The Bible

 

Genesis 17

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1 Kai Abromas buvo devyniasdešimt devynerių metų amžiaus, Viešpats pasirodė Abromui ir tarė: “Aš esu Dievas Visagalis, vaikščiok mano akivaizdoje ir būk tobulas.

2 Aš sudarysiu sandorą su tavimi ir labai padauginsiu tavo palikuonis”.

3 Abromas puolė kniūbsčias, o Dievas kalbėjo:

4 “Štai manoji sandora su tavimi: tu tapsi daugelio tautų tėvu,

5 todėl nebesivadinsi Abromu, bet tavo vardas bus Abraomas, nes Aš tave padariau daugelio tautų tėvu.

6 Ir padarysiu tave nepaprastai vaisingą. Iš tavęs kils tautos ir karaliai.

7 Aš patvirtinsiu sandorą tarp savęs ir tavęs bei tavo palikuonių kaip amžiną sandorą, kad būčiau Dievas tau ir tavo palikuonims po tavęs.

8 Aš duosiu tau ir tavo palikuonims žemę, kurioje dabar esi ateivis, visą Kanaano žemę amžinai nuosavybei ir būsiu jiems Dievas”.

9 Toliau Dievas sakė Abraomui: “Laikyk mano sandorą tu ir tavo palikuonys po tavęs per kartų kartas.

10 Šita yra mano sandora, kurios jūs privalote laikytis. Kiekvienas vyras tarp jūsų bus apipjaustytas!

11 Jūs apipjaustysite savo kūną, ir tai bus tarp manęs ir jūsų esančios sandoros ženklas.

12 Kiekvienas berniukas aštuonių dienų tarp jūsų bus apipjaustytas: gimęs namuose ar iš svetimšalio nupirktas, kuris nėra iš tavo palikuonių.

13 Kas gimsta tavo namuose ir ką nusiperki už savo pinigus, tas turi būti apipjaustytas. Ir mano sandora jūsų kūne bus amžina sandora.

14 O neapipjaustytas vyras bus išnaikintas iš savo tautos, nes jis sulaužė mano sandorą”.

15 Dievas toliau sakė Abraomui: “Savo žmonos Sarajos nebevadink Saraja, bet Sara bus jos vardas.

16 Aš ją palaiminsiu ir tau duosiu iš jos sūnų. Aš ją taip laiminsiu, kad iš jos kils tautos ir tautų karaliai”.

17 Tada Abraomas puolė veidu į žemę, juokėsi ir sakė savo širdyje: “Ar šimtamečiui begali kas gimti ir ar Sara, sulaukusi devyniasdešimties metų amžiaus, begali gimdyti?”

18 Abraomas tarė Dievui: “Kad nors Izmaelis gyventų Tavo akivaizdoje!”

19 Bet Dievas atsakė: “Tikrai tavo žmona Sara pagimdys tau sūnų ir tu jį pavadinsi Izaoku! Aš sudarysiu su juo amžiną sandorą ir su jo palikuonimis.

20 Ir dėl Izmaelio Aš išklausiau tave! Aš jį palaiminau ir padarysiu jį vaisingą, ir nepaprastai padauginsiu: jis bus dvylikos kunigaikščių tėvas, ir padarysiu iš jo didelę tautą.

21 Tačiau savo sandorą sudarysiu su Izaoku, kurį Sara pagimdys tau šiuo laiku kitais metais”.

22 Baigęs kalbėti su juo, Dievas pasišalino.

23 Tada Abraomas ėmė savo sūnų Izmaelį ir visus vyrus, jo namuose gimusius ir už pinigus įsigytus, ir apipjaustė jų kūnus tą pačią dieną, kaip Dievas jam buvo sakęs.

24 Abraomas buvo apipjaustytas devyniasdešimt devynerių metų,

25 o jo sūnus Izmaelis­trylikos metų.

26 Tą pačią dieną buvo apipjaustytas Abraomas ir jo sūnus Izmaelis.

27 Ir visi jo namų vyrai, gimusieji jo namuose ir už pinigus įsigytieji, buvo apipjaustyti kartu su juo.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2045

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2045. Shall be circumcised unto you. That this signifies purification, is evident from the representation and signification of “circumcision,” as being purification from filthy loves (explained above, n. 2039). They who are in the loves of self and of the world cannot possibly believe that they are in things so filthy and unclean as they actually are in, for there is a certain pleasure and delight that soothes, favors, and allures, and causes them to love that life, to prefer it to all other life, and thereby to suppose that there is nothing of evil in it; for whatever favors anyone’s love and the life thence derived is believed to be good. Hence also the rational consents, and suggests falsities which confirm and cause such blindness that they see nothing of the nature of heavenly love; and if they were to see it they would say in their hearts that it is a wretched affair, or a thing of naught, or something of the nature of a phantasy that takes hold of the mind, as in sickness.

[2] But that the life of the love of self and of the world, together with its pleasures and delights, is filthy and unclean, may be seen by everyone who is willing to think from the rational faculty with which he is gifted. The love of self is the source of all the evils that destroy civic society. From it as from an unclean pit spring all hatreds, all revenges, all cruelties, nay, all adulteries; for he who loves himself, despises, vituperates, or hates, all others who do not serve him, or do him honor, or favor him; and when he hates, he breathes nothing but revenges and cruelties, and this in proportion to the degree in which he loves himself, so that this love is destructive of society and of the human race. (That such is its nature may be seen also from what is said of it in Part First, n. 693, 694, 760, 1307, 1308, 1321, 1506, 1594, 1691, 1862.) That in the other life the love of self is most filthy, and that it is diametrically opposite to the mutual love in which heaven consists, shall of the Lord’s Divine mercy be told in what follows.

[3] And as the love of self is the source of hatreds, revenges, cruelties, and adulteries, it is the source of all things that are called sins, wickednesses, abominations, and profanations, and therefore when this love is in the rational part of man, and is in the cupidities and phantasies of his external man, the influx of heavenly love from the Lord is continually repelled, perverted, and contaminated. It is like foul excrement, which dissipates, nay, defiles, all sweet odor; it is like an object that turns the continually inflowing rays of light into dark and repulsive colors; and it is like a tiger, or a serpent, which repels all fondling, and kills with bite and poison those who offer it food; or like a vicious man who turns even the best intentions of others, and their very kindnesses, into what is blameworthy and malicious. Hence it is evident that these loves-of self and of the world-are what are represented and signified by the foreskins that were to be cut off.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1691

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1691. That “the mountain” means the love of self and the love of the world, may be seen from the signification of a “mountain,” concerning which presently. All evil and falsity come forth from the love of self and the love of the world; they have no other origin; for the love of self and the love of the world are the opposites of celestial love and spiritual love; and because they are the opposites, they are what are continually endeavoring to destroy the celestial and spiritual things of the kingdom of God. From the love of self and of the world come forth all hatreds; from hatreds, all revenges and cruelties; and from these, all deceits; in short, all the hells.

[2] That in the Word by “mountains” there is signified the love of self and the love of the world, may be seen from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

The proud eyes of man shall be humbled and the loftiness of men shall be brought low. The day of Jehovah Zebaoth is upon all that is proud and lofty, upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every lofty tower (Isaiah 2:11-12, 14-15).

The “high mountains” plainly denote the love of self; and the “hills that are lifted up,” the love of the world.

[3] Again:

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low (Isaiah 40:4);

here also “mountain and hill” manifestly denote the love of self and the love of the world. Again:

I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbage (Isaiah 42:15); where also “mountains” denote the love of self, and “hills” the love of the world.

In Ezekiel:

The mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the earth (Ezekiel 38:20).

[4] In Jeremiah:

Behold I am against thee, O destroying mountain, which destroyest all the earth; and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a mountain of burning (Jeremiah 51:25); where Babel and Chaldea are spoken of, by which is signified the love of self and of the world, as before shown. In the Song of Moses:

A fire is kindled in Mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall devour the earth and her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains (Deuteronomy 32:22);

“the foundations of the mountains” mean the hells, as is plainly said; these are called the foundations of the mountains, because the love of self and the love of the world reign in them, and are from them.

[5] In Jonah:

The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; the deep was round about me; the seaweed was wrapped about my head; I went down to the cuttings-off of the mountains; the bars of the earth were upon me forever; yet hast Thou brought up my lives from the pit, O Jehovah my God (Jonah 2:5-6).

The Lord’s temptations against the hells are thus prophetically described by Jonah, when he was in the belly of the great fish. So likewise in other passages of the Word, especially in David. He who is in temptations is in the hells; place has nothing to do with being in the hells, but state.

[6] As “mountains” and “towers” signify the love of self and of the world, it may be seen what is signified by the Lord’s being taken by the devil “upon a high mountain,” and “upon a pinnacle of the temple,” namely, that He was led into temptation combats, the most extreme of all, against the loves of self and of the world, that is, against the hells. “Mountains” also, in the opposite sense, signify celestial and spiritual love, as before shown (n. 795, 796).

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