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創世記 35

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1 雅各起來!上伯特利去,在那裡;要在那裡築一座,就是你逃避你哥哥以掃的時候向你顯現的那位。

2 雅各就對他家中的人並一切與他同在的人:你們要除掉你們中間的外邦,也要自潔,更換衣裳。

3 我們起來,上伯特利去,在那裡我要築一座給神,就是在我遭難的日子應允我的禱告、在我行的上保佑我的那位。

4 他們就把外邦人的像和他們耳朵上的環子交雅各雅各都藏在示劍那裡的橡樹

5 他們便起行前往。使那周圍城邑的人都甚驚懼,就不追趕雅各的眾子了。

6 於是雅各和一切與他同在的人到了迦南的路斯,就是伯特利

7 他在那裡築了一座,就給那地方起名伊勒伯特利(就是伯特利之的意思);因為他逃避他哥哥的時候,在那裡向他顯現。

8 利百加的奶母底波拉死了,就葬在伯特利邊橡樹底;那棵樹名亞倫巴古。

9 雅各從巴旦亞蘭回又向他顯現,賜福與他,

10 且對他:你的名原是雅各,從今以後不要再雅各,要以色列。這樣,他就改名以色列

11 又對他:我是全能的;你要生養眾多,將來有一族和多國的民從你而生,又有君從你而出。

12 我所賜亞伯拉罕以撒的,我要賜你與你的裔。

13 就從那與雅各說話地方升上去了。

14 雅各便在那裡立了一根柱,在柱子上奠酒,澆

15 雅各就給那地方起名伯特利

16 他們從伯特利起行,離以法他還有一段程,拉結臨產甚是艱難。

17 正在艱難的時候,收生婆對他:不要,你又要得一個兒子了。

18 他將近於靈魂要走的時候,就給他兒子起名便俄尼;他父親卻給他起名便雅憫。

19 拉結死了,葬在以法他旁;以法他就是伯利恆

20 雅各在他的墳上立了一統碑,就是拉結的墓碑,到今日還在。

21 以色列起行前往,在以得臺那邊支搭帳棚。

22 以色列住在那的時候,流便去與他父親的妾辟拉同寢,以色列見了。雅各共有十二個兒子。

23 利亞所生的是雅各長子流便,還有西緬、利未、猶大、以薩迦、西布倫。

24 拉結所生的是約瑟、便雅憫。

25 拉結的使女辟拉所生的是但、拿弗他利。

26 利亞的使女悉帕所生的是迦得、亞設。這是雅各在巴旦亞蘭所生的兒子。

27 雅各到他父親以撒那裡,到了基列亞巴的幔利,乃是亞伯拉罕以撒寄居的地方;基列亞巴就是希伯崙。

28 以撒共活了一八十歲。

29 以撒年紀老邁,日子滿足,氣絕而,歸到他列祖(原文作本民)那裡。他兩個兒子以掃雅各把他埋葬了。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2643

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2643. 'Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle sons?' means that by His own power the Lord implanted the Human within the Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' and also of 'Sarah', and from the meaning of 'suckling', and of 'sons'. It has been shown already that 'Abraham' represents Divine Good and 'Sarah' Divine Truth. 'Milk' means that which is spiritual from a celestial origin, that is, truth deriving from good, see 2184, so that 'suckling' means implanting that truth; And 'sons' means truths, here truths that exist in the Rational, as is clear from the meaning of 'sons', 489-491, 533. The reason why in the internal sense the words under consideration mean that the Lord by His own power implanted the Human within the Divine is that Divine Truth is one and the same as the Divine Human, and when in reference to this it is said 'to suckle sons for Abraham' the meaning is that He implanted the Human within the Divine; and as it was the Human He implanted, He did so by His own power. But scarcely any clearer and more intelligible explanation of these matters is possible. To say more would obscure still further what is meant; for these are Divine matters, which can be presented to angels alone by means of celestial and spiritual things. If presented to men in some more exalted manner those matters would fall into the material and bodily ideas which men possess.

[2] What is more, it should be recognized that it is the nature of the Lord's Divine Rational when it was first born that is being described by these words, 'God has made laughter for me; everyone that hears will laugh for me; and she said, Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle sons?' For this was in keeping with an ancient custom that when an infant was born it was given a name which served to mean the state; and at the same time a description of that state was added, as when Cain was born to Eve and Adam, Genesis 4:1, and when Seth was born to the same, Genesis 4:25; and as when Noah was born to Lamech, Genesis 5:29, Esau and Jacob to Isaac, Genesis 25:25-26, the twelve sons to Jacob, Genesis 29:32-35; 30:6, 8, 11, 13, 18, 20, 24; 35:18, Perez and Zerah to Tamar, Genesis 38:29-30, Manasseh and Ephraim to Joseph, Genesis 41:51-52, and Gershom and Eliezer to Moses, Exodus 2:22; 18:4. What all these represent, and what they mean in the internal sense, was embodied in the descriptions added to the names that were given. The same is the case here with what Isaac represents and means. What this name embodies is evident to some small extent from this brief explanation that has been given, but deeper arcana are nevertheless concealed there since they are Divine matters, which no sentences or phrases can be formed to express.

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