The Bible

 

Genesis 33

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1 Pozdvih pak očí svých Jákob, uzřel, an Ezau jde, a čtyři sta mužů s ním; i rozdělil syny Líe zvlášť a Ráchele zvlášť, a obou děvek zvlášť.

2 Postavil, pravím, děvky s syny jejich napřed, potom Líu s syny jejími za nimi, Ráchel pak a Jozefa nejzáze.

3 A sám šel před nimi, a poklonil se až k zemi po sedmkrát, až právě přišel k bratru svému.

4 I běžel Ezau proti němu, a objal ho; a pad na šíji jeho, líbal ho. I plakali.

5 Pozdvih pak očí svých, a spatřiv ženy s dětmi, řekl: Kdo jsou onino s tebou? Odpověděl: Jsou dítky, kteréž Bůh dal z milosti služebníku tvému.

6 Mezi tím přiblížily se děvky s syny svými, i poklonili se.

7 Přiblížila se také Lía s syny svými, a poklonili se; a potom přiblížil se Jozef a Ráchel, a také se poklonili.

8 I řekl Ezau: K čemu jest všecken ten houf, kterýž jsem potkal? Odpověděl: Abych nalezl milost před očima pána mého.

9 Tedy řekl Ezau: Mám hojně, bratře můj; nech sobě, což tvého jest.

10 I řekl Jákob: Nezbraňuj se, prosím; jestliže jsem nyní nalezl milost před očima tvýma, přijmi dar můj z ruky mé, poněvadž jsem viděl tvář tvou, jako bych viděl tvář Boží, a laskavě jsi mne přijal.

11 Přijmi, prosím, dar můj obětovaný tobě, poněvadž štědře obdařil mne Bůh, a mám všeho dosti. Takž ho přinutil, a on vzal.

12 I dí: Poď, a jděme; já půjdu s tebou.

13 I řekl k němu Jákob: pán můj, že děti jsou outlí, a mám s sebou ovce i krávy březí; kteréžto budou-li hnány přes moc jeden den, pomře mi všecken dobytek.

14 Nechžť medle jde pán můj před služebníkem svým, já pak poznenáhlu se poberu, tak jakž bude moci jíti stádo, kteréž před sebou mám, a jakž postačiti budou moci děti, až tak dojdu ku pánu svému do Seir.

15 I řekl Ezau: Nechť ale pozůstavím něco lidu, kterýž mám s sebou. I odpověděl: K čemu to? Nechť toliko naleznu milost před očima pána svého.

16 Tedy Ezau toho dne navrátil se cestou svou do Seir.

17 Jákob pak bral se do Sochot, a ustavěl sobě dům, a dobytku svému zdělal stáje; protož nazval jméno místa toho Sochot.

18 A tak Jákob navracuje se z Pádan Syrské, přišel ve zdraví k městu Sichem, kteréž jest v zemi Kananejské, a položil se před městem.

19 I koupil díl pole toho, na němž byl rozbil stan svůj, od synů Emora, otce Sichemova, za sto ovec.

20 A postavil tu oltář, kterémužto dal jméno Bůh silný, Bůh Izraelský.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4401

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4401. And he erected there an altar. That this signifies interior worship, is evident from the signification of “erecting an altar,” as being worship. For an altar was the principal representative of the Lord (see n. 921, 2777, 2811), and hence also the principal thing in worship. By worship is here meant interior worship from the Divine Spiritual, which subject now follows.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #921

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921. And Noah builded an altar unto Jehovah. That this signifies a representative of the Lord, is evident from what has just been said. All the rites of the Ancient Church were representative of the Lord, as also the rites of the Jewish Church. But the principal representative in later times was the altar, and also the burnt-offering, which being made of clean beasts and clean birds, had its representation according to their signification, clean beasts signifying the goods of charity, and clean birds the truths of faith. When men of the Ancient Church offered these, they signified that they offered gifts of these goods and truths to the Lord. Nothing else can be offered to the Lord that will be grateful to Him. But their posterity, as the Gentiles and also the Jews, perverted these things, not even knowing that they had such a signification, and making their worship consist in the externals only.

[2] That the altar was the principal representative of the Lord, is evident from the fact that there were altars, even among Gentiles, before other rites were instituted, and before the ark was constructed, and before the temple was built. This is evident from Abram, as that when he came upon the mountain on the east of Bethel he raised an altar and called upon the name of Jehovah (Genesis 12:8); and afterwards he was commanded to offer Isaac for a burnt-offering on an altar (Genesis 22:2, 9). So Jacob built an altar at Luz, or Bethel (Genesis 35:6-7); and Moses built an altar under Mount Sinai, and sacrificed (Exodus 24:4-6). All this was before the [Jewish] sacrifices were instituted, and before the ark was constructed at which worship was afterwards performed in the wilderness. That there were altars likewise among the Gentiles, is evident from Balaam, who said to Balak that he should build seven altars and prepare seven bullocks and seven rams (Numbers 23:1-7, 14-18, 29-30); and also from its being commanded that the altars of the nations should be destroyed (Deuteronomy 7:5; Judges 2:2). Thus Divine worship by altars and sacrifices was not a new thing instituted with the Jews. Indeed altars were built before men had any idea of slaying oxen and sheep upon them, but as memorials.

[3] That altars signify a representative of the Lord, and burnt-offerings the worship of Him thereby, is plainly evident in the Prophets, as also in Moses when it is said of Levi, to whom the priesthood belonged:

They shall teach Jacob Thy judgments, and Israel Thy law; they shall put incense in Thy nostrils, and whole burnt-offering upon Thine altar (Deuteronomy 33:10),

meaning all worship; for “to teach Jacob judgments, and Israel the law” denotes internal worship; and “to put incense in Thy nostrils, and whole burnt-offering on Thine altar” denotes corresponding external worship.

In Isaiah:

In that day shall a man look unto his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel; and he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hand (Isaiah 17:7-8),

where “looking to the altars” plainly signifies representative worship in general, which was to be abolished. Again:

In that day shall there be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to Jehovah (Isaiah 19:19),

where also “an altar” stands for external worship.

[4] In Jeremiah:

The Lord hath cast off His altar, He hath abhorred His sanctuary (Lamentations 2:7);

“altar” denoting representative worship which had become idolatrous.

In Hosea:

Because Ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin, altars have been unto him to sin (Hosea 8:11);

“altars” denote here all representative worship separate from internal, thus what is idolatrous. Again:

The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed; the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars (Hosea 10:8), where “altars” denote idolatrous worship.

In Amos:

In the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will also visit the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off (Amos 3:14),

where again “altars” denote representative worship become idolatrous.

[5] In David:

Let them bring me unto the mountain of Thy holiness, and to Thy tabernacles. And I will go unto the altar of God, unto God the gladness of my joy (Psalms 43:3-4), where “altar” manifestly denotes the Lord.

Thus the building of an altar in the Ancient and in the Jewish Church was for a representative of the Lord. As the worship of the Lord was performed principally by burnt-offerings and sacrifices, and thus these things signified principally representative worship, it is evident that the altar itself signifies this representative worship itself.

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