The Bible

 

Genesis 31

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1 Men Jakob hørte Labans Sønner sige: "Jakob har taget al vor Faders Ejendom, og deraf har han skabt sig al den Velstand."

2 Og Jakob læste i Labans Ansigt, at han ikke var sindet mod ham som tidligere.

3 Da sagde HE EN til Jakob: "Vend tilbage til dine Fædres Land og din Hjemstavn, så vil jeg være med dig!"

4 Så sendte Jakob Bud og lod akel og Lea kalde ud på Marken til sin Hjord;

5 og han sagde til dem: "Jeg læser i eders Faders Ansigt, at han ikke er sindet mod mig som tidligere, nu da min Faders Gud har været med mig;

6 og I ved jo selv, at jeg har tjent eders Fader af al min Kraft,

7 medens eders Fader har bedraget mig og forandret min Løn ti Gange; men Gud tilstedte ham ikke at gøre mig Skade;

8 sagde han, at de spættede Dyr skulde være min Løn, så fødte hele Hjorden spættet Afkom, og sagde han, at de stribede skulde være min Løn, så fødte hele Hjorden stribet Afkom.

9 Således tog Gud Hjordene fra eders Fader og gav mig dem.

10 Og ved den Tid Dyrene parrede sig, så jeg i Drømme, at Bukkene, der sprang, var stribede, spættede og brogede

11 og Guds Engel sagde til mig i Drømme: Jakob! Jeg svarede: Se, her er jeg!

12 Da sagde han: Løft dit Blik og se, hvorledes alle Bukkene, der springer, er stribede, spættede og brogede, thi jeg har set alt, hvad Laban har gjort imod dig.

13 Jeg er den Gud, som åbenbarede sig for dig i, Betel, der, hvor du salvede en Stenstøtte og aflagde mig et Løfte; bryd op og forlad dette Land og vend tilbage til din Hjemstavn!"

14 Så svarede akel og Lea ham: "Har vi vel mere Lod og Del i vor Faders Hus?

15 Har han ikke regnet os for fremmede Kvinder, siden han solgte os og selv brugte de Penge, han fik for os?

16 Al den igdom, Gud har taget fra vor Fader, tilhører os og vore Børn gør du kun alt, hvad Gud sagde til dig!"

17 Så satte Jakob sine Børn og sine Hustruer på Kamelerne

18 og tog alt sit Kvæg med sig, og al den Ejendom, han havde samlet sig, det Kvæg, han ejede og havde samlet sig i Paddan-Aram, for at drage til sin Fader Isak i Kana'ans, Land.

19 Medens Laban var borte og klippede sine Får, stjal akel sin Faders Husgud.

20 Og Jakob narrede Aramæeren Laban, idet han ikke lod ham mærke, at han vilde flygte;

21 og han flygtede med alt, hvad han ejede; han brød op og satte over Floden og vandrede ad Gileads Bjerge til.

22 Tredjedagen fik Laban Melding om, at Jakob var flygtet;

23 han tog da sine Frænder med sig, satte efter ham så langt som syv Dagsrejser og indhentede ham: i Gileads Bjerge

24 Men Gud kom til Aramæeren Laban i en Drøm om Natten og sagde til ham: "Vogt dig vel for at sige så meget som et ondt Ord til Jakob!"

25 Da Laban traf Jakob havde han opslået sit Telt på Bjerget. Laban med sine Frænder sit i Gileads Bjerge

26 sagde Laban til Jakob: "Hvad har du gjort! Mig har du narret, og mine Døtre har du ført bort. som var de Krigsfanger!

27 Hvorfor har du holdt din Flugt hemmelig og narret mig og ikke meddelt mig det; så jeg kunde tage Afsked med dig med Lystighed og Sang, med Håndpauker og Harper?

28 Du lod mig ikke kysse mine Sønner og Døtre - sandelig, det var dårligt gjort af dig!

29 Det stod nu i min Magt at handle ilde med dig; men din Faders Gud sagde til mig i Nat: Vogt dig vel for at sige så meget som et ondt Ord til Jakob!

30 Nu vel, så drog du altså bort fordi du længtes så meget efter din Faders Hus men hvorfor stjal du min Gud?"

31 Da svarede Jakob Laban: "Jeg var bange; thi jeg tænkte, du vilde rive dine Døtre fra mig!

32 Men den, hos hvem du finder din Gud, skal lade sit Liv! Gennemsøg i vore Frænders Påsyn, hvad: jeg har, og tag, hvad dit er!" Jakob vidste nemlig ikke, at akel havde; stjålet den.

33 Laban gik nu ind og ledte i Jakobs, i Leas og i de to Tjenestekvinders Telte men fandt intet; og fra Leas gik han, til akels, Telt.

34 Men akel havde taget Husguden og lagt den i Kamelsadlen og sat sig på den. Da Laban nu havde gennemsøgt hele Teltet og intet fundet,

35 sagde hun til sin Fader: "Min Herre tage mig ikke ilde op, at jeg ikke kan rejse mig for dig, da det går mig på Kvinders Vis!" Således ledte han efter Husguden uden at finde den.

36 Da blussede Vreden op i Jakob, og han gik i ette med Laban; og Jakob sagde til Laban: "Hvad er min Brøde, og hvad er min Synd, at du satte efter mig!

37 Du har jo nu gennemsøgt alle mine Ting! Hvad har du fundet af alle dine Sager? Læg det frem for mine Frænder og dine Frænder, at de kan dømme os to imellem!

38 I de tyve År, jeg har været hos dig, fødte dine Får og Geder ikke i Utide, din Hjords Vædre fortærede jeg ikke,

39 det sønderrevne bragte jeg dig ikke, men erstattede det selv; af min Hånd krævede du, hvad der blev stjålet både om Dagen og om Natten;

40 om Dagen fortærede Heden mig, om Natten Kulden, og mine Øjne kendte ikke til Søvn.

41 I tyve År har jeg tjent dig i dit Hus, fjorten År for dine to Døtre og seks År for dit Småkvæg, og ti Gange har du forandret min Løn.

42 Havde ikke min Faders Gud, Abrahams Gud og Isaks ædsel, stået mig bi, så havde du ladet mig gå med tomme Hænder; men Gud så min Elendighed og mine Hænders Møje, og i Nat afsagde han sin Kendelse!"

43 Da sagde Laban til Jakob: "Døtrene er mine Døtre, Sønnerne er mine Sønner, Hjordene er mine Hjorde, og alt, hvad du ser, er mit men hvad skulde jeg i Dag kunne gøre imod mine Døtre eller de Sønner, de har født?

44 Lad os to slutte et Forlig, og det skal tjene til Vidne mellem os."

45 Så tog Jakob en Sten og rejste den som en Støtte;

46 og Jakob sagde til sine Frænder: "Sank Sten sammen!" Og de tog Sten og byggede en Dysse og holdt Måltid derpå.

47 Laban kaldte den Jegar-Sahaduta, og Jakob kaldte den Galed.

48 Da sagde Laban: "Denne Dysse skal i Dag være Vidne mellem os to!" Derfor kaldte han den Galed

49 og Mizpa; thi han sagde: "HE EN skal stå Vagt mellem mig og dig, når vi skilles.

50 Hvis du handler ilde med mine Døtre eller tager andre Hustruer ved Siden af dem, da vid, at selv om intet Menneske er til Stede, er dog Gud Vidne mellem mig og dig!"

51 Og Laban sagde til Jakob: "Se denne Stendysse og se denne Stenstøtte, som jeg har rejst mellem mig og dig!

52 Vidne er denne Dysse, og Vidne er denne Støtte på, at jeg ikke i fjendtlig Hensigt vil gå forbi denne Dysse ind til dig, og at du heller ikke vil gå forbi den ind til mig;

53 Abrahams Gud og Nakors Gud, deres Faders Gud, være Dommer imellem os!" Så svor Jakob ved sin Fader Isaks ædsel,

54 og derpå holdt Jakob Offerslagtning på Bjerget og indbød sine Frænder til Måltid; og de holdt Måltid og blev på Bjerget Natten over.

55 Tidligt næste Morgen kyssede Laban sine Sønner og Døtre, velsignede dem og drog bort; og Laban vendte tilbage til sin Hjemstavn,

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1992

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1992. 'I am God Shaddai' means, in the sense of the letter, the name of Abram's God, by means of which the Lord was represented before them at first. This is clear from references in the Word to Abram and his father's house worshipping other gods. Surviving in Syria, where Abram came from, there were remnants of the Ancient Church, and many families there retained its worship, as is clear in the case of Eber who came from those parts and from whom the Hebrew nation descended. They likewise retained the name Jehovah, as is evident from what has been shown in Volume One, in 1343, and from Balaam, who also came from Syria, and who offered sacrifices and called his God Jehovah. That he came from Syria is indicated in Numbers 23:7; that he offered sacrifices, in Numbers 22:39-40; 23:1-3, 14, 29; and that he called his God Jehovah, in Numbers 2:8, 13, 18, 31; 23:8, 12, 16.

[2] But in the case of the house of Terah, Abram and Nahor's father, this was not so. That house was one of the gentile families there which had not only lost the name of Jehovah but also served other gods; and instead of Jehovah they worshipped Shaddai, whom they called their own god. The fact that they had lost the name of Jehovah is clear from the places quoted in Volume One, in 1343; and the fact that they served other gods is explicitly stated in Joshua,

Joshua said to all the people, Thus said Jehovah, the God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt of old beyond the River, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. Now fear Jehovah, and serve Him in sincerity and truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve Jehovah. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve Jehovah, choose this day whom you are to serve, whether the gods which your fathers served who were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites. Joshua 24:2, 14-15.

The fact that Nahor as well, Abram's brother, and the nation that descended from him, served other gods is also clear from Laban the Syrian, who lived in the city of Nahor and worshipped the images or teraphim which Rachel stole, Genesis 24:10; 31:19, 30, 32, 34 - see what has been stated in Volume One, in 1356. That instead of Jehovah they worshipped Shaddai, whom they called their god, is plainly stated in Moses,

I, Jehovah, appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Shaddai, and by My name Jehovah I was not known to them. Exodus 6:2-3.

[3] These references show what Abram was by disposition in his younger days, namely an idolater like other gentiles, and that even up to and during the time he was in the land of Canaan he had not cast the god Shaddai away from his mind; and this accounts for the declaration here, 'I am God Shaddai', which in the sense of the letter means the name of Abram's god. And from Exodus 6:2-3, that has just been quoted, it is evident that it was by this name that the Lord was first represented before them - before Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

[4] The reason the Lord was willing to be represented before them first of all through the name Shaddai is that the Lord is never willing to destroy quickly, still less immediately, the worship implanted in someone since earliest childhood. He is unwilling to destroy it because it would be an uprooting and so a destroying of the deeply implanted feeling for what is holy which is expressed in adoration and worship, a feeling which the Lord never crushes but bends. The holiness which is expressed in worship and has been inrooted since earliest childhood is such that it does not respond to violence but to gentle and kindly bending. The same applies to gentiles who during their lifetime have worshipped idols and yet have led charitable lives one with another. Because the holiness expressed in their worship has been inrooted since earliest childhood it is not removed all of a sudden in the next life but gradually. For people who have led charitable lives one with another are able to have implanted in them without difficulty the goods and truths of faith; these they subsequently receive with joy, charity being the soil itself. This is what happened in the case of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that is to say, the Lord allowed them to retain the name God Shaddai; indeed He went so far as to speak of Himself as God Shaddai, which He did because of what that name meant.

[5] Some translators render Shaddai as the Almighty, others as the Thunderbolt-hurler. But strictly speaking it means the Tempter, and the One who does good following temptations, as is clear in Job who, because he suffered many temptations, mentions Shaddai so many times, such as the following places in his book make clear,

Behold, blessed is the man whom God reproves; and despise not the chastening of Shaddai. Job 5:17.

The arrows of Shaddai are with me, the terrors of God are arrayed against me. Job 6:4.

He will forsake the fear of Shaddai. Job 6:14.

I will speak to Shaddai, and I desire to dispute with God. Job 13:3.

He has stretched forth his hand against God, and emboldens himself against Shaddai. Job 15:25.

His eyes will see his destruction and he will drink of the wrath of Shaddai. Job 21:20.

As for Shaddai, you will not find him. He is great in power and judgement, and in the abundance of righteousness. He will not afflict. Job 37:23.

Also in Joel,

Alas for the day! For the day of Jehovah is near, and as destruction from Shaddai will it come. Joel 1:15.

This becomes clear also from the actual word Shaddai, which means vastation, thus temptation, for temptation is a variety of vastation. But because the name had its origins among the nations in Syria, he is not called Elohim Shaddai but El Shaddai; and in Job he is called simply Shaddai, with El, or God, mentioned separately.

[6] Because comfort follows temptations people also attributed the good that comes out of temptations to the same Shaddai, as in Job 22:17, 23, 25-26; and they also attributed to him the understanding of truth which resulted from those temptations, 32:8; 33:4. And because in this way he was regarded as a god of truth, for vastation, temptation, chastisement, and reproving belong in no way to good but to truth, and because the Lord was represented by means of it before Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the name was retained even among the Prophets. But with the latter Shaddai was used to mean truth, as in Ezekiel,

I heard the sound of the cherubs' wings, like the sound of many waters, like the sound of Shaddai as they were coming, a sound of tumult, like the sound of a camp. Ezekiel 1:24.

In the same prophet,

The court was full of the brightness of the glory of Jehovah, and the sound of the wings of the cherubs was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of the god Shaddai when he speaks. Ezekiel 10:4-5.

Here Jehovah stands for good, Shaddai for truth. 'Wings' likewise in the Word means in the internal sense things that are matters of truth.

[7] Isaac and Jacob too used the name God Shaddai in a similar way, namely as one who tempts, rescues from temptation, and after that does good to them. Isaac addressed his son Jacob when he was about to flee on account of Esau,

God Shaddai bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you. Genesis 28:3.

Jacob addressed his sons when they were about to journey into Egypt to buy grain and were so greatly afraid of Joseph,

May God Shaddai grant you mercy before the man, and may He send back with you your other brother and Benjamin. Genesis 43:14.

Jacob, by now Israel, when blessing Joseph, who had experienced the evils of temptation more than his brothers and had been released from them, declared,

By the God of your father, and He will help you; and with Shaddai, and He will bless you. Genesis 49:25.

This then explains why the Lord was willing to be represented at first as God Shaddai whom Abram worshipped when He declared,

I am God Shaddai.

And later on He referred to Himself in a similar way before Jacob, I am God Shaddai; be fruitful and multiply. Genesis 35:11.

And a further reason is that the subject of the internal sense in what has gone before has been temptations.

[8] The worship of Shaddai with them had its origin, as it did with a certain nation which in the Lord's Divine mercy will be described later on, and also with those who belonged to the Ancient Church, in the fact that quite often they heard spirits who reproached them and who also afterwards consoled them. The spirits who reproached them were perceived as being on the left side below the arm; at the same time angels were present from the head who overruled the spirits and toned down the reproaching. And because they imagined that everything declared to them through the spirits was Divine, they called the reproaching spirit Shaddai. And because he also afterwards gave consolation they called him God Shaddai. Since they had no understanding of the internal sense of the Word, people in those days, including the Jews, possessed that kind of religion in which they imagined that all evil and so all temptation came from God just as all good and thus all comfort did. But that in actual fact this is not at all the case, see Volume One, in 245, 592, 696, 1093, 1874, 1875.

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