Bibliorum

 

創世記 15

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1 這事以耶和華異象中有亞伯蘭說:亞伯蘭,你不要懼!我是你的盾牌,必大大的賞賜你。

2 亞伯蘭耶和華阿,我既無子,你還賜我甚麼呢?並且要承受我家業的是大馬色人以利以謝。

3 亞伯蘭:你沒有兒子;那生在我家中的人就是我的後嗣。

4 耶和華又有對他:這人必不成為你的後嗣;你本身所生的才成為你的後嗣。

5 於是領他走到外邊,:你向觀看,算眾,能得過來麼?又對他:你的後裔將要如此。

6 亞伯蘭信耶和華耶和華就以此為他的

7 耶和華又對他:我是耶和華,曾領你出了迦勒底的吾珥,為要將這賜你為業。

8 亞伯蘭耶和華阿,我怎能知道必得這地為業呢?

9 :你為我取一隻年的母,一隻年的母山羊,一隻年的公綿,一隻斑鳩,一隻雛鴿。

10 亞伯蘭就取了這些來,每樣劈開,分成兩半,一半對著一半地擺列,只有沒有劈開。

11 有鷙鳥來,落在那死畜的肉上,亞伯蘭就把他嚇飛了。

12 日頭正落的時候,亞伯蘭沉沉地睡了;忽然有驚人的黑暗落在他身上。

13 耶和華對亞伯蘭:你要的確知道,你的後裔必寄居別人的,又服事那的人;那的人要苦待他們年。

14 並且他們所要服事的那國,我要懲罰,來他們必帶著許多財物從那裡出來。

15 但你要享大壽數,平平安安地歸到你列祖那裡,被人埋葬。

16 到了第四,他們必回到此地,因為亞摩利人的罪孽還沒有滿盈。

17 日落天黑,不料有冒煙的爐並燒著的把從那些肉塊中經過。

18 當那日,耶和華亞伯蘭立約,:我已賜你的後裔,從埃及直到伯拉

19 就是基尼人、基尼洗人、甲摩尼人、

20 赫人、比利洗人、利乏音人、

21 亞摩利人、迦南人、革迦撒人、耶布斯人之地。

   

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #1589

Studere hoc loco

  
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1589. Like the land of Egypt in coming to Zoar. That this signifies memory-knowledges from the affections of good, is evident from the signification of “Egypt” (see n. 1164, 1165; in a good sense, n. 1462) as being memory-knowledge; and from the signification of “Zoar,” as being the affection of good. Zoar was a city not far from Sodom, whither also Lot fled when rescued by the angels from the burning of Sodom (described, Genesis 19:20, 22, 30). Zoar is also named in other places (Genesis 14:2, 8 (Genesis 14:8); Deuteronomy 34:3; Isaiah 15:5; Jeremiah 48:34), where also it signifies affection and as it signifies the affection of good, it also, in the opposite sense, as is common, signifies the affection of evil.

[2] There are three faculties which constitute the external man, namely, the rational, that of memory-knowledge, and the external sensuous. The rational is interior, the faculty of memory-knowledge is exterior, and this sensuous is outermost. It is the rational by means of which the internal man is conjoined with the external; and such as is the rational, such is the conjunction. The external sensuous, here, is the sight and the hearing. But in itself the rational is nothing, unless affection flows into it and makes it active, and causes it to live. It follows from this that the rational is such as is the affection. When the affection of good flows in, it becomes in the rational the affection of truth. The contrary is the case when the affection of evil flows in. As the faculty of memory-knowledge applies itself to the rational, and is an instrumentality for it, it follows that the affection inflows into this also, and disposes it; for nothing but affection ever lives in the external man. The reason of this is that the affection of good comes down from the celestial, that is, from celestial love, which vivifies everything into which it flows; it even vivifies the affections of evil, or cupidities.

[3] For the good of love from the Lord continually flows in through the internal man into the external; but the man who is in the affection of evil, or in cupidity, perverts the good; but still there remains life from it. This may be perceived by comparison with the objects which receive the rays of the sun. There are some that receive these rays most beautifully, and turn them into most beautiful colors, as do the diamond, the ruby, the jacinth, the sapphire, and other precious stones; but there are others which do not so receive them, but turn them into most disagreeable colors. The same may also be seen from the different genius of different men. There are those who receive goods from another with all affection; and there are those who turn them into evils. This shows what is that memory-knowledge from the affections of good that is signified by “the land of Egypt in coming to Zoar,” when the rational is “like the garden of Jehovah.”

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

Bibliorum

 

Genesis 13

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1 Abram went up out of Egypt: he, his wife, all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South.

2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

3 He went on his journeys from the South even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

4 to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram called on the name of Yahweh.

5 Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.

6 The land was not able to bear them, that they might live together: for their substance was great, so that they could not live together.

7 There was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite lived in the land at that time.

8 Abram said to Lot, "Please, let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are relatives.

9 Isn't the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left."

10 Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar.

11 So Lot chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot traveled east, and they separated themselves the one from the other.

12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.

13 Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against Yahweh.

14 Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, "Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,

15 for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever.

16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then your seed may also be numbered.

17 Arise, walk through the land in its length and in its breadth; for I will give it to you."

18 Abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to Yahweh.