The Bible

 

Genesis 9

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1 Tedy požehnal Bůh Noé i synům jeho a řekl jim: Ploďtež se a rozmnožujte se, a naplňte zemi.

2 Strach váš a hrůza vaše buď na všeliký živočich země, a na všecko ptactvo nebeské. Všecko, což se hýbe na zemi, a všecky ryby mořské v ruce vaše dány jsou.

3 Všecko, což se hýbe a jest živo, bude vám za pokrm; jako i bylinu zelenou, dal jsem vám to všecko.

4 A však masa s duší jeho, kteráž jest krev jeho, nebudete jísti.

5 A zajisté krve vaší, duší vašich vyhledávati budu; z rukou každého hovada vyhledávati jí budu, i z ruky člověka, ano i z ruky každého bratra jeho budu vyhledávati duše člověka.

6 Kdo by koli vylil krev člověka, skrze člověka vylita bude krev jeho; nebo k obrazu svému učinil Bůh člověka.

7 Vy pak ploďte a množte se; v hojnosti se rozploďte na zemi, a rozmnoženi buďte na ní.

8 I mluvil Bůh k Noé a synům jeho s ním, řka:

9 Já zajisté vcházím v smlouvu svou s vámi, i s semenem vaším po vás,

10 A se všelikou duší živou, kteráž jest s vámi, z ptactva, z hovad a ze všech živočichů zemských, kteříž jsou s vámi, ode všech, kteříž vyšli z korábu, až do všelikého živočicha zemského.

11 Protož utvrzuji smlouvu svou s vámi, že nebude vyhlazeno více všeliké tělo vodami potopy; aniž bude více potopa k zkažení země.

12 I řekl Bůh: Totoť bude znamení smlouvy, kteréž já dávám, mezi mnou a mezi vámi, a mezi všelikou duší živou, kteráž jest s vámi, po všecky věky.

13 Duhu svou postavil jsem na oblaku, a bude na znamení smlouvy mezi mnou a mezi zemí.

14 A budeť, když uvedu mračný oblak nad zemí, a ukáže se duha na oblaku,

15 Že se rozpomenu na smlouvu svou, kteráž jest mezi mnou a mezi vámi a mezi všelikou duší živou v každém těle; a nebudou více vody ku potopě, aby zahladily všeliké tělo.

16 Nebo když bude duha ta na oblaku, popatřím na ni, abych se rozpomenul na smlouvu věčnou mezi Bohem a mezi všelikou duší živou v každém těle, kteréž jest na zemi.

17 I řekl Bůh k Noé: Toť jest znamení smlouvy, kterouž jsem utvrdil mezi sebou a mezi všelikým tělem, kteréž jest na zemi.

18 Byli pak synové Noé, kteříž vyšli z korábu: Sem, Cham a Jáfet; a Cham byl otec Kanánův.

19 Ti tři jsou synové Noé, a ti se rozprostřeli po vší zemi.

20 Noé pak obíraje se s zemí, začal dělati vinice.

21 A pije víno, opil se, a obnažil se u prostřed stanu svého.

22 Viděl pak Cham, otec Kanánův, hanbu otce svého, a pověděl oběma bratřím svým vně.

23 Tedy vzali Sem a Jáfet oděv, kterýžto oba položili na ramena svá, a jdouce zpátkem, zakryli hanbu otce svého; tváři pak jich byly odvráceny, a hanby otce svého neviděli.

24 Procítiv pak Noé po svém víně, zvěděl, co mu učinil syn jeho mladší.

25 I řekl: Zlořečený Kanán, služebník služebníků bude bratřím svým.

26 Řekl také: Požehnaný Hospodin, Bůh Semův, a buď Kanán služebníkem jejich.

27 Rozšiřiž Bůh milostivě Jáfeta, aby bydlil v stáncích Semových, a buď Kanán služebníkem jejich.

28 Živ pak byl Noé po potopě tři sta a padesáte let.

29 A tak bylo všech dnů Noé devět set a padesáte let; i umřel jest.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1042

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1042. I have set My bow in the cloud. This signifies the state of the regenerated spiritual man, which is like a rainbow. Anyone may wonder that the “bow in the cloud” or the rainbow, is taken in the Word for a token of the covenant, seeing that the rainbow is nothing but an appearance arising from the modification of the rays of sunlight in raindrops, and thus only something natural, unlike other signs of the covenant in the church, mentioned just above. And that the “bow in the cloud” represents regeneration, and signifies the state of the regenerated spiritual man, cannot be known to anyone unless it be given him to see and hence to know how the case is. Spiritual angels, who have all been regenerated men of the spiritual church, when presented to sight as such in the other life, appear with as it were a rainbow about the head. But the rainbows seen are in accordance with their state, and thus from them their quality is known in heaven and in the world of spirits. The reason that the appearance of a rainbow is seen is that their natural things corresponding to their spiritual present such an appearance. It is a modification of spiritual light from the Lord in their natural things. These angels are those who are said to be regenerated “of water and the spirit” but the celestial angels are said to be regenerated “with fire.”

[2] As regards natural colors, the existence of color requires something both dark and light, or black and white. When rays of sunlight fall on this, according to the varied tempering of the dark and the light, or of the black and the white, from the modification of the inflowing rays of light, colors are produced, some of which partake more and some less of the dark and black, and some more and some less of the light and white; and hence is their diversity. To speak comparatively, it is the same in spiritual things. The darkness in this case is the Own of man’s intellectual part, or falsity; and the blackness is the Own of his will part, or evil; which absorb and extinguish the rays of light. But the lightness and whiteness is the truth and good that the man supposes he does of himself, which reflects and throws back from itself the rays of light. The rays of light that fall upon these, and as it were modify them, are from the Lord, as from the Sun of wisdom and intelligence; for rays of spiritual light are no other and from no other source. It is because natural things correspond to spiritual that when what is about a regenerate spiritual man is presented to view in the other life, it appears like the bow in the cloud, this bow being the representation of his spiritual things in his natural things. There is in the regenerate spiritual man an Own of the understanding into which the Lord insinuates innocence, charity and mercy. According to the reception of these gifts by the man is the appearance of his rainbow when presented to view—beautiful in proportion to the degree in which the Own of his will is removed, subdued, and reduced to obedience.

[3] By the prophets also, when they were in the vision of God, there was seen a bow as in a cloud. As by Ezekiel:

Above the expanse that was over the head of the cherubs was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a Man upon it above; and I saw as the appearance of burning coal, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of His loins and upward; and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about Him; as the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about; this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah (Ezekiel 1:26-28).

It must be evident to everyone that it is the Lord who was thus seen, and also that by Him was represented heaven, for He is heaven, that is, He is the all in all things of heaven. He is the “Man” here spoken of; the “throne” is heaven; the “burning coal as the appearance of fire from the loins and upward” is the celestial of love; the “brightness as of fire round about from the loins downward, as the bow in the cloud” is the celestial spiritual. Thus the celestial heaven, or the heaven of the celestial angels, is represented from the loins upward, and the spiritual heaven, or the heaven of the spiritual angels, is represented from the loins downward. For in the Grand Man what is below, from the loins down through the feet to the soles, signifies what is natural. Hence also it is evident that the natural things of man thus illuminated by spiritual light from the Lord, appear as the bow in the cloud. The like was seen also by John (Revelation 4:2-3; 10:1).

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