Bible

 

Genesis 40

Studie

   

1 It happened after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt.

2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.

3 He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he took care of them. They stayed in prison many days.

5 They both dreamed a dream, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.

6 Joseph came in to them in the morning, and saw them, and saw that they were sad.

7 He asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, saying, "Why do you look so sad today?"

8 They said to him, "We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it." Joseph said to them, "Don't interpretations belong to God? Please tell it to me."

9 The chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, a vine was in front of me,

10 and in the vine were three branches. It was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes.

11 Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand."

12 Joseph said to him, "This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days.

13 Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head, and restore you to your office. You will give Pharaoh's cup into his hand, the way you did when you were his cupbearer.

14 But remember me when it will be well with you, and please show kindness to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.

15 For indeed, I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon."

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, "I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head.

17 In the uppermost basket there was all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head."

18 Joseph answered, "This is its interpretation. The three baskets are three days.

19 Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from off you."

20 It happened the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.

21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand;

22 but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

23 Yet the chief cupbearer didn't remember Joseph, but forgot him.

   

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 5164

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

5164. 'in the midst of his servants' means which were among the things present in the exterior natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'in the midst' as among those things; and from the meaning of 'servants' as the things within the exterior natural, dealt with just above in 5161. In the Word all things that occupy a lower position and are therefore subordinate and subject to higher ones are called 'servants'. This is so in the case of things present in the exterior natural - that is, the sensory impressions there - when considered in relation to the interior natural. The things present in this interior natural, when considered in relation to the rational, are also referred to as 'servants'. Consequently every single thing present in a person, inmost ones no less than outermost, are called such when considered in relation to the Divine, since the Divine is the highest of all.

[2] The servants here in whose midst Pharaoh the king passed judgement on the cupbearer and the baker were chief courtiers and nobles. The reason why these, like other subjects belonging to any other rank of society, are called servants when considered in relation to the king is that, as is the case in any kingdom even today, kingship represents the Lord as regards Divine Truth, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4581, 4966, 5068. Considered in relation to Him all are equally servants, no matter what rank of society they belong to. Indeed in the Lord's kingdom, that is, in heaven, those who are the greatest there, that is, who are the inmost ones, are pre-eminently servants because their obedience is the greatest of all, and their humility is greater than that of any others. These are the ones who are meant by the least who will be the greatest, and the last who will be the first,

The first will be last, and the last will be first. Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30.

He who presents himself as least among you will be great. Luke 9:48.

They are also meant by the great who are ministers, and by the first who are servants,

Whoever would be great among you must be your minister; and anyone who would be first among you must be the servant of all. Mark 10:44; Matthew 20:26-27.

[3] They are called 'servants' in relation to the Divine Truth which originates in the Lord and 'ministers' in relation to the Divine Good which originates in Him. The reason 'the last who are the first' are servants, and more so than any others, is that they know, acknowledge, and perceive that the whole of their life, and therefore the whole of the power which they possess, originates in the Lord, and none at all in themselves; and those who do not perceive this because their acknowledgement of it is not so great are 'servants' too, though more because that acknowledgement is one that is on their lips rather than in their hearts. Those however whose attitude is completely the reverse also call themselves servants in relation to the Divine; yet their real wish is to be masters. For they are annoyed and angry if the Divine does not show them favour or so to speak does not obey them, and at length they set themselves against the Divine, when they take away all power from Him and attribute everything to themselves. Very many like these exist within the Church; they do not accept the Lord, though they do say that they acknowledge a supreme being.

  
/ 10837  
  

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