The Bible

 

Postanak 21

Study

   

1 Jahve se sjeti Sare kako je rekao i učini joj kako je obećao:

2 Sara zače i rodi Abrahamu sina u njegovoj starosti - u vrijeme koje je Bog označio.

3 Abraham nadjene ime Izak svome sinu što mu ga Sara rodi.

4 I poslije osam dana obreza Abraham svoga sina Izaka, kako mu je Bog naredio.

5 Abrahamu bijaše stotinu godina kad mu se rodio sin Izak.

6 Sara reče: "Dade mi Bog da se nasmijem, i tko god to čuje nasmijat će mi se."

7 Još doda: "Tko bi ikad rekao Abrahamu: djecu će ti Sara dojiti! Ipak sina mu rodih u starosti".

8 Dijete je raslo i bilo od sise odbijeno. A u dan u koji Izak bijaše od sise odbijen Abraham priredi veliku gozbu.

9 Jednom opazi Sara gdje se sin koga je Egipćanka Hagara Abrahamu rodila igra s njezinim sinom Izakom,

10 pa reče Abrahamu: "Otjeraj tu sluškinju i njezina sina, jer sin sluškinje ne smije biti baštinik s mojim sinom - s Izakom!"

11 To je Abrahamu bilo nemilo, jer je i Jišmael bio njegov sin.

12 Ali Bog reče Abrahamu: "Nemoj se uznemirivati zbog dječaka i zbog svoje sluškinje; sve što ti kaže Sara poslušaj, jer će Izakovo potomstvo tebi ovjekovječiti ime.

13 I od sina tvoje sluškinje podići ću velik narod, jer je tvoj potomak."

14 Rano ujutro Abraham uze kruha i mješinicu vode pa dade Hagari; stavi to na njezina ramena, zajedno s dječakom, te je otpusti. Vrludala je amo-tamo po pustinji Beer Šebe.

15 Potrošivši vodu iz mješinice, ostavi dijete pod jednim grmom,

16 a sama ode i sjede nasuprot, daleko koliko luk može dobaciti. Govorila je u sebi: "Neću da vidim kako dijete umire." Sjedeći tako, udari u jecanje.

17 Bog ču plač dječaka te anđeo Božji zovne s neba Hagaru i reče joj: "Što ti je, Hagaro? Ne boj se! Jer je Bog čuo plač dječaka u njegovoj nevolji.

18 Na noge! Digni dječaka i utješi ga, jer od njega ću podići velik narod."

19 Tada joj Bog otvori oči pa ona opazi studenac. Ode i napuni vodom mješinicu pa napoji dječaka.

20 Bog je bio s dječakom te je rastao i odrastao. Živio je u pustinji te postao vješt u strijeljanju iz luka.

21 Dom mu bijaše u pustinji Paranu; a njegova mu majka dobavi ženu iz zemlje egipatske.

22 U to vrijeme Abimelek - koga je pratio Fikol, zapovjednik njegove vojske - reče Abrahamu: "Bog je s tobom u svemu što radiš.

23 Stoga mi se ovdje i sada zakuni Bogom da nećeš varati ni mene ni moju rodbinu i prijatelje nego da ćeš se prema meni i prema zemlji u kojoj sad boraviš ponašati pošteno, kao što sam se ja prema tebi ponio."

24 "Kunem se", odgovori Abraham.

25 Onda Abraham prekori Abimeleka zbog zdenca vode što su ga Abimelekove sluge bile prisvojile.

26 A Abimelek reče: "Ne znam tko je to učinio; ni ti me nisi o tome obavijestio, niti sam ja o tome čuo, osim danas."

27 Abraham uzme ovaca i goveda pa ih dade Abimeleku te njih dvojica sklope savez.

28 Potom Abraham razluči napose sedam janjaca od stada.

29 Nato Abimelek zapita Abrahama: "Što znači ovih sedam janjaca koje si na stranu stavio?"

30 A on odgovori: "Primi ovih sedam janjaca iz moje ruke da mi bude dokazom da sam ja iskopao ovaj zdenac."

31 Zato se ono mjesto nazvalo Beer Šeba; jer se njih dvojica ondje zakleše.

32 Pošto su sklopili savez kod Beer Šebe, Abimelek i zapovjednik njegove vojske Fikol odu i vrate se u zemlju Filistejaca.

33 Abraham zasadi kod Beer Šebe tamarisku i ondje zazove ime Jahve - Boga Vječnoga.

34 Dugo je vremena Abraham proveo u zemlji filistejskoj kao pridošlica.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1949

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

1949. That 'he will be a wild-ass man' means rational truth, which is described, is clear from the meaning of 'a wild ass' as rational truth. In the Word, horses, horsemen, mules, and asses are mentioned many times, but nobody up to now has known that they mean intellectual concepts, rational concepts, and factual knowledge. That these are meant will be abundantly confirmed, in the Lord's Divine mercy, in their separate places. Belonging to the same group is the wild-ass, for such is a mule living in the wilderness or an ass in the wild and means man's rational - not the rational in its entirety, but only rational truth. The rational is composed of good and of truth, that is, of things belonging to charity and of those belonging to faith. It is rational truth that is meant by a wild ass. This then is what Ishmael represents and is described in the present verse.

[2] How can anyone believe that rational truth separated from rational good is of such a nature? I myself would not have known if I had not been taught from actual experience. Whether you refer to it as rational truth or as the person whose rational is of that nature, it amounts to the same thing. The person whose rational is such as consists in truth alone, even though this is the truth of faith, and does not at the same time consist in the good of charity, is altogether such. He is quick to find fault, makes no allowances, is against all, regards everyone as being in error, is instantly prepared to rebuke, to chasten, and to punish, shows no pity, does not apply himself and makes no effort to redirect people's thinking; for he views everything from the standpoint of truth, and nothing from the standpoint of good. In short, he is a hard man. The one thing to soften his hardness is the good of charity, for good is the soul of truth, and when good draws near and implants itself in truth the latter becomes so different that it can hardly be recognized. 'Isaac' represents the Lord's Rational Man which sprang from good, not from truth separated from good. So it was that Ishmael was cast out and after that dwelt in the desert, and that his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt, Genesis 21:9-21, all of which events are representative of a person who is endowed with a rational such as that.

[3] Mention is made of wild asses in the prophetical parts of the Word, as in Isaiah,

The palace will be deserted, the multitude of the city forsaken; the hill and the watchtower will become dens, even for ever the joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks. Isaiah 32:14.

This refers to the devastation of intellectual concepts - which when devastated of truths are called 'the joy of wild asses' and when devastated of goods 'a pasture of flocks' - so that the rational does not exist. In Jeremiah,

The wild asses stood on the hills, they panted for air like sea-monsters; their eyes failed because there was no herbage. Jeremiah 14:6.

This refers to a drought, or absence of good and truth. Reference is made to the wild asses 'panting for air' when people lay hold of inane ideas instead of realities which are truths. 'Their eyes failed' stands for failing to grasp what truth is.

[4] In Hosea,

For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself; Ephraim has sought lovers 1 with a prostitute's hire. Hosea 8:9.

This refers to Israel or the spiritual Church. 'Ephraim' stands for the understanding part of it. 'Going up to Assyria' stands for reasoning about whether the truth is indeed the truth. 'A wild ass alone' stands for the rational thus destitute of truths. In the same prophet,

For he will be among his brothers like a wild ass, Jehovah's east wind will come rising up from the desert, and his spring will become dry, and his fountain dried up. It will strip his treasury of all precious vessels. Hosea 13:15.

This refers to 'Ephraim' by whom the understanding part of the spiritual Church is meant, and to the dissolution of the rational which is like 'a wild ass'. In David,

Jehovah God will send forth springs into the rivers; they will go among the mountains. They give drink to every wild beast of the fields; the wild asses quench their thirst. Psalms 104:10-11.

'Springs' stands for cognitions, 'wild beasts of the fields' for goods, 'the wild asses' for the truths of reason.

Footnotes:

1. literally, loves

  
/ 10837  
  

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