The Bible

 

Genesis 33

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1 ἀναβλέψας δὲ ιακωβ εἶδεν καὶ ἰδοὺ ησαυ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ ἐρχόμενος καὶ τετρακόσιοι ἄνδρες μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπιδιεῖλεν ιακωβ τὰ παιδία ἐπὶ λειαν καὶ ραχηλ καὶ τὰς δύο παιδίσκας

2 καὶ ἐποίησεν τὰς δύο παιδίσκας καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν ἐν πρώτοις καὶ λειαν καὶ τὰ παιδία αὐτῆς ὀπίσω καὶ ραχηλ καὶ ιωσηφ ἐσχάτους

3 αὐτὸς δὲ προῆλθεν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν καὶ προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἑπτάκις ἕως τοῦ ἐγγίσαι τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ

4 καὶ προσέδραμεν ησαυ εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῷ καὶ περιλαβὼν αὐτὸν ἐφίλησεν καὶ προσέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔκλαυσαν ἀμφότεροι

5 καὶ ἀναβλέψας εἶδεν τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ τὰ παιδία καὶ εἶπεν τί ταῦτά σοί ἐστιν ὁ δὲ εἶπεν τὰ παιδία οἷς ἠλέησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν παῖδά σου

6 καὶ προσήγγισαν αἱ παιδίσκαι καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν καὶ προσεκύνησαν

7 καὶ προσήγγισεν λεια καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς καὶ προσεκύνησαν καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα προσήγγισεν ραχηλ καὶ ιωσηφ καὶ προσεκύνησαν

8 καὶ εἶπεν τί ταῦτά σοί ἐστιν πᾶσαι αἱ παρεμβολαὶ αὗται αἷς ἀπήντηκα ὁ δὲ εἶπεν ἵνα εὕρῃ ὁ παῖς σου χάριν ἐναντίον σου κύριε

9 εἶπεν δὲ ησαυ ἔστιν μοι πολλά ἄδελφε ἔστω σοι τὰ σά

10 εἶπεν δὲ ιακωβ εἰ εὕρηκα χάριν ἐναντίον σου δέξαι τὰ δῶρα διὰ τῶν ἐμῶν χειρῶν ἕνεκεν τούτου εἶδον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ὡς ἄν τις ἴδοι πρόσωπον θεοῦ καὶ εὐδοκήσεις με

11 λαβὲ τὰς εὐλογίας μου ἃς ἤνεγκά σοι ὅτι ἠλέησέν με ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἔστιν μοι πάντα καὶ ἐβιάσατο αὐτόν καὶ ἔλαβεν

12 καὶ εἶπεν ἀπάραντες πορευσόμεθα ἐπ' εὐθεῖαν

13 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ κύριός μου γινώσκει ὅτι τὰ παιδία ἁπαλώτερα καὶ τὰ πρόβατα καὶ αἱ βόες λοχεύονται ἐπ' ἐμέ ἐὰν οὖν καταδιώξω αὐτοὺς ἡμέραν μίαν ἀποθανοῦνται πάντα τὰ κτήνη

14 προελθέτω ὁ κύριός μου ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ παιδός ἐγὼ δὲ ἐνισχύσω ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ κατὰ σχολὴν τῆς πορεύσεως τῆς ἐναντίον μου καὶ κατὰ πόδα τῶν παιδαρίων ἕως τοῦ με ἐλθεῖν πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου εἰς σηιρ

15 εἶπεν δὲ ησαυ καταλείψω μετὰ σοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ μετ' ἐμοῦ ὁ δὲ εἶπεν ἵνα τί τοῦτο ἱκανὸν ὅτι εὗρον χάριν ἐναντίον σου κύριε

16 ἀπέστρεψεν δὲ ησαυ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ εἰς σηιρ

17 καὶ ιακωβ ἀπαίρει εἰς σκηνάς καὶ ἐποίησεν ἑαυτῷ ἐκεῖ οἰκίας καὶ τοῖς κτήνεσιν αὐτοῦ ἐποίησεν σκηνάς διὰ τοῦτο ἐκάλεσεν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου σκηναί

18 καὶ ἦλθεν ιακωβ εἰς σαλημ πόλιν σικιμων ἥ ἐστιν ἐν γῇ χανααν ὅτε ἦλθεν ἐκ τῆς μεσοποταμίας συρίας καὶ παρενέβαλεν κατὰ πρόσωπον τῆς πόλεως

19 καὶ ἐκτήσατο τὴν μερίδα τοῦ ἀγροῦ οὗ ἔστησεν ἐκεῖ τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ παρὰ εμμωρ πατρὸς συχεμ ἑκατὸν ἀμνῶν

20 καὶ ἔστησεν ἐκεῖ θυσιαστήριον καὶ ἐπεκαλέσατο τὸν θεὸν ισραηλ

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2943

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2943. 'To all entering into the gate of his city, saying' means matters of doctrine through which one comes to faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'a gate' as a place of entry and so as that which, in the same way as a door, leads in, dealt with in 2145, 2152, 2356, 2385, and from the meaning of 'a city' as truth, which constitutes faith, dealt with in 402, 2268, 2449, 2451, 2712. In the Ancient Church a city was not like the city of later or of modern times. That is to say, a city did not consist of a collection or gathering together of individuals but of separate families living side by side. A family descended from the same forefather constituted a city. The city of Nahor, for example, to which Abraham's servant went to betroth Rebekah to Isaac, Genesis 24:10, consisted of the family of Nahor which was there. And Shalem, the city of Shechem, to which Jacob came after his departure from Paddan Aram, Genesis 33:18 and the whole of Chapter 34, consisted of the family of Hamor and Shechem which was there. And the same was so with all other cities in those times.

[2] And as it had come down to them from the most ancient people that nations and families represented heavenly communities, and so the things of love and charity, 685, 1159, therefore when a city is mentioned instead of a family, and a people instead of a nation, truth that constitutes faith is meant. It is also why in the genuine sense the city of God and the holy city mean faith in the Lord. And as 'a city' meant faith, 'the gate of the city' means matters of doctrine through which one comes to faith. The same was also meant in the Jewish representative Church by the judges and elders sitting in the gate of the city and giving judgement there, as is evident from historical sections of the Word, and also in Zechariah,

These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth, everyone to his companion; judge in your gates the truth and the judgement of peace. Zechariah 8:16.

And in Amos,

Hate evil, and love good, and establish judgement in the gate. Amos 5:15.

'A gate' also means the place of entry into the rational mind, and the rational mind is compared to a city, see 2851.

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