The Bible

 

Postanak 22

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1 Poslije tih događaja Bog stavi Abrahama na kušnju. Zovnu ga: "Abrahame!" On odgovori: "Evo me!"

2 Bog nastavi: "Uzmi svoga sina, jedinca svoga Izaka koga ljubiš, i pođi u krajinu Moriju pa ga ondje prinesi kao žrtvu paljenicu na brdu koje ću ti pokazati."

3 Ujutro Abraham podrani, osamari magarca, sa sobom povede dvojicu svojih slugu i svog sina Izaka, pošto je prije nacijepao drva za žrtvu paljenicu, i uputi se na mjesto koje mu je Bog označio.

4 Treći dan Abraham podigne oči i opazi mjesto izdaleka.

5 Abraham onda reče slugama: "Vi ostanite ovdje uz magarca, a ja i dječak odosmo gore da se poklonimo, pa ćemo se vratiti k vama".

6 Abraham uzme drva za žrtvu paljenicu, stavi ih na sina Izaka, a u svoju ruku uzme kremen i nož. Tako pođu obojica zajedno.

7 Onda Izak reče svome ocu Abrahamu: "Oče!" "Evo me, sine!" - javi se on. "Evo kremena i drva," opet će sin, "ali gdje je janje za žrtvu paljenicu?"

8 "Bog će već providjeti janje za žrtvu paljenicu, sine moj!" - odgovori Abraham. I nastave put.

9 Stignu na mjesto o kojemu je Bog govorio. Ondje Abraham podigne žrtvenik, naslaže drva, sveže svog sina Izaka i položi ga po drvima na žrtvenik.

10 Pruži sad Abraham ruku i uzme nož da zakolje svog sina.

11 Uto ga zovne s neba anđeo Jahvin i poviče: "Abrahame! Abrahame!" "Evo me!" - odgovori on.

12 "Ne spuštaj ruku na dječaka", reče, "niti mu što čini! Sad, evo, znam da se Boga bojiš, jer nisi uskratio ni svog sina, jedinca svoga."

13 Podiže Abraham oči i pogleda, i gle - za njim ovan, rogovima se zapleo u grmu. Tako Abraham ode, uzme ovna i prinese ga za žrtvu paljenicu mjesto svoga sina.

14 Onome mjestu Abraham dade ime "Jahve proviđa". Zato se danas veli: "Na brdu Jahvina proviđanja."

15 Anđeo Jahvin zovne Abrahama s neba drugi put

16 i reče: "Kunem se samim sobom, izjavljuje Jahve: Kad si to učinio i nisi mi uskratio svog jedinca sina,

17 svoj ću blagoslov na te izliti i učiniti tvoje potomstvo brojnim poput zvijezda na nebu i pijeska na obali morskoj! A tvoji će potomci osvajati vrata svojih neprijatelja.

18 Budući da si poslušao moju zapovijed, svi će se narodi zemlje blagoslivljati tvojim potomstvom."

19 Zatim se Abraham vrati k svojim slugama pa se zajedno upute u Beer Šebu. U Beer Šebi se Abraham nastani.

20 Poslije tih događaja obavijeste Abrahama: "I tvome bratu Nahoru Milka je porodila djecu:

21 njegova prvorođenca Usa, brata mu Buza i Kemuela - oca Aramova,

22 Keseda, Haza, Pildaša, Jidlafa i Betuela."

23 Betuel je bio otac Rebekin. Njih je osam rodila Milka Nahoru, Abrahamovu bratu.

24 A i njegova suložnica, kojoj bijaše ime Reuma, rodila je Tebaha, Gahama, Tahaša i Maaku.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2795

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2795. 'And return to you' means conjunction after that. This too becomes clear without explanation. The subject of this chapter being the Lord's severest and inmost temptations, all the states are described which He assumed when undergoing those temptations. The first state is described in verse 3, the second state in the present verse, the third state in the verse that follows next and in all the rest after that. But these states cannot possibly be explained to the ordinary mind unless many other things are known first, not only about the Lord's Divine which is represented here by 'Abraham' but also about His Divine Human which is represented by 'Isaac', and about the state - when He went into and underwent the conflicts brought about by temptations - of this Rational, meant here by 'the boy'. In addition to this one has to know what the first rational was, and the nature of it, as well as the natural that went with that rational, and also the nature of the state when one was joined to the other, and the nature of the state when they were more or less separated. What is more, one needs to know many things regarding temptations, such as what exterior and interior temptations are, and from this what were the inmost and severest temptations that were the Lord's, which are the subject in this chapter. As long as all these matters remain unknown the things within this verse cannot possibly be described intelligibly. And if they were described, even in the clearest possible manner, they would still appear obscure. To angels, since they dwell in the light of heaven flowing from the Lord, all these matters are plain and clear, and indeed blessed because these matters are supremely heavenly.

[2] This alone need be said here, that the Lord could not possibly be tempted when He was one with the Divine itself, for the Divine is infinitely above all temptation. But He could experience temptation as to His human. This is the reason why, when He was to undergo the severest and inmost temptations, He joined the first human to Himself, that is to say, the rational and the natural degrees of it, as described in verse 3, and after that separated Himself from them, as stated in the present verse, though still retaining certain traits through which He could be tempted. It is for this reason that here Isaac is not spoken of as 'my son' but as 'the boy', an expression used to mean the Divine Rational in that particular state, that is to say, in a state of truth, equipped for the severest and inmost conflicts brought about by temptations, see 2793. The truth that neither the Divine itself nor the Divine Human could be tempted may become clear to anyone merely from the fact that not even angels can approach the Divine, still less the spirits who bring temptations about, and least of all the hells. From all this it is evident why the Lord came into the world and took on the human state of being with all its weakness, for by doing so He was able to be tempted as regards the human and by means of temptations to suppress the hells. He was able to restore every single thing to obedience and to order, and to save the human race which had removed itself so far away from the Supreme Divine.

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