The Bible

 

Postanak 4

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1 Čovjek pozna svoju ženu Evu, a ona zače i rodi Kajina, pa reče: "Muško sam čedo stekla pomoću Jahve!"

2 Poslije rodi Abela, brata Kajinova; Abel postane stočar, a Kajin zemljoradnik.

3 I jednoga dana Kajin prinese Jahvi žrtvu od zemaljskih plodova.

4 A prinese i Abel od prvine svoje stoke, sve po izbor pretilinu. Jahve milostivo pogleda na Abela i njegovu žrtvu,

5 a na Kajina i žrtvu njegovu ni pogleda ne svrati. Stoga se Kajin veoma razljuti i lice mu se namrgodi.

6 I Jahve reče Kajinu: "Zašto si ljut? Zašto ti je lice namrgođeno?

7 Jer ako pravo radiš, vedrinom odsijevaš. A ne radiš li pravo, grijeh ti je kao zvijer na pragu što na te vreba; još mu se možeš oduprijeti."

8 Kajin pak reče svome bratu Abelu: "Hajdemo van!" I našavši se na polju, Kajin skoči na brata Abela te ga ubi.

9 Potom Jahve zapita Kajina: "Gdje ti je brat Abel?" "Ne znam", odgovori. "Zar sam ja čuvar brata svoga?"

10 Jahve nastavi: "Što si učinio? Slušaj! Krv brata tvoga iz zemlje k meni viče.

11 Stoga budi proklet na zemlji koja je rastvorila usta da proguta s ruke tvoje krv brata tvoga!

12 Obrađivat ćeš zemlju, ali ti više neće davati svoga roda. Vječni ćeš skitalica na zemlji biti!"

13 A Kajin reče Jahvi: "Kazna je moja odviše teška da se snosi.

14 Evo me tjeraš danas s plodnoga tla; moram se skrivati od tvoga lica i biti vječni lutalac na zemlji - tko me god nađe, može me ubiti."

15 A Jahve mu reče: "Ne! Nego tko ubije Kajina, sedmerostruka osveta na njemu će se izvršiti!" I Jahve stavi znak na Kajina, da ga tko, našavši ga, ne ubije.

16 Kajin ode ispred lica Jahvina u zemlju Nod, istočno od Edena, i ondje se nastani.

17 Kajin pozna svoju ženu te ona zače i rodi Henoka. Podigao je grad i grad prozvao imenom svoga sina - Henok.

18 Henoku se rodio Irad, a od Irada potekao Mehujael; od Mehujaela poteče Metušael, od Metušaela Lamek.

19 Lamek uzme dvije žene. Jedna se zvala Ada, a druga Sila.

20 Ada rodi Jabala, koji je postao praocem onih što pod šatorima žive sa stokom.

21 Bratu mu bijaše ime Jubal. On je praotac svih koji sviraju na liru i sviralu.

22 Sila rodi Tubal-Kajina, praoca onih koji kuju bakar i željezo. Tubal-Kajinovoj sestri bijaše ime Naama.

23 Lamek prozbori svojim ženama: "Ada i Sila, glas moj poslušajte! Žene Lamekove, čujte mi besjedu: Čovjeka sam ubio jer me ranio i dijete jer me udarilo.

24 Ako će Kajin biti osvećen sedmerostruko, Lamek će sedamdeset i sedam puta!"

25 Adam pozna svoju ženu te ona rodi sina i nadjenu mu ime Šet. Reče ona: "Bog mi dade drugo dijete mjesto Abela, koga ubi Kajin."

26 Šetu se rodi sin, komu on nadjenu ime Enoš. Tada se počelo zazivati ime Jahvino.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #425

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425. Up to now the world has not known that 'bronze' means natural good, nor indeed that every metal mentioned in the Word has some definite meaning in the internal sense. For example 'gold' means celestial good, 'silver' spiritual truth, 'bronze' natural good, 'iron' natural truth, and so on with all the rest. The same applies to stone and wood. These were the meanings of the gold, silver, bronze, and wood in the Ark and the Tabernacle, and of similar objects in the Temple, which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be dealt with later on. In the Prophets it is plain that such things are meant, as in Isaiah,

You will suck the milk of nations, and the breast of kings will you suck. Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron, I will bring silver, and instead of wood, bronze, and instead or stones, iron. And I will make peace your assessment and righteousness your tax-collectors. Isaiah 60:16-17.

This refers to the Coming of the Lord and to His kingdom, and to the celestial Church. 'Gold instead of bronze' means celestial good instead of natural good. 'Silver instead of iron' means spiritual truth instead of natural truth. 'Bronze instead of wood' means natural good instead of bodily good. 'Iron instead of stones' means natural truth instead of sensory truth. In Ezekiel,

Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your merchants in the souls of men, and they gave vessels of bronze for your merchandise. Ezekiel 27:13

This refers to Tyre, which means people who are in possession of spiritual and celestial riches. 'Vessels of bronze' stands for natural goods. In Moses,

A land whose stones are Iron, and from whose mountains you will dig out bronze. Deuteronomy 8:9.

Here similarly 'stones' stands for sensory truth, 'iron' for natural or rational truth, and 'bronze' for natural good. In the cases of the four living creatures or the cherubim seen by Ezekiel, whose feet sparkled like burnished bronze, Ezekiel 1:7, 'bronze' in a similar way means natural good, for the human foot represents that which is natural. Something similar was seen by Daniel,

A man clothed in linen whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz and whose body was like tarshish. 1 His arms and feet were like the appearance of burnished bronze. Daniel 10:5-6

And for the fact that the bronze serpent mentioned in Numbers 21:9 represented the Lord's good, sensory and natural, see what has been said already [in 197].

Footnotes:

1. A Hebrew word for a particular kind of precious stone, possibly a beryl.

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