The Bible

 

1 Mose 7

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1 Und der HERR sprach zu Noah: Gehe in den Kasten, du und dein ganz Haus; denn dich habe ich gerecht ersehen vor mir zu dieser Zeit.

2 Aus allerlei reinem Vieh nimm zu dir je sieben und sieben, das Männlein und sein Fräulein; von dem unreinen Vieh aber je ein Paar, das Männlein und sein Fräulein.

3 Desselbengleichen von den Vögeln unter dem Himmel je sieben und sieben, das Männlein und sein Fräulein, auf daß Same lebendig bleibe auf dem ganzen Erdboden.

4 Denn noch über sieben Tage will ich regnen lassen auf Erden vierzig Tage und vierzig Nächte und vertilgen von dem Erdboden alles, was das Wesen hat, das ich gemacht habe.

5 Und Noah tat alles, was ihm der HERR gebot.

6 Er war aber sechshundert Jahre alt, da das Wasser der Sintflut auf Erden kam.

7 Und er ging in den Kasten mit seinen Söhnen, seinem Weibe und seiner Söhne Weibern vor dem Gewässer der Sintflut.

8 Von dem reinen Vieh und von dem unreinen, von den Vögeln und von allem Gewürm auf Erden

9 gingen zu ihm in den Kasten bei Paaren, je ein Männlein und Fräulein, wie ihm der HERR geboten hatte.

10 Und da die sieben Tage vergangen waren, kam das Gewässer der Sintflut auf Erden.

11 In dem sechshundertsten Jahr des Alters Noah, am siebzehnten Tag des andern Monats, das ist der Tag, da aufbrachen alle Brunnen der großen Tiefe, und taten sich auf die Fenster des Himmels,

12 und kam ein Regen auf Erden, vierzig Tage und vierzig Nächte.

13 Eben am selben Tage ging Noah in den Kasten mit Sem, Ham und Japheth, seinen Söhnen, und mit seinem Weibe und seiner Söhne dreien Weibern;

14 dazu allerlei Tier nach seiner Art, allerlei Vieh nach seiner Art, allerlei Gewürm, das auf Erden kreucht, nach seiner Art und allerlei Vögel nach ihrer Art alles, was fliegen konnte, und alles, was Fittiche hatte.

15 Das ging alles zu Noah in den Kasten bei Paaren, von allem Fleisch, da ein lebendiger Geist innen war

16 und das waren Männlein und Fräulein von allerlei Fleisch und gingen hinein, wie denn Gott ihm geboten hatte. Und der HERR schloß hinter ihm zu.

17 Da kam die Sintflut vierzig Tage auf Erden; und die Wasser wuchsen und huben den Kasten auf und trugen ihn empor über der Erde.

18 Also nahm das Gewässer überhand und wuchs sehr auf Erden, daß der Kasten auf dem Gewässer fuhr.

19 Und das Gewässer nahm überhand und wuchs so sehr auf Erden, daß alle hohen Berge unter dem ganzen Himmel bedeckt wurden.

20 Fünfzehn Ellen hoch ging das Gewässer über die Berge, die bedeckt wurden.

21 Da ging alles Fleisch unter, das auf Erden kreucht, an Vögeln, an Vieh, an Tieren und an allem, das sich reget auf Erden, und an allen Menschen.

22 Alles, was einen lebendigen Odem hatte im Trocknen, das starb.

23 Also ward vertilget alles, was auf dem Erdboden war, vom Menschen an bis auf das Vieh und auf das Gewürm und auf die Vögel unter dem Himmel: das ward alles von der Erde vertilget. Allein Noah blieb über, und was mit ihm in dem Kasten war.

24 Und das Gewässer stund auf Erden hundertundfünfzig Tage.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #737

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737. 'Noah was a son of six hundred years' means his initial state of temptation. This is clear from the fact from here down to Eber in Chapter 11 nothing else is meant by numbers, years of age, or names than real things, as was the case also with the ages and names of all those mentioned in Chapter 5. Here 'six hundred years' means the initial state of temptation. This becomes clear from its prime factors which are ten and six multiplied again by ten. When the same factors are involved it makes no difference whether the number arrived at is large or small. As for ten, this has been shown already at 6:3 to mean remnants, while the meaning of six here as labour and conflict is clear from places throughout the Word. For the situation is this: What has gone before dealt with man's preparation for temptation, that is to say, he was supplied by the Lord with truths of the understanding and with goods of the will. These truths and goods are remnants, but they are not brought forth so as to be acknowledged until man is being regenerated. In the case of those who are being regenerated by means of temptations the remnants existing with any man are for the angels present with him. From these remnants they draw out those things with which they protect him against the evil spirits who activate falsities with him and in this way attack him. It is because remnants are meant by 'ten' and conflict by 'six' that six hundred years are spoken of, a number in which ten and six are the prime factors and which means a state of temptation.

[2] As regards conflict being the particular meaning of 'six', this is clear from Genesis 1, which describes the six days of man's regeneration prior to his becoming celestial. During those six days there was constant conflict, but on the seventh day came rest. Consequently there are six days of labour, and the seventh is the sabbath, a word which means rest. This also is why a Hebrew slave was to serve for six years and in the seventh was to go free, Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:12; Jeremiah 34:14, and why for six years they were to sow the land and gather in the produce, but in the seventh they were to leave it alone, Exodus 23:10-12. The same applied to a vineyard. It is also the reason why in the seventh year the land was to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to Jehovah, Leviticus 25:3-4. Because 'six' means labour and conflict it also means the dispersion of falsity, as in Ezekiel,

Behold, six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which looks towards the north, every man with a weapon of dispersion in his hand. Ezekiel 9:2.

And in the same prophet, against Gog,

I will cause you to turn about, and I will split you into six, and cause you to come up from the uttermost parts of the north. Ezekiel 39:2.

Here 'six' and 'splitting into six' stand for dispersion, 'the north' for falsities, and 'Gog' for people who seize on doctrinal matters based on things of an external nature with which they destroy internal worship. From Job,

He will deliver you in six troubles, and in a seventh no evil will touch you. Job 5:19.

This stands for the conflict that constitutes temptations.

[3] 'Six' occurs in other parts of the Word where it does not mean labour, conflict, or the dispersion of falsity, but the holiness of faith. In these instances it is related to twelve, which means faith and all things of faith in their entirety, and to three which means that which is holy. Consequently there is also a genuine derivative meaning to the number six, as in Ezekiel 40:5, where the man's measuring rod with which he measured the holy city of Israel was six cubits long; and in other places. The reason for this derivative is that in the conflict of temptation the holiness of faith is present, and also that six days of labour and conflict look forward to the holy seventh day.

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 5

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1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him in God's likeness.

2 He created them male and female, and blessed them, and called their name "Adam," in the day when they were created.

3 Adam lived one hundred thirty years, and became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

4 The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he became the father of sons and daughters.

5 All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred thirty years, then he died.

6 Seth lived one hundred five years, and became the father of Enosh.

7 Seth lived after he became the father of Enosh eight hundred seven years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

8 All the days of Seth were nine hundred twelve years, then he died.

9 Enosh lived ninety years, and became the father of Kenan.

10 Enosh lived after he became the father of Kenan, eight hundred fifteen years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

11 All the days of Enosh were nine hundred five years, then he died.

12 Kenan lived seventy years, and became the father of Mahalalel.

13 Kenan lived after he became the father of Mahalalel eight hundred forty years, and became the father of sons and daughters

14 and all the days of Kenan were nine hundred ten years, then he died.

15 Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Jared.

16 Mahalalel lived after he became the father of Jared eight hundred thirty years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

17 All the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred ninety-five years, then he died.

18 Jared lived one hundred sixty-two years, and became the father of Enoch.

19 Jared lived after he became the father of Enoch eight hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

20 All the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty-two years, then he died.

21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah.

22 Enoch walked with God after he became the father of Methuselah three hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

23 All the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years.

24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

25 Methuselah lived one hundred eighty-seven years, and became the father of Lamech.

26 Methuselah lived after he became the father of Lamech seven hundred eighty-two years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

27 All the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty-nine years, then he died.

28 Lamech lived one hundred eighty-two years, and became the father of a son,

29 and he named him Noah, saying, "This same will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, because of the ground which Yahweh has cursed."

30 Lamech lived after he became the father of Noah five hundred ninety-five years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

31 All the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy-seven years, then he died.

32 Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.