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The Bible

 

Genesis 24

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1 καὶ αβρααμ ἦν πρεσβύτερος προβεβηκὼς ἡμερῶν καὶ κύριος εὐλόγησεν τὸν αβρααμ κατὰ πάντα

2 καὶ εἶπεν αβρααμ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ τῷ ἄρχοντι πάντων τῶν αὐτοῦ θὲς τὴν χεῖρά σου ὑπὸ τὸν μηρόν μου

3 καὶ ἐξορκιῶ σε κύριον τὸν θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τὸν θεὸν τῆς γῆς ἵνα μὴ λάβῃς γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ισαακ ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν χαναναίων μεθ' ὧν ἐγὼ οἰκῶ ἐν αὐτοῖς

4 ἀλλὰ εἰς τὴν γῆν μου οὗ ἐγενόμην πορεύσῃ καὶ εἰς τὴν φυλήν μου καὶ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ισαακ ἐκεῖθεν

5 εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ παῖς μήποτε οὐ βούλεται ἡ γυνὴ πορευθῆναι μετ' ἐμοῦ ὀπίσω εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην ἀποστρέψω τὸν υἱόν σου εἰς τὴν γῆν ὅθεν ἐξῆλθες ἐκεῖθεν

6 εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν αβρααμ πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸν υἱόν μου ἐκεῖ

7 κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ὁ θεὸς τῆς γῆς ὃς ἔλαβέν με ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἧς ἐγενήθην ὃς ἐλάλησέν μοι καὶ ὤμοσέν μοι λέγων σοὶ δώσω τὴν γῆν ταύτην καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου αὐτὸς ἀποστελεῖ τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ ἔμπροσθέν σου καὶ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ισαακ ἐκεῖθεν

8 ἐὰν δὲ μὴ θέλῃ ἡ γυνὴ πορευθῆναι μετὰ σοῦ εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην καθαρὸς ἔσῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὅρκου τούτου μόνον τὸν υἱόν μου μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς ἐκεῖ

9 καὶ ἔθηκεν ὁ παῖς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὸν μηρὸν αβρααμ τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ περὶ τοῦ ῥήματος τούτου

10 καὶ ἔλαβεν ὁ παῖς δέκα καμήλους ἀπὸ τῶν καμήλων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἀναστὰς ἐπορεύθη εἰς τὴν μεσοποταμίαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ναχωρ

11 καὶ ἐκοίμισεν τὰς καμήλους ἔξω τῆς πόλεως παρὰ τὸ φρέαρ τοῦ ὕδατος τὸ πρὸς ὀψέ ἡνίκα ἐκπορεύονται αἱ ὑδρευόμεναι

12 καὶ εἶπεν κύριε ὁ θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ εὐόδωσον ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ σήμερον καὶ ποίησον ἔλεος μετὰ τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ

13 ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἕστηκα ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος αἱ δὲ θυγατέρες τῶν οἰκούντων τὴν πόλιν ἐκπορεύονται ἀντλῆσαι ὕδωρ

14 καὶ ἔσται ἡ παρθένος ᾗ ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω ἐπίκλινον τὴν ὑδρίαν σου ἵνα πίω καὶ εἴπῃ μοι πίε καὶ τὰς καμήλους σου ποτιῶ ἕως ἂν παύσωνται πίνουσαι ταύτην ἡτοίμασας τῷ παιδί σου ισαακ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνώσομαι ὅτι ἐποίησας ἔλεος τῷ κυρίῳ μου αβρααμ

15 καὶ ἐγένετο πρὸ τοῦ συντελέσαι αὐτὸν λαλοῦντα ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ ἰδοὺ ρεβεκκα ἐξεπορεύετο ἡ τεχθεῖσα βαθουηλ υἱῷ μελχας τῆς γυναικὸς ναχωρ ἀδελφοῦ δὲ αβρααμ ἔχουσα τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων αὐτῆς

16 ἡ δὲ παρθένος ἦν καλὴ τῇ ὄψει σφόδρα παρθένος ἦν ἀνὴρ οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτήν καταβᾶσα δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν ἔπλησεν τὴν ὑδρίαν καὶ ἀνέβη

17 ἐπέδραμεν δὲ ὁ παῖς εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῆς καὶ εἶπεν πότισόν με μικρὸν ὕδωρ ἐκ τῆς ὑδρίας σου

18 ἡ δὲ εἶπεν πίε κύριε καὶ ἔσπευσεν καὶ καθεῖλεν τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐπὶ τὸν βραχίονα αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπότισεν αὐτόν

19 ἕως ἐπαύσατο πίνων καὶ εἶπεν καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις σου ὑδρεύσομαι ἕως ἂν πᾶσαι πίωσιν

20 καὶ ἔσπευσεν καὶ ἐξεκένωσεν τὴν ὑδρίαν εἰς τὸ ποτιστήριον καὶ ἔδραμεν ἔτι ἐπὶ τὸ φρέαρ ἀντλῆσαι καὶ ὑδρεύσατο πάσαις ταῖς καμήλοις

21 ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος κατεμάνθανεν αὐτὴν καὶ παρεσιώπα τοῦ γνῶναι εἰ εὐόδωκεν κύριος τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ ἢ οὔ

22 ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα ἐπαύσαντο πᾶσαι αἱ κάμηλοι πίνουσαι ἔλαβεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐνώτια χρυσᾶ ἀνὰ δραχμὴν ὁλκῆς καὶ δύο ψέλια ἐπὶ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς δέκα χρυσῶν ὁλκὴ αὐτῶν

23 καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτὴν καὶ εἶπεν θυγάτηρ τίνος εἶ ἀνάγγειλόν μοι εἰ ἔστιν παρὰ τῷ πατρί σου τόπος ἡμῖν καταλῦσαι

24 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ θυγάτηρ βαθουηλ εἰμὶ ἐγὼ τοῦ μελχας ὃν ἔτεκεν τῷ ναχωρ

25 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἄχυρα καὶ χορτάσματα πολλὰ παρ' ἡμῖν καὶ τόπος τοῦ καταλῦσαι

26 καὶ εὐδοκήσας ὁ ἄνθρωπος προσεκύνησεν κυρίῳ

27 καὶ εἶπεν εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ ὃς οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπεν τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου μου ἐμὲ εὐόδωκεν κύριος εἰς οἶκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ κυρίου μου

28 καὶ δραμοῦσα ἡ παῖς ἀπήγγειλεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῆς κατὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα

29 τῇ δὲ ρεβεκκα ἀδελφὸς ἦν ᾧ ὄνομα λαβαν καὶ ἔδραμεν λαβαν πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἔξω ἐπὶ τὴν πηγήν

30 καὶ ἐγένετο ἡνίκα εἶδεν τὰ ἐνώτια καὶ τὰ ψέλια ἐπὶ τὰς χεῖρας τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὅτε ἤκουσεν τὰ ῥήματα ρεβεκκας τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτοῦ λεγούσης οὕτως λελάληκέν μοι ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἑστηκότος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῶν καμήλων ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς

31 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ δεῦρο εἴσελθε εὐλογητὸς κύριος ἵνα τί ἕστηκας ἔξω ἐγὼ δὲ ἡτοίμακα τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ τόπον ταῖς καμήλοις

32 εἰσῆλθεν δὲ ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ ἀπέσαξεν τὰς καμήλους καὶ ἔδωκεν ἄχυρα καὶ χορτάσματα ταῖς καμήλοις καὶ ὕδωρ νίψασθαι τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῖς ποσὶν τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶν μετ' αὐτοῦ

33 καὶ παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς ἄρτους φαγεῖν καὶ εἶπεν οὐ μὴ φάγω ἕως τοῦ λαλῆσαί με τὰ ῥήματά μου καὶ εἶπαν λάλησον

34 καὶ εἶπεν παῖς αβρααμ ἐγώ εἰμι

35 κύριος δὲ εὐλόγησεν τὸν κύριόν μου σφόδρα καὶ ὑψώθη καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ πρόβατα καὶ μόσχους ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον παῖδας καὶ παιδίσκας καμήλους καὶ ὄνους

36 καὶ ἔτεκεν σαρρα ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ κυρίου μου υἱὸν ἕνα τῷ κυρίῳ μου μετὰ τὸ γηρᾶσαι αὐτόν καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὅσα ἦν αὐτῷ

37 καὶ ὥρκισέν με ὁ κύριός μου λέγων οὐ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν χαναναίων ἐν οἷς ἐγὼ παροικῶ ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτῶν

38 ἀλλ' ἢ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου πορεύσῃ καὶ εἰς τὴν φυλήν μου καὶ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ἐκεῖθεν

39 εἶπα δὲ τῷ κυρίῳ μου μήποτε οὐ πορεύσεται ἡ γυνὴ μετ' ἐμοῦ

40 καὶ εἶπέν μοι κύριος ᾧ εὐηρέστησα ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ αὐτὸς ἀποστελεῖ τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ μετὰ σοῦ καὶ εὐοδώσει τὴν ὁδόν σου καὶ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς μου καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου

41 τότε ἀθῷος ἔσῃ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρᾶς μου ἡνίκα γὰρ ἐὰν ἔλθῃς εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν φυλὴν καὶ μή σοι δῶσιν καὶ ἔσῃ ἀθῷος ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁρκισμοῦ μου

42 καὶ ἐλθὼν σήμερον ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν εἶπα κύριε ὁ θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ εἰ σὺ εὐοδοῖς τὴν ὁδόν μου ἣν νῦν ἐγὼ πορεύομαι ἐπ' αὐτήν

43 ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐφέστηκα ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῆς πόλεως ἐξελεύσονται ὑδρεύσασθαι ὕδωρ καὶ ἔσται ἡ παρθένος ᾗ ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω πότισόν με μικρὸν ὕδωρ ἐκ τῆς ὑδρίας σου

44 καὶ εἴπῃ μοι καὶ σὺ πίε καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις σου ὑδρεύσομαι αὕτη ἡ γυνή ἣν ἡτοίμασεν κύριος τῷ ἑαυτοῦ θεράποντι ισαακ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνώσομαι ὅτι πεποίηκας ἔλεος τῷ κυρίῳ μου αβρααμ

45 καὶ ἐγένετο πρὸ τοῦ συντελέσαι με λαλοῦντα ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ εὐθὺς ρεβεκκα ἐξεπορεύετο ἔχουσα τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων καὶ κατέβη ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν καὶ ὑδρεύσατο εἶπα δὲ αὐτῇ πότισόν με

46 καὶ σπεύσασα καθεῖλεν τὴν ὑδρίαν αὐτῆς ἀφ' ἑαυτῆς καὶ εἶπεν πίε σύ καὶ τὰς καμήλους σου ποτιῶ καὶ ἔπιον καὶ τὰς καμήλους μου ἐπότισεν

47 καὶ ἠρώτησα αὐτὴν καὶ εἶπα τίνος εἶ θυγάτηρ ἡ δὲ ἔφη θυγάτηρ βαθουηλ εἰμὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ ναχωρ ὃν ἔτεκεν αὐτῷ μελχα καὶ περιέθηκα αὐτῇ τὰ ἐνώτια καὶ τὰ ψέλια περὶ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς

48 καὶ εὐδοκήσας προσεκύνησα κυρίῳ καὶ εὐλόγησα κύριον τὸν θεὸν τοῦ κυρίου μου αβρααμ ὃς εὐόδωσέν μοι ἐν ὁδῷ ἀληθείας λαβεῖν τὴν θυγατέρα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ κυρίου μου τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ

49 εἰ οὖν ποιεῖτε ὑμεῖς ἔλεος καὶ δικαιοσύνην πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου ἀπαγγείλατέ μοι εἰ δὲ μή ἀπαγγείλατέ μοι ἵνα ἐπιστρέψω εἰς δεξιὰν ἢ εἰς ἀριστεράν

50 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ λαβαν καὶ βαθουηλ εἶπαν παρὰ κυρίου ἐξῆλθεν τὸ πρόσταγμα τοῦτο οὐ δυνησόμεθα οὖν σοι ἀντειπεῖν κακὸν καλῷ

51 ἰδοὺ ρεβεκκα ἐνώπιόν σου λαβὼν ἀπότρεχε καὶ ἔστω γυνὴ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ κυρίου σου καθὰ ἐλάλησεν κύριος

52 ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαι τὸν παῖδα τὸν αβρααμ τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν κυρίῳ

53 καὶ ἐξενέγκας ὁ παῖς σκεύη ἀργυρᾶ καὶ χρυσᾶ καὶ ἱματισμὸν ἔδωκεν ρεβεκκα καὶ δῶρα ἔδωκεν τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτῆς καὶ τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῆς

54 καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ ὄντες καὶ ἐκοιμήθησαν καὶ ἀναστὰς πρωὶ εἶπεν ἐκπέμψατέ με ἵνα ἀπέλθω πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου

55 εἶπαν δὲ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτῆς καὶ ἡ μήτηρ μεινάτω ἡ παρθένος μεθ' ἡμῶν ἡμέρας ὡσεὶ δέκα καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπελεύσεται

56 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς μὴ κατέχετέ με καὶ κύριος εὐόδωσεν τὴν ὁδόν μου ἐκπέμψατέ με ἵνα ἀπέλθω πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου

57 οἱ δὲ εἶπαν καλέσωμεν τὴν παῖδα καὶ ἐρωτήσωμεν τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς

58 καὶ ἐκάλεσαν ρεβεκκαν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῇ πορεύσῃ μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τούτου ἡ δὲ εἶπεν πορεύσομαι

59 καὶ ἐξέπεμψαν ρεβεκκαν τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῆς καὶ τὸν παῖδα τὸν αβρααμ καὶ τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ

60 καὶ εὐλόγησαν ρεβεκκαν τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῇ ἀδελφὴ ἡμῶν εἶ γίνου εἰς χιλιάδας μυριάδων καὶ κληρονομησάτω τὸ σπέρμα σου τὰς πόλεις τῶν ὑπεναντίων

61 ἀναστᾶσα δὲ ρεβεκκα καὶ αἱ ἅβραι αὐτῆς ἐπέβησαν ἐπὶ τὰς καμήλους καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἀναλαβὼν ὁ παῖς τὴν ρεβεκκαν ἀπῆλθεν

62 ισαακ δὲ ἐπορεύετο διὰ τῆς ἐρήμου κατὰ τὸ φρέαρ τῆς ὁράσεως αὐτὸς δὲ κατῴκει ἐν τῇ γῇ τῇ πρὸς λίβα

63 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ισαακ ἀδολεσχῆσαι εἰς τὸ πεδίον τὸ πρὸς δείλης καὶ ἀναβλέψας τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς εἶδεν καμήλους ἐρχομένας

64 καὶ ἀναβλέψασα ρεβεκκα τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς εἶδεν τὸν ισαακ καὶ κατεπήδησεν ἀπὸ τῆς καμήλου

65 καὶ εἶπεν τῷ παιδί τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ὁ πορευόμενος ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ εἰς συνάντησιν ἡμῖν εἶπεν δὲ ὁ παῖς οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ κύριός μου ἡ δὲ λαβοῦσα τὸ θέριστρον περιεβάλετο

66 καὶ διηγήσατο ὁ παῖς τῷ ισαακ πάντα τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἐποίησεν

67 εἰσῆλθεν δὲ ισαακ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλαβεν τὴν ρεβεκκαν καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῦ γυνή καὶ ἠγάπησεν αὐτήν καὶ παρεκλήθη ισαακ περὶ σαρρας τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3104

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3104. 'Half a shekel in weight' means the amount needed for the introduction. This is clear from the meaning of 'a shekel', 'half a shekel', and 'weight'. 'A shekel' means the price or valuation of good and truth, and 'half a shekel' a defined amount of it, see 2959. 'Weight' means the state of something as regards good, as will be seen [below]. From these considerations it is evident that 'half a shekel in weight' means and embodies the amount as regards the good which 'a gold nose-jewel' is used to mean - that amount being the quantity of it that was needed for the introduction, as is plain from what comes before and after this point in the story.

[2] That 'weight' is the state of something as regards good is evident from the following places in the Word:

In Ezekiel where the prophet was told to eat food each day twenty shekels in weight, and to drink water in measure the sixth of a hin,

For, behold, I am breaking the staff of bread in Jerusalem, so that they may eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and drink water by measure and with dismay; that they may be in want of bread and water. Ezekiel 4:10-11, 16-17.

This refers to the vastation of good and truth, which is represented by 'the prophet'. A state of good when vastated is meant by their having to eat food and bread 'by weight', and a state of truth when vastated by their having to drink water 'by measure' - 'bread' meaning that which is celestial, and so good, see 276, 680, 2165, 2177, and 'water' that which is spiritual, and so truth, 739, 2702, 3058. From this it is evident that 'weight' is used in reference to good, and 'measure' to truth.

[3] In the same prophet,

You shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath. Ezekiel 45:10 and following verses.

This refers to the holy land, by which the Lord's kingdom in heaven is meant, as may be recognized from every detail at this point in this prophet, where what are required are not balances, an ephah, and a bath that are just but the goods and truths meant by those weights and measures.

In Isaiah,

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand and weighed the heavens in [His] palm, and gathered the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in the scales? Isaiah 40:12.

'Weighing the mountains in a balance and the hills in the scares' stands for the truth that the Lord is the source of the heavenly things of love and charity, and that He alone orders the states of these things. For 'the mountains' and 'the hills' referred to in connection with those weights mean the heavenly things of love, see 795, 796, 1430, 2722.

[4] In Daniel,

The writing on the wall of Belshazzar's palace was, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. This is the interpretation: Mene, God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end; Tekel, you have been weighed in the scales and have been found wanting; Peres, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Daniel 5:25-28.

Here 'mene' or 'He has numbered' has reference to truth, but 'tekel' or 'weighed in the scales' to good. Described in the internal sense is the time when the age is drawing to a close.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #680

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680. The fact that goods and truths are man's real food may be clear to anyone, for the person who is deprived of them has no life within himself, and is a dead man. The food on which the soul of the person feeds who is dead in this sense consists of the delights arising from evils, and of the pleasures gained from falsities. These are the food of death. These delights and pleasures also derive from bodily, worldly, and natural things, which have no life at all within them. Furthermore such a person does not know what spiritual and celestial food is. Every time 'food' or 'bread' is mentioned in the Word he assumes that food for the body is meant. In the words of the Lord's Prayer, 'Give us our daily bread', for example, he thinks purely of nourishment for the body. There are some whose ideas do extend further and who assert that this petition includes all other physical requirements, such as clothing, money, and so on. Indeed they will argue fiercely that no other kind of food is meant, even though they clearly see that the petitions coming before and after it entail purely celestial and spiritual things, and refer to the Lord's kingdom, and possibly know as well that the Lord's Word is celestial and spiritual.

[2] From this and other similar considerations it becomes sufficiently clear just how bodily-minded the man of today is, and that like the Jews, he is unwilling to accept anything stated in the Word except in a very crude and materialistic way. The Lord Himself clearly teaches what His Word means by 'food' and 'bread': He speaks of food in John as follows,

Jesus said, Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man gives you. John 6:27.

And of bread He says in the same gospel,

Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living Bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread he will live for ever. John 6:49-51, 58.

Even today there are people who, like those who first heard these words, declare,

This is a hard saying; who can listen to it? And some drew back and no longer walked with Him. John 6:60, 66.

To those people the Lord said,

The words which I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life. John 6:63.

[3] It is similar with water, in that it means the spiritual things of faith: He speaks of water in John as follows,

Jesus said, Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but he who drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up into eternal life. John 4:13-14.

Even today there are people like the woman to whom the Lord spoke at the spring, who replied,

Sir, give me this water that I may not thirst nor come here to draw. John 4:15.

[4] In the Word 'food' means nothing other than spiritual and celestial food, which is faith in the Lord and love. This is clear from many places in the Word, as in Jeremiah,

The enemy has stretched out his hand over all the desirable things of Jerusalem, because she saw the nations come into her sanctuary, concerning whom You did command, They shall not enter your congregation. All the people groan as they search for bread. They have given their desirable things for food to restore the soul. Lamentations 1:10-11.

Here no other bread or food is meant than spiritual, for the subject is the sanctuary. In the same author,

I called to my lovers, they deceived me. My priests and my elders breathed their last in the city, for they sought food for themselves to refresh their soul. Lamentations 1:19.

Here the meaning is similar. In David,

They all look to You to give them their food in due season. You givest to them - they gather it up. You openest Your hand - they are satisfied with good. Psalms 104:27-28.

This in like manner stands for spiritual and celestial food.

[5] In Isaiah,

Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1.

Here 'wine and milk' stands for spiritual and celestial drink. In the same prophet,

A virgin is conceiving and bearing a son, and you will call His name Immanuel. Butter and honey will He eat that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. It will be that because of the abundance of milk they produce he will eat butter, for butter and honey will everyone eat that is left in the midst of the land. Isaiah 7:14-15, 22.

Here 'eating honey and butter' means that which is celestial-spiritual, and 'those who are left' stands for remnants, which are referred to in Malachi as well,

Bring all the tithes 1 to the storehouse that there may be food in My house. Malachi 3:10.

'Tithes' 1 stands for remnants. Further concerning the meaning of 'food', see 56-58, 276.

Footnotes:

1. or tenths

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

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