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1 Και εκινησεν ο Ιακωβ και υπηγεν εις την γην των κατοικων της ανατολης.

2 Και ειδε, και ιδου, φρεαρ εν τη πεδιαδι και ιδου, εκει τρια ποιμνια προβατων αναπαυομενα πλησιον αυτου, διοτι εκ του φρεατος εκεινον εποτιζον τα ποιμνια· λιθος δε μεγας ητο επι το στομιον του φρεατος.

3 Και οτε συνηγοντο εκει παντα τα ποιμνια, απεκυλιον τον λιθον απο του στομιου του φρεατος, και εποτιζον τα ποιμνια· επειτα εθετον παλιν τον λιθον επι το στομιον του φρεατος εις τον τοπον αυτου.

4 Και ειπε προς αυτους ο Ιακωβ, Αδελφοι, ποθεν εισθε; Οι δε ειπον, Εκ της Χαρραν ειμεθα.

5 Και ειπε προς αυτους, Γνωριζετε Λαβαν τον υιον του Ναχωρ; οι δε ειπον, Γνωριζομεν.

6 Και ειπε προς αυτους, Υγιαινει; Οι δε ειπον, Υγιαινει· και ιδου, Ραχηλ η θυγατηρ αυτου ερχεται μετα των προβατων.

7 Και ειπεν, Ιδου, μενει ακομη ημερα πολλη, δεν ειναι ωρα να συρθωσι τα κτηνη· ποτισατε τα προβατα και υπαγετε να βοσκησητε αυτα.

8 Οι δε ειπον, Δεν δυναμεθα, εωσου συναχθωσι παντα τα ποιμνια, και να αποκυλισωσι τον λιθον απο του στομιου του φρεατος· τοτε ποτιζομεν τα προβατα.

9 Και ενω ακομη ελαλει προς αυτους, ηλθεν η Ραχηλ μετα των προβατων του πατρος αυτης· διοτι αυτη εβοσκε.

10 Και ως ειδεν ο Ιακωβ την Ραχηλ, θυγατερα του Λαβαν του αδελφου της μητρος αυτου, και τα προβατα του Λαβαν του αδελφου της μητρος αυτου, επλησιασεν ο Ιακωβ και απεκυλισε τον λιθον απο του στομιου του φρεατος, και εποτισε τα προβατα του Λαβαν, του αδελφου της μητρος αυτου.

11 Και εφιλησεν ο Ιακωβ την Ραχηλ και υψωσας την φωνην αυτου εκλαυσε.

12 Και απηγγειλεν ο Ιακωβ προς την Ραχηλ, οτι ειναι αδελφος του πατρος αυτης, και οτι ειναι υιος της Ρεβεκκας· και εκεινη δραμουσα απηγγειλε τουτο εις τον πατερα αυτης.

13 Και ως ηκουσεν ο Λαβαν το ονομα του Ιακωβ του υιου της αδελφης αυτου, εδραμεν εις συναντησιν αυτου· και εναγκαλισθεις αυτον, εφιλησεν αυτον και εφερεν αυτον εις την οικιαν αυτου· και διηγηθη ο Ιακωβ προς τον Λαβαν παντα τα γενομενα.

14 Και ειπε προς αυτον ο Λαβαν, Βεβαια οστουν μου και σαρξ μου εισαι. Και κατωκησε μετ' αυτου ενα μηνα.

15 Και ειπεν ο Λαβαν προς τον Ιακωβ, Επειδη εισαι αδελφος μου, δια τουτο θελεις με δουλευει δωρεαν; ειπε μοι, τις θελει εισθαι ο μισθος σου;

16 Ειχε δε Λαβαν δυο θυγατερας· το ονομα της πρεσβυτερας, Λεια, και το ονομα της μικροτερας Ραχηλ.

17 Και της μεν Λειας οι οφθαλμοι ησαν ασθενεις· η δε Ραχηλ ητο ευειδης και ωραια την οψιν.

18 Και ηγαπησεν ο Ιακωβ την Ραχηλ· και ειπε, Θελω σε δουλευει επτα ετη δια την Ραχηλ, την θυγατερα σου την μικροτεραν.

19 Και ειπεν ο Λαβαν, Καλητερα να δωσω αυτην εις σε, παρα να δωσω αυτην εις αλλον ανδρα· κατοικησον μετ' εμου.

20 Και εδουλευσεν ο Ιακωβ δια την Ραχηλ επτα ετη· και εφαινοντο εις αυτον ως ημεραι ολιγαι, δια την προς αυτην αγαπην αυτου.

21 Και ειπεν ο Ιακωβ προς τον Λαβαν, Δος μοι την γυναικα μου, διοτι επληρωθησαν αι ημεραι μου, δια να εισελθω προς αυτην.

22 Και συνηγαγεν ο Λαβαν παντας τους ανθρωπους του τοπου και εκαμε συμποσιον.

23 Και το εσπερας, λαβων την Λειαν την θυγατερα αυτου, εφερεν αυτην προς αυτον· και εισηλθε προς αυτην.

24 Και εδωκεν ο Λαβαν εις Λειαν την θυγατερα αυτου, δια θεραπαιναν αυτης, Ζελφαν την θεραπαιναν αυτου.

25 Και το πρωι, ιδου, αυτη ητο η Λεια· και ειπε προς τον Λαβαν, Τι τουτο το οποιον επραξας εις εμε; δεν σε εδουλευσα δια την Ραχηλ; και δια τι με ηπατησας;

26 Και ειπεν ο Λαβαν, Δεν γινεται ουτως εν τω τοπω ημων, να διδωται η μικροτερα προ της πρεσβυτερας·

27 εκπληρωσον την εβδομαδα ταυτης, και θελω σοι δωσει και αυτην, αντι της εργασιας την οποιαν θελεις καμει εις εμε ακομη αλλα επτα ετη.

28 Και εκαμεν ο Ιακωβ ουτω και εξεπληρωσε την εβδομαδα αυτης· και εδωκεν εις αυτον την Ραχηλ την θυγατερα αυτου εις γυναικα.

29 Και εδωκεν ο Λαβαν εις Ραχηλ την θυγατερα αυτου, δια θεραπαιναν αυτης, Βαλλαν την θεραπαιναν αυτου.

30 Και εισηλθεν ο Ιακωβ και προς την Ραχηλ· και ηγαπησε την Ραχηλ περισσοτερον παρα την Λειαν· και εδουλευσεν αυτον ακομη αλλα επτα ετη.

31 Και ιδων ο Κυριος οτι εμισειτο η Λεια, ηνοιξε την μητραν αυτης· η δε Ραχηλ ητο στειρα.

32 Και συνελαβεν η Λεια και εγεννησεν υιον και εκαλεσε το ονομα αυτου Ρουβην· διοτι ειπεν, Ειδε βεβαια ο Κυριος την ταπεινωσιν μου· τωρα λοιπον θελει με αγαπησει ο ανηρ μου.

33 Και συνελαβε παλιν και εγεννησεν υιον· και ειπεν, Επειδη ηκουσεν ο Κυριος οτι μισουμαι, δια τουτο μοι εδωκεν ακομη και τουτον· και εκαλεσε το ονομα αυτου Συμεων.

34 Και συνελαβεν ακομη και εγεννησεν υιον· και ειπε, Τωρα ταυτην την φοραν ο ανηρ μου θελει ενωθη μετ' εμου, διοτι εγεννησα εις αυτον τρεις υιους· δια τουτο ωνομασεν αυτον Λευι.

35 Και συνελαβε παλιν και εγεννησεν υιον· και ειπε, Ταυτην την φοραν θελω δοξολογησει τον Κυριον· δια τουτο εκαλεσε το ονομα αυτου Ιουδαν· και επαυσε να γεννα.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3928

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3928. 'And she called his name Naphtali' means the essential nature of it, that is to say, of the temptation in which one overcomes and also of the resistance offered by the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3421. The particular nature is that which is meant by 'Naphtali', for the name Naphtali is derived from the word 'wrestlings'. And for the same reason 'Naphtali' represents this second general truth of the Church. Temptation is the means by which the internal man is joined to the external, for they are at variance with each other but are made to agree and to correspond by means of temptations. The external man is indeed such that of itself it does not desire anything except bodily and worldly things; these are the delights of the natural man's life. But the internal man - when opened towards heaven and desiring the things of heaven, as is the case with those who are able to be regenerated - takes delight in heavenly things. And when a person undergoes temptations these two types of delight conflict with each other. The person is not directly aware of the conflict, because he is not aware of what heavenly delight is and of what hellish delight is, let alone that they are so utterly contrary to each other. But celestial angels cannot be present at all with a person in his bodily and worldly delight until this has been made subservient, that is to say, until bodily and worldly delight is no longer regarded as an end in itself but something which is meant to be subservient to heavenly delight, as shown above in 3913. Once this has been achieved the angels are able to reside with that person in both; but in this case his delight becomes blessedness, and at length happiness in the next life.

[2] Anyone who believes that the delight of the natural man prior to regeneration is not hell-like, and that devilish spirits are not in possession there, is much mistaken. He is unaware of what the situation is with man - that prior to regeneration genii and spirits from hell have possession of his natural man, no matter how much he seems to himself to be like any other person, and also that he is able to participate with everybody else in what is holy and to reason about the truths and goods of faith, indeed is able to believe that he has become strong in these. If this person does not feel within himself some measure of affection for what is right and fair in his daily work, and for what is good and true in society and in life, let him recognize that his kind of delight in things is the kind that exists with those in hell, for his delight entails no other love than self-love and love of the world. And when these constitute his delight no charity or any faith is present within it. The only means that will weaken and dispel this delight once it has become predominant is the affirmation and acknowledgement of the holiness of faith and of the good of life, which is the first means meant, as shown above, by Dan, and after this by temptation, which is the second means and is meant by Naphtali; for this second means follows the other. Indeed people who do not affirm and acknowledge the goodness and the truth which constitute faith and charity are unable to enter any conflict brought about by temptation as there is nothing within to oppose the evil and falsity towards which natural delight gravitates.

[3] In other places in the Word where Naphtali is mentioned he means a person's state following temptations, as in the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel,

Naphtali is a hind let loose, giving beautiful words. Genesis 49:21.

'A hind let loose' stands for the affection for natural truth in a state that is free, which arises following temptation. This state is also what is at stake within temptations, which are meant by 'Naphtali', for the battle fought in temptations is a struggle for freedom. Likewise in Moses' prophecy,

To Naphtali he said, Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of Jehovah, will possess the west and the south. Deuteronomy 33:23.

For the representations of Jacob's sons, and of the tribes, depend on the order in which they are mentioned, 3862. And in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak,

Zebulun is a people that consigned its soul to die, as did Naphtali, on the heights of the field. Judges 5:18.

This too refers in the internal sense to the conflicts brought about by temptations, and to a person's presence among those who do not fear anything evil because they are rooted in forms of truth and good, meant by 'being on the heights of the field'.

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

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