The Bible

 

Genesis 6

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1 Da nu Menneskene begyndte at blive talrige på Jorden og der fødtes dem Døtre,

2 fik Gudssønnerne Øje på Menneskedøtrenes Skønhed, og de tog: så mange af dem, som de lystede, til Hustruer.

3 Da sagde HE EN: "Min Ånd: skal ikke for evigt blive i Menneskene, eftersom de jo dog er Kød; deres Dage skal være 120 År."

4 I hine Dage, da Gudssønnerne gik ind til Menneskedøtrene og disse fødte dem Børn men også senere hen i Tiden - levede Kæmperne på Jorden. Det er Heltene, hvis y når tilbage til Fortids Dage.

5 Men HE EN så, at Menneskenes, Ondskab tog til på Jorden, og at deres Hjerters Higen og Tragten kun var ond Dagen lang.

6 Da angrede HE EN, at han havde gjort Menneskene på Jorden, og det. skar ham i Hjertet.

7 Og HE EN sagde: "Jeg vil udslette Menneskene, som jeg har skabt, af Jordens Flade, både Mennesker, Kvæg, Kryb og Himmelens, Fugle, thi jeg angrer, at jeg gjorde dem!"

8 Men Noa fandt Nåde for HE ENs Øjne

9 Dette er Noas Slægtebog. Noa var en retfærdig, ustraffelig Mand blandt sine samtidige; Noa vandrede med Gud.

10 Noa avlede tre Sønner: Sem, Kam og Jafet.

11 Men Jorden fordærvedes for Guds Øjne, og Jorden blev fuld af Uret;

12 og Gud så til Jorden, og se, den var fordærvet, thi alt Kød havde fordærvet sin VejJorden.

13 Da sagde Gud til Noa: "Jeg har besluttet at gøre Ende på alt Kød, fordi Jorden ved deres Skyld et fuld af Uret; derfor vil jeg nu udrydde dem af Jorden.

14 Men du skal gøre dig en Ark af Gofertræ og indrette den med um ved um og overstryge den med Beg både indvendig og udvendig;

15 og således skal du bygge Arken: Den skal være 300 Alen lang, 50 Alen bred og 30 Alen høj;

16 du skal anbringe Taget på Arken, og det skal ikke rage længer ud end een Alen fra oven; på Arkens Side skal du sætte Døren, og du skal indrette den med et nederste, et mellemste og et øverste Stokværk.

17 Se, jeg bringer nu Vandfloden over Jorden for at udrydde alt Kød under Himmelen, som har Livsånde; alt, hvad der er på Jorden, skal forgå.

18 Men jeg vil oprette min Pagt med dig. Du skal gå ind i Arken med dine Sønner, din Hustru og dine Sønnekoner:

19 og af alle Dyr, af alt Kød skal du bringe et Par af hver Slags ind i Arken for at holde dem i Live hos dig. Han og Hundyr skal det være,

20 af Fuglene efter deres Arter, af Kvæget efter dets Arter og af alt Jordens Kryb efter dets Arter; Par for Par skal de gå ind til dig for at holdes i Live.

21 Og du skal indsamle et Forråd af alle Slags Levnedsmidler, for at det kan tjene dig og dem til Føde."

22 Og Noa gjorde ganske som Gud havde pålagt ham; således gjorde han.

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #598

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598. 'He found grace in Jehovah's eyes' means that the Lord foresaw that the human race could in that way be saved. The mercy of the Lord entails and looks to the salvation of the whole human race; and so does His grace. Consequently, the salvation of the human race is meant. 'Noah' means not only a new Church but also the faith of that Church, which was a faith that inhered in charity. The Lord accordingly foresaw that it would be possible for the human race to be saved by means of faith that inhered in charity. Such faith will be dealt with later on.

[2] In the Word however a distinction is made between mercy and grace, a distinction which depends in fact on differences in those who are their recipients. Mercy applies to those who are celestial, but grace to those who are spiritual, for celestial people acknowledge nothing other than mercy, while spiritual acknowledge hardly anything other than grace. Celestial people do not know what grace is, while the spiritual scarcely know what mercy is, for they make mercy and grace to be one and the same. The reason for the difference springs from each one's humility. People in whom there is humility of heart plead for the Lord's mercy, but those in whom there is humility of mind (cogitatio) seek His grace. Or if the latter do plead for mercy they do so in a state of temptation or with the lips only and not with the heart. Since the new Church called Noah was not celestial but spiritual, it is not said to have found mercy but to have found grace in Jehovah's eyes.

[3] The distinction made in the Word between mercy and grace is clear from very many places where Jehovah is said to be merciful and gracious, as in Psalms 103:8; 111:4; 112:4; Joel 2:13. The same distinction is made elsewhere, as in Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness, when He went to give rest to Israel. From afar Jehovah appeared to me. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with mercy. Jeremiah 31:2-3.

Here 'grace' has reference to what is spiritual and 'mercy' to what is celestial. In Isaiah,

Therefore Jehovah will wait to grant you grace, and therefore He will exalt Himself to be merciful to you. Isaiah 30:18.

Here similarly 'grace' has regard to what is spiritual and 'mercy' to what is celestial. And further on [in Genesis] where Lot is addressing the angels,

Behold now, Your servant has found grace in Your eyes, and You have magnified Your mercy which You have shown to me in causing my soul to live. Genesis 19:19.

Here also it is clear that since he is spoken of as 'having found grace in Your eyes' grace has regard to spiritual things which are matters of faith or of the understanding. And since the expressions 'to have magnified mercy' and 'to have caused my soul to live' are used, it is equally clear that mercy has regard to celestial things, which are matters of love or of the will.

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