The Bible

 

创世记 28

Study

   

1 以撒雅各来,给他祝福,并嘱咐他:你不要娶迦南的女子为妻。

2 你起身往巴旦亚兰去,到你外祖彼土利家里,在你母舅拉班的女儿中娶一女为妻。

3 全能的神赐福给你,使你生养众多,成为多族,

4 将应许亚伯拉罕的福赐你和你的後裔,使你承受你所寄居的为业,就是亚伯拉罕的

5 以撒打发雅各走了,他就往巴旦亚兰去,到亚兰人彼土利的儿子拉班那里。拉班雅各以扫的母舅。

6 以扫以撒已经给雅各祝福,而且打发他往巴旦亚兰去,在那里娶妻,并见祝福的时候嘱咐他说:不要娶迦南的女子为妻,

7 又见雅各从父母的话往巴旦亚兰去了,

8 以扫就晓得他父亲以撒不中迦南的女子,

9 便往以实玛利那里去,在他二妻之外又娶了玛哈拉为妻。他是亚伯拉罕儿子以实玛利的女儿,尼拜约的妹子。

10 雅各出了别是巴,向哈兰走去;

11 到了一个地方,因为太阳落了,就在那里住宿,便拾起那地方的一块石头枕在头,在那里躺卧睡了,

12 梦见一个梯子立在上,梯子的顶着,有的使者在梯子上,上去来。

13 耶和华站在梯子以上(或作站在他旁边),:我是耶和华─你祖亚伯拉罕的,也是以撒的;我要将你现在所躺卧之你和你的後裔。

14 你的後裔必像上的尘沙那样多,必向东西开展;上万族必因你和你的後裔得福。

15 我也与你同在。你无论往那里去,我必保佑你,领你归回这地,总不离弃你,直到我成全了向你所应许的。

16 雅各睡醒了,耶和华真在这里,我竟不知道

17 就惧:这地方何等可畏!这不是别的,乃是的殿,也是

18 雅各起来,把所枕的石头立作柱子,浇在上面。

19 他就给那地方起名伯特利(就是神殿的意思);但那地方起先名路斯。

20 雅各许愿若与我同在,在我所行的上保佑我,又我食物衣服穿,

21 使我平平安安地回到我父亲的家,我就必以耶和华为我的

22 我所立为柱子的石头也必作的殿,凡你所赐我的,我必将十分之一献你。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3707

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

3707. 'And your seed will be as the dust of the earth' means that Divine natural Truth would be as natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as truth, dealt with immediately above in 3706, 'your seed' - that is, Jacob's - consequently meaning Divine natural Truth, for as shown above 'Jacob' represents the Lord's Divine Natural; and from the meaning of 'the dust of the earth' as good, dealt with in 1610. Consequently 'your seed will be as the dust of the earth' means in the internal sense that Divine natural Truth will be as Divine natural Good. The reason 'the dust of the earths means good is that 'the earth' means the Lord's kingdom and accordingly good, as shown just above in 3705. 'The dust of the earth' therefore means good, though natural good since the earth, as also shown in that place, means that which is lower in the Lord's kingdom, thus the natural, while heaven when mentioned as well means that which is interior, or the rational. This is why the fruitfulness of good and the multiplication of truth are described in various places by means of expressions stating that someone's seed will be as the stars of heaven and as the dust of the earth. 'The stars of heaven' in that case means rational concepts, and 'the dust of the earth' natural images, which will increase in this fashion. What is meant by natural truth becoming as natural good will in the Lord's Divine mercy be explained later on.

  
/ 10837  
  

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