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Genesis 25

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1 And Abraham married another wife, named Cetura:

2 Who bore to him Zamran, and Jecsan, and Madan, and Madian, and Jesboc, and Sue.

3 Jecsan also begot Saba and Dadan. The children of Dadan were Assurim, and Latusim, and Loomin.

4 But of Madian was born Epha, and Opher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaa: all these were the children of Cetura.

5 And Abraham gave all his possessions to Isaac.

6 And to the children of the concubines he gave gifts, and separated them from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, to the east country.

7 And the days of Abraham's life were a hundred and seventy-five years.

8 And decaying he died in a good old age, and having lived a long time, and being full of days: and was gathered to his people.

9 And Isaac and Ismael his sons buried him in the double cave, which was situated in the field of Ephron the son of Seor the Hethite, over against Mambre;

10 Which he had bought of the children of Heth: there was he buried, and Sara his wife.

11 And after his death, God blessed Isaac his son, who dwelt by the well named Of the living and seeing.

12 These are the generations of Ismael the son of Abraham, whom Agar the Egyptian, Sara's servant, bore unto him:

13 And these are the names of his children according to their calling and generations. The firstborn of Ismael was Nabajoth, then Cedar, and Adbeel, and Mabsam.

14 And Masma, and Duma, and Massa,

15 Hadar, and Thema, and Jethur, and Naphis, and Cedma.

16 These are the sons of Ismael: and these are their names by their castles and towns, twelve princes of their tribes.

17 And the years of Ismael's life were a hundred and thirty-seven, and decaying he died, and was gathered unto his people.

18 And he dwelt from Hevila as far as Sur, which looketh towards Egypt, to them that go towards the Assyrians. He died in the presence of all his brethren.

19 These also are the generations of Isaac the son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac:

20 Who when he was forty years old, took to wife Rebecca the daughter of Bathuel the Syrian of Mesopotamia, sister to Laban.

21 And Isaac besought the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and he heard him, and made Rebecca to conceive.

22 But the children struggled in her womb: and she said: If it were to be so with me, what need was there to conceive? And she went to consult the Lord.

23 And he answering said: Two nations are in thy womb, and Two peoples shall be divided out of thy womb, and one people shall overcome the other, and the elder shall serve the younger.

24 And when her time was come to be delivered, behold twins were found in her womb.

25 He that came forth first was red, and hairy like a skin: and his name was called Esau. Immediately the other coming forth, held his brother's foot in his hand, and therefore he was called Jacob.

26 Isaac was threescore years old when the children were born unto him.

27 And when they were grown up, Esau became a skillful hunter, and a husbandman, but Jacob a plain man dwelt in tents.

28 Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his hunting: and Rebecca loved Jacob.

29 And Jacob boiled Pottage: to whom Esau, coming faint out of the field,

30 Said: Give me of this red pottage, for I am exceeding faint. For which reason his name was called Edom.

31 And Jacob said to him: Sell me thy first birthright.

32 He answered: Lo I die, what will the first birthright avail me.

33 Jacob said: Swear therefore to me. Esau swore to him, and sold his first birthright.

34 And so taking bread and the pottage of lentils, he ate, and drank, and went his way; making little account of having sold his first birthright.

   

Commentary

 

Thirty

  

'Thirty' has a twofold significance because it is is the product of five and six, and also three and ten. From five multiplied by six, it signifies some aspect of combat, because 'five' signifies some part or aspect, and 'six,' combat. From three multiplied by ten, it signifies something full of remains of good and truth, because 'three' signifies fullness, and 'ten,' remains of good and truth. A composite number involves the same as the simple numbers it has as its factors.

(References: 2 Samuel 5:4; Arcana Coelestia 5335; Luke 3, 3:23, 23; Numbers 4:3, 4:23, 4:30)

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Luke 23

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1 The whole company of them rose up and brought him before Pilate.

2 They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king."

3 Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" He answered him, "So you say."

4 Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, "I find no basis for a charge against this man."

5 But they insisted, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place."

6 But when Pilate heard Galilee mentioned, he asked if the man was a Galilean.

7 When he found out that he was in Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem during those days.

8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad, for he had wanted to see him for a long time, because he had heard many things about him. He hoped to see some miracle done by him.

9 He questioned him with many words, but he gave no answers.

10 The chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him.

11 Herod with his soldiers humiliated him and mocked him. Dressing him in luxurious clothing, they sent him back to Pilate.

12 Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before that they were enemies with each other.

13 Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,

14 and said to them, "You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and see, I have examined him before you, and found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him.

15 Neither has Herod, for I sent you to him, and see, nothing worthy of death has been done by him.

16 I will therefore chastise him and release him."

17 Now he had to release one prisoner to them at the feast.

18 But they all cried out together, saying, "Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!"--

19 one who was thrown into prison for a certain revolt in the city, and for murder.

20 Then Pilate spoke to them again, wanting to release Jesus,

21 but they shouted, saying, "Crucify! Crucify him!"

22 He said to them the third time, "Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him. I will therefore chastise him and release him."

23 But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. Their voices and the voices of the chief priests prevailed.

24 Pilate decreed that what they asked for should be done.

25 He released him who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus up to their will.

26 When they led him away, they grabbed one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it after Jesus.

27 A great multitude of the people followed him, including women who also mourned and lamented him.

28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, don't weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

29 For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.'

30 Then they will begin to tell the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and tell the hills, 'Cover us.'

31 For if they do these things in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?"

32 There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to death.

33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.

34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.

35 The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!"

36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar,

37 and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"

38 An inscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."

39 One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!"

40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Don't you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?

41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong."

42 He said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."

43 Jesus said to him, "Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.

45 The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.

46 Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" Having said this, he breathed his last.

47 When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous man."

48 All the multitudes that came together to see this, when they saw the things that were done, returned home beating their breasts.

49 All his acquaintances, and the women who followed with him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

50 Behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man

51 (he had not consented to their counsel and deed), from Arimathaea, a city of the Jews, who was also waiting for the Kingdom of God:

52 this man went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus' body.

53 He took it down, and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been laid.

54 It was the day of the Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near.

55 The women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid.

56 They returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.