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創世記 17

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1 亞伯蘭歲的時候,耶和華向他顯現,對他:我是全能的神。你當在我面前作完全人,

2 我就與你立約,使你的後裔極其繁多。

3 亞伯蘭俯伏在地;又對他

4 我與你立約:你要作多國的父。

5 從此以後,你的名不再亞伯蘭,要亞伯拉罕,因為我已立你作多國的父。

6 我必使你的後裔極其繁多;國度從你而立,君從你而出。

7 我要與你並你世世代裔堅立我的約,作永遠的約,是要作你和你裔的

8 我要將你現在寄居的,就是迦南,賜你和你的永遠為業,我也必作他們的

9 又對亞伯拉罕:你和你的裔必世世代遵守我的約。

10 你們所有的男子都要受割禮;這就是我與你並你的裔所立的約,是你們所當遵守的。

11 你們都要受割禮(原文作割陽皮;14,23,24,25節同);這是我與你們立約的證據。

12 你們世世代的男子,無論是家裡生的,是在你後裔之外用子從外人買的,生下來第八日,都要受割禮

13 你家裡生的和你用子買的,都必須受割禮。這樣,我的約就立在你們體上作永遠的約。

14 但不受割禮的男子必從民中剪除,因他背了我的約。

15 又對亞伯拉罕:你的妻子撒萊不可再撒萊,他的名要撒拉。

16 我必賜福他,也要使你從他得一個兒子。我要賜福他,他也要作多國之母;必有百姓的君從他而出。

17 亞伯拉罕就俯伏在地喜笑,:一歲的人還能得孩子麼?撒拉已經九十歲了,還能生養麼?

18 亞伯拉罕:但願以實瑪利活在你面前。

19 :不然,你妻子撒拉要給你生一個兒子,你要給他起名以撒。我要與他堅定所立的約,作他永遠的約。

20 至於以實瑪利,我也應允你:我必賜福他,使他昌盛,極其繁多。他必生十二個族長;我也要使他成為國。

21 到明年這時節,撒拉必給你生以撒,我要與他堅定所立的約。

22 亞伯拉罕完了話,就離開他上升去了。

23 正當那日,亞伯拉罕遵著的命,給他的兒子以實瑪利和家裡的一切男子,無論是在家裡生的,是用子買的,都行了割禮

24 亞伯拉罕割禮的時候年歲。

25 兒子以實瑪利割禮的時候年十三歲。

26 正當那日,亞伯拉罕和他兒子以實瑪利一同受了割禮

27 家裡所有的人,無論是在家裡生的,是用子從外人買的,也都一同受了割禮

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2093

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2093. 'Whom Sarah will bear to you' means Divine Truth joined to Divine Good from which it will come forth into being. This is clear from the representation of 'Sarah' as Divine Truth, dealt with already in 2063, 2081, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as Divine Good, dealt with in 2063 and in various places elsewhere.

[2] The manner in which the Lord's first rational was conceived and born has been stated in the previous chapter where Ishmael, who represented that rational, was the subject. This chapter and the next deal with that Rational which was made Divine by the Lord, something He achieved through the marriage-like conjunction of Divine Good with Divine Truth. The only possible way the first rational can be conceived is by the influx of the Internal Man into the External Man's affection for knowledge. Nor can it be born from anything other than the affection for knowledge, an affection represented by 'Hagar, Sarai's servant-girl', as shown in the previous chapter, in 1896, 1902, 1910, and elsewhere in that chapter.

[3] But the second or Divine Rational is not conceived and born in the same way but by the conjunction of Truth in the Internal Man with Good in the same, and the resulting influx. In the Lord's case this was achieved by His own power derived from the Divine itself, that is, from Jehovah. As stated in various places already, His Internal Man was Jehovah. And Good itself, represented by 'Abraham', belonged to the Internal Man, as also did Truth itself, represented by 'Sarah'. Both were on that account Divine, and from them both the Lord's Divine Rational was conceived and born. Indeed it was conceived and born from the influx of good into truth, and so by means of truth, for the principal element in the rational is truth, as stated above in 2072. Hence the statement here 'whom Sarah will bear to you', which means Divine Truth joined to Good from which it will come into being, and at verse 17 above the statement 'Sarah a daughter of ninety years' means that Truth joined to Good will accomplish this.

[4] With all human beings, since each has been created in the likeness and image of God, something similar yet not comparable takes place, in that his first rational too is conceived and born through the influx of his internal man into the life of his external man's affection for knowledge, but his second rational results from the influx of good and truth from the Lord by way of his internal man. This second rational he receives from the Lord when he is being regenerated, for at that time he senses within his rational what the good and truth of faith are. The internal man with anyone is above his rational, and is the Lord's. This is dealt with in 1889, 1940.

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