The Bible

 

Genesi 21

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1 E IL Signore visitò Sara, come avea detto. E il Signore fece a Sara come ne avea parlato.

2 Ella adunque concepette, e partorì un figliuolo ad Abrahamo, nella vecchiezza di esso, al termine che Iddio gli aveva detto.

3 Ed Abrahamo pose nome Isacco al suo figliuolo che gli era nato, il qual Sara gli avea partorito.

4 Ed Abrahamo circoncise Isacco suo figliuolo, nell’età di otto giorni, come Iddio gli avea comandato.

5 Or Abrahamo era d’età di cent’anni, quando Isacco suo figliuolo gli nacque.

6 E Sara disse: Iddio mi ha fatto di che ridere; chiunque l’intenderà riderà meco.

7 Disse ancora: Chi avrebbe detto ad Abrahamo che Sara allatterebbe figliuoli? conciossiachè io gli abbia partorito un figliuolo nella sua vecchiezza.

8 Poi, essendo il fanciullo cresciuto, fu spoppato; e nel giorno che Isacco fu spoppato, Abrahamo fece un gran convito.

9 E Sara vide che il figliuolo di Agar Egizia, il quale ella avea partorito ad Abrahamo, si faceva beffe.

10 Onde ella disse ad Abrahamo: Caccia via questa serva e il suo figliuolo; perciocchè il figliuol di questa serva non ha da essere erede col mio figliuolo Isacco.

11 E ciò dispiacque grandemente ad Abrahamo, per amor del suo figliuolo.

12 Ma Iddio gli disse: Non aver dispiacere per lo fanciullo, nè per la tua serva; acconsenti a Sara in tutto quello ch’ella ti dirà; perciocchè in Isacco ti sarà nominata progenie.

13 Ma pure io farò che anche il figliuolo di questa serva diventerà una nazione; perciocchè egli è tua progenie.

14 Abrahamo adunque, levatosi la mattina a buon’ora, prese del pane, ed un bariletto d’acqua, e diede ciò ad Agar, metendoglielo in ispalla; le diede ancora il fanciullo, e la mandò via. Ed ella si partì, e andò errando per lo deserto di Beerseba.

15 Ed essendo l’acqua del bariletto venuta meno, ella gittò il fanciullo sotto un arboscello.

16 Ed ella se ne andò, e si pose a sedere dirimpetto, di lungi intorno ad una tratta d’arco; perciocchè ella diceva: Ch’io non vegga morire il fanciullo; e sedendo così dirimpetto, alzò la voce e pianse.

17 E Iddio udì la voce del fanciullo, e l’Angelo di Dio chiamò Agar dal cielo, e le disse: Che hai, Agar? non temere; perciocchè Iddio ha udita la voce del fanciullo, là dove egli è.

18 Levati, togli il fanciullo, e fortificati ad averne cura; perciocchè io lo farò divenire una gran nazione.

19 E Iddio le aperse gli occhi, ed ella vide un pozzo d’acqua, ed andò, ed empiè il bariletto d’acqua, e diè bere al fanciullo.

20 E Iddio fu con quel fanciullo, ed egli divenne grande, e dimorò nel deserto, e fu tirator d’arco.

21 Ed egli dimorò nel deserto di Paran; e sua madre gli prese una moglie del paese di Egitto.

22 OR avvenne in quel tempo che Abimelecco con Picol, capo del suo esercito, parlò ad Abrahamo, dicendo: Iddio è teco in tutto ciò che tu fai.

23 Ora dunque giurami qui per lo Nome di Dio, se tu menti a me, od al mio figliuolo, od al mio nipote; che tu userai la medesima benignità inverso me, ed inverso il paese dove tu sei dimorato come forestiere, la quale io ho usata inverso te.

24 Ed Abrahamo disse: Sì, io il giurerò.

25 Ma Abrahamo si querelò ad Abimelecco, per cagion di un pozzo d’acqua, che i servitori di Abimelecco aveano occupato per forza.

26 Ed Abimelecco disse: Io non so chi abbia fatto questo; nè anche tu me l’hai fatto assapere, ed io non ne ho inteso nulla, se non oggi.

27 Ed Abrahamo prese pecore e buoi, e li diede ad Abimelecco, e fecero amendue lega insieme.

28 Poi Abrahamo mise da parte sette agnelle della greggia.

29 Ed Abimelecco disse ad Abrahamo: Che voglion dire qui queste sette agnelle che tu hai poste da parte?

30 Ed egli disse: Che tu prenderai queste sette agnelle dalla mia mano; acciocchè questo sia per testimonianza che io ho cavato questo pozzo.

31 Perciò egli chiamò quel luogo Beerseba; perchè amendue vi giurarono.

32 Fecero adunque lega insieme in Beerseba. Poi Abimelecco con Picol, capo del suo esercito, si levò, ed essi se ne ritornarono nel paese de’ Filistei.

33 Ed Abrahamo piantò un bosco in Beerseba, e quivi invocò il Nome del Signore Iddio eterno.

34 Ed Abrahamo dimorò come forestiere nel paese de’ Filistei molti giorni.

   


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 #2658

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2658. 'For the son of this servant-girl shall not inherit together with my son, with Isaac' means that the merely human rational could not possess the same life as the Divine Rational itself, neither as to truth nor as to good. This is clear from the meaning of 'inheriting' as possessing the life of another, to be dealt with immediately below; from the meaning of 'the son of a servant-girl' as the merely human rational as to truth and as to good, dealt with in 2657; and from the meaning of 'my son, Isaac' as the Divine Rational as to truth, meant by 'my son', and as to good, meant by 'Isaac', dealt with in 2623, 2630. That 'Isaac' is the Divine Rational as to good is clear from verses 6-7 (in 2640, 2641, 2643) - from the meaning of 'laughter', from which he was named, as the affection for truth, or good that flows from truth. From this it is evident that 'the son of this servant-girl shall not inherit together with my son, with Isaac' means that the merely human rational cannot possess the same life as the Divine Rational, neither as to truth nor as to good. Its inability to possess the same life is clear from the single consideration that the Divine is life itself, and this being so possesses life within Itself, whereas the merely human is only an organ for life and that being so does not possess life in itself.

[2] Once it had become Divine the Lord's Human was no longer an organ or recipient of life; it was now Life itself, the same as that of Jehovah Himself. It had this life at the start from its very conception from Jehovah, as is plainly evident from the Lord's own words in John,

As the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. John 5:26.

The Divine Human is what is called 'the Son', 1729, 2159, 2628. In the same gospel,

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:4.

In the same gospel,

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. John 14:6.

In the same gospel,

Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he die, will live. John 11:25.

In the same gospel,

The bread of God is that which 1 comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world. John 6:33.

Man however is not life but an organ or recipient of it, see 2021, and in various places elsewhere. From this it may be evident that when the Lord was made Jehovah even as to the Human, that which was not life in itself, that is, the merely human, was banished. This is the meaning of the statement that the son of a servant-girl could not inherit together with the son Isaac.

[3] When 'inheriting' in the internal sense has reference to the Lord it means possessing the Father's life, and so possessing life within Himself; and when it has reference to men it means possessing the Lord's life, that is, receiving life from the Lord. This is clear from many places in the Word. Possessing life in Himself is the very Being (Esse) of life, which is Jehovah, whereas possessing the Lord's life, or receiving life from the Lord, is accepting the Lord in love and faith. And because such persons abide in the Lord and are the Lord's they are called His heirs and sons.

[4] In the Old Testament Word 'inheritance' is used to refer both to what is celestial, or good, and to what is spiritual, or truth, though what is celestial is expressed by one word, what is spiritual by another. The first word may be rendered as 'possessing by inheritance', but the second as 'inheriting'. In the original language the first word also implies possession, but the second a derivation from such possession, in the way that celestial and spiritual are related to each other, or good and truth are related. In the present verse, where 'Isaac' represents the Lord's Divine Rational or Divine Human, the word describing possession by right of inheritance is used, for the Lord's Divine Human is sole heir and possessor, as He also teaches in the parable recorded in Matthew 21:33, 37-38; Mark 12:7; Luke 20:14; and in various places declares that all that is the Father's is His.

[5] When 'possessing by inheritance' and 'inheriting' in the Word have reference to men, they mean receiving life from the Lord, and therefore receiving eternal life or heaven, for only those who receive the Lord's life receive heaven. This is clear in John,

He who overcomes will receive all things by inheritance, and I will be his God and he will be My Son. Revelation 21:7.

In Matthew,

Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters for My name's sake will receive a hundredfold and will be allotted the inheritance of eternal life. Matthew 19:29; 25:43; Mark 10:17; Luke 18:18.

Here heaven is called 'eternal life', elsewhere simply 'life', as in Matthew 18:8-9; 19:17; John 3:36; 5:24, 29, the reason being that the Lord is life itself, and anyone who receives His life is in heaven.

[6] In David,

God will save Zion and will build the cities of Judah; and they will dwell there and possess it by inheritance; and the seed of His servants will inherit it, and those loving His name will dwell in it. Psalms 69:35-36.

Here 'possessing by inheritance' has reference to those in whom celestial love exists, 'inheriting' to those in whom spiritual love exists. In Isaiah,

He who trusts in Me will inherit the land, and will possess by inheritance My holy mountain. Isaiah 57:13.

Here the meaning is similar.

[7] In Moses,

I will bring you to the land over which I lifted up My hand to give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a hereditary possession. Exodus 6:8.

In the sense of the letter these words mean that the land of Canaan was to be granted to them as a hereditary possession, which did in fact happen. But in the internal sense they mean that heaven was to be granted to those in whom love to and faith in the Lord were present, for as the Lord is represented by 'Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' so are love itself and faith itself meant by them, and consequently people in whom love and faith are present, and who accordingly abide in the Lord. These are also meant by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with whom many will recline at table in the kingdom of heaven, in Matthew 8:11; for those who are in heaven are completely unaware of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, and know only of what is represented and meant by them. And the same goes for 'reclining at table (or eating) with them'. For all names mentioned in the Word mean real things, see 1224, 1264, 1876, 1888, and the land of Canaan means the heavenly Canaan or heaven, 1585, 1607, 1866, which is also referred to simply as 'the land', 1413, 1607, 1733, 2571. So too in Matthew,

Blessed are the meek, for they will receive the inheritance of the land. Matthew 5:5.

Footnotes:

1. or He who

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