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Genesis 17

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1 Kui Aabram oli üheksakümmend üheksa aastat vana, siis Issand ilmutas ennast Aabramile ja ütles temale: 'Mina olen Kõigeväeline Jumal, käi minu palge ees ja ole vaga!

2 Ma teen lepingu enese ja sinu vahel ja teen sind väga paljuks.'

3 Siis Aabram heitis silmili maha ja Jumal rääkis temaga, öeldes:

4 'See olen mina! Vaata, mu leping sinuga on, et sina saad paljude rahvaste isaks.

5 Sinu nime ei hüüta siis enam Aabramiks, vaid su nimi olgu Aabraham, sest ma teen sind paljude rahvaste isaks!

6 Ma teen sind väga viljakaks ja lasen sind rahvaiks saada, kuningadki põlvnevad sinust.

7 Ma teen lepingu enese ja sinu vahel, ja sinu soo vahel pärast sind, igaveseks lepinguks sugupõlvedele, et ma olen Jumalaks sinule ja su soole pärast sind.

8 Ja ma annan sinule ja su soole pärast sind selle maa, kus sa võõrana elad, kogu Kaananimaa, igaveseks omandiks. Ja mina olen neile Jumalaks!'

9 Ja Jumal ütles Aabrahamile: 'Ja sina pead mu lepingut pidama, sina ja su sugu pärast sind põlvest põlve.

10 See on minu leping minu ja teie ning sinu soo vahel pärast sind, mida te peate pidama: kõik meesterahvad tuleb teil ümber lõigata!

11 Te peate oma eesnaha liha ümber lõikama ja see olgu minu ja teie vahelise lepingu märgiks.

12 Kaheksapäevastena tuleb teil ümber lõigata kõik teie meesterahvad põlvkondade viisi, olgu peres sündinud, olgu raha eest ostetud ükskõik missuguselt võõralt, kes sinu soost ei ole,

13 kindlasti tuleb ümber lõigata niihästi su peres sündinu kui su raha eest ostetu. Minu leping peab teie ihu küljes olema igavese lepinguna!

14 Aga eesnahaga meesterahvas, kelle eesnaha liha ei ole ümber lõigatud, tuleb hävitada oma rahva seast: ta on tühistanud minu lepingu!'

15 Ja Jumal ütles Aabrahamile: 'Saaraid, oma naist, ära hüüa enam Saaraiks, vaid tema nimi olgu Saara!

16 Ma õnnistan teda ja annan ka temalt sulle poja. Ma õnnistan teda nõnda, et ta saab rahvaiks, rahvaste kuningadki põlvnevad temast.'

17 Siis Aabraham heitis silmili maha, naeris ja ütles oma südames: 'Kas peaks saja-aastasele poeg sündima? Või peaks üheksakümneaastane Saara sünnitama?'

18 Ja Aabraham ütles Jumalale: 'Kui ainult Ismaelgi sinu ees jääks elama!'

19 Siis ütles Jumal: 'Siiski, su naine Saara sünnitab sulle poja ja sa pead panema temale nimeks Iisak. Ja ma teen temaga lepingu, igaveseks lepinguks tema soole pärast teda.

20 Aga ka Ismaeli pärast ma olen sind kuulnud. Vaata, ma õnnistan teda ja teen ta viljakaks ning väga arvurikkaks. Temast sünnib kaksteist vürsti ja ma teen ta suureks rahvaks.

21 Kuid oma lepingu teen ma Iisakiga, kelle Saara sulle sünnitab tuleval aastal selsamal ajal.'

22 Kui Jumal oli lõpetanud kõneluse Aabrahamiga, siis ta läks tema juurest üles.

23 Ja Aabraham võttis oma poja Ismaeli ja kõik oma peres sündinud, ja kõik raha eest ostetud, kõik meesterahvad Aabrahami pere inimeste hulgast, ja lõikas ümber nende eesnaha liha, otse selsamal päeval, nõnda nagu Jumal teda oli käskinud.

24 Aabraham oli üheksakümmend üheksa aastat vana, kui ta eesnaha liha ümber lõigati.

25 Ja Ismael, tema poeg, oli kolmteist aastat vana, kui ta eesnaha liha ümber lõigati.

26 Otse selsamal päeval lõigati ümber Aabraham ja tema poeg Ismael;

27 ja kõik ta pere mehed, peres sündinud ja võõrastelt raha eest ostetud, lõigati ümber koos temaga.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1416

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1416. That 'I will make you into a great nation' means a kingdom in heaven and on earth becomes clear from the meaning of 'nation' in the internal sense as the celestial entity of love and the good which flows from this, thus all throughout the world in whom the celestial element of love and charity is present. Since the subject here in the internal sense is the Lord, everything of the celestial and of the good deriving from it, thus His kingdom, is meant - which exists with those in whom love and charity are present. In the highest sense the Lord Himself is 'the great nation' since He is the Celestial itself and Good itself. For all good that flows from love and charity originates in Him alone, which also explains why the Lord comprises His own kingdom, that is, He is the All in all of His kingdom, as also all angels in heaven acknowledge. From this it is now clear that 'I will make you into a great nation' means the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth.

[2] That 'nation' in the internal sense, where the Lord and celestial things of love are the subject, means Him and all celestial things may become clear also from what has been introduced in 1258, 1259, regarding the meaning of a nation and nations. This matter may be confirmed further still from the following places: In reference to Abraham further on,

No longer will your name be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. Genesis 17:5.

The soft 'h' sound in Abraham was taken from Jehovah's name because he represented Jehovah, that is, the Lord. Similarly in reference to Sarai,

You will not call her name Sarai, but Sarah will be her name, and I will bless her, and I will also give you a son by her; thus will I bless her, and she will become nations; kings of peoples will be from her. Genesis 17:15-16.

'Nations' here stands for the celestial things of love, and 'kings of peoples' for the spiritual things of faith deriving from that love, which are the Lord's alone.

[3] In reference to Jacob likewise,

Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel will be your name. And He called his name Israel, and God said, I am God Almighty, 1 increase and multiply; a nation and an assembly of nations will come into being from you, and kings will go out from your loins. Genesis 35:10-11.

Here 'Israel' stands for the Lord, who Himself, as is well known to some, is in the highest sense Israel. And when He is meant by 'Israel' it is evident that 'a nation and an assembly of nations' and 'kings from his loins' mean the celestial and spiritual things of love, and therefore all in whom the celestial and spiritual things of love are present. In reference to Ishmael, Abram's son by Hagar, it is said,

The son of the servant-girl I will make into a nation, because he is your seed. Genesis 21:13, 18.

What Ishmael represents will be seen in that place. 'The seed of Abram' means love itself, and because of this the word nation is used for those begotten from Ishmael.

[4] That 'nation' means the celestial things of love is clear in Moses,

If you will surely hearken to My voice, and keep My covenant and be a peculiar treasure to Me from among all peoples, you will be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Exodus 19:5-6.

Here 'a kingdom of priests', a phrase used to describe the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, springing from the celestial things of love, is openly called 'a holy nation'. But the Lord's kingdom springing from His Royalty is described as such by virtue of the spiritual things of love and is called 'a holy people'. 'Kings from the loins' therefore, as above, 2 is spiritual things. In Jeremiah,

If these ordinances depart from before Me, said Jehovah, the seed of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me for ever. 3 Jeremiah 31:36.

'Seed of Israel' stands for the celestial entity of charity, and when this ceases to exist there is no longer a nation before the Lord.

[5] In Isaiah,

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. You have multiplied the nation. Isaiah 9:2-3.

Specifically this refers to the Church of the nations, 4 , but in general to all who are without knowledge but lead charitable lives. These are 'the nation' because they are members of the Lord's kingdom. In David,

O that I may see the good of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the joy of Your nation, that I may glory in Your heritage. Psalms 106:5.

Here 'nation' plainly stands for the Lord's kingdom. It was from an ability to perceive that 'a nation' meant the celestial entity of love and the good which flows from this that members of the Most Ancient Church came to be distinguished into separate houses, families, and nations. By this distinguishing they gained a perception of the Lord's kingdom; and because they had a perception of the Lord's kingdom they had a perception of the celestial itself. From that ability to perceive there arose that which held a spiritual meaning, and from this that which was representative.

Footnotes:

1. literally, the Lightning-Hurler or the Thunderbolt-Hurler. Generally Swedenborg retains the Hebrew Shaddai, usually translated the Almighty, regarding which see 1992 below; but here Swedenborg employs the Latin word fulminator.

2. i.e.. in Genesis 35:10-11

3. literally, all the days

4. i.e. the Church established among gentiles

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