The Bible

 

Postanak 11

Study

   

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 #1368

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

1368. That 'Ur of the Chaldeans' means external worship containing falsities is clear from the meaning of 'the Chaldeans' in the Word. At verse 9 above it has been shown that 'Babel' means worship which interiorly contains evils, whereas 'Chaldea' means worship which interiorly contains falsities. Consequently Babel means worship which inwardly contains no trace of good and Chaldea worship which inwardly contains no trace of truth. Worship which inwardly contains no trace of good and no trace of truth is worship which interiorly contains what is unholy and idolatrous. That such worship is meant in the Word by 'Chaldea' becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

Behold, the land of the Chaldeans! This people is not. Asshur founded her in the tziim. They will erect their watch-towers, they will raise up her palaces; he will make her into a ruin. Isaiah 23:13.

'The land of the Chaldeans who are not a people' stands for falsities, 'Asshur founded' for reasonings, 'watch-towers' for delusions. In the same prophet,

Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, For your sake I have sent into Babel and have broken down all the bars, and the Chaldeans in whose ships there is shouting. Isaiah 43:14.

'Babel' stands for worship which interiorly contains evil, 'the Chaldeans' for worship which interiorly contains falsity. 'Ships' means cognitions of truth that have been perverted.

[2] In the same prophet, sit in silence and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans, for no more will they call you the mistress of kingdoms. I was angry with My people, I rendered My heritage unholy, and I gave them into your hand These two things will come to you suddenly in one day - loss of children and widowhood. In full measure they will come upon you on account of the multitude of your sorceries, and on account of the greatness of your enchantments. Isaiah 47:5-6, 9.

Here it is evident that 'Chaldea' means profanation of truth and is called 'sorceries and enchantments'. In the same prophet,

Go away out of Babel, flee from the Chaldeans. Isaiah 48:20.

This stands for flight from profaning good and truth in worship. In Ezekiel,

Make known to Jerusalem her abominations; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. You committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt. You committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur. Hence you multiplied your whoredom even into the land of Chaldea. Ezekiel 16:2-3, 26, 28-29.

This refers to the Jewish Church in particular. 'The sons of Egypt' stands for facts, 'the sons of Asshur' for reasonings, 'the land of Chaldea into which it multiplied its whoredom' for the profanation of truth.

Anyone may see that Egypt, Asshur, and Chaldea are not used to mean countries, and that no other kind of whoredom is being referred to.

[3] In the same prophet,

Oholah committed whoredom and doted on her lovers, the Assyrians her neighbours. And she did not give up her acts of whoredom brought from Egypt. She added to her acts of whoredom. And she saw men; it was portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans painted in vermilion, girded with belts on their loins, with dyed flowing turbans on their heads, all of them leaders in appearance, the likeness of the sons of Babel, the Chaldeans, the land of their nativity. She loved them passionately as soon as she set eyes on them and she sent messengers to them in Chaldea. The sons of Babel defiled her by means of their acts of whoredom. Ezekiel 23:5, 8, 14-17.

Here 'the Chaldeans', called 'the sons of Babel', stands for truths that have been profaned in worship. 'Oholah' stands for the spiritual Church which is called 'Samaria'. 1

In Habakkuk,

I am rousing the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation, marching into the breadths of the earth, to possess habitations that are not its own. A dreadful and terrible nation; and from itself proceeds its judgement and its pride. Its horses are swifter than leopards, and sharper than the evening wolves. Its horsemen spread out, and its horsemen come from afar. They fly in like an eagle hastening to devour. The whole [nation] comes for violence; the panting desire of its face 2 is set towards the east. Habakkuk 1:6, 9.

Here the Chaldean nation is described by means of many representatives meaning the circumstances in which truth is profaned in worship.

A further description of Babel and Chaldea is given in two whole chapters - in Jeremiah 50, 51 - where it is plainly evident what they both mean. There Babel plainly means in worship the profanation of celestial things and Chaldea the profanation of spiritual things. From these considerations it is now clear what is meant by 'Ur of the Chaldeans', that it is external worship which interiorly contains what is unholy and idolatrous. I have also been allowed to learn from these people themselves that their worship was such.

Footnotes:

1Ezekiel 23:4 identifies Oholah with Samaria.

2. literally, faces

  
/ 10837  
  

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