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1 Ο δε Αδαμ εγνωρισεν Ευαν την γυναικα αυτου· και συνελαβε, και εγεννησε τον Καιν· και ειπεν, Απεκτησα ανθρωπον δια του Κυριου.

2 Και προσετι εγεννησε τον αδελφον αυτου τον Αβελ. Και ητο ο Αβελ ποιμην προβατων, ο δε Καιν ητο γεωργος.

3 Και μεθ' ημερας προσεφερεν ο Καιν απο των καρπων της γης προσφοραν προς τον Κυριον.

4 Και ο Αβελ προσεφερε και αυτος απο των πρωτοτοκων των προβατων αυτου, και απο των στεατων αυτων. Και επεβλεψε με ευμενειαν Κυριος επι τον Αβελ και επι την προσφοραν αυτου·

5 επι δε τον Καιν και επι την προσφοραν αυτου δεν επεβλεψε. Και ηγανακτησεν ο Καιν σφοδρα, και εκατηφιασε το προσωπον αυτου

6 Και ειπε Κυριος προς τον Καιν, Δια τι ηγανακτησας; και δια τι εκατηφιασε το προσωπον σου;

7 αν συ πραττης καλως, δεν θελεις εισθαι ευπροσδεκτος; και εαν δεν πραττης καλως, εις την θυραν κειται η αμαρτια. Αλλ' εις σε θελει εισθαι η επιθυμια αυτου, και συ θελεις εξουσιαζει επ' αυτου.

8 Και ειπεν ο Καιν προς Αβελ τον αδελφον αυτου, Ας υπαγωμεν εις την πεδιαδα· και ενω ησαν εν τη πεδιαδι, σηκωθεις ο Καιν κατα του αδελφου αυτου Αβελ εφονευσεν αυτον.

9 Και ειπε Κυριος προς τον Καιν, Που ειναι Αβελ ο αδελφος σου; Ο δε ειπε, Δεν εξευρω· μη φυλαξ του αδελφου μου ειμαι εγω;

10 Και ειπεν ο Θεος, Τι εκαμες; η φωνη του αιματος του αδελφου σου βοα προς εμε εκ της γης·

11 και τωρα επικαταρατος να ησαι απο της γης, ητις ηνοιξε το στομα αυτης δια να δεχθη το αιμα του αδελφου σου εκ της χειρος σου·

12 οταν εργαζησαι την γην, δεν θελει εις το εξης σοι δωσει τον καρπον αυτης· πλανητης και φυγας θελεις εισθαι επι της γης.

13 Και ειπεν ο Καιν προς τον Κυριον, Η αμαρτια μου ειναι μεγαλητερα παρ' ωστε να συγχωρηθη·

14 ιδου, με διωκεις σημερον απο προσωπου της γης, και απο του προσωπου σου θελω κρυφθη, και θελω εισθαι πλανητης και φυγας επι της γης· και πας οστις με ευρη, θελει με φονευσει.

15 Ειπε δε προς αυτον ο Κυριος, δια τουτο, πας οστις φονευση τον Καιν, επταπλασιως θελει τιμωρηθη. Και εβαλεν ο Κυριος σημειον εις τον Καιν, δια να μη φονευση αυτον πας οστις ευρη αυτον.

16 Και εξηλθεν ο Καιν απο προσωπου του Κυριου, και κατωκησεν εν τη γη Νωδ, προς ανατολας της Εδεμ.

17 Εγνωρισε δε ο Καιν την γυναικα αυτου, και συνελαβε, και εγεννησε τον Ενωχ· εκτισε δε πολιν, και εκαλεσε το ονομα της πολεως κατα το ονομα του υιου αυτου, Ενωχ.

18 Εγεννηθη δε εις τον Ενωχ ο Ιραδ· και Ιραδ εγεννησε τον Μεχουιαηλ· και Μεχουιαηλ εγεννησε τον Μεθουσαηλ· και Μεθουσαηλ εγεννησε τον Λαμεχ.

19 Και ελαβεν εις εαυτον ο Λαμεχ δυο γυναικας· το ονομα της μιας, Αδα, και το ονομα της αλλης, Σιλλα.

20 Και εγεννησεν η Αδα τον Ιαβαλ· ουτος ητο πατηρ των κατοικουντων εν σκηναις και τρεφοντων κτηνη.

21 Και το ονομα του αδελφου αυτου ητο Ιουβαλ· ουτος ητο πατηρ παντων των παιζοντων κιθαραν και αυλον.

22 Η Σιλλα δε και αυτη εγεννησε τον Θουβαλ-καιν, χαλκεα παντος εργαλειου χαλκου και σιδηρου· αδελφη δε του Θουβαλ-καιν ητο η Νααμα.

23 Και ειπεν ο Λαμεχ προς τας γυναικας εαυτου, Αδα και Σιλλα, Ακουσατε την φωνην μου· γυναικες του Λαμεχ, ακροασθητε τους λογους μου· επειδη ανδρα εφονευσα εις πληγην μου· και νεον εις μαστιγα μου·

24 διοτι ο μεν Καιν επταπλασιως θελει εκδικηθη· ο δε Λαμεχ εβδομηκοντακις επτα.

25 Εγνωρισε δε παλιν ο Αδαμ την γυναικα αυτου, και εγεννησεν υιον, και εκαλεσε το ονομα αυτου Σηθ, λεγουσα, Οτι εδωκεν εις εμε ο Θεος αλλο σπερμα αντι του Αβελ, τον οποιον εφονευσεν ο Καιν.

26 Και εις τον Σηθ ομοιως εγεννηθη υιος· και εκαλεσε το ονομα αυτου Ενως. Τοτε εγεινεν αρχη να ονομαζωνται με το ονομα του Κυριου.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #566

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566. That by the “faces of the ground” is signified all that region where the church was, is evident from the signification of “ground;” for in the Word there is an accurate distinction made between “ground” and “earth;” by “ground” is everywhere signified the church, or something belonging to the church; and from this comes the name of “man” or “Adam” which is “ground;” by “earth” in various places is meant where there is no church, or anything belonging to the church, as in the first chapter, where “earth” only is named, because as yet there was no church, or regenerate man. The “ground” is first spoken of in the second chapter, because then there was a church. In like manner it is said here, and in the following chapter (Genesis 7:4, 23), that “every substance should be destroyed from off the faces of the ground” signifying in the region where the church was; but in Genesis 7:3, speaking of a church about to be created, it is said, “to keep seed alive on the faces of the ground.” “Ground” has the same signification everywhere in the Word; as in Isaiah:

Jehovah will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and will set them upon their own ground, and the peoples shall take them, and shall bring them to their place, and the house of Israel shall inherit them on the ground of Jehovah (Isaiah 14:1-2),

speaking of the church that has been made; whereas where there is no church it is in the same chapter called “earth” (Isaiah 14:9, 12, 16, 20-21, 25-26).

[2] Again:

And the ground of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt; in that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking with the lip of Canaan (Isaiah 19:17-18),

where “ground” signifies the church, and “land” where there is no church. In the same:

The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard; Jehovah shall visit upon the army of the height in the height, and upon the kings of the ground on the ground (Isaiah 24:20-21).

In Jeremiah:

Because of the ground that is worn, because there was no rain on the earth, the husbandmen were ashamed, they covered their heads, yea, the hind also calved in the field (Jeremiah 14:4-5),

where “earth” is that which contains the “ground” and “ground” that which contains the “field.”

[3] In the same:

He brought the seed of the house of Israel from the northern land, from all the lands whither I have driven them, and they shall dwell on their own ground (Jeremiah 23:8),

where “land” and “lands” are where there are no churches; “ground” where there is a church or true worship. Again: I will give the remains of Jerusalem, them that are left in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt, and I will deliver them to commotion, for evil to all the kings of the earth, and I will send the sword, the famine, and pestilence among them, till they be consumed from off the ground which I gave to them and to their fathers (Jeremiah 24:8-10),

where “ground” signifies doctrine and the worship thence derived; and in like manner in the same Prophet, chapter 5.

[4] In Ezekiel:

I will gather you out of the lands wherein ye have been scattered, and ye shall know that I am Jehovah when I shall bring you again into the ground of Israel, into the land for which I lifted up My hand to give it to your fathers (Ezekiel 20:41-42),

where “ground” signifies internal worship; it is called “land” when there is no internal worship.

In Malachi:

I will rebuke him that consumeth for your sakes, and he shall not corrupt for you the fruit of the ground, nor shall the vine be bereaved for you in the field; and all nations shall call you blessed, because ye shall be a delightsome land (Malachi 3:11-12),

where “land” denotes the containant, and therefore it plainly denotes man, who is called “land” when “ground” denotes the church, or doctrine.

[5] In Moses:

Sing, O ye nations, His people, He will make expiation for His ground, His people (Deuteronomy 32:43),

evidently signifying the Church of the Gentiles, which is called “ground.”

In Isaiah:

Before the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the ground shall be forsaken, which thou abhorrest in presence of both her kings (Isaiah 7:16),

speaking of the advent of the Lord; that the “ground will be forsaken” denotes the church, or the true doctrine of faith. That “ground” and “field” are so called from being sown with seed, is evident; as in Isaiah:

Then shall he give rain of thy seed wherewith thou shalt sow the ground; the oxen also and the young asses that labor on the ground (Isaiah 30:23-24).

And in Joel:

The field is laid waste, and the ground hath mourned, because the corn is laid waste (Joel 1:10).

Hence then it is evident that “man” who in the Hebrew tongue is called “Adam” from “ground” signifies the church.

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 2

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1 The heavens and the earth were finished, and all their vast array.

2 On the seventh day God finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy, because he rested in it from all his work which he had created and made.

4 This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh God made the earth and the heavens.

5 No plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Yahweh God had not caused it to rain on the earth. There was not a man to till the ground,

6 but a mist went up from the earth, and watered the whole surface of the ground.

7 Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

8 Yahweh God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

9 Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 A river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it was parted, and became four heads.

11 The name of the first is Pishon: this is the one which flows through the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

12 and the gold of that land is good. There is aromatic resin and the onyx stone.

13 The name of the second river is Gihon: the same river that flows through the whole land of Cush.

14 The name of the third river is Hiddekel: this is the one which flows in front of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16 Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;

17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die."

18 Yahweh God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."

19 Out of the ground Yahweh God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.

20 The man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field; but for man there was not found a helper suitable for him.

21 Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.

22 He made the rib, which Yahweh God had taken from the man, into a woman, and brought her to the man.

23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called 'woman,' because she was taken out of man."

24 Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.

25 They were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

   

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