The Bible

 

Genesis 17

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1 Když pak Abram byl v devadesáti devíti letech, ukázal se mu Hospodin, a řekl jemu: Já jsem Bůh silný všemohoucí; chodiž ustavičně přede mnou a budiž dokonalým.

2 A učiním smlouvu svou mezi sebou a tebou a rozmnožím tě náramně velmi.

3 Padl pak Abram na tvář svou; i mluvil Bůh s ním, řka:

4 Jáť jsem, aj, smlouva má s tebou, a budeš otcem národů mnohých.

5 Aniž více slouti bude jméno tvé Abram, ale bude jméno tvé Abraham; nebo otcem mnohých národů učinil jsem tě.

6 A učiním, abys se rozplodil náramně velmi, a rozšířím tě v národy; i králové z tebe vyjdou.

7 Utvrdím také smlouvu svou mezi sebou a tebou, i mezi semenem tvým po tobě, po rodech jejich, za smlouvu věčnou, totiž abych byl Bohem tvým i semene tvého po tobě.

8 Nadto dám tobě i semeni tvému po tobě zemi, v nížto obýváš pohostinu, všecku zemi Kananejskou k vládařství věčnému; a budu jejich Bohem.

9 Řekl ještě Bůh Abrahamovi: Ty pak ostříhati budeš smlouvy mé, ty i símě tvé po tobě, po rodech svých.

10 Tatoť jest smlouva má mezi mnou a mezi vámi, i mezi semenem tvým po tobě, kteréž ostříhati budete: Aby obřezán byl mezi vámi každý pohlaví mužského.

11 Obřežete pak tělo hanby své; a to bude znamením smlouvy mezi mnou a mezi vámi.

12 Každý tedy pohlaví mužského osmého dne obřezán bude mezi vámi po rodech vašich, doma narozený i koupený za stříbro, z kterých by koli cizozemců byl, jenž není z semene tvého.

13 Konečně ať jest obřezán narozený v domě tvém, i koupený za peníze tvé; a budeť smlouva má na těle vašem za smlouvu věčnou.

14 Neobřezaný pak pacholík, kterýž by neobřezal těla neobřízky své, vyhlazena zajisté bude duše ta z lidu svého; nebo smlouvu mou zrušil.

15 Řekl také Bůh Abrahamovi: Sarai manželce své nebudeš říkati Sarai, ale Sára bude jméno její.

16 Nebo požehnám jí a dámť z ní syna; požehnámť jí, a bude v národy; králové národů z ní vyjdou.

17 Tedy padl Abraham na tvář svou, a zasmáv se, řekl v srdci svém: Zdali stoletému narodí se syn? A zdali Sára v devadesáti letech porodí?

18 I řekl Abraham Bohu: Ó byť jen Izmael živ byl před tebou!

19 Jemužto řekl Bůh: Nýbrž Sára manželka tvá porodí tobě syna, a nazůveš jméno jeho Izák; i utvrdím smlouvu svou s ním za smlouvu věčnou, i s semenem jeho po něm.

20 Také o Izmaele uslyšel jsem tě; a aj, požehnám jemu, a učiním to, aby se rozplodil, a rozmnožím ho náramně velmi; dvanáctero knížat zplodí, a rozšířím jej v národ veliký.

21 Ale smlouvu svou utvrdím s Izákem, kteréhožť porodí Sára po roce, při tomto času.

22 A když dokonal Bůh řeč svou s ním, vstoupil od Abrahama.

23 Vzal tedy Abraham Izmaele syna svého, i všecky zrozené v domě svém, i všecky koupené za stříbro své, každého, kdož byl pohlaví mužského, z domácích svých, a obřezal tělo neobřízky jejich hned v ten den, jakž s ním Bůh mluvil.

24 A byl Abraham v devadesáti devíti letech, když obřezáno bylo tělo neobřízky jeho.

25 Izmael pak syn jeho byl v třinácti letech, když obřezáno bylo tělo neobřízky jeho.

26 Jednoho a téhož dne obřezáni jsou, Abraham a Izmael syn jeho.

27 I všickni domácí jeho, doma zrození i za stříbro od cizozemce koupení, obřezáni jsou s ním.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2048

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2048. That 'he who is born in the houses means celestial people, and 'he who is the purchase of silver' spiritual people, and so those who are inside the Church, is clear from the meaning of 'him born in the house' as those inside the house. In the Word 'a house' means that which is celestial because this is inmost. Consequently 'the house of God' means in the universal sense the Lord's kingdom, in a less universal sense the Church, and in a particular sense the individual himself in whom the Lord's kingdom or Church exists. When a person is called 'a house' it means the celestial side of faith with him, but when he is called 'a temple' it means the truth of faith with him. So 'he who is born in the house' here means celestial people. That 'the purchase of silver' or one bought with silver means spiritual people however is clear from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, and so the spiritual side of faith, dealt with in Volume One, in 1551.

[2] The expression celestial is used of those who are governed by love to the Lord, and because the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood was governed by that love it was a celestial Church. The expression spiritual is used of those who are governed by love towards the neighbour and so by the truth of faith. This was the character of the Ancient Church that existed after the Flood. The difference between celestial people and spiritual has been dealt with many times in Volume One. Anyone may see that there are heavenly arcana here, that is to say, in the requirement to circumcise those born in the house and those bought with silver, also sons who were foreigners, and in the fact that those persons are mentioned repeatedly, for example, in verses 13, 23, 27, that follow. These arcana are not apparent however except from the internal sense, that is to say, that those born in the house and those bought with silver mean celestial people and spiritual, and so those inside the Church - while 'the son who is a foreigner and not of your seed' means those outside the Church.

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 17

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1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless.

2 I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."

3 Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying,

4 "As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.

5 Neither will your name any more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.

7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you.

8 I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God."

9 God said to Abraham, "As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.

10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised.

11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you.

12 He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your seed.

13 He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant."

15 God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah.

16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her."

17 Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?"

18 Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!"

19 God said, "No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.

20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

21 But my covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year."

22 When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

23 Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him.

24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25 Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

26 In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised.

27 All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.