The Bible

 

1 Mózes 13

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1 Feljöve azért Ábrám Égyiptomból, õ és az õ felesége, és mindene valamije vala, és Lót is õ vele, a déli tartományba.

2 Ábrám pedig igen gazdag vala barmokkal, ezüsttel és aranynyal.

3 És méne helyrõl helyre délfelõl mind Béthelig, oda a hol elõször vala az õ sátora, Béthel és Hái között.

4 Annak az oltárnak helyére, melyet ott elsõben készített vala: és segítségûl hívá ott Ábrám az Úrnak nevét.

5 Lótnak is pedig, a ki Ábrámmal jár vala, valának juhai, ökrei és sátorai.

6 És nem bírá meg õket az a föld, hogy együtt lakjanak, mert sok jószáguk vala, és nem lakhatának együtt.

7 Versengés is támada az Ábrám barompásztorai között, és a Lót barompásztorai között; és a Kananeusok és a Perizeusok is ott laknak vala akkor azon a földön.

8 Monda azért Ábrám Lótnak: Ne legyen versengés közöttem és közötted, se az én pásztoraim között és a te pásztoraid között: hiszen atyafiak vagyunk.

9 Avagy nincsen-é elõtted mind az egész föld? Válj el kérlek, tõlem; ha te balra tartasz, én jobbra megyek; ha te jobbra menéndesz, én balra térek.

10 Felemelé azért Lót az õ szemeit, és látá, hogy a Jordán egész melléke bõvizû föld; mert minekelõtte elvesztette volna az Úr Sodomát és Gomorát, mind Czoárig olyan vala az, mint az Úr kertje, mint Égyiptom földe.

11 És választá Lót magának a Jordán egész mellékét, és elköltözék Lót kelet felé: és elválának egymástól.

12 Ábrám lakozik vala a Kanaán földén, Lót pedig lakozik vala a [Jordán- ]melléki városokban, és sátoroz vala Sodomáig.

13 Sodoma lakosai pedig nagyon gonoszok és bûnösök valának az Úr elõtt.

14 Az Úr pedig monda Ábrámnak, minekutánna elválék tõle Lót: Emeld fel szemeidet és tekints arról a helyrõl, a hol vagy, északra, délre, keletre és nyugotra.

15 Mert mind az egész földet, a melyet látsz, néked adom, és a te magodnak örökre.

16 És olyanná tészem a te magodat, mint a földnek pora, hogyha valaki megszámlálhatja a földnek porát, a te magod is megszámlálható lesz.

17 Kelj fel, járd be ez országot hosszában és széltében: mert néked adom azt.

18 Elébb mozdítá azért sátorát Ábrám, és elméne, és lakozék Mamré tölgyesében, mely Hebronban van, és oltárt építe ott az Úrnak.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1453

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1453. Having Bethel toward the sea, and Ai on the East, signifies that the Lord’s state was still obscure, that is to say, in regard to the knowledges of celestial and spiritual things; for it is one thing to be in celestial things, and another to be in the knowledges of celestial things. Infants and children are in celestial things more than adults, because they are in love toward their parents, and in mutual love, and also in innocence; but adults are in the knowledges of celestial things more than infants and children, while very many of them are not in the celestial things of love. Before man is instructed in the things of love and faith, he is in an obscure state, that is, in regard to knowledges; which state is here described by having Bethel toward the sea, that is on the west, and Ai on the east. By “Bethel,” as has been said, is signified the knowledges of celestial things; but by “Ai” the knowledges of worldly things. The knowledges of celestial things are said to be “on the west” when they are in obscurity, for in the Word “the west” signifies what is obscure; and the knowledges of worldly things are said to be “on the east” when they are in clearness, for relatively to the west, the east is clearness. That the west and the east have this signification needs no confirmation, for it is evident to everyone without confirmation.

[2] And that “Bethel” signifies the knowledges of celestial things, may be seen from other passages in the Word where Bethel is named; as in the next chapter, where it is said that

Abram went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent was in the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, unto the place of the altar which he made there (Genesis 13:3-4); where “on his journeys from the south to Bethel,” signifies progression into the light of knowledges, on which account it is not here said that Bethel was on the west and Ai on the east. When Jacob saw the ladder, he said:

This is none other but the House of God, and this is the gate of heaven; and he called the name of that place Bethel (Genesis 28:17, 19); where the knowledge of celestial things is in like manner signified by “Bethel;” for man is a Bethel, that is a House of God, and also a gate of heaven, when he is in the celestial things of knowledges. When a man is being regenerated, he is introduced by means of the knowledges of spiritual and celestial things; but when he has been regenerated, he has then been introduced, and is in the celestial and spiritual things of the knowledges. Afterwards:

God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there; make there an altar to God who appeared unto thee (Genesis 35:1, 6-7); where in like manner “Bethel” signifies knowledges.

[3] That the ark of Jehovah was in Bethel, and that the sons of Israel came thither and inquired of Jehovah (Judges 20:18, 26-27; 1 Samuel 7:16; 10:3) signify similar things; also that the king of Assyria sent one of the priests whom he had brought from Samaria, and he dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear Jehovah (2 Kings 17:27-28).

In Amos:

Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and there shalt thou prophesy; but prophesy not again any more at Bethel, for this is the king’s sanctuary, and this is the house of the kingdom (Amos 7:12-13).

[4] After Jeroboam had profaned Bethel (1 Kings 12:32; 13:1-8; 2 Kings 23:15) it had an opposite representation (see Hosea 10:15; Amos 3:14-15; 4:5-7). But that “Ai” signifies the knowledges of worldly things, may also be confirmed from the historical and the prophetical parts of the Word (see Joshua 7:2; 8:1-28; Jeremiah 49:3-4).

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

The Bible

 

Judges 20

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1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, to Yahweh at Mizpah.

2 The chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen who drew sword.

3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) The children of Israel said, "Tell us, how did this wickedness happen?"

4 The Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered, "I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

5 The men of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house by night. They thought to have slain me, and they forced my concubine, and she is dead.

6 I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.

7 Behold, you children of Israel, all of you, give here your advice and counsel."

8 All the people arose as one man, saying, "We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn to his house.

9 But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: [we will go up] against it by lot;

10 and we will take ten men of one hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred of one thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to get food for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have worked in Israel."

11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

12 The tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What wickedness is this that is happen among you?

13 Now therefore deliver up the men, the base fellows, who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel." But Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers the children of Israel.

14 The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

15 The children of Benjamin were numbered on that day out of the cities twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed; everyone could sling stones at a hair-breadth, and not miss.

17 The men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men who drew sword: all these were men of war.

18 The children of Israel arose, and went up to Bethel, and asked counsel of God; and they said, "Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin?" Yahweh said, "Judah [shall go up] first."

19 The children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.

20 The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.

21 The children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites on that day Twenty-two thousand men.

22 The people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves, and set the battle again in array in the place where they set themselves in array the first day.

23 The children of Israel went up and wept before Yahweh until evening; and they asked of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I again draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?" Yahweh said, "Go up against him."

24 The children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

25 Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came to Bethel, and wept, and sat there before Yahweh, and fasted that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh.

27 The children of Israel asked of Yahweh (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

28 and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, "Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?" Yahweh said, "Go up; for tomorrow I will deliver him into your hand."

29 Israel set ambushes all around Gibeah.

30 The children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.

31 The children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to strike and kill of the people, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goes up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah, in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

32 The children of Benjamin said, "They are struck down before us, as at the first." But the children of Israel said, "Let us flee, and draw them away from the city to the highways."

33 All the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal Tamar: and the ambushers of Israel broke forth out of their place, even out of Maareh Geba.

34 There came over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was severe; but they didn't know that evil was close on them.

35 Yahweh struck Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men: all these drew the sword.

36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were struck; for the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted the ambushers whom they had set against Gibeah.

37 The ambushers hurried, and rushed on Gibeah; and the ambushers drew themselves along, and struck all the city with the edge of the sword.

38 Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the ambushers was that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city.

39 The men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, "Surely they are struck down before us, as in the first battle."

40 But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to the sky.

41 The men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed; for they saw that evil had come on them.

42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness; but the battle followed hard after them; and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in its midst.

43 They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them, [and] trod them down at [their] resting place, as far as over against Gibeah toward the sunrise.

44 There fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these [were] men of valor.

45 They turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men, and followed hard after them to Gidom, and struck of them two thousand men.

46 So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword; all these [were] men of valor.

47 But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and stayed in the rock of Rimmon four months.

48 The men of Israel turned again on the children of Benjamin, and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city, and the livestock, and all that they found: moreover all the cities which they found they set on fire.