The Bible

 

Postanak 25

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1 Abraham je sebi uzeo još jednu ženu; zvala se Ketura.

2 Ona mu je rodila Zimrana, Jokšana, Medana, Midjana, Jišbaka i Šuaha.

3 A od Jokšana rodili se Šeba i Dedan. Dedanovi su potomci: Ašurci, Letušci i Leumci.

4 Sinovi su Midjanovi: Efa, Efer, Hanok, Abida i Eldaa. Sve su to potomci Keturini.

5 Abraham prenese sav svoj imutak na Izaka;

6 a sinovima od svojih suložnica dade Abraham samo darove i još ih za svoga života razašalje po istoku - daleko od svog sina Izaka - u Istočni kraj.

7 Ovo je duljina Abrahamova života što ga je proživio: stotinu sedamdeset i pet godina.

8 Zatim Abraham preminu, umrije u sretnoj dobi - star i pun godina - te bi pridružen svojim precima.

9 Njegovi sinovi, Izak i Jišmael, sahrane ga u spilji Makpeli, na poljani Efrona, sina Hetita Sohara, nasuprot Mamri:

10 to je poljana što ju je Abraham kupio od Hetovih sinova. Ondje je sahranjen Abraham i njegova žena Sara.

11 Poslije Abrahamove smrti Bog je blagoslivljao njegova sina Izaka. Izak je živio blizu Beer Lahaj Roja.

12 Ovo je povijest Abrahamova sina Jišmaela, koga je Abrahamu rodila Sarina sluškinja, Egipćanka Hagara.

13 A ovo su sinovi Jišmaelovi, svaki po svom imenu i po svom rođenju: Jišmaelov prvenac Nebajot, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

14 Mišma, Duma, Masa,

15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Nafiš i Kedma.

16 To su Jišmaelovi sinovi i to su njihova imena prema njihovim naseljima i taborištima: dvanaest poglavica od isto toliko plemena.

17 A ovo je duljina Jišmaelova života: stotinu trideset i sedam godina. Zatim izdahnu; umrije i bi pridružen svojim precima.

18 Potomstvo mu se naselilo od Havile do Šura, koji je na istok Egiptu idući prema Ašuru. Nastaniše se nasuprot svojoj braći.

19 Ovo je povijest Abrahamova sina Izaka: Izak se rodio od Abrahama.

20 Izaku je bilo četrdeset godina kad se oženio Rebekom, kćerkom Aramejca Betuela iz Padan Arama, a sestrom Aramejca Labana.

21 Izak se obrati Jahvi za svoju ženu jer je bila nerotkinja. Jahve ga usliša te njegova žena Rebeka zače.

22 No djeca se u njezinoj utrobi tako sudarala te ona uzviknu: "Ako je tako, zašto ću živjeti!" Ode, dakle, da se posavjetuje s Jahvom.

23 I Jahve joj reče: "Dva su svijeta u utrobi tvojoj; Dva će se naroda iz tvog krila odijeliti. Narod će nad narodom gospodovati, stariji će služiti mlađemu."

24 Došlo vrijeme da rodi, kad gle - blizanci u njezinoj utrobi.

25 Pojavi se prvi. Bio je crven; sav runjav kao ogrtač. Stoga mu nadjenuše ime Ezav.

26 Potom se pojavi njegov brat. Rukom se držao Ezavu za petu. Zato mu nadjenuše ime Jakov. Izaku je bilo šezdeset godina kad su oni rođeni.

27 Kad su dječaci odrasli, Ezav postane vješt lovac, čovjek pustare. Jakov je bio čovjek krotak i boravio je u šatorima.

28 Izaku je Ezav bio draži jer je volio divljač, a Rebeka je više voljela Jakova.

29 Jednom Jakov kuhaše jelo. Ezav stigne s polja, gladan.

30 Reče Ezav Jakovu: "Daj mi toga crvenog variva da pojedem jer sam izgladnio." Stoga mu je ime Edom.

31 A Jakov odgovori: "Ustupi mi prije svoje prvorodstvo!"

32 Ezav reče: "Evo me skoro na smrti; što će mi prvorodstvo!"

33 Jakov nastavi: "Prije mi se zakuni!" On mu se zakune, i tako proda Jakovu svoje prvorodstvo.

34 Tada Jakov dade Ezavu kruha i čorbe od sočivice. Jeo je i pio, onda se digao i otišao. Tako Ezav pogazi svoje prvorodstvo.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3263

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3263. 'These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son' means derivatives of the spiritual Church represented by Ishmael. This is clear from the meaning of 'generations' as derivatives of faith and so of the Church, dealt with in 1145, 1255, 1330; from the representation of 'Ishmael' as those who are rational, and who belong to the Lord's spiritual Church, dealt with in 2078, 2691, 2699; and from the meaning of Abraham's sons as those with whom truth from the Lord is present, for 'sons' means truths, 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, and 'Abraham' represents the Lord, even as to the Divine Human, 3251, the source of truth and good received by those who are spiritual, 2661, 2716, 2833, 2834.

[2] As regards the Lord's spiritual Church it should be realized that it exists throughout the whole world, for it is not confined to those who possess the Word and from the Word have knowledge of the Lord and of some truths of faith. It also exists among those who do not possess the Word and therefore do not know the Lord at all, and as a consequence have no knowledge of any truths of faith - for all truths of faith regard the Lord. That is, it exists with gentiles remote from the Church. For among those people there are many who know from the light of reason that there is one God, that He has created and preserves all things; and also that He is the source of everything good, and consequently of everything true; and that being the likeness of Him makes a person blessed. And what is more, they live up to their religion, in love to that God and in love towards the neighbour. From an affection for good they perform the works of charity, and from an affection for truth they worship the Supreme Being. Such people among the gentiles belong to the Lord's spiritual Church. And although they do not know the Lord while they are in the world they nevertheless have within themselves a worship and virtual acknowledgement of Him when good exists within them, for the Lord is present within all good. For this reason also they acknowledge the Lord in the next life without difficulty, and receive the truths of faith better than Christians do in whom good is not so much present, as may be seen from what has been disclosed from experience about the state and condition in the next life of nations and peoples outside the Church, in 2589-2604. Their natural light present in their minds holds spiritual light within it, for without spiritual light received from the Lord such truths cannot possibly be acknowledged.

[3] From this it may now become clear what Ishmael means, and therefore what the Ishmaelites mean, in the representative sense - those belonging to the Lord's spiritual Church who lead lives of simple goodness and therefore rely on natural truth for doctrine. Such people are also meant by the Ishmaelites in the following statement regarding Joseph,

Behold, a band of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, and their camels bearing wax, resin, and stacte, taking them down into Egypt. Genesis 37:25.

Here 'Ishmaelites' stands for those in whom simple good is present, such as exists with upright gentiles. 'Camels bearing wax, resin, and stacte' stands for the interior goods of such people. The same is meant by the Ishmaelites mentioned in verse 28 of that chapter, and in 39:1, as well as in the Book of Judges, in the reference to Gideon's requesting everyone to give him the earrings of his spoil, for being indeed Ishmaelites they had gold earrings, Judges 8:24. 'Gold earrings' means the things that constitute simple good, 3103.

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