The Bible

 

Postanak 27

Study

   

1 Ostarje Izak, vid mu se očinji gasio. Zato zovne svoga starijeg sina Ezava i reče mu: "Sine!" On mu odgovori: "Evo me!"

2 A on nastavi: "Vidiš, ostario sam, a ne znam dana svoje smrti.

3 Zato uzmi svoju opremu, svoj tobolac i luk, pa idi u pustaru i ulovi mi divljači.

4 Onda mi pripremi ukusan obrok, kako volim, te mi ga donesi da blagujem, pa da te mognem blagosloviti prije nego umrem."

5 Rebeka je slušala dok je Izak govorio svome sinu Ezavu, i kad je Ezav otišao u pustaru da ulovi divljači svome ocu,

6 Rebeka reče svome sinu Jakovu: "Upravo sam čula kako tvoj otac govori tvome bratu Ezavu:

7 'Donesi mi divljači te mi priredi ukusan obrok da blagujem pa da te pred licem Jahvinim blagoslovim prije nego umrem.'

8 A sad, sine moj, poslušaj me i učini kako ti naredim.

9 Otiđi k stadu i odande mi donesi dva lijepa kozleta, a ja ću od njih prirediti ukusan obrok tvome ocu, kako on voli.

10 Onda ti donesi svome ocu da jede te tebe mogne blagosloviti prije nego umre."

11 Ali Jakov odgovori svojoj majci Rebeki: "E, ali moj je brat Ezav runjav, a ja sam bez dlaka!

12 Možda me se moj otac dotakne te ću u njegovim očima ispasti varalicom i na se svaliti prokletstvo, a ne blagoslov."

13 Ali njegova mu majka odgovori: "Sine moj, tvoje prokletstvo neka padne na mene! Samo ti mene poslušaj, otiđi i donesi!"

14 Ode on, nađe i donese svojoj majci, a njegova majka priredi ukusan obrok, kako je njegov otac volio.

15 Potom Rebeka uzme najljepše odijelo svoga starijeg sina Ezava što je u kući imala, pa u nj odjene svoga mlađeg sina Jakova.

16 U kožu kozleta zamota mu ruke i goli dio vrata.

17 Stavi zatim ukusan obrok i kruh što ga je pripravila na ruke svoga sina Jakova.

18 Ode on k ocu i reče: "Oče!" On odgovori: "Evo me. Koji si ti moj sin?"

19 A Jakov odgovori svome ocu: "Ja sam Ezav, tvoj prvorođenac; učinio sam kako si mi rekao. Sad ustaj, sjedi pa jedi moje lovine, da me onda mogneš blagosloviti."

20 Izak upita svoga sina: "Kako si tako brzo uspio, sine moj?" On odgovori: "Jer mi je Jahve, Bog tvoj, bio milostiv."

21 Potom Izak reče Jakovu: "Primakni se, sine moj, da opipam jesi li ti zbilja moj sin Ezav ili nisi."

22 Jakov se primakne k svome ocu Izaku, koji ga opipa i reče: "Glas je Jakovljev, ali su ruke Ezavove."

23 Nije ga prepoznao jer su mu ruke bile runjave kao i ruke njegova brata Ezava. Kad ga je htio blagosloviti,

24 upita još jednom: "Jesi li ti zaista moj sin Ezav?" Odgovori on: "Jesam."

25 Potom reče Izak: "Stavi preda me da blagujem lovine svoga sina pa da te blagoslovi duša moja." Jakov ga posluži pa je jeo. Zatim mu donese i vina, pa je pio.

26 Poslije toga reče mu njegov otac Izak: "Primakni se, sine moj, i poljubi me!"

27 Kad se primače i poljubi ga, Izak osjeti miris njegove odjeće pa ga blagoslovi: "Gle, miris sina mog nalik je mirisu polja koje Jahve blagoslovi.

28 Neka ti Bog daje rosu s neba i rodnost zemlje: izobilje žita i mladoga vina.

29 Narodi ti služili, plemena ti se klanjala! Braćom svojom gospodari, nek sinci majke tvoje pred tobom padaju! Proklet bio tko tebe proklinje; blagoslovljen tko te blagoslivlje!"

30 Tek što se Jakov udaljio od svoga oca Izaka - pošto je Izak podijelio blagoslov Jakovu - njegov brat Ezav dođe iz lova.

31 I on priredi ukusan obrok i donese ga svome ocu. I reče svome ocu: "Ustani, oče moj, i blaguj od lovine svoga sina da me onda mogneš blagosloviti!"

32 A njegov ga otac Izak zapita: "Tko si ti?" On odgovori: "Ja sam tvoj prvorođenac Ezav!"

33 Izak se silno prepadne: "Pa tko je onda bio onaj što je divljači ulovio i meni već donio? Blagovao sam je prije nego si ti došao; onoga sam blagoslovio i blagoslovljen će ostati."

34 Kad je Ezav čuo riječi svoga oca, kriknu glasno i gorko zaplaka pa reče svome ocu: "I mene blagoslovi, oče!"

35 A on odvrati: "Brat tvoj dođe na prijevaru i odnese tvoj blagoslov."

36 "Zato valjda što mu je ime Jakov, dvaput me već prevario", reče Ezav. "Oduzeo mi prvorodstvo, a sad mi evo oduze i blagoslov." Onda doda: "Zar za me nisi sačuvao nikakva blagoslova?"

37 Izak odgovori Ezavu: "Njega sam već postavio za tvoga gospodara; njemu sam svu njegovu braću predao za sluge; žitom sam ga i vinom opskrbio. A što sad za te mogu učiniti, sine moj?"

38 Ezav odgovori svome ocu: "Zar ti, oče, raspolažeš samo jednim blagoslovom? Blagoslovi i mene, oče moj!" Ezav jecaše na sav glas.

39 Tada otac njegov Izak progovori i reče: "Daleko od plodna tla dom tvoj će biti, daleko od rose s neba.

40 Od mača svoga ćeš živjeti, brata svoga ćeš služiti. Ali jednom, kada se pobuniš, jaram ćeš njegov stresti sa svog vrata."

41 Ezav zamrzi Jakova zbog blagoslova kojim ga je otac njegov blagoslovio pa reče u sebi: "Čim dođu dani žalosti za mojim ocem, ubit ću ja svoga brata Jakova."

42 Kada su Rebeki javili te riječi što ih je izrekao njezin stariji sin Ezav, zovne ona svoga mlađeg sina Jakova te mu reče: "Pazi! Brat ti se Ezav nosi mišlju kako će te ubiti.

43 Ali ti, sine moj, poslušaj mene: odmah bježi mome bratu Labanu u Haran.

44 Ostani kod njega neko vrijeme, dok bijes brata tvoga na te jenja,

45 dok se srdžba brata tvoga odvrati od tebe te on zaboravi što si mu učinio. Ja ću onda po te poslati i odande te dovesti. Zašto da vas obojicu izgubim u jedan dan!"

46 Potom Rebeka reče Izaku: "Moj mi je život dosadio zbog ovih žena Hetitkinja. Ako se i Jakov oženi kojom kao što su ove urođenice, Hetitkinjom, što će mi onda život!"

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3518

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

3518. 'Go now to the flock' means to homeborn natural good that has not been joined to the Divine Rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'the flock' as good, dealt with in 343, 415, 1565, here natural good since the words are addressed to Jacob. Indeed homeborn good is meant since it was homebred, whereas the field from which Esau, who means the good of the natural, 3500, 3508, was to obtain his venison, means good that was not homeborn. In other places in the Word 'the flock' is used to refer to the good of the rational; but in such cases 'the herd' is used to refer to the good of the natural, see 2566. homeborn natural good is the good which a person possesses from his parents or is the good that he is born with, which is quite distinct and separate from the good of the natural which flows in from the Lord. What natural good is, and its essential nature, see 3470, 3471. To distinguish one from the other therefore, the first good is called the good of the natural, but the second natural good. What is more, everyone receives homeborn good both from father and from mother; and these are distinct from each other. Good received from the father is interior, that from the mother exterior. In the Lord's case these two forms of good were quite distinct and separate, for the Good which He had from the Father was Divine, whereas that which He had from the mother was polluted with hereditary evil. That Good within the Natural which the Lord had from the Father was His very own since it was His life itself; and this Good is represented by 'Esau'. But the natural good which the Lord possessed from the mother, being polluted with hereditary evil, was by its very nature evil; and it is this good that is meant by the description 'homeborn good'. Yet in spite of being thus polluted, homeborn good was nevertheless of service in the reformation of the natural. But once it had rendered its service it was cast away.

[2] With everyone who is being regenerated something similar takes place. The good which a person receives from the Lord as a new Father is interior, but the good he possesses from parents is exterior. The good which he receives from the Lord is called spiritual good, whereas that which he possesses from parents is called natural good. The latter good - that which he possesses from parents - is of service first of all in the reformation of him, for it is through that good, serving as joy and delight, that facts, and after that cognitions of truth, are brought in. But once it has served as the means to effect that purpose it is separated, and spiritual good comes to the fore and manifests itself. This becomes clear from much experience, merely for example from the fact that when a child first starts to learn he is moved by a desire for knowing, not initially on account of any end in view that is seen by himself but because of some innate joy and delight and because of other incentives. Later on, as he grows up, he is moved by a desire for knowing on account of some end he has in view - excelling others, that is, his rivals. Later still he is so moved on account of some worldly end. But when about to be regenerated his desire for knowing stems from the delight and pleasantness of truth, and when undergoing regeneration, which takes place in adult years, from a love of truth, and later on from a love of good. The ends in view which had existed previously, and their delights, are now separated little by little, to be replaced by interior good which comes from the Lord and manifests itself in his affection. From this it is evident that previous delights, which seemed in outward appearance to be forms of good, have served as means. Consecutive series of means such as these occur unceasingly.

[3] Such series may be compared to a tree, which at the initial stage or the start of spring decks its branches with leaves, and after that as that stage or spring advances it adorns them with blossom. Then, around summertime, it produces the elementary signs of its fruit, which go on to develop into the fruit itself; and at length within the fruit it produces seeds, in which are contained new trees like itself - potentially a whole garden, which becomes a reality if those seeds are planted. Such are the comparisons existing in the natural world. They are also representatives, for the whole natural order is a theatre representative of the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and therefore of the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church, and consequently of the Lord's kingdom with every regenerate person. From all this it is evident how natural or homeborn good, despite being a merely external and indeed worldly delight, may be of service as the means for producing the good of the natural which may join itself to the good of the rational and so become regenerate or spiritual good, that is, good which comes from the Lord. These are the things which are represented and meant in this chapter by Esau and Jacob.

  
/ 10837  
  

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