Die Bibel

 

Genesis 19

Lernen

   

1 At nagsidating ang dalawang anghel sa Sodoma, nang nagtatakip silim; at si Lot ay nakaupo sa pintuang-bayan ng Sodoma: at sila'y nakita ni Lot, at nagtindig upang salubungin sila; at iniyukod ang mukha sa lupa;

2 At nagsabi, Ngayon nga mga panginoon ko, ipinamamanhik ko sa inyo na kayo'y magsiliko at magsipasok sa bahay ng inyong lingkod, at kayo'y matira sa buong magdamag, at maghugas ng inyong mga paa, at sa madaling araw ay magsipagbangon kayo at magpatuloy ng inyong paglakad. At kanilang sinabi, Hindi, kundi sa langsangan mananahan kami sa buong magdamag.

3 At kaniyang pinakapilit sila; at sila'y nagsiliko, at nagsipasok sa kaniyang bahay; at sila'y kaniyang pinaghandaan, at ipinagluto ng mga tinapay na walang levadura, at nagsikain.

4 Datapuwa't bago nagsihiga, ang bahay ay kinulong ng mga tao sa bayan sa makatuwid baga'y ng mga tao sa Sodoma, na mga binata at gayon din ng mga matanda ng buong bayan sa buong palibot;

5 At kanilang tinawagan si Lot, at sinabi sa kaniya, Saan nangaroon ang mga lalaking dumating sa iyo ng gabing ito? ilabas mo sila sa amin upang kilalanin namin sila.

6 At nilabas sila ni Lot sa pintuan, at isinara ang pinto sa likuran niya.

7 At sinabi niya, Ipinamamanhik ko sa inyo, mga kapatid ko, na huwag kayong gumawa ng ganiyang kasamaan.

8 Narito, ngayon, may dalawa akong anak na babae, na hindi nakakilala ng lalake; ipinamamanhik ko sa inyo, na sila'y aking ilalabas sa inyo, at gawin ninyo sa kanila ang magalingin ninyo sa inyong paningin: huwag lamang ninyong gawan ng anoman ang mga lalaking ito; yamang sila'y nangasa silong ng aking bubungan.

9 At sinabi nila, Umurong ka! At sinabi pa nila, Ang taong ito'y naparito upang makipamayan, at ibig niyang maging hukom: ngayon nga'y gagawan ka namin ng lalong masama kay sa kanila. At kanilang ipinagtulakan ang lalaking si Lot, at nagsilapit upang sirain ang pintuan.

10 Datapuwa't iniunat ng mga lalake ang kanilang kamay at binatak si Lot sa loob ng bahay at kanilang sinarhan ang pintuan.

11 At ang mga taong nangasa pintuan ng bahay ay mga pinagbulag nila, ang munti't malaki: ano pa't sila'y nangayamot sa paghahanap ng pintuan.

12 At sinabi ng mga lalake kay Lot, Mayroon ka pa ritong kamaganakan? Ang iyong mga manugang, at ang iyong mga anak na lalake at babae, at ang lahat ng iyong tinatangkilik sa bayan: ay ipagaalis mo sa dakong ito:

13 Sapagka't aming lilipulin ang dakong ito dahil sa napakalakas ang kanilang sigaw sa harap ng Panginoon; at kami ay sinugo ng Panginoon upang aming lipulin.

14 At si Lot ay lumabas, at pinagsabihan niya ang kaniyang mga manugang na nagasawa sa kaniyang mga anak na babae, at sinabi, Magtindig kayo, magsialis kayo sa dakong ito; sapagka't gugunawin ng Panginoon ang bayan. Datapuwa't ang akala ng kaniyang mga manugang ay nagbibiro siya.

15 At nang umumaga ay pinapagmadali ng mga anghel si Lot, na sinasabi, Magbangon ka, ipagsama mo ang iyong asawa at ang iyong dalawang anak na babae na narito, baka pati ikaw ay madamay sa parusa sa bayan.

16 Datapuwa't siya'y nagluluwat; at hinawakan ng mga lalake ang kaniyang kamay, at ang kamay ng kaniyang asawa, at ang kamay ng kaniyang dalawang anak na babae; sa habag sa kaniya ng Panginoon: at siya'y kanilang inilabas, at siya'y kanilang inilagay sa labas ng bayan.

17 At nangyari, na nang sila'y mailabas na nila, ay sinabi, Itakas mo ang iyong buhay; huwag kang lumingon o huminto man sa buong kapatagan; tumakas ka hanggang sa bundok, baka ikaw ay mamatay.

18 At sinabi sa kanila ni Lot, Huwag ganiyan, panginoon ko:

19 Narito, ngayo't ang lingkod mo ay nakasumpong ng biyaya sa iyong paningin, at pinakalaki mo ang iyong awang ipinakita sa akin sa pagliligtas ng aking buhay; at ako'y di makatatakas sa bundok, baka ako'y abutan ng sama, at ako'y mamatay.

20 Narito, ang bayang ito ay malapit takasan at maliit: Oh tulutan mong tumakas ako roon, (di ba yao'y maliit?) at mabubuhay ako.

21 At sinabi sa kaniya, Narito, sa bagay mang ito ay pinayagan din kita, na hindi ko gugunawin ang bayang iyong sinalita.

22 Magmadali ka, tumakas ka roon; sapagka't wala akong magagawa hanggang sa dumating ka roon. Kaya't ang pangalang itinawag sa bayang yaon ay Zoar.

23 Ang araw ay nakalitaw na sa lupa nang dumating si Lot sa Zoar.

24 Nang magkagayo'y nagpaulan ang Panginoon sa Sodoma at Gomorra ng azufre at apoy mula sa Panginoon na buhat sa langit;

25 At ginunaw niya ang mga bayang yaon, at ang buong Kapatagan at ang lahat ng nangananahan sa mga bayang yaon, at ang tumutubo sa lupang yaon.

26 Datapuwa't ang asawa ni Lot ay lumingon sa likuran ni Lot, at naging haliging asin.

27 At si Abraham ay sumampang maaga ng kinaumagahan sa dakong kinatayuan niya sa harap ng Panginoon.

28 At siya'y tumingin sa dakong Sodoma at Gomorra, at sa buong lupain ng Kapatagan, at tumanaw, at narito, ang usok ng lupain ay napaiilanglang na parang usok ng isang hurno.

29 At nangyari, na nang gunawin ng Dios ang mga bayan ng Kapatagan, na naalaala ng Dios si Abraham, at pinalabas si Lot, mula sa gitna ng pinaggunawan, nang gunawin ang mga bayan na kinatitirahan ni Lot.

30 At sumampa si Lot mula sa Zoar at tumira sa bundok, at ang kaniyang dalawang anak na babae na kasama niya; sapagka't siya'y natakot na tumira sa Zoar: at siya'y tumira sa isang yungib, siya at ang kaniyang dalawang anak na babae.

31 At sinabi ng panganay sa bunso: Ang ating ama ay matanda, at walang lalake sa lupa na sumiping sa atin, ayon sa ugali ng sangkalupaan:

32 Halika, painumin natin ng alak ang ating ama, at tayo'y sumiping sa kaniya; upang mapalagi natin ang binhi ng ating ama.

33 At pinainom nila ng alak ang kanilang ama ng gabing yaon: at pumasok ang panganay at sumiping sa kaniyang ama; at hindi naalaman, ng ama nang siya'y mahiga ni nang siya'y magbangon.

34 At nangyari nang kinabukasan, na sinabi ng panganay sa bunso. Narito, ako'y sumiping kagabi sa aking ama; painumin din natin ng alak sa gabing ito; at pumasok ka, at sumiping ka sa kaniya; upang mapalagi natin ang binhi ng ating ama.

35 At pinainom din nila ng alak ang kanilang ama ng gabing yaon: at nagtindig ang bunso, at sumiping sa ama; at hindi naalaman ng ama nang siya'y mahiga, ni nang siya'y magbangon.

36 Sa ganito'y kapuwa nagdalangtao ang mga anak ni Lot sa pamamagitan ng kanilang ama.

37 At nanganak ang panganay ng isang lalake, at tinawag ang kaniyang ngalang Moab: na siya ngang ama ng mga Moabita, hanggang sa araw na ito.

38 At ang bunso ay nanganak din ng isang lalake, at tinawag ang kaniyang pangalang Ben-ammi: na siya ngang ama ng mga anak ni Ammon, hanggang ngayon.

   

Aus Swedenborgs Werken

 

Apocalypse Explained #653

studieren Sie diesen Abschnitt

  
/ 1232  
  

653. Which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt.- That this signifies by means of the evils of the love of self, and falsities thence, is evident from the signification of Sodom, as denoting the love of self, and evils of every kind therefrom, of which we shall speak presently, and from the signification of Egypt, as denoting the natural man separated from the spiritual, and falsity of evil of every kind therefrom, concerning which also we shall speak presently. That Sodom and Egypt mean Jerusalem, consequently the church in which the goods of love are adulterated and the truths of doctrine falsified, is clear, for it is presently said, "where also our Lord was crucified." For the evils of the love of self, and falsities of doctrine, are what crucify the Lord, therefore He was crucified by the Jews, because they were in those evils and falsities; but of this in the following pages.

[2] Here it shall first be shewn that by Sodom, in the Word, is signified the love of self, and evil of every kind therefrom; for evils of every kind flow from the love of self. For he who loves himself only, loves his own proprium, and consequently so immerses all things of his will and understanding in his proprium, that he cannot be raised out of it to heaven and to the Lord; he therefore does not see anything from the light of heaven, but solely from the light of the world, and this light, separated from the light of heaven, is merely thick darkness in spiritual things, which are the things of heaven and the church; consequently, also, the more a man loves himself, the more he despises spiritual things, indeed, he denies them. In consequence of this, also, the internal spiritual mind, by which man is in the light of heaven, is closed, and he therefore becomes merely natural; and the merely natural man is inclined to evils of every kind. For the evils into which man is born have their seat in the natural man, and are only removed from him in proportion as his interior mind, which receives the light of heaven, is opened; man's proprium also has its seat in the natural man, and this proprium is nothing but evil.

[3] That Sodom, therefore, signifies the love of self, and thus evils of every kind, is evident from the passages in the Word where Sodom is mentioned, as in the following.

In Ezekiel:

"Thy elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters dwell at thy left hand; but thy younger sister, dwelling at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters; thou hast corrupted thyself more than they in all thy ways. Sodom thy sister hath not done, she and her daughters, as thou hast done, and thy daughters. Behold, this was the iniquity of Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and tranquillity of rest was her's and her daughters', and she strengthened not the hand of the poor and needy; whence they became haughty, and committed abomination before me" (16:46-50).

The subject there treated of is the abominations of Jerusalem, which were, chiefly their adulteration of the goods and truths of the Word and of the church. Samaria, where the Israelites were, signifies the spiritual church, in which spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour, is the essential; but Jerusalem, where the Jews were, signifies the celestial church in which celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord, is the essential. For there are two kingdoms, into which heaven and thus the church is divided, the spiritual kingdom and the celestial kingdom. Concerning these kingdoms see Heaven and Hell 20-28). These kingdoms were represented by the Israelites, whose metropolis was Samaria, and by the Jews whose metropolis was Jerusalem.

[4] Infernal evil, which is the evil of the love of the world, is the opposite of spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour; and diabolical evil, which is the evil of the love of self, is the opposite of celestial good; from the love of self flow evils of all kinds, which are far worse than those from the love of the world. See New Jerusalem 65-83). For this reason more direful and abominable things are related of Jerusalem than of Samaria, and therefore Jerusalem is not only called Sodom, but it is also recorded that she did worse things than Sodom; for it is said, "Sodom hath not done as thou hast done, and thy daughters." That the evil of the love of self was the evil of Sodom, is thus described; "This was the iniquity of Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, tranquillity of rest; and she strengthened not the hand of the poor and needy." Pride means the love of self; fulness of bread, contempt of all good and truth of heaven and the church, even to disgust with them. Tranquillity of rest means security and no anxiety on account of any evil; and not strengthening the hands of the poor and needy signifies unmercifulness. Because the love of self was the love of Sodom, therefore it is said, that her daughters became haughty, and committed abomination before Jehovah; the daughters that became haughty signify the desires of that love, and abomination before Jehovah signifies every evil against the Divine Itself.

[5] Since the Chaldeans signify the profanation and adulteration of the truth of doctrine from the Word, and the inhabitants of Babel the profanation and adulteration of the good of love, therefore their overthrow is also compared to the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah.

In Jeremiah:

"O sword, against the Chaldeans, and against the inhabitants of Babel, according to God's overthrowing of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbouring cities thereof, not a man shall dwell there nor shall the son of man tarry therein" (50:35, 40).

And in Isaiah:

"So shall Babel be, the adorning of kingdoms, the glory of the magnificence of the Chaldeans is God's overthrowing of Sodom and Gomorrah" (13:19).

Sodom signifies the evil of the love of self, and Gomorrah the falsity of that love; and because the love of self does not acknowledge any truth of the church, it is said, "not a man shall dwell there, nor shall the son of man tarry therein," man (vir) signifying intelligence, and son of man (filius hominis), the truth of the church.

[6] Because Edom signifies the natural man who is in falsities from the love of self, and consequently adulterates the goods of the church, therefore, also, her vastation is compared to the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah.

In Jeremiah:

"Edom shall be a desolation as the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, not a man shall dwell there, neither shall a son of man sojourn there" (49:17, 18).

And in Zephaniah:

"Moab shall be as Sodom, and the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, a place abandoned to the nettle, and a pit of salt, a waste for ever" (2:9).

Moab, as was said, means the natural man, who from the love of self adulterates the goods of the church, and the sons of Ammon signify those who falsify its truths; and because this is the cause of the devastation of all good and truth, therefore it is said "a place abandoned to the nettle, a pit of salt, a waste for ever," the devastation of all good being signified by a place of the nettle, and the devastation of all truth by a pit of salt. Similar things are signified by Sodom and Gomorrah.

[7] Because Judah signifies celestial love, which is love to the Lord, from which comes all good, and, in the opposite sense, diabolical love, which is the love of self, from which comes all evil, therefore the devastation of the church, which is signified by Judah and Jerusalem, is also compared to the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah.

In Isaiah:

"Jerusalem hath stumbled, and Judah is fallen; the stubbornness of their faces witnesseth against them, and their sin is as Sodom's" (3:8, 9).

And in the same:

"Hear the Word of Jehovah, ye princes of Sodom, hearken to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah" (1:10).

The Word of Jehovah means the Divine Good, and the law of God the Divine Truth, for where good is treated of the name "Jehovah" is used, and where truth is treated of the name "God" is used; and as the Divine Good to those who are in the love of self is evil, it is said "their sin is as Sodom's," also "hear the Word of Jehovah, ye princes of Sodom;" and as the Divine Truth, to those who are in the evil of the love of self, is falsity; it is said, "hearken to the law of God, ye people of Gomorrah."

[8] In Moses:

"Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and the grapes thereof are of the fields of Gomorrah, grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter" (Deuteronomy 32:32).

This is said of the dire falsities with the posterity of Jacob, flowing from the evils of the love of self. But, these words are explained above (519:7).

In Lamentations:

"They that did eat delicacies are devastated in the streets, they that were brought up in crimson have embraced dunghills; the iniquity of my people is become greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overturned as it were in a moment" (4:5, 6).

These things are said concerning those who are of the celestial kingdom and church of the Lord when changed into the opposite, for it is celestial love that is turned into the love of self, which is diabolical love; concerning those so changed the above is said. What is signified by eating delicacies, being brought up in crimson, being devastated in the streets, and embracing dunghills, was explained in the article above (652:10). It is said of their iniquity that it was greater than the sin of Sodom, because they had the Word, from which they were able to know the truths and goods of heaven and of the church, or of doctrine and of life, and had adulterated them, which the inhabitants of Sodom could not do; for he who knows the will of the Lord, and does it not, sins more than he who does not know it. All those also with whom the love of self has rule despise the holy things of heaven and of the church, and deny the Divinity of the Lord; and to confirm the evils flowing from that love, they either adulterate the Word, or reject it as a writing that is simply holy, because it has been so accepted. Those, therefore, who do these things from the love of self are compared to Sodom and Gomorrah.

[9] Those who are instructed by the Lord concerning the truths and goods of the church, and yet reject and deny them, do worse things than those of Sodom, as is evident from the words of the Lord, in Matthew, concerning Capernaum:

"Thou Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down unto hell (infernum = eos adou [transliterated Greek]), for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which have been done in thee, they would have remained until this day; I say unto thee, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, in the day of judgment, than for thee" (11:23, 24).

For the Lord after He left Nazareth dwelt in Capernaum (Matthew 4:13); and did miracles there (Matthew 8:5-14; John 4:46, to end). The Lord said similar things concerning the cities in which the disciples preached His coming or the Gospel, and were not received, in these words in Matthew:

"Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye go out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet; verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day of judgment, than for that city" (10:14, 15; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:10-13).

For no one rejects the holy things of the church, and denies the Divine of the Lord more interiorly than those who are in the love of self; those who are in the love of the world, and in the evils therefrom, may also reject the holy things of the church, but yet not so interiorly, that is, from confirmation of the heart.

[10] The prophets and the people who adulterate the truths and goods of the Word for the purpose of confirming evils and falsities, are spoken of in a similar manner in Jeremiah:

"In the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible stubbornness, in committing adultery and walking in a lie; while they have strengthened the hands of evil doers, that no man returneth from his wickedness; they are become to me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah" (23:14).

Prophets there mean those who teach the truths and goods of doctrine, and in the abstract sense, which is the genuine spiritual sense, doctrine from the Word is meant, thus also the Word as to doctrine; therefore by horrible stubbornness is signified confirmation of heart against the truths and goods of the Word. By committing adultery and walking in a lie is signified to pervert the goods and truths of the Word; by committing adultery, to pervert the goods of the Word by means of evils and falsities. A lie denotes falsity, and to walk in a lie denotes to live in falsities. The confirmation of evils and their consequent power over goods is signified by strengthening the hands of evil-doers; and persistence in evils and falsities of doctrine is signified by no man returning from his wickedness. Therefore it is said they are become as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. As Sodom signifies in evils flowing from the love of self; and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah signifies an evil life from falsities of doctrine.

[11] The evil which destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah is described by these things in Moses:

"that they wished to offer violence to the angels, and that therefore they were smitten with blindness, so that they could not find the door where the angels were; and that therefore Jehovah caused it to rain brimstone and fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and the shoot of the earth" (Genesis 19:1-28).

Their wishing to offer violence to the angels means to Divine Good and Divine Truth, for these are signified by angels; the blindness with which they were smitten, and their not being able to find the door, signifies the utter rejection and denial of the Divine and of the holy things of heaven and the church, so that they were not able to see and acknowledge any thing of heaven and of the church; this is signified by their not finding the door where the angels were. Brimstone signifies the lust (concupiscentia) of destroying the goods and truths of the church by means of falsities, and fire signifies the love of self and every evil that destroys, in this case, their destruction.

[12] That Sodom and Gomorrah mean all evils and falsities flowing forth from the love of self, has been told me from heaven; for when those who are in evils from that love perish, as was the case on the day of the Last Judgment, there appeared as it were sulphur and fire raining out of heaven; this was also seen by me. That such would take place on the day of the Last Judgment was also predicted by the Lord in Luke:

"In like manner as it was in the days of Lot, on the day when he went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all; thus will it be in the day when the Son of Man shall be revealed" (17:28-30).

[13] Since those who from the love of self confirm themselves in evils against the goods and truths of heaven and of the church by means of falsities, entirely eradicate from themselves every truth of doctrine and of the Word and the good of spiritual and celestial love, therefore a total vastation takes place with them, which is thus described in Moses:

"It shall be brimstone and salt, the whole land a burning, it shall not be sown, neither shall it spring forth, nor shall any herb come up thereon, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, of Admah and Zeboim" (Deuteronomy 29:23).

Brimstone signifies the vastation of all good by lusts (concupiscentia) from evils; salt signifies the vastation of all truth by means of falsities from those lusts; the whole land a burning signifies the devastation of the church by means of the love of self. It shall not be sown, neither spring forth, nor any herb come up thereon, signifies no receptivity at all of the truth of the church, herb signifying the truth of the church when it first springs forth. And because such is the devastation of good and truth from the love of self, therefore it is said, like the overflow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, Admah and Zeboim signifying the knowledges of evil and falsity. That such things were to take place on the day of the Last Judgment, is signified by the words "in the day when the Son of Man shall be revealed."

  
/ 1232  
  

Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.