Bibliorum

 

Postanak 33

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1 A Jakov podigavši oči svoje pogleda, a to Isav ide, i četiri stotine ljudi s njim. I razdeli decu uz Liju i uz Rahilju i uz dve robinje.

2 I namesti napred robinje i njihovu decu, pa Liju i njenu decu za njima, a najposle Rahilju i Josifa.

3 A sam prođe napred, i pokloni se do zemlje sedam puta dokle dođe do brata svog.

4 A Isav pritrča preda nj i zagrli ga i pade mu oko vrata i celiva ga, i obojica se zaplakaše,

5 I Isav podigavši oči ugleda žene i decu, pa reče: Ko su ti ono? A Jakov reče: Deca, koju Bog milostivo darova sluzi tvom.

6 I pristupiše robinje s decom svojom, i pokloniše se.

7 Potom pristupi i Lija i deca njena, i pokloniše se; a najposle pristupi Josif i Rahilja, i pokloniše se.

8 A Isav reče: Šta će ti čitava vojska ona koju sretoh? A on reče: Da nađem milost pred gospodarem svojim.

9 A Isav reče: Ima, brate, u mene dosta; neka tebi šta je tvoje.

10 A Jakov reče: Ne; ako sam sada našao milost pred tobom, primi dar iz moje ruke, jer videh lice tvoje kao da videh lice Božje, tako si me lepo dočekao.

11 Primi dar moj, koji ti je doveden; jer me je obilato obdario Bog, i imam svega. I navali na nj, te primi.

12 Posle reče Isav: Hajde da idemo, ići ću i ja s tobom.

13 A Jakov mu reče: Zna gospodar moj da su ova deca nejaka, i imam ovaca i krava dojilica, pa ako ih usteram jedan dan, poginuće mi sve stado.

14 Nego gospodar moj neka ide pred slugom svojim, a ja ću polako ići, koliko mogu deca i stoka, dokle dođem ka gospodaru svom u Sir.

15 A Isav reče: A ono da ti ostavim nekoliko ljudi što su sa mnom. A on reče: Na šta? Daj da nađem milost pred gospodarem svojim.

16 I tako Isav vrati se isti dan svojim putem u Sir.

17 A Jakov otide u Sokot, i onde načini sebi kuću a stoci svojoj načini staje; zato nazva ono mesto Sokot.

18 Posle dođe Jakov zdravo u grad Sihem u zemlji hananskoj, vrativši se iz Padan-Arama, i namesti se prema gradu.

19 I kupi komad zemlje, gde razape šator svoj, od sinova Emora oca Sihemovog za sto novaca.

20 I načini onde žrtvenik, i nazva ga: Silni Bog Izrailjev.

   

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #4430

Studere hoc loco

  
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4430. And Shechem saw her. That this signifies truth, is evident from the representation of Shechem as being truth, here the truth of the church from ancient time. That this is represented by Shechem is because there still were remains of the church with that nation to which Shechem belonged. That this was one of the well-disposed nations is manifest from the sincerity with which Hamor and Shechem spoke to Jacob and his sons (verses 8-12), and from the condescension that Shechem might take Dinah for a wife (verses 18-24); for which reason the truth of the church was represented by them. And besides, the city Shechem was Abram’s first station when he came from Syria into the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:6); and was now also Jacob’s first station in coming from Syria, in which he spread his tent, made booths, and erected an altar (Genesis 33:17-20). That by the journeys or sojournings of Abraham and Jacob were represented progressions into the truths of faith and goods of love which in the supreme sense relate to the Lord and in the relative sense to the man who is being regenerated by the Lord, has been repeatedly shown. Hence by the “city Shechem” was signified the first of light (n. 1440, 1441), consequently interior truth, for this is the first of light.

[2] But in this chapter in the internal sense the descendants of Jacob are treated of—how they extinguished in themselves this first of light, or interior truth. In this sense, which is the internal historical sense, the sons of Jacob signify all his descendants; for in the internal sense of the Word the things of the Lord’s kingdom are exclusively treated of, thus the things of His church. The sons of Jacob themselves did not constitute any church, but their descendants, and this only after they had gone out of Egypt, and in actuality only after they came into the land of Canaan.

[3] Moreover as regards this city named from Shechem, it was anciently called “Shalem,” as is evident in the foregoing chapter:

Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan (Genesis 33:18).

That by “Shalem” is signified tranquillity, and by the “city of Shechem” the interior truths of faith, and that when a man comes to these truths he comes into a tranquil state, may be seen above (n. 4393). But the same city was afterwards called “Shechem,” as may be seen in Joshua:

The bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel caused to go up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in the portion of the field which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred kesitah (Josh. 24:32).

And in the book of Judges:

Gaal the son of Ebed said to the citizens of Shechem, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is not he the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul is his officer? Serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, and why should we serve this man? (Judg. 9:28).

[4] The same city was afterwards called “Sychar,” as is evident in John:

Jesus came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near to the field which Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and Jacob’s spring was there (John 4:5-6).

That by this city is signified interior truth, is evident from these passages, and also from others where it is named, as in Hosea:

Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, it has been befouled with blood; and as troops wait for a man, a companionship of priests, on the way to Shechem they kill, because they have wrought wickedness; in the house of Israel I have seen a foul thing (Hos. 6:8-10); where “on the way to Shechem they kill” signifies that they extinguish truths even to those which are interior, thus all external truths. The extinction of interior truth is also signified by Abimelech’s destroying that city and sowing it with salt (Judges 9:45).

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

Bibliorum

 

Joshua 24

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1 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

2 Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor: and they served other gods.

3 I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.

4 I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to Esau Mount Seir, to possess it. Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.

5 "'I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did in its midst: and afterward I brought you out.

6 I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and you came to the sea. The Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and with horsemen to the Red Sea.

7 When they cried out to Yahweh, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea on them, and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt: and you lived in the wilderness many days.

8 "'I brought you into the land of the Amorites, that lived beyond the Jordan: and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand. You possessed their land; and I destroyed them from before you.

9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. He sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you;

10 but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you still. So I delivered you out of his hand.

11 "'You went over the Jordan, and came to Jericho. The men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand.

12 I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; not with your sword, nor with your bow.

13 I gave you a land whereon you had not labored, and cities which you didn't build, and you live in them. You eat of vineyards and olive groves which you didn't plant.'

14 "Now therefore fear Yahweh, and serve him in sincerity and in truth. Put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, in Egypt; and serve Yahweh.

15 If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh."

16 The people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake Yahweh, to serve other gods;

17 for it is Yahweh our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way in which we went, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed.

18 Yahweh drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve Yahweh; for he is our God."

19 Joshua said to the people, "You can't serve Yahweh; for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your disobedience nor your sins.

20 If you forsake Yahweh, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after he has done you good."

21 The people said to Joshua, "No; but we will serve Yahweh."

22 Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen Yahweh yourselves, to serve him." They said, "We are witnesses."

23 "Now therefore put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to Yahweh, the God of Israel."

24 The people said to Joshua, "We will serve Yahweh our God, and we will listen to his voice."

25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

26 Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Yahweh.

27 Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it has heard all the words of Yahweh which he spoke to us. It shall be therefore a witness against you, lest you deny your God."

28 So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.

29 It happened after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, being one hundred and ten years old.

30 They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.

31 Israel served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of Yahweh, that he had worked for Israel.

32 They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. They became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

33 Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They buried him in the hill of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill country of Ephraim.