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Genesis 21:23

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23 Dabar tad prisiek Dievu, kad nekenksi nei man, nei mano vaikams, nei jų palikuonims, bet kaip aš maloningai su tavimi elgiausi, taip ir tu elgsiesi su manimi ir mano kraštu, kuriame gyveni kaip ateivis!”

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Arcana Coelestia #2665

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2665. 'Everything which Sarah says to you, hearken to her voice' means that He was to act in accordance with spiritual truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Sarah' as the Divine spiritual or Divine Truth, dealt with in 2622, and from the meaning of 'hearkening to the voice' as acting in accordance with that Truth, dealt with in 2542. But as to what is meant by acting in accordance with spiritual truth, an intelligible explanation of this to others is less easy than the perception of it by those who know the internal sense. Consequently any statement made according to the way in which the latter perceive what is meant could hardly be recognized. And there is the further reason that more arcana have first to be brought out into the open and indeed to be believed before the matter can be explained and then enter into the ideas that constitute his belief. What it means in a general way can be described to some extent, namely that the Lord arrived at a conclusion from the Divine Human, and acted according to it, and so from His own power. For it was by means of Divine Truth that He united the Human to the Divine, and by means of Divine Good that He united the Divine to the Human. Regarding this reciprocal union, see 2004.

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 20

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1 Abraham traveled from there toward the land of the South, and lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a foreigner in Gerar.

2 Abraham said about Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken. For she is a man's wife."

4 Now Abimelech had not come near her. He said, "Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation?

5 Didn't he tell me, 'She is my sister?' She, even she herself, said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands have I done this."

6 God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I didn't allow you to touch her.

7 Now therefore, restore the man's wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don't restore her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours."

8 Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. The men were very scared.

9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, "What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!"

10 Abimelech said to Abraham, "What did you see, that you have done this thing?"

11 Abraham said, "Because I thought, 'Surely the fear of God is not in this place. They will kill me for my wife's sake.'

12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

13 It happened, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, 'This is your kindness which you shall show to me. Everywhere that we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'"

14 Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife, to him.

15 Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you. Dwell where it pleases you."

16 To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated."

17 Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children.

18 For Yahweh had closed up tight all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.