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Genesis 31

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1 ἤκουσεν δὲ ιακωβ τὰ ῥήματα τῶν υἱῶν λαβαν λεγόντων εἴληφεν ιακωβ πάντα τὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ ἐκ τῶν τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν πεποίηκεν πᾶσαν τὴν δόξαν ταύτην

2 καὶ εἶδεν ιακωβ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ λαβαν καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἦν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὡς ἐχθὲς καὶ τρίτην ἡμέραν

3 εἶπεν δὲ κύριος πρὸς ιακωβ ἀποστρέφου εἰς τὴν γῆν τοῦ πατρός σου καὶ εἰς τὴν γενεάν σου καὶ ἔσομαι μετὰ σοῦ

4 ἀποστείλας δὲ ιακωβ ἐκάλεσεν ραχηλ καὶ λειαν εἰς τὸ πεδίον οὗ τὰ ποίμνια

5 καὶ εἶπεν αὐταῖς ὁρῶ ἐγὼ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν πρὸς ἐμοῦ ὡς ἐχθὲς καὶ τρίτην ἡμέραν ὁ δὲ θεὸς τοῦ πατρός μου ἦν μετ' ἐμοῦ

6 καὶ αὐταὶ δὲ οἴδατε ὅτι ἐν πάσῃ τῇ ἰσχύι μου δεδούλευκα τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν

7 ὁ δὲ πατὴρ ὑμῶν παρεκρούσατό με καὶ ἤλλαξεν τὸν μισθόν μου τῶν δέκα ἀμνῶν καὶ οὐκ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς κακοποιῆσαί με

8 ἐὰν οὕτως εἴπῃ τὰ ποικίλα ἔσται σου μισθός καὶ τέξεται πάντα τὰ πρόβατα ποικίλα ἐὰν δὲ εἴπῃ τὰ λευκὰ ἔσται σου μισθός καὶ τέξεται πάντα τὰ πρόβατα λευκά

9 καὶ ἀφείλατο ὁ θεὸς πάντα τὰ κτήνη τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ἔδωκέν μοι αὐτά

10 καὶ ἐγένετο ἡνίκα ἐνεκίσσων τὰ πρόβατα καὶ εἶδον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτὰ ἐν τῷ ὕπνῳ καὶ ἰδοὺ οἱ τράγοι καὶ οἱ κριοὶ ἀναβαίνοντες ἦσαν ἐπὶ τὰ πρόβατα καὶ τὰς αἶγας διάλευκοι καὶ ποικίλοι καὶ σποδοειδεῖς ῥαντοί

11 καὶ εἶπέν μοι ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ θεοῦ καθ' ὕπνον ιακωβ ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπα τί ἐστιν

12 καὶ εἶπεν ἀνάβλεψον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου καὶ ἰδὲ τοὺς τράγους καὶ τοὺς κριοὺς ἀναβαίνοντας ἐπὶ τὰ πρόβατα καὶ τὰς αἶγας διαλεύκους καὶ ποικίλους καὶ σποδοειδεῖς ῥαντούς ἑώρακα γὰρ ὅσα σοι λαβαν ποιεῖ

13 ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεὸς ὁ ὀφθείς σοι ἐν τόπῳ θεοῦ οὗ ἤλειψάς μοι ἐκεῖ στήλην καὶ ηὔξω μοι ἐκεῖ εὐχήν νῦν οὖν ἀνάστηθι καὶ ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς γῆς ταύτης καὶ ἄπελθε εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς γενέσεώς σου καὶ ἔσομαι μετὰ σοῦ

14 καὶ ἀποκριθεῖσα ραχηλ καὶ λεια εἶπαν αὐτῷ μὴ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἔτι μερὶς ἢ κληρονομία ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν

15 οὐχ ὡς αἱ ἀλλότριαι λελογίσμεθα αὐτῷ πέπρακεν γὰρ ἡμᾶς καὶ κατέφαγεν καταβρώσει τὸ ἀργύριον ἡμῶν

16 πάντα τὸν πλοῦτον καὶ τὴν δόξαν ἣν ἀφείλατο ὁ θεὸς τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν ἡμῖν ἔσται καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις ἡμῶν νῦν οὖν ὅσα εἴρηκέν σοι ὁ θεός ποίει

17 ἀναστὰς δὲ ιακωβ ἔλαβεν τὰς γυναῖκας αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ παιδία αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὰς καμήλους

18 καὶ ἀπήγαγεν πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀποσκευὴν αὐτοῦ ἣν περιεποιήσατο ἐν τῇ μεσοποταμίᾳ καὶ πάντα τὰ αὐτοῦ ἀπελθεῖν πρὸς ισαακ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ εἰς γῆν χανααν

19 λαβαν δὲ ὤ|χετο κεῖραι τὰ πρόβατα αὐτοῦ ἔκλεψεν δὲ ραχηλ τὰ εἴδωλα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς

20 ἔκρυψεν δὲ ιακωβ λαβαν τὸν σύρον τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι αὐτῷ ὅτι ἀποδιδράσκει

21 καὶ ἀπέδρα αὐτὸς καὶ πάντα τὰ αὐτοῦ καὶ διέβη τὸν ποταμὸν καὶ ὥρμησεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος γαλααδ

22 ἀνηγγέλη δὲ λαβαν τῷ σύρῳ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ὅτι ἀπέδρα ιακωβ

23 καὶ παραλαβὼν πάντας τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐδίωξεν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ὁδὸν ἡμερῶν ἑπτὰ καὶ κατέλαβεν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ γαλααδ

24 ἦλθεν δὲ ὁ θεὸς πρὸς λαβαν τὸν σύρον καθ' ὕπνον τὴν νύκτα καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ φύλαξαι σεαυτόν μήποτε λαλήσῃς μετὰ ιακωβ πονηρά

25 καὶ κατέλαβεν λαβαν τὸν ιακωβ ιακωβ δὲ ἔπηξεν τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ ὄρει λαβαν δὲ ἔστησεν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ ὄρει γαλααδ

26 εἶπεν δὲ λαβαν τῷ ιακωβ τί ἐποίησας ἵνα τί κρυφῇ ἀπέδρας καὶ ἐκλοποφόρησάς με καὶ ἀπήγαγες τὰς θυγατέρας μου ὡς αἰχμαλώτιδας μαχαίρᾳ

27 καὶ εἰ ἀνήγγειλάς μοι ἐξαπέστειλα ἄν σε μετ' εὐφροσύνης καὶ μετὰ μουσικῶν τυμπάνων καὶ κιθάρας

28 οὐκ ἠξιώθην καταφιλῆσαι τὰ παιδία μου καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας μου νῦν δὲ ἀφρόνως ἔπραξας

29 καὶ νῦν ἰσχύει ἡ χείρ μου κακοποιῆσαί σε ὁ δὲ θεὸς τοῦ πατρός σου ἐχθὲς εἶπεν πρός με λέγων φύλαξαι σεαυτόν μήποτε λαλήσῃς μετὰ ιακωβ πονηρά

30 νῦν οὖν πεπόρευσαι ἐπιθυμίᾳ γὰρ ἐπεθύμησας ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός σου ἵνα τί ἔκλεψας τοὺς θεούς μου

31 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ιακωβ εἶπεν τῷ λαβαν εἶπα γάρ μήποτε ἀφέλῃς τὰς θυγατέρας σου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐμά

32 ἐπίγνωθι τί ἐστιν τῶν σῶν παρ' ἐμοί καὶ λαβέ καὶ οὐκ ἐπέγνω παρ' αὐτῷ οὐθέν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ιακωβ παρ' ᾧ ἐὰν εὕρῃς τοὺς θεούς σου οὐ ζήσεται ἐναντίον τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν οὐκ ᾔδει δὲ ιακωβ ὅτι ραχηλ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἔκλεψεν αὐτούς

33 εἰσελθὼν δὲ λαβαν ἠρεύνησεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον λειας καὶ οὐχ εὗρεν καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου λειας ἠρεύνησεν τὸν οἶκον ιακωβ καὶ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τῶν δύο παιδισκῶν καὶ οὐχ εὗρεν εἰσῆλθεν δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶκον ραχηλ

34 ραχηλ δὲ ἔλαβεν τὰ εἴδωλα καὶ ἐνέβαλεν αὐτὰ εἰς τὰ σάγματα τῆς καμήλου καὶ ἐπεκάθισεν αὐτοῖς

35 καὶ εἶπεν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτῆς μὴ βαρέως φέρε κύριε οὐ δύναμαι ἀναστῆναι ἐνώπιόν σου ὅτι τὸ κατ' ἐθισμὸν τῶν γυναικῶν μοί ἐστιν ἠρεύνησεν δὲ λαβαν ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ καὶ οὐχ εὗρεν τὰ εἴδωλα

36 ὠργίσθη δὲ ιακωβ καὶ ἐμαχέσατο τῷ λαβαν ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ιακωβ εἶπεν τῷ λαβαν τί τὸ ἀδίκημά μου καὶ τί τὸ ἁμάρτημά μου ὅτι κατεδίωξας ὀπίσω μου

37 καὶ ὅτι ἠρεύνησας πάντα τὰ σκεύη μου τί εὗρες ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν σκευῶν τοῦ οἴκου σου θὲς ὧδε ἐναντίον τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου καὶ ἐλεγξάτωσαν ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν δύο ἡμῶν

38 ταῦτά μοι εἴκοσι ἔτη ἐγώ εἰμι μετὰ σοῦ τὰ πρόβατά σου καὶ αἱ αἶγές σου οὐκ ἠτεκνώθησαν κριοὺς τῶν προβάτων σου οὐ κατέφαγον

39 θηριάλωτον οὐκ ἀνενήνοχά σοι ἐγὼ ἀπετίννυον παρ' ἐμαυτοῦ κλέμματα ἡμέρας καὶ κλέμματα νυκτός

40 ἐγινόμην τῆς ἡμέρας συγκαιόμενος τῷ καύματι καὶ παγετῷ τῆς νυκτός καὶ ἀφίστατο ὁ ὕπνος ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου

41 ταῦτά μοι εἴκοσι ἔτη ἐγώ εἰμι ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ σου ἐδούλευσά σοι δέκα τέσσαρα ἔτη ἀντὶ τῶν δύο θυγατέρων σου καὶ ἓξ ἔτη ἐν τοῖς προβάτοις σου καὶ παρελογίσω τὸν μισθόν μου δέκα ἀμνάσιν

42 εἰ μὴ ὁ θεὸς τοῦ πατρός μου αβρααμ καὶ ὁ φόβος ισαακ ἦν μοι νῦν ἂν κενόν με ἐξαπέστειλας τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου καὶ τὸν κόπον τῶν χειρῶν μου εἶδεν ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἤλεγξέν σε ἐχθές

43 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ λαβαν εἶπεν τῷ ιακωβ αἱ θυγατέρες θυγατέρες μου καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ υἱοί μου καὶ τὰ κτήνη κτήνη μου καὶ πάντα ὅσα σὺ ὁρᾷς ἐμά ἐστιν καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων μου τί ποιήσω ταύταις σήμερον ἢ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῶν οἷς ἔτεκον

44 νῦν οὖν δεῦρο διαθώμεθα διαθήκην ἐγὼ καὶ σύ καὶ ἔσται εἰς μαρτύριον ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ἰδοὺ οὐθεὶς μεθ' ἡμῶν ἐστιν ἰδὲ ὁ θεὸς μάρτυς ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ

45 λαβὼν δὲ ιακωβ λίθον ἔστησεν αὐτὸν στήλην

46 εἶπεν δὲ ιακωβ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ συλλέγετε λίθους καὶ συνέλεξαν λίθους καὶ ἐποίησαν βουνόν καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον ἐκεῖ ἐπὶ τοῦ βουνοῦ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ λαβαν ὁ βουνὸς οὗτος μαρτυρεῖ ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ σήμερον

47 καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν λαβαν βουνὸς τῆς μαρτυρίας ιακωβ δὲ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν βουνὸς μάρτυς

48 εἶπεν δὲ λαβαν τῷ ιακωβ ἰδοὺ ὁ βουνὸς οὗτος καὶ ἡ στήλη αὕτη ἣν ἔστησα ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ μαρτυρεῖ ὁ βουνὸς οὗτος καὶ μαρτυρεῖ ἡ στήλη αὕτη διὰ τοῦτο ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ βουνὸς μαρτυρεῖ

49 καὶ ἡ ὅρασις ἣν εἶπεν ἐπίδοι ὁ θεὸς ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ ὅτι ἀποστησόμεθα ἕτερος ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου

50 εἰ ταπεινώσεις τὰς θυγατέρας μου εἰ λήμψῃ γυναῖκας ἐπὶ ταῖς θυγατράσιν μου ὅρα οὐθεὶς μεθ' ἡμῶν ἐστιν

52 ἐάν τε γὰρ ἐγὼ μὴ διαβῶ πρὸς σὲ μηδὲ σὺ διαβῇς πρός με τὸν βουνὸν τοῦτον καὶ τὴν στήλην ταύτην ἐπὶ κακίᾳ

53 ὁ θεὸς αβρααμ καὶ ὁ θεὸς ναχωρ κρινεῖ ἀνὰ μέσον ἡμῶν καὶ ὤμοσεν ιακωβ κατὰ τοῦ φόβου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ισαακ

54 καὶ ἔθυσεν ιακωβ θυσίαν ἐν τῷ ὄρει καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον καὶ ἐκοιμήθησαν ἐν τῷ ὄρει

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1298

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1298. 'They had brick for stone' means that they had falsity in place of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'brick' as falsity, dealt with just above, and also from the meaning of 'stone' in the broad sense as truth, dealt with already in 643. The reason 'stones' meant truth was that the most ancient people used to mark out boundaries by means of stones and raise up stones to testify that something was so, that is, was the truth. This is clear from the stone which Jacob set up as a pillar, Genesis 28:22; 35:14; from the pillar of stones placed between Laban and Jacob, Genesis 31:46-47, 52; and from the altar which the children of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh erected beside the Jordan as an altar of witness, Joshua 22:10, 28, 34. Consequently 'stones' in the Word means truths, so much so that not only the stones of the altar but also the precious stones in the shoulder-pieces of Aaron's ephod and in the breastplate of judgement meant the holy truths of love.

[2] Regarding the altar, when sacrificial worship on altars was introduced, an altar in that case meant representative worship of the Lord in general. 'The stones' themselves however meant the holy truths belonging to that worship. This was why it was commanded that the altar had to be built of whole and not of hewn stones, and why it was forbidden to use any iron tool on them, Deuteronomy 27:5-7; Joshua 8:31. The reason was that hewn stones, and those on which an iron tool had been used, meant artificialities and thus fabrications in worship. That is to say, they meant things that derive from the proprium, or from the inventions of man's own thought and heart, which was to profane worship, as is clearly stated in Exodus 20:25. For the same reason no tool of iron was used on the stones of the Temple, 1 Kings 6:7.

[3] That the precious stones set in the shoulder-pieces of Aaron's ephod and in the breastplate of judgement in a similar way meant holy truths has been shown already in 114. This is clear also in Isaiah,

Behold, I will set your stones in carbuncle and lay your foundations in sapphires; and I will make your suns (windows) of ruby, and your gates into precious stones, and all your border into pleasant stones And all your sons will be taught by Jehovah, and great will be the peace of your sons. Isaiah 54:11-13

The stones mentioned here stand for holy truths, and this is why it is said that 'all your sons will be taught by Jehovah'. It is also the reason why it is said in John that the foundations of the wall of the city, holy Jerusalem, were adorned with every kind of precious stone, which are each mentioned by name, Revelation 21:19-20. 'The holy Jerusalem' stands for the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, the foundations of which kingdom are holy truths. Holy truths were similarly meant by the tables of stone on which the commandments of the Law, or Ten Commandments, were written. This was why they were made of stone or had a stone base, concerning which see Exodus 24:12; 31:18; 34:1; Deuteronomy 5:22; 10:1; for the commandments themselves are nothing else than truths of faith.

[4] Now because stones in ancient times meant truths, and because later on when worship on pillars, on altars, and in the Temple began, pillars, altars, and the Temple meant holy truths, the Lord also is therefore called 'a Stone': In Moses,

The Mighty One of Jacob - from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. Genesis 49:24.

In Isaiah,

The Lord Jehovih said, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tested Corner-Stone, precious, of sure foundation. Isaiah 28:16.

In David,

The Stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner Psalms 118:22.

The same is meant in Daniel 2:34-35, 45, by the stone cut out of the rock which smashed Nebuchadnezzar's statue to pieces.

[5] That 'stones' means truths is clear in Isaiah,

By this the iniquity of Jacob will be expiated, and this will be the full fruit to remove his sin, when He makes all the stones of the altar like chalk-stones scattered about. Isaiah 27:9.

'The stones of the altar' stands for truths in worship that have been dissipated. In the same prophet,

Make level the way of the people; level out, level out the highway; gather out the stones. Isaiah 62:10.

'The way' and 'the stones' stand for truths. In Jeremiah,

I am against you, O destroying mountain. I will roll you down from the rocks and I will make you into a mountain of burning. And they will not take from you a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations. Jeremiah 51:25-26.

This refers to Babel. 'A mountain of burning' is self-love. 'Taking no stone from it' means that there is no truth from this source.

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

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