The Bible

 

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 #3103

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3103. 'And the man took a gold nose-jewel' means Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a gold nose-jewel' as good, and here, since the Lord is the subject in the internal sense, as Divine Good, which, since it comes from the Rational, is called 'the man'. For 'a man' means the rational, see 265, 749, 1007. In ancient times when forms of worship in Churches were representative and people knew what those forms meant, it was customary when initiating marriages to give a gold nose-jewel and bracelets to the bride because the Church was represented by the bride, its good by 'the nose-jewel' and its truth by 'the bracelets'. They did so because it was well known that conjugial love as it existed with a bride and wife came down from the marriage of the Lord's Divine Good and Divine Truth, see 2508, 2618, 2727-2729. The gold jewel was placed on the nose, as is evident also from where it is said later on that the servant put the jewel on her nose, verse 47, because 'the nose' meant the life of good. It had this meaning because the nose is used for breathing, which in the internal sense means life, and also for smelling, which means the delight of love, namely good, 96, 97.

[2] As regards 'a nose-jewel' being a sign of the good involved in marriage, this is also clear from other places in the Word, as in Ezekiel,

I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your hands and a chain on your neck, and I put a jewel on your nose. Ezekiel 16:11-12.

This refers to the Ancient Church, meant by Jerusalem here and described as a bride to whom bracelets, a chain, and a nose-jewel were given. 'Bracelets on the hands' were a representative sign of truth, 'a jewel on the nose' a representative sign of good. In Isaiah,

Because the daughters of Zion are haughty the Lord will make bald the crown of their heads, and will take away the rings and the nose-jewels, the changes of clothes, the robes. Isaiah 3:16-18, 21-22.

'The daughters of Zion that are haughty' stands for affections for evil within the Church, 2362, 3024. 'The rings and the nose-jewels' that will be removed stands for good and the signs of it. 'The changes of clothes' and 'the robes' stand for truth and the signs of it. In Hosea,

I will visit on her the days of the baals to whom she burned incense and decked herself with her nose-jewel and her other jewellery and went after her lovers. Hosea 2:13.

This refers to the perverted Church and to the new one following it. 'Nose-jewel' also stands for a sign of the good of the Church. When those jewels were fitted to the ears they again meant good, though good put into practice, and in the contrary sense evil put into practice, as in Genesis 35:4; Exodus 32:2, 4.

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