The Bible

 

Postanak 2

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1 Tako bude dovršeno nebo i zemlja sa svom svojom vojskom.

2 I sedmoga dana Bog dovrši svoje djelo koje učini. I počinu u sedmi dan od svega djela koje učini.

3 I blagoslovi Bog sedmi dan i posveti, jer u taj dan počinu od svega djela svoga koje učini.

4 To je postanak neba i zemlje, tako su stvarani. Kad je Jahve, Bog, sazdao nebo i zemlju,

5 još nije bilo nikakva poljskoga grmlja po zemlji, još ne bijaše niklo nikakvo poljsko bilje, jer Jahve, Bog, još ne pusti dažda na zemlju i nije bilo čovjeka da zemlju obrađuje.

6 Ipak, voda je izvirala iz zemlje i natapala svu površinu zemaljsku.

7 Jahve, Bog, napravi čovjeka od praha zemaljskog i u nosnice mu udahne dah života. Tako postane čovjek živa duša.

8 I Jahve, Bog, zasadi vrt na istoku, u Edenu, i u nj smjesti čovjeka koga je napravio.

9 Tada Jahve, Bog, učini te iz zemlje nikoše svakovrsna stabla - pogledu zamamljiva a dobra za hranu - i stablo života, nasred vrta, i stablo spoznaje dobra i zla.

10 Rijeka je izvirala iz Edena da bi natapala vrt; odatle se granala u četiri kraka.

11 Prvom je ime Pišon, a optječe svom zemljom havilskom, u kojoj ima zlata.

12 Zlato je te zemlje dobro, a ima ondje i bdelija i oniksa.

13 Drugoj je rijeci ime Gihon, a optječe svu zemlju Kuš.

14 Treća je rijeka Tigris, a teče na istok od Ašura; četvrta je Eufrat.

15 Jahve, Bog, uzme čovjeka i postavi ga u edenski vrt da ga obrađuje i čuva.

16 Jahve, Bog, zapovjedi čovjeku: "Sa svakoga stabla u vrtu slobodno jedi,

17 ali sa stabla spoznaje dobra i zla da nisi jeo! U onaj dan u koji s njega okusiš, zacijelo ćeš umrijeti!"

18 I reče Jahve, Bog: "Nije dobro da čovjek bude sam: načinit ću mu pomoć kao što je on."

19 Tada Jahve, Bog, načini od zemlje sve životinje u polju i sve ptice u zraku i predvede ih čovjeku da vidi kako će koju nazvati, pa kako koje stvorenje čovjek prozove, da mu tako bude ime.

20 Čovjek nadjene imena svoj stoci, svim pticama u zraku i životinjama u polju. No čovjeku se ne nađe pomoć kao što je on.

21 Tada Jahve, Bog, pusti tvrd san na čovjeka te on zaspa, pa mu izvadi jedno rebro, a mjesto zatvori mesom.

22 Od rebra što ga je uzeo čovjeku napravi Jahve, Bog, ženu pa je dovede čovjeku.

23 Nato čovjek reče: "Gle, evo kosti od mojih kostiju, mesa od mesa mojega! Ženom neka se zove, od čovjeka kad je uzeta!"

24 Stoga će čovjek ostaviti oca i majku da prione uza svoju ženu i bit će njih dvoje jedno tijelo.

25 A bijahu oboje goli - čovjek i njegova žena - ali ne osjećahu stida.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #8935

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8935. An altar of ground thou shalt make unto Me. That this signifies a representative of worship in general from good, is evident from the signification of “an altar,” as being the principal representative of the Lord, and consequently of the worship of Him (see n. 921, 2777, 2811, 4489, 4541); and from the signification of “ground,” as being good. That “ground” denotes good is because by “ground” is signified the church which is in good (n. 566). Hence Adam was said to be “from the ground” (Genesis 2:7; 3:19), for by him was signified the man of the celestial church, or the church which is in good (n. 478, 479). There are two things from which the worship of the Lord is effected; good and truth. Worship from good was represented by an altar of ground, but worship from truth was represented by an altar of stones; both kinds of altars are here treated of. These two things from which worship is effected are called faith and charity; worship from truth bears relation to faith, and worship from good to charity. As regards worship from faith and worship from charity, or from truth and from good, the case is this. Before a man is regenerated he is in worship from truth, but when he has been regenerated, he is in worship from good. For before a man has been regenerated he is led by means of truth to good, that is, by means of faith to charity; but when he has been regenerated he is in good and thence in truth; that is, he is in charity and thence in faith (n. 8516, 8539, 8643, 8648, 8658). These two kinds of worship are what are represented by altars of ground and of stone. (That an altar is the chief representative of the worship of the Lord, because thereon were made burnt-offerings and sacrifices, and these were the things in which the Divine worship of the Hebrew nation, and thus of the Israelitish and Jewish nation, chiefly consisted, see n. 923, 1343, 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830, 3519, 6905)

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #921

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921. And Noah builded an altar unto Jehovah. That this signifies a representative of the Lord, is evident from what has just been said. All the rites of the Ancient Church were representative of the Lord, as also the rites of the Jewish Church. But the principal representative in later times was the altar, and also the burnt-offering, which being made of clean beasts and clean birds, had its representation according to their signification, clean beasts signifying the goods of charity, and clean birds the truths of faith. When men of the Ancient Church offered these, they signified that they offered gifts of these goods and truths to the Lord. Nothing else can be offered to the Lord that will be grateful to Him. But their posterity, as the Gentiles and also the Jews, perverted these things, not even knowing that they had such a signification, and making their worship consist in the externals only.

[2] That the altar was the principal representative of the Lord, is evident from the fact that there were altars, even among Gentiles, before other rites were instituted, and before the ark was constructed, and before the temple was built. This is evident from Abram, as that when he came upon the mountain on the east of Bethel he raised an altar and called upon the name of Jehovah (Genesis 12:8); and afterwards he was commanded to offer Isaac for a burnt-offering on an altar (Genesis 22:2, 9). So Jacob built an altar at Luz, or Bethel (Genesis 35:6-7); and Moses built an altar under Mount Sinai, and sacrificed (Exodus 24:4-6). All this was before the [Jewish] sacrifices were instituted, and before the ark was constructed at which worship was afterwards performed in the wilderness. That there were altars likewise among the Gentiles, is evident from Balaam, who said to Balak that he should build seven altars and prepare seven bullocks and seven rams (Numbers 23:1-7, 14-18, 29-30); and also from its being commanded that the altars of the nations should be destroyed (Deuteronomy 7:5; Judges 2:2). Thus Divine worship by altars and sacrifices was not a new thing instituted with the Jews. Indeed altars were built before men had any idea of slaying oxen and sheep upon them, but as memorials.

[3] That altars signify a representative of the Lord, and burnt-offerings the worship of Him thereby, is plainly evident in the Prophets, as also in Moses when it is said of Levi, to whom the priesthood belonged:

They shall teach Jacob Thy judgments, and Israel Thy law; they shall put incense in Thy nostrils, and whole burnt-offering upon Thine altar (Deuteronomy 33:10),

meaning all worship; for “to teach Jacob judgments, and Israel the law” denotes internal worship; and “to put incense in Thy nostrils, and whole burnt-offering on Thine altar” denotes corresponding external worship.

In Isaiah:

In that day shall a man look unto his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel; and he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hand (Isaiah 17:7-8),

where “looking to the altars” plainly signifies representative worship in general, which was to be abolished. Again:

In that day shall there be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to Jehovah (Isaiah 19:19),

where also “an altar” stands for external worship.

[4] In Jeremiah:

The Lord hath cast off His altar, He hath abhorred His sanctuary (Lamentations 2:7);

“altar” denoting representative worship which had become idolatrous.

In Hosea:

Because Ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin, altars have been unto him to sin (Hosea 8:11);

“altars” denote here all representative worship separate from internal, thus what is idolatrous. Again:

The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed; the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars (Hosea 10:8), where “altars” denote idolatrous worship.

In Amos:

In the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will also visit the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off (Amos 3:14),

where again “altars” denote representative worship become idolatrous.

[5] In David:

Let them bring me unto the mountain of Thy holiness, and to Thy tabernacles. And I will go unto the altar of God, unto God the gladness of my joy (Psalms 43:3-4), where “altar” manifestly denotes the Lord.

Thus the building of an altar in the Ancient and in the Jewish Church was for a representative of the Lord. As the worship of the Lord was performed principally by burnt-offerings and sacrifices, and thus these things signified principally representative worship, it is evident that the altar itself signifies this representative worship itself.

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