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Genesis 15

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1 Když pak ty věci pominuly, stalo se slovo Hospodinovo k Abramovi u vidění, řkoucí: Neboj se, Abrame; já budu pavéza tvá, a odplata tvá velmi veliká.

2 Jemužto řekl Abram: Panovníče Hospodine, což mi dáš, poněvadž já scházím bez dětí, a ten, jemuž zanechám domu svého, bude Damašský Eliezer?

3 Řekl ještě Abram: Aj, mně jsi nedal semene; a aj, schovanec můj bude mým dědicem.

4 A aj, slovo Hospodinovo k němu, řkuci: Nebudeť ten dědicem tvým, ale kterýž vyjde z života tvého, ten dědicem tvým bude.

5 I vyvedl jej ven a řekl: Vzhlédniž nyní k nebi, a sečti hvězdy, budeš-li je však moci sčísti? řekl mu ještě: Tak bude símě tvé.

6 I uvěřil Hospodinu, a počteno mu to za spravedlnost.

7 (Nebo byl řekl jemu: Já jsem Hospodin, kterýž jsem tě vyvedl z Ur Kaldejských, aťbych dal zemi tuto k dědičnému vládařství.

8 I řekl: Panovníče Hospodine, po čem poznám, že ji dědičně obdržím?

9 I odpověděl jemu: Vezmi mně jalovici tříletou, a kozu tříletou, a skopce tříletého, hrdličku také a holoubátko.

10 Kterýžto vzav ty všecky věci, zroztínal je na poly, a rozložil na dvě straně, jednu polovici proti druhé; ptáků pak nezroztínal.

11 Ptáci pak sedali na ta mrtvá těla, a Abram je sháněl.

12 I stalo se, když slunce zapadalo, že dřímota těžká připadla na Abrama; a aj, hrůza a tma veliká obklíčila jej).

13 Řekl tedy Bůh Abramovi: To zajisté věz, že pohostinu bude símě tvé v zemi cizí, a v službu je podrobí, a trápiti je budou za čtyři sta let.

14 Však národ, jemuž sloužiti budou, já souditi budu; a potom vyjdou s velikým zbožím.

15 Ty pak půjdeš k otcům svým v pokoji; a pohřben budeš v starosti dobré.

16 A čtvrté pokolení sem se navrátí; nebť ještě není doplněna nepravost Amorejských.

17 I stalo se, když zapadlo slunce, a tma bylo, a aj, ukázala se pec kouřící se, a pochodně ohnivá, kteráž šla mezi díly těmi.

18 V ten den učinil Hospodin smlouvu s Abramem, řka: Semeni tvému dám zemi tuto, od řeky Egyptské až do řeky té veliké, řeky Eufraten:

19 Cinejské, Cenezejské, Cethmonské,

20 A Hetejské, Ferezejské, a Refaimské,

21 Amorejské, i Kananejské také, a Gergezejské a Jebuzejské.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1849

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1849. That 'the nation also which they are going to serve' means the evil who oppress is clear from the meaning of 'nation' and of 'serving'. In the genuine sense 'a nation' means goods, or what amounts to the same, those who are good, for when goods are thus spoken of abstractedly they still have reference to the subject, which is a man, spirit, or angel. In the contrary sense however 'nation' means evils, or what amounts to the same, those who are evil, dealt with in 1159, 1258-1260. 'Serving' however, or slavery, means oppression, as in the previous verse.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1159

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1159. 'Every one according to his tongue, according to their families, as to their nations' means that they were ranged according to the character of each one, 'according to his tongue' meaning according to each one's individual belief, 'according to their families' meaning according to uprightness, 'as to their nations' meaning as to both belief and uprightness in general. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'tongue', and 'families', and 'nations' in the Word, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on. The reason why in the internal sense 'tongue' means individual belief, and so basic assumptions and persuasions, is that the tongue corresponds to the understanding part of man's mind, that is, to his thought, in the way that an effect corresponds to its cause. Such is the case not only with the influx of a person's thoughts into the movements of the tongue in speaking, but also with the influx of heaven, about which something from personal experience will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated elsewhere.

[2] That 'families' in the internal sense means uprightness, as well as charity and love, arises from the fact that all things belonging to mutual love are in the heavens like blood relatives and relatives by marriage, and so are like families, see 685. This is why in the Word things belonging to love or charity are described as 'houses' and also as 'families', points which there is no need to pause over and confirm here. That 'a house' has this meaning, see 710.

[3] That 'nations' means both belief and uprightness in general is clear from the meaning of 'a nation' or 'nations' in the Word. In the good sense nations mean things of the new will and understanding, and so mean the goods of love and the truths of faith. But in the contrary sense evils and falsities are meant. The same applies to houses, families, and tongues, as may be confirmed from very many places in the Word. The reason is that the Most Ancient Church was distinguished into separate houses, families, and nations. A married couple with their children, together with menservants and maidservants, constituted one house. A number of houses in close proximity in turn constituted one family, while a number of families constituted a nation. Consequently nations meant all families taken together as a whole. The same applies in heaven, but all relationships there are determined by love to and faith in the Lord, 685.

[4] This then is how nations come to mean what they do in the internal sense, namely that which is general embracing things both of the will and of the understanding, or what amounts to the same, both the things of love and those of faith. Their meaning however depends on the families and houses of which they consist. For these points, see also what has been stated already in 470, 471, 483 From these considerations it is clear that 'nations' means both belief and uprightness in general, and that 'everyone according to his tongue, according to their families, and as to their nations' means the disposition of each person, family, and nation whose worship was derived from the Ancient Church.

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