The Bible

 

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1 Και εφανη εις αυτον ο Κυριος εις τας δρυς Μαμβρη, ενω εκαθητο εν τη θυρα της σκηνης εις το καυμα της ημερας.

2 Και υψωσας τους οφθαλμους αυτου, ειδε· και ιδου, τρεις ανδρες ισταμενοι εμπροσθεν αυτου· και ως ειδεν, εδραμεν εις προυπαντησιν αυτων απο της θυρας της σκηνης, και προσεκυνησεν εως εδαφους·

3 και ειπε, Κυριε μου, εαν ευρηκα χαριν εις τους οφθαλμους σου, μη παρελθης, παρακαλω, τον δουλον σου·

4 ας φερθη, παρακαλω, ολιγον υδωρ, και νιψατε τους ποδας σας, και αναπαυθητε υπο το δενδρον·

5 και εγω θελω φερει ολιγον αρτον, και στηριξατε την καρδιαν σας· επειτα θελετε παρελθει· επειδη δια τουτο επερασατε προς τον δουλον σας· οι δε ειπον, Καμε ουτω, καθως ειπας.

6 Και εσπευσεν ο Αβρααμ εις την σκηνην προς την Σαρραν και ειπε, Σπευσον ζυμωσον τρια μετρα σεμιδαλεως, και καμε εγκρυφιας.

7 Ο δε Αβρααμ εδραμεν εις τους βοας, και ελαβε μοσχαριον απαλον και καλον, και εδωκεν εις τον δουλον· ο δε εσπευσε να ετοιμαση αυτο·

8 επειτα ελαβε βουτυρον και γαλα και το μοσχαριον, το οποιον ητοιμασε, και εθεσεν εμπροσθεν αυτων· αυτος δε ιστατο πλησιον αυτων υπο το δενδρον, και αυτοι εφαγον.

9 Ειπον δε προς αυτον, Που ειναι Σαρρα η γυνη σου; Ο δε ειπεν, Ιδου, εν τη σκηνη.

10 Και ειπεν, Εξαπαντος θελω επιστρεψει προς σε κατα τον αυτον τουτον καιρον του ετους· και ιδου, Σαρρα η γυνη σου θελει εχει υιον. Η δε Σαρρα ηκουσεν εν τη θυρα της σκηνης ητις ητο οπισθεν αυτου.

11 Ο δε Αβρααμ και η Σαρρα ησαν γεροντες, προβεβηκοτες εις ηλικιαν· εις την Σαρραν ειχον παυσει να γινωνται τα γυναικεια.

12 Εγελασε δε η Σαρρα καθ' εαυτην λεγουσα, Αφου εγηρασα, θελει γεινει εις εμε ηδονη και ο κυριος μου γερων;

13 Και ειπε Κυριος προς τον Αβρααμ, Δια τι εγελασεν η Σαρρα, λεγουσα, Αφου εγω εγηρασα, θελω τωοντι γεννησει;

14 ειναι τι αδυνατον εις τον Κυριον; εν τω ωρισμενω καιρω θελω επιστρεψει προς σε κατα τον αυτον τουτον καιρον του ετους, και η Σαρρα θελει εχει υιον.

15 Τοτε η Σαρρα ηρνηθη λεγουσα, δεν εγελασα· διοτι εφοβηθη. Ο δε ειπεν, Ουχι, αλλ' εγελασας.

16 Σηκωθεντες δε εκειθεν οι ανδρες διευθυνθησαν προς τα Σοδομα· και ο Αβρααμ επορευετο μετ' αυτων δια να συμπροπεμψη αυτους.

17 Και ειπε Κυριος, Θελω κρυψει εγω απο του Αβρααμ ο, τι καμνω;

18 ο δε Αβρααμ θελει εξαπαντος γεινει εθνος μεγα και δυνατον· και θελουσιν ευλογηθη εις αυτον παντα τα εθνη της γης·

19 επειδη γνωριζω αυτον οτι θελει διαταξει προς τους υιους αυτου και προς τον οικον αυτου, μεθ' εαυτον, και θελουσι φυλαξει την οδον του Κυριου, δια να πραττωσι δικαιοσυνην και κρισιν, ωστε να επιφερη ο Κυριος επι τον Αβρααμ τα οσα ελαλησε προς αυτον.

20 Ειπε δε Κυριος, Η κραυγη των Σοδομων και των Γομορρων επληθυνε, και η αμαρτια αυτων βαρεια σφοδρα·

21 θελω λοιπον καταβη και θελω ιδει αν επραξαν ολοκληρως κατα την κραυγην την ερχομενην προς εμε· και θελω γνωρισει, αν ουχι.

22 Και αναχωρησαντες εκειθεν οι ανδρες υπηγον προς τα Σοδομα· ο δε Αβρααμ ιστατο ετι ενωπιον του Κυριου.

23 Και πλησιασας ο Αβρααμ ειπε, Μηπως θελεις απολεσει τον δικαιον μετα του ασεβους;

24 εαν ηναι πεντηκοντα δικαιοι εν τη πολει, θελεις αρα γε απολεσει αυτους; και δεν ηθελες συγχωρησει εις τον τοπον δια τους πεντηκοντα δικαιους, τους εν αυτω;

25 μη γενοιτο ποτε συ να πραξης τοιουτον πραγμα, να θανατωσης δικαιον μετα ασεβους, και ο δικαιος να ηναι ως ο ασεβης μη γενοιτο ποτε εις σε ο κρινων πασαν την γην δεν θελει καμει κρισιν;

26 Ειπε δε Κυριος, Εαν ευρω εν Σοδομοις πεντηκοντα δικαιους εν τη πολει, θελω συγχωρησει εις παντα τον τοπον δι' αυτους.

27 Και αποκριθεις ο Αβρααμ ειπεν, Ιδου, τωρα ετολμησα να ομιλησω προς τον Κυριον μου, ενω ειμαι γη και σποδος·

28 εαν λειψωσι πεντε εκ των πεντηκοντα δικαιων, θελεις απολεσει πασαν την πολιν εξ αιτιας των πεντε; Και ειπε, Δεν θελω απολεσει αυτην εαν ευρω εκει τεσσαρακοντα πεντε.

29 Και προσεθεσεν ετι ο Αβρααμ να λαληση προς αυτον, και ειπεν, Εαν ευρεθωσιν εκει τεσσαρακοντα; Και ειπε, Δεν θελω απολεσει αυτην χαριν των τεσσαρακοντα.

30 Και ειπεν ο Αβρααμ, Ας μη παροξυνθη ο Κυριος μου εαν ετι λαλησω· εαν ευρεθωσιν εκει τριακοντα; Και ειπε, Δεν θελω απολεσει αυτην εαν ευρω εκει τριακοντα.

31 Και ειπεν ο Αβρααμ, Ιδου, τωρα ετολμησα να λαλησω προς τον Κυριον μου· εαν ευρεθωσιν εκει εικοσι; και ειπε, Δεν θελω απολεσει αυτην χαριν των εικοσι.

32 Και ειπεν ο Αβρααμ, Ας μη παροξυνθη ο Κυριος μου, εαν λαλησω ετι απαξ· εαν ευρεθωσιν εκει δεκα; και ειπε, Δεν θελω απολεσει αυτην χαριν των δεκα.

33 Και ανεχωρησεν ο Κυριος, αφου επαυσε να λαλη προς τον Αβρααμ· και ο Αβρααμ επεστρεψεν εις τον τοπον αυτου.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2106

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2106. That 'Abraham was a son of ninety-nine years' means the state and the period of time prior to the union of the Lord's Divine Essence with His Human Essence is clear from the meaning of 'ninety-nine years' as the period of time before the Lord fully joined the Internal Man to the Rational, dealt with above in 1988. The Lord's Internal Man, as stated frequently already, was Jehovah Himself, that is, the Divine Itself which, once united to the Human, is the Rational, for the human begins in the inmost part of the rational and from there extends itself to one's external.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1988

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1988. 'Abram was a son of ninety-nine years' means the period of time before the Lord fully joined the Internal Man to the Rational Man. This is clear from the meaning of 'nine' when thought of as one less than ten, or what amounts to the same, of 'ninety-nine' when thought of as one less than a hundred; for when Isaac was born to him Abram was a hundred years old. The nature of the internal sense of the Word is made especially clear by the numbers that are used, as it is by the names. Any numbers whatever, as also any names, that are mentioned in the Word mean real things; for nothing ever exists in the Word that does not have that which is Divine within it, that is, which does not have an internal sense within it. How remote this sense is from the sense of the letter is especially evident from the names and numbers, for in heaven they pay no attention whatever to names and numbers but to things meant by the names or numbers. For example, whenever the number seven occurs, holiness instantly suggests itself to angels instead of the number seven, for 'seven' means holiness from the fact that the celestial man is the seventh day or the sabbath, and so the Lord's rest, 84-87, 395, 433, 716, 881. The same applies to all other numbers, for example, to the number twelve. Whenever twelve occurs the idea of everything belonging to faith suggests itself to angels, for the reason that the twelve tribes of Israel meant everything belonging to faith, 577. That numbers mean real things in the Word has been shown in Volume One; see 482, 487, 488, 493, 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 893.

[2] It is similar with the number 'ninety-nine'. That this number means the period of time before the Lord fully joined the Internal Man to the Rational Man is clear from the meaning of 'a hundred years', Abram's age when Isaac was born to him, for Isaac represents and means the Lord's Rational Man which was joined to His Internal, that is, to the Divine. In the Word 'a hundred' has the same meaning as ten, for that number is the product of ten multiplied by ten, and 'ten' means remnants, as shown in Volume One, in 576. For what remnants residing with man are, see 468, 530, 561, 660, 1050, and for what remnants residing with the Lord were, 1906. These arcana cannot be explained any further, but anyone can find out for himself once he has acquainted himself with what remnants are - for nowadays what they are is not known - provided it is realized that by remnants residing with the Lord are meant the Divine Goods which He acquired to Himself by His own power, and by which He united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence.

[3] These considerations show what is meant by 'ninety-nine'. Being one less than a hundred, that number means the period of time before the Lord fully joined the Internal Man to the Rational Man. 'Ishmael' represented the first rational with the Lord, the nature of which has been shown adequately enough above in the previous chapter. But 'Isaac' represents the Lord's Divine Rational, as will be clear later on. Anyone may see that an arcanum is embodied within the following circumstance: Abram having remained such a long time in the land of Canaan - twenty-four years now, ten before Ishmael's birth, and thirteen after - and not as yet having had a son by Sarai his wife, he then first received the promise of a son, when he had now reached ninety-nine and would be a hundred when this son was born. The arcanum is that by means of these experiences he might represent the union of the Lord's Divine Essence with His Human Essence, and in fact of His Internal Man, which was Jehovah, with His Rational.

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