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Postanak 19

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1 Ona dva anđela stignu navečer u Sodomu dok je Lot sjedio na vratima Sodome. Kad ih Lot ugleda, ustade i pođe im u susret. Nakloni se licem do zemlje,

2 a onda im reče: "Molim, gospodo, svrnite u kuću svoga sluge da noć provedete i noge operete; a onda možete na put rano." A oni rekoše: "Ne, noć ćemo provesti na trgu."

3 Ali ih on uporno navraćaše, i oni se uvratiše k njemu i uđoše u njegovu kuću. On ih ugosti, ispeče pogaču te blagovaše.

4 Još ne bijahu legli na počinak, kad građani Sodome, mladi i stari, sav narod do posljednjeg čovjeka, opkole kuću.

5 Zovnu Lota pa mu reknu: "Gdje su ljudi što su noćas došli k tebi? Izvedi nam ih da ih se namilujemo?"

6 Lot iziđe k njima na ulaz, a za sobom zatvori vrata.

7 "Braćo moja," reče on, "molim vas, ne činite toga zla!

8 Imam, evo, dvije kćeri s kojima još čovjek nije imao dodira: njih ću vam izvesti pa činite s njima što želite; samo ovim ljudima nemojte ništa učiniti jer su došli pod sjenu moga krova."

9 "Odstupi odatle!" - rekoše. - "Došao kao dotepenac, a za suca se već postavlja. Sad ćemo mi s tobom gore nego s njima." I nasrnuše na jadnika Lota i navališe na vrata da ih razbiju.

10 Ali ona dvojica pruže ruke van, povukoše Lota k sebi u kuću i zatvore vrata;

11 a ljude pred vratima, mlade i stare, zabliješte tako da nisu mogli naći vrata.

12 Onda ona dvojica upitaju Lota: "Koga još ovdje imaš: sinove i kćeri, sve koje imaš u gradu iz mjesta izvedi!

13 Jer mi ćemo zatrti ovo mjesto: vika je na njih pred Jahvom postala tolika te nas Jahve posla da ga uništimo."

14 Iziđe Lot da to kaže svojima budućim zetovima koji namjeravahu uzeti njegove kćeri te reče: "Na noge! Odlazite iz ovog mjesta jer će Jahve uništiti grad!" Ali je u očima svojih budućih zetova ispao kao da zbija šalu.

15 Kako zora puče, anđeli navale na Lota govoreći: "Na noge! Uzmi svoju ženu i svoje dvije kćeri koje su ovdje da ne budeš zatrt kaznom grada!"

16 Ali on oklijevaše. Zato ga oni uzeše za ruku, a tako i njegovu ženu i njegove dvije kćeri i - po smilovanju Jahvinu nad njim - odvedoše ih i ostaviše izvan grada.

17 Kad ih izvedoše u polje, jedan progovori: "Bježi da život spasiš! Ne obaziri se niti se igdje u ravnici zaustavljaj! Bježi u brdo da ne budeš zatrt!"

18 Ali Lot odvrati: "Nemoj, gospodine!

19 Nego ako je tvoj sluga našao milost u tvojim očima - a toliko milosrđe već si mi iskazao spasivši mi život - ja ne mogu pobjeći u brdo a da me nesreća ne snađe i ne poginem.

20 Eno onamo grada; dosta je blizu da u nj pobjegnem, a mjesto je tako malo. Daj da onamo bježim - mjesto je zbilja maleno - daj da život spasim!"

21 Odgovori mu: "Uslišat ću ti i tu molbu i neću zatrti grada o kojemu govoriš.

22 Brzo! Bježi onamo, jer ne mogu ništa činiti dok ti onamo ne stigneš." Zato se onaj grad zove Soar.

23 Kako je sunce na zemlju izlazilo i Lot ulazio u Soar,

24 Jahve zapljušti s neba na Sodomu i Gomoru sumpornim ognjem

25 i uništi one gradove i svu onu ravnicu, sve žitelje gradske i sve raslinstvo na zemlji.

26 A Lotova se žena obazre i pretvori se u stup soli.

27 Sutradan u rano jutro Abraham se požuri na mjesto gdje je stajao pred Jahvom,

28 upravi pogled prema Sodomi i Gomori i svoj ravnici u daljini: i vidje kako se diže dim nad zemljom kao dim kakve klačine.

29 Tako se Bog, dok je zatirao gradove u ravnici u kojima je Lot boravio, sjetio Abrahama i uklonio Lota ispred propasti.

30 Lot se bojao boraviti u Soaru, pa sa svoje dvije kćeri ode gore iz Soara i nastani se u brdu. On i njegove dvije kćeri živjeli su u pećini.

31 Starija reče mlađoj: "Otac nam ostarje, a muža na zemlji nema da bude s nama, kako je običaj po svem svijetu.

32 Hajdemo oca opiti vinom, pa s njime leći: tako ćemo s ocem sačuvati potomstvo."

33 One noći opiju oca vinom, i starija ode te legne sa svojim ocem, a on nije znao kad je legla ni kad je ustala.

34 Sutradan starija reče mlađoj: "Sinoć sam, eto, ležala ja s našim ocem; napojimo ga vinom i noćas, pa idi ti i s njim lezi: tako ćemo ocu sačuvati potomstvo."

35 Opiju oca vinom i one noći te mlađa ode i s njim legne, a on nije znao kad je legla ni kad je ustala.

36 Tako obje Lotove kćeri zanesu s ocem.

37 Starija rodi sina i nadjenu mu ime Moab. On je praotac današnjih Moabaca.

38 I mlađa rodi sina i nadjene mu ime Ben-Ami. On je praotac današnjih Amonaca.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #10300

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10300. Salted. That this signifies the longing of truth for good, is evident from the signification of “salt,” as being that longing for good which is of the love of truth (of which below); hence “salted” denotes that in which is this longing. The reason why there must be a longing of truth for good is that this longing is conjunctive of the two; for insofar as truth longs for good, so far it is conjoined with it. The conjunction of truth and good is what is called the heavenly marriage, which is heaven itself with man; and therefore when in Divine worship, and in each and all things of it, there is a longing for this conjunction, heaven is in each and all things there. Thus the Lord is in them. This is signified by the requirement that the incense should be salted. Salt has this signification from its conjunctive nature; for it conjoins all things, and from this gives them relish; salt 1 even conjoins water and oil, which otherwise will not combine.

[2] When it is known that by “salt” is signified a longing for the conjunction of truth and good, it can be known what is signified by the Lord’s words in Mark:

Everyone shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt; salt is good, but if the salt have lost its saltiness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves (Mark 9:49-50).

“Everyone shall be salted with fire” denotes that everyone will long from genuine love; “every sacrifice shall be salted with salt” denotes that there shall be in all worship a longing from genuine love; “salt without saltiness” signifies a longing from some other love than genuine love; “to have salt in themselves” denotes the longing of truth for good. (That “fire” denotes love, see n. 4906, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 10055; and that “sacrifice” denotes worship in general, n. 922, 6905, 8680, 8936.) Who can know what it is to be salted with fire, and why the sacrifice should be salted, and what it is to have salt in themselves, unless it is known what is meant by fire, salt, and by being salted?

[3] In like manner in Luke:

Whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all his possessions, he cannot be My disciple. Salt is good; but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is fit neither for the land, nor for the dunghill: they shall cast it out (Luke 14:33, 35).

“To renounce all his possessions” denotes to love the Lord above all things; “his possessions” denote the things which are man’s own; “salt that has lost its savor” denotes a longing from what is one’s own, thus from the love of self and the world: such a longing is “salt without savor,” not fit for anything. So also in Matthew:

Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is no longer fit for anything but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot by men (Matthew 5:13-14).

[4] That in all worship there must be a longing of truth for good is also signified by the law that every offering of the meat offering should be salted; and that upon every offering there should be the salt of the covenant of Jehovah (Leviticus 2:13). By the “meat offering,” and the “offering,” which is sacrifice, is signified worship, as above; and salt is there called “the salt of the covenant of Jehovah,” because by a “covenant” is signified conjunction (n. 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778, 9396, 9416). Moreover, longing is the very ardor of love, thus its continuity; and love is spiritual conjunction.

[5] As the longing of truth for good conjoins, so the longing of falsity for evil disjoins, and that which disjoins also destroys; consequently by “salt” in the opposite sense is signified the destruction and devastation of truth and good, as in Jeremiah:

Cursed is the man that maketh flesh his arm; he shall not see when good cometh, but shall dwell in parched places, in a salt land which is not inhabited (Jeremiah 17:5-6).

“To make flesh his arm” denotes to trust in one’s self, thus in what is one’s own, and not in the Divine (n. 10283); and as one’s own consists in loving self more than God and the neighbor, it is the love of self which is thus described: hence it said that “he shall not see when good cometh,” and that “he shall dwell in parched places, and in a salt land,” that is, in filthy loves and their longings, which have destroyed the good and truth of the church.

[6] In Zephaniah:

It shall be as Gomorrah; a place left to the nettle, and a pit of salt, and a waste forever (Zeph. 2:9).

“A place left to the nettle” denotes the ardor and burning of the life of man from the love of self; “a pit of salt” denotes a longing for what is false, which, as it destroys truth and good, is called “a waste forever.” It is said that it shall be “as Gomorrah,” because by “Gomorrah and Sodom” is signified the love of self (n. 2220).

[7] That Lot’s wife was turned into a statue of salt, because she turned her face to these cities (Genesis 19:26), signified the vastation of truth and good; for in the internal sense to “turn the face to anything” denotes to love (n. 10189); hence it is that the Lord says:

Let him not turn back to what is behind him; remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:31-32).

The whole land thereof shall be sulphur, and salt, and a burning, according to the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah (Deuteronomy 29:22).

By “land” here, as elsewhere in the Word, is meant the church (see at the places cited in n. 9325).

[8] From this then it was that the cities which were no longer to be inhabited were after their destruction sown with salt (Judges 9:45). From all this it is evident that by “salt” in the genuine sense is signified the longing of truth for good, thus what is conjunctive; and in the opposite sense, the longing of falsity for evil, thus what is destructive.

[9] He therefore who knows that “salt” denotes the longing of truth for good and their capability of conjunction, is able to know also what is signified by the waters of Jericho being healed by Elisha by casting in salt into their outlet (2 Kings 2:10-22); for by Elisha, as by Elijah, was represented the Lord in respect to the Word (n. 2762, 8029); and by “waters” are signified the truths of the Word; by the “waters of Jericho” the truths of the Word in the sense of the letter, and likewise by the “outlet of the waters;” and by “salt” is signified the longing of truth for good, and the conjunction of both; whence comes healing.

Footnotes:

1. Probably here used in an old sense to include alkalies. [Reviser.]

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