The Bible

 

Bereshit 24

Study

   

1 ואברהם זקן בא בימים ויהוה ברך את אברהם בכל׃

2 ויאמר אברהם אל עבדו זקן ביתו המשל בכל אשר לו שים נא ידך תחת ירכי׃

3 ואשביעך ביהוה אלהי השמים ואלהי הארץ אשר לא תקח אשה לבני מבנות הכנעני אשר אנכי יושב בקרבו׃

4 כי אל ארצי ואל מולדתי תלך ולקחת אשה לבני ליצחק׃

5 ויאמר אליו העבד אולי לא תאבה האשה ללכת אחרי אל הארץ הזאת ההשב אשיב את בנך אל הארץ אשר יצאת משם׃

6 ויאמר אליו אברהם השמר לך פן תשיב את בני שמה׃

7 יהוה אלהי השמים אשר לקחני מבית אבי ומארץ מולדתי ואשר דבר לי ואשר נשבע לי לאמר לזרעך אתן את הארץ הזאת הוא ישלח מלאכו לפניך ולקחת אשה לבני משם׃

8 ואם לא תאבה האשה ללכת אחריך ונקית משבעתי זאת רק את בני לא תשב שמה׃

9 וישם העבד את ידו תחת ירך אברהם אדניו וישבע לו על הדבר הזה׃

10 ויקח העבד עשרה גמלים מגמלי אדניו וילך וכל טוב אדניו בידו ויקם וילך אל ארם נהרים אל עיר נחור׃

11 ויברך הגמלים מחוץ לעיר אל באר המים לעת ערב לעת צאת השאבת׃

12 ויאמר יהוה אלהי אדני אברהם הקרה נא לפני היום ועשה חסד עם אדני אברהם׃

13 הנה אנכי נצב על עין המים ובנות אנשי העיר יצאת לשאב מים׃

14 והיה הנער אשר אמר אליה הטי נא כדך ואשתה ואמרה שתה וגם גמליך אשקה אתה הכחת לעבדך ליצחק ובה אדע כי עשית חסד עם אדני׃

15 ויהי הוא טרם כלה לדבר והנה רבקה יצאת אשר ילדה לבתואל בן מלכה אשת נחור אחי אברהם וכדה על שכמה׃

16 והנער טבת מראה מאד בתולה ואיש לא ידעה ותרד העינה ותמלא כדה ותעל׃

17 וירץ העבד לקראתה ויאמר הגמיאיני נא מעט מים מכדך׃

18 ותאמר שתה אדני ותמהר ותרד כדה על ידה ותשקהו׃

19 ותכל להשקתו ותאמר גם לגמליך אשאב עד אם כלו לשתת׃

20 ותמהר ותער כדה אל השקת ותרץ עוד אל הבאר לשאב ותשאב לכל גמליו׃

21 והאיש משתאה לה מחריש לדעת ההצליח יהוה דרכו אם לא׃

22 ויהי כאשר כלו הגמלים לשתות ויקח האיש נזם זהב בקע משקלו ושני צמידים על ידיה עשרה זהב משקלם׃

23 ויאמר בת מי את הגידי נא לי היש בית אביך מקום לנו ללין׃

24 ותאמר אליו בת בתואל אנכי בן מלכה אשר ילדה לנחור׃

25 ותאמר אליו גם תבן גם מספוא רב עמנו גם מקום ללון׃

26 ויקד האיש וישתחו ליהוה׃

27 ויאמר ברוך יהוה אלהי אדני אברהם אשר לא עזב חסדו ואמתו מעם אדני אנכי בדרך נחני יהוה בית אחי אדני׃

28 ותרץ הנער ותגד לבית אמה כדברים האלה׃

29 ולרבקה אח ושמו לבן וירץ לבן אל האיש החוצה אל העין׃

30 ויהי כראת את הנזם ואת הצמדים על ידי אחתו וכשמעו את דברי רבקה אחתו לאמר כה דבר אלי האיש ויבא אל האיש והנה עמד על הגמלים על העין׃

31 ויאמר בוא ברוך יהוה למה תעמד בחוץ ואנכי פניתי הבית ומקום לגמלים׃

32 ויבא האיש הביתה ויפתח הגמלים ויתן תבן ומספוא לגמלים ומים לרחץ רגליו ורגלי האנשים אשר אתו׃

33 ויישם לפניו לאכל ויאמר לא אכל עד אם דברתי דברי ויאמר דבר׃

34 ויאמר עבד אברהם אנכי׃

35 ויהוה ברך את אדני מאד ויגדל ויתן לו צאן ובקר וכסף וזהב ועבדם ושפחת וגמלים וחמרים׃

36 ותלד שרה אשת אדני בן לאדני אחרי זקנתה ויתן לו את כל אשר לו׃

37 וישבעני אדני לאמר לא תקח אשה לבני מבנות הכנעני אשר אנכי ישב בארצו׃

38 אם לא אל בית אבי תלך ואל משפחתי ולקחת אשה לבני׃

39 ואמר אל אדני אלי לא תלך האשה אחרי׃

40 ויאמר אלי יהוה אשר התהלכתי לפניו ישלח מלאכו אתך והצליח דרכך ולקחת אשה לבני ממשפחתי ומבית אבי׃

41 אז תנקה מאלתי כי תבוא אל משפחתי ואם לא יתנו לך והיית נקי מאלתי׃

42 ואבא היום אל העין ואמר יהוה אלהי אדני אברהם אם ישך נא מצליח דרכי אשר אנכי הלך עליה׃

43 הנה אנכי נצב על עין המים והיה העלמה היצאת לשאב ואמרתי אליה השקיני נא מעט מים מכדך׃

44 ואמרה אלי גם אתה שתה וגם לגמליך אשאב הוא האשה אשר הכיח יהוה לבן אדני׃

45 אני טרם אכלה לדבר אל לבי והנה רבקה יצאת וכדה על שכמה ותרד העינה ותשאב ואמר אליה השקיני נא׃

46 ותמהר ותורד כדה מעליה ותאמר שתה וגם גמליך אשקה ואשת וגם הגמלים השקתה׃

47 ואשאל אתה ואמר בת מי את ותאמר בת בתואל בן נחור אשר ילדה לו מלכה ואשם הנזם על אפה והצמידים על ידיה׃

48 ואקד ואשתחוה ליהוה ואברך את יהוה אלהי אדני אברהם אשר הנחני בדרך אמת לקחת את בת אחי אדני לבנו׃

49 ועתה אם ישכם עשים חסד ואמת את אדני הגידו לי ואם לא הגידו לי ואפנה על ימין או על שמאל׃

50 ויען לבן ובתואל ויאמרו מיהוה יצא הדבר לא נוכל דבר אליך רע או טוב׃

51 הנה רבקה לפניך קח ולך ותהי אשה לבן אדניך כאשר דבר יהוה׃

52 ויהי כאשר שמע עבד אברהם את דבריהם וישתחו ארצה ליהוה׃

53 ויוצא העבד כלי כסף וכלי זהב ובגדים ויתן לרבקה ומגדנת נתן לאחיה ולאמה׃

54 ויאכלו וישתו הוא והאנשים אשר עמו וילינו ויקומו בבקר ויאמר שלחני לאדני׃

55 ויאמר אחיה ואמה תשב הנער אתנו ימים או עשור אחר תלך׃

56 ויאמר אלהם אל תאחרו אתי ויהוה הצליח דרכי שלחוני ואלכה לאדני׃

57 ויאמרו נקרא לנער ונשאלה את פיה׃

58 ויקראו לרבקה ויאמרו אליה התלכי עם האיש הזה ותאמר אלך׃

59 וישלחו את רבקה אחתם ואת מנקתה ואת עבד אברהם ואת אנשיו׃

60 ויברכו את רבקה ויאמרו לה אחתנו את היי לאלפי רבבה ויירש זרעך את שער שנאיו׃

61 ותקם רבקה ונערתיה ותרכבנה על הגמלים ותלכנה אחרי האיש ויקח העבד את רבקה וילך׃

62 ויצחק בא מבוא באר לחי ראי והוא יושב בארץ הנגב׃

63 ויצא יצחק לשוח בשדה לפנות ערב וישא עיניו וירא והנה גמלים באים׃

64 ותשא רבקה את עיניה ותרא את יצחק ותפל מעל הגמל׃

65 ותאמר אל העבד מי האיש הלזה ההלך בשדה לקראתנו ויאמר העבד הוא אדני ותקח הצעיף ותתכס׃

66 ויספר העבד ליצחק את כל הדברים אשר עשה׃

67 ויבאה יצחק האהלה שרה אמו ויקח את רבקה ותהי לו לאשה ויאהבה וינחם יצחק אחרי אמו׃

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3183

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

3183. 'And her nurse' means from the innocence belonging to that affection, that is to say, which also they sent away, or separated from themselves. This is clear from the meaning of 'a nurse' or wet nurse, as innocence. Sucklings and those who suckle them are mentioned frequently in the Word, where they mean the first state that young children pass through, which is plainly a state of innocence. For as soon as anyone is born he is brought into a state of innocence. This state then serves as the basis of all other states and is the inner core of them all; and this state is meant in the Word by 'a suckling'. After he has been brought into a state of innocence he is led into a state of affection for celestial good, that is, into a state of love towards parents, which with them exists in place of love to the Lord; this state is meant by 'a young child'. After that he is led into a state of affection for spiritual good, which is mutual love, or charity towards those who are children like himself, which state is meant by the expression 'boys'. When he grows up further still he is led into a state of affection for truth; this is meant by the expression 'young men'. Subsequent states however are meant by 'men' and at last 'old men'. This final state, which is meant by the expression 'old men', is a state of wisdom which has the innocence of earliest childhood within it, and so the first state and the last are united. And when he is old, being so to speak a small child again yet one who is now wise, that person is led into the Lord's kingdom.

[2] From this it becomes clear that innocence is the first state, which is that of 'a suckling'. A woman who suckles an infant other than her own also means innocence therefore, for the state of giver and receiver, as with the one who acts and the other who is acted upon, is perceived as being similar. The reason why here it is said that they sent away 'the nurse' or wet nurse too is so that the affection for truth might be described, that is to say, that it sprang from innocence; for it is not the affection for truth unless it has innocence within it, 2526, 2780, 3111. Indeed it is by means of innocence that the Lord flows into that affection, doing so together with wisdom since true innocence is wisdom itself, see 2305, 2306; and those who possess it are seen in the eyes of angels as infants or small children, 154, 2306.

[3] That 'a suckling' in the Word means innocence is also evident from other places, as in David,

Out of the mouth of infants and sucklings You have founded strength. Psalms 8:2; Matthew 21:16.

Here 'infants' stands for celestial love, 'sucklings' for innocence. In Jeremiah,

Why are you committing great evil against your own souls, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and suckling from the midst of Judah, so that I cause no remnant to be left to you? Jeremiah 44:7.

Here similarly 'infant and suckling' stands for celestial love and its innocence. When these cease to exist no remnants exist any longer, that is, no good or truth that has been stored away by the Lord in the internal man remains any longer, remnants being good and truth stored away there by Him, see 1906, 2284. For when innocence perishes so do all goods and truths, for innocence comes directly from the Divine Himself, and so is the essential element in them. In the same prophet,

The infant and the suckling faint in the streets of the city. Lamentations 2:11.

Here the meaning is similar. In the same prophet,

The sea monsters give the breast, they suckle their young; the daughter of My people is cruel, the tongue of the suckling has cleaved to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the little children begged for bread, none held it out to them. Lamentations 4:3-4.

Again 'suckling' stands for innocence, 'little children' for affections for good. In Moses,

Outside the sword will bereave - and out of the chambers terror - both young man and virgin, and suckling together with old man. Deuteronomy 32:25.

'The sword will bereave young man, virgin, and suckling together with old man' stands for the fact that falsity will destroy the affection for truth and the affection for good, and also innocence together with wisdom. In Isaiah,

They will bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters will be carried on their shoulder; and kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your wet nurses. Isaiah 49:22-23.

'Kings as foster fathers' stands for intelligence, 'queens as wet nurses' for wisdom, which, as stated above, is the wisdom that goes with innocence.

  
/ 10837  
  

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 24

Study

   

1 Abraham was old, and well stricken in age. Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things.

2 Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please put your hand under my thigh.

3 I will make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.

4 But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac."

5 The servant said to him, "What if the woman isn't willing to follow me to this land? Must I bring your son again to the land you came from?"

6 Abraham said to him, "Beware that you don't bring my son there again.

7 Yahweh, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, 'I will give this land to your seed.' He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

8 If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath. Only you shall not bring my son there again."

9 The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

10 The servant took ten camels, of his master's camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master's with him. He arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water.

12 He said, "Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

14 Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, 'Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,' and she will say, 'drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,'--let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."

15 It happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder.

16 The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, neither had any man known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up.

17 The servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher."

18 She said, "Drink, my lord." She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him Drink.

19 When she had done giving him drink, she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they have done drinking."

20 She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.

21 The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether Yahweh had made his journey prosperous or not.

22 It happened, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold,

23 and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?"

24 She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."

25 She said moreover to him, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."

26 The man bowed his head, and worshiped Yahweh.

27 He said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me in the way to the house of my master's relatives."

28 The young lady ran, and told her mother's house about these words.

29 Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.

30 It happened, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me," that he came to the man. Behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring.

31 He said, "Come in, you blessed of Yahweh. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."

32 The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my message." He said, "Speak on."

34 He said, "I am Abraham's servant.

35 Yahweh has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

36 Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him.

37 My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,

38 but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.'

39 I asked my master, 'What if the woman will not follow me?'

40 He said to me, 'Yahweh, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son of my relatives, and of my father's house.

41 Then will you be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they don't give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.'

42 I came this day to the spring, and said, 'Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go--

43 behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes forth to draw, to whom I will say, "Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,"

44 and she will tell me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,"--let her be the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for my master's son.'

45 Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, 'Please let me drink.'

46 She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a Drink.' So I drank, and she also gave the camels a Drink.

47 I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands.

48 I bowed my head, and worshiped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son.

49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing proceeds from Yahweh. We can't speak to you bad or good.

51 Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as Yahweh has spoken."

52 It happened that when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to Yahweh.

53 The servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother.

54 They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master."

55 Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go."

56 He said to them, "Don't hinder me, since Yahweh has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master."

57 They said, "We will call the young lady, and ask her."

58 They called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go."

59 They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men.

60 They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them."

61 Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

62 Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the South.

63 Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.

64 Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel.

65 She said to the servant, "Who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." She took her veil, and covered herself.

66 The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

67 Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.