The Bible

 

Ծննդոց 12

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1 Աստուած ասաց Աբրամին. «Հեռացի՛ր քո երկրից, քո ցեղից ու քո հօր տնից եւ գնա՛ այն երկիրը, որ ցոյց կը տամ քեզ:

2 Քեզ մեծ ցեղի նախահայր պիտի դարձնեմ, պիտի օրհնեմ քեզ, պիտի փառաւորեմ քո անունը, եւ դու օրհնեալ պիտի լինես:

3 Պիտի օրհնեմ քեզ օրհնողներին, իսկ քեզ անիծողներին պիտի անիծեմ: Քեզնով պիտի օրհնուեն աշխարհի բոլոր ժողովուրդները»:

4 Եւ Աբրամը գնաց, ինչպէս ասել էր նրան Աստուած: Նրա հետ գնաց նաեւ Ղովտը: Աբրամը եօթանասունհինգ տարեկան էր, երբ հեռացաւ Խառանից:

5 Աբրամն առաւ իր կին Սարային, իր եղբօրորդի Ղովտին, Խառանում ձեռք բերած ողջ ունեցուածքն ու ստրուկներին: Նրանք ճանապարհ ընկան, որ գնան Քանանացւոց երկիրը: Նրանք եկան Քանանի երկիրը:

6 Աբրամը կտրեց անցաւ երկիրն իր երկարութեամբ մինչեւ Սիւքէմ վայրը՝ Բարձր կաղնին: Այդ ժամանակ, սակայն, քանանացիներն էին բնակւում այդ երկրում:

7 Տէրը երեւաց Աբրամին եւ ասաց նրան. «Քո յետնորդներին եմ տալու այս երկիրը»: Աբրամն իրեն երեւացած Տիրոջ համար զոհասեղան շինեց այդտեղ:

8 Այդտեղից նա գնաց Բեթէլի արեւելեան կողմում գտնուող լեռը: Այնտեղ՝ Բեթէլում, խփեց իր վրանը, ծովի դիմաց, իսկ արեւելքում Անգէն էր: Այնտեղ Տիրոջ համար զոհասեղան շինեց ու կանչեց Աստծու անունը:

9 Աբրամը հեռացաւ, գնաց ու բնակուեց անապատում:

10 Երբ սով եղաւ երկրում, Աբրամն իջաւ Եգիպտոս, որ այնտեղ ապրի պանդխտութեան մէջ, քանի որ սովը սաստկացել էր երկրում:

11 Երբ Աբրամը մօտեցաւ Եգիպտոսին, իր կին Սարային ասաց. «Գիտեմ, որ դու գեղեցիկ կին ես:

12 Արդ, եթէ պատահի, որ եգիպտացիները տեսնեն քեզ եւ ասեն՝ սա նրա կինն է, ու սպանեն ինձ, իսկ քեզ ողջ թողնեն,

13 կ՚ասես, թէ՝ նրա քոյրն եմ, որպէսզի քո շնորհիւ ես չտուժեմ եւ քո շնորհիւ կենդանի մնամ»:

14 Երբ Աբրամը մտաւ Եգիպտոս, եգիպտացիները տեսան, որ նրա կինը շատ գեղեցիկ է:

15 Տեսան նրան նաեւ փարաւոնի իշխանները, գովեցին նրան փարաւոնի առաջ ու նրան տարան փարաւոնի պալատը:

16 Սարայի համար նրանք լաւ վերաբերմունք ցոյց տուեցին Աբրամին: Եւ նա ոչխարների, կովերի, էշերի, ծառաների եւ աղախինների, ջորիների եւ ուղտերի տէր դարձաւ:

17 Աբրամի կին Սարայի պատճառով Աստուած փարաւոնին ու նրա ընտանիքի անդամներին պատժեց մեծամեծ ու դաժան պատուհասներով:

18 Փարաւոնը կանչեց Աբրամին ու ասաց նրան. «Այս ի՞նչ փորձանք բերեցիր իմ գլխին, ինչո՞ւ չյայտնեցիր, թէ նա քո կինն է:

19 Ինչո՞ւ ասացիր, թէ «Իմ քոյրն է», ես էլ նրան կնութեան առայ: Արդ, ահա քո կինը քո առաջ է, ա՛ռ նրան ու հեռացի՛ր»:

20 Փարաւոնն իր մարդկանց պատուիրեց, որ Աբրամին, իր ունեցուածքով, նրա կնոջը, ինչպէս նաեւ Ղովտին ճանապարհ դնեն:

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1502

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1502. From these considerations it is now evident that Abram's sojourning in Egypt represents and means nothing else than the Lord, in particular His instruction during childhood. This is also confirmed by what is stated in Hosea,

Out of Egypt I called My son. Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15.

And further still from what is said in Moses,

The dwelling of the sons of Israel who dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And it happened at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on that very day it happened that all the hosts of Jehovah went out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:40-41.

Those four hundred and thirty years were measured not from the time that Jacob entered Egypt but from Abram's sojourning in Egypt. Thus 'My son out of Egypt' in Hosea 11:1 means, in the internal sense, the Lord. The matter gains further confirmation from the fact that 'Egypt' in the Word means nothing other than knowledge, as shown in 1164, 1165, 1462.

[2] And that these arcana are contained in this section may become additionally clear from the fact that similar things are said of Abram when he sojourned in Philistia, namely that he called his wife his sister, Genesis 20:1-end, and also of Isaac, who, when he too sojourned in Philistia, called his wife his sister, Genesis 26:6-13. These actions would never have been recorded in the Word, and set in almost identical circumstances, unless these arcana had been lying hidden within. Furthermore this is the Word of the Lord which cannot possibly have any life unless there is an internal sense which has regard to Him.

[3] The arcana which lie hidden in this section, and in those regarding Abram and Isaac in Philistia, have to do with the way in which the Lord's Human Essence was joined to His Divine Essence, or what amounts to the same, how the Lord became Jehovah as regards His Human Essence also. They also have to do with the fact that His initiation, which is the subject in this chapter, began in childhood. Besides all this these descriptions also embody more arcana than anyone can possibly believe, and those that can be mentioned are so few as to be scarcely anything at all. In addition to the very deep arcana concerning the Lord, they also embody arcana concerning the instruction and regeneration of a person so that he may become celestial, as well as his instruction and regeneration so that he may become spiritual; and not only concerning the individual in particular but also concerning the Church in general. The descriptions here also embody arcana regarding the instruction of young children in heaven. In short they have to do with all who become images and likenesses of the Lord. These arcana are not at all clearly visible in the sense of the letter, the reason being that historical details engulf and obscure them; but they are clearly visible in the internal sense.

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

The Bible

 

Matthew 2

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1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,

2 "Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him."

3 When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born.

5 They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet,

6 'You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come forth a governor, who shall shepherd my people, Israel.'"

7 Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.

8 He sent them to Bethlehem, and said, "Go and search diligently for the young child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him."

9 They, having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

11 They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 Being warned in a dream that they shouldn't return to Herod, they went back to their own country another way.

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him."

14 He arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt,

15 and was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men.

17 Then that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,

18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; she wouldn't be comforted, because they are no more."

19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,

20 "Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child's life are dead."

21 He arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there. Being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee,

23 and came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."