The Bible

 

Genesis 1

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1 I Begyndelsen skabte Gud Himmelen og Jorden.

2 Og Jorden var øde og tom, og der var Mørke over Verdensdybet. Men Guds Ånd svævede over Vandene.

3 Og Gud sagde: "Der blive Lys!" Og der blev Lys.

4 Og Gud så, at Lyset var godt, og Gud satte Skel mellem Lyset og Mørket,

5 og Gud kaldte Lyset Dag, og Mørket kaldte han Nat. Og det blev Aften, og det blev Morgen, første Dag.

6 Derpå sagde Gud: "Der blive en Hvælving midt i Vandene til at skille Vandene ad!"

7 Og således skete det: Gud gjorde Hvælvingen og skilte Vandet under Hvælvingen fra Vandet over Hvælvingen;

8 og Gud kaldte Hvælvingen Himmel. Og det blev Aften, og det blev Morgen, anden Dag.

9 Derpå sagde Gud: "Vandet under Himmelen samle sig på eet Sted, så det faste Land kommer til Syne!" Og således skete det;

10 og Gud kaldte det faste Land Jord, og Stedet, hvor Vandet samlede sig, kaldte han Hav. Og Gud så, at det var godt.

11 Derpå sagde Gud: "Jorden lade fremspire grønne Urter, der bærer Frø, og Frugttræer, der bærer Frugt med Kærne, på Jorden!" Og således skete det:

12 Jorden frembragte grønne Urter, der bar Frø, efter deres Arter, og Træer, der bar Frugt med Kærne, efter deres Arter. Og Gud så, at det var godt.

13 Og det blev Aften, og det blev Morgen, tredje Dag.

14 Derpå sagde Gud: "Der komme Lys på Himmelhvælvingen til at skille Dag fra Nat, og de skal være til Tegn og til Fastsættelse af Højtider, Dage og År

15 og tjene som Lys på Himmelhvælvingen til at lyse på Jorden! Og således sket det:

16 Gud gjorde de to store Lys, det største til at herske om Dagen, det mindste til at herske om Natten, og Stjernerne;

17 og Gud satte dem på Himmelhvælvingen til at lyse på Jorden

18 og til at herske over Dagen og Natten og til at skille Lyset fra Mørket. Og Gud så, at det var godt.

19 Og det blev Aften, og det blev Morgen, fjerde Dag.

20 Derpå sagde Gud: "Vandet vrimle med en Vrimmel af levende Væsener, og Fugle flyve over Jorden oppe under Himmelhvælvingen!" Og således skete det:

21 Gud skabte de store Havdyr og den hele Vrimmel af levende Væsener, som Vandet vrimler med, efter deres Arter, og alle vingede Væsener efter deres Arter. Og Gud så, at det var godt.

22 Og Gud velsignede dem og sagde: "Bliv frugtbare og mangfoldige og opfyld Vandet i Havene, og Fuglene blive mangfoldige på Jorden!"

23 Og det blev Aften, og det blev Morgen, femte Dag.

24 Derpå sagde Gud: "Jorden frembringe levende Væsener efter deres Arter: Kvæg, Kryb og vildtlevende Dyr efter deres Arter! Og således skete det:

25 Gud gjorde de vildtlevende Dyr efter deres Arter, Kvæget efter dets Arter og alt Jordens Kryb efter dets Arter. Og Gud så, at det var godt.

26 Derpå sagde Gud: "Lad os gøre Mennesker i vort Billede, så de ligner os, til at herske over Havets Fisk og Himmelens Fugle, Kvæget og alle vildtlevende DyrJorden og alt Kryb,der kryber på Jorden!"

27 Og Gud skabte Mennesket i sit Billede; i Guds Billede skabte han det, som Mand og Kvinde skabte han dem;

28 og Gud velsignede dem, og Gud sagde til dem: "Bliv frugtbare og mangfoldige og opfyld Jorden, gør eder til Herre over den og hersk over Havets Fisk og Himmelens Fugle, Kvæget og alle vildtlevende Dyr, der rører sig på Jorden!"

29 Gud sagde fremdeles: "Jeg giver eder alle Urter på hele Jorden, som bærer Frø, og alle Træer, som bærer Frugt med Kærne; de skal være eder til Føde;

30 men alle Jordens dyr og alle Himmelens Fugle og alt, hvad der kryber på Jorden, og som har Livsånde, giver jeg alle grønne Urter til Føde." Og således skete det.

31 Og Gud så alt, hvad han havde gjort, og se, det var såre godt. Og det blev Aften, og det blev Morgen, sjette Dag.


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #10238

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10238. And thou shalt put waters therein. That this signifies the truths of faith, through which there is purification in the natural, is evident from the signification of “waters,” as being the truths of faith (see n. 28, 739, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 8568, 9323); and from the signification of the “laver,” as being the natural (of which above, n. 10235). He who does not know that “waters” signify the truths of faith, will fail to comprehend many passages in the Word; as what is signified by the statement that “unless a man is born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). They who by “water” in this passage understand nothing but water, believe that the water of baptism is that by which man is regenerated; when yet the water contributes nothing to regeneration; but the truth of faith and the good of love; for water merely washes away the uncleanness of the body, and by no means the evils of the heart.

[2] He who does not know that “waters” signify the truths of faith, cannot know what baptism signifies; for he believes that this external rite saves man, when yet this external thing effects nothing; but the internal thing that is signified, which is regeneration by means of the truths of faith. For they who are of the church are distinguished by baptism from all others in the whole world, because they can be regenerated by means of the truths of faith, but not those who are outside the church, seeing that within the church is the Word, in which are the truths of faith.

[3] He who does not know that “waters” signify the truths of faith, cannot know what is meant by “the waters that were above the expanse, and the waters that were under the expanse” (Genesis 1:6-10), when yet by “the waters above the expanse” are signified the truths of faith in the internal man; and by “the waters under the expanse,” the truths of faith in the external man; for the subject treated of in that chapter is the new creation of the man of the Most Ancient Church, thus his regeneration.

[4] He who does not know that “waters” signify the truths of faith, cannot know either what is signified by “waters” in Johns:

Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life (John 4:13).

The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst. I will open rivers on the hillsides, and I will set fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of waters, and the dry land springs of waters (Isaiah 41:17-18).

They shall not thirst, He shall cause the waters to flow out of the rock for them; and He shall cleave the rock that the waters flow out (Isaiah 48:20-21).

And very frequently elsewhere. But see what has been previously said and shown on this subject; as, That purification from evils and falsities is effected by means of the truths of faith (n. 2799, 5954, 7044, 7918, 9089, 10229): As also regeneration (see the places ci ted in n. 9959) That “baptism” signifies regeneration by means of the truths of faith (n. 4255, 5120, 9089): That purification is effected in the natural (n. 3147, 9572): And also regeneration (see the places cited in n. 9325 at the end).

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3424

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3424. And the servants of Isaac digged in the valley, and found there a well of living waters. That this signifies the Word as to the literal sense in which is the internal sense, is evident from the signification of “digging in the valley,” as being to make search lower down in respect to where truths are; for to “dig” is to search, and a “valley” denotes what is below (n. 1723, 3417); and from the signification of a “well of living waters,” as being the Word in which are truths Divine, thus the Word as to the literal sense in which is the internal sense. That the Word is called a “fountain,” and indeed a “fountain of living waters,” is well known; but the reason why the Word is also called a “well,” is that the sense of the letter is relatively such; and also because relatively to those who are spiritual the Word is not a “fountain,” but a “well” (n. 2702, 3096). As a “valley” denotes that which is below, or what is the same, that which is exterior, and the fountain was found in a valley, and the literal sense is the lower or exterior sense of the Word, therefore it is the literal sense which is meant; but because the internal sense, that is, the heavenly and Divine sense, is within this, therefore the waters thereof are called “living;” as were also the waters that went forth under the threshold of the new house, in Ezekiel:

And it shall come to pass that every living creature that creepeth, to which the river there comes, shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters are come thither and are healed, and everything liveth whithersoever the river cometh (Ezekiel 47:9); where the “river” is the Word; the “waters which cause everything to live” are the Divine truths contained in it; the “fish” are memory-knowledges (n. 40, 991).

[2] That the Word of the Lord is such that it gives life to him that thirsteth, that is, to him that desireth life, and that it is a “fountain whose waters are living,” the Lord also teaches in John when speaking to the woman of Samaria at Jacob’s well:

If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up unto eternal life (John 4:10, 14).

That the Word is living and therefore gives life, is because in its supreme sense the Lord is treated of, and in the inmost sense His kingdom, in which the Lord is all; and this being the case, there is in the Word life itself, which flows into the minds of those who read the Word with reverence; hence it is that in respect to the Word that is from Himself the Lord declares Himself to be a “fountain of water springing up unto eternal life” (see also n. 2702).

[3] That just as the Lord’s Word is called a “fountain,” so is it also called a “well,” is evident in Moses:

Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well, answer ye unto it: the princes digged the well; the chiefs of the people digged it for the lawgiver with their staves (Numbers 21:17-18).

These words were spoken at the “place Beer,” that is, at the “place of the well.” That by “well” here is signified the Word of the Ancient Church, spoken of above (n. 2897), is evident from what is there said; “princes” are primary truths that are the source; (that “princes” signify primary truths may be seen above, n. 1482, 2089); the “chiefs of the people” are lower truths, such as are those contained in the literal sense (n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295); that the “lawgiver” is the Lord, is evident; “staves” denote the powers which they possessed.

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