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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 #1664

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1664. That the wars here mentioned signify nothing else, in the internal sense, than spiritual wars, or temptations, was said above, at the beginning of this chapter. By the wars mentioned in the Word, especially in the Prophets, nothing else is signified. The wars of men can have no place in the internals of the Word; for such things are not spiritual and celestial, such as alone belong to the Word. That combats with the devil, or what is the same, with hell, are signified by the wars mentioned in the Word, may be seen from the passages that now follow, besides many others.

In John:

They are spirits of demons, doing signs, to go forth to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of that great day of God Almighty (Revelation 16:14); where everyone can see that no other war is signified, on the “great day of God Almighty.”

[2] Again:

The beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war (Revelation 11:7); where “the abyss” is hell. Again:

The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17).

Again:

It was given unto him to make war with the saints (Revelation 13:7).

All of these “wars” are combats such as are those of temptations. The wars of the kings of the south and of the north, and the other wars mentioned in Daniel (chapters 8 and 11), also the things said of Michael (Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1; Revelation 12:7), mean the same.

[3] That “wars” signify nothing else is evident also from the other Prophets. As in Ezekiel:

Ye have not gone up into the breaches, neither have ye built up the fence for the house of Israel, to stand in the war in the day of Jehovah (Ezekiel 13:5); where this is said concerning the Prophets.

In Isaiah:

They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more (Isaiah 2:4); where it is plain that no other wars are meant; and consequently that by the weapons of war, as by swords, spears, shields, and others, nothing else is meant in the Word than the things that pertain to such wars.

[4] Again in Isaiah:

Bring ye water to him that is thirsty; ye inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet with his bread him that is wandering; for they shall wander before the swords, before the drawn sword, and before the bent bow, and before the grievousness of war (Isaiah 21:14-15).

In Jeremiah:

Shepherds and their flocks shall come unto the daughter of Zion; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed down everyone his space; sanctify a war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon (Jeremiah 6:3-5); where no other war is meant, for it is against the daughter of Zion, that is, the church.

[5] Again:

How is the city of praise not forsaken, the city of my joy; therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day (Jeremiah 49:25-26);

“the city of praise and of joy” denotes the things which are of the church; “the men of war,” those who combat.

[6] In Hosea:

In that day will I make a covenant for them with the wild beast of the field, and with the fowl of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the ground; and I will break the bow, and the sword, and war out of the land, and will make them to lie down in confidence (Hos. 2:18); where in like manner “war” denotes combats, and the various arms of war those things which pertain to spiritual combat; these are “broken” when, yearnings and falsities ceasing, the man comes into the tranquillity of peace.

[7] In David:

Behold the works of Jehovah, who hath made solitudes in the earth, making wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariots in the fire (Psalms 46:8-9); where the meaning is similar. Again:

In Salem is the habitation of God, and his dwelling place in Zion. There He brake the fiery shafts of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the war (Psalms 76:2-3).

As the priests represented the Lord, who alone combats for man, their service is called “warfare” (Numbers 4:23, 35, 39, 4 4:43, 47).

[8] That Jehovah alone, that is, the Lord, combats and overcomes the devil that is with man when he is in the combats of temptations, although it does not so appear to the man, is a constant truth; for not even the smallest thing can be brought upon a man by evil spirits that is not by permission; and nothing, however small, can be averted by angels, except from the Lord; so that it is the Lord alone who sustains all the combat, and who overcomes; which also is everywhere represented by the wars waged by the sons of Israel against the nations. That it is the Lord alone, is also declared in Moses:

Jehovah your God who walketh before you, He shall fight for you (Deuteronomy 1:30).

Again:

Jehovah your God is He that walketh with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you (Deuteronomy 20:4; so too in Joshua, as chapter 23, 5).

[9] For the wars there that were carried on against the idolatrous inhabitants of the land of Canaan, all represented the Lord’s combats with hell; and consequently those of His church, and those of the men of His church. This also accords with the following words in Isaiah:

As the lion roareth, and the young lion, over his prey, when a multitude of shepherds come running against him, he will not be dismayed at their voice, nor afflicted by their tumult; so Jehovah Zebaoth shall come down to fight upon Mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof (Isaiah 31:1).

[10] For this reason, also, Jehovah or the Lord is also called a “Man of War.” As in Moses:

Jehovah is a Man of War, Jehovah is His name (Exodus 15:9). And in Isaiah:

Jehovah shall go forth as a Hero, He shall stir up zeal like a Man of wars; He shall cry, yea, He shall shout aloud, He shall prevail against His enemies (Isaiah 42:13).

This also is why many things that pertain to war are attributed to the Lord; as here to “cry” and “shout aloud.”

[11] Spirits and angels also appear as men of war when a representation is made. As in Joshua:

Joshua lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold there stood a man over against him, and his sword drawn in his hand. And he said unto Joshua, I am the prince of Jehovah’s army. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth (Josh. 5:13-14).

These things were so seen because they were representative; and for the same reason the posterity of Jacob called their wars the Wars of Jehovah.

[12] The same also was the case in the Ancient Churches; and among them were books which also were called The Wars of Jehovah; as is evident in Moses:

It is said in the Book of the Wars of Jehovah (Numbers 21:14-15).

This was written in a manner not unlike that in which wars are treated of in this chapter; but the wars of the church were signified. Such a mode of writing was familiar in those times; for then there were interior men, and they thought of exalted things.

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