The Bible

 

Genesis 16

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1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.

6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.

12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

14 Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.

16 And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2037

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2037. That 'this is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and you' means a token of the conjunction of all with the Lord is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as conjunction, dealt with already. That a token of conjunction is meant here is clear from the next verse where it is called 'a sign of the covenant' in the statement, 'You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you'. All the external religious ceremonies of the Church were signs of the covenant, ceremonies which were to be held sacred since they were signs meaning things of an internal nature. The circumcision referred to here was nothing else than a religious ceremony that was representative and carried a spiritual meaning, as will be explained in the paragraphs following this. All the same, such religious ceremonies in the Word are frequently called a covenant for the reason that external things represented and thereby meant internal things. The internal things are what make it a covenant because it is these that are conjunctive, not external things except through internal. External things were simply the signs of the covenant, or tokens of conjunction, by which the internal things might be called to mind and so by which conjunction might take place. Concerning signs of the covenant, see 1038. All the internal aspects of the covenant, that is, those which bring about conjunction, have reference to love and charity and stem from love and charity, for on these two, that is to say, on loving the Lord more than oneself and the neighbour as oneself, depend all the Law and all the Prophets, that is, the doctrine of faith in its entirety, Matthew 22:35-40; Mark 12:28-35.

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

The Bible

 

Mark 12:28-35

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28 One of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together. Knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the greatest of all?"

29 Jesus answered, "The greatest is, 'Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one:

30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.

31 The second is like this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

32 The scribe said to him, "Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he,

33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." No one dared ask him any question after that.

35 Jesus responded, as he taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?