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1 Και εζησεν η Σαρρα εκατον εικοσιεπτα ετη· ταυτα ειναι τα ετη της ζωης της Σαρρας.

2 Και απεθανεν η Σαρρα εν Κιριαθ-αρβα· αυτη ειναι η Χεβρων εν γη Χανααν· και ηλθεν ο Αβρααμ δια να κλαυση την Σαρραν και να πενθηση αυτην.

3 Και σηκωθεις ο Αβρααμ απ' εμπροσθεν του νεκρου αυτου, ελαλησε προς τους υιους του Χετ λεγων,

4 ξενος και παροικος ειμαι εγω μεταξυ σας· δοτε μοι κτημα ταφου μεταξυ σας, δια να θαψω τον νεκρον μου απ' εμπροσθεν μου.

5 Απεκριθησαν δε οι υιοι του Χετ προς τον Αβρααμ λεγοντες προς αυτον,

6 Ακουσον ημας, κυριε μου· συ εισαι μεταξυ ημων ηγεμων εκ Θεου· θαψον τον νεκρον σου εις το εκλεκτοτερον εκ των μνημειων ημων· ουδεις εξ ημων θελει αρνηθη το μνημειον αυτου προς σε, δια να θαψης τον νεκρον σου.

7 Τοτε σηκωθεις ο Αβρααμ προσεκυνησε προς τον λαον του τοπου, προς τους υιους του Χετ·

8 και ελαλησε προς αυτους λεγων, Εαν ευαρεστηται η ψυχη σας να θαψω τον νεκρον μου απ' εμπροσθεν μου, ακουσατε μου και μεσιτευσατε υπερ εμου προς τον Εφρων τον υιον του Σωαρ,

9 και ας μοι δωση το σπηλαιον αυτου Μαχπελαχ, το εν τη ακρα του αγρου αυτου· εις πληρη τιμην ας μοι δωση αυτο, δια κτημα ταφου μεταξυ σας.

10 Ο δε Εφρων εκαθητο εν τω μεσω των υιων του Χετ· και απεκριθη ο Εφρων ο Χετταιος προς τον Αβρααμ εις επηκοον των υιων του Χετ, παντων των εισερχομενων εις την πυλην της πολεως αυτου, λεγων,

11 Ουχι, κυριε μου, ακουσον μου· σοι διδω τον αγρον, σοι διδω και το σπηλαιον το εν αυτω· επι παρουσια των υιων του λαου μου διδω αυτα εις σε· θαψον τον νεκρον σου.

12 Και προσεκυνησεν ο Αβρααμ εμπροσθεν του λαου του τοπου·

13 και ειπε προς τον Εφρων εις επηκοον του λαου του τοπου λεγων, Εαν συ θελης, ακουσον μου, παρακαλω· θελω δωσει το αργυριον του αγρου· λαβε αυτο παρ' εμου, και θελω θαψει τον νεκρον μου εκει.

14 Ο δε Εφρων απεκριθη προς τον Αβρααμ, λεγων προς αυτον,

15 Ακουσον μου, κυριε μου· γη τετρακοσιων σικλων αργυριου, τι ειναι μεταξυ εμου και σου; θαψον λοιπον τον νεκρον σου.

16 Και ηκουσεν ο Αβρααμ τον Εφρων· και εζυγισεν ο Αβρααμ εις τον Εφρων το αργυριον, το οποιον ειπεν εις επηκοον των υιων του Χετ τετρακοσιους σικλους αργυριου, δεκτου μεταξυ εμπορων.

17 Και ο αγρος του Εφρων, οστις ητο εν Μαχπελαχ, εμπροσθεν της Μαμβρη, ο αγρος και το σπηλαιον το εν αυτω και παντα τα δενδρα τα εν τω αγρω και εν πασι τοις οριοις κυκλω, ησφαλισθησαν

18 εις τον Αβρααμ δια κτημα, ενωπιον των υιων του Χετ, ενωπιον παντων των εισερχομενων εις την πυλην της πολεως αυτου.

19 Και μετα ταυτα εθαψεν ο Αβρααμ Σαρραν την γυναικα αυτου εν τω σπηλαιω του αγρου Μαχπελαχ, εμπροσθεν της Μαμβρη· αυτη ειναι Χεβρων εν γη Χανααν.

20 Και ο αγρος και το σπηλαιον το εν αυτω, ησφαλισθησαν εις τον Αβρααμ δια κτημα ταφον παρα των υιων του Χετ.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2928

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2928. 'To the people of the land, to the sons of Heth' means by those who belonged to the [new] spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the people' as those who are governed by truths, and so those who are spiritual, dealt with in 1259, 1260; from the meaning of 'the land' as the Church dealt with in 662, 1066, 1068, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end); and from the meaning of 'the sons of Heth' as those who belonged to the new spiritual Church, dealt with above in 2913. The expression 'the people of the land' is used in various places in the Word when the subject is Israel and Jerusalem, and by those people is meant in the internal sense the spiritual Church or those who belong to the spiritual Church, for Israel and Jerusalem are used to mean that Church. When Judah and Zion are the subject however the expression 'the nation' is used. 'The nation' means the celestial Church, for Judah and Zion are used to mean that Church.

[2] That the expression 'the people of the land' is used when Israel and Jerusalem, and so when the spiritual Church are the subject, is clear from many places in the Word, as in Ezekiel,

Say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord Jehovih to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to the land of Israel, They will eat their bread in sorrow, and drink their waters in vastation, that her land may be devastated. The inhabited cities will be vastated and the land made desolate. Ezekiel 12:19-20.

Here in the internal sense 'Jerusalem' and 'the land of Israel' stand for the spiritual Church, 'bread' and 'waters' for charity and faith, or good and truth. 'The land' stands for the Church itself which as regards good is said to be 'vastated' and as regards truth to be 'made desolate'.

[3] In the same prophet,

The house of Israel will bury Gog and his multitude so that they will cleanse the land in seven months, and all the people of the land will bury them. Ezekiel 39:11-13.

'Gog' stands for external worship separated from internal, which is idolatrous, 1151. 'The house of Israel' stands for the spiritual Church as regards good, 'the people of the land' as regards truth, 'the land' for the Church itself. The reason 'the land' is the Church is that 'the land of Canaan' represented the Lord's kingdom and so the Church, since the Lord's kingdom on earth is the Church.

[4] In the same prophet,

All the people of the land will give 1 this thruma (oblation) to the prince of Israel. And the prince will prepare for himself on that day, and for all the people of the land a young bull for a sin offering. The people of the land will bow down at the door of the gate on the sabbaths and at new moons. And the people of the land will enter at the appointed feasts. Ezekiel 45:16, 22; 46:3, 9.

This refers to the New Jerusalem, that is, to the Lord's spiritual kingdom, whose subjects are here called 'the people of the land'. 'The prince' is Divine truth coming from the Lord. The expression 'the sons of Heth' is used because 'sons' means truths, see 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623.

[5] The reason why truths are attributable to those who are spiritual is that these people are introduced to good by way of truths, that is, to charity by way of faith. And because the good they do is done from an affection for truth - for they do not know otherwise than that it is good because they have been taught that it is - their conscience too is founded on these truths of faith, see 1155, 1577, 2046, 2088, 2184, 2507, 2715, 2716, 2718.

Footnotes:

1. literally, will be to

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