Bibliorum

 

Genesis 25

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1 And Abraham took another wife named Keturah.

2 And she bore him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

3 And Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan; and the sons of Dedan were the Asshurim, and the Letushim, and the Leummim.

4 And the sons of Midian were Ephah, and Epher, and Enoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were sons of Keturah.

5 And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.

6 And to the sons of the concubines that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and, while he yet lived, sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward to the east country.

7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived: a hundred and seventy-five years.

8 And Abraham expired and died in a good old age, old and full [of days]; and was gathered to his peoples.

9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which was opposite to Mamre --

10 the field that Abraham had purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer-lahai-roi.

12 And these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's bondwoman, bore to Abraham.

13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael by their names according to their generations: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,

14 and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,

15 Hadad and Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedmah.

16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, in their hamlets and their encampments -- twelve princes of their peoples.

17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael: a hundred and thirty-seven years; and he expired and died, and was gathered to his peoples.

18 And they dwelt from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite to Egypt, as one goes towards Assyria. He settled before the face of all his brethren.

19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham begot Isaac.

20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebecca as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian.

21 And Isaac entreated Jehovah for his wife, because she was barren; and Jehovah was entreated of him, and Rebecca his wife conceived.

22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If [it be] so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of Jehovah.

23 And Jehovah said to her, Two nations are in thy womb, And Two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels; And one people shall be stronger than the other people, And the elder shall serve the younger.

24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

25 And the first came out red -- all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

26 And after that came his brother out; and his hand took hold of Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

27 And the boys grew, and Esau became a man skilled in hunting, a man of the field; and Jacob was a homely man, dwelling in tents.

28 And Isaac loved Esau, because venison was to his taste; and Rebecca loved Jacob.

29 And Jacob had cooked a dish; and Esau came from the field, and he was faint.

30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with the red -- the red thing there, for I am faint. Therefore was his name called Edom.

31 And Jacob said, Sell me now thy birthright.

32 And Esau said, Behold, I am going to die, and of what use can the birthright be to me?

33 And Jacob said, Swear unto me now. And he swore unto him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and the dish of lentils; and he ate and drank, and rose up and went away. Thus Esau despised the birthright.

   

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #3122

Studere hoc loco

  
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3122. Moreover in regard to this truth by which is signified charity, the case is this: The most ancient people, who were celestial, by mercy and truth from the Lord understood nothing else than the reception of the influx of love to the Lord, and of the derivative charity toward the neighbor. But the ancients, who were spiritual, by the mercy and truth from the Lord with themselves, understood charity and faith; the reason of which is, that the celestial never thought concerning those things which are of faith or truth, but concerning those which are of love or good, as may be seen from what has been said above concerning the celestial man (n. 202, 337, 2669, 2715). Moreover celestial men when being reformed and regenerated were introduced into love to the Lord through charity toward the neighbor. It is evident therefore that by “mercy from the Lord” nothing else is signified than a perception of the influx of love to Him; and by “truth,” a derivative influx of charity toward the neighbor.

[2] But it is otherwise with the spiritual; these think concerning the things of faith; and when being reformed and regenerated they are introduced by means of the things of faith into charity toward the neighbor. And therefore when the spiritual are treated of, by “mercy from the Lord” is meant an influx of charity toward the neighbor; and by “truth” is meant an influx of faith. But still this faith, when the spiritual man has been regenerated, becomes charity; for he then acts from charity; insomuch that one who does not act from charity is not regenerate, but he who acts from charity is regenerate; and in this case he is not solicitous about the things of faith or truth, for he lives from the good of faith, and no longer from its truth; for truth has so conjoined itself with good that it no longer appears, except merely as the form of good (forma boni), that is, faith is not otherwise than as the form of charity (forma charitatis).

[3] From what has been said we can see what the most ancient people, and what the ancients, understood by “mercy and truth,” so frequently mentioned in the Word. As in David:

The king shall dwell before God forever; O prepare mercy and truth, that they may preserve him (Psalms 61:7).

Again:

Mercy and truth shall meet together, righteousness and peace shall kiss each other (Psalms 85:10).

Again:

Thou O Lord art a God great in mercy and truth (Psalms 86:15).

Again:

My truth and My mercy shall be with Him (Psalms 89:24).

Again:

Jehovah hath remembered His mercy and His truth toward the house of Israel (Psalms 98:3).

Again:

O Jehovah, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy and for Thy truth’s sake (Psalms 115:1).

In Micah:

Jehovah God will give the truth to Jacob, the mercy to Abraham, which Thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old (Micah 7:20); where “Jacob” denotes the Lord’s external man, and “Abraham” the internal, as to the Human.

In Hosea:

Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, and no mercy, and no knowledge of God (Hos. 4:1).

“No truth” denotes no reception of the influx of charity; “no mercy,” no reception of the influx of love; “no knowledge of God,” no reception of the influx of the truth of faith.

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