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Postanak 16

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1 Abramova žena Saraja nije mu rađala djece. A imaše ona sluškinju Egipćanku - zvala se Hagara.

2 I reče Saraja Abramu: "Vidiš, Jahve me učinio nerotkinjom. Hajde k mojoj sluškinji, možda ću imati djece." Abram posluša riječ Sarajinu.

3 Tako, pošto je Abram proboravio deset godina u zemlji kanaanskoj, njegova žena Saraja uzme Hagaru, Egipćanku, sluškinju svoju, pa je dade svome mužu Abramu za ženu.

4 Uđe on k Hagari te ona zače. A kad je vidjela da je začela, s prezirom je gledala na svoju gospodaricu.

5 Tada reče Saraja Abramu: "Nepravda što se meni nanosi tvoja je krivnja! Prepustila sam svoju sluškinju tvome zagrljaju, ali otkako opazi da je zanijela, s prezirom na me gleda. Jahve sudio i meni i tebi!"

6 Nato Abram odvrati Saraji: "Tvoja je sluškinja u tvojoj ruci: kako ti se čini da je dobro, tako prema njoj postupi!" Saraja postupi prema njoj tako loše da ona od nje pobježe.

7 Anđeo Jahvin nađe je kod izvora u pustinji - uz vrelo što je na putu prema Šuru -

8 pa je zapita: "Hagaro, sluškinjo Sarajina, odakle dolaziš i kamo ideš?" "Bježim, evo, od svoje gospodarice Saraje", odgovori ona.

9 Nato joj anđeo Jahvin reče: "Vrati se svojoj gospodarici i pokori joj se!"

10 Još joj reče anđeo Jahvin: "Tvoje ću potomstvo silno umnožiti; od mnoštva se neće moći ni prebrojiti."

11 Dalje joj je anđeo Jahvin rekao: "Gle, zanijela si i rodit ćeš sina. Nadjeni mu ime Jišmael, jer Jahve ču jad tvoj.

12 On će biti kao divlje magare: ruka će se njegova dizati na svakoga i svačija ruka na njega; i pred licem sve mu braće on će stan sebi podići."

13 A Jahvu koji joj govoraše nazva: "Ti si El Roi - Svevid Bog", jer - reče ona - "vidjeh Boga i nakon viđenja - još živim!"

14 Stoga se taj zdenac zove Beer Lahaj Roi - Zdenac životvornog Svevida, a eno ga između Kadeša i Bereda.

15 Rodi Hagara Abramu sina, a Abram sinu što mu ga Rodi Hagara nadjene ime Jišmael.

16 Abramu je bilo osamdeset i šest godina kad mu je Hagara rodila Jišmaela.

   

Aus Swedenborgs Werken

 

Arcana Coelestia #1936

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1936. 'Return to your mistress' means that the reply indicated the first rational ought not to place trust in itself but in interior truth and the affection for it. This is clear from the meaning of 'mistress' as the affection for interior truth. As for the specific meanings of 'Sarai', 'wife Sarai', and 'mistress Sarai', these cannot be described as no ideas exist to make them intelligible. They are things that lie, as stated already, beyond the understanding even of angels. Here a mere intimation is given of the manner in which the Lord thought regarding the appearances which held the attention of His first rational - namely that no trust ought to be placed in such appearances but in Divine truths themselves, no matter how hard to believe these truths might appear to be to that rational. This is so with all Divine truths; that is, if the rational is consulted regarding those truths they cannot possibly be believed, for they transcend its whole range of understanding. Take for example the truth that no man, spirit, or angel, only the Lord, lives of himself, and that the life a man, spirit, or angel has is but an outward appearance of life with him. To the rational, which judges from illusions, this is repugnant; nevertheless it ought to be believed because it is the truth.

[2] It is a Divine truth that in the Word every expression, which to man seems to be utterly simple and unwrought, possesses an incalculable number of facets, more in fact than the whole of heaven. And the arcana contained there can be displayed by the Lord to angels in unending variety continuing for ever. To the rational this is so hard to believe that it is never willing to give any credence to it. Nevertheless it is the truth.

[3] It is a Divine truth that nobody is ever rewarded in the next life for good deeds if he has set merit by them, and if he has done them for the sake of his own gain, position, and reputation. Nor is anyone ever punished for bad deeds if he has acted with a truly good end in view; for in the next life it is the ends that are regarded, and deeds in the light of those ends. This too the rational is not able to believe, but because this which it does not believe is the truth, no trust should be placed in a rational which does not base its conclusions on internal things but on external.

[4] It is a Divine truth that the one who seeks the least joy in the next life receives the greatest from the Lord, and the one who seeks the greatest has the least; also that within heavenly joy there is never any element of being pre-eminent over another, for insofar as such pre-eminence occurs hell is present; also that within heavenly glory there is not the least trace of worldly glory. These considerations too are repugnant to the rational; but they ought nevertheless to be believed because they are true.

[5] It is also a Divine truth that the more someone believes that none of his wisdom originates in himself the wiser he is, and the more he believes it does originate there, and so attributes sound judgement to himself, the more stupid he is. This too the rational denies, for it supposes that what does not originate in itself is nothing. Countless Divine truths exist such as these few given as examples, which show that no trust should be placed in the rational, since the rational is immersed in illusions and appearances. It therefore rejects truths when these are stripped of illusions and appearances, all the more rejecting them the more that self-love and its desires are present, as well as reasonings, and false assumptions regarding faith. See also the examples presented above in 1911.

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