The Bible

 

Genesis 15

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1 Nogen Tid efter kom HE ENS Ord til Abram i et Syn således: "Frygt ikke, Abram, jeg er dit Skjold; din Løn skal blive såre stor!"

2 Men Abram svarede: "Herre", HE E, hvad kan du give mig, når jeg dog går barnløs bort, og en Mand fra Damaskus, Eliezer, skal arve mit Hus."

3 Og Abram sagde: "Du har jo intet Afkom givet mig, og se, min Hustræl kommer til at arve mig!"

4 Og se, HE ENs Ord kom til ham således: "Han kommer ikke til at arve dig, men den, der udgår af dit Liv, han skal arve dig."

5 Derpå førte han ham ud i det fri og sagde: "Se op mod Himmelen og prøv, om du kan tælle Stjernerne!" Og han sagde til ham: "Således skal dit Afkom blive!"

6 Da troede Abram HE EN, og han regnede ham det til etfærdighed.

7 Derpå sagde han til ham: "Jeg er HE EN, som førte dig bort fra Ur Kasdim for at give dig dette Land i Eje!"

8 Men han svarede: "Herre, HE E, hvorpå kan jeg kende, at jeg skal få det i Eje?"

9 Da sagde han til ham: "Tag mig en treårs Kvie, en treårs Ged og en treårs Væder, en Turteldue og en Småfugl!"

10 Så tog han alle disse Dyr skar dem midt over og lagde Halvdelene over for hinanden; dog skar han ikke Fuglene over.

11 Da slog der ovfugle ned på de døde Kroppe, men Abram skræmmede dem bort.

12 Da Solen så var ved at gå ned, faldt der Dvale over Abram, og se, ædsel faldt over ham, et stort Mørke.

13 Og han sagde til Abram: "Vide skal du, at dit Afkom skal bo som fremmede i et Land, der ikke er deres eget; de skal trælle for dem og mishandles af dem i 400 År.

14 Dog vil jeg også dømme det Folk, de kommer til at trælle for, og siden skal de vandre ud med meget Gods.

15 Men du skal fare til dine Fædre i Fred og blive jordet i en god Alderdom.

16 I fjerde Slægtled skal de vende tilbage hertil; thi endnu er Amoriternes Syndeskyld ikke fuldmoden."

17 Da Solen var gået ned og Mørket faldet på, viste der sig en rygende Ovn med en flammende Ildslue, der skred frem mellem de sønderskårne Kroppe.

18 På den Dag sluttede HE EN Pagt med Abram, idet han sagde: "Dit Afkom giver jeg dette Land fra Ægyptens Bæk til den store Flod, Eufratfloden,

19 det er Keniterne, Henizziterne, Kadmoniterne,

20 Hetiterne, Perizziterne, efaiterne,

21 Amoriterne, Kana'anæerne, Girgasjiterne, Hivviterne og Jebusiterne."

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1838

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1838. That 'a deep sleep came over Abram' means that the Church was at that time in darkness is clear from the meaning of 'deep sleep'. In relation to wakefulness 'deep sleep' is a state of darkness, a state which is here attributed to the Lord, who is represented by Abram. Not that a deep sleep, or a state of darkness, ever in fact existed with Him, but with the Church. This is similar to the way things are in the next life where the Lord never ceases to be the Sun, and Light itself; yet before the evil He is seen as darkness, for it is according to the state of each individual that the Lord is seen. Thus the same is said here of the Church when in a state of darkness.

[2] Take as an example the vastation, the punishment, and the condemnation which are ascribed to the Lord many times in the Word. These are in fact attributable to the member of the Church, who vastates, punishes, and condemns himself. It appears to the eyes of the individual as though the Lord vastated, punished, and condemned; and because the appearance is such, it is so expressed according to appearances. For unless a person were taught by means of appearances he would never allow himself to be taught at all. What is contrary to the appearance he neither believes nor comprehends until at a later time he has the power of judgement and has been granted the faith that is grounded in charity.

[3] The same applies to the Church. When it is in darkness the Lord is so obscured before the eyes of its members that He does not appear, that is, He is not acknowledged. Yet it is not at all the Lord who is covered in obscurity but the person in whom and with whom the Lord would be. Nevertheless obscuration is attributed to the Lord, as is 'deep sleep' here, by which is meant a dark state of the Church.

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