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 #2538

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2538. Know thou that dying thou shalt die. That this signifies that there will be no doctrine of truth and good, is also evident from what was said above (n. 2516); where also the words are similar. In like manner that “all that are thine” signifies all the things that are of it, namely, of the doctrine, together. That in the internal sense “all” signifies everything or all things, is because in the Word persons signify actual things; and thus “all that belonged to Abimelech” signifies everything or all things that are of doctrine. From all this then it is evident what is the internal sense of the words in this verse; namely, that He should render up the spiritual truth of doctrine without taint from the rational, and that thereby it would be taught and revealed to Him, and thus doctrine would have life; but that if He should not render up spiritual truth without taint from the rational, the doctrine of truth and good would become null and void in respect to each and all things of it.

[2] In regard to doctrine the case is this: Insofar as there is what is human (that is, what is of sense, of memory-knowledge, and of the rational) as the ground of belief, so far the doctrine is null and void. But insofar as what is of sense, of memory-knowledge, and of the rational is removed, that is, insofar as doctrine is believed without these things, so far doctrine lives; for so far the Divine flows in. It is that which is proper to the human that hinders the influx and the reception. But it is one thing to believe from what is of the rational, of memory-knowledge, and of sense (that is, to consult such things in order to believe), and quite another thing to confirm and corroborate by means of things rational, of memory-knowledge, and of sense, that which is believed. What the difference is will be made plain in what follows; for these things also are treated of in this chapter in the internal sense.

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