The Bible

 

1 Mose 33

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1 Jakob hub seine Augen auf und sah seinen Bruder Esau kommen mit vierhundert Mann. Und teilete seine Kinder zu Lea und zu Rahel und zu beiden Mägden.

2 Und stellete die Mägde mit ihren Kindern vorne an und Lea mit ihren Kindern hernach und Rahel mit Joseph zuletzt.

3 Und er ging vor ihnen her und neigete sich siebenmal auf die Erde, bis er zu seinem Bruder kam.

4 Esau aber lief ihm entgegen und herzete ihn und fiel ihm um den Hals und küssete ihn; und sie weineten.

5 Und hub seine Augen auf und sah die Weiber mit den Kindern und sprach: Wer sind diese bei dir? Er antwortete: Es sind Kinder, die Gott deinem Knechte bescheret hat.

6 Und die Mägde traten herzu mit ihren Kindern und neigeten sich vor ihm.

7 Lea trat auch herzu mit ihren Kindern und neigeten sich vor ihm. Danach trat Joseph und Rahel herzu und neigeten sich auch vor ihm.

8 Und er sprach: Was willst du mit all dem Heer, dem ich begegnet bin? Er antwortete: Daß ich Gnade fände vor meinem HERRN.

9 Esau sprach: Ich habe genug, mein Bruder; behalt, was du hast.

10 Jakob antwortete: Ach nicht! Habe ich Gnade funden vor dir, so nimm mein Geschenk von meiner Hand; denn ich sah dein Angesicht, als sähe ich Gottes Angesicht; und laß dir's wohlgefallen von mir.

11 Nimm doch den Segen von mir an, den ich dir zugebracht habe; denn Gott hat mir's bescheret, und ich habe alles genug. Also nötigte er ihn, daß er's nahm.

12 Und er sprach: Laß uns fortziehen und reisen; ich will mit dir ziehen.

13 Er aber sprach zu ihm: Mein HERR, du erkennest, daß ich zarte Kinder bei mir habe, dazu Vieh und säugende Kühe; wenn sie einen Tag übertrieben würden, würde mir die ganze Herde sterben.

14 Mein HERR ziehe vor seinem Knechte hin. Ich will mählich hinnach treiben, danach das Vieh und die Kinder gehen können, bis daß ich komme zu meinem HERRN in Seir.

15 Esau sprach: So will ich doch bei dir lassen etliche vom Volk, das mit mir ist. Er antwortete: Was ist's vonnöten? Laß mich nur Gnade vor meinem HERRN finden.

16 Also zog des Tages Esau wiederum seines Weges gen Seir.

17 Und Jakob zog gen Suchoth und bauete ihm ein Haus und machte seinem Vieh Hütten; daher heißt die Stätte Suchoth.

18 Danach zog Jakob gegen Salem, zu der Stadt des Sichem, die im Lande Kanaan liegt (nachdem er aus Mesopotamien kommen war), und machte sein Lager vor der Stadt.

19 Und kaufte ein Stück Ackers von den Kindern Hemors, des Vaters Sichems, um hundert Groschen; daselbst richtete er seine Hütte auf.

20 Und richtete daselbst einen Altar zu und rief an den Namen des starken Gottes Israel.

   

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 #3696

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3696. 'And lay down in that place' means the serenity of that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'lying down' as being in a state of serenity, for lying down or sleeping is nothing else. This meaning which 'lying down' has in the internal sense may also be seen from other places in the Word, which are dealt with immediately below. In the case of those who are to undergo regeneration, and who are the subject here in the representative internal sense, they are first of all in a state of serenity or external peace, for external peace or peace experienced in external things is called serenity. Indeed it is a product of the Divine state of peace which exists inmostly and which manifests itself in external things through the removal of evil desires and false ideas; for it is these that cause all unrest. Furthermore everyone at the start of his life, that is, in early childhood, is in a state of calm, but as one advances in, years or grows up he moves away from that state, for he gives himself up to worldly concerns and consequent anxious cares caused by the desires of self-love and of love of the world, and by falsities that spring from these.

[2] Something very similar to this occurs with the new life with one who is being regenerated. At first he experiences a state of serenity, but as he moves on into the new life so he moves into a state that is not serene. For evils and falsities which he has taken into himself previously now emerge and show themselves, and these trouble him, so much so at length that he undergoes temptations and trials from the devil's crew who try all the time to destroy his state of new life. But despite this a state of peace exists with him inmostly. But for its presence inmostly he would not put up any fight at all, for in all the conflicts he experiences he sees that state as the end in view. If that end were not in view he would never have the power and strength to fight. And this is also what enables him to overcome. And since it is the end in view he also enters that state once conflict or temptations are past. It is like the state of spring which follows that of autumn and winter, or like the state of dawn following evening and night. Regarding the resemblance of the state of peace in spiritual things to spring and dawn in natural ones, see 1726, 2780; and as regards peace being the result of goodness and truth, but unrest the result of evil and falsity, 3170.

[3] That 'lying down' in the Word means a state of serenity may be seen from the following places: In Moses,

If you walk in My statutes and observe My commandments and do them, I will give peace in the land, and you will lie down, and none will make you afraid. And I will cause evil wild animals to cease from the land, and the sword will not pass through your land. Leviticus 26:3, 6.

'Lying down' clearly applies to a state of peace and serenity. 'Evil wild animals' stands for desires for evil, 45, 46, 908, which 'are going to cease'. 'The sword' stands for falsity in conflict with truth, 2799, which 'is not going to pass through the land'. From this it is also evident that peace and the serenity of peace is the result of goodness and truth, and the destruction of it is the result of evils and falsities.

[4] In Isaiah,

The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion together; and a little child will lead them. And the young cow and the beer will feed; their young will lie down together. Isaiah 11:6-7.

This refers to the Lord and to the state of peace existing in His kingdom. 'They will lie down together' stands for their being unable to be infested by anything evil or false. In Hosea,

I will make for them a covenant on that day with the wild beasts of the field, and with the birds of the air, and with the creeping things of the earth. And I will abolish 1 the bow, and the sword, and war from the land, and I will make them lie down in safety. Hosea 2:18.

Here likewise 'lying down' stands for a state of serenity following the removal of falsities and evils which are responsible for unrest.

[5] In David,

I will lie down and sleep, and will awake again, for Jehovah sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, who set themselves against me round about. Psalms 3:5-6.

'Lying down and sleeping' stands for a state of serenity and security. In the same author,

In peace I will both lie down and sleep, because You, O Jehovah, alone make me dwell with confidence. Psalms 4:8.

And in the same author,

He will make me to down in green pastures; He will lead me to still waters; He will restore my soul. Psalms 23:2-3.

From these places it is evident that a state of peace and serenity is described by 'lying down', and that 'lying down in that place' means the serenity of the state - for 'place' in the internal sense is state, 3692.

Footnotes:

1. literally, break

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