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1 Και επεσκεφθη ο Κυριος την Σαρραν, ως ειπε· και εκαμεν ο Κυριος εις την Σαρραν, ως ελαλησε.

2 Και συνελαβεν η Σαρρα, και εγεννησεν εις τον Αβρααμ υιον εν τω γηρατι αυτου· κατα τον καιρον, τον οποιον ειπε προς αυτον ο Θεος.

3 Και εκαλεσεν ο Αβρααμ το ονομα του υιου αυτου, του γεννηθεντος εις αυτον, τον οποιον η Σαρρα εγεννησεν εις αυτον, Ισαακ.

4 Περιετεμε δε ο Αβρααμ τον υιον αυτου Ισαακ την ογδοην ημεραν, ως προσεταξεν εις αυτον ο Θεος.

5 Ητο δε ο Αβρααμ εκατον ετων, οτε εγεννηθη εις αυτον Ισαακ ο υιος αυτου.

6 Και ειπεν η Σαρρα, Ο Θεος με εκαμε να γελω· οστις ακουση, θελει γελα μετ' εμου.

7 Και ειπε, Τις ηθελεν ειπει προς τον Αβρααμ, οτι ηθελε θηλασει τεκνα η Σαρρα; επειδη εγεννησα υιον εν τω γηρατι αυτου.

8 Το δε παιδιον ηυξησε και απεγαλακτισθη· και εκαμεν ο Αβρααμ μεγα συμποσιον, καθ' ην ημεραν απεγαλακτισθη ο Ισαακ.

9 Και ειδεν η Σαρρα τον υιον της Αγαρ της Αιγυπτιας, τον οποιον εγεννησεν εις τον Αβρααμ, περιγελωντα τον Ισαακ.

10 Και ειπε προς τον Αβρααμ, Διωξον την δουλην ταυτην και τον υιον αυτης· διοτι δεν θελει κληρονομησει ο υιος της δουλης ταυτης μετα του υιου μου, του Ισαακ.

11 Εφανη δε σκληρον σφοδρα το πραγμα εις τους οφθαλμους του Αβρααμ περι του υιου αυτου.

12 Και ειπεν ο Θεος προς τον Αβρααμ, Ας μη φανη σκληρον εις τους οφθαλμους σου περι του παιδιου και περι της δουλης σου· κατα παντα οσα ειπη προς σε η Σαρρα, ακουε τους λογους αυτης· διοτι εν τω Ισαακ θελει κληθη εις σε σπερμα·

13 και τον υιον δε της δουλης εις εθνος θελω καταστησει αυτον· διοτι ειναι σπερμα σου.

14 Σηκωθεις δε ο Αβρααμ ενωρις το πρωι, ελαβεν αρτους και ασκον υδατος και εδωκεν εις την Αγαρ, επιθεσας αυτα επι τον ωμον αυτης, και το παιδιον, και απεπεμψεν αυτην. Η δε αναχωρησασα περιεπλανατο εν τη ερημω Βηρ-σαβεε.

15 Και αφου ετελειωσε το υδωρ απο του ασκου, ερριψε το παιδιον υποκατω ενος θαμνου·

16 και ελθουσα εκαθισεν απεναντι, μακραν εως τοξου βολης· διοτι ειπε, να μη ιδω τον θανατον του παιδιου. Και εκαθισεν απεναντι και υψωσε την φωνην αυτης και εκλαυσεν.

17 Εισηκουσε δε ο Θεος την φωνην του παιδιου· και εφωνησεν αγγελος Θεου προς την Αγαρ εκ του ουρανου, και ειπε προς αυτην, Τι εχεις, Αγαρ; μη φοβου· διοτι ηκουσεν ο Θεος την φωνην του παιδιου εκ του τοπου ενθα κειται·

18 σηκωθητι, λαβε το παιδιον, και κρατει αυτο με την χειρα σου· διοτι θελω καταστησει αυτο εις εθνος μεγα.

19 Και ηνοιξεν ο Θεος τους οφθαλμους αυτης, και ιδουσα φρεαρ υδατος υπηγε και εγεμισε τον ασκον υδωρ και εποτισε το παιδιον.

20 Και ητο ο Θεος μετα του παιδιου, και ηυξησε, και κατωκησεν εν τη ερημω και εγεινε τοξοτης.

21 Και κατωκησεν εν τη ερημω Φαραν· και η μητηρ αυτου ελαβεν εις αυτον γυναικα εκ γης Αιγυπτου.

22 Κατ' εκεινον δε τον καιρον ο Αβιμελεχ, μετα του Φιχολ αρχιστρατηγου της δυναμεως αυτου, ειπε προς τον Αβρααμ, λεγων, Ο Θεος ειναι μετα σου εις παντα οσα πραττεις·

23 τωρα λοιπον ομοσον προς εμε εδω εις τον Θεον, οτι δεν θελεις ψευσθη προς εμε, ουτε προς τον υιον μου, ουτε προς τους εγγονους μου· αλλα κατα το ελεος, το οποιον εκαμα εις σε, θελεις καμει εις εμε, και εις την γην οπου παρωκησας.

24 Και ειπεν ο Αβρααμ, Εγω θελω ομοσει.

25 Και ελεγξεν ο Αβρααμ τον Αβιμελεχ δια το φρεαρ του υδατος, το οποιον αφηρπασαν οι δουλοι του Αβιμελεχ.

26 Και ειπεν ο Αβιμελεχ, Δεν εξευρω τις επραξε το πραγμα τουτο· και ουτε συ με εφανερωσας και ουτε εγω ηκουσα, ειμη σημερον.

27 Και λαβων ο Αβρααμ προβατα και βοας, εδωκεν εις τον Αβιμελεχ· και εκαμον αμφοτεροι συνθηκην.

28 Και εβαλεν ο Αβρααμ κατα μερος επτα θηλυκα αρνια του ποιμνιου.

29 Και ειπεν ο Αβιμελεχ προς τον Αβρααμ, Τι ειναι ταυτα τα επτα θηλυκα αρνια, τα οποια εβαλες κατα μερος;

30 Ο δε ειπεν, Οτι ταυτα τα επτα θηλυκα αρνια θελεις λαβει εκ της χειρος μου, δια να ηναι εις εμε εις μαρτυριον οτι εγω εσκαψα το φρεαρ τουτο.

31 δια τουτο ωνομασε τον τοπον εκεινον, Βηρ-σαβεε· διοτι εκει ωμοσαν αμφοτεροι.

32 Και εκαμον συνθηκην εν Βηρ-σαβεε. Εσηκωθη δε ο Αβιμελεχ και Φιχολ ο αρχιστρατηγος της δυναμεως αυτου, και επεστρεψαν εις την γην των Φιλισταιων.

33 Και εφυτευσεν ο Αβρααμ δρυμον εν Βηρ-σαβεε· και επεκαλεσθη εκει το ονομα του Κυριου, του αιωνιου Θεου.

34 Παρωκησε δε ο Αβρααμ εν τη γη των Φιλισταιων ημερας πολλας.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2701

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2701. 'God opened her eyes' means intelligence. This is clear from the meaning of 'opening' - and that it is God who did so - and also from [the meaning] of 'the eyes', as conferring intelligence; for 'the eyes' means the understanding, see 212, as also does 'sight' or 'seeing', 2150, 2325. The expression 'God opens the eyes' is used when He opens interior sight or the understanding, which opening is accomplished by means of an influx into the rational part of the person's mind, or rather into the spiritual part of his rational. The route taken by this influx is the soul, that is, the internal route, of which the person himself is not aware. This influx is his state of enlightenment in which the truths he hears or reads about are confirmed for him by a kind of perception existing within, in the understanding part of his mind. The person himself believes that this enlightenment is innate within himself and that it springs from his own power of understanding; but in this he is very much mistaken. This enlightenment consists in an influx from the Lord by way of heaven into that person's dim, mistaken, and specious sight of things, and by means of the good there causes the things which he believes to become imitations of truth. Only those who are spiritual however are blessed with enlightenment in spiritual matters of faith; and this is the meaning of the expression 'God opens the eyes'.

[2] The reason why 'the eye' means the understanding is that the sight belonging to the body corresponds to that belonging to its spirit, which is the understanding. And because it has this correspondence 'the eye' in the Word, in almost every place where it is mentioned, means the understanding, even where people believe something other is meant, as where the Lord says in Matthew,

The lamp of the body is the eye. If the eye is sound, the whole body is full of light. If the eye has been evil the whole body has been made full of darkness. If therefore the light is darkness, how great is the darkness! Matthew 6:22-23; Luke 11:34.

Here 'the eye' is the understanding, the spiritual constituent of which is faith, as also is shown by the explanation added here - 'if therefore the light is darkness, how great is the darkness!' Similarly in the same gospel,

If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. Matthew 5:29; 18:9.

'The left eye' is the understanding part of the mind, whereas 'the right eye' is its affection. The command to pluck out the right eye means that if it causes one to stumble one's affection must be disciplined.

[3] In the same gospel,

Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Matthew 13:16.

And in Luke, Jesus said to the disciples, Blessed are the eyes which see what you see. Luke 10:23.

Here 'the eyes which see' means intelligence and faith, for it was not the mere fact that they saw the Lord and also His miracles and works that caused any one of the disciples to be blessed but the fact that they could grasp things with their understandings and had faith, meant by 'seeing with the eyes', and that they were obedient, meant by 'hearing with the ears'. As regards 'seeing with the eyes' meaning to see with the understanding and also to have faith, see 897, 2325. For the understanding is the spiritual complement of sight, and faith the spiritual complement of the understanding. The sight of the eye is received from the light of the world, the sight of the understanding from the light of heaven flowing into things which belong to the light of the world; but the sight of faith is received from the light of heaven. This is the origin of such phrases as seeing with the understanding and seeing with faith. 'Hearing with the ear' means being obedient, see 2542.

[4] In Mark,

Jesus said to the disciples, Do you not yet know nor understand? Do you still have your heart hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? Mark 8:17-18.

Here it is evident that 'having eyes but not seeing' means not wishing to understand and not believing. In Luke,

Jesus said of the city, Would that you knew the things that make for your peace! But such is hidden from your eyes. Luke 19:41-42.

And in Mark,

By the Lord has this been done, and it is marvellous in our eyes. Mark 12:11.

Here 'hidden from the eyes' and 'marvellous in the eyes' mean to be so to the understanding, as is well known to everyone from the meaning of 'the eyes' even in everyday speech.

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

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