The Bible

 

Genesis 20

Study

   

1 Odtud bral se Abraham do země polední, aby bydlil mezi Kádes a Sur; i byl pohostinu v Gerar;

2 Kdežto pravil Abraham o Sáře manželce své: Sestra má jest. Tedy poslav Abimelech, král Gerarský, vzal Sáru.

3 Ale přišed Bůh k Abimelechovi ve snách v noci, řekl jemu: Aj, ty již umřeš pro ženu, kterouž jsi vzal, poněvadž jest vdaná za muže.

4 Abimelech pak nepřiblížil se k ní; protož řekl: Pane, zdaž také spravedlivý národ zabiješ?

5 Zdaliž mi sám nepravil: Sestra má jest? A ona též pravila: Bratr můj jest. V upřímnosti srdce svého a v nevinnosti rukou svých učinil jsem to.

6 I řekl jemu Bůh ve snách: Jáť také vím, že v upřímnosti srdce svého učinil jsi to, a já také zdržel jsem tě, abys nezhřešil proti mně; protož nedalť jsem se jí dotknouti.

7 Nyní tedy, navrať ženu muži tomu; nebo prorok jest, a modliti se bude za tebe, a živ budeš. Pakli jí nenavrátíš, věz, že smrtí umřeš ty i všecko, což tvého jest.

8 A vstav Abimelech ráno, svolal všecky služebníky své, a vypravoval všecka slova ta v uši jejich. I báli se ti muži velmi.

9 Potom povolav Abimelech Abrahama, řekl jemu: Co jsi nám to učinil? A co jsem zhřešil proti tobě, že jsi uvedl na mne a na království mé hřích veliký? Učinils mi, čehož jsi učiniti neměl.

10 A řekl opět Abimelech Abrahamovi: Cos myslil, žes takovou věc učinil?

11 Odpověděl Abraham: Řekl jsem: Jistě že není bázně Boží na místě tomto, a zabijí mne pro ženu mou.

12 A také v pravdě jest sestra má, dcera otce mého, však ne dcera matky mé; a pojal jsem ji sobě za manželku.

13 Když pak vyvedl mne Bůh z domu otce mého, abych pohostinu bydlil, tedy řekl jsem jí: Toto mi dobrodiní učiníš: Na každém místě, kamž půjdeme, prav o mně: Bratr můj jest.

14 Tedy vzav Abimelech ovce a voly, služebníky také a děvky, dal je Abrahamovi; a navrátil mu Sáru manželku jeho.

15 A řekl Abimelech: Aj, zeměpřed tebou; kdežť se koli příhodné býti vidí, tu přebývej.

16 Sáře pak řekl: Aj, dal jsem tisíc stříbrných bratru tvému, hle, onť jest tobě zástěrou očí u všech, kteříž jsou s tebou. A všemi těmito věcmi Sára poučena byla.

17 I modlil se Abraham Bohu, a uzdravil Bůh Abimelecha, a ženu jeho, a děvky jeho; i rodily.

18 Nebo byl zavřel Hospodin každý život ženský v domě Abimelechově, pro Sáru manželku Abrahamovu.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2572

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

2572. 'Dwell in that which is good in your eyes' means His Being, present in everything where good exists, and in the proximate sense His Being, present in the good of doctrine. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the eyes' as the understanding part of the mind, which is the recipient of doctrine, and from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, 1293, here as Being (Esse) because what is said has reference to the Lord. This Being (Esse), present in everything where good exists, is the essential being within a complete knowledge of all Divine, celestial, spiritual, rational, and natural things. And the reason for this lies with Divine Love, for Divine Love holds within itself a complete knowledge of all those things, 2500.

[2] What is more, there is the good of doctrine and there is the truth of doctrine. The good of doctrine is love and charity, the truth of doctrine is faith. People with whom the good of doctrine resides, that is, love and charity, have with them the truth of doctrine, that is, faith. But it is one thing for good, that is, love and charity, to exist with a person, quite another for the good of doctrine to do so. Young children with whom love towards parents and charity towards other young children exist are moved by good but not by the good of doctrine, nor consequently by the truth of doctrine, or faith. The people with whom the good of doctrine exists are those who have been regenerated by means of the truths of faith. To the extent that good resides with them truths reside with them; that is, to the extent that love and charity reside with them so does faith, and therefore wisdom and intelligence.

[3] Because love to the Lord and mutual love resides with angels, so also does all truth and thus all wisdom and intelligence, not only in celestial and spiritual things but also in rational and natural. For by virtue of love, it being from the Lord, they are in touch with the very beginnings or sources of things, that is, with ends in view and causes. Seeing from beginnings, that is, from ends and causes, is seeing from heaven all things that are below, even those on earth. This is like - to use a comparison - someone in a watch-tower set on a high mountain. He is able to look around for many miles on the objects that are below, while those who are below, especially those down in a valley or in a forest, can hardly see the same number of paces away. So it is with those governed by the good of doctrine in comparison with those governed by the truth of doctrine separated from good. Although the latter imagine that they can see further than the former, they do not in fact see any good at all, nor any truth except very slightly and superficially, and even that is defiled by falsities.

[4] Even so, the wisdom and intelligence of angels is finite, and in comparison with the Lord's Divine Wisdom most finite, amounting to hardly anything. This may be recognized from the fact that the infinite and the finite cannot be measured one against the other, and yet communication from the Divine omnipotence is possible; also from the fact that the Lord is Good itself and Love itself, and is therefore the Essential Being (Esse) of good and the Essential Being (Esse) of love which resides with angels, and so the Essential Being (Esse) of their wisdom and intelligence. From this it may also be evident that the Lord is present in heaven and on earth in everything where good exists. People who imagine that the Lord is present in truth separated from good are very much mistaken, for He is present solely in good and from this in truth, that is, in love and charity, and from these in faith.

  
/ 10837  
  

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