The Bible

 

Genesis 10

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1 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.

4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

7 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.

8 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.

10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

11 Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,

12 And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.

13 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,

14 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.

15 And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,

16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,

17 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,

18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.

19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.

20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.

21 Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.

22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.

23 And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.

24 And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.

25 And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.

26 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazar-maveth, and Jerah,

27 And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,

28 And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,

29 And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.

30 And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.

31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.

32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1195

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1195. That 'Mizraim' or Egypt is knowledge has been shown already at verse 6 of this chapter; that 'Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, and Naphtuhim' are just so many forms of ritual that exist merely as items of knowledge is clear from what has just been stated. People who probe into spiritual and celestial things by means of reasonings and who thereby produce a form of worship for themselves are said to possess forms of ritual that exist merely as items of knowledge. Because the forms of ritual belonging to such worship originate in reasonings and in factual knowledge they are called fact-constituted forms of ritual, which have nothing spiritual or celestial within them because they originate in self. Such was the origin of Egyptian idols and so of magic. And such being the origin of those people's ritual forms they utterly rejected the religious practices of the Ancient Church; indeed they were repelled by them and loathed them, as is clear from Genesis 43:32; 46:34; Exodus 8:26. Because those things are meant, they are said to be begotten from Mizraim or Egypt, that is, from facts. And because their facts were diversified, so also were the ritual forms originating in them. These diversities in general were meant by just so many nations. That the Ludim or Lydians mean such things is clear from Jeremiah,

Egypt comes up like the river, and like the rivers the waters are tossed about; and he said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and those who dwell in it Go up, O horses, and rage, O chariots, and let the mighty men go forth, Cush and Put, that handle the shield, and the Ludim that handle and bend the bow. Jeremiah 46:8-9.

Here 'the rivers of Egypt' are diverse facts that are false 'Going up and covering the earth' is entering into those things that constitute the Church or faith by means of facts 'Destroying the city' is destroying truths. 'Cush and Put' are cognitions 'The Lydians' are fact-constituted forms of ritual, the subject of the present verse. 'Handling and bending the bow' is engaging in reasoning.

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