The Bible

 

Genesis 23

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1 ἐγένετο δὲ ἡ ζωὴ σαρρας ἔτη ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι ἑπτά

2 καὶ ἀπέθανεν σαρρα ἐν πόλει αρβοκ ἥ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ κοιλώματι αὕτη ἐστὶν χεβρων ἐν γῇ χανααν ἦλθεν δὲ αβρααμ κόψασθαι σαρραν καὶ πενθῆσαι

3 καὶ ἀνέστη αβρααμ ἀπὸ τοῦ νεκροῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς υἱοῖς χετ λέγων

4 πάροικος καὶ παρεπίδημος ἐγώ εἰμι μεθ' ὑμῶν δότε οὖν μοι κτῆσιν τάφου μεθ' ὑμῶν καὶ θάψω τὸν νεκρόν μου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ

5 ἀπεκρίθησαν δὲ οἱ υἱοὶ χετ πρὸς αβρααμ λέγοντες

6 μή κύριε ἄκουσον δὲ ἡμῶν βασιλεὺς παρὰ θεοῦ εἶ σὺ ἐν ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς μνημείοις ἡμῶν θάψον τὸν νεκρόν σου οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἡμῶν τὸ μνημεῖον αὐτοῦ κωλύσει ἀπὸ σοῦ τοῦ θάψαι τὸν νεκρόν σου ἐκεῖ

7 ἀναστὰς δὲ αβρααμ προσεκύνησεν τῷ λαῷ τῆς γῆς τοῖς υἱοῖς χετ

8 καὶ ἐλάλησεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς αβρααμ λέγων εἰ ἔχετε τῇ ψυχῇ ὑμῶν ὥστε θάψαι τὸν νεκρόν μου ἀπὸ προσώπου μου ἀκούσατέ μου καὶ λαλήσατε περὶ ἐμοῦ εφρων τῷ τοῦ σααρ

9 καὶ δότω μοι τὸ σπήλαιον τὸ διπλοῦν ὅ ἐστιν αὐτῷ τὸ ὂν ἐν μέρει τοῦ ἀγροῦ αὐτοῦ ἀργυρίου τοῦ ἀξίου δότω μοι αὐτὸ ἐν ὑμῖν εἰς κτῆσιν μνημείου

10 εφρων δὲ ἐκάθητο ἐν μέσῳ τῶν υἱῶν χετ ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ εφρων ὁ χετταῖος πρὸς αβρααμ εἶπεν ἀκουόντων τῶν υἱῶν χετ καὶ πάντων τῶν εἰσπορευομένων εἰς τὴν πόλιν λέγων

11 παρ' ἐμοὶ γενοῦ κύριε καὶ ἄκουσόν μου τὸν ἀγρὸν καὶ τὸ σπήλαιον τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ σοι δίδωμι ἐναντίον πάντων τῶν πολιτῶν μου δέδωκά σοι θάψον τὸν νεκρόν σου

12 καὶ προσεκύνησεν αβρααμ ἐναντίον τοῦ λαοῦ τῆς γῆς

13 καὶ εἶπεν τῷ εφρων εἰς τὰ ὦτα τοῦ λαοῦ τῆς γῆς ἐπειδὴ πρὸς ἐμοῦ εἶ ἄκουσόν μου τὸ ἀργύριον τοῦ ἀγροῦ λαβὲ παρ' ἐμοῦ καὶ θάψω τὸν νεκρόν μου ἐκεῖ

14 ἀπεκρίθη δὲ εφρων τῷ αβρααμ λέγων

15 οὐχί κύριε ἀκήκοα γῆ τετρακοσίων διδράχμων ἀργυρίου ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ τί ἂν εἴη τοῦτο σὺ δὲ τὸν νεκρόν σου θάψον

16 καὶ ἤκουσεν αβρααμ τοῦ εφρων καὶ ἀπεκατέστησεν αβρααμ τῷ εφρων τὸ ἀργύριον ὃ ἐλάλησεν εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῶν υἱῶν χετ τετρακόσια δίδραχμα ἀργυρίου δοκίμου ἐμπόροις

17 καὶ ἔστη ὁ ἀγρὸς εφρων ὃς ἦν ἐν τῷ διπλῷ σπηλαίῳ ὅς ἐστιν κατὰ πρόσωπον μαμβρη ὁ ἀγρὸς καὶ τὸ σπήλαιον ὃ ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ πᾶν δένδρον ὃ ἦν ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ ὅ ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτοῦ κύκλῳ

18 τῷ αβρααμ εἰς κτῆσιν ἐναντίον τῶν υἱῶν χετ καὶ πάντων τῶν εἰσπορευομένων εἰς τὴν πόλιν

19 μετὰ ταῦτα ἔθαψεν αβρααμ σαρραν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ τοῦ ἀγροῦ τῷ διπλῷ ὅ ἐστιν ἀπέναντι μαμβρη αὕτη ἐστὶν χεβρων ἐν τῇ γῇ χανααν

20 καὶ ἐκυρώθη ὁ ἀγρὸς καὶ τὸ σπήλαιον ὃ ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ αβρααμ εἰς κτῆσιν τάφου παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν χετ

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #6551

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6551. Upon the faces of Mamre. That this signifies the quality and the quantity, is evident from the signification of “Mamre,” as being the quality and quantity of that to which it is joined (see n. 2970, 2980, 4613, 6456). That something special is signified by Abraham’s having bought the cave of the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, from Ephron the Hittite, is evident from its being said so many times, as in previous chapters:

The field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, was made sure (Genesis 23:17).

After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah upon the faces of Mamre. And the field and the cave that is therein were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a sepulcher from the sons of Heth (Genesis 23:19-20).

They buried Abraham in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is upon the faces of Mamre; the field which Abraham bought from the sons of Heth (Genesis 25:9-10).

Bury me in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is upon the faces of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite, for a possession of a sepulcher. The purchase of the field, and of the cave that is therein, was from the sons of Heth (Genesis 49:30-32).

And in this chapter:

They buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a sepulcher, from Ephron the Hittite, upon the faces of Mamre (Genesis 50:13).

The special thing which is signified by this frequent repetition in nearly the same words, is that by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is represented the Lord; by their burial is represented resurrection and resuscitation; by the cave of the field of Machpelah, the beginning of regeneration; by Ephron the Hittite, those who receive the good of faith and suffer themselves to be regenerated; and by the sons of Heth, the spiritual church. And it is because all these things combined signify the setting up again of a spiritual church that they are so many times repeated.

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