The Bible

 

Genesis 18

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1 ὤφθη δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς πρὸς τῇ δρυὶ τῇ μαμβρη καθημένου αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς θύρας τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ μεσημβρίας

2 ἀναβλέψας δὲ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ εἶδεν καὶ ἰδοὺ τρεῖς ἄνδρες εἱστήκεισαν ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ καὶ ἰδὼν προσέδραμεν εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν

3 καὶ εἶπεν κύριε εἰ ἄρα εὗρον χάριν ἐναντίον σου μὴ παρέλθῃς τὸν παῖδά σου

4 λημφθήτω δὴ ὕδωρ καὶ νιψάτωσαν τοὺς πόδας ὑμῶν καὶ καταψύξατε ὑπὸ τὸ δένδρον

5 καὶ λήμψομαι ἄρτον καὶ φάγεσθε καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο παρελεύσεσθε εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν ὑμῶν οὗ εἵνεκεν ἐξεκλίνατε πρὸς τὸν παῖδα ὑμῶν καὶ εἶπαν οὕτως ποίησον καθὼς εἴρηκας

6 καὶ ἔσπευσεν αβρααμ ἐπὶ τὴν σκηνὴν πρὸς σαρραν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ σπεῦσον καὶ φύρασον τρία μέτρα σεμιδάλεως καὶ ποίησον ἐγκρυφίας

7 καὶ εἰς τὰς βόας ἔδραμεν αβρααμ καὶ ἔλαβεν μοσχάριον ἁπαλὸν καὶ καλὸν καὶ ἔδωκεν τῷ παιδί καὶ ἐτάχυνεν τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτό

8 ἔλαβεν δὲ βούτυρον καὶ γάλα καὶ τὸ μοσχάριον ὃ ἐποίησεν καὶ παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐφάγοσαν αὐτὸς δὲ παρειστήκει αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ τὸ δένδρον

9 εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτόν ποῦ σαρρα ἡ γυνή σου ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν ἰδοὺ ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ

10 εἶπεν δέ ἐπαναστρέφων ἥξω πρὸς σὲ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον εἰς ὥρας καὶ ἕξει υἱὸν σαρρα ἡ γυνή σου σαρρα δὲ ἤκουσεν πρὸς τῇ θύρᾳ τῆς σκηνῆς οὖσα ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ

11 αβρααμ δὲ καὶ σαρρα πρεσβύτεροι προβεβηκότες ἡμερῶν ἐξέλιπεν δὲ σαρρα γίνεσθαι τὰ γυναικεῖα

12 ἐγέλασεν δὲ σαρρα ἐν ἑαυτῇ λέγουσα οὔπω μέν μοι γέγονεν ἕως τοῦ νῦν ὁ δὲ κύριός μου πρεσβύτερος

13 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς αβρααμ τί ὅτι ἐγέλασεν σαρρα ἐν ἑαυτῇ λέγουσα ἆρά γε ἀληθῶς τέξομαι ἐγὼ δὲ γεγήρακα

14 μὴ ἀδυνατεῖ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ ῥῆμα εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἀναστρέψω πρὸς σὲ εἰς ὥρας καὶ ἔσται τῇ σαρρα υἱός

15 ἠρνήσατο δὲ σαρρα λέγουσα οὐκ ἐγέλασα ἐφοβήθη γάρ καὶ εἶπεν οὐχί ἀλλὰ ἐγέλασας

16 ἐξαναστάντες δὲ ἐκεῖθεν οἱ ἄνδρες κατέβλεψαν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον σοδομων καὶ γομορρας αβρααμ δὲ συνεπορεύετο μετ' αὐτῶν συμπροπέμπων αὐτούς

17 ὁ δὲ κύριος εἶπεν μὴ κρύψω ἐγὼ ἀπὸ αβρααμ τοῦ παιδός μου ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ

18 αβρααμ δὲ γινόμενος ἔσται εἰς ἔθνος μέγα καὶ πολύ καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν αὐτῷ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς

19 ᾔδειν γὰρ ὅτι συντάξει τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτόν καὶ φυλάξουσιν τὰς ὁδοὺς κυρίου ποιεῖν δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίσιν ὅπως ἂν ἐπαγάγῃ κύριος ἐπὶ αβρααμ πάντα ὅσα ἐλάλησεν πρὸς αὐτόν

20 εἶπεν δὲ κύριος κραυγὴ σοδομων καὶ γομορρας πεπλήθυνται καὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῶν μεγάλαι σφόδρα

21 καταβὰς οὖν ὄψομαι εἰ κατὰ τὴν κραυγὴν αὐτῶν τὴν ἐρχομένην πρός με συντελοῦνται εἰ δὲ μή ἵνα γνῶ

22 καὶ ἀποστρέψαντες ἐκεῖθεν οἱ ἄνδρες ἦλθον εἰς σοδομα αβρααμ δὲ ἦν ἑστηκὼς ἐναντίον κυρίου

23 καὶ ἐγγίσας αβρααμ εἶπεν μὴ συναπολέσῃς δίκαιον μετὰ ἀσεβοῦς καὶ ἔσται ὁ δίκαιος ὡς ὁ ἀσεβής

24 ἐὰν ὦσιν πεντήκοντα δίκαιοι ἐν τῇ πόλει ἀπολεῖς αὐτούς οὐκ ἀνήσεις πάντα τὸν τόπον ἕνεκεν τῶν πεντήκοντα δικαίων ἐὰν ὦσιν ἐν αὐτῇ

25 μηδαμῶς σὺ ποιήσεις ὡς τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο τοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι δίκαιον μετὰ ἀσεβοῦς καὶ ἔσται ὁ δίκαιος ὡς ὁ ἀσεβής μηδαμῶς ὁ κρίνων πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν οὐ ποιήσεις κρίσιν

26 εἶπεν δὲ κύριος ἐὰν εὕρω ἐν σοδομοις πεντήκοντα δικαίους ἐν τῇ πόλει ἀφήσω πάντα τὸν τόπον δι' αὐτούς

27 καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς αβρααμ εἶπεν νῦν ἠρξάμην λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι γῆ καὶ σποδός

28 ἐὰν δὲ ἐλαττονωθῶσιν οἱ πεντήκοντα δίκαιοι πέντε ἀπολεῖς ἕνεκεν τῶν πέντε πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν καὶ εἶπεν οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσω ἐὰν εὕρω ἐκεῖ τεσσαράκοντα πέντε

29 καὶ προσέθηκεν ἔτι λαλῆσαι πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπεν ἐὰν δὲ εὑρεθῶσιν ἐκεῖ τεσσαράκοντα καὶ εἶπεν οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσω ἕνεκεν τῶν τεσσαράκοντα

30 καὶ εἶπεν μή τι κύριε ἐὰν λαλήσω ἐὰν δὲ εὑρεθῶσιν ἐκεῖ τριάκοντα καὶ εἶπεν οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσω ἐὰν εὕρω ἐκεῖ τριάκοντα

31 καὶ εἶπεν ἐπειδὴ ἔχω λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἐὰν δὲ εὑρεθῶσιν ἐκεῖ εἴκοσι καὶ εἶπεν οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσω ἕνεκεν τῶν εἴκοσι

32 καὶ εἶπεν μή τι κύριε ἐὰν λαλήσω ἔτι ἅπαξ ἐὰν δὲ εὑρεθῶσιν ἐκεῖ δέκα καὶ εἶπεν οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσω ἕνεκεν τῶν δέκα

33 ἀπῆλθεν δὲ κύριος ὡς ἐπαύσατο λαλῶν τῷ αβρααμ καὶ αβρααμ ἀπέστρεψεν εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Coronis (An Appendix to True Christian Religion) #49

  
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49. It was stated above, that the first state with the sons of Israel, was the appearing of the Lord Jehovih, calling and covenanting; and we are taught from the Word, that these three things took place, first with Abram, secondly with Moses, and thirdly with the entire people. The appearing of the Lord Jehovih before Abraham is thus described in Genesis:

Jehovah appeared unto Abraham in the plains of Mamre; he was sitting at the door of his tent,... and when he lifted up his eyes and saw, behold! three men stood by him, and as soon as he saw them, he ran from the door of the tent to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth, and said, O Lord, if I have found grace in Thine eyes, pass not away, I pray, from Thy servant (Gen. 18:1-3).

It was the Lord our Saviour who appeared in His Divine Trinity, which the three angels represented; for the Lord said,

Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw and was glad... Verily, verily I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am (John 8:56, 58).

There is in the Lord a Divine Trinity; and the Divine Unity was represented in Divine Trinity by the "three men," who were also called "angels" (Gen. 18:2; 19:1). But in His Divine Unity He was called "adonai" (Gen. 18:3; 19:18); and also "Jehovah," very frequently (Gen. 18:13-14, 17, 19-20, 22, 26, 33). The appearing of the Lord Jehovih before Moses is thus described in Exodus:

The Angel of Jehovah appeared to Moses at the mountain of Horeb, in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush;... Moses therefore said, I will turn aside and see this great vision, why the bush is not burnt. And Jehovah saw that he turned aside;... therefore God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses.... And moreover Moses said to God, . . . What is Thy name?... God said,... I AM THAT I AM. Thus shalt thou say unto the sons of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you (Exod. 3[1], 2-4, 14).

The appearing of the Lord Jehovih before the whole people is thus also described in Exodus:

Jehovah said to Moses, Say unto the sons of Israel, that they be ready against the third day; for on the third day Jehovah will come down in the eyes of all the people upon Mount Sinai.... And it came to pass on the third day,... that there were voices, and lightnings, and thick clouds upon the mount, and the voice of a trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.... Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because He descended upon it in fire; and He promulgated the law before the people (Exod. 19:9-24, and 20:1-18).

The Lord also appeared to Joshua as Prince of the army of Jehovah, before whom Joshua fell on his face upon the earth, and called him his "Lord" (Josh. 5:13-14).

THE CALLING OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL TO THE LAND OF CANAAN, thus to the Church, also took place three times; once to Abram, that he should depart thereto out of his fatherland, and afterwards the promise that his seed should inherit that land (Gen. 12:1-7). A calling also took place through Moses (Exod. 3:16-17); and again through Joshua (Josh. 1:3, etc., and 11).

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