The Bible

 

Postanak 18

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1 Jahve mu se ukaza kod hrasta Mamre dok je on sjedio na ulazu u šator za dnevne žege.

2 Podigavši oči, opazi tri čovjeka gdje stoje nedaleko od njega. Čim ih spazi, potrča s ulaza šatora njima u susret. Pade ničice na zemlju

3 pa reče: "Gospodine moj, ako sam stekao milost u tvojim očima, nemoj mimoići svoga sluge!

4 Nek' se donese malo vode: operite noge i pod stablom otpočinite.

5 Donijet ću kruha da se okrijepite prije nego pođete dalje. TÓa k svome ste sluzi navratili." Oni odgovore: "Dobro, učini kako si rekao!"

6 Abraham se požuri u šator k Sari pa joj reče: "Brzo! Tri mjerice najboljeg brašna! Zamijesi i prevrtu ispeci!"

7 Zatim Abraham otrča govedima, uhvati tele, mlado i debelo, i dade ga momku da ga brže zgotovi.

8 Poslije uzme masla, mlijeka i zgotovljeno tele pa stavi pred njih, a sam stajaše pred njima, pod stablom, dok su blagovali.

9 "Gdje ti je žena Sara?" - zapitaju ga. "Eno je pod šatorom", odgovori.

10 Onda on reče: "Vratit ću se k tebi kad isteče vrijeme trudnoće; a tvoja žena Sara imat će sina." Iza njega, na ulazu u šator, Sara je prisluškivala.

11 Abraham i Sara bijahu u odmakloj dobi, ostarjeli. U Sare bijaše prestalo što biva u žena.

12 Zato se u sebi Sara smijala i govorila: "Pošto sam uvenula, sad da spoznam nasladu? A još mi je i gospodar star!"

13 Onda Jahve upita Abrahama: "A zašto se Sara smijala i govorila: 'Kako ću rod roditi ja starica?'

14 Zar je Jahvi išta nemoguće? Navratit ću se k tebi kad isteče vrijeme trudnoće: Sara će imati sina."

15 Sara se napravi nevještom govoreći: "Nisam se smijala." Jer se prestrašila. Ali on reče: "Jesi, smijala si se!"

16 Ljudi ustanu i krenu put Sodome. Abraham pođe s njima da ih isprati.

17 Jahve pomisli: "Zar da sakrivam od Abrahama što ću učiniti

18 kad će od Abrahama nastati velik i brojan narod te će se svi narodi zemlje njim blagoslivljati?

19 Njega sam izlučio zato da pouči svoju djecu i svoju buduću obitelj kako će hoditi putem Jahvinim, radeći što je dobro i pravedno, tako da Jahve mogne ostvariti što je Abrahamu obećao."

20 Onda Jahve nastavi: "Velika je vika na Sodomu i Gomoru da je njihov grijeh pretežak.

21 Idem dolje da vidim rade li zaista kako veli tužba što je do mene stigla. Želim razvidjeti."

22 Odande ljudi krenu prema Sodomi, dok je Abraham još stajao pred Jahvom.

23 Nato se Abraham primače bliže i reče: "Hoćeš li iskorijeniti i nevinoga s krivim?

24 Možda ima pedeset nevinih u gradu. Zar ćeš uništiti mjesto radije nego ga poštedjeti zbog pedeset nevinih koji budu ondje?

25 Daleko to bilo od tebe da ubijaš nevinoga kao i krivoga, tako da i nevini i krivi prođu jednako! Daleko bilo od tebe! Zar da ni Sudac svega svijeta ne radi pravo?"

26 "Ako nađem u gradu Sodomi pedeset nevinih", odvrati Jahve, "zbog njih ću poštedjeti cijelo mjesto."

27 "Ja se, evo, usuđujem govoriti Gospodinu", opet progovori Abraham. - "Ja, prah i pepeo!

28 Da slučajno bude nevinih pet manje od pedeset, bi li uništio sav grad zbog tih pet?" "Neću ga uništiti ako ih ondje nađem četrdeset i pet", odgovori.

29 "Ako ih se ondje možda nađe samo četrdeset?" - opet će Abraham. "Neću to učiniti zbog četrdesetorice", odgovori.

30 "Neka se Gospodin ne ljuti ako nastavim. Ako ih se ondje nađe možda samo trideset?" - opet će on. "Neću to učiniti", odgovori, "ako ih ondje nađem samo trideset."

31 "Evo se opet usuđujem govoriti Gospodinu", nastavi dalje. "Ako ih se slučajno ondje nađe samo dvadeset?" "Neću ga uništiti", odgovori, "zbog dvadesetorice."

32 "Neka se Gospodin ne ljuti", on će opet, "ako rečem još samo jednom: Ako ih je slučajno ondje samo deset?" "Neću ga uništiti zbog njih deset", odgovori.

33 Kad je Jahve završio razgovor s Abrahamom, ode, a Abraham se vrati u svoje mjesto.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2173

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2173. That 'Sarah' here is the Lord as regards truth is clear from the representation of 'Sarah' as intellectual truth allied to good, and here as rational truth, for the same reason as has just been stated in reference to 'Abraham'; for 'Sarah' represents truth, see what has been stated already in 1468, 1901, 2063, 2065. In the historical sections of the Word good and truth cannot be represented by anything other than a marriage, for they go together as two that are married. Indeed a Divine Marriage exists between celestial and spiritual things, or what amounts to the same, between the things of love and those of faith; or what still amounts to the same, between things of the will and those of the understanding. Those of the will are forms of good, those of the understanding forms of truth. Such a marriage exists in the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and such also exists in the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church. Such a marriage exists in every individual, and in each part of him, indeed in the most individual parts of all. That which does not have its existence within such a marriage has no life. Indeed from this Divine Marriage such a marriage exists in the entire natural order and in each individual part of it - though it does so under a different shape and form - otherwise nothing would ever continue to exist there. Because such a marriage exists in each individual part, everything is described in the Prophets, especially in Isaiah, by a pair of expressions. The one expression has to do with that which is celestial or with good, the other with that which is spiritual or with truth, dealt with in 683, 793, 801. As regards the likeness of a marriage being present in every individual part, see 718, 747, 917, 1432. This explains why 'Abraham' represents the Lord's good, and 'Sarah' His truth.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2063

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2063. 'You will not call by her name Sarai, for Sarah will be her name' means that He will cast off the human and put on the Divine. This is clear from what has been stated at verse 5 above regarding Abraham, where it is said, 'No longer will your name be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham', words which in a similar way mean that He will cast off the human and put on the Divine, dealt with in 2009. Indeed the letter H added to Sarah's name was taken from the name of Jehovah, in order that Sarah, like Abraham, might represent the Lord's Divine, that is to say, in order that the Divine marriage of Good and Truth in the Lord might be represented - 'Abraham' being Divine Good and 'Sarah' Divine Truth. And from that marriage the Divine Rational, which is Isaac, was to be born.

[2] Divine Good, which in itself is love, and in relation to the entire human race is mercy, was the Lord's Internal, that is, Jehovah, who is Good itself. This Good is represented by 'Abraham'. Truth that was to be joined to Divine Good was represented by 'Sarai', but once this too has become Divine, it is represented by 'Sarah', for the Lord advanced towards union with Jehovah gradually, as mentioned in various places above. 'Sarai' represented truth not yet Divine - when it was still not so thoroughly united to Good that Good was the source of truth. But once it was so thoroughly united to Good that it stemmed from Good it was at that point Divine, and Truth itself was in that case also Good since it was truth inhering in Good. Truth tending towards good so that it may be united to good is one thing, while truth so united to good that it stems completely from good is another. Truth tending towards good is still drawing on something of what is human, but once it is united completely to good it casts aside everything that is human and takes on what is Divine.

[3] This matter, like others previously, can be illustrated by what occurs with man. When a person is being regenerated, that is, when he is to be joined to the Lord, he moves towards that conjunction by means of truth, that is, by means of the truths of faith, for nobody can be regenerated except by means of cognitions of faith, which are the truths by means of which he moves towards such conjunction. These truths the Lord goes to meet by way of good, that is, of charity, and introduces this charity into the cognitions of faith, that is, into its truths. For all truths are the recipient vessels of good; and therefore the more genuine the truths are and the more they are multiplied, the more abundantly is good able to accept them as vessels, to bring them into a state of order, and only then to reveal itself, doing so in the end in such a way that the truths are not seen, except insofar as good shines through them. In this way truth becomes celestial-spiritual. And since the Lord is present solely within the good that flows from charity, a person is in this manner joined to the Lord, and by means of good, that is, of charity, has conscience conferred on him, from which he then thinks what is true and does what is right. But this conscience is a conscience in keeping with the truths and the things that are right into which good or charity has been introduced.

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