The Bible

 

Bereshit 17:11

Study

       

11 וּנְמַלְתֶּם אֵת בְּשַׂר עָרְלַתְכֶם וְהָיָה לְאֹות בְּרִית בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם׃

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2001

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

2001. The name 'God' is used because God Shaddai whom Abram worshipped represents the Lord, and also because truth that was to be united to good is the subject. This is evident from what has been stated already. In the Word the Lord is sometimes called Jehovah, sometimes Jehovah God, also the Lord Jehovih, and sometimes God; and there is always a hidden reason for this in the internal sense. When love or good is the subject, or the celestial Church, the name JEHOVAH is used, but when faith or truth is the subject, or the spiritual Church, GOD is used. This is invariably so, the reason being that the Lord's actual Being (Esse) consists of love, and the Being (Esse) emanating from it consists of faith, 709, 732. Here therefore God is used because the subject is truth that was to be united to good. A second reason here is that the Lord was willing to be represented as the god Shaddai, whom Abram worshipped. This is why the name God is retained in what follows, for in this chapter the name Jehovah is mentioned only once but God several times, as in verses 7-8, 15, 18-19, 22-23.

  
/ 10837  
  

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