1401. Genesis 12

1. And Jehovah said to Abram, Go away from your land, and from the place of your nativity and from your father's house, to the land which I will cause you to see.

2. And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you will be a blessing.

3. And I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you, and in you will all the families of the ground be blessed.

4. And Abram went, as Jehovah had told him; and Lot went with him. And Abram was a son of seventy-five years when he went out of Haran.

5. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their acquisitions that they had acquired, and [every] soul which they had gained in Haran. And they came out to go into the land of Canaan; and they came into the land of Canaan.

6. And Abram went through the land as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak-grove of Moreh. And the Canaanite was at that time in the land.

7. And Jehovah appeared to Abram and said, To your seed will I give this land; and there he built an altar to Jehovah who had appeared to him.

8. And he removed from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, Bethel being towards the sea and Ai towards the east. ¹ And there he built an altar to Jehovah and called on the name of Jehovah.

9. And Abram travelled, going on and travelling, towards the south.

10. And there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine in the land was serious.

11. And it happened, when he drew near to come into Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look upon.

12. And it will be, when the Egyptians see you they will say, This is his wife, and they will slay me and let you live.

13. Say, now, you are my sister, so that it may go well for me for your sake, and my soul may live because of you.

14. And it happened, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.

15. And Pharaoh's princes saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house.

16. And he treated Abram well for her sake; and he had flocks and herds, and asses and menservants, and maidservants and she-asses, and camels.

17. And Jehovah struck Pharaoh with great plagues, and his house, because of Sarai, ² Abram's wife.

18. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she is your wife?

19. Why did you say, She is my sister? I might have taken her to be my wife (mulier). And now, behold your wife, take her and go.

20. And Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning him, and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

CONTENTS

Narratives drawing on true history begin here, of which every detail is representative and each word carries a spiritual meaning. The things stated in this chapter regarding Abram represent the Lord's state from earliest childhood to youth. Since the Lord was born in the same way as any other, He also developed from a state that was obscure to one that had more light. 'Haran' is the first state, which is obscure; 'Shechem' is the second; 'the oak-grove of Moreh' is the third; 'the mount with Bethel on the west side, and Ai on the cast' is the fourth; 'from there towards the south into Egypt' is the fifth.

V:

In Genesis 4:22 and 12:13, this signifies intellectual truth. (Arcana Coelestia 1475)

In Genesis 24:30 and 24:59, this signifies the affection of truth. (Arcana Coelestia 3133, 3182)

In Genesis 24:60, this signifies a desire for truth. (Arcana Coelestia 3186)

In Genesis 30:8, this signifies temptation resulting in victory. (Arcana Coelestia 3927)

In Exodus 2:4, this signifies rational truth. (Arcana Coelestia 6727)

The Lord calls people who are in truth from the good of charity from Him 'sisters' in Matthew 12:50. 'Sister' denotes intellectual truth and 'wife' celestial truth.

(Notae: Apocalypse Explained 746; Matthew 12)