Genesi 47:31
To many Protestant and Evangelical Italians, the Bibles translated by Giovanni Diodati are an important part of their history. Diodati’s first Italian Bible edition was printed in 1607, and his second in 1641. He died in 1649. Throughout the 1800s two editions of Diodati’s text were printed by the British Foreign Bible Society. This is the more recent 1894 edition, translated by Claudiana.
Arcana Coelestia #5973
5973. 'And Israel said' means spiritual good now. This is clear from the representation of 'Israel' as spiritual good, as in 5801, 5803, 5806, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5832, 5833. For what spiritual good is, represented by 'Israel', and what natural good is, represented by 'Jacob', see above in 5965. Anyone unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word cannot possibly know why Jacob is called Jacob at one point and Israel at another; for within a single chapter, even within a single verse, one name may be used, then the other. This shows quite plainly that the Word has an internal sense, as it does at this point where one reads,
The spirit of Jacob their father revived, and Israel said . . .
Similar examples appear elsewhere, such as the following,
Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers. And the sons of Israel came to buy in the midst of others who came. Genesis 42:4-5.
And Israel set out. God said to Israel in visions in the night, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Behold, here I am. Genesis 46:1-2.
Jacob rose up from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father. Genesis 46:5.
All the souls of the house of Jacob as he came into Egypt were seventy. Joseph harnessed his chariot, and went up to meet Israel. And Israel said to Joseph . . . Genesis 46:26, 29-30.
Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. And Israel's days drew near when he must die. Genesis 47:27-29.
And someone told Jacob and said, Behold, your son Joseph has come to you; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on his bed. And Jacob said to Joseph... Genesis 48:2-3.
Jacob called his sons, and said, Assemble together and hear, O sons of Jacob; hear Israel your father. Genesis 49:1-2.
Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is hard. 1 I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel. Genesis 49:7.
The arms of his hands will be made strong by the hands of the powerful Jacob; from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. Genesis 49:24.
The same use of the two names also occurs frequently in the Prophets.
फुटनोट:
1. i.e. cruel
Arcana Coelestia #5804
5804. 'And a child of his old age, the youngest one' means truth that is new, springing from that good. This is clear from the representation of Benjamin, to whom 'a child, the youngest one' refers here, as truth, dealt with above in 5801, in addition to which 'child' or 'son' means truth, see 489, 491, 1147, 1623, 3373; and from the meaning of 'old age' as newness of life, dealt with in 3492, 4620, 4676. From this it is evident that 'a child of his old age, the youngest one' means truth that is new. The implications of this are as follows: A person who is being regenerated and becoming spiritual is led initially by means of truth to good; for a person does not know what spiritual good is, or what amounts to the same, what Christian good is, except through truth, that is, through teaching drawn from the Word. This is the way he is introduced into good. After that, once he has been introduced into it, he is led no longer by means of truth to good, but by means of good to truth; for at this point good not only enables him to see the truths he knew previously but also brings forth new ones he did not and could not know previously. Good holds the desire for truths within itself because it is so to speak nourished by them; indeed they make it more perfect. These truths - the new ones - are very different from the truths he knew before; for the truths he knew before possessed little life in them. But those which he receives afterwards possess life coming from good.
[2] Once a person has by means of truth arrived at good he is 'Israel', and the truth which he now receives from good, that is, from the Lord through good, is the new truth that 'Benjamin' represented all the time he was with his father. By means of this truth good in the natural bears fruit, bringing forth countless truths that hold good within them. This is the way the regeneration of the natural proceeds, becoming by its fruitfulness first of all like a tree with good fruit on it and then gradually like a garden. All this shows what is meant by new truth springing from spiritual good.
