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Genesis 14

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1 Stalo se pak ve dnech těch, že Amrafel král Sinearský, Arioch král Elasarský, Chedorlaomer král Elamitský, a Thádal král Goimský,

2 Vyzdvihli válku proti Bérovi králi Sodomskému, a proti Bersovi králi Gomorskému, a Senábovi králi Adamatskému, a Semeberovi králi Seboimskému, a králi Bélamskému, to jest Ségorskému.

3 Všickni tito sjeli se do údolí Siddim, to jest již moře solné.

4 Dvanácte let sloužili Chedorlaomerovi, třináctého pak léta zprotivili se.

5 Protož léta čtrnáctého přitáhl Chedorlaomer a králové, kteříž byli s ním, a pobili Refaimské v Astarotu Karnaimských, a Zuzimské v Cham, a Eminské na rovinách Kariataimských,

6 A Horejské na hoře jich Seir, až k rovině Fáran, kteráž leží nad pouští.

7 A vracejíce se, přitáhli k En Misfat, kteráž již jest Kádes, a pohubili všecku krajinu Amalechitského, také i Amorejského, bydlícího v Hasesontamar.

8 Protož vytáhl král Sodomský, a král Gomorský, a král Adamatský, a král Seboimský, a král Bélamský, to jest Ségorský, a sšikovali se proti nim k bitvě v údolí Siddim,

9 Proti Chedorlaomerovi králi Elamitskému, a Thádalovi králi Goimskému, a Amrafelovi králi Sinearskému, i Ariochovi králi Elasarskému, čtyři králové proti pěti.

10 (V údolí pak Siddim bylo mnoho studnic klejovatých.) I utíkajíce král Sodomský a Gomorský, padli tam; a kteří pozůstali, utekli na hory.

11 A pobravše všecko zboží Sodomských a Gomorských, a všecky potravy jich, odtáhli.

12 Vzali také Lota, a zboží jeho, syna bratra Abramova, a odjeli; nebo on bydlil v Sodomě.

13 Přišel pak jeden, kterýž byl utekl, a zvěstoval Abramovi Hebrejskému, kterýž tehdáž bydlil v rovinách Mamre Amorejského, bratra Eškolova a bratra Anerova; nebo ti měli smlouvu s Abramem.

14 Uslyšev tedy Abram, že by zajat byl bratr jeho, vypravil způsobných k boji a v domě svém zrozených služebníků tři sta a osmnácte, a honil je až k Dan.

15 A odděliv se, připadl na ně v noci, on i služebníci jeho, a porazil je; a stihal je až k Chobah, kteréž leží na levo Damašku.

16 I odjal zase všecko zboží; také i Lota bratra svého s statkem jeho zase přivedl, ano i ženy a lid.

17 Tedy vyšel král Sodomský proti němu, když se navracoval od pobití Chedorlaomera a králů, kteříž byli s ním, k údolí Sáveh, kteréž jest údolí královské.

18 Melchisedech také král Sálem, vynesl chléb a víno; a ten byl kněz Boha silného nejvyššího.

19 I požehnal mu a řekl: Požehnaný Abram Bohu silnému nejvyššímu, kterýž vládne nebem a zemí;

20 A požehnaný Bůh silný nejvyšší, kterýž dal nepřátely tvé v ruce tvé. I dal mu Abram desátky ze všech věcí.

21 Král pak Sodomský řekl Abramovi: Dej mi lid, a zboží vezmi sobě.

22 I řekl Abram králi Sodomskému: Pozdvihl jsem ruky své k Hospodinu, Bohu silnému nejvyššímu, kterýž vládne nebem i zemí,

23 Že nevezmu od niti až do řeménka obuvi ze všech věcí, kteréž jsou tvé, abys neřekl: Já jsem obohatil Abrama,

24 Kromě toliko toho, což snědli bojovníci, a dílu mužů, kteříž se mnou šli, totiž Aner, Eškol a Mamre; oni nechať vezmou díl svůj.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1661

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1661. 'And so it was in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim' means just so many kinds of apparent goods and truths which are not in themselves goods and truths, and which were present with the Lord's external Man. This becomes clear from the meaning of all these in the internal sense, and also from what follows. For the subject is the Lord's conflict against evils and falsities, here His first conflict which came during His childhood and earliest adolescence. That conflict He first entered into and endured after He had been endowed with knowledge and cognitions, hence the expression 'in the days of' these kings.

[2] Nobody can possibly fight against evils and falsities until he knows what evil and falsity are, not therefore until he has received instruction. A person does not know what evil is, still less what falsity is, before he is capable of understanding and of forming judgements for himself, which is the reason why a person does not enter into temptations until he has reached the age of maturity. Thus everyone is tempted in adult life, but the Lord was tempted even in childhood.

[3] Everyone fights first of all from the goods and truths he has received by means of cognitions, and it is from them and by means of them that he forms judgements concerning evils and falsities. Everyone furthermore when he first starts to fight imagines that these goods and truths from which he fights are his own, that is, he ascribes them to himself, and at the same time ascribes to himself the power by which he resists. This is allowed because a person cannot at the time know anything different. Before anyone has been regenerated he cannot possibly know, so as to be able to say that he knows, acknowledges, and believes, that no good or truth at all comes from self, but that everything good and true comes from the Lord; nor can he possibly know that he is unable by his own power to resist any evil or falsity. Indeed he does not know that evil spirits are activating and implanting the evils and falsities, still less that he is in communication with hell by means of evil spirits, and that hell presses on him like the sea against every part of a dike, which he can by no means resist by his own strength. Yet because he cannot do otherwise, until he has been regenerated, than imagine that he resists by his own strength, this too is permitted; and in this condition he is admitted into conflicts, or temptations. Subsequently however he becomes more and more enlightened.

[4] When a person's state is such that he imagines that good and truth originate in himself and that the power to resist is his own, the goods and truths from which he fights against evils and falsities are not really goods and truths, however much they appear to be so, for they have that which is his own within them, and he places self-merit in victory, boasting as though it were he that had overcome evil and falsity, when in fact it is the Lord alone who fights and overcomes. That this is indeed so none can know except those who are being regenerated by means of temptations.

[5] Because the Lord in earliest childhood was led into very serious conflicts against evils and falsities it was inevitable that at that time even He should think that way. This happened both because it was according to Divine order that His Human Essence should through continuous conflicts and victories be brought to the Divine Essence and united to it, and because the goods and truths from which He fought against evils and falsities belonged to the External Man. And because those goods and truths were not completely Divine they are for that reason called appearances of good and truth. His Divine Essence brought the Human Essence to itself in this way in order that it might overcome by its own power. The arcana here however are more than can possibly be described. In short, in those first conflicts the goods and truths residing with the Lord from which He fought were permeated by things inherited from the mother, and insofar as they were permeated by things inherited from the mother they were not Divine. Gradually however, as He overcame evil and falsity they were purified and made Divine.

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