New Christian Bible Study

The Bible

 

Genesis 26

Study

   

1 ἐγένετο δὲ λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς χωρὶς τοῦ λιμοῦ τοῦ πρότερον ὃς ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τῷ αβρααμ ἐπορεύθη δὲ ισαακ πρὸς αβιμελεχ βασιλέα φυλιστιιμ εἰς γεραρα

2 ὤφθη δὲ αὐτῷ κύριος καὶ εἶπεν μὴ καταβῇς εἰς αἴγυπτον κατοίκησον δὲ ἐν τῇ γῇ ᾗ ἄν σοι εἴπω

3 καὶ παροίκει ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ καὶ ἔσομαι μετὰ σοῦ καὶ εὐλογήσω σε σοὶ γὰρ καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου δώσω πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ταύτην καὶ στήσω τὸν ὅρκον μου ὃν ὤμοσα αβρααμ τῷ πατρί σου

4 καὶ πληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα σου ὡς τοὺς ἀστέρας τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ δώσω τῷ σπέρματί σου πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ταύτην καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς

5 ἀνθ' ὧν ὑπήκουσεν αβρααμ ὁ πατήρ σου τῆς ἐμῆς φωνῆς καὶ ἐφύλαξεν τὰ προστάγματά μου καὶ τὰς ἐντολάς μου καὶ τὰ δικαιώματά μου καὶ τὰ νόμιμά μου

6 καὶ κατῴκησεν ισαακ ἐν γεραροις

7 ἐπηρώτησαν δὲ οἱ ἄνδρες τοῦ τόπου περὶ ρεβεκκας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν ἐφοβήθη γὰρ εἰπεῖν ὅτι γυνή μού ἐστιν μήποτε ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτὸν οἱ ἄνδρες τοῦ τόπου περὶ ρεβεκκας ὅτι ὡραία τῇ ὄψει ἦν

8 ἐγένετο δὲ πολυχρόνιος ἐκεῖ παρακύψας δὲ αβιμελεχ ὁ βασιλεὺς γεραρων διὰ τῆς θυρίδος εἶδεν τὸν ισαακ παίζοντα μετὰ ρεβεκκας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ

9 ἐκάλεσεν δὲ αβιμελεχ τὸν ισαακ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἄρα γε γυνή σού ἐστιν τί ὅτι εἶπας ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ισαακ εἶπα γάρ μήποτε ἀποθάνω δι' αὐτήν

10 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ αβιμελεχ τί τοῦτο ἐποίησας ἡμῖν μικροῦ ἐκοιμήθη τις τοῦ γένους μου μετὰ τῆς γυναικός σου καὶ ἐπήγαγες ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ἄγνοιαν

11 συνέταξεν δὲ αβιμελεχ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ λέγων πᾶς ὁ ἁπτόμενος τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τούτου ἢ τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ θανάτου ἔνοχος ἔσται

12 ἔσπειρεν δὲ ισαακ ἐν τῇ γῇ ἐκείνῃ καὶ εὗρεν ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ ἐκείνῳ ἑκατοστεύουσαν κριθήν εὐλόγησεν δὲ αὐτὸν κύριος

13 καὶ ὑψώθη ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ προβαίνων μείζων ἐγίνετο ἕως οὗ μέγας ἐγένετο σφόδρα

14 ἐγένετο δὲ αὐτῷ κτήνη προβάτων καὶ κτήνη βοῶν καὶ γεώργια πολλά ἐζήλωσαν δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ φυλιστιιμ

15 καὶ πάντα τὰ φρέατα ἃ ὤρυξαν οἱ παῖδες τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐνέφραξαν αὐτὰ οἱ φυλιστιιμ καὶ ἔπλησαν αὐτὰ γῆς

16 εἶπεν δὲ αβιμελεχ πρὸς ισαακ ἄπελθε ἀφ' ἡμῶν ὅτι δυνατώτερος ἡμῶν ἐγένου σφόδρα

17 καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἐκεῖθεν ισαακ καὶ κατέλυσεν ἐν τῇ φάραγγι γεραρων καὶ κατῴκησεν ἐκεῖ

18 καὶ πάλιν ισαακ ὤρυξεν τὰ φρέατα τοῦ ὕδατος ἃ ὤρυξαν οἱ παῖδες αβρααμ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνέφραξαν αὐτὰ οἱ φυλιστιιμ μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν αβρααμ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν αὐτοῖς ὀνόματα κατὰ τὰ ὀνόματα ἃ ἐπωνόμασεν αβρααμ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ

19 καὶ ὤρυξαν οἱ παῖδες ισαακ ἐν τῇ φάραγγι γεραρων καὶ εὗρον ἐκεῖ φρέαρ ὕδατος ζῶντος

20 καὶ ἐμαχέσαντο οἱ ποιμένες γεραρων μετὰ τῶν ποιμένων ισαακ φάσκοντες αὐτῶν εἶναι τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ φρέατος ἀδικία ἠδίκησαν γὰρ αὐτόν

21 ἀπάρας δὲ ισαακ ἐκεῖθεν ὤρυξεν φρέαρ ἕτερον ἐκρίνοντο δὲ καὶ περὶ ἐκείνου καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐχθρία

22 ἀπάρας δὲ ἐκεῖθεν ὤρυξεν φρέαρ ἕτερον καὶ οὐκ ἐμαχέσαντο περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ εὐρυχωρία λέγων διότι νῦν ἐπλάτυνεν κύριος ἡμῖν καὶ ηὔξησεν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

23 ἀνέβη δὲ ἐκεῖθεν ἐπὶ τὸ φρέαρ τοῦ ὅρκου

24 καὶ ὤφθη αὐτῷ κύριος ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ καὶ εἶπεν ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεὸς αβρααμ τοῦ πατρός σου μὴ φοβοῦ μετὰ σοῦ γάρ εἰμι καὶ ηὐλόγηκά σε καὶ πληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα σου διὰ αβρααμ τὸν πατέρα σου

25 καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ θυσιαστήριον καὶ ἐπεκαλέσατο τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου καὶ ἔπηξεν ἐκεῖ τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ ὤρυξαν δὲ ἐκεῖ οἱ παῖδες ισαακ φρέαρ

26 καὶ αβιμελεχ ἐπορεύθη πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ γεραρων καὶ οχοζαθ ὁ νυμφαγωγὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ φικολ ὁ ἀρχιστράτηγος τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ

27 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ισαακ ἵνα τί ἤλθατε πρός με ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐμισήσατέ με καὶ ἀπεστείλατέ με ἀφ' ὑμῶν

28 καὶ εἶπαν ἰδόντες ἑωράκαμεν ὅτι ἦν κύριος μετὰ σοῦ καὶ εἴπαμεν γενέσθω ἀρὰ ἀνὰ μέσον ἡμῶν καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον σοῦ καὶ διαθησόμεθα μετὰ σοῦ διαθήκην

29 μὴ ποιήσειν μεθ' ἡμῶν κακόν καθότι ἡμεῖς σε οὐκ ἐβδελυξάμεθα καὶ ὃν τρόπον ἐχρησάμεθά σοι καλῶς καὶ ἐξαπεστείλαμέν σε μετ' εἰρήνης καὶ νῦν σὺ εὐλογητὸς ὑπὸ κυρίου

30 καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτοῖς δοχήν καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον

31 καὶ ἀναστάντες τὸ πρωὶ ὤμοσαν ἄνθρωπος τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς ισαακ καὶ ἀπῴχοντο ἀπ' αὐτοῦ μετὰ σωτηρίας

32 ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ καὶ παραγενόμενοι οἱ παῖδες ισαακ ἀπήγγειλαν αὐτῷ περὶ τοῦ φρέατος οὗ ὤρυξαν καὶ εἶπαν οὐχ εὕρομεν ὕδωρ

33 καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸ ὅρκος διὰ τοῦτο ὄνομα τῇ πόλει φρέαρ ὅρκου ἕως τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας

34 ἦν δὲ ησαυ ἐτῶν τεσσαράκοντα καὶ ἔλαβεν γυναῖκα ιουδιν τὴν θυγατέρα βεηρ τοῦ χετταίου καὶ τὴν βασεμμαθ θυγατέρα αιλων τοῦ ευαίου

35 καὶ ἦσαν ἐρίζουσαι τῷ ισαακ καὶ τῇ ρεβεκκα

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4290

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

4290. In the internal historical sense 'he said, I will not let you go unless you bless me' means that they insisted on being representative, for being insistent is meant by 'I will not let you' and the representative of the Church by 'being blessed'. This particular matter - the insistence of Jacob's descendants that they should be representative of the Church, though they were no more the elect than any other nation - is not very clear, it is true, from the historical narratives of the Word contained in the sense of the letter. It is not clear because those narratives hold the arcana of heaven within them, which accordingly follow one another in a connected sequence, and also because the actual names there are used to mean spiritual realities, many of which names indeed are used in the highest sense to mean the Lord. Examples of these are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who mean in the highest sense the Lord, as has been shown many times in what has gone before; see also 1965, 1989, 2011, 3245, 3305 (end), 3439.

[2] The fact that Jacob's descendants were not the elect, yet they insisted that the Church should have its existence among themselves, may be seen from the internal historical sense in many places in the Word, openly so in the following statements in Moses,

Jehovah said to Moses, Go up from here, you and the people which you made to go up out of the land of Egypt, into the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, To your seed I will give it. I will not go up in your midst, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way. When the people heard this bad news, 1 they mourned and took off every one his ornament from upon him. And Moses took a tent and pitched it for himself outside the camp, far away from the camp. Moses said to Jehovah, See, You say to me, Make this people go up, when You have not made known to me whom You will send with me. Now therefore, if, I pray, I have found favour in Your eyes, make known to me, I pray, Your ways, so that I may know of You, that I have found favour in Your eyes. See also that this nation is Your people. He said therefore, My presence will go [with you], until I give you rest. Exodus 33:1, 3-4, 7, 12-14.

In this chapter of Exodus it is said that Moses made the people go up out of Egypt and then that they took off their ornaments and mourned, and that Moses pitched the tent outside the camp and that Jehovah gave His assent. This shows plainly that they themselves were insistent.

[3] In the same author,

Jehovah said to Moses, How long will this people provoke Me? And how long will they not believe, for all the signs which I have performed in their midst? I will strike them down with pestilence and annihilate them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are. But Moses entreated Jehovah, who being appeased said, I will be gracious according to your word. But yet, I am the living One, and all the earth will be filled with the glory of Jehovah; for as for all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the desert, and despite this have tempted Me these ten times and have not obeyed My voice, they will not see the land which I swore to their fathers; all who provoke Me will not see it. In this desert will your bodies fall, but I will bring in your children. Numbers 14[11-13, 20-23, 29, 31].

From these verses also it is evident that Jehovah was willing to annihilate them and therefore not to establish the Church among them, but that they insisted it should be established among them, and therefore it was done. And there were many other occasions besides this when Jehovah would have wiped out that repeatedly rebellious nation but repeatedly He allowed Himself to be appeased by their entreaties.

[4] The same is also implied by the fact that Balaam was not allowed to curse that people, in 22 Chapters, 24 of Numbers; in addition to other places where it is said that Jehovah repented of having brought that people in; also that Jehovah was appeased, as well as that He repeatedly made a new covenant with them. These are the kinds of things that are meant in the internal historical sense by the words 'I will not let you go unless you bless me'. Something similar is also meant by Jacob's taking the birthright from Esau as well as taking the blessing by deceit from him, in Chapters 25, 27 of Genesis.

Footnotes:

1. literally, evil word

  
/ 10837  
  

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 27:36

Study

       

36 He said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my blessing." He said, "Haven't you reserved a blessing for me?"

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