The Bible

 

1 Mózes 33

Study

   

1 Jákób pedig felemelé szemeit és látá, hogy ímé Ézsaú jõ vala, és négyszáz férfiú õ vele; megosztá azért a gyermekeket Lea mellé, Rákhel mellé, és két szolgálója mellé.

2 És elõreállítá a szolgálókat és azok gyermekeit, ezek után Leát és az õ gyermekeit, Rákhelt pedig és Józsefet leghátul.

3 Maga pedig elõttök megy vala, és hétszer hajtá meg magát a földig, a míg bátyjához juta.

4 Ézsaú pedig eleibe futamodék és megölelé õt, nyakába borúla, s megcsókolá õt, és sírának.

5 És felemelé szemeit s látá az asszonyokat és a gyermekeket, és monda: Kicsodák ezek teveled? Õ pedig monda: A gyermekek, kikkel Isten megajándékozta a te szolgádat.

6 És közelítének a szolgálók, õk és gyermekeik és meghajták magokat.

7 Elérkezék Lea is az õ gyermekeivel, és meghajták magokat; utoljára érkezék József és Rákhel, és õk is meghajták magokat.

8 És monda [Ézsaú:] Mire való ez az egész sereg, melyet elõltalálék? És felele: Hogy kedvet találjak az én uram szemei elõtt.

9 És monda Ézsaú: Van nekem elég, jó öcsém, legyen tiéd, a mi a tiéd.

10 Monda pedig Jákób: Ne úgy, kérlek, hanem ha kedvet találtam szemeid elõtt, fogadd el ajándékomat az én kezembõl; mert a te orczádat úgy néztem, mintha az Isten orczáját látnám, és te kegyesen fogadál engem.

11 Vedd el kérlek az én ajándékomat, melyet hoztam néked, mivelhogy az Isten kegyelmesen cselekedett én velem, és mindenem van nékem. És unszolá õt, és elvevé.

12 És monda: Induljunk, menjünk el, és én elõtted megyek.

13 Felele néki [Jákób]: Az én uram jól tudja, hogy e gyermekek gyengék, és hogy szoptatós juhokkal és barmokkal vagyok körûl, a melyeket ha csak egy napig zaklatnak is, a nyájak mind elhullanak.

14 Menjen el azért az én uram az õ szolgája elõtt, én is elballagok lassan, a jószág lépése szerint, a mely elõttem van, és a gyermekek lépése szerint, míg eljutok az én uramhoz Széirbe.

15 És monda Ézsaú: Hadd rendeljek melléd néhányat a nép közûl, mely velem van. S ez monda: Minek az? csak kedvet találjak az én uram szemei elõtt.

16 Visszatére tehát Ézsaú még az nap az õ útján Széir felé.

17 Jákób pedig méne Szukkóthba és építe magának házat, barmainak pedig hajlékokat csinála, s azért nevezé a hely nevét Szukkóthnak.

18 Annakutána minden bántás nélkül méne Jákób Mésopotámiából jövet Sekhem városába, mely vala a Kanaán földén, és letelepedék a város elõtt.

19 És megvevé a mezõnek azt a részét, a hol sátorát felvonta vala, Khámornak a Sekhem atyjának fiaitól száz pénzen.

20 És oltárt állíta ott, és nevezé azt [ily névvel:] Isten, Izráel Istene.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4391

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

4391. 'And made booths for his cattle' means a similar increase in good and truth at that time. This is clear from the meaning of 'cattle' as goods and truths in general, and from the meaning of 'making booths', which are tents, as something similar to what is meant by 'building a house', namely receiving an increase of good from truth. The two phrases differ in that 'building a house' means that which is less general, and so rather more internal, while 'making booths', or tents, means that which is more general, and so rather more external. The house was intended for themselves, that is to say, for Jacob, his womenfolk and children, the booths for the servants, flocks and herds. In the Word 'booths' or tents, strictly speaking, means the holiness of truth, and they are distinguished from tabernacles, which too are called tents, by the fact that the latter mean the holiness of good, 414, 1102, 2145, 2152, 4128. The word in the original language for booths is 'succoth', whereas that for tabernacles is 'ohalim'. The holiness of truth is the good which springs from truth.

[2] This meaning carried by the booths or tents called 'succoth' is further evident from the following places in the Word: In David,

Jehovah God rode on a cherub, and flew, and was borne on the wings of the wind. He made darkness His hiding-place, and His surroundings His tent - darkness of waters, clouds of the heavens. Psalms 18:10-11.

And elsewhere,

He bowed the heavens when He came down, and thick darkness was under His feet. And He rode on a cherub, and new, and was borne on the wings of the wind. And He made tents of darkness around Him, clusters of water, clouds of the heavens. 2 Samuel 22:10-12.

This refers to Divine revelation, or the Word. 'Bowing the heavens when He came down' stands for hiding the interior truths of the Word. 'Thick darkness under His feet' stands for the fact that compared with interior truths, those visible to man are like darkness, the literal sense of the Word being of such a nature. 'Riding on a cherub' stands for the fact that it was provided in this way. 'Making tents of the darkness around Him' or 'making His surroundings His tent' stands for the holiness of truth concealed in its hiding-place, that is to say, inwardly - within the literal sense. 'Clusters of waters and clouds of the heavens' means the Word in the letter. Regarding 'clouds of the heavens' meaning the Word in the letter, see Preface to Chapter 18 of Genesis, and 4060.

[3] The same is meant by the following in Isaiah,

Jehovah will create over every habitation of mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a covering. And there will be a tent for shade by day, and for a refuge and hiding-place from deluge and rain. Isaiah 4:5-6.

Here again 'cloud' means the literal sense of the Word and 'the glory' the internal sense, as they do in Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27. Again also 'a tent' stands for the holiness of truth. Interior truths are said to be in a hiding-place for the reason that if they had been revealed they would have been made profane, see 3398, 3399, 4289, a point that is also expressed in the following words in David,

In the hiding-place of Your face You conceal them from the treacherous plans of man; You hide them in a tent from the strife of tongues. Psalms 31:20.

[4] The fact that 'a tent' means the holiness of truth is also evident in Amos,

On that day I will raise up the tent of David that is fallen down, and I will close up the breaches, and I will raise up its destroyed places, and I will build it as in the days of old. Amos 9:11.

'Raising up the tent of David that is fallen down' stands for reestablishing the holiness of truth after it has perished. 'David' stands for the Lord as regards Divine Truth, 1888, since 'a king' means Divine Truth, 2015, 2069, 3009. Because 'tent' meant the holiness of truth and 'dwelling in tents' means worship that was the product of this, the feast of tents, called the feast of tabernacles, was established in the Jewish and Israelitish Church, Leviticus 23:34, 42-43; Deuteronomy 16:13, 16, where also that feast is called the feast of succoth, or of tents.

  
/ 10837  
  

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 18

Study

   

1 Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.

2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

3 and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don't go away from your servant.

4 Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

5 I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant." They said, "Very well, do as you have said."

6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly prepare three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes."

7 Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.

8 He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

9 They asked him, "Where is Sarah, your wife?" He said, "See, in the tent."

10 He said, "I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

12 Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

13 Yahweh said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?'

14 Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son."

15 Then Sarah denied, saying, "I didn't laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."

16 The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.

17 Yahweh said, "Will I hide from Abraham what I do,

18 since Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?

19 For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him."

20 Yahweh said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,

21 I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know."

22 The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh.

23 Abraham drew near, and said, "Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?

24 What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?

25 Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn't the Judge of all the earth do right?"

26 Yahweh said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake."

27 Abraham answered, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.

28 What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?" He said, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."

29 He spoke to him yet again, and said, "What if there are forty found there?" He said, "I will not do it for the forty's sake."

30 He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?" He said, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."

31 He said, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake."

32 He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the ten's sake."

33 Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.