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Genesis 18

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1 At napakita ang Panginoon sa kaniya sa mga punong encina ni Mamre, habang siya'y nakaupo sa pintuan ng tolda, ng kainitan ng araw.

2 At itiningin ang kaniyang mga mata at nagmalas, at, narito't tatlong lalake ay nakatayo sa tabi niya: at pagkakita niya sa kanila, ay tinakbo niya upang sila'y salubungin mula sa pintuan ng tolda, at yumukod siya sa lupa.

3 At nagsabi, Panginoon ko, kung ngayo'y nakasumpong ako ng biyaya sa iyong paningin, ay ipinamamanhik ko sa iyo, na huwag mong lagpasan ang iyong lingkod.

4 Itulot mong dalhan kayo rito ng kaunting tubig, at maghugas kayo ng inyong mga paa, at mangagpahinga kayo sa lilim ng kahoy.

5 At magdadala ako ng isang subong tinapay at inyong palakasin ang inyong puso; at pagkatapos ay magsisipagtuloy kayo: yamang kayo'y naparito sa inyong lingkod, At nagsipagsabi, Mangyari ang ayon sa iyong sinabi.

6 At si Abraham ay nagmadaling napasa tolda ni Sara, at sinabi, Maghanda ka agad ng tatlong takal ng mainam na harina, iyong tapayin at gawin mong mga munting tinapay.

7 At tumakbo si Abraham sa bakahan at nagdala ng isang bata at mabuting guya, at ibinigay sa alipin; at siya'y nagmadali, upang lutuin.

8 At siya'y kumuha ng mantekilla, at ng gatas, at ng guyang niluto niya, at inihain sa harapan nila; at siya'y tumayo sa siping nila sa lilim ng punong kahoy; at sila'y nagsikain.

9 At sinabi nila sa kaniya, Saan naroon si Sara na iyong asawa? At sinabi niya Narito, nasa tolda.

10 At sinabi niya, Walang salang di ako babalik sa iyo sa ganitong panahon ng taong darating; at narito't si Sara na iyong asawa ay magkakaanak ng isang lalake. At narinig ni Sara sa pintuan ng tolda, na nasa likod niya.

11 Si Abraham at si Sara nga'y matatanda na, at lipas na sa panahon; at tinigilan na si Sara ng kaugalian ng mga babae.

12 At nagtawa si Sara sa kaniyang sarili, na sinasabi, Pagkatapos na ako'y tumanda ay magtatamo ako ng kaligayahan, at matanda na rin pati ng panginoon ko?

13 At sinabi ng Panginoon kay Abraham, Bakit tumawa si Sara, na sinasabi, Tunay kayang ako'y manganganak, na matanda na ako?

14 May anomang bagay kayang napakahirap sa Panginoon? Sa tadhanang panahon ay babalik ako sa iyo, sa taong darating, at si Sara ay magkakaanak ng isang lalake.

15 Nang magkagayo'y nagkaila si Sara, na sinasabi, Hindi ako tumawa, sapagka't siya'y natakot. Nguni't sinabi niya, Hindi gayon; kundi ikaw ay tumawa.

16 At nangagtindig doon ang mga lalake, at nangagsitingin sa dakong Sodoma; at sinamahan sila ni Abraham, upang ihatid sila sa daan.

17 At sinabi ng Panginoon, Ililihim ko ba kay Abraham ang aking gagawin;

18 Dangang si Abraham ay tunay na magiging isang bansang malaki at matibay, at pagpapalain sa kaniya ang lahat ng bansa sa lupa?

19 Sapagka't siya'y aking kinilala, upang siya'y magutos sa kaniyang mga anak at sa kaniyang sangbahayan pagkamatay niya, na maingatan nila ang daan ng Panginoon, na gumawa ng kabanalan, at kahatulan; upang padatnin ng Panginoon, kay Abraham ang kaniyang ipinangako tungkol sa kaniya.

20 At sinabi ng Panginoon, Sapagka't ang sigaw ng Sodoma at Gomorra ay malakas, at sapagka't ang kasalanan nila ay napakalubha;

21 Ay bababa ako ngayon at titingnan ko kung ginawa nga ang ayon sa sigaw na dumarating hanggang sa akin; at kung hindi ay aking malalaman.

22 At ang mga lalake ay nagsilayo roon at nagsitungo sa Sodoma datapuwa't si Abraham ay nakatayo pa sa harapan ng Panginoon.

23 At lumapit si Abraham, at nagsabi, Ang mga banal ba ay iyong lilipuling kasama ng mga masama?

24 Kung sakaling may limang pung banal sa loob ng bayan: lilipulin mo ba, at di mo patatawarin ang dakong yaon, alangalang sa limang pung banal na nasa loob niyaon?

25 Malayo nawa sa iyo ang paggawa ng ganito, na ang banal ay iyong pataying kasama ng masama, anopa't ang banal ay mapara sa masama; malayo nawa ito sa iyo: di ba gagawa ng matuwid ang Hukom ng buong lupa?

26 At sinabi ng Panginoon, Kung makasumpong ako sa Sodoma ng limang pung banal sa loob ng bayan, patatawarin ko ang buong dakong yaon, alangalang sa kanila.

27 At sumagot si Abraham, at nagsabi, Narito, ngayo'y nangahas akong magsalita sa Panginoon, akong alabok at abo lamang:

28 Kung sakaling magkukulang ng lima sa limang pung banal: lilipulin mo ba, dahil sa limang kulang, ang buong bayan? At sinabi niya, Hindi ko lilipulin kung makasumpong ako roon ng apat na pu't lima.

29 At siya'y muling nagsalita pa sa kaniya, at nagsabi, Marahil ay may masusumpungang apat na pu. At sinabi niya, Hindi ko gagawin, alangalang sa apat na pu.

30 At sinabi niya, Oh huwag magalit ang Panginoon, at ako'y magsasalita: kung sakaling may masusumpungan doong tatlong pu. At sinabi niya, Hindi ko gagawin kung makakasumpong ako roon ng tatlong pu.

31 At kaniyang sinabi, Narito ngayon, ako'y nangahas na magsalita sa Panginoon: kung sakaling may masusumpungan doong dalawang pu. At sinabi niya, Hindi ko lilipulin, alangalang sa dalawang pu.

32 At sinabi niya, Oh huwag magalit ang Panginoon at magsasalita na lamang akong minsan: kung sakaling may masusumpungan doong sangpu: at sinabi niya, Hindi ko lilipulin, alangalang sa sangpu.

33 At ang Panginoon ay nagpatuloy, pagkatapos na makipagusap kay Abraham: at si Abraham ay nagbalik sa kaniyang dako.

   

Aus Swedenborgs Werken

 

Arcana Coelestia #2180

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2180. 'And took a young bull, tender and good' means a celestial-natural which the rational took to itself in order that it might join itself to perception from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'a young bull' or 'a son of an ox' in the Word as natural good. And because the subject is the Lord's Rational, it is called 'tender' from the celestial-spiritual, which is truth grounded in good, and 'good' from the celestial itself, which is good itself. Within the genuine rational there is both the affection for truth and the affection for good, but that which is first and foremost there is the affection for truth, as shown already in 2072. This explains why 'tender' is mentioned before 'good'; but even so, as is quite usual in the Word, both are mentioned on account of the marriage of truth and good which is referred to above in 2173.

[2] That 'a young bull' or 'a son of an ox' means the celestial-natural, or what amounts to the same, natural good, becomes especially clear from the sacrifices, which were the principal representatives in the worship of the Hebrew Church and after this of the Jewish Church. Their sacrifices were made either from the herd or from the flock, thus from animals of various kinds that were clean, such as oxen, young bulls, he-goats, sheep, rams, she-goats, kids, and lambs, besides doves and fledgling pigeons. All of these creatures meant the internal features of worship, that is, celestial and spiritual things, 2165, 2177, those from the herd meaning celestial-natural, those from the flock celestial-rational. Because both of these - natural things and rational things - are more and more interior and are various, so many genera and so many species of these creatures were therefore employed in sacrifices. This fact becomes clear also from its being laid down as to which creatures were to be offered in burnt offerings and also which in every kind of sacrifice - the daily sacrifices; those offered on sabbaths and at festivals; those made as free-will, eucharistic, or votive offerings; and those offered in purifications, cleansings, and also in inaugurations. Which creatures were to be used, and how many, in each kind of sacrifice is mentioned explicitly. This would never have been done unless each one had had some specific meaning, as is quite evident from those places where the sacrifices are the subject, as in Chapter 29 of Exodus; Chapters 1, 3, 4, 9, 16, and 23 of Leviticus; and Chapters 7, 8, 15, and 29 of Numbers. But this is not the place to explain what each one meant. The situation is similar in the Prophets where those animals are mentioned, from which it may become clear that young bulls meant celestial-natural things.

[3] That none but heavenly things were meant becomes clear also from the cherubim seen by Ezekiel and from the living creatures before the throne which were seen by John. Regarding the cherubim the prophet says,

The likeness of their faces was the face of a man (homo); and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; and they four had the face of an eagle. Ezekiel 1:10.

Regarding the four living creatures before the throne John says,

Around the throne were four living creatures - the first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a young bull, the third living creature had a face like a man (homo), the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle - saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come. Revelation 4:7-8.

Anyone may see that holy things were represented by the cherubim and these living creatures, thus also by the oxen and young bulls in the sacrifices. The same applies in the prophecy of Moses concerning Joseph,

Let it come upon the head of Joseph and upon the crown of the head of the Nazirite among his brothers. The firstborn of his ox has honour, and his horns are the horns of a unicorn; with these he will thrust the peoples together, to the ends of the earth. Deuteronomy 33:16-17.

These words are not intelligible to anyone unless he knows what ox, unicorn, horns, and many other things mean in the internal sense.

[4] As for sacrifices in general they were indeed commanded to the Israelites through Moses. But the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood never knew anything at all about sacrifices, nor did it ever enter their minds to worship the Lord by the slaughtering of animals. The Ancient Church which existed after the Flood knew nothing about it either. Representatives did indeed exist there, but not sacrifices. These were first introduced in the subsequent Church called the Hebrew Church, and from there they spread to the gentile nations, and even to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and so to Jacob's descendants. The fact that the gentile nations had sacrificial worship has been shown in 1343, and the fact that Jacob's descendants also had such worship before they left Egypt, thus before sacrifices were commanded through Moses on Mount Sinai, becomes clear from Exodus 5:3; 10:25, 27; 18:12; 24:4-5.

[5] This is especially clear from their idolatrous worship in front of the golden calf, regarding which the following is said in Moses,

Aaron built an altar in front of the calf, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, Tomorrow there will be a feast to Jehovah. And they rose up early the next morning and presented burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Exodus 32:5-6.

This happened while Moses was on Mount Sinai, and so before the command came to them regarding the altar and the sacrifices. That command came to them for the reason that sacrificial worship among them had been turned, as it had among the gentiles, into idolatrous worship, from which they could not be drawn away because they looked upon it as-the chief holy thing. Once something has been implanted in people from their earliest years as being holy, the more so if received from their fathers, and thus is inrooted, the Lord in no way breaks it - provided it is not contrary to order itself - but bends it. This was the reason for its being laid down that the sacrificial system should be established, such as one reads in the books of Moses.

[6] The fact that sacrifices were by no means acceptable to Jehovah, and so were merely permitted and tolerated for the reason just stated, is quite evident in the Prophets. Concerning them the following is said in Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah Zebaoth, the God of Israel, Add your burnt offerings on to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. I did not speak with your fathers and I did not command them on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt on the matters of burnt offering and sacrifice. But this matter I commanded them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God. Jeremiah 7:21-23.

In David,

O Jehovah, sacrifice and offering You have not desired; burnt offering and sin-sacrifices You have not sought. I have delighted to do Your will, O my God. Psalms 40:6, 8.

In the same author,

You do not delight in sacrifice that I should give it; burnt offering You do not accept. The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit. Psalms 51:16-17.

In the same author,

I will not take any young bull from your house, nor he-goats from your folds. Sacrifice to God confession. Psalms 50:9, 14; 107:21-22; 116:17; Deuteronomy 23:18.

In Hosea,

I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6.

Samuel said to Saul,

Has Jehovah great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices? Behold, to be submissive is better than sacrifice, to be obedient than the fat of rams. - 1 Samuel 15:22.

In Micah,

With what shall I come before Jehovah and bow myself to God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil? He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does Jehovah require of you but to carry out judgement, and to love mercy, and to humble yourself by walking with your God? Micah 6:6-8.

[7] From these quotations it is now evident that sacrifices were not commanded but permitted, and also that in sacrifices nothing else was regarded except that which was internal, and that it was that which was internal that was pleasing, not that which was external. For this reason also the Lord abolished them, as was also foretold through Daniel in the following words when he was speaking about the Lord's Coming,

In the middle of the week He will cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. Daniel 9:27.

See what has been stated about sacrifices in Volume One, in 922, 923, 1128, 1823. As for 'the young bull' which Abraham made ready or prepared for the three men, the meaning is similar to that of the same animals when used in sacrifices. That it had a similar meaning becomes clear also from the fact that he told Sarah to take three measures of fine flour. Regarding the fine flour that went with the offering of a young bull the following is said in Moses - referring to when they were to come into the land,

When you make ready a young bull for a burnt offering or a sacrifice in the declaring of a vow, or for peace offerings to Jehovah, you shall bring with the young bull a minchah of three tenths of fine flour mixed with oil. Numbers 15:8-9.

Here similarly the number 'three' appears, though three 'tenths' here but three 'measures' in Abraham's instruction to Sarah. But only two tenths went with the offering of a ram, one tenth with that of a lamb, Numbers 15:4-6.

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