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 #4448

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4448. 'Shechem my son' means the truth derived from that good. This is clear from the representation of 'Shechem' as interior truth, dealt with in 4430, and so truth derived from the good meant by Hamor, 4447. Actually all the truth of the Church is derived from its good; such truth never arises from any other source. This truth which Shechem represents is called interior truth, being in essence nothing other than the good of charity. Indeed the Most Ancient Church, being celestial, was governed by the good of love to the Lord and as a consequence they had a perception of all truth; for the members of that Church were almost as angels. They also had communication with angels, that being the source of their perception. They never therefore reasoned about any truth of faith, but simply said 'Yes, that is the truth' because they had a perception of it from heaven. They did not even wish to make mention of faith, but of charity instead, see 202, 337, 2715, 2718, 3246. For this reason it is the good of charity that is meant at this point by interior truth. As regards the remnants of that Church existing with Hamor the Hivite and his son Shechem, see immediately above in 4447.

[2] With the Ancient Church, which was spiritual, it was different. This Church was not governed like the Most Ancient Church by love to the Lord but by charity towards the neighbour. Nor was it able to arrive at charity except through the truth of faith, of which, unlike the Most Ancient people, they did not have any perception and therefore began to make investigations into whether the truth was the truth. Regarding the difference between celestial people who had perception and spiritual ones who do not, see 2088, 2669, 2708, 2715, 3235, 3240, 3246, 3887.

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 34

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1 Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

2 Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her.

3 His soul joined to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young lady, and spoke kindly to the young lady.

4 Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, "Get me this young lady as a wife."

5 Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah, his daughter; and his sons were with his livestock in the field. Jacob held his peace until they came.

6 Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to talk with him.

7 The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; a which thing ought not to be done.

8 Hamor talked with them, saying, "The soul of my son, Shechem, longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife.

9 Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.

10 You shall dwell with us, and the land will be before you. Live and trade in it, and get possessions in it."

11 Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you will tell me I will give.

12 Ask me a great amount for a dowry, and I will give whatever you ask of me, but give me the young lady as a wife."

13 The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit, and spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister,

14 and said to them, "We can't do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised; for that is a reproach to us.

15 Only on this condition will we consent to you. If you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised;

16 then will we give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.

17 But if you will not listen to us, to be circumcised, then we will take our sister, and we will be gone."

18 Their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son.

19 The young man didn't wait to do this thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter, and he was honored above all the house of his father.

20 Hamor and Shechem, his son, came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying,

21 "These men are peaceful with us. Therefore let them live in the land and trade in it. For behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.

22 Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people, if every male among us is circumcised, as they are circumcised.

23 Won't their livestock and their possessions and all their animals be ours? Only let us give our consent to them, and they will dwell with us."

24 All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor, and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

25 It happened on the third day, when they were sore, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males.

26 They killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went away.

27 Jacob's sons came on the dead, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.

28 They took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, that which was in the city, that which was in the field,

29 and all their wealth. They took captive all their little ones and their wives, and took as plunder everything that was in the house.

30 Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. They will gather themselves together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my house."

31 They said, "Should he deal with our sister as with a prostitute?"