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1 Mose 28

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1 Und Isaak rief Jakob und segnete ihn; und er gebot ihm und sprach zu ihm: Du sollst nicht ein Weib nehmen von den Töchtern Kanaans.

2 Mache dich auf, gehe nach Paddan-Aram, (Siehe die Anmerkung zu Kap. 25,20) zum Hause Bethuels, des Vaters deiner Mutter; und nimm dir von dort ein Weib von den Töchtern Labans, des Bruders deiner Mutter.

3 Und Gott, (El) der Allmächtige, segne dich und mache dich fruchtbar und mehre dich, daß du zu einer Schar von Völkern werdest;

4 und er gebe dir den Segen Abrahams, dir und deinem Samen mit dir, auf daß du besitzest das Land deiner Fremdlingschaft, das Gott dem Abraham gegeben hat!

5 Und Isaak entließ Jakob; und er ging nach Paddan-Aram zu Laban, dem Sohne Bethuels, des Aramäers, dem Bruder ebekkas, der Mutter Jakobs und Esaus. -

6 Und als Esau sah, daß Isaak den Jakob gesegnet und ihn nach Paddan-Aram entlassen hatte, um sich von dort ein Weib zu nehmen, indem er ihn segnete und ihm gebot und sprach: Du sollst nicht ein Weib nehmen von den Töchtern Kanaans,

7 und daß Jakob seinem Vater und seiner Mutter gehorcht hatte und nach Paddan-Aram gegangen war:

8 als Esau sah, daß die Töchter Kanaans übel waren in den Augen seines Vaters Isaak,

9 da ging Esau hin zu Ismael und nahm sich zum Weibe Machalath, die Tochter Ismaels, des Sohnes Abrahams, die Schwester Nebajoths, zu seinen anderen Weibern hinzu.

10 Und Jakob zog aus von Beerseba und ging nach Haran.

11 Und er gelangte an einen Ort und übernachtete daselbst; denn die Sonne war untergegangen. Und er nahm einen von den Steinen des Ortes und legte ihn zu seinen Häupten und legte sich nieder an selbigem Orte.

12 Und er träumte: und siehe, eine Leiter war auf die Erde gestellt, und ihre Spitze rührte an den Himmel; und siehe, Engel Gottes stiegen auf und nieder an ihr.

13 Und siehe, Jehova stand über ihr und sprach: Ich bin Jehova, der Gott Abrahams, deines Vaters, und der Gott Isaaks; das Land, auf welchem du liegst, dir will ich es geben und deinem Samen.

14 Und dein Same soll werden wie der Staub der Erde, und du wirst dich ausbreiten nach Westen und nach Osten und nach Norden und nach Süden hin; und in dir und in deinem Samen sollen gesegnet werden alle Geschlechter der Erde.

15 Und siehe, ich bin mit dir, und ich will dich behüten überall, wohin du gehst, und dich zurückbringen in dieses Land; denn ich werde dich nicht verlassen, bis ich getan was ich zu dir geredet habe.

16 Und Jakob erwachte von seinem Schlafe und sprach: Fürwahr, Jehova ist an diesem Orte, und ich wußte es nicht!

17 Und er fürchtete sich und sprach: Wie furchtbar ist dieser Ort! Dies ist nichts anderes als Gottes Haus, und dies die Pforte des Himmels.

18 Und Jakob stand des Morgens früh auf und nahm den Stein, den er zu seinen Häupten gelegt hatte, und stellte ihn auf als Denkmal und goß Öl auf seine Spitze.

19 Und er gab selbigem Orte den Namen Bethel; (Haus Gottes) aber im Anfang war Lus der Name der Stadt.

20 Und Jakob tat ein Gelübde und sprach: Wenn Gott mit mir ist und mich behütet auf diesem Wege, den ich gehe, und mir Brot zu essen gibt und Kleider anzuziehen,

21 und ich in Frieden zurückkehre zum Hause meines Vaters, so soll Jehova mein Gott (Eig. mir zum Gott sein) sein.

22 Und dieser Stein, den ich als Denkmal aufgestellt habe, soll ein Haus Gottes sein; und von allem, was du mir geben wirst, werde ich dir gewißlich den Zehnten geben.

   

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Arcana Coelestia #3720

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3720. This is none other than the house of God. That this signifies the Lord’s kingdom in the ultimate of order, is evident from the signification of the “house of God.” Mention is made of the “house of God” in many passages of the Word, and in the external sense, or according to the letter, it signifies a consecrated building where there is holy worship; but in the internal sense it signifies the church; and in a more universal sense, heaven; and in the most universal sense, the Lord’s universal kingdom; in the supreme sense, however, it signifies the Lord Himself as to the Divine Human. In the Word we sometimes read of the “house of God,” sometimes of the “temple,” both having the same signification, but with this difference-that the “house of God” is mentioned where good is treated of; but the “temple” where truth is treated of. From this it is manifest that by the “house of God” is signified the Lord’s celestial church, and in a more universal sense the heaven of the celestial angels, and in the most universal sense the Lord’s celestial kingdom, and in the supreme sense the Lord as to Divine good; and that by the “temple” is signified the Lord’s spiritual church, and in a more universal sense the heaven of the spiritual angels, in the most universal sense the Lord’s spiritual kingdom, and in the supreme sense the Lord as to Divine truth (see n. 2048). The reason why the “house of God” signifies the celestial which is of good, and the “temple” the spiritual which is of truth, is that in the Word a “house” signifies good (n. 710, 2233, 2234, 2559, 3128, 3652), and also because among the most ancient people the houses were constructed of wood, for the reason that “wood” signifies good (n. 643, 1110, 2784, 2812); whereas “temple” signifies truth, because the temples were constructed of stones; and that “stones” signify truths, may be seen above (n. 643, 1296, 1298).

[2] That “wood” and “stone” have such a signification, is not only evident from the Word where they are mentioned, but also from the representatives in the other life; for they who place merit in good works, appear to themselves to cut wood; and they who place merit in truths, in that they have believed themselves to have been better acquainted with truth than others, and yet have lived evilly, appear to themselves to cut stones; which things have often been seen by me. From this I was assured what is the signification of wood and stone, namely that “wood” signifies good, and “stone” truth; and also from the experience that when a wooden house was seen, there was instantly presented an idea of good; but when a house of stone was seen, there was presented an idea of truth; concerning which I was instructed by angels. For this reason, when mention is made in the Word of the “house of God,” there is presented to the angels the idea of good, and good of such a quality as is treated of in that connection; and when mention is made of a “temple,” there is presented to them the idea of truth, and truth of such a quality as is treated of in that connection. From this again we can infer how deep and utterly hidden are the heavenly arcana in the Word.

[3] The reason why by the “house of God” is here signified the Lord’s kingdom in the ultimate of order, is that Jacob is treated of, by whom is represented the Lord’s Divine natural, as frequently shown above. The natural is in the ultimate of order, for in this all the interior things are terminated and are together; and because they are together, and thus things innumerable are viewed together as a one, there is relative obscurity there. This relative obscurity has been spoken of several times before.

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

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Arcana Coelestia #1298

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1298. And they had brick for stone. That this signifies that they had falsity for truth, is evident from the signification of “brick,” just now shown to be falsity; and from the signification of “stone,” which in a wide sense is truth, concerning which above n. 643). Stones have signified truth for the reason that the boundaries of the most ancient people were marked off by stones, and that they set up stones as witnesses that the case was so and so, or that it was true; as is evident from the stone that Jacob set up for a pillar (Genesis 28:22; 35:14), and from the pillar of stones between Laban and Jacob (Genesis 31:46-47, 52), and from the altar built by the sons of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, near the Jordan, as a witness (Joshua 22:10, 28, 34). Therefore in the Word truths are signified by “stones;” insomuch that not only by the stones of the altar, but also by the precious stones upon the shoulders of Aaron’s ephod and upon the breastplate of judgment, there were signified holy truths which are of love.

[2] As regards the altar, when the worship of sacrifices upon altars began, the altar signified the representative worship of the Lord in general; but the stones themselves represented the holy truths of that worship; and therefore it was commanded that the altar should be built of whole stones, not hewn, and it was forbidden that any iron should be moved upon them (Deuteronomy 27:5-7; Joshua 8:31); for the reason that hewn stones, and stones on which iron has been used, signified what is artificial, and thus what is fictitious in worship; that is, what is of man’s own or of the figment of his thought and heart. This was to profane worship, as is plainly said in Exodus 20:25. For the same reason iron was not used upon the stones of the temple (1 Kings 6:7).

[3] That the precious stones upon the shoulders of Aaron’s ephod, and in the breastplate of judgment, signified holy truths, has been shown before n. 114). The same is evident in Isaiah:

Behold I will make thy stones to lie in carbuncle, and I will lay thy foundation in sapphires, and will put rubies for thy suns (windows), and thy gates in gem stones, and all thy border in stones of desire; and all thy sons shall be taught of Jehovah, and great shall be the peace of thy sons (Isaiah 54:11-13).

The stones here named denote holy truths, and therefore it is said, “all thy sons shall be taught of Jehovah.” Hence it is said in John that the foundations of the wall of the city, the holy Jerusalem, were adorned with every precious stone, and the stones are named (Revelation 21:19-20). The “holy Jerusalem” denotes the kingdom of the Lord in heaven and on earth, the foundations of which are holy truths. In like manner the tables of stone, on which the commands of the Law, or the Ten Words, were written, signified holy truths; and therefore they were of stone, or their foundation [fundus] was stone, concerning which see Exodus 24:12; 31:18; 34:1; Deuteronomy 5:22; 10:1, for the commands themselves are nothing else than truths of faith.

[4] As then in ancient times truths were signified by stones, and afterwards, when worship began upon pillars and altars, and in a temple, holy truths were signified by the pillars, altars, and temple, therefore the Lord also was called “a Stone;” as in Moses:

The Mighty One of Jacob, from thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel (Genesis 49:24).

In Isaiah:

Thus saith the Lord Jehovih, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tried Stone of the corner, of price, of a sure foundation (Isaiah 28:16).

In David:

The Stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner (Psalms 118:22).

The like is signified in Daniel by “the stone cut out of the rock,” which brake in pieces the statue of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:34-35, 45).

[5] That “stones” signify truths, is evident also in Isaiah:

By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be expiated, and this shall be all the fruit, to take away his sin; when he shall put all the stones of the altar as chalk stones that are scattered (Isaiah 27:9);

“the stones of the altar” denote truths in worship, which are dispersed. Again:

Make ye level the way of the people; flatten out, flatten ye out the path; gather out the stones (Isaiah 62:10);

“Way” and “stone” denote truths.

In Jeremiah:

I am against thee, O destroying mountain; I will roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee into a mountain of burning; and they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone of foundation (Jeremiah 51:25-26).

This is said of Babel; “a mountain of burning,” is the love of self. That “a stone should not be taken from it,” means that there is no truth.

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