Bibliorum

 

Genesis 6

Study

   

1 και εγενετο ηνικα ηρξαντο οι ανθρωποι πολλοι γινεσθαι επι της γης και θυγατερες εγενηθησαν αυτοις

2 ιδοντες δε οι υιοι του θεου τας θυγατερας των ανθρωπων οτι καλαι εισιν ελαβον εαυτοις γυναικας απο πασων ων εξελεξαντο

3 και ειπεν κυριος ο θεος ου μη καταμεινη το πνευμα μου εν τοις ανθρωποις τουτοις εις τον αιωνα δια το ειναι αυτους σαρκας εσονται δε αι ημεραι αυτων εκατον εικοσι ετη

4 οι δε γιγαντες ησαν επι της γης εν ταις ημεραις εκειναις και μετ' εκεινο ως αν εισεπορευοντο οι υιοι του θεου προς τας θυγατερας των ανθρωπων και εγεννωσαν εαυτοις εκεινοι ησαν οι γιγαντες οι απ' αιωνος οι ανθρωποι οι ονομαστοι

5 ιδων δε κυριος ο θεος οτι επληθυνθησαν αι κακιαι των ανθρωπων επι της γης και πας τις διανοειται εν τη καρδια αυτου επιμελως επι τα πονηρα πασας τας ημερας

6 και ενεθυμηθη ο θεος οτι εποιησεν τον ανθρωπον επι της γης και διενοηθη

7 και ειπεν ο θεος απαλειψω τον ανθρωπον ον εποιησα απο προσωπου της γης απο ανθρωπου εως κτηνους και απο ερπετων εως των πετεινων του ουρανου οτι εθυμωθην οτι εποιησα αυτους

8 νωε δε ευρεν χαριν εναντιον κυριου του θεου

9 αυται δε αι γενεσεις νωε νωε ανθρωπος δικαιος τελειος ων εν τη γενεα αυτου τω θεω ευηρεστησεν νωε

10 εγεννησεν δε νωε τρεις υιους τον σημ τον χαμ τον ιαφεθ

11 εφθαρη δε η γη εναντιον του θεου και επλησθη η γη αδικιας

12 και ειδεν κυριος ο θεος την γην και ην κατεφθαρμενη οτι κατεφθειρεν πασα σαρξ την οδον αυτου επι της γης

13 και ειπεν ο θεος προς νωε καιρος παντος ανθρωπου ηκει εναντιον μου οτι επλησθη η γη αδικιας απ' αυτων και ιδου εγω καταφθειρω αυτους και την γην

14 ποιησον ουν σεαυτω κιβωτον εκ ξυλων τετραγωνων νοσσιας ποιησεις την κιβωτον και ασφαλτωσεις αυτην εσωθεν και εξωθεν τη ασφαλτω

15 και ουτως ποιησεις την κιβωτον τριακοσιων πηχεων το μηκος της κιβωτου και πεντηκοντα πηχεων το πλατος και τριακοντα πηχεων το υψος αυτης

16 επισυναγων ποιησεις την κιβωτον και εις πηχυν συντελεσεις αυτην ανωθεν την δε θυραν της κιβωτου ποιησεις εκ πλαγιων καταγαια διωροφα και τριωροφα ποιησεις αυτην

17 εγω δε ιδου επαγω τον κατακλυσμον υδωρ επι την γην καταφθειραι πασαν σαρκα εν η εστιν πνευμα ζωης υποκατω του ουρανου και οσα εαν η επι της γης τελευτησει

18 και στησω την διαθηκην μου προς σε εισελευση δε εις την κιβωτον συ και οι υιοι σου και η γυνη σου και αι γυναικες των υιων σου μετα σου

19 και απο παντων των κτηνων και απο παντων των ερπετων και απο παντων των θηριων και απο πασης σαρκος δυο δυο απο παντων εισαξεις εις την κιβωτον ινα τρεφης μετα σεαυτου αρσεν και θηλυ εσονται

20 απο παντων των ορνεων των πετεινων κατα γενος και απο παντων των κτηνων κατα γενος και απο παντων των ερπετων των ερποντων επι της γης κατα γενος αυτων δυο δυο απο παντων εισελευσονται προς σε τρεφεσθαι μετα σου αρσεν και θηλυ

21 συ δε λημψη σεαυτω απο παντων των βρωματων α εδεσθε και συναξεις προς σεαυτον και εσται σοι και εκεινοις φαγειν

22 και εποιησεν νωε παντα οσα ενετειλατο αυτω κυριος ο θεος ουτως εποιησεν

   

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #648

Studere hoc loco

  
/ 10837  
  

648. That in the Word numbers and measures signify things celestial and spiritual, is very evident from the measurement of the New Jerusalem and of the Temple, in John, and in Ezekiel. Anyone may see that by the “New Jerusalem” and the “new Temple” is signified the kingdom of the Lord in the heavens and on earth, and that the kingdom of the Lord in the heavens and on earth is not subject to earthly measurement; and yet its dimensions as to length, breadth, and height are designated by numbers. From this anyone may conclude that by the numbers and measures are signified holy things, as in John:

There was given me a reed like unto a rod; and the angel stood, and said unto me, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein (Revelation 11:1).

And concerning the New Jerusalem:

The wall of the New Jerusalem was great and high, having twelve gates, and over the gates twelve angels, and names written, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel; on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, on the west three gates. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. He that talked with me had a golden reed, to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. The city lieth four square, and the length thereof is as great as the breadth. And he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs; the length and the breadth and the height thereof are equal. He measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel (Revelation 21:12-17).

[2] The number “twelve” occurs here throughout, which is a very holy number because it signifies the holy things of faith (as said above, at verse 3 of this chapter, and as will be shown, of the Lord’s Divine mercy, at the twenty-ninth and thirtieth, chapters of Genesis). And therefore it is added that this measure is the “measure of a man, that is, of an angel.” It is the same with the new Temple and new Jerusalem in Ezekiel which are also described as to their measures (Ezekiel 40:3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13-14, 22, 25, 30, 36, 42, 47; 41:1; 42:5-15; Zechariah 2:1-2 Here too regarded in themselves the numbers signify nothing but the holy celestial and spiritual abstractedly from the numbers. So with all the numbers of the dimensions of the ark (Exodus 25:10); of the mercy seat; of the golden table; of the tabernacle; and of the altar (Exodus 25:10; 25:17, 23, 26; 27:1); and all the numbers and dimensions of the temple (1 Kings 6:2-3), and many others.

  
/ 10837  
  

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

Bibliorum

 

1 Kings 7

Study

   

1 Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.

2 For he built the house of the forest of Lebanon; its length was one hundred cubits, and its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars.

3 It was covered with cedar above over the forty-five beams, that were on the pillars; fifteen in a row.

4 There were beams in three rows, and window was over against window in three ranks.

5 All the doors and posts were made square with beams: and window was over against window in three ranks.

6 He made the porch of pillars; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth thirty cubits; and a porch before them; and pillars and a threshold before them.

7 He made the porch of the throne where he was to judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from floor to floor.

8 His house where he was to dwell, the other court within the porch, was of the like work. He made also a house for Pharaoh's daughter (whom Solomon had taken as wife), like this porch.

9 All these were of costly stones, even of cut stone, according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside, even from the foundation to the coping, and so on the outside to the great court.

10 The foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.

11 Above were costly stones, even cut stone, according to measure, and cedar wood.

12 The great court around had three courses of cut stone, and a course of cedar beams; like as the inner court of the house of Yahweh, and the porch of the house.

13 King Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.

14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill, to work all works in brass. He came to king Solomon, and performed all his work.

15 For he fashioned the two pillars of brass, eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits encircled either of them about.

16 He made two capitals of molten brass, to set on the tops of the pillars: the height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits.

17 There were nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital.

18 So he made the pillars; and there were two rows around on the one network, to cover the capitals that were on the top of the pillars: and so did he for the other capital.

19 The capitals that were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work, four cubits.

20 There were capitals above also on the two pillars, close by the belly which was beside the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows around on the other capital.

21 He set up the pillars at the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called its name Jachin; and he set up the left pillar, and called its name Boaz.

22 On the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.

23 He made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encircled it.

24 Under its brim around there were buds which encircled it, for ten cubits, encircling the sea: the buds were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

25 It stood on twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set on them above, and all their hinder parts were inward.

26 It was a handbreadth thick: and its brim was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it held two thousand baths.

27 He made the ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits its breadth, and three cubits its height.

28 The work of the bases was like this: they had panels; and there were panels between the ledges;

29 and on the panels that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the ledges there was a pedestal above; and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work.

30 Every base had four bronze wheels, and axles of brass; and the four feet of it had supports: beneath the basin were the supports molten, with wreaths at the side of each.

31 The mouth of it within the capital and above was a cubit: and its mouth was round after the work of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also on its mouth were engravings, and their panels were foursquare, not round.

32 The four wheels were underneath the panels; and the axles of the wheels were in the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.

33 The work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axles, and their rims, and their spokes, and their naves, were all molten.

34 There were four supports at the four corners of each base: its supports were of the base itself.

35 In the top of the base was there a round compass half a cubit high; and on the top of the base its stays and its panels were of the same.

36 On the plates of its stays, and on its panels, he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths all around.

37 In this way, he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one form.

38 He made ten basins of brass: one basin contained forty baths; and every basin was four cubits; and on every one of the ten bases one basin.

39 He set the bases, five on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward, toward the south.

40 Hiram made the basins, and the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he worked for king Solomon in the house of Yahweh:

41 the two pillars, and the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars;

42 and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars;

43 and the ten bases, and the ten basins on the bases;

44 and the one sea, and the twelve oxen under the sea;

45 and the pots, and the shovels, and the basins: even all these vessels, which Hiram made for king Solomon, in the house of Yahweh, were of burnished brass.

46 In the plain of the Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan.

47 Solomon left all the vessels [unweighed], because they were exceeding many: the weight of the brass could not be found out.

48 Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of Yahweh: the golden altar, and the table whereupon the show bread was, of gold;

49 and the lampstands, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, of pure gold; and the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, of gold;

50 and the cups, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the fire pans, of pure gold; and the hinges, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, [to wit], of the temple, of gold.

51 Thus all the work that king Solomon worked in the house of Yahweh was finished. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated, [even] the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of Yahweh.