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 #2575

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2575. Behold I have given to thy brother a thousand of silver. That this signifies an infinite abundance of rational truth adjoined to good, is evident from the signification of a “thousand,” as being much and countless; here infinite, or an infinite abundance, because predicated of the Lord (concerning which signification see below); from the signification of “silver,” as being rational truth (see n. 1551, 2048); and from the signification of “brother,” as being celestial good adjoined to rational truth, as a brother to a sister (n. 2524, 2557). From all this it is evident that “I have given to thy brother a thousand of silver” signifies an infinite abundance of rational truth adjoined to good. Its being given to good, which is the “brother,” but not to truth, is because truth is from good, not good from truth. (Concerning this infinite abundance, see above, n. 2572.)

[2] That in the Word a “thousand” signifies much and countless, and when predicated of the Lord what is infinite, is manifest from the following passages.

In Moses:

I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate Me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments (Exodus 20:5-6; 34:7; Deuteronomy 5:9-10).

And in Jeremiah:

Jehovah showeth mercy unto thousands, and recompenseth the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their sons after them (Jeremiah 32:18).

In these passages by “thousands” is not signified any definite number, but what is infinite, for the Lord’s mercy is infinite, because Divine.

In David:

The chariots of God are two myriads, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them, Sinai in holiness (Psalms 68:17); where “myriads” and “thousands” denote things innumerable.

[3] In the same:

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and a myriad at thy right hand; it shall not come nigh thee (Psalms 91:7); where also a “thousand” and a “myriad” denote things innumerable; and as it is concerning the Lord, who in the Psalms is meant by “David,” they denote all who are His enemies. In the same:

Our garners are full, affording all manner of food, our flocks bring forth a thousand and ten thousand in our streets (Psalms 144:13); where also a “thousand,” and “ten thousand,” that is, a myriad, denote things innumerable. In the same:

A thousand years in Thine eyes are as yesterday when it is past (Psalms 90:4);

a “thousand years” denote what is without time, and therefore eternity, which is infinity of time.

In Isaiah:

One thousand from before the rebuke of one, from before the rebuke of five shall ye flee, until ye be left as a mast upon the top of a mountain (Isaiah 30:17); where “one thousand” denotes many without any definite number; and “five” a few (n. 649).

In Moses:

Jehovah the God of your fathers make you a thousand times as many more as ye are, and bless you (Deuteronomy 1:11); where a “thousand times” denotes numberless, as in common speech, in which also a “thousand” is used for many; as when it is said that a thing has been said a thousand times, or done in a thousand ways. In like manner in Joshua:

One man of you shall chase a thousand, for Jehovah your God fighteth for you (Josh. 23:10).

[4] As in computation a “thousand” is a definite number, it appears in the prophecies, especially when connected with history, as if a “thousand” meant simply a thousand, when yet it signifies many or innumerable, apart from any fixed number; for historical matters are of such a nature as to determine the ideas into the nearest and proper significations of the words, as also to the names given; when yet real things are signified in the Word by numbers as well as by names (as is evident from what has been shown before, n. 482, 487, 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252). Hence also it is supposed by some that by the “thousand years” in the Revelation (Revelation 20:1-7) there are meant a thousand years or a thousand periods, for the reason as already said that things prophetic are there described under the form of history; when yet by the “thousand years” nothing is there meant except an indeterminate large amount, as elsewhere also infinity of time, or eternity.

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