The Bible

 

Postanak 11

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1 Sva je zemlja imala jedan jezik i riječi iste.

2 Ali kako su se ljudi selili s istoka, naiđu na jednu dolinu u zemlji Šinearu i tu se nastane.

3 Jedan drugome reče: "Hajdemo praviti opeke te ih peći da otvrdnu!" Opeke im bile mjesto kamena, a paklina im služila za žbuku.

4 Onda rekoše: "Hajde da sebi podignemo grad i toranj s vrhom do neba! Pribavimo sebi ime, da se ne raspršimo po svoj zemlji!"

5 Jahve se spusti da vidi grad i toranj što su ga gradili sinovi čovječji.

6 Jahve reče. "Zbilja su jedan narod, s jednim jezikom za sve! Ovo je tek početak njihovih nastojanja. Sad im ništa neće biti neostvarivo što god naume izvesti.

7 Hajde da siđemo i jezik im pobrkamo, da jedan drugome govora ne razumije."

8 Tako ih Jahve rasu odande po svoj zemlji te ne sazidaše grada.

9 Stoga mu je ime Babel, jer je ondje Jahve pobrkao govor svima u onom kraju i odande ih je Jahve raspršio po svoj zemlji.

10 Ovo su potomci Šemovi: Kad je Šemu bilo sto godina - dvije godine poslije Potopa - rodi mu se Arpakšad.

11 Po rođenju Arpakšadovu Šem je živio petsto godina te mu se rodilo još sinova i kćeri.

12 Kad je Arpakšadu bilo trideset i pet godina, rodi mu se Šelah.

13 Po rođenju Šelahovu Arpakšad je živio četiri stotine i tri godine te mu se rodilo još sinova i kćeri.

14 Kad je Šelahu bilo trideset godina, rodi mu se Eber.

15 Po rođenju Eberovu Šelah je živio četiri stotine i tri godine te mu se rodilo još sinova i kćeri.

16 Kad su Eberu bile trideset i četiri godine, rodi mu se Peleg.

17 Po rođenju Pelegovu Eber je živio četiri stotine i trideset godina te mu se rodilo još sinova i kćeri.

18 Kad je Pelegu bilo trideset godina, rodi mu se Reu.

19 Po rođenju Reuovu Peleg je živio dvjesta i devet godina te mu se rodilo još sinova i kćeri.

20 Kad su Reuu bile trideset i dvije godine, rodi mu se Serug.

21 Po rođenju Serugovu Reu je živio dvjesta i sedam godina te mu se rodilo još sinova i kćeri.

22 Kad je Serugu bilo trideset godina, rodi mu se Nahor.

23 Po rođenju Nahorovu Serug je živio dvjesta godina te mu se rodilo još sinova i kćeri.

24 Kad je Nahoru bilo dvadeset i devet godina, rodi mu se Terah.

25 Po rođenju Terahovu Nahor je živio sto i devetnaest godina te mu se rodilo još sinova i kćeri.

26 Kad je Terahu bilo sedamdeset godina, rode mu se: Abram, Nahor i Haran.

27 Ovo je povijest Terahova. Terahu se rodio Abram, Nahor i Haran; a Haranu se rodio Lot.

28 Haran umrije za života svoga oca Teraha, u svome rodnom kraju, u Uru Kaldejskom.

29 Abram se i Nahor ožene. Abramovoj ženi bijaše ime Saraja, a Nahorovoj Milka; ova je bila kći Harana, oca Milke i Jiske.

30 Saraja bijaše nerotkinja - nije imala poroda.

31 Terah povede svoga sina Abrama, svog unuka Lota, sina Haranova, svoju snahu Saraju, ženu svoga sina Abrama, pa se zaputi s njima iz Ura Kaldejskoga u zemlju kanaansku. Kad stignu do Harana, ondje se nastane.

32 Dob Terahova dosegnu dvjesta i pet godina; a onda Terah umrije u Haranu.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1345

Study this Passage

  
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1345. Verse 16 And Eber lived thirty-four years, and he begot Peleg. 'Eber lived thirty-four years' means the beginning of the fourth state of this Church, 'Eber' here, as previously, being the worship in general of this Church. 'And he begot Peleg' means a derivative from it, 'Peleg' being a nation so named from him as its forefather which means external worship.

[1345a] That 'Peleg' here means external worship follows from the sequence of derivations of worship, and so from his derivation. In verse 25 of the previous chapter where it is said that 'in his days the land was divided', this name had a different meaning, for the reason that there he and his brother Joktan together represented that Church.

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

Commentary

 

Reuben

  

'Reuben,' in the highest sense, signifies omniscience. In a spiritual sense, he signifies wisdom, intelligence, science, and faith. In a natural sense, he signifies sight. In Revelation 7:5, 'Reuben' signifies wisdom because he comes after Judah, who signifies celestial love, and celestial love produces wisdom because no love exists without its consort, which is science, intelligence, and wisdom. The consort of natural love is science, the consort of spiritual love is intelligence, and the consort of celestial love is wisdom. 'Reuben' signifies these things because he was named for 'seeing' or 'sight,' and spiritual-natural sight is science, spiritual sight is intelligence, and celestial sight is wisdom. Also, 'Reuben' was the firstborn of Jacob, and was therefore called his 'might, the beginning of [his] strength, excelling in eminence, and excelling in worth.' This is the nature of wisdom originating in celestial love. Because 'Reuben' was the firstborn, he represents and signifies the wisdom of the people of the church. This is why he urged his brothers not to kill Joseph, and grieved when Joseph was not found in the pit in Genesis 37:21, 22. This is also why his tribe camped in the south, and was called 'the camp of Reuben.' The south also signifies wisdom originating in love, which is people in this wisdom in heaven dwell to the south. 'The tribe of Reuben' in an opposite sense symbolizes wisdom divorced from love, and faith divorced from charity. This is why his father Israel cursed him in Genesis 49:3, 4. He was also deprived of his birthright in 1 Chronicles 5:1. For the same reason the tribe was given an inheritance across the Jordan and not in the land of Canaan. Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph's sons, were also acknowledged in place of Reuben and Simeon in Genesis 48:5. Nevertheless, he still retains the positive representation and symbolism of wisdom.

(References: Apocalypse Revealed 351; Numbers 2:10-16)