro hombre como éste, en quien haya Espíritu de Dios?

39 Y dijo el Faraón a José: Pues que Dios te ha hecho saber todo esto, no hay entendido ni sabio como tú.

40 Tú serás sobre mi casa, y por tu dicho se gobernará todo mi pueblo; solamente en el trono seré yo mayor que tú.

41 Dijo más el Faraón a José: He aquí yo te he puesto sobre toda la tierra de Egipto.

42 Entonces el Faraón quitó su anillo de su mano, y lo puso en la mano de José, y lo hizo vestir de ropas de lino finísimo , y puso un collar de oro en su cuello;

43 y lo hizo subir en su segundo carro, y pregonaron delante de él: Abrech Padre tierno-a este honre como a padre carísimo ; y lo puso sobre toda la tierra de Egipto.

44 Y dijo el Faraón a José: Yo soy el Faraón; y sin ti ninguno alzará su mano ni su pie en toda la tierra de Egipto.

45 Y llamó el Faraón el nombre de José, Zafnat-panea; y le dio por mujer a Asenat, hija de Potifera, sacerdote de On. Y salió José por toda la tierra de Egipto.

46 Y era José de edad de treinta años cuando fue presentado delante del Faraón, rey de Egipto: y salió José de delante del Faraón, y pasó por toda la tierra de Egipto.

47 E hizo la tierra en aquellos siete años de abundancia a montones.

48 Y él juntó todo el mantenimiento de los siete años que fueron en la tierra de Egipto, y guardó mantenimiento en las ciudades, poniendo en cada ciudad el mantenimiento del campo de sus alrededores.

49 Y acopió José trigo como arena del mar, mucho en extremo, hasta no poderse contar, porque no tenía número.

50 Y nacieron a José dos hijos antes que viniese el primer año del hambre, los cuales le dio a luz Asenat, hija de Potifera, príncipe de On.

51 Y llamó José el nombre del primogénito Manasés; porque Dios (dijo) me hizo olvidar de todo mi trabajo, y de toda la casa de mi padre.

52 Y el nombre del segundo lo llamó Efraín; porque Dios (dijo) me hizo crecer en la tierra de mi aflicción.

53 Y se cumplieron los siete años de la abundancia, que hubo en la tierra de Egipto.

54 Y comenzaron a venir los siete años del hambre, como José había dicho; y hubo hambre en todas las provincias, mas en toda la tierra de Egipto había pan.

55 Y hubo hambre en toda la tierra de Egipto, y el pueblo clamó al Faraón por pan. Y dijo el Faraón a todo los egipcios: Id a José, y haced lo que él os dijere.

56 Y había hambre por toda la faz de la tierra. Entonces abrió José todo granero donde había, y vendía a los egipcios; porque el hambre había crecido en la tierra de Egipto.

57 Y toda la tierra venía a Egipto para comprar de José, porque por toda la tierra había crecido el hambre.

   

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Apocalypse Explained # 440

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440. Of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand sealed, signifies the goods of life therefrom. This is evident from the representation and consequent signification of "the tribe of Manasseh," as meaning the voluntary [principle] of the church, and the good of life therefrom. It means the good of life because the good of life makes one with the voluntary of the church or of the man of the church, since that which a man wills he does when he can, for doing is nothing but the will acting, as can be seen from the fact that doing stops when the will stops, and doing goes on as long as there is a will; that which the will of a regenerated man does is called the good of life. For this reason, as the voluntary of the church is signified by "Manasseh" and his tribe, so the good of life is also signified. Moreover, the good of life is the outcome of charity towards the neighbor after regeneration, which is signified by "Asher and Naphtali," like an effect from its cause; for they who are in charity towards the neighbor are regenerated by the Lord, and those who are regenerated are in the good of life, since they act from charity, and all action from charity is good of life.

[2] There are two things that constitute the church, namely, the truth of doctrine and the good of life; both of these must be in a man that he may be a man of the church. "Ephraim and Manasseh" represented and thence signify in the Word these two, "Ephraim" the truth of doctrine, and "Manasseh" the good of life. The truth of doctrine is also called the intellectual of the church, and the good of life is called its voluntary; for truth is of the understanding, and good is of the will; for this reason also "Ephraim and Manasseh" signify the intellectual and the voluntary of the church, "Ephraim" its intellectual, and "Manasseh" its voluntary. That these might be represented and thence signified by "Ephraim and Manasseh" they were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt; for "Joseph" signifies the celestial-spiritual, or the spiritual kingdom itself that is adjoined to the celestial kingdom, and "the land of Egypt" signifies the natural; consequently "Manasseh" signifies the good of the will in the natural born of the celestial-spiritual, and "Ephraim" signifies truth of the understanding in the natural, also born from the same. The nativity of these is thus described in Moses:

And unto Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath the daughter of Potiphera priest of On bare unto him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, For God hath made me forget all my toil and all my father's house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim, For God hath made me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction (Genesis 41:50-52).

The meaning of these words in the spiritual sense can be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 5347-5356), namely, that the name of the firstborn, "Manasseh," means the new voluntary in the natural and what is its quality; and the name of the second, "Ephraim," means the new intellectual in the natural, and what is its quality; or what is the same, "Manasseh" means the good of the new natural man, and "Ephraim" its truth (See n. 5351, 5354).

[3] That this is the signification of "Manasseh and Ephraim" can be seen from the fact that they were adopted by Jacob as "Reuben and Simeon," which is thus described in Moses:

And Jacob said unto Joseph, Now thy two sons, born unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came unto thee into Egypt, they are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine. They shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance (Genesis 48:3, 5, 6).

As "Reuben" signifies truth in the understanding, which is the truth of doctrine, and "Simeon" truth in the will, which is the good of life, therefore Jacob says that "Ephraim and Manasseh should be to him as Reuben and Simeon;" consequently "Ephraim" signifies intellectual truth, and "Manasseh" voluntary good. (But this may be seen more fully explained in Arcana Coelestia 6234-6241.)

[4] The same can be seen from the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh by Jacob, then Israel, as follows:

Israel blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me from then unto this day, the Angel that hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them shall my name be called, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth (Genesis 48:15-16).

That here, too, "Ephraim" means intellectual truth, and "Manasseh" voluntary good, both in the natural, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 6274-6285). And again, in the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh by Moses, as follows:

Respecting Joseph, In the firstborn of his ox he hath honor, and his horns are the horns of a unicorn; with them he shall push the peoples together to the ends of the earth; and these are the myriads of Ephraim and these the thousands of Manasseh (Deuteronomy 33:17).

This may be seen explained above (n. 336[4]).

That "Ephraim" signifies the understanding of truth, and "Manasseh" the will of good, both in the natural, can be seen also from the following passages. In Isaiah:

In the fury of Jehovah of Hosts is the land darkened, and the people are become as fuel of the fire; a man shall not pity his brother; and if he shall cut down on the right hand he shall still be hungry, and if he shall eat on the left hand they shall not be satisfied; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm, Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, they together against Judah 1 (Isaiah 9:19-21).

"Manasseh shall eat Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh," here signifies that every good and truth of the church is to perish, the good through falsity, and the truth through evil, as may be seen above (n. 386, where the particulars are explained).

[5] In David:

Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine, and Ephraim is the strength of My head; Judah is My lawgiver (Psalms 60:7; 108:8).

"Manasseh" here signifies the good of the church, "Ephraim" its truth, and "Gilead" the natural; and since truth from good in the natural has Divine power it is said, "Ephraim is the strength of My head." Divine power is through truth from good in the natural, because the natural is the ultimate into which things interior flow, which are spiritual and celestial, and where they are together and subsist; consequently where they are in fullness, and in this and from this is all Divine operation. For this reason the sense of the letter of the Word, because it is natural, has in it Divine power (respecting which see above, n. 346, and Arcana Coelestia 9836); from this it can be seen why Ephraim is said to be "the strength of Jehovah's head;" Judah is said to be "His lawgiver" because "Judah" signifies internal Divine truth, or the Word in the spiritual sense, and "lawgiver" and "law" have a similar signification.

[6] In the same:

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that sittest upon the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh stir up Thy might and come for salvation to us (Psalms 80:1, 2).

From the spiritual sense it is clear that these words contain a supplication to the Lord to instruct those who are of the church, and to lead them by truths to good, thus to heaven. The Lord is called "the Shepherd of Israel" because He instructs and leads; it is therefore said, "Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock," "Joseph" meaning those of the church who are in truths from good; "Thou that sittest upon the cherubim" signifies the Lord above the heavens, whence He sends forth the light that illustrates minds, therefore it is said "shine forth." That the light of truth may penetrate even to those who are in natural truth and good, thus to the lowest in the church, is signified by "before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh stir up Thy might;" "Ephraim" meaning those who are in natural truth; natural truth is such truth as the truth of the Word is in the sense of the letter; "Manasseh" means those who are in natural good, which is the delight of doing good and learning truth; "Benjamin" means the conjunctive of truth and good, or the conjoining medium in the natural; "to stir up might" means the penetration of light even to that; "come for salvation to us" means that such may be saved.

[7] Because all the good that the natural man has flows in from the Lord through the spiritual, and without that influx there can be no good in the natural, and because "Manasseh" represented and thus signified good in the natural man from a spiritual origin, therefore to that tribe an inheritance was given both beyond or without Jordan and on this side or within Jordan, that is, to half the tribe beyond or without Jordan, and to the other half on this side or within Jordan (See Numbers 32:33, 39, 40; Deuteronomy 3:13; Joshua 13:29-31; 17:5-13, 16-18). The land beyond or without Jordan represented and signified the external church, which is with men in the natural man; but the land on this side or within Jordan represented and signified the internal church, which is with men in the spiritual man (on which see above, n. 434. Again, it is good that constitutes the church, and this good flows in immediately out of the spiritual man into the natural, and without this influx the church is not with man; and this is the reason that to the tribe of Manasseh, by which the good of the church was signified, was given an inheritance both within and without Jordan. That spiritual good flows into natural good immediately, but into natural truth mediately, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 3314, 3573, 3576, 3616, 3969, 3995, 4563); thus that there is a parallelism between spiritual good and natural good, but not between spiritual truth and natural truth (n. 1831, 1832, 3514, 3564). That "Manasseh" signifies the good of the church, or the good of life, which is the same as the good of the will, can be seen from the representation and consequent signification of "Ephraim," as being the truth of the church, or the truth of doctrine, which is the same as the truth of the understanding; for these were brethren, and good and truth are called brethren in the Word. (That "Ephraim" signifies the truth of doctrine, and thus the intellectual of the church, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 5354, where many passages from the Word in which Ephraim is mentioned are cited and explained; see also n. 3969, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267, 6296.)

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. The photolithograph has "Jehovah;" we find the Hebrew "Judah" in AC 5354.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.