The Bible

 

Genezo 21

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1 Kaj la Eternulo rememoris Saran, kiel Li diris, kaj la Eternulo faris al Sara, kiel Li parolis.

2 Kaj Sara gravedigxis kaj naskis al Abraham filon en lia maljuneco, en la difinita tempo, pri kiu Dio al li diris.

3 Kaj Abraham donis al sia filo, kiu naskigxis al li, kiun naskis al li Sara, la nomon Isaak.

4 Kaj Abraham cirkumcidis sian filon Isaak, kiam tiu havis la agxon de ok tagoj, kiel ordonis al li Dio.

5 Kaj Abraham havis la agxon de cent jaroj, kiam naskigxis al li lia filo Isaak.

6 Kaj Sara diris: Ridindajxon faris al mi Dio; cxiu, kiu auxdos, ridos pri mi.

7 Kaj sxi diris: Kiu dirus al Abraham, ke Sara mamnutros infanojn? cxar mi naskis filon en lia maljuneco.

8 Kaj la infano kreskis, kaj gxi estis demamigita, kaj Abraham faris grandan festenon en la tago, en kiu Isaak estis demamigita.

9 Kaj Sara vidis, ke la filo de Hagar la Egiptino, kiun cxi tiu naskis al Abraham, mokas.

10 Kaj sxi diris al Abraham: Forpelu cxi tiun sklavinon kaj sxian filon; cxar la filo de cxi tiu sklavino ne heredos kun mia filo, kun Isaak.

11 Kaj la afero forte malplacxis al Abraham pro lia filo.

12 Kaj Dio diris al Abraham: GXi ne malplacxu al vi pro la knabo kaj pro via sklavino; pri cxio, kion diros al vi Sara, obeu sxian vocxon; cxar per Isaak oni nomos vian idaron.

13 Sed ankaux el la filo de la sklavino Mi kreskigos popolon, cxar li estas via semo.

14 Kaj Abraham levigxis frue matene, kaj prenis panon kaj felsakon kun akvo kaj donis al Hagar, metante gxin sur sxian sxultron, ankaux la infanon, kaj foririgis sxin; kaj sxi iris, kaj sxi erarvagis en la dezerto Beer-SXeba.

15 Kaj konsumigxis la akvo de la felsako, kaj sxi jxetis la infanon sub unu el la arbetajxoj.

16 Kaj sxi iris kaj sidigxis kontrauxe, en la malproksimeco de pafo el pafarko; cxar sxi diris: Mi ne povas rigardi la morton de la infano. Kaj sxi sidigxis kontrauxe, kaj sxi komencis lauxte plori.

17 Kaj Dio auxdis la vocxon de la knabo; kaj angxelo de Dio vokis Hagaron el la cxielo, kaj diris al sxi: Kio estas al vi, Hagar? ne timu, cxar Dio auxdis la vocxon de la knabo el la loko, kie li estas.

18 Levigxu, prenu la knabon kaj tenu lin per via mano, cxar grandan popolon Mi faros el li.

19 Kaj Dio malfermis sxiajn okulojn, kaj sxi ekvidis puton kun akvo, kaj sxi iris kaj plenigis la felsakon per akvo kaj trinkigis la knabon.

20 Kaj Dio estis kun la knabo, kaj li grandigxis kaj logxis en la dezerto kaj farigxis arkpafisto.

21 Kaj li logxis en la dezerto Paran; kaj lia patrino prenis al li edzinon el la lando Egipta.

22 Kaj en tiu tempo Abimelehx kaj lia militestro Pihxol diris al Abraham jene: Dio estas kun vi en cxio, kion vi faras;

23 nun jxuru do al mi per Dio, ke vi ne agos malfidele kun mi, nek kun mia filo, nek kun mia nepo; ke tiel same favorkore, kiel mi agis kun vi, vi agos kun mi, kaj kun la lando, en kiu vi logxas kiel fremdulo.

24 Kaj Abraham diris: Mi jxuras.

25 Kaj Abraham riprocxis Abimelehxon pro la akva puto, kiun perforte forprenis la sklavoj de Abimelehx.

26 Kaj Abimelehx diris: Mi ne scias, kiu faris tion, kaj ankaux vi ne diris al mi; mi ecx ne auxdis pri tio gxis hodiaux.

27 Kaj Abraham prenis sxafojn kaj bovojn kaj donis al Abimelehx, kaj ili ambaux starigis inter si interligon.

28 Kaj Abraham starigis sep sxafidojn aparte.

29 Kaj Abimelehx diris al Abraham: Por kio estas tiuj sep sxafidoj, kiujn vi starigis aparte?

30 Kaj tiu diris: Sep sxafidojn prenu el mia mano, por ke ili estu por mi atesto, ke mi elfosis tiun puton.

31 Tial tiu loko havas la nomon Beer-SXeba, cxar tie ili ambaux jxuris.

32 Kaj ili starigis interligon en Beer-SXeba. Kaj Abimelehx kaj lia militestro Pihxol levigxis kaj reiris en la landon de la Filisxtoj.

33 Kaj Abraham plantis tamariskon en Beer-SXeba, kaj pregxis tie al la Eternulo, la Dio eterna.

34 Kaj Abraham logxis en la lando de la Filisxtoj longan tempon.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2723

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2723. As regards Beersheba however, 'Beersheba' means the state and the essential nature of the doctrine, that is to say, it is Divine doctrine to which merely human rational ideas have been allied. This becomes clear from the train of thought in verse 22 to the present verse, 2613, 2614, and also from the meaning of the actual expression in the original language as 'the well of the oath' and 'the well of seven'. 'A well' means the doctrine of faith, see 2702, 2720, 'an oath' means a joining together, 2720, as does 'the covenant established with an oath', 1996, 2003, 2021, 2037; and 'seven' means that which is holy and so that which is Divine, 395, 433, 716, 881. From these meanings it may become clear that 'Beersheba' means doctrine which in itself is Divine together with merely human rational ideas or appearances allied to it.

[2] The fact that this is how the name Beersheba was derived is evident from Abraham's words,

Abraham said, Because you will take the seven ewe-lambs from my hand, that they may be a witness for me that I dug this well. Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them swore an oath. And they made a covenant in Beersheba (verses 30-32).

Similarly from Isaac's words recorded in Chapter 26,

So it was on that day, that Isaac's servants came and pointed out to him the reasons for the well which they had dug, and they said to him, We have found water. And he called it Shibah ('an oath' and 'seven'); therefore the name of the city is Beersheba even to this day. Genesis 26:32-33.

This too has to do with wells, about which there was disagreement with Abimelech, and with a covenant made with him. 'Beersheba' means merely human rational ideas which were again allied to the doctrine of faith, and because they were allied to it again and the doctrine was in that way made such that the human mind could grasp it, it is called 'a city' - 'a city' being doctrine in its entirety, see 402, 2268, 2449, 2451. What is more, the name Beersheba is used with a similar meaning in the internal sense in Genesis 22:19; 26:23; 28:10; 46:1, 5; Joshua 15:28; 19:1-2; 1 Samuel 8:2; 1 Kings 19:3, and in the contrary sense in Amos 5:5; 8:13-14. The whole range of celestial and spiritual things taught by doctrine is meant in the internal sense where the land of Canaan is said to range from 'Dan even to Beersheba'; for the land of Canaan means the Lord's kingdom, also the Church, and therefore means the celestial and spiritual things taught by doctrine, as in the Book of Judges.

All the children of Israel came out, and the congregation assembled as one man from Dan even to Beersheba. Judges 20:1.

In the Book of Samuel,

All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba. 1 Samuel 3:20.

Elsewhere in Samuel,

To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba, 2 Samuel 3:10.

Elsewhere in Samuel,

Hushai said to Absalom, Let all Israel be assembled together, from Dan even to Beersheba. 2 Samuel 17:11.

Elsewhere in Samuel, David told Joab to go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan even to Beersheba. 2 Samuel 24:2, 7.

Elsewhere in Samuel,

There died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men. 2 Samuel 24:15.

In the Book of Kings,

Judah dwelt under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 1 Kings 4:25.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #395

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395. 'Anyone killing Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold' means that to violate faith thus separated was utterly forbidden. This is clear from the meaning of 'Cain' as separated faith, and from the meaning of 'seven' as utterly inviolable. As is well known, the number seven was considered holy on account of the six days of creation and of the seventh, which is the celestial man in whom peace, rest, and the Sabbath exist. This is the reason why the number seven occurs so many times in the religious ceremonies of the Jewish Church, in every instance standing for that which is holy. It is also the reason why periods of time, long as well as short, were divided into seven, and were called weeks, as in the case of the long time intervals leading up to the time when the Messiah was to come, Daniel 9:24-25. A period of seven years is also called a week by Laban and Jacob, Genesis 29:27-28. Consequently wherever the number seven occurs it stands either for something holy or else for something utterly inviolable, as in David,

Seven times in the day I praise You. Psalms 119:164.

In Isaiah,

The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days. Isaiah 30:26.

Here 'the sun' is love, and 'the moon' faith deriving from love, a faith which is to be as love.

[2] Just as the periods of man's regeneration divide into six before he reaches the seventh, which is the celestial man, so also do the periods of vastation even until nothing celestial is left. This was represented by the many captivities of the Jews, and by the last of them, the Babylonian, which was a captivity of seven decades, that is, seventy years. And it was several times stated that the land had to rest during its Sabbaths. It was also represented by Nebuchadnezzar, of whom it is said in Daniel,

His heart will be changed from man, and the heart of a beast given him until seven times will pass over him. Daniel 4:16, 25, 32.

In reference to the vastation of the last times it is recorded in John,

I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful - seven angels holding the seven Revelation 15:1, 6-7.

They will trample over the holy city for forty-two months (that is, six times seven). Revelation 11:2.

In the same book,

I saw a book [written] within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Revelation 5:1.

Severe and increased penalties were for the same reason expressed by the number seven, as in Moses,

If you will not obey Me in this matter, I will chastise you seven times worse for your sins. Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24, 28.

In David,

Return to our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom. Psalms 79:12.

So then, it is because it was utterly forbidden to violate faith - since it had a use to serve, as has been stated - that the statement is made about 'vengeance being taken sevenfold on him who killed Cain'.

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