The Bible

 

Postanak 20

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1 Odande Abraham krene u krajeve Negeba i nastani se između Kadeša i Šura. Dok je boravio kao pridošlica u Geraru,

2 rekao je Abraham za svoju ženu Saru da mu je sestra. I Abimelek, kralj gerarski, uze Saru sebi.

3 Ali Bog dođe Abimeleku noću u snu te mu reče: "Zbog žene koju si uzeo moraš umrijeti, jer je ona žena udata."

4 A nije se Abimelek k njoj približavao. Zato reče: "Gospodine, zar ćeš pravednika pogubiti?

5 Zar mi on nije rekao: 'Ona mi je sestra.' A ona mi je sama rekla: 'On je moj brat.' Čiste sam savjesti i neokaljanih ruku ovo učinio."

6 Bog mu odvrati u snu: "Znam da si to učinio čiste savjesti; i ja sam te zadržavao da protiv mene ne griješiš; i nisam dopuštao da je dotakneš.

7 Sada vrati čovjeku ženu njegovu; prorok je on; molit će se za tebe da ostaneš na životu. Ako je ne vratiš, znaj da ćeš umrijeti, ti i svi tvoji."

8 Rano ujutro Abimelek ustane, sazove sve svoje sluge i kaže im sve što je bilo, a ljudi se veoma uplaše.

9 Potom Abimelek dozva Abrahama te mu reče: "Što si nam učinio! Čime sam se ja ogriješio prema tebi da izložiš mene i moje kraljevstvo velikoj grehoti? Ponio si se prema meni kako ne valja.

10 Što si, dakle na umu imao", upita dalje Abimelek, "kad si tako radio?"

11 Abraham uzvrati: "Zbilja sam držao da nema Božjeg straha u ovome mjestu, pa će me ljudi ubiti zbog moje žene.

12 A onda, ona je uistinu moja sestra: kći je moga oca, iako ne i moje majke, pa je pošla za me.

13 A kad me Bog udaljio od doma očeva, rekoh joj: Ovu mi uslugu učini: kamo god dođemo, reci o meni da sam ti brat."

14 Abimelek uzme ovaca i goveda, sluga i sluškinja pa ih dade Abrahamu; vrati mu i njegovu ženu Saru.

15 Abimelek zatim reče: "Evo, moja ti je zemlja otvorena. Nastani se gdje ti se svidi!"

16 A Sari reče: "Evo tisuću srebrnika što ih dajem tvome bratu: neka ti budu koprenom pred očima sviju što su s tobom. Ti si svakako opravdana."

17 Abraham se pomoli Bogu, i Bog ozdravi Abimeleka, njegovu ženu i njegove sluškinje, tako te opet mogahu rađati.

18 Jer Jahve bijaše zbog Sare, Abrahamove žene, zatvorio svaku utrobu u domu Abimelekovu.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2541

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2541. 'And called his servants' means rational concepts and factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'servants' in the Word, dealt with further on at verse 14, in 2567. Within the person who is in the Lord's kingdom, that is, who is the Lord's kingdom, there are celestial things, spiritual things, rational concepts, factual knowledge, and sensory impressions; and all these are ordered one beneath another. Celestial things and spiritual things hold the primary position and are the Lord's; rational concepts come next in order beneath them and are subservient to them; factual knowledge in turn comes beneath and serves rational concepts; and lastly sensory impressions come beneath and serve factual knowledge. The things which are subservient, or which serve, are in these relationships servants, and in the Word they are called 'servants'. Anyone whose thought is based solely on sensory impressions and factual knowledge is unaware of these things existing in their ordered sequence; and anyone who does know something about them nevertheless has only a very obscure idea because he is still immersed in bodily interests. Angels however have a very distinct idea, for thousands, indeed myriads, of distinct and separate ideas existing with angels do not present themselves to men except as one single obscure idea, as for example with the words that occur here, 'Abimelech called his servants and spoke all these words in their ears; and the men were very much afraid'. In these words angels perceive deeper arcana than man can possibly grasp or is indeed able to believe; that is to say, they perceive how the Lord brought rational concepts and factual knowledge into a condition of obedience, yet in such a way that He did not bring into that condition the rational concepts and the factual knowledge themselves but the affections rising up against the celestial and the spiritual things of doctrine; for it was when those affections had been brought into subjection that rational concepts and factual knowledge were brought into a condition of obedience and at the same time into order. These matters are to angels some of the most common and general; but to man they are perhaps some of the most obscure or are unintelligible.

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