New Christian Bible Study

The Bible

 

Genesis 13

Study

   

1 ἀνέβη δὲ αβραμ ἐξ αἰγύπτου αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντα τὰ αὐτοῦ καὶ λωτ μετ' αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον

2 αβραμ δὲ ἦν πλούσιος σφόδρα κτήνεσιν καὶ ἀργυρίῳ καὶ χρυσίῳ

3 καὶ ἐπορεύθη ὅθεν ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ἕως βαιθηλ ἕως τοῦ τόπου οὗ ἦν ἡ σκηνὴ αὐτοῦ τὸ πρότερον ἀνὰ μέσον βαιθηλ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον αγγαι

4 εἰς τὸν τόπον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου οὗ ἐποίησεν ἐκεῖ τὴν ἀρχήν καὶ ἐπεκαλέσατο ἐκεῖ αβραμ τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου

5 καὶ λωτ τῷ συμπορευομένῳ μετὰ αβραμ ἦν πρόβατα καὶ βόες καὶ σκηναί

6 καὶ οὐκ ἐχώρει αὐτοὺς ἡ γῆ κατοικεῖν ἅμα ὅτι ἦν τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῶν πολλά καὶ οὐκ ἐδύναντο κατοικεῖν ἅμα

7 καὶ ἐγένετο μάχη ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ποιμένων τῶν κτηνῶν τοῦ αβραμ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ποιμένων τῶν κτηνῶν τοῦ λωτ οἱ δὲ χαναναῖοι καὶ οἱ φερεζαῖοι τότε κατῴκουν τὴν γῆν

8 εἶπεν δὲ αβραμ τῷ λωτ μὴ ἔστω μάχη ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ποιμένων μου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ποιμένων σου ὅτι ἄνθρωποι ἀδελφοὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν

9 οὐκ ἰδοὺ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ ἐναντίον σού ἐστιν διαχωρίσθητι ἀπ' ἐμοῦ εἰ σὺ εἰς ἀριστερά ἐγὼ εἰς δεξιά εἰ δὲ σὺ εἰς δεξιά ἐγὼ εἰς ἀριστερά

10 καὶ ἐπάρας λωτ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ εἶδεν πᾶσαν τὴν περίχωρον τοῦ ιορδάνου ὅτι πᾶσα ἦν ποτιζομένη πρὸ τοῦ καταστρέψαι τὸν θεὸν σοδομα καὶ γομορρα ὡς ὁ παράδεισος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ὡς ἡ γῆ αἰγύπτου ἕως ἐλθεῖν εἰς ζογορα

11 καὶ ἐξελέξατο ἑαυτῷ λωτ πᾶσαν τὴν περίχωρον τοῦ ιορδάνου καὶ ἀπῆρεν λωτ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ διεχωρίσθησαν ἕκαστος ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ

12 αβραμ δὲ κατῴκησεν ἐν γῇ χανααν λωτ δὲ κατῴκησεν ἐν πόλει τῶν περιχώρων καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν σοδομοις

13 οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι οἱ ἐν σοδομοις πονηροὶ καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ σφόδρα

14 ὁ δὲ θεὸς εἶπεν τῷ αβραμ μετὰ τὸ διαχωρισθῆναι τὸν λωτ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἀναβλέψας τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου ἰδὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου οὗ νῦν σὺ εἶ πρὸς βορρᾶν καὶ λίβα καὶ ἀνατολὰς καὶ θάλασσαν

15 ὅτι πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἣν σὺ ὁρᾷς σοὶ δώσω αὐτὴν καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος

16 καὶ ποιήσω τὸ σπέρμα σου ὡς τὴν ἄμμον τῆς γῆς εἰ δύναταί τις ἐξαριθμῆσαι τὴν ἄμμον τῆς γῆς καὶ τὸ σπέρμα σου ἐξαριθμηθήσεται

17 ἀναστὰς διόδευσον τὴν γῆν εἴς τε τὸ μῆκος αὐτῆς καὶ εἰς τὸ πλάτος ὅτι σοὶ δώσω αὐτήν

18 καὶ ἀποσκηνώσας αβραμ ἐλθὼν κατῴκησεν παρὰ τὴν δρῦν τὴν μαμβρη ἣ ἦν ἐν χεβρων καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ θυσιαστήριον κυρίῳ

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1598

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

1598. 'And moved his tent as far as Sodom' means a reaching out towards evil desires. This is clear from the meaning of 'Sodom' as evil desires, dealt with above at verse 10. These words are analogous to what was stated previously in verse 10 about 'all the plain of Jordan being well-watered, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar', which was a reference to the External Man when united to the Internal - 'the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar' meaning facts obtained from affections for good. Here however 'Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom' means the external man when not united to the internal, and by these words are meant facts obtained from affections or desires for evil. Indeed that verse described the beauty of the External Man when united to the Internal, whereas this verse describes its ugliness when not united, and further still the next verse where it is said, 'And the men of Sodom were evil and great sinners before Jehovah'. How ugly the external man is when separated from the internal may become clear to anyone from what has been stated about self-love and its desires which are the principal cause of the severance. As is the beauty of the External Man when united to the internal, so is the ugliness of it when not united. For regarded in itself the external man is nothing other than the servant of the internal. It is something instrumental whereby ends in view pass into uses, and uses manifest themselves in an effect, and thus all things may be accomplished. The reverse happens when the external man separates itself from the internal and wishes to serve only itself, even more when it wishes to have dominion over the internal, which, as has been shown, happens principally because of self-love and its desires.

  
/ 10837  
  

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

©2024 New Christian Bible Study Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed from newchristianbiblestudy.org