The Bible

 

Genesi 12

Study

   

1 OR il Signore avea detto ad Abramo: Vattene fuor del tuo paese, e del tuo parentado, e della casa di tuo padre, nel paese che io ti mostrerò.

2 Ed io ti farò divenire una gran gente, e ti benedirò, e magnificherò il tuo nome; e tu sarai benedizione.

3 Ed io benedirò coloro che ti benediranno, e maledirò coloro che ti malediranno; e tutte le nazioni della terra saranno benedette in te.

4 Ed Abramo se ne andò, come il Signore gli avea detto; e Lot andò con lui. Or Abramo era d’età di settantacinque anni quando partì di Charan.

5 Abramo adunque prese Sarai sua moglie, e Lot figliuol del suo fratello, e tutte le lor facoltà che aveano acquistate, e parimente le persone che aveano acquistate in Charan; e si partirono, per andar nel paese di Canaan. E pervennero al paese di Canaan.

6 Ed Abramo passò per lo paese, fino al luogo di Sichem, fino alla pianura di More. Ed in quel tempo i Cananei erano nel paese.

7 E il Signore apparve ad Abramo, e gli disse: Io darò questo paese alla tua progenie. Ed Abramo edificò quivi un altare al Signore che gli era apparito.

8 Poi egli si tramutò di là verso il monte, dalla parte orientale di Betel; e tese i suoi padiglioni, avendo dal lato occidentale Betel, e dall’orientale Ai; ed edificò quivi un altare al Signore, ed invocò il Nome del Signore.

9 Poi Abramo si partì, camminando e traendo verso il Mezzodì.

10 OR sopravvenne una fame nel paese; ed Abramo scese in Egitto, per dimorarvi, perciocchè la fame era grave nel paese.

11 E, come egli fu presso ad entrare in Egitto, disse a Sarai sua moglie: Ecco, ora io so che tu sei donna di bell’aspetto.

12 Laonde avverrà che, quando gli Egizj ti vedranno, diranno: Costei è moglie di costui; e mi uccideranno, e a te scamperanno la vita.

13 Deh! ‘che tu sei mia sorella; acciocchè per cagion di te mi sia fatto del bene, e per amor tuo la vita mi sia conservata.

14 Avvenne adunque che, come Abramo fu venuto in Egitto, gli Egizj riguardarono quella donna, perchè ella era molto bella.

15 Ed i principi di Faraone, vedutala, la commendarono a Faraone; onde quella donna fu presa e menata in casa di Faraone.

16 Ed egli fece del bene ad Abramo, per amor di lei; ed egli n’ebbe pecore, e buoi, ed asini, e servi, e serve, ed asine, e cammelli.

17 Ma il Signore percosse Faraone e la sua casa di gran piaghe, per cagion di Sarai, moglie di Abramo.

18 E Faraone chiamò Abramo, e gli disse: Che cosa è questo che tu mi hai fatto? perchè non mi hai tu dichiarato ch’ella era tua moglie?

19 Perchè dicesti: Ell’è mia sorella? onde io me l’avea presa per moglie; ora dunque, eccoti la tua moglie, prendila, e vattene.

20 E Faraone diede commissione di lui a certi uomini; ed essi accommiatarono lui e la sua moglie e tutto quello ch’era suo.

   


To many Protestant and Evangelical Italians, the Bibles translated by Giovanni Diodati are an important part of their history. Diodati’s first Italian Bible edition was printed in 1607, and his second in 1641. He died in 1649. Throughout the 1800s two editions of Diodati’s text were printed by the British Foreign Bible Society. This is the more recent 1894 edition, translated by Claudiana.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1453

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

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).

  
/ 10837  
  

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