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Genezo 8

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1 Kaj Dio rememoris Noan, kaj cxiujn bestojn kaj cxiujn brutojn, kiuj estis kun li en la arkeo; kaj Dio venigis venton sur la teron, kaj la akvo kvietigxis.

2 Kaj fermigxis la fontoj de la abismo kaj la aperturoj de la cxielo, kaj cxesigxis la pluvo el la cxielo.

3 Kaj iom post iom reforigxis la akvo de sur la tero, kaj la akvo komencis malmultigxi post la paso de cent kvindek tagoj.

4 Kaj la arkeo haltis en la sepa monato, en la dek-sepa tago de la monato, sur la montoj Ararat.

5 Kaj la akvo konstante malpliigxadis gxis la deka monato; en la unua tago de la deka monato montrigxis la suproj de la montoj.

6 Kaj post kvardek tagoj Noa malfermis la fenestron de la arkeo, kiun li faris.

7 Kaj li ellasis korvon, kaj gxi elflugis, forflugadis kaj revenadis, gxis forsekigxis la akvo sur la tero.

8 Kaj li ellasis de si kolombon, por vidi, cxu jam malfortigxis la akvo sur la tero.

9 Sed la kolombo ne trovis ripozejon por siaj piedoj, kaj gxi revenis al li en la arkeon, cxar akvo estis sur la suprajxo de la tuta tero. Kaj li etendis sian manon kaj prenis la kolombon kaj envenigis gxin al si en la arkeon.

10 Kaj li atendis ankoraux aliajn sep tagojn, kaj li denove ellasis la kolombon el la arkeo.

11 Kaj revenis al li la kolombo en tempo vespera, kaj jen gxi havis en sia busxo desxiritan folion de olivarbo; kaj Noa konvinkigxis, ke la akvo malfortigxis sur la tero.

12 Kaj li atendis ankoraux aliajn sep tagojn, kaj li ellasis la kolombon, kaj cxi tiu jam ne plu revenis al li.

13 Kaj en la sescent-unua jaro, en la unua tago de la unua monato, forsekigxis la akvo sur la tero; kaj Noa malfermis la tegmenton de la arkeo, kaj li vidis, ke sekigxis la suprajxo de la tero.

14 Kaj en la dua monato, en la dudek-sepa tago de la monato, la tero elsekigxis.

15 Kaj Dio diris al Noa jene:

16 Eliru el la arkeo, vi kaj via edzino kaj viaj filoj kaj la edzinoj de viaj filoj kune kun vi;

17 cxiujn bestojn, kiuj estas kun vi, el cxiu karno, el la birdoj kaj brutoj, kaj el cxiuj rampajxoj, kiuj rampas sur la tero, elirigu kune kun vi; kaj ili movigxu sur la tero kaj fruktu kaj multigxu sur la tero.

18 Kaj eliris Noa kaj liaj filoj kaj lia edzino kaj la edzinoj de liaj filoj kune kun li.

19 CXiuj bestoj, cxiuj rampajxoj, kaj cxiuj birdoj, cxio, kio movigxas sur la tero, laux siaj familioj, eliris el la arkeo.

20 Kaj Noa konstruis altaron al la Eternulo, kaj li prenis el cxiuj puraj brutoj kaj el cxiuj puraj birdoj kaj oferis bruloferojn sur la altaro.

21 Kaj la Eternulo flaris la agrablan odoron, kaj la Eternulo diris en Sia koro: Mi ne plu malbenos la teron pro la homo, cxar la penso de la homa koro estas malbona jam de lia juneco; kaj Mi ne batos plu cxion vivantan, kiel Mi faris.

22 De nun tiel longe, kiel la tero ekzistos, semado kaj rikoltado, malvarmo kaj varmo, somero kaj vintro, tago kaj nokto ne cxesigxos.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #908

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908. 'Every wild animal of all flesh that is with you' means everything that has been made living within the member of this Church. This is clear from the fact that 'wild animal' refers to Noah, the member of this Church who has now been regenerated, and plainly has reference to the things that follow, namely to 'birds, beasts, and creeping thing that creeps', for the words used are 'every wild animal of all flesh that is with you - birds, and beasts, and every creeping thing that creeps over the earth'. In the original language the word for wild animal strictly speaking means life or that which is living; but when used in the Word it means not only that which is living but also that which in one sense is not living, or a wild animal. Consequently unless a person is acquainted with the internal sense of the Word he cannot always know what is meant. The reason it carries both meanings is that the member of the Most Ancient Church, in humiliating himself before the Lord, acknowledged that he himself was not living, not even a domestic beast, but an animal living in the wild, for he knew that man is such when regarded in himself or as to the proprium. Consequently the same word means that which is living and also means a wild animal.

[2] As to its meaning that which is living, this is clear in David,

Your wild animals will dwell in it (the inheritance of God); You, O God, will strengthen the needy with Your goodness. Psalms 68:10.

Here, because he is to dwell in the inheritance of God, nothing else is meant by 'wild animal' than a regenerate person, and so, as is the case here, that which is alive in him. In the same author,

Every wild animal of the forest is mine, beasts on mountains of thousands; I know every bird of the mountains, and the wild animal of My field is with Me. Psalms 50:10-11.

Here too 'wild animal of the field with Me', that is, with God, stands for a regenerate person and so for things with him that are alive. In Ezekiel,

In its branches all the birds of the air 1 made their nests, and under its branches every wild animal of the field gave birth. Ezekiel 31:6.

This refers to the formation of the spiritual Church and so stands for things with the member of the Church that are alive. In Hosea,

I will make a covenant on that day with the wild animals of the field and with the birds of the air. 1 Hosea 2:18.

This refers to people who are to be regenerated, with whom a covenant is to be made. Indeed the application of 'wild animal' to that which is alive extends even to the cherubs or angels seen by Ezekiel being called four wild animals, in Ezekiel 1:5, 13-15, 19; 10:15.

[3] That 'wild animal' in the contrary sense stands in the Word for that which is not alive, or a fierce wild animal, is clear from many places. Let just the following examples serve to confirm the point: In David,

Give not the soul of Your turtle dove to the wild animal. Psalms 74:19.

In Zephaniah,

The city has become a desolation, a place for the wild animal to lie down in. Zephaniah 2:15.

In Ezekiel,

They will no more be a prey to the nations, and the wild animal of the land will not devour them. Ezekiel 34:28.

In the same prophet,

Upon its ruin will dwell every bird of the air, 1 and on its branches will be every wild animal of the field. Ezekiel 31:13.

In Hosea,

There I will devour them like a lion, the wild animals of the field will tear them apart. Hosea 13:8.

In Ezekiel,

To the wild animal of the earth, and to the birds of the air 1 have I given [you] for food. Ezekiel 19:5.

The usage recurs fairly often. Moreover since the Jews were confined solely to the sense of the letter, and understood wild animal by 'wild animal' and bird by 'bird', they did not wish to know of, still less acknowledge, the inner contents of the Word, and so receive instruction. Indeed they themselves were so cruel, and such wild animals, that they took delight in not burying enemies they had slain in battle and in exposing them to be devoured by birds and by wild animals. These things also show what a wild animal man is.

Footnotes:

1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1868

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1868. That these things are meant by these nations would take too long to confirm from the Word; nor is there any need to do so here as no more than their names are mentioned. Some of them have been dealt with already, for example that 'the Rephaim' means false persuasions, 567, 581, 1673; 'the Amorites' evils, 1680; 'the Canaanites' evils, above at verse 16; 'the Perizzites' falsities, 1574. What the rest of the nations mean individually will in the Lord's Divine mercy be explained as they occur later on.

[2] As regards the nations that were to be cast out of the Lord's kingdom, in the next life evil and devilish spirits like nothing more than to surface in the world of spirits and to infest good spirits. But as often as they do so they are cast out, in much the same way as the falsities and evils that have taken possession of one who is being regenerated are overpowered and dispersed, and in their place truths and goods are implanted that belong to the Lord's kingdom.

[3] These falsities and evils were represented by the nations that were driven out of the land of Canaan by the descendants of Jacob. They were represented as well by the Jews themselves who at a later period were driven out from there. The same occurred with many other nations of old by whom similar things had been represented, such as the Horites who were driven from Mount Seir by the descendants of Esau, mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:12, 22; then the Avim who were driven out by the Kaphtorim, mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:23; also the Emim or Rephaim who were driven out by the Moabites, mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:9-11; as well as the Zamzummim who were driven out by the Ammonites, mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:19-21; besides many others referred to in the Prophets.

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