The Bible

 

Genesis 4

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1 Adam kendte sin Hustru Eva,og hun blev frugtsommelig og fødte Kain; og hun sagde: "Jeg har fået en Søn med HE ENS Hjælp!"

2 Fremdeles fødte hun hans Broder Abel. Abel blev Fårehyrde, Kain Agerdyrker.

3 Nogen Tid efter bragte Kain HE EN en Offergave af Jordens Frugt,

4 medens Abel bragte en Gave af sin Hjords førstefødte og deres Fedme. Og HE EN så til Abel og hans Offergave,

5 men til Kain og hans Offergave så han ikke. Kain blev da såre vred og gik med sænket Hoved.

6 Da sagde HE EN til Kain: "Hvorfor er du vred, og hvorfor går du med sænket Hoved?

7 Du ved, at når du handler vel, kan du løfte Hovedet frit; men handler du ikke vel, så lurer Synden ved Døren; dens Attrå står til dig, men du skal herske over den!"

8 Men Kain yppede Kiv med sin Broder Abel; og engang de var ude på Marken, sprang Kain ind på ham og slog ham ihjel.

9 Da sagde HE EN til Kain: "Hvor er din Broder Abel?" Han svarede: "Det ved jeg ikke; skal jeg vogte min Broder?"

10 Men han sagde: "Hvad har du gjort! Din Broders Blod råber til mig fra Jorden!

11 Derfor skal du nu være bandlyst fra Agerjorden, som åbnede sig og tog din Broders Blod af din Hånd!

12 Når du dyrker Agerjorden, skal den ikke mere skænke dig sin Kraft du skal flakke hjemløs om på Jorden!"

13 Men Kain sagde til HE EN: "Min Straf er ikke til at bære;

14 når du nu jager mig bort fra Agerjorden, og jeg må skjule mig for dit Åsyn og flakke hjemløs om på Jorden, så kan jo enhver, der møder mig, slå mig ihjel!"

15 Da svarede HE EN: "Hvis Kain bliver slået ihjel, skal han hævnes;syvfold!" Og HE EN satte et Tegn på Kain, for at ingen, der mødte ham, skulde slå ham ihjel.

16 Så drog Kain bort fra HE ENs Åsyn og slog sig ned i Landet Nod østen for Eden.

17 Kain kendte sin Hustru, og hun blev frugtsommelig og fødte Hanok. Han grundede en By og gav den sin;Søn Hanoks Navn.

18 Hanok fik en Søn Irad; Irad avlede Mehujael; Mehujael avlede Mehujael; og Metusjael avlede Lemek

19 Lemek tog sig to Hustruer; den ene hed Ada, den anden Zilla.

20 Ada fødte Jabal; han blev Stamfader til dem, der bor i Telte og holder Kvæg;

21 hans Broder hed Jubal; han blev Stamfader til alle dem, der spiller på Harpe og Fløjte.

22 Også Zilla fik en Søn, Tubal-Kajin; han blev Stamfader til alle dem, der smeder Kobber og Jern. Tubal-Kajins Søster var Na'ama.

23 Og Lemelk sagde til sine Hustruer: "Ada og Zilla, hør min øst, Lemeks Hustruer, lyt til mit Ord: En Mand har jeg dræbt for et Sår, en Dreng for en Skramme!

24 Blev Kain hævnet syvfold, så hævnes Lemek syv og halvfjerdsindstyve Gange!"

25 Adam kendte på ny sin Hustru, og hun fødte en Søn, som hun gav Navnet Set; "thi," sagde hun, "Gud har sat mig andet Afkom i Abels Sted, fordi Kain slog ham ihjel!"

26 Set fik også en Søn, som han kaldte Enosj; på den Tid begyndte man at påkalde HE ENs Navn.

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #420

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420. In the Word mention is made of various instruments, each having its own signification, as will be shown, of the Lord’s Divine mercy, in its proper place; here however we shall adduce only what is said in David:

I will sacrifice in the tent of Jehovah sacrifices of shouting, I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto Jehovah (Psalms 27:6),

where by “tent” is expressed what is celestial, and by “shouting” “singing” and “singing praises” what is spiritual thence derived. Again:

Sing unto Jehovah, O ye righteous, for His praise is comely for the upright; confess ye to Jehovah on the harp, sing unto Him with the psaltery, an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto Him a new song, play skillfully with a loud noise; for the Word of Jehovah is right, and all His work is in the truth (Psalms 33:1-4),

denoting the truths of faith, concerning which these things are said.

[2] Spiritual things, or the truths and goods of faith, were celebrated with the harp and psaltery, with singing and analogous instruments, but the holy or celestial things of faith were celebrated with wind instruments, such as trumpets and the like; and this was why so many instruments were used about the temple and so often, in order that this or that subject might be celebrated with certain instruments; and in consequence of this the instruments came to be taken and understood for the subjects that were celebrated with them.

[3] Again:

I will confess to Thee with the psaltery, even Thy truth, O my God; unto Thee will I sing praises with the harp, O Thou Holy One of Israel; my lips shall sing when I sing praises unto Thee, and my soul which Thou hast redeemed (Psalms 71:22-23), where also the truths of faith are signified. Again:

Answer to Jehovah in confession, sing praises upon the harp unto our God (Psalms 147:7)

“confession” has respect to the celestial things of faith, and therefore mention is made of “Jehovah;” and to “sing praises upon the harp” has reference to the spiritual things of faith, wherefore “God” is spoken of. Again:

Let them praise the name of Jehovah in the dance, let them sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp (Psalms 49:3), where the “timbrel” signifies good, and the “harp” truth, which they praise.

[4] Again:

Praise God with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the psaltery and harp; praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and the organ; praise Him upon the loud cymbals; praise Him upon the cymbals of shouting (Psalms 150:3-4, 5).

These instruments denote the goods and the truths of faith which were the subjects of praise; for let no one believe that so many different instruments would have been here mentioned unless each had a distinct signification. Again, referring to the knowledges of good and truth:

O send out Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead me, let them bring me unto the mountain of Thy holiness, and to Thy habitations, and I will go in to the altar of God, unto God, the gladness of my exultation; yea, I will confess unto Thee upon the harp, O God, my God (Psalms 43:3-4).

[5] In Isaiah, referring to the things that are of faith, and the knowledges thereof:

Take a harp, go about the city, play well, sing many songs, that thou mayest be called to remembrance (Isaiah 23:16).

The same is expressed still more plainly in John:

The four animals and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having everyone of them harps, and golden vials full of incense offerings, which are the prayers of the saints (Revelation 5:8),

where it must be evident to everyone that the animals and elders had not harps, but that by “harps” are signified the truths of faith, and by “golden vials full of incense offerings” the goods of faith.

In David the performances on the instruments are called “praises” and “confessions” (Psalms 42:5; 69:31). And in another place in John:

I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters, and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps, and they sang a new song (Revelation 14:2-3).

And in another place:

I saw them standing by the sea of glass having the harps of God (Revelation 15:2).It is worthy of mention that angels and spirits distinguish sounds according to their differences with respect to good and truth, not only those produced in singing and by instruments, but also those of voices; and they admit none but such as are in accord, so that there may be a concord of the sounds, and consequently of the instruments, with the nature and essence of the good and the true.

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