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 #2554

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2554. They will kill me for my wife’s sake. That this signifies that thus the celestial things of faith also would perish, if they were to think that spiritual truth alone could be conjoined with celestial good, is evident from the signification of “killing,” as being to perish; and from the signification of “wife,” as being spiritual truth conjoined with celestial good (see n. 2507). This is another reason why the Lord thus thought, and is as follows. The Divine good, which is here called celestial good, is united as by a marriage to the Divine truth, which is here called spiritual truth (n. 2508); and although the Divine good is united in this manner to the Divine truth alone, it nevertheless flows into lower truths, and conjoins itself with them, but not as by a marriage; for it flows into rational truths which are only appearances of truth, and conjoins itself with them; nay, it flows into truths of sense and of memory-knowledge, which are scarcely anything but fallacies, and conjoins itself with these. Unless this were so, no man could possibly have been saved (see Part First,n. 1831-1832). That the Divine good might be conjoined with truths of reason and of memory-knowledge, and that man might thus be saved, was the purpose of the Lord’s coming into the world; for without the Lord’s Human made Divine there cannot possibly be any conjunction; whereas through Him there is conjunction.

[2] Besides this arcanum, there are still other arcana in the words “they will kill me for my wife’s sake” (by which is signified that so the celestial things of faith would perish, if they were to think that spiritual truth alone could be conjoined with celestial good); for example, that if men were to have no regard for spiritual truth, celestial good would thereby also perish; for when the former is rejected the latter perishes; and again, that unless it were said that they should adore the Father (although there is no access to Him except through the Son, and he who sees the Son sees the Father, John 14:8-12), it would not have been received: besides other arcana.

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