The Bible

 

Genesis 34

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1 ἐξῆλθεν δὲ δινα ἡ θυγάτηρ λειας ἣν ἔτεκεν τῷ ιακωβ καταμαθεῖν τὰς θυγατέρας τῶν ἐγχωρίων

2 καὶ εἶδεν αὐτὴν συχεμ ὁ υἱὸς εμμωρ ὁ χορραῖος ὁ ἄρχων τῆς γῆς καὶ λαβὼν αὐτὴν ἐκοιμήθη μετ' αὐτῆς καὶ ἐταπείνωσεν αὐτήν

3 καὶ προσέσχεν τῇ ψυχῇ δινας τῆς θυγατρὸς ιακωβ καὶ ἠγάπησεν τὴν παρθένον καὶ ἐλάλησεν κατὰ τὴν διάνοιαν τῆς παρθένου αὐτῇ

4 εἶπεν δὲ συχεμ πρὸς εμμωρ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ λέγων λαβέ μοι τὴν παιδίσκην ταύτην εἰς γυναῖκα

5 ιακωβ δὲ ἤκουσεν ὅτι ἐμίανεν ὁ υἱὸς εμμωρ διναν τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτοῦ οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ἦσαν μετὰ τῶν κτηνῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ παρεσιώπησεν δὲ ιακωβ ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν αὐτούς

6 ἐξῆλθεν δὲ εμμωρ ὁ πατὴρ συχεμ πρὸς ιακωβ λαλῆσαι αὐτῷ

7 οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ ιακωβ ἦλθον ἐκ τοῦ πεδίου ὡς δὲ ἤκουσαν κατενύχθησαν οἱ ἄνδρες καὶ λυπηρὸν ἦν αὐτοῖς σφόδρα ὅτι ἄσχημον ἐποίησεν ἐν ισραηλ κοιμηθεὶς μετὰ τῆς θυγατρὸς ιακωβ καὶ οὐχ οὕτως ἔσται

8 καὶ ἐλάλησεν εμμωρ αὐτοῖς λέγων συχεμ ὁ υἱός μου προείλατο τῇ ψυχῇ τὴν θυγατέρα ὑμῶν δότε οὖν αὐτὴν αὐτῷ γυναῖκα

9 ἐπιγαμβρεύσασθε ἡμῖν τὰς θυγατέρας ὑμῶν δότε ἡμῖν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας ἡμῶν λάβετε τοῖς υἱοῖς ὑμῶν

10 καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν κατοικεῖτε καὶ ἡ γῆ ἰδοὺ πλατεῖα ἐναντίον ὑμῶν κατοικεῖτε καὶ ἐμπορεύεσθε ἐπ' αὐτῆς καὶ ἐγκτήσασθε ἐν αὐτῇ

11 εἶπεν δὲ συχεμ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτῆς καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῆς εὕροιμι χάριν ἐναντίον ὑμῶν καὶ ὃ ἐὰν εἴπητε δώσομεν

12 πληθύνατε τὴν φερνὴν σφόδρα καὶ δώσω καθότι ἂν εἴπητέ μοι καὶ δώσετέ μοι τὴν παῖδα ταύτην εἰς γυναῖκα

13 ἀπεκρίθησαν δὲ οἱ υἱοὶ ιακωβ τῷ συχεμ καὶ εμμωρ τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ μετὰ δόλου καὶ ἐλάλησαν αὐτοῖς ὅτι ἐμίαναν διναν τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῶν

14 καὶ εἶπαν αὐτοῖς συμεων καὶ λευι οἱ ἀδελφοὶ δινας υἱοὶ δὲ λειας οὐ δυνησόμεθα ποιῆσαι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο δοῦναι τὴν ἀδελφὴν ἡμῶν ἀνθρώπῳ ὃς ἔχει ἀκροβυστίαν ἔστιν γὰρ ὄνειδος ἡμῖν

15 ἐν τούτῳ ὁμοιωθησόμεθα ὑμῖν καὶ κατοικήσομεν ἐν ὑμῖν ἐὰν γένησθε ὡς ἡμεῖς καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν τῷ περιτμηθῆναι ὑμῶν πᾶν ἀρσενικόν

16 καὶ δώσομεν τὰς θυγατέρας ἡμῶν ὑμῖν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων ὑμῶν λημψόμεθα ἡμῖν γυναῖκας καὶ οἰκήσομεν παρ' ὑμῖν καὶ ἐσόμεθα ὡς γένος ἕν

17 ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εἰσακούσητε ἡμῶν τοῦ περιτέμνεσθαι λαβόντες τὰς θυγατέρας ἡμῶν ἀπελευσόμεθα

18 καὶ ἤρεσαν οἱ λόγοι ἐναντίον εμμωρ καὶ ἐναντίον συχεμ τοῦ υἱοῦ εμμωρ

19 καὶ οὐκ ἐχρόνισεν ὁ νεανίσκος τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ἐνέκειτο γὰρ τῇ θυγατρὶ ιακωβ αὐτὸς δὲ ἦν ἐνδοξότατος πάντων τῶν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ

20 ἦλθεν δὲ εμμωρ καὶ συχεμ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὴν πύλην τῆς πόλεως αὐτῶν καὶ ἐλάλησαν πρὸς τοὺς ἄνδρας τῆς πόλεως αὐτῶν λέγοντες

21 οἱ ἄνθρωποι οὗτοι εἰρηνικοί εἰσιν μεθ' ἡμῶν οἰκείτωσαν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐμπορευέσθωσαν αὐτήν ἡ δὲ γῆ ἰδοὺ πλατεῖα ἐναντίον αὐτῶν τὰς θυγατέρας αὐτῶν λημψόμεθα ἡμῖν γυναῖκας καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας ἡμῶν δώσομεν αὐτοῖς

22 μόνον ἐν τούτῳ ὁμοιωθήσονται ἡμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τοῦ κατοικεῖν μεθ' ἡμῶν ὥστε εἶναι λαὸν ἕνα ἐν τῷ περιτέμνεσθαι ἡμῶν πᾶν ἀρσενικόν καθὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ περιτέτμηνται

23 καὶ τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ τετράποδα οὐχ ἡμῶν ἔσται μόνον ἐν τούτῳ ὁμοιωθῶμεν αὐτοῖς καὶ οἰκήσουσιν μεθ' ἡμῶν

24 καὶ εἰσήκουσαν εμμωρ καὶ συχεμ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ πάντες οἱ ἐκπορευόμενοι τὴν πύλην τῆς πόλεως αὐτῶν καὶ περιετέμοντο τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας αὐτῶν πᾶς ἄρσην

25 ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ ὅτε ἦσαν ἐν τῷ πόνῳ ἔλαβον οἱ δύο υἱοὶ ιακωβ συμεων καὶ λευι οἱ ἀδελφοὶ δινας ἕκαστος τὴν μάχαιραν αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀσφαλῶς καὶ ἀπέκτειναν πᾶν ἀρσενικόν

26 τόν τε εμμωρ καὶ συχεμ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπέκτειναν ἐν στόματι μαχαίρας καὶ ἔλαβον τὴν διναν ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ συχεμ καὶ ἐξῆλθον

27 οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ ιακωβ εἰσῆλθον ἐπὶ τοὺς τραυματίας καὶ διήρπασαν τὴν πόλιν ἐν ᾗ ἐμίαναν διναν τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῶν

28 καὶ τὰ πρόβατα αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς βόας αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς ὄνους αὐτῶν ὅσα τε ἦν ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ ὅσα ἦν ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ ἔλαβον

29 καὶ πάντα τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀποσκευὴν αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας αὐτῶν ᾐχμαλώτευσαν καὶ διήρπασαν ὅσα τε ἦν ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ ὅσα ἦν ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις

30 εἶπεν δὲ ιακωβ συμεων καὶ λευι μισητόν με πεποιήκατε ὥστε πονηρόν με εἶναι πᾶσιν τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν τὴν γῆν ἔν τε τοῖς χαναναίοις καὶ τοῖς φερεζαίοις ἐγὼ δὲ ὀλιγοστός εἰμι ἐν ἀριθμῷ καὶ συναχθέντες ἐπ' ἐμὲ συγκόψουσίν με καὶ ἐκτριβήσομαι ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ οἶκός μου

31 οἱ δὲ εἶπαν ἀλλ' ὡσεὶ πόρνῃ χρήσωνται τῇ ἀδελφῇ ἡμῶν

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4447

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4447. 'Hamor spoke to them, saying' means the good of the Church among the Ancients. This is clear from the representation of 'Hamor' as that which was received from the Ancients, dealt with in 4431, namely the good of the Church received from them, for the good of the Church is 'a father', and the truth derived from that good, meant here by 'Shechem', is 'a son' - which also is why 'father' in the Word means good, and 'son' truth. The expression 'the good of the Church among the Ancients' is used here, not the good of the Ancient Church, for the reason that the phrase 'the Church among the Ancients' is used to mean the Church that descended from the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood, whereas the Ancient Church is used to mean the Church which came into existence after the Flood. Those two Churches have been dealt with several times previous to this, when it has been shown that the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood was celestial whereas the Ancient Church which came into existence after the Flood was spiritual. The difference between the two has also been dealt with often.

[2] Remnants of the Most Ancient Church which was celestial were still in existence in the land of Canaan, especially among those in that land who were called Hittites and Hivites. The reason why such remnants did not exist anywhere else was that the Most Ancient Church, which was called Man or Adam, 478, 479, existed in the land of Canaan, where the garden of Eden, which meant the intelligence and wisdom of the members of that Church, 100, 1588, and the trees in it their perception, 103, 2163, 2722, 2972, was therefore situated. And because intelligence and wisdom were meant by that garden or paradise the Church itself is also meant by it. And because the Church is meant, so also is heaven; and because heaven is meant, so also in the highest sense is the Lord. So it is that in the highest sense the land of Canaan also means the Lord, in the relative sense heaven and also the Church, and in the personal sense the member of the Church, 1413, 1437, 1607, 3038, 3481, 3705. So it is too that the word 'land' standing by itself in the Word has a similar meaning, 566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1413, 1607, 3355; while a new heaven and a new earth mean a new Church, internally and externally, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 3355 (end). The Most Ancient Church was situated in the land of Canaan, see 567, and it was from this that places there became representative. It explains why Abram was commanded to go there, and also why the land was given to his descendants from Jacob, namely that the representatives connected with the places which were to be used in the composition of the Word might be perpetuated, 3686. This was why every place in that land, including mountains and rivers, and also all the borders surrounding it, became representative, 1585, 1866, 4240.

[3] From all these considerations one may see what the expression 'Church among the Ancients' is used to mean, namely remnants of the Most Ancient Church. And because those remnants existed among the Hittites and Hivites, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with their wives, acquired a burial-place among the Hittites in their land, Genesis 23:1-end; Genesis 49:29-32; 50:13; and Joseph among the Hivites, Joshua 24:32. Hamor, Shechem's father, represented the remnants of that Church, and as a consequence means the good of the Church among the Ancients and therefore the origin of interior truth from a Divine stock, 4399. What the difference is between the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood and the Ancient Church which came into existence after the Flood, see 597, 607, 608, 640, 641, 765, 784, 895, 920, 1114-1128, 1238, 1327, 2896, 2897.

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