Bibliorum

 

Génesis 23

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1 Y fue la vida de Sara ciento veintisiete años; tantos fueron los años de la vida de Sara.

2 Y murió Sara en Quiriat-arba, que es Hebrón, en la tierra de Canaán; y vino Abraham a endechar a Sara, y a llorarla.

3 Y se levantó Abraham de delante de su muerta, y habló a los hijos de Het, diciendo:

4 Peregrino y advenedizo soy entre vosotros; dadme heredad de sepultura con vosotros, y sepultaré mi muerta de delante de mí.

5 Y respondieron los hijos de Het a Abraham, y le dijeron:

6 Oyenos, señor mío, eres un príncipe de Dios entre nosotros; en lo mejor de nuestras sepulturas sepulta a tu muerta; ninguno de nosotros te impedirá su sepultura, para que entierres tu muerta.

7 Y Abraham se levantó, y se inclinó al pueblo de aquella tierra, a los hijos de Het;

8 y habló con ellos, diciendo: Si tenéis voluntad que yo sepulte mi muerta de delante de mí, oídme, e interceded por mí con Efrón, hijo de Zohar,

9 para que me dé la cueva de Macpela, que tiene al cabo de su heredad; que por su justo precio me la dé, para heredad de sepultura en medio de vosotros.

10 Este Efrón habitaba entre los hijos de Het; y respondió Efrón heteo a Abraham, en oídos de los hijos de Het, de todos los que entraban por la puerta de su ciudad, diciendo:

11 No, señor mío, óyeme: te doy la heredad, y te doy también la cueva que está en ella; delante de los hijos de mi pueblo te la doy; sepulta tu muerta.

12 Y Abraham se inclinó delante del pueblo de la tierra.

13 Y respondió a Efrón en oídos del pueblo de la tierra, diciendo: Antes, si te place , te ruego que me oigas; yo daré el precio de la heredad, tómalo de mí, y sepultaré en ella mi muerta.

14 Y respondió Efrón a Abraham, diciéndole:

15 Señor mío, escúchame: la tierra vale cuatrocientos siclos de plata; ¿qué es esto entre mí y ti? Entierra pues tu muerta.

16 Entonces Abraham se convino con Efrón, y pesó Abraham a Efrón el dinero que dijo, oyéndolo los hijos de Het, cuatrocientos siclos de plata, corrientes por los mercaderes.

17 Y quedó la heredad de Efrón que estaba en Macpela enfrente de Mamre, la heredad y la cueva que estaba en ella, y todos los árboles que había en la heredad, y en todo su término al derredor,

18 de Abraham en posesión, a vista de los hijos de Het, y de todos los que entraban por la puerta de su ciudad.

19 Y después de esto sepultó Abraham a Sara su mujer en la cueva de la heredad de Macpela enfrente de Mamre, que es Hebrón en la tierra de Canaán.

20 Y quedó la heredad y la cueva que en ella había , de Abraham, en heredad de sepultura comprada de los hijos de Het.

   

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #2935

Studere hoc loco

  
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2935. That he may give me the cave of Machpelah. That this signifies obscurity of faith, is evident from the signification of a “cave,” as being what is obscure (see n. 2463); and from the signification of “Machpelah,” as being faith that is in obscurity. A “cave” signifies obscurity because it is a dark place; when a “cave of a mountain” is spoken of, it then means obscurity of good; but when it is said the “cave of the field of Machpelah,” it then means obscurity of truth. As it is here said, the “cave of Machpelah,” and Machpelah was where there was a field at the end of which was the cave, obscurity of truth is here meant, or what is the same, obscurity of faith; and hence also it is plain that “Machpelah” means faith which is in obscurity.

[2] Those who are being regenerated and being made spiritual are in the greatest obscurity as to truth. Good indeed flows in with them from the Lord, but not so much truth; wherefore between the Lord and the good with man there exist parallelism and correspondence, but not with the truth (see n. 1832). The primary cause of this is that those here treated of do not know what good is; and even if they should know, still they do not believe from the heart; and so long as good is in obscurity with them, so long is truth, for all truth is from good. But to make this more clear: They know only very obscurely that the Lord is good itself, and that all is good which is of love to Him and of charity toward the neighbor, and that all is truth which asserts this and confirms it; indeed they even cherish doubts, and admit reasonings against these things; and so long as they are in such a state, the light of truth from the Lord cannot flow in; they even think of the Lord as another man, and not as God; and they think of love to Him from some worldly love; what the genuine affection of charity toward the neighbor is they scarcely know, nor indeed what charity is and what the neighbor, when yet these are essentials. Hence it is evident how far the spiritual are in obscurity; and they are still more so before regeneration, which is the state here treated of.

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

Bibliorum

 

Genesis 23

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1 Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah's life.

2 Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

3 Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,

4 "I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

5 The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,

6 "Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb. Bury your dead."

7 Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

8 He talked with them, saying, "If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me among you for a possession of a burying-place."

10 Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,

11 "No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead."

12 Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.

13 He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, "But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there."

14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

15 "My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? Therefore bury your dead."

16 Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants' standard.

17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded

18 to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.

20 The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the children of Heth.