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1 Επι των ημερων δε του Αμαρφελ βασιλεως Σεννααρ, του Αριωχ βασιλεως Ελλασαρ, του Χοδολλογομορ βασιλεως Ελαμ, και του Θαργαλ βασιλεως εθνων,

2 εκαμον αυτοι πολεμον μετα του Βερα βασιλεως Σοδομων, και του Βαρσα βασιλεως Γομορρων, του Σεννααβ βασιλεως Αδαμα, και του Σεμοβορ βασιλεως Σεβωειμ, και του βασιλεως της Βελα· αυτη ειναι η Σηγωρ.

3 Παντες ουτοι ηνωθησαν ομου εν τη κοιλαδι Σιδδιμ ητις ειναι η αλμυρα θαλασσα.

4 Δωδεκα ετη εδουλευον εις τον Χοδολλογομορ· εν δε τω δεκατω τριτω απεστατησαν.

5 Και εν τω δεκατω τεταρτω ετει ηλθεν ο Χοδολλογομορ και οι βασιλεις οι μετ' αυτου, και επαταξαν τους Ραφαειμ εν Ασταρωθ-καρναιμ, και τους Ζουζειμ εν Αμ, και τους Εμμαιους εν Σαυη-κιριαθαιμ,

6 και τους Χορραιους εν τω ορει αυτων Σηειρ εως της πεδιαδος Φαραν, ητις ειναι εν τη ερημω.

7 Επεστρεψαν δε και ηλθον εις την Εν-μισπατ ητις ειναι η Καδης· και επαταξαν παντα τον τοπον του Αμαληκ, και τους Αμορραιους τους κατοικουντας εν Ασασων-θαμαρ.

8 Εξηλθε δε ο βασιλευς των Σοδομων, και ο βασιλευς των Γομορρων, και ο βασιλευς της Αδαμα, και ο βασιλευς των Σεβωειμ, και ο βασιλευς της Βελα, ητις ειναι η Σηγωρ· και συνεκροτησαν μαχην μετ' αυτων εν τη κοιλαδι Σιδδιμ,

9 μετα του Χοδολλογομορ βασιλεως Ελαμ, και του Θαργαλ βασιλεως εθνων, και του Αμραφελ βασιλεως Σεννααρ, και του Αριωχ βασιλεως Ελλασαρ· τεσσαρες βασιλεις προς πεντε.

10 Η δε κοιλας Σιδδιμ ητο πληρης φρεατων ασφαλτου· ετραπησαν δε εις φυγην οι βασιλεις των Σοδομων και των Γομορρων και επεσον εκει· οι δε εναπολειφθεντες εφυγον εις το ορος.

11 Και ελαβον παντα τα υπαρχοντα των Σοδομων και των Γομορρων και πασαν αυτων την ζωοτροφιαν, και ανεχωρησαν.

12 Ελαβον δε και τον Λωτ υιον του αδελφου του Αβραμ, οστις κατωκει εν Σοδομοις, και τα υπαρχοντα αυτου, και ανεχωρησαν.

13 Υπηγε δε τις εκ των διασωθεντων και απηγγειλε τουτο προς τον Αβραμ τον Εβραιον, οστις κατωκει πλησιον των δρυων Μαμβρη του Αμορραιου, αδελφου του Εσχωλ, και αδελφου του Ανηρ, οιτινες ησαν συμμαχοι του Αβραμ.

14 Ακουσας δε ο Αβραμ οτι ηχμαλωτισθη ο αδελφος αυτου, εφωπλισε τριακοσιους δεκαοκτω εκ των δουλων αυτου, των γεννηθεντων εν τη οικια αυτου, και κατεδιωξεν οπισω αυτων εως Δαν.

15 Και διαιρεσας τους εαυτου ωρμησε κατ' αυτων την νυκτα, αυτος και οι δουλοι αυτου, και επαταξεν αυτους, και κατεδιωξεν αυτους εως Χοβα ητις ειναι κατα τα αριστερα της Δαμασκου.

16 Και επανεφερε παντα τα υπαρχοντα και ετι επανεφερε Λωτ τον αδελφον αυτου και τα υπαρχοντα αυτου, ετι δε και τας γυναικας και τον λαον.

17 Εξηλθε δε ο βασιλευς των Σοδομων εις συναντησιν αυτου, αφου επεστρεψεν απο της καταστροφης του Χοδολλογομορ και των βασιλεων των μετ' αυτου, εν τη κοιλαδι Σαυη ητις ειναι η κοιλας του βασιλεως.

18 Και ο Μελχισεδεκ βασιλευς Σαλημ εφερεν εξω αρτον και οινον· ητο δε ιερευς του Θεου του Υψιστου.

19 Και ευλογησεν αυτον και ειπεν, Ευλογημενος ο Αβραμ παρα του Θεου του Υψιστου, οστις εκτισε τον ουρανον και την γην·

20 και ευλογητος ο Θεος ο Υψιστος οστις παρεδωκε τους εχθρους σου εις την χειρα σου. Και Αβραμ εδωκεν εις αυτον δεκατον απο παντων.

21 Και ειπεν ο βασιλευς των Σοδομων προς τον Αβραμ, Δος μοι τους ανθρωπους, τα δε υπαρχοντα λαβε εις σεαυτον.

22 Ειπε δε ο Αβραμ προς τον βασιλεα των Σοδομων, Εγω υψωσα την χειρα μου προς Κυριον, τον Θεον τον Υψιστον, οστις εκτισε τον ουρανον και την γην,

23 οτι δεν θελω λαβει απο παντων των ιδικων σου απο κλωστης εως λωριου υποδηματος, δια να μη ειπης, Εγω επλουτισα τον Αβραμ·

24 εκτος μονον εκεινου το οποιον εφαγον οι νεοι, και της μεριδος των ανθρωπων των ελθοντων μετ' εμου, του Ανηρ του Εσχωλ και του Μαμβρη, ουτοι ας λαβωσι την μεριδα αυτων.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1667

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1667. That 'twelve years they served Chedorlaomer' means that evils and falsities did not reveal themselves in childhood but were subservient to apparent goods and truths is clear from the representation and meaning of Chedorlaomer, and also from the meaning of those who were subservient to him, as explained above at verses 1-2, and from the meaning of 'twelve' as well. Chedorlaomer together with those mentioned above in verse 1 mean apparent goods and truths present with the Lord - thus His External Man as regards those things. Here Chedorlaomer stands for all who are named in verse 1 taken together, as is clear in addition from what follows, and also from the fact that he was king of Elam, the meaning of which has been dealt with already, namely faith deriving from charity, and here therefore truth and good. For faith and things belonging to faith are nothing but truths, while charity and things belonging to charity are nothing but goods

[2] Here however they are the goods that belong to earliest childhood, which though they appear to be goods are not in fact goods as long as hereditary evil is befouling them, for they have ingrained in them and clinging to them that which derives from self-love and love of the world. Whatever belongs to self-love or love of the world appears at the time to be good, but it is not. Nevertheless it must still be called good during the time it resides in an infant or child who as yet does not know what is truly good. Their ignorance or lack of knowledge excuses it, and their innocence makes it appear as good. The situation is different however when a person has undergone instruction and knows what good and evil are. Such good and truth as exist with a child before instruction is meant by Chedorlaomer.

[3] Their being subservient for twelve years means the whole time that such good and truth remain, for in the internal sense 'twelve' means all things constituting the faith that belongs to charity, that is, faith springing from charity, as also with Elam in Genesis 10:22. And as long as such good and truth reside in a person, whether in childhood or in any other period of his life, evils and falsities can achieve nothing, that is, evil spirits do not dare to do anything or to initiate anything evil, as is quite evident in the case of infants, well-behaved children, and simple hearted people. With them, even though evil spirits, that is, the worst of the devil's crew, were present they could nevertheless achieve absolutely nothing but are held in subjection, which is the meaning here of their being subservient for twelve years to Chedorlaomer.

[4] The reason they are kept in subjection during that time and are subservient is that the individual has not yet acquired to himself a sphere of evil desires and of falsities. Indeed evil spirits and genii are not allowed to operate except into those things a person has acquired through his own actions, not into those he has by heredity. Consequently before a person acquires such spheres to himself, evil spirits are subservient; but as soon as he does acquire them, those evil spirits present with him stream in and try to gain dominion, for they are then situated within his own sphere, and there find a certain delight or their very life - 'where the carcass is there will the eagles be gathered together'. 1

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 24:28

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

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