The Bible

 

1 Mose 10

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1 Dies ist das Geschlecht der Kinder Noahs: Sem, Ham, Japheth. Und sie zeugeten Kinder nach der Sintflut.

2 Die Kinder Japheths sind diese: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Thubal, Mesech und Thiras.

3 Aber die Kinder von Gomer sind diese: Askenas, Riphath und Thogarma.

4 Die Kinder von Javan sind diese: Elisa, Tharsis, Kittim und Dodanim.

5 Von diesen sind ausgebreitet die Inseln der Heiden in ihren Ländern, jegliche nach ihrer Sprache, Geschlecht und Leuten.

6 Die Kinder von Ham sind diese: Chus, Mizraim, Put und Kanaan.

7 Aber die Kinder von Chus sind diese. Seba, Hevila, Sabtha, Raema und Sabtecha. Aber die Kinder von Raema sind diese: Scheba und Dedan.

8 Chus aber zeugete den Nimrod. Der fing an ein gewaltiger HERR zu sein auf Erden,

9 und war ein gewaltiger Jäger vor dem HERRN. Daher spricht man: Das ist ein gewaltiger Jäger vor dem HERRN, wie Nimrod.

10 Und der Anfang seines Reichs war Babel, Erech, Ackad und Kalne im Lande Sinear.

11 Von dem Land ist danach kommen der Assur und bauete Ninive und Rehoboth-Ir und Kalah,

12 dazu Resen zwischen Ninive und Kalah. Dies ist eine große Stadt.

13 Mizraim zeugete Ludim, Anamim, Leabim, Naphthuhim,

14 Pathrusim und Kasluhim. Von dannen sind kommen die Philistim und Kaphthorim.

15 Kanaan aber zeugete Zidon, seinen ersten Sohn, und Heth,

16 Jebusi, Emori, Girgasi,

17 Hivi, Arki, Sini,

18 Arvadi, Zemari und Hamathi. Daher sind ausgebreitet die Geschlechter der Kanaaniter.

19 Und ihre Grenzen waren von Zidon an durch Gerar bis gen Gasa, bis man kommt gen Sodoma, Gomorrha, Adama, Zeboim und bis gen Lasa.

20 Das sind die Kinder Hams in ihren Geschlechtern, Sprachen, Ländern und Leuten.

21 Sem aber, Japheths, des größern, Bruder, zeugete auch Kinder, der ein Vater ist aller Kinder von Eber.

22 Und dies sind seine Kinder: Elam, Assur, Arphachsad, Lud und Aram.

23 Die Kinder aber von Aram sind diese: Uz, Hut, Gether und Mas.

24 Arphachsad aber zeugete Salah, Salah zeugete Eber.

25 Eber zeugete zween Söhne. Einer hieß Peleg, darum daß zu seiner Zeit die Welt zerteilet ward; des Bruder hieß Jaketan.

26 Und Jaketan zeugete Almodad, Saleph, Hazarmaveth, Jarah,

27 Hadoram, Usal, Dikela,

28 Obal, Abimael, Seba,

29 Ophir, Hevila und Jobab. Das sind alle Kinder von Jaketan.

30 Und ihre Wohnung war von Mesa an, bis man kommt gen Sephar, an den Berg gegen den Morgen.

31 Das sind die Kinder von Sem in ihren Geschlechtern, Sprachen, Ländern und Leuten.

32 Das sind nun die Nachkommen der Kinder Noahs in ihren Geschlechtern und Leuten. Von denen sind ausgebreitet die Leute auf Erden nach der Sintflut.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1102

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1102. 'He will dwell in the tents of Shem' means so that the internal features of worship may be present in the external features. This becomes clear from all that has been stated already about Shem, to the effect that 'Shem' is the internal Church or internal worship, and that external worship is something altogether soulless or unclean if it does not have internal worship to give it life and sanctify it. That 'tents' means nothing else than the holiness of love and worship arising out of this becomes clear from the meaning of 'tents' dealt with already in 414. Among the ancients 'wandering about and dwelling in tents' was common expression, and by 'tents' in the internal sense was meant holy worship, for the reason that the most ancient people not only wandered about with tents but also dwelt in tents and used to celebrate holy worship in them. Consequently 'wandering about and dwelling' also meant in the internal sense living.

[2] In addition to the places quoted already in 414, let the following as well serve to confirm that 'tents' means holy worship: In David,

God forsook the dwelling-place at Shiloh, the tent where He dwelt with man. Psalms 78:60.

Here 'tent' has a similar meaning to the Temple, in which God is said 'to dwell' when He is present with someone within love. For this reason the individual in whose life holy worship had a place was called by the ancients 'a tent', and later 'a temple'. In Isaiah,

Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out. Isaiah 54:1.

This stands for enlightenment in the things that belong to true worship. In Jeremiah,

The whole land has been laid waste; suddenly My tents have been laid waste, My curtains in a moment. Jeremiah 4:20.

Here it is quite evident that tents are not meant but holy worship. In Zechariah,

Jerusalem will dwell yet again in her own place, in Jerusalem Jehovah will save the tents of Judah. Zechariah 12:6-7.

Here 'the tents of Judah' stands for worship of the Lord arising out of the holiness of love.

[3] From these quotations it now becomes clear what 'dwelling in the tents of Shem' means, namely, so that internal worship may be present in external. But because 'Japheth', the member of the external Church, has little knowledge of what internal things are, a brief description of him will be given. When a person feels or perceives within himself that he has thoughts regarding the Lord which are good and thoughts regarding the neighbor which are good, and he wishes to perform acts of kindness for him, but not for the sake of any gain or for the sake of his own position, and when he feels that he has pity for anyone who suffers misfortune, and more so for him who errs in regard to the doctrine of faith, he may then know that 'he is dwelling in the tents of Shem', that is, that there are with him things of an internal nature by means of which the Lord is working.

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