The Bible

 

Genesis 5

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1 Dette er Adams Slægtebog. Dengang Gud skabte Mennesket, gjorde han det i Guds Billede;

2 som Mand og Kvinde skabte han dem, og han velsignede dem og gav dem Navnet "Menneske", da de blev skabt.

3 Da Adam havde levet i 130 År, avlede han en Søn, som var ham lig og i hans Billede, og han kaldte ham Set;

4 og efter at Adam havde avlet Set, levede han 800 År og avlede Sønner og Døtre;

5 således blev hans fulde Levetid 930 År, og derpå døde han.

6 Da Set havde levet 105 År, avlede han Enosj;

7 og efter at Set havde avlet Enosj, levede han 807 År og avlede Sønner og Døtre;

8 således blev Sets fulde Levetid 912 År, og derpå døde han.

9 Da Enosj havde levet 90 År, avlede han Henan;

10 og efter at Enosj havde avlet Kenan, levede han 815 År og avlede Sønner og Døtre;

11 således blev Enosjs fulde Levetid 905 År, og derpå døde han.

12 Da Kenan havde levet 70 År, avlede han Mahalal'el;

13 og efter at Kenan havde avlet Mahalal'el, levede han 840 År og avlede Sønner og Døtre;

14 således blev Kenans fulde Levetid 910 År, og derpå døde han.

15 Da Mahalal'el havde levet 65 År, avlede han Jered;

16 og efter at Mahalal'el havde avlet Jered, levede han 830 År og avlede Sønner. og Døtre;

17 således blev Mahalal'els fulde Levetid 895 År, og derpå døde han.

18 Da Jered havde levet 162 År, avlede han Enok;

19 og efter at Jered havde avlet Enok, levede han 800 År og avlede Sønner og Døtre;

20 således blev Jereds fulde Levetid 962 År, og derpå døde han.

21 Da Enok havde levet 65 År, avlede han Metusalem,

22 og Enok vandrede med Gud; og efter at han havde avlet Metusalem, levede han 300 År og avlede Sønner og Døtre;

23 således blev Enoks fulde Levetid 365 År;

24 og Enok vandrede med Gud, og han var ikke mere, thi Gud tog ham.

25 Da Metusalem havde levet 187 År, avlede han Lemek;

26 og efter at Metusalem havde avlet Lemek, levede han 782 År og avlede Sønner og Døtre;

27 således blev Metusalems fulde Levetid 969 År, og derpå døde han.

28 Da Lemek havde levet 182 År, avlede han en Søn,

29 som han gav Navnet Noa, idet, han sagde: "Han skal skaffe os. Trøst i vort møjefulde Arbejde med Jorden, som HE EN har forbandet."

30 Og efter at Lemek havde avlet Noa, levede han 595 År og avlede Sønner og Døtre;

31 således blev Lemeks fulde Levetid 777 År, og derpå døde han.

32 Da Noa var 500 År gammel, avlede han Sem, Kam og Jafet.

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #468

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468. THE INTERNAL SENSE.

From what has been said and shown in the foregoing chapter, it is evident that by names are signified heresies and doctrines. Hence it may be seen that by the names in this chapter are not meant persons, but things, and in the present instance doctrines, or churches, which were preserved, notwithstanding the changes they underwent, from the time of the Most Ancient Church even to “Noah.” But the case with every church is that in course of time it decreases, and at last remains among a few; and the few with whom it remained at the time of the flood were called “Noah.”

[2] That the true church decreases and remains with but few, is evident from other churches which have thus decreased. Those who are left are in the Word called “remains” and a “remnant” and are said to be “in the midst” or “middle” “of the land.” And as this is the case in the universal, so also it is in the particular, or as it is with the church, so it is with every individual man; for unless remains were preserved by the Lord in everyone, he must needs perish eternally, since spiritual and celestial life are in the remains. So also in the general or universal-if there were not always some with whom the church, or true faith, remained, the human race would perish; for, as is generally known, a city, nay, sometimes a whole kingdom, is saved for the sake of a few. It is in this respect with the church as it is with the human body; so long as the heart is sound, life is possible for the neighboring viscera, but when the heart is enfeebled, the other parts of the body cease to be nourished, and the man dies. The last remains are those which are signified by “Noah;” for (as appears from Genesis 6:12, as well as from other places) the whole earth had become corrupt.

[3] Of remains as existing in each individual as well as in the church in general, much is said in the Prophets; as in Isaiah:

He that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy to Him, even everyone that is written unto lives in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have washed away the bloods of Jerusalem from the midst thereof (Isaiah 4:3-4),

in which passage holiness is predicated of the remains, by which are signified the remains of the church, and also of a man of the church; for “those left” in Zion and Jerusalem could not be holy merely because they were “left.” Again:

It shall come to pass in that day, that the remains of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them, but shall stay upon Jehovah the Holy One of Israel in truth. The remains shall return, the remains of Jacob, unto the mighty God (Isaiah 10:20-21).

In Jeremiah:

In those days, and in that time, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; for I will pardon him whom I shall make a remnant (Jeremiah 50:20).

In Micah:

The remains of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, as the dew from Jehovah, as the showers upon the grass (Micah 5:7).

[4] The residue or remains of a man, or of the church, were also represented by the tenths, which were holy; hence also a number with ten in it was holy, and “ten” is therefore predicated of remains; as in Isaiah:

Jehovah shall remove man, and many things [shall be] left in the midst of the land; and yet in it [shall be] a tenth part, and it shall return, and shall be for exterminating; as an oak, and an ilex, when the stock is cast forth from them, the holy seed is the stock thereof (Isaiah 6:12-13); where the residue is called a “seed of holiness.” And in Amos:

Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, The city that goeth forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which goeth forth a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel (Amos 5:3).

In these and many other passages, in the internal sense are signified the “remains” of which we have been speaking. That a city is preserved for the sake of the remains of the church, is evident from what was said to Abraham concerning Sodom:

Abraham said, Peradventure ten may be found there; and He said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake (Genesis 18:32).

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