The Bible

 

Postanak 25

Study

   

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 #3317

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

3317. 'And Esau came from the field' means an urgent desire for the good of life. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' as the good constituting the life of natural truth, dealt with in 3300, and from the meaning of 'coming from the field' as an urgent desire for good. For 'meditating in the field' is thought immersed in good, 3196, since 'the field' is the good which constitutes the Church, 2971.

  
/ 10837  
  

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3300

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

3300. 'And the first came out, ruddy all over, like a hairy garment' 1 means good constituting the life of natural truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming out' as being born, from the meaning of 'ruddy' as good constituting the life, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'a hairy garment' as the truth of the natural, also dealt with below. His being 'the first' means that in essence good is prior, as stated above in 3299. It is also called 'a hairy garment' so as to mean that good was clothed with truth as in a thin casing or body, as also stated above in 3299. In the Word 'a tunic' means nothing else in the internal sense than something that clothes another thing, and that also is why truths are compared to garments, 1073, 2576.

[2] The reason why 'ruddy' or 'red' means good constituting the life is that all good flows from love, and love itself is celestial and spiritual fire. Love is also compared to and actually called fire, see 933-936, as well as being compared to and actually called blood, 1001. Because both fire and blood are red, good that flows from love is meant by 'ruddy' and 'red', as may also be seen from the following places in the Word: In the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel,

He will wash his clothing in wine and his garment in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. Genesis 49:11-12.

This refers to Judah, who is used here to mean the Lord, as may be clear to anyone. 'Clothing' here and 'garment' are the Lord's Divine Natural. 'wine' and 'the blood of grapes' are the Divine Good and Divine Truth of the Natural - Divine Good being spoken of as 'eyes redder than wine', and Divine Truth as 'teeth whiter than milk'. It is the joining together of good and truth within the Natural that is described in this fashion.

[3] In Isaiah,

Who is this who is coming from Edom, red as to his clothing, and his clothes like his that treads in the winepress? Isaiah 63:1-2.

Here 'Edom' stands for the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Natural, as will be evident later on. 'Red as to clothing' is the good of truth, and 'clothes like his that treads in the winepress' the truth of good. In Jeremiah,

Her Nazirites were brighter than snow, they were whiter than milk. They were ruddier in body 2 than rubies, polished like sapphire. 3 Lamentations 4:7.

'Nazirites' represented the Lord's Divine Human, in particular the Divine Natural, and so the good of the latter was represented by their being 'ruddier in body than rubies'.

[4] Because 'red' meant good, in particular the good of the natural, the Jewish Church - in which every single thing was representative of the Lord, and from this of His kingdom, and consequently of good and truth which are the source of the Lord's kingdom - was therefore commanded to have a covering for the tabernacle of red-rams' skins, Exodus 25:5; 26:14; 35:5-7, 23; 36:19. That Church was also commanded to prepare the water for making atonement from the ashes of the red heifer that had been burnt, Numbers 19:2 and following verses. Unless the colour red had been a sign of something heavenly in the Lord's kingdom, it would never have been commanded that the rams should be red and that the heifer should be red. The fact that they represented sacred things anyone acknowledges who considers the Word to be sacred. Because the colour red had that meaning, therefore also the coverings of the Tabernacle were interwoven with, and had loops made of, scarlet, purple, and violet yarn, Exodus 35:6.

[5] Seeing that almost everything also has a contrary sense, as often stated, so too has 'red'. In the contrary sense 'red' means evil that is the outcome of self-love, the reasons for this being that the desires belonging to self-love are compared to and actually called fire, 934 (end), 1297, 1527, 1528, 1861, 2446, and are likewise compared to and actually called blood, 374, 954, 1005. Consequently 'red' in the contrary sense means those things, as in Isaiah,

Jehovah said, Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. Though they are red as crimson, 4 they will be as wool. Isaiah 1:18.

In Nahum,

The shields of the mighty men of Belial have been made red, the mighty men are in crimson!; enveloped in the fire of torches are the chariots on the day [of preparation]. Nahum 2:3.

In John,

Another sign appeared in heaven, Behold, a great fiery-red dragon having seven heads, and on his heads seven jewels. Revelation 12:3.

In the same book,

I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; to him a crown was given; he went out conquering and to conquer. Then there came out another horse, fiery-red; and he who sat on the horse was permitted to take peace away from the earth, and so that men would slay one another. Therefore to him was given a great sword. After that a black horse came out, and at length a pale horse, whose name is death. Revelation 6:2-8.

Footnotes:

1. The Latin word is tunica, which is discussed in 4677.

2. literally, bone

3. literally, sapphire their polishing

4. literally, purple

  
/ 10837  
  

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