Here are some excerpts from Swedenborg's "Arcana Coelestia" that help explain the inner meaning of this chapter:

AC 1890. The subject treated of in this chapter is the Lord’s first rational, which was conceived by the influx of the internal man into the affection of memory-knowledges (scientiae) of the external. The internal man is "Abram;" the affection of memory-knowledges in the external is "Hagar the Egyptian handmaid;" the rational thence derived is "Ishmael." The nature of this rational is here described; and it is afterwards said (chapter 21); that it was expelled from the house, after the Lord‘s Divine rational, represented by Isaac, had been born.

AC 1891. The Lord’s first rational was conceived according to order by the influx or conjunction of the internal man with the life of the affection of memory-knowledges belonging to the external (verses 1 to 3). But as this affection was of the external man, its nature was such that it held intellectual truth in low esteem (verse 4). On which account the Lord thought concerning the subjugation of it (verses 5 to 9), and that when subjugated, it would become spiritual and celestial (verses 10, 11). What it would be if not subjugated, is described (verse 12); the Lord‘s insight into the cause from His interior man (verses 13, 14). The rational is thus described in respect to its quality; also the Lord’s state when it originated (verses 15, 16).

1778. Genesis 15

1. After these events ¹ the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am a shield to you, your exceedingly great reward.

2. And Abram said, O Lord Jehovih, what will You give me, seeing that I go childless, ² and the steward of my house is this Damascene, Eliezer?

3. And Abram said, See, to me you have not given seed, and behold, a son of my house is my heir.

4. And behold, the word of Jehovah came to him, saying, This man will not be your heir, but he who comes out of your own loins will be your heir.

5. And He brought him outside and said, Look, now, towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to him, So will your seed be.

6. And he believed in Jehovah, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

7. And He said to him, I am Jehovah, who brought you forth out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit.

8. And he said, O Lord Jehovih, by what shall I know that I shall inherit it?

9. And He said to him, Take for Me ³ a three year old heifer, and a three year old she-goat, and a three year old ram, a turtle dove and a fledgling.

10. And he took for himself all these, and parted each of them down the middle and laid each part opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut apart.

11. And birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

12. And as the sun was going down a deep sleep came over Abram, and, behold, a dread of a great darkness was coming over him.

13. And He said to Abram, Know for sure that your seed will be strangers in a land not theirs. And they will serve them, ⁴ and these will afflict them for four hundred years.

14. And also the nation which they are going to serve will I judge; and afterwards they will go out with great acquisitions.

15. And you will come to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age.

16. And in the fourth generation they will return from here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet come to a close.

17. And the sun went down and there was thick darkness; and behold, a smoking furnace and a flaming torch which passed between those pieces.

18. On that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, To your seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river, the river Phrath. ⁵

19. The Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,

20. And the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,

21. And the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.

CONTENTS

Continued here in the internal sense are matters concerning the Lord after He had undergone in childhood the very severe conflicts brought about by temptations - conflicts directed against the love He cherished towards the entire human race, and in particular towards the Church. As He was therefore anxious about the future state of these, a promise was made to Him. But at the same time He was shown what the state of the Church was to become in its final days, when it was beginning to breathe its last, but nevertheless that a new Church would gather strength to take the place of the previous one; and the heavenly kingdom would be vastly increased.

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