The Bible

 

創世記 20

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1 亞伯拉罕從那裡向南遷去,寄居在加低斯和書珥中間的基拉耳。

2 亞伯拉罕稱他的妻撒拉為妹子,基拉耳王亞比米勒差人把撒拉取了去。

3 但夜間,,在夢中對亞比米勒:你是個人哪!因為你取了那女人;他原是別人的妻子

4 亞比米勒卻還沒有親近撒拉;他:主阿,連有的國,你也要毀滅麼?

5 那人豈不是自己對我他是我的妹子麼?就是女人也自己:他是我的哥哥。我作這事是心正手潔的。

6 在夢中對他:我知道你作這事是心中正直;我也攔阻了你,免得你得罪我,所以我不容你沾著他。

7 現在你把這妻子歸還他;因為他是先知,他要為你禱告,使你存活。你若不歸還他,你當知道,你和你所有的都必要

8 亞比米勒清起來,召了眾臣僕來,將這些事都說給他們聽,他們都甚懼

9 亞比米勒召了亞伯拉罕來,對他:你怎麼向我這樣行呢?我在甚麼事上得罪了你,你竟使我和我國裡的人陷在罪裡?你向我行不當行的事了!

10 亞比米勒又對亞伯拉罕:你見了甚麼才做這事呢?

11 亞伯拉罕:我以為這地方的人總不懼怕,必為我妻子的緣故殺我。

12 況且他也實在是我的妹子;他與我是同父異母,後來作了我的妻子

13 叫我離開父家、飄流在外的時候,我對他:我們無論走到甚麼地方,你可以對人:他是我的哥哥;這就是你待我的恩典了。

14 亞比米勒把牛、、僕婢賜亞伯拉罕,又把他的妻子撒拉歸還他。

15 亞比米勒又:看哪,我的都在你面前,你可以隨意居住

16 又對撒拉:我哥哥子,作為你在閤家人面前遮羞(原文作眼)的,你就在眾人面前沒有不是了。

17 亞伯拉罕禱告就醫好了亞比米勒和他的妻子,並他的眾女僕,他們便能生育。

18 耶和華亞伯拉罕的妻子撒拉的緣故,已經使亞比米勒家中的婦人不能生育。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2553

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2553. Because I said, Surely there is no fear of God in this place. That this signifies the thought thence derived: that they would have no respect for spiritual truth in that state in which they were, is evident from the signification of the expression “fear of God,” as being respect for Divine or spiritual truth; and from the signification of “place,” as being state (see n. 1273-1275, 1377). The case herein is this: Man cannot apprehend any doctrine that is purely spiritual and celestial, that is, Divine, because it infinitely transcends his apprehension, and thus also his belief. All man’s thoughts are terminated in the natural things which are connected with his senses. Whatever is not said from and according to these natural things is not comprehended, but perishes, like sight that has no bound in some ocean or universe; and therefore if doctrinal matters were set forth before a man in any other manner, they would not be at all received, and thus no respect would be entertained for them; as may be sufficiently evident from everything in the Word, where for this very reason purely Divine things themselves are set forth naturally, nay, sensuously; as that Jehovah has ears, eyes, and a face; and that He has feelings like a man, such as anger, and so forth.

[2] This need was still greater at the time when the Lord came into the world, for then men did not know even what the celestial and the spiritual was, nor even that there was anything internal. Things merely earthly and worldly, and thus external, had full possession of their minds, as was the case with the apostles themselves, who imagined that the Lord’s kingdom would be like a kingdom of this world, and therefore asked that one might sit on His right hand and another on His left, and who long thought that they should sit upon twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel; not as yet being aware that in the other life they would not have ability to judge even the smallest thing of one man (n. 2129, at the end). His looking into this state of the human race was the reason of the Lord’s thinking at first whether the rational was to be consulted in the doctrine of faith; and this from His love, which was that the salvation of all might be provided for, and that the Word might not perish.

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