The Bible

 

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 #2063

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2063. Thou shalt not call her name Sarai, for Sarah is her name. That this signifies that He will put off the human, and will put on the Divine, is evident from what was said of Abraham above (verse 5), where occur the words, “thy name shall no more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham,” by which in like manner there is signified that He will put off the human, and will put on the Divine (see n. 2009). For the letter H which was added to the name “Sarah,” was taken from the name “Jehovah,” so that Sarah, like Abraham, should represent the Lord’s Divine; and that thus should be represented the Divine marriage of Good with Truth in the Lord—Abraham representing the Divine Good, and Sarah the Divine Truth—from which should be born the Divine Rational, which is Isaac.

[2] The Divine Good, which is Love, and which in regard to the whole human race is Mercy, was the Lord’s Internal, that is, Jehovah, who is itself: this is represented by Abraham. The truth that was to be conjoined with the Divine Good was represented by Sarai; and this truth when also made Divine is represented by Sarah; for the Lord advanced to union with Jehovah successively, as already said. The truth not yet Divine represented by Sarai, was such when it was not yet so united to good as to be truth from good. But when it was so united to good as to proceed from good, it was then Divine; and the truth itself was then also good, because it was the truth of good. The truth which tends to good in order that it may be united to good, is one thing; and that which is so united to good as to proceed wholly from good, is another. The truth which is tending to good still derives something from the human; but that which is wholly united to good has put off all that is human, and has put on the Divine.

[3] This may be illustrated as before, by what is similar with man. When a man is being regenerated, that is, when he is to be conjoined with the Lord, he proceeds to the conjunction by means of truth, that is, by means of the truths of faith; for no one can be regenerated except by means of the knowledges of faith, which are the truths by means of which he proceeds to conjunction. The Lord goes to meet these by means of good, that is, by means of charity, and adjusts and fits this in to the knowledges of faith, that is, to its truths; for all truths are recipient vessels of good, and therefore the more genuine the truths are, and the more they are multiplied, the more abundantly can good accept them as vessels, reduce them to order, and finally manifest itself; so that at last the truths do not appear, except insofar as good shines through them. In this way truth becomes the celestial spiritual.

As the Lord is present solely in the good which is of charity, the man is in this way conjoined with the Lord, and by means of good, that is, by means of charity, is gifted with conscience, from which he afterwards thinks what is true and does what is right; but this conscience is in accordance with the truths and right things into which the good or charity is adjusted and fitted.

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