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1 Mózes 23

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1 Vala pedig Sárának élete száz huszonhét esztendõ. [Ezek] Sára életének esztendei.

2 És meghala Sára Kirját-Arbában azaz Hebronban a Kanaán földén, és beméne Ábrahám, hogy gyászolja Sárát és sirassa õt.

3 Felkele azután Ábrahám az õ halottja elõl, és szóla a Khéth fiainak, mondván:

4 Idegen és jövevény vagyok közöttetek: Adjatok nékem temetésre való örökséget ti nálatok, hadd temessem el az én halottamat én elõlem.

5 Felelének pedig a Khéth fiai Ábrahámnak, mondván õnéki:

6 Hallgass meg minket uram: Istentõl való fejedelem vagy te mi közöttünk, a mi temetõhelyeink közûl a mely legtisztességesebb, abba temesd el a te halottadat, közûlünk senki sem tiltja meg tõled az õ temetõhelyét, hogy eltemethesd a te halottadat.

7 És felkele Ábrahám, és meghajtá magát a földnek népe elõtt, a Khéth fiai elõtt.

8 És szóla õ velök mondván: Ha azt akarjátok, hogy eltemessem az én halottamat én elõlem: hallgassatok meg engemet, és esedezzetek én érettem Efron elõtt, Czohár fia elõtt.

9 Hogy adja nékem Makpelá barlangját, mely az övé, mely az õ mezejének szélében van: igaz árán adja nékem azt, ti köztetek temetésre való örökségûl.

10 Efron pedig ûl vala a Khéth fiai között. Felele azért Efron a Khitteus, Ábrahámnak, a Khéth fiainak és mindazoknak hallatára, a kik bemennek vala az õ városának kapuján, mondván:

11 Nem úgy uram, hallgass meg engem: azt a mezõt néked adom, s a barlangot, mely abban van, azt is néked adom, népem fiainak szeme láttára adom azt néked, temesd el halottadat.

12 És meghajtá magát Ábrahám a földnek népe elõtt.

13 És szóla Efronhoz a föld népének hallatára, mondván: Ha mégis meghallgatnál engem! megadom a mezõnek árát, fogadd el tõlem; [azután] eltemetem ott az én halottamat.

14 És felele Efron Ábrahámnak, mondván néki:

15 Uram! hallgass meg engemet; négyszáz ezüst siklusos föld, micsoda az én köztem és te közötted? Csak temesd el a te halottadat.

16 Engede azért Ábrahám Efronnak és odamérte Ábrahám Efronnak az ezüstöt, a melyet mondott vala a Khéth fiainak hallatára; kalmároknál kelendõ négyszáz ezüst siklust.

17 Így lett Efronnak Makpelában levõ mezeje, mely Mamré átellenében van, a mezõ a benne levõ barlanggal, és minden a mezõben levõ fa az egész határban köröskörûl

18 Ábrahámnak birtoka, a Khéth fiainak, mind azoknak szeme elõtt, a kik az õ városának kapuján bemennek vala.

19 Azután eltemeté Ábrahám az õ feleségét Sárát a Makpelá mezejének barlangjába Mamréval szemben. Ez Hebron a Kanaán földén.

20 Így erõsítteték meg a mezõ és a benne lévõ barlang Ábrahámnak temetésre való örökségûl a Khéth fiaitól.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2966

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2966. 'Four hundred shekels of silver' means the price of redemption, as has been shown above in 2959. But what the price of redemption is will now be stated. Redemption is attributable to the Lord alone, and so also is the price of redemption. Yet the latter may also be spoken of in reference to man's receptivity, though with him the price of redemption is determined by the measure of his receptivity. The price of redemption is the Lord's merit and righteousness acquired through the severest temptations by which He united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, and the Divine Essence to the Human Essence, doing so by His own power. And through that uniting of them He has saved the human race, especially those who belong to the spiritual Church.

For the Lord's becoming righteousness through the severest temptations, see 1813, 2025-2027.

For the Lord's uniting of the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, and the Divine Essence to the Human Essence, 1725, 1729, 1733, 1737, 1813, 2083.

For His doing this by His own power, 1616, 1921, 2025, 2026, 2083, 2500, 2523, 2632.

And for His salvation of the human race, especially those who belong to the spiritual Church, through that uniting of both, 2661, 2716.

These are the factors meant by the price of redemption.

[2] As regards the consideration that this price may also be spoken of in reference to man's receptivity, though with him that price is determined by the measure of his receptivity, this may be seen from the truth that it is the Lord's Divine which constitutes the Church with man. For the Church does not hearken to anything except that which is the Lord's own. It is the good of love and charity, and the truth of faith, that constitute that which is called the Church. For it is well known that all good comes from the Lord and that all truth comes from the Lord. Good and truth that come from man are not good and truth. From this it is evident that the price of redemption is with man determined by the measure of his receptivity.

[3] Because among the Jews the Lord's redemption was rated so low as to be scarcely anything at all, it is therefore said in Zechariah,

I said to them, If it is good in your eyes, give me my wages; and if not, withhold them. And they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver. And Jehovah said to me, Throw it to the potter, the magnificent price I was valued at among them. Zechariah 11:12-13.

And in Matthew,

They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him whom they had bought from the children of Israel, and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me. Matthew 27:9-10.

'Thirty' is that which is so little as to be scarcely anything, see 2276. Thus the meaning is that the Jews rated the Lord's merit and redemption as nothing, but among those who believed that all good and all truth came from the Lord, the price of redemption is meant by 'forty' and to a higher degree by 'four hundred'.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1463

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1463. That 'sojourning' means receiving instruction becomes clear from the meaning in the Word of 'sojourning' as receiving instruction, and it has this meaning because sojourning and passing on, or moving from one place to another, is in heaven nothing else than a change of state, as shown already in 1376, 1379. Therefore every time travelling, sojourning, or transferring from one place to another occurs in the Word nothing else suggests itself to angels than a change of state such as takes place with them. There are changes of state both of thoughts and of affections. Changes of the state of thoughts are cognitions, which in the world of spirits are represented by means of forms of instruction. This also explains why members of the Most Ancient Church, having communication with the angelic heaven, did not perceive anything else by 'sojourning'. Thus the statement here that 'Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn' does not mean anything other than the Lord's being instructed.

[2] Something similar is meant by Jacob and his sons going down into Egypt, as in Isaiah,

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, My people went down to Egypt at first to sojourn there, and Asshur oppressed them without cause. Isaiah 52:4.

Here 'Asshur' stands for reasonings. This is also why in the Jewish Church people who were receiving instruction were called 'sojourners, sojourning in their midst' who, it was commanded, were to receive the same treatment as the native-born, Exodus 12:48-49; Leviticus 24:22; Numbers 15:13-16, 26, 29; 19:10. Regarding sojourners it is said in Ezekiel,

You shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. You shall divide it by lot as an inheritance for yourselves and for sojourners, sojourning in your midst. They shall be to you as native-born among the children of Israel, they shall cast lots with you for an inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Israel. In the tribe with which the sojourner has sojourned, there shall you give him his inheritance. Ezekiel 47:21-23.

This refers to the new Jerusalem, or the Lord's kingdom. 'Sojourners sojourning' is used to mean people who allow themselves to receive instruction, consequently the gentiles. That 'sojourners' stands for people who are receiving instruction is clear from the fact that it is said 'in the tribe with which he has sojourned, there shall an inheritance be given him'. 'Tribes' stands for the things that constitute faith.

[3] 'Sojourning' is also similar in meaning to travelling and dwelling. 'Travelling' means the established patterns and order of life, while 'dwelling' means living, both dealt with already in 1293. For the same reasons the land of Canaan is also called 'the land of the sojournings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob', in Genesis 28:4; 36:7; 37:1; Exodus 6:4. And Jacob said to Pharaoh,

The days of the years of my sojournings; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojournings. Genesis 47:9.

Here 'sojourning' stands for life and for forms of instruction.

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