The Bible

 

Genesis 26

Study

   

1 Aga maal oli nälg pärast seda eelmist nälga, mis Aabrahami päevil oli olnud. Ja Iisak läks vilistite kuninga Abimeleki juurde Gerarisse.

2 Ja Issand ilmutas ennast temale ning ütles: 'Ära mine alla Egiptusesse! Jää maale, kuhu ma sind käsin!

3 Ela võõrana siin maal, ja ma olen sinuga ning õnnistan sind, sest sinule ja sinu soole ma annan kõik need maad ning pean vannet, mille ma olen vandunud su isale Aabrahamile.

4 Ja ma teen su soo paljuks nagu taevatähed ja annan su soole kõik need maad, ja sinu soo nimel õnnistavad endid kõik maailma rahvad,

5 sellepärast et Aabraham kuulas mu sõna ja pidas, mis ma käskisin pidada - mu käske, seadlusi ja õpetusi.'

6 Ja Iisak jäi elama Gerarisse.

7 Kui kohalikud mehed küsisid tema naise kohta, siis ta ütles: 'See on mu õde.' Sest ta kartis öelda: 'Mu naine', mõeldes ise: 'Muidu kohalikud mehed tapavad mu Rebeka pärast, sest ta on ilusa välimusega.'

8 Aga kui ta seal pikemat aega oli viibinud, vaatas Abimelek, vilistite kuningas, kord aknast välja ja nägi, et Iisak hellitas oma naist Rebekat.

9 Siis Abimelek kutsus Iisaki ja ütles: 'Vaata, ta on tõepoolest su naine! Kuidas sa siis võisid öelda: Ta on mu õde?' Ja Iisak vastas temale: 'Ma mõtlesin, et muidu ma ehk pean tema pärast surema.'

10 Aga Abimelek ütles: 'Miks sa meile seda tegid? Kui kergesti oleks võinud keegi rahva hulgast magada su naisega ja sa oleksid meie peale toonud süü!'

11 Ja Abimelek andis käsu kogu rahvale, öeldes: 'Kes puudutab seda meest ja tema naist, peab surema!'

12 Ja Iisak külvas seal maal ja sai sel aastal sajakordselt, sest Issand õnnistas teda.

13 Ja mees läks rikkaks, läks üha rikkamaks, kuni ta oli läinud väga rikkaks.

14 Ja temal oli lamba- ja kitsekarju ja veisekarju ja palju peret, nõnda et vilistid teda kadestasid.

15 Ja vilistid matsid kinni ja täitsid mullaga kõik kaevud, mis tema isa sulased olid kaevanud tema isa Aabrahami päevil.

16 Ja Abimelek ütles Iisakile: 'Mine ära meie juurest, sest sa oled saanud meist palju vägevamaks!'

17 Siis Iisak läks sealt ära ja lõi oma telgid üles Gerari orgu ning elas seal.

18 Ja Iisak kaevas uuesti need veekaevud, mis tema isa Aabrahami päevil olid kaevatud ja mis vilistid pärast Aabrahami surma olid kinni matnud; ja ta pani neile needsamad nimed, mis tema isa neile oli pannud.

19 Aga kui Iisaki sulased kaevasid orus ja leidsid seal voolava veega kaevu,

20 siis Gerari karjased riidlesid Iisaki karjastega, öeldes: 'Vesi on meie oma!' Ta pani siis kaevule nimeks Eesek, sellepärast et nad temaga olid tülitsenud.

21 Siis nad kaevasid teise kaevu, ja selle pärast riidlesid nad ka; ja sellele ta pani nimeks Sitna.

22 Sealt ta siirdus edasi ja kaevas veel ühe kaevu, aga selle pärast nad ei riielnud; ja sellele ta pani nimeks Rehobot ning ütles: 'Nüüd on Issand andnud meile avarust, et võiksime siin maal olla viljakad.'

23 Ja sealt ta läks üles Beer-Sebasse.

24 Ja Issand ilmutas ennast temale selsamal ööl ning ütles: 'Mina olen su isa Aabrahami Jumal. Ära karda, sest ma olen sinuga ja õnnistan sind! Ma teen su soo paljuks oma sulase Aabrahami pärast.'

25 Siis ta ehitas sinna altari, hüüdis appi Issanda nime ja lõi sinna oma telgi üles; ja Iisaki sulased kaevasid sinna kaevu.

26 Ja Abimelek tuli Gerarist tema juurde ühes oma sõbra Ahusati ja väepealik Piikoliga.

27 Aga Iisak ütles neile: 'Miks tulete minu juurde? Te ju vihkate mind ja olete mind eneste juurest ära saatnud!'

28 Ja nemad vastasid: 'Me näeme selgesti, et Issand on sinuga. Seepärast me ütleme: Olgu meie vahel vanne, meie ja sinu vahel, ja me teeme sinuga lepingu,

29 et sa meile kurja ei tee, nõnda nagu me sinusse ei ole puutunud, vaid oleme sulle ainult head teinud ja sind rahuga ära saatnud. Sina oled ju nüüd Issanda õnnistatu!'

30 Siis ta tegi neile võõruspeo ning nad sõid ja jõid.

31 Ja nad tõusid hommikul vara ning andsid üksteisele vande. Siis Iisak saatis nad ära ja nad läksid ta juurest rahuga.

32 Ja selsamal päeval tulid Iisaki sulased ning teatasid temale kaevust, mille nad olid kaevanud, ja ütlesid temale: 'Me leidsime vett.'

33 Siis ta nimetas selle Sibaks; seepärast on linna nimeks tänapäevani Beer-Seba.

34 Kui Eesav oli nelikümmend aastat vana, võttis ta naiseks Juuditi, hett Beeri tütre, ja Baasmati, hett Eeloni tütre.

35 Aga need olid meelehärmiks Iisakile ja Rebekale.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2718

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

2718. 'A wife from the land of Egypt' means the affection for knowledge, which the member of the spiritual Church possesses. This is clear from the meaning of 'a wife' as affection or good, dealt with in 915, 2517, and from the meaning of 'Egypt' as knowledge, dealt with in 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462. In this verse the member of the spiritual Church is described so far as the nature of his good, that is, the essence of his life, is concerned - that the good residing with him is obscure, but that it is brightened with light from the Lord's Divine Human. From that brightening of it the affection for truth arises in the rational part of his mind, and the affection for knowledge in the natural part. The reason the affection for good such as resides within the celestial man cannot arise in the spiritual man, but instead the affection for truth, is that the good residing with him is implanted in the understanding part of his mind, and is obscure compared with the celestial man's good, as shown in 2715. From this good no other type of affection can be generated and derived within his rational than the affection for truth, and through this affection for truth the affection for knowledge within the natural. No other truth is meant in this case than that which the person believes to be the truth, even though it may not in itself be the truth. Nor is knowledge used to mean such knowledge as the learned possess but all factual knowledge with which a person can be taught from what he experiences or hears in everyday life, from doctrine, and from the Word. It is the affection for such truth and knowledge that exists within the member of the spiritual Church.

[2] So that it may be known what is meant by the affection for truth existing with someone and what by the affection for good, let a brief statement be made regarding them. Those with the affection for truth think about, question, and discuss whether a thing is true, whether it is so. And when they are convinced it is true, or is so, they think about, question, and discuss what it is. Thus they remain rooted on the doorstep and cannot be admitted into wisdom until they no longer have any doubts. Those however with whom the affection for good exists know and perceive that the thing is so from the good itself governing them. Thus they do not remain on the doorstep but are in a room inside, having been admitted into wisdom.

[3] Take as an example the consideration that it is a celestial gift to think and to act from an affection for good, or from good. Those with whom the affection for truth exists discuss whether this is so, whether such a gift can exist, and what it may be. And so long as they are turning over doubts about it they are unable to be admitted. But those with the affection for good do not discuss or turn doubts over but assert that the thing is true and are for that reason admitted. For those with whom the affection for good exists, that is, those who are celestial, start off where those with the affection for truth, that is, those who are spiritual, come to a halt, so that the furthest point reached by the latter is the starting point for the former. That being so, those who are celestial are given to know, recognize, and perceive that affections for good are countless - as numerous as the communities in heaven - and that they are all joined together by the Lord into a heavenly form so as to constitute one human being so to speak. They are also given to define by perception the genus and species to which each affection belongs.

[4] Or take this example: All delight, blessedness, and happiness belong wholly to love, but the nature of the love determines that of the delight, blessedness, and happiness. The spiritual man fixes his mind on the question whether this is true and whether delight, blessedness, and happiness may not spring from some other source, such as from mixing with others, talking to others, meditation, or learning, and also whether they reside in possessions, position, reputation, and the glory resulting from these. As long as he is asking such questions he does not confirm himself in the truth that none of these accomplishes anything, only the affection born of love which is present within them and making them what they are. The celestial man however does not remain rooted in such preliminary questionings but immediately asserts that the thing is true. Consequently he is interested in the end in view and the realization of this, that is, he is governed by the very affections born of love which are countless, and in each one of which there are things beyond description, involving variations of delight, blessedness, and happiness that have no end.

[5] Take as a further example the consideration that the neighbour is to be loved for the good that resides with him. Those with whom the affection for truth exists think, question, and discuss whether this is true, that is, whether it is so. They ask what the neighbour is, what good is; but they go no further than this, and therefore they shut the door to wisdom against themselves. Those however with the affection for good assert that the thing is so and do not consequently shut the door against themselves but enter in and so come to know, recognize, and perceive from good who is pre-eminently the neighbour, also in what degree he is the neighbour, and that everyone in differing ways is the neighbour. Thus they perceive things beyond description, over and above what is known to those with the affection solely for truth.

[6] Take as yet another example the truth that a person who loves the neighbour for the good within him loves the Lord. Those with the affection for truth question whether this is so. And if they are told that anyone who loves the neighbour for the good within him loves the good, and that - since all good comes from the Lord and the Lord is present in good - when anyone loves good he also loves the Lord from whom that good comes and in which He is present, they then question whether that too is so. They also ask what loving good is, as well as what good is, and whether the Lord is present more so in good than in truth. As long as they remain rooted in such questionings they cannot get even a distant view of wisdom. But those with the affection for good know from perception that the thing is so and immediately behold the whole field of wisdom leading right on to the Lord.

[7] From these examples it may become clear why in comparison with those who have the affection for good, that is, with those who are celestial, obscurity exists with those who have the affection for truth, that is, with those who are spiritual Nevertheless the latter are able to pass from obscurity into light, provided that they are willing to adopt the affirmative attitude that all good belongs to love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour; also that love and charity constitute spiritual conjunction, and that these are the source of all blessedness and happiness, thus that heavenly life consists in the good belonging to love received from the Lord, but not in the truth of faith separated from it.

  
/ 10837  
  

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