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Genesis 9

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1 En God zegende Noach en zijn zonen, en Hij zeide tot hen: Zijt vruchtbaar en vermenigvuldigt, en vervult de aarde!

2 En uw vrees, en uw verschrikking zij over al het gedierte der aarde, en over al het gevogelte des hemels; in al wat zich op den aardbodem roert, en in alle vissen der zee; zij zijn in uw hand overgegeven.

3 Al wat zich roert, dat levend is, zij u tot spijze; Ik heb het u al gegeven, gelijk het groene kruid.

4 Doch het vlees met zijn ziel, dat is zijn bloed, zult gij niet eten.

5 En voorwaar, Ik zal uw bloed, het bloed uwer zielen eisen; van de hand van alle gedierte zal Ik het eisen; ook van de hand des mensen, van de hand eens iegelijken zijns broeders zal Ik de ziel des mensen eisen.

6 Wie des mensen bloed vergiet, zijn bloed zal door den mens vergoten worden; want God heeft den mens naar Zijn beeld gemaakt.

7 Maar gijlieden, weest vruchtbaar, en vermenigvuldigt; teelt overvloediglijk voort op de aarde, en vermenigvuldigt op dezelve.

8 Voorts zeide God tot Noach, en tot zijn zonen met hem, zeggende:

9 Maar Ik, ziet, Ik richt Mijn verbond op met u, en met uw zaad na u;

10 En met alle levende ziel, die met u is, van het gevogelte, van het vee, en van alle gedierte der aarde met u; van allen, die uit de ark gegaan zijn, tot al het gedierte der aarde toe.

11 En Ik richt Mijn verbond op met u, dat niet meer alle vlees door de wateren des vloeds zal worden uitgeroeid; en dat er geen vloed meer zal zijn, om de aarde te verderven.

12 En God zeide: Dit is het teken des verbonds, dat Ik geef tussen Mij en tussen ulieden, en tussen alle levende ziel, die met u is, tot eeuwige geslachten.

13 Mijn boog heb Ik gegeven in de wolken; die zal zijn tot een teken des verbonds tussen Mij en tussen de aarde.

14 En het zal geschieden, als Ik wolken over de aarde brenge, dat deze boog zal gezien worden in de wolken;

15 Dan zal Ik gedenken aan Mijn verbond, hetwelk is tussen Mij en tussen u, en tussen alle levende ziel van alle vlees; en de wateren zullen niet meer wezen tot een vloed, om alle vlees te verderven.

16 Als deze boog in de wolken zal zijn, zo zal Ik hem aanzien, om te gedenken aan het eeuwig verbond tussen God en tussen alle levende ziel, van alle vlees, dat op de aarde is.

17 Zo zeide dan God tot Noach: Dit is het teken des verbonds, dat Ik opgericht heb tussen Mij en tussen alle vlees, dat op de aarde is.

18 En de zonen van Noach, die uit de ark gingen, waren Sem, en Cham, en Jafeth; en Cham is de vader van Kanaan.

19 Deze drie waren de zonen van Noach; en van dezen is de ganse aarde overspreid.

20 En Noach begon een akkerman te zijn, en hij plantte een wijngaard.

21 En hij dronk van dien wijn, en werd dronken; en hij ontblootte zich in het midden zijner tent.

22 En Cham, Kanaans vader, zag zijns vaders naaktheid, en hij gaf het zijn beiden broederen daar buiten te kennen.

23 Toen namen Sem en Jafeth een kleed, en zij legden het op hun beider schouderen, en gingen achterwaarts, en bedekten de naaktheid huns vaders; en hun aangezichten waren achterwaarts, gekeerd zodat zij de naaktheid huns vaders niet zagen.

24 En Noach ontwaakte van zijn wijn; en hij merkte wat zijn kleinste zoon hem gedaan had.

25 En hij zeide: Vervloekt zij Kanaan; een knecht der knechten zij hij zijn broederen!

26 Voorts zeide hij: Gezegend zij de HEERE, de God van Sem; en Kanaan zij hem een knecht!

27 God breide Jafeth uit, en hij wone in Sems tenten! en Kanaan zij hem een knecht!

28 En Noach leefde na den vloed driehonderd en vijftig jaren.

29 Zo waren al de dagen van Noach negenhonderd en vijftig jaren; en hij stierf.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #269

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269. And there was a rainbow round about the throne in aspect like unto an emerald. That this signifies the appearance of Divine truth in the heavens surrounding the Lord is evident from the signification of a rainbow in aspect like unto an emerald, as denoting the appearance of Divine truth in its circumference; for a rainbow round about the throne signifies Divine truth around it, and in aspect signifies appearance. The reason why the appearance of the rainbow was like that of an emerald, is that it indicated the Last Judgment, for the colour of this stone is green, and green signifies truth obscured. Divine truth in its splendour appears either of a sky-colour, or of various colours disposed in beautiful order, as those of the rainbow; but when it is obscured it appears of the colour of an emerald. The heaven which is called the former heaven was that on which judgment was to be executed, and which was about to perish (see Apoc. 21:1) which caused the obscurity. This is why mention is made of a rainbow, and its aspect like that of an emerald. The reason why the rainbow signifies Divine truth in the heavens in its order, and thence in its beauty, is that there are infinite varieties of truth from good in the heavens; and when they are represented by colours, they present the appearance of a beautiful rainbow. This is why the rainbow was made a sign of the covenant after the flood (Genesis 9:12-17). (That there are infinite varieties in the heavens may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 56, 405, 418, 486, and in the small work, The Last Judgment 13; and in Arcana Coelestia 684, 690, 3744, 5598, 7236, 7833, 7836, 9002. That colours in heaven appear from the light there, and that they are its modifications and variegations, n. 1042, 1043, 1053, 1624, 3993, 4530, 4742, 4922; and that the colours appear various according to the varieties of the states of truth from good, and thence of intelligence and wisdom, n. 4530, 4677, 4922, 9466. That rainbows appear in heaven, and whence and what they are, n. 1042, 1043, 1623, 1624, 1625.)

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1042

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1042. 'I have given My bow in the cloud' means the state of a regenerate spiritual person, who is like a rainbow. Anyone may wonder that in the Word 'the bow in the cloud', or the rainbow, is taken as a sign of the covenant, for the rainbow is nothing else than something produced by the conversion of rays of sunlight in raindrops. It is a wholly natural phenomenon, unlike other signs of the covenant in the Church mentioned just above. But the fact that 'the bow in the cloud' represents regeneration and means the state of a regenerate spiritual person, nobody is able to know unless he is allowed to see and consequently know what exactly is involved. When spiritual angels, who have all been regenerate members of the spiritual Church, are in the next life manifested visibly as such, there appears around their head a rainbow so to speak. But the rainbows which appear accord completely with their state, and from this also their characters are recognized in heaven and in the world of spirits. The reason the likeness of a rainbow appears is that their natural things corresponding to spiritual present such visible shape. It is a conversion of spiritual light from the Lord within their natural things. These angels are those said to have been 'regenerated by water and the spirit' while celestial angels are those said to have been 'regenerated with fire'.

[2] In the case of; natural things, so that colour may be produced something dark and light, or black and white, is necessary. When rays of light from the sun fall on this, depending on the varying composition of the dark and light, or black and white, colours are produced from the modification of the inflowing rays of light. Some of those colours draw more, others less, on the dark and black, and some more, or less, on the light and white; and this is what gives rise to diversity of colour. Something comparable to this exists in spiritual things. In their case the intellectual side of the proprium, or falsity, constitutes 'the dark', and the will side of the proprium, or evil, which absorbs and extinguishes rays of light constitutes 'the black'. As for the 'light and white', these are the truth or good which a person imagines he does from himself, which reflects and casts back from itself the rays of light. The rays of light which fall on those things and so to speak modify them come from the Lord as the Sun of wisdom and intelligence; for the rays of spiritual light are no other and have no other source. It is because natural things correspond to spiritual that when in the next life that which is around a regenerate spiritual person is manifested visibly, there appears that which is similar to a bow in a cloud. This bow is a representation of the spiritual things present within his natural things. With the regenerate spiritual person an intellectual side of the proprium exists into which the Lord instills innocence, charity, and mercy. As is the person's reception of these gifts so is the appearance of his rainbow when manifested visibly - the more beautiful the more that the will side of his proprium has been taken away, disciplined, and reduced to a state of obedience.

[3] When the prophets had a vision of God, a bow as if in a cloud was also seen by them, as in Ezekiel's vision,

Above the firmament that was over the heads of the cherubim, in appearance like a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of a throne, and above the likeness of a throne, there was a likeness as it were of the appearance of a Man (Homo) upon it above. And I saw as it were the shape of coal burning bright, as the appearance of fire, within it round about from the appearance of His loins upwards. And from the appearance of His loins and downwards I saw as it were the appearance of fire, whose brightness was round about it, like the appearance of the bow when it is in the cloud on the day of rain; so was the appearance of brightness round about; this was the appearance of the likeness of the Glory of Jehovah. Ezekiel 1:26-28.

It may be clear to anyone that it was the Lord who was seen in this vision, and that on that occasion He represented heaven, for He Himself is heaven, that is, the All in all of heaven. He Himself is the 'Man' mentioned here, 'the throne' is heaven, 'the coal burning bright, as the appearance of fire, from the loins upwards' is the celestial element of love, 'the brightness of fire round about from the loins downwards, like the bow in the cloud' is the celestial-spiritual. In this way the celestial heaven, or heaven of celestial angels, was represented from the loins upwards, and the spiritual heaven, or heaven of spiritual angels, from the loins downwards. In fact the things that are below, from the loins down to the soles of the feet, mean in the Grand Man natural things. From this it is also clear that, when thus enlightened by spiritual light from the Lord, the natural things in man take on the appearance of 'the bow in the cloud'. The same appeased to John as well, see Revelation 4:2-3; 10:1.

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