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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.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #337

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337. THE INTERNAL SENSE

Since the subject in this chapter is the degeneration of the Most Ancient Church - that is, the falsification of doctrine - and consequently the heresies and sects which the names of Cain and his descendants cover, it must be realized that nobody can begin to understand how doctrine was falsified, that is, understand the nature of the heresies and sects of that Church, unless he has a proper knowledge of the nature of the true Church. From the latter the nature of those heresies and sects can be recognized. The Most Ancient Church has been dealt with quite extensively already; and it has been shown that it was the celestial man, and that it acknowledged no other faith than faith that originated in love to the Lord and towards the neighbour. It was through that love from the Lord that they possessed faith, that is, a perception of everything that was a matter of faith. Consequently they were not even willing to mention faith for fear of separating it from love, as shown already in 200-203.

[2] Such is the nature of the celestial man, that nature being described also by means of representatives in David where the Lord is referred to as 'the King', and the celestial man as 'the King's son',

Give the King Your judgements, and the King's son Your righteousness. The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the hills, in righteousness. They will fear You with the sun and towards the face 1 of the moon, a generation of generations. In his days the righteous man will flourish, and much peace, until the moon will be no more. Psalms 72:1, 3, 5, 7.

'The sun' means love, 'the moon' faith, 'mountains' and 'hills' the Most Ancient Church. 'A generation of generations' means the Church that came after the Flood. The statement 'until the moon will be no more' is made because faith will then be love. See also what is written in Isaiah 30:26.

[3] Such was the nature of the Most Ancient Church and such its doctrine. Nowadays things are altogether different, for now faith comes first. But by means of faith the Lord imparts charity, at which point charity becomes the chief thing. Consequently doctrine in most ancient times was falsified when people made profession of faith and in so doing separated faith from love. People who falsified doctrine in this way, or who separated faith from love, that is, made profession of faith alone, were at that time called 'Cain'; and such a thing with them was a gross error.

Footnotes:

1. literally, faces

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

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