The Bible

 

Genesis 20

Study

   

1 Ja Aabraham siirdus sealt Lõunamaale ning asus elama Kaadesi ja Suuri vahele; ta elas Geraris võõrana.

2 Ja Aabraham ütles oma naise Saara kohta: 'Ta on minu õde.' Siis Gerari kuningas Abimelek läkitas järele ja võttis Saara.

3 Aga Jumal tuli Abimeleki juurde öösel unes ja ütles temale: 'Vaata, sa pead surema naise pärast, kelle sa enesele võtsid, sest ta on abielunaine!'

4 Abimelek aga ei olnud temasse puutunud ja vastas: 'Issand, kas tahad surmata ka õiget rahvast?

5 Eks ta öelnud mulle: Ta on minu õde? Ja tema ütles ka ise: Ta on mu vend. Ma tegin seda vaga südame ja süütute kätega.'

6 Siis ütles Jumal temale unes: 'Minagi tean, et sa tegid seda vaga südamega ja ma hoidsin sind ka minu vastu pattu tegemast: sellepärast ma ei lasknud sind temasse puutuda.

7 Ja nüüd anna mehele naine tagasi, sest ta on prohvet ja ta palvetab sinu pärast, et sa jääksid elama. Aga kui sa tagasi ei anna, siis tea, et sina ja kõik, kes sul on, peate surema!'

8 Ja Abimelek tõusis hommikul vara, kutsus kõik oma sulased ning rääkis kõik need sõnad nende kuuldes; ja mehed kartsid väga.

9 Siis Abimelek kutsus Aabrahami ja ütles temale: 'Mis sa meile tegid! Millega ma sinu vastu pattu tegin, et sa tõid suure süü minu ja mu kuningriigi peale? Sa oled minuga teinud sündmatuid tegusid!'

10 Ja Abimelek küsis Aabrahamilt: 'Mida sa mõtlesid seda asja tehes?'

11 Ja Aabraham vastas: 'Mina mõtlesin ainult, et selles paigas ei ole jumalakartust ja mind tapetakse mu naise pärast.

12 Ja tema ongi tõepoolest mu õde: mu isa tütar, kuigi mitte mu ema tütar; seetõttu ta sai mu naiseks.

13 Aga kui Jumal saatis mind isamajast rändama, ütlesin ma temale: Osuta mulle seda armastust, et sa kõigis paigus, kuhu tuleme, minu kohta ütled: Ta on mu vend.'

14 Siis Abimelek võttis lambaid, kitsi ja veiseid, sulaseid ja teenijaid ja andis Aabrahamile; ja ta andis temale tagasi Saara, ta naise.

15 Ja Abimelek ütles: 'Vaata, mu maa on lahti sinu ees, ela, kus sulle meeldib!'

16 Ja Saarale ta ütles: 'Näe, ma annan su vennale tuhat hõbetükki. Vaata, see olgu sulle hüvituseks kõigi ees, kes su juures on. Sa oled kõiges õigeks osutunud.'

17 Ja Aabraham palus Jumalat ja Jumal tegi terveks Abimeleki, ta naise ja ta teenijad, nõnda et nad said lapsi,

18 sest Issand oli sulgenud kõvasti kõik emaihud Abimeleki kojas Saara, Aabrahami naise pärast.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1197

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

1197. From whom went forth the Pelistim [Philistines]. That this signifies a nation thence derived, and that by this nation is signified a mere memory-knowledge of the knowledges of faith and charity, is evident from the Word, where the Philistines are frequently mentioned. In the Ancient Church all those were called Philistines who talked much about faith, and declared that salvation is in faith, and yet had no life of faith. Therefore they preeminently were called “the uncircumcised,” which means those who are devoid of charity. That they were called “the uncircumcised” may be seen in 1 Samuel 14:6; 17:26, 36; 31:4; 2 Samuel 1:20, and in other places. Because they were such, they could not but make the knowledges of faith matters of memory; for the knowledges of spiritual and celestial things and the very mysteries of faith themselves become nothing but matters of memory, when the man who is skilled in them is devoid of charity. The things of the memory are like things dead unless the man is such that from conscience he lives according to them. When he does this, then at the same time as they are things of memory they are also things of life; and only then do they remain with him for his use and salvation after the life of the body. Knowledges [scientiae et cognitiones] are nothing to a man in the other life, even though he may have known all the arcana that have ever been revealed, unless they have affected his life.

[2] Such [as those described above] are everywhere signified by “Philistines” in the prophetical parts of the Word, and also in the historical, as for example, when Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines, and made a covenant with Abimelech, the king of the Philistines (Genesis 20:1; 21:22; 26:1-34). As the knowledges of faith are here signified by the Philistines, Abraham, because he represented the celestial things of faith, sojourned there, and entered into a covenant with them; and likewise Isaac, by whom were represented the spiritual things of faith; but not Jacob, because by him the externals of the church were represented.

[3] That the “Philistines” signify in general a mere memory-knowledge of the knowledges of faith, and specifically those who make faith and salvation consist in knowledges alone, which they make matters of memory, may be seen in Isaiah:

Rejoice not thou whole Philistia, because the rod that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a basilisk, and his fruit shall be like a fiery flying serpent (Isaiah 14:29).

Here “the root of the serpent” denotes memory-knowledges; “the basilisk,” evil from the derivative falsity; and “the fruit of a fiery flying serpent,” is their works, which are called “a fiery flying serpent” because they come of cupidities.

[4] In Joel:

What are ye to Me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the borders of Philistia? Will ye render a recompense upon Me? very speedily will I return your recompense upon your own head. Inasmuch as ye have taken My silver and My gold, and have carried into your temples My desirable good things; the sons also of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the sons of the Javanites, that ye might cause them to remove far from their border (Joel 3:4-6).

Here it is evident what is meant by the Philistines, and by “all Philistia,” or all “the borders” of it. “Silver and gold” here are the spiritual and celestial things of faith; “desirable good things” are the knowledges of them. That they “carried them into their temples,” is that they possessed and proclaimed them; and that they “sold the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem,” signifies that they had no love and no faith; “Judah” in the Word is the celestial of faith, and “Jerusalem” is the spiritual of faith thence derived, which were “removed far from their borders.” So also in other places in the Prophets, as in Jeremiah 25:20; 47:1; Ezekiel 16:27, 57; 25:15-16, Amos 1:8; Obadiah 1:19; Zephaniah 2:5; Psalms 83:7; 87:4. And concerning the Caphtorim in Deuteronomy 2:23; Jeremiah 47:4; Amos 9:7.

  
/ 10837  
  

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