The Bible

 

synty 33

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1 Kun Jaakob nosti silmänsä ja katseli, niin katso, Eesau oli tulossa, neljäsataa miestä mukanaan. Silloin hän jakoi lapset Leealle, Raakelille ja molemmille orjattarille.

2 Ja hän asetti orjattaret lapsineen ensimmäisiksi, niiden jälkeen Leean lapsineen ja Raakelin Joosefin kanssa viimeiseksi.

3 Mutta itse hän astui heidän edellänsä ja kumartui maahan seitsemän kertaa, kunnes oli saapunut veljensä eteen.

4 Mutta Eesau riensi häntä vastaan ja sulki hänet syliinsä, halasi häntä kaulasta ja suuteli häntä; ja he itkivät.

5 Ja hän nosti silmänsä ja näki vaimot ja lapset ja kysyi: "Keitä ovat nämä, jotka ovat sinun seurassasi?" Hän vastasi: "Ne ovat minun lapseni, jotka Jumala on palvelijallesi lahjoittanut".

6 Niin orjattaret lähestyivät lapsineen ja kumartuivat maahan.

7 Myöskin Leea lapsineen lähestyi, ja he kumartuivat maahan. Viimein lähestyivät Joosef ja Raakel ja kumartuivat maahan.

8 Sitten hän kysyi: "Mitä tarkoitit kaikella sillä joukolla, jonka minä kohtasin?" Hän vastasi: "Saada armon herrani silmien edessä".

9 Mutta Eesau sanoi: "Minulla on itselläni kyllin; pidä, veljeni, omasi!"

10 Jaakob vastasi: "Ei niin; jos olen saanut armon sinun silmiesi edessä, niin ota minulta vastaan lahjani; sillä olenhan saanut nähdä sinun kasvosi, niinkuin nähdään Jumalan kasvot, ja sinä olet ottanut minut suosiollisesti vastaan.

11 Ota siis tervehdyslahjani, joka sinulle tuotiin, sillä Jumala on ollut minulle armollinen, ja minulla on yllin kyllin kaikkea." Ja hän pyysi häntä pyytämällä, kunnes hän otti sen.

12 Sitten Eesau sanoi: "Lähtekäämme liikkeelle ja vaeltakaamme eteenpäin; minä vaellan sinun edelläsi".

13 Mutta Jaakob sanoi hänelle: "Herrani näkee itse, että lapset ovat pieniä ja että minulla on imettäviä lampaita ja lehmiä mukanani; jos näitä ajaa kiivaasti päivänkään, kuolee koko lauma.

14 Kulkekoon siis herrani palvelijansa edellä; minä seuraan hiljalleen jäljessä, sen mukaan kuin karja, jota kuljetan, ja lapset jaksavat käydä, kunnes saavun herrani luo Seiriin."

15 Eesau vastasi: "Minä jätän luoksesi osan väestäni". Hän sanoi: "Minkätähden niin? Kunhan vain saan armon herrani silmien edessä!"

16 Niin Eesau sinä päivänä kääntyi takaisin ja meni sitä tietään Seiriin.

17 Mutta Jaakob lähti Sukkotiin ja rakensi siellä itsellensä majan. Ja karjallensa hän teki tarhoja. Siitä tuli sen paikan nimeksi Sukkot.

18 Ja Jaakob saapui matkallansa Mesopotamiasta onnellisesti Sikemin kaupunkiin, joka on Kanaanin maassa, ja leiriytyi kaupungin edustalle.

19 Ja hän osti sen maapalstan, johon hän oli pystyttänyt telttansa, Hamorin, Sikemin isän, pojilta sadalla kesitalla.

20 Ja hän pystytti siihen alttarin ja antoi sille nimen Eel, Israelin Jumala.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4393

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4393. 'And Jacob came to Salem, the city of Shechem' means interior truths of faith which go with a state of serenity. This is clear from the meaning of 'Salem' as the serenity of peace, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'the city of Shechem' as interior truths of faith, dealt with in the next chapter where Shechem and his city are the subject. For 'a city' means the truth of faith, see 402, 2268, 2449, 2451, 2712, 2943, 3216, while 'Salem' means the serenity of peace, as may be seen in David,

In Judah is God known, in Israel His name is great; and in Salem is His tent, and His dwelling-place in Zion. There He broke the bow's flashing arrows, the shield and the sword, and war. Psalms 76:1-3.

Here 'Salem' plainly means the serenity of peace since it is said that there He broke the bow's flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and war, as well as from the meaning of that name in the original language - for Salem means serenity and perfection. What the serenity of peace is, see 1726, 3696. Such peace involves interior truths, that is, it is experienced by those who in faith and life are governed by interior truths. But as long as they are governed by exterior truths, and especially while progressing from exterior to interior, their state is not one of serenity, for at that time the conflicts brought about by temptations are taking place. The same is also represented here by Jacob in that, following his fear and anxiety on account of Esau, he entered a state of serenity.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2449

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2449. That 'He overthrew those cities' means that all truths were separated from them so that they might possess falsities alone is clear from the meaning of 'cities' as matters of doctrine, and so as truths, for truths make up matters of doctrine, dealt with in 402, 2268, 2428. These are said to be 'overthrown' when falsities stand in place of truths, here when all truths have been separated from them, as well as all goods - goods too being dealt with in this verse, since the subject is the final state of those inside the Church who are governed by falsities and evils.

[2] This also is what their state comes to be, which, so that the nature of it may be known, must be described briefly. All who enter the next life are taken back to a life similar to that which they were leading during their lifetime., Then in the case of the good evils and falsities are separated so that the Lord may raise these people up by means of goods and truths into heaven; but in the case of the evil goods and truths are separated so that those evil ones may be carried away by means of evils and falsities into hell, see 2119, in exact accord with the Lord's words in Matthew,

To him who has, it will be given, so that he may have more abundantly; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Matthew 13:12.

And elsewhere in the gospel,

To everyone who has, it will be given, so that he may have in abundance; but from him who has not, it will be taken away. Matthew 25:29; Luke 8:18; 19:24-26; Mark 4:24-25.

The same is meant by the following words which appear in Matthew,

Let both grow together until the harvest; and at the time of harvest I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. The harvest is the close of the age. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. Matthew 13:30, 39-40.

The same point is made in the description of the net thrown into the sea gathering fish of various kinds, and how after that the good were sorted into vessels while the bad were thrown away; and this is how it will be at the close of the age, Matthew 13:47-50. What 'the close' is and that for the Church it entails events like these, see 1857, 2243.

[3] The reason why evils and falsities are separated in the case of people who are good is that the latter may not be left suspended between evils and goods and so that they may be raised up by means of goods into heaven. And the reason why goods and truths are separated in the case of the evil is so that they do not lead the upright astray by means of any goods present with them, and so that by means of their evils they may withdraw to the evil in hell. For in the next life such is the communication of all ideas comprising thought, and of all affections, that goods are communicated with the good, and evils with the evil, 1388-1390. Consequently unless separation took place countless harmful things would result, in addition to the fact that association together would not otherwise be possible. Yet all things are associated together in a very wonderful way, in heaven according to all the variations of love to the Lord and of mutual love, and consequently of faith, 685, 1394, and in hell according to all the variations of evil desires and of delusions resulting from these, 695, 1322. It should be recognized however that separation does not mean complete removal, for nothing anybody has once possessed is totally removed from him.

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