1481. Verse 15 And Pharaoh's princes saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house.
'Pharaoh's princes saw' means the first and foremost commandments, which are 'pharaoh's princes'. 'And they praised her to Pharaoh' means that they were pleasing. 'And the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house' means that they sought to capture the mind (animus).
9412. 'And ate and drank' means being told about the good and truth of worship. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as being joined to and making good their own, dealt with in 2187, 2343, 3168, 3513 (end), 3596, 3832, 4745, 5643; and from the meaning of 'drinking' as being joined to and making truth their own, dealt with in 3089, 3168, 4017, 4018, 5709, 8562. The reason why being told about is also meant - that is to say, being told about good is meant by 'eating', and being told about truth by 'drinking' - is that spiritual food consists in every good of faith that is a source of wisdom, while spiritual drink consists in every truth of faith that is a source of intelligence, 56-58, 681, 1480, 3069, 3114, 3168, 3772, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 5487, 5576, 5579, 5582, 5588, 5655, 5915, 8562, 9003. This explains why feasts, banquets, midday meals, and suppers were instituted among the ancients, to the end that such good and truth belonging to wisdom and intelligence might bind them into fellowship with one another, 3596, 3832, 5161, 7836, 7996, 7997.
[2] It also explains why banquets, midday meals, and suppers in the Word mean instances of being bound together in faith and love, as in Matthew,
Many will come from the east and the west and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 8:11.
In Luke,
Jesus said to the disciples, You will eat and drink at My table in My kingdom. Luke 22:30.
In the same gospel,
Blessed are the servants whom the Lord comes and finds watching. Truly, I say to you that He will gird Himself and make them sit down, and He Himself will come and minister to them. Luke 12:37.
In John,
The disciples asked Jesus, saying, Master, eat. But He said to them, I have food to eat of which you do not know. John 4:31-32.
In the same gospel,
Jesus said, I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. John 6:51.
Heavenly bread is plainly meant here. Heavenly bread consists in all the good of love and faith which comes from the Lord, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976, 5915, 6118, 9323.
[3] The fact that being told about the good and truth of faith is meant by 'eating and drinking' is clear from the following places: In Luke,
Then you will begin to say, We ate in Your presence and we drank; and You taught in our streets. But He will say, I say to you, I do not know where you come from; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity. Luke 13:26-27.
'Eating and drinking in the Lord's presence' stands for giving instruction from the Word regarding forms of the good and the truths of faith. 'Teaching in the streets' stands for preaching truths from the Lord's Word, for in former times preaching took place in the streets, because truths composing the teachings of the Church are meant by 'the streets', 2336.
[4] In Isaiah,
Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money on that which is not bread, and your labour on that which does not satisfy? Pay thorough attention to Me and eat what is good, that your soul may delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear and come to Me; hear, that your soul may live. Lo, I have given Him as a witness to the peoples, a Prince and Lawgiver to the peoples. 1 Isaiah 55:1-5.
Here it is evident that 'drinking' and 'eating' mean being told things by the Lord, and that 'the waters', 'wine', 'milk', 'bread', and 'fatness' are forms of the truth and the good of faith which come from Him, for it says, 'Incline your ear, come to Me; hear, that your soul may live. Lo, I have given Him as a witness to the peoples, a Prince and a Lawgiver to the peoples'.
[5] In Ezekiel,
Behold, I am breaking the rod of bread in Jerusalem, so that they may eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and drink water by measure and with dismay, and may be in want of bread and water, and waste away on account of their iniquity. Ezekiel 4:16-17.
'Eating bread' and 'drinking water' stand for receiving instruction in forms of the good and the truths of faith, 9323. Something similar occurs in Amos,
Behold, the days are going to come, in which I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of Jehovah. Amos 8:11.
'A famine of bread' and 'a thirst for water' are a scarcity and lack of the cognitions or knowledge of goodness and truth, see 3364, 4958, 5277, 5279, 5281, 5300, 5360, 5376, 5415, 5568, 5579, 5893, 6110, 8576. All this now makes clear what the meaning is of the words which say that the disciples' eyes were opened and they recognized the Lord when the Lord broke the bread and gave it to them, Luke 24:29-31. For in the spiritual world 'breaking the bread and giving it to them' means instructing them in the good and truth of faith, by means of which the Lord is seen. It also makes clear what the meaning is of 'the bread and wine' and 'eating and drinking' in the Holy Supper, and what the meaning is of the Lord's words to the disciples, after He had instituted that Supper, that He would not drink of that fruit of the vine until the day when He would drink it new with them in the Father's kingdom, Matthew 26:26-29. The reason why 'eating and drinking' means being told about the good and truth of worship is that after they had offered sacrifices they also ate and drank from them, and sacrifices represented all worship in general, 9391.
Notes de bas de page:
1. The Latin means nations but the Hebrew means peoples, which Swedenborg has in some places where he quotes this verse.
1
Abraham was old, and well stricken in age. Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things.
2
Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please put your hand under my thigh.
3
I will make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
4
But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac."
5
The servant said to him, "What if the woman isn't willing to follow me to this land? Must I bring your son again to the land you came from?"
6
Abraham said to him, "Beware that you don't bring my son there again.
7
Yahweh, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, 'I will give this land to your seed.' He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
8
If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath. Only you shall not bring my son there again."
9
The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
10
The servant took ten camels, of his master's camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master's with him. He arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
11
He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water.
12
He said, "Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
13
Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
14
Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, 'Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,' and she will say, 'drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,'--let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."
15
It happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder.
16
The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, neither had any man known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up.
17
The servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher."
18
She said, "Drink, my lord." She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him Drink.
19
When she had done giving him drink, she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they have done drinking."
20
She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.
21
The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether Yahweh had made his journey prosperous or not.
22
It happened, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold,
23
and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?"
24
She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."
25
She said moreover to him, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."
26
The man bowed his head, and worshiped Yahweh.
27
He said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me in the way to the house of my master's relatives."
28
The young lady ran, and told her mother's house about these words.
29
Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.
30
It happened, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me," that he came to the man. Behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring.
31
He said, "Come in, you blessed of Yahweh. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."
32
The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
33
Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my message." He said, "Speak on."
34
He said, "I am Abraham's servant.
35
Yahweh has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
36
Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him.
37
My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,
38
but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.'
39
I asked my master, 'What if the woman will not follow me?'
40
He said to me, 'Yahweh, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son of my relatives, and of my father's house.
41
Then will you be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they don't give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.'
42
I came this day to the spring, and said, 'Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go--
43
behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes forth to draw, to whom I will say, "Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,"
44
and she will tell me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,"--let her be the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for my master's son.'
45
Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, 'Please let me drink.'
46
She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a Drink.' So I drank, and she also gave the camels a Drink.
47
I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands.
48
I bowed my head, and worshiped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son.
49
Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."
50
Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing proceeds from Yahweh. We can't speak to you bad or good.
51
Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as Yahweh has spoken."
52
It happened that when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to Yahweh.
53
The servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother.
54
They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master."
55
Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go."
56
He said to them, "Don't hinder me, since Yahweh has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master."
57
They said, "We will call the young lady, and ask her."
58
They called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go."
59
They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men.
60
They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them."
61
Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
62
Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the South.
63
Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.
64
Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel.
65
She said to the servant, "Who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." She took her veil, and covered herself.
66
The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
67
Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
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