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1 Mose 9

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1 Und Gott segnete Noah und seine Söhne und sprach: Seid fruchtbar und mehret euch und erfüllet die Erde!

2 Eure Furcht und Schrecken sei über alle Tiere auf Erden, über alle Vögel unter dem Himmel und über alles, was auf dem Erdboden kreucht; und alle Fische im Meer seien in eure Hände gegeben.

3 Alles, was sich reget und lebet, das sei eure Speise; wie das grüne Kraut habe ich's euch alles gegeben.

4 Allein esset das Fleisch nicht, das noch lebet in seinem Blut.

5 Denn ich will auch eures Leibes Blut rächen und will's an allen Tieren rächen; und will des Menschen Leben rächen an einem jeglichen Menschen, als der sein Bruder ist.

6 Wer Menschenblut vergeußt, des Blut soll auch durch Menschen vergossen werden; denn Gott hat den Menschen zu seinem Bilde gemacht.

7 Seid fruchtbar und mehret euch und reget euch auf Erden, daß euer viel drauf werden.

8 Und Gott sagte zu Noah und seinen Söhnen mit ihm:

9 Siehe, ich richte mit euch einen Bund auf und mit eurem Samen nach euch

10 und mit allem lebendigen Tier bei euch, an Vögeln, an Vieh und an allen Tieren auf Erden bei euch, von allem, das aus dem Kasten gegangen ist, was für Tiere es sind auf Erden.

11 Und richte meinen Bund also mit euch auf, daß hinfort nicht mehr alles Fleisch verderbet soll werden mit dem Wasser der Sintflut, und soll hinfort keine Sintflut mehr kommen, die die Erde verderbe.

12 Und Gott sprach: Das ist das Zeichen des Bundes, den ich gemacht habe zwischen mir und euch und allem lebendigen Tier bei euch hinfort ewiglich:

13 Meinen Bogen habe ich gesetzt in die Wolken, der soll das Zeichen sein des Bundes zwischen mir und der Erde.

14 Und wenn es kommt, daß ich Wolken über die Erde führe, so soll man meinen Bogen sehen in den Wolken.

15 Alsdann will ich gedenken an meinen Bund zwischen mir und euch und allem lebendigen Tier in allerlei Fleisch, daß nicht mehr hinfort eine Sintflut komme, die alles Fleisch verderbe.

16 Darum soll mein Bogen in den Wolken sein, daß ich ihn ansehe und gedenke an den ewigen Bund zwischen Gott und allem lebendigen Tier in allem Fleisch, das auf Erden ist.

17 Dasselbe sagte Gott auch zu Noah: Dies sei das Zeichen des Bundes, den ich aufgerichtet habe zwischen mir und allem Fleisch auf Erden.

18 Die Söhne Noahs, die aus dem Kasten gingen, sind diese: Sem, Ham, Japheth. Ham aber ist der Vater Kanaans.

19 Das sind die drei Söhne Noahs, von denen ist alles Land besetzt.

20 Noah aber fing an und ward ein Ackermann und pflanzte Weinberge.

21 Und da er des Weins trank, ward er trunken und lag in der Hütte aufgedeckt.

22 Da nun Ham, Kanaans Vater, sah seines Vaters Scham, sagte er's seinen beiden Brüdern draußen.

23 Da nahm Sem und Japheth ein Kleid und legten es auf ihre beiden Schultern und gingen rücklings hinzu und deckten ihres Vaters Scham zu; und ihr Angesicht war abgewandt, daß sie ihres Vaters Scham nicht sahen.

24 Als nun Noah erwachte von seinem Wein und erfuhr, was ihm sein kleiner Sohn getan hatte,

25 sprach er: Verflucht sei Kanaan und sei ein Knecht aller Knechte unter seinen Brüdern!

26 Und sprach weiter: Gelobet sei Gott, der HERR des Sem; und Kanaan sei sein Knecht.

27 Gott breite Japheth aus und lasse ihn wohnen in den Hütten des Sem: und Kanaan sei sein Knecht.

28 Noah aber lebte nach der Sintflut dreihundertundfünfzig Jahre,

29 daß sein ganzes Alter ward neunhundertundfünfzig Jahre, und starb.

   

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.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #414

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414. 'Dwelling in a tent' means the holiness of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'tents' in the Word, as in David,

O Jehovah, who will sojourn in Your tent? Who will dwell on Your holy mountain! He who walks blameless and performs righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. Psalms 15:1-2.

Here the holy things of love, which are 'walking blameless and performing righteousness' are described by 'dwelling in a tent' or 'on the holy mountain'. In the same author,

Their line has gone out into all the earth, and their speech to the end of the world. In them He has set a tent for the sun. Psalms 19:4.

Here 'sun' stands for love. In the same author,

I will dwell in Your tent for ever, I will put my trust in the shelter of Your wings. Psalms 61:4

Here 'tent' stands for what is celestial, and 'shelter of Your wings' for what is spiritual deriving from it. In Isaiah,

In compassion a throne was established, and on it there sat in truthfulness in the tent of David, one who judges and who seeks judgement, and hastens in righteousness. Isaiah 16:5

Here again 'tent' stands for the holiness of love, which the phrases judging judgement' and 'hastening in righteousness' are used to describe. In the same prophet,

Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feast. May your eyes see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent which is not moved. Isaiah 33:10.

This refers to the heavenly Jerusalem.

[2] In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, Behold, I will bring back the captivity of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings. And the city will be built upon its mound. Jeremiah 30:18.

'The captivity of the tents' stands for the vastation of celestial things, that is, of holy things of love. In Amos,

On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen down, and I will close up their breaches, and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old. Amos 9:11.

Here similarly 'a tabernacle' stands for celestial things and the holy things that go with them. In Jeremiah,

The whole land has been laid waste. Swiftly My tents have been laid waste, suddenly My curtains. Jeremiah 4:20.

And elsewhere in Jeremiah,

My tent has been laid waste, and all My cords torn away. My sons have gone away from Me, and they are not. There is no one stretching out My tent any more, and setting up My curtains. Jeremiah 10:20.

Here 'tent' stands for celestial things, 'curtains' and 'cords' for spiritual things deriving from them. In the same prophet,

They will seize their tents and flocks, their curtains and all their vessels, and take away the camels for themselves. Jeremiah 49:29

This refers to Arabia and the sons of the east, who represent people who are in possession of celestial things, that is, things that are holy. In the same prophet,

The Lord has poured out His fierce anger like fire on the tent of the daughter of Zion. Lamentations 2:4.

This stands for the vastation of the celestial or holy things of faith.

[3] The reason 'a tent' stands in the Word for the celestial or holy things of love is that in ancient times people carried out holy worship, each within his own tent. When however they started to render their tents unholy by profane acts of worship the Tabernacle was built, and later on the Temple. Consequently that which 'the Tabernacle' meant, and later on 'the Temple', was also what 'tents' meant. And someone who was holy was therefore called a tent, also a tabernacle, and the Lord's temple as well. That 'tent', 'tabernacle', and 'temple' all have the same meaning is clear in David,

One thing have I sought from Jehovah, that will I ask for, that I may remain in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to behold Jehovah in His beauty, and visit Him every morning in His temple. For He will shelter me in His tabernacle on the day of evil. He will hide me in the hiding-place of His tent, He will lift me up upon a rock and now my head will be lifted up against my enemies round about me, and I will sacrifice in His tent the sacrifices of shouts of joy. Psalms 27:4-6.

[4] In the highest sense it is the Lord as regards His Human Essence who is the Tent, the Tabernacle, and the Temple. And every one who is celestial is consequently referred to in the same way, as well as every thing which is celestial and holy. Now because the Most Ancient Church was the Lord's beloved more than the Churches that followed, and because in those times people used to live independently, that is, each within his own family, celebrating holy worship each in his own tent, tents were consequently considered to be more holy than the temple which had been profaned. To remind people of this point the Feast of Tabernacles was therefore instituted when they had to gather in the produce of the earth. During this feast they were required to live in tabernacles as the most ancient people had done, Leviticus 23:39-44; Deuteronomy 16:13; Hosea 12:9.

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