The Bible

 

Genesis 37

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1 κατῴκει δὲ ιακωβ ἐν τῇ γῇ οὗ παρῴκησεν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ἐν γῇ χανααν

2 αὗται δὲ αἱ γενέσεις ιακωβ ιωσηφ δέκα ἑπτὰ ἐτῶν ἦν ποιμαίνων μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ τὰ πρόβατα ὢν νέος μετὰ τῶν υἱῶν βαλλας καὶ μετὰ τῶν υἱῶν ζελφας τῶν γυναικῶν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ κατήνεγκεν δὲ ιωσηφ ψόγον πονηρὸν πρὸς ισραηλ τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν

3 ιακωβ δὲ ἠγάπα τὸν ιωσηφ παρὰ πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ ὅτι υἱὸς γήρους ἦν αὐτῷ ἐποίησεν δὲ αὐτῷ χιτῶνα ποικίλον

4 ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ ὅτι αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ φιλεῖ ἐκ πάντων τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ ἐμίσησαν αὐτὸν καὶ οὐκ ἐδύναντο λαλεῖν αὐτῷ οὐδὲν εἰρηνικόν

5 ἐνυπνιασθεὶς δὲ ιωσηφ ἐνύπνιον ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτὸ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ

6 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἀκούσατε τοῦ ἐνυπνίου τούτου οὗ ἐνυπνιάσθην

7 ὤ|μην ἡμᾶς δεσμεύειν δράγματα ἐν μέσῳ τῷ πεδίῳ καὶ ἀνέστη τὸ ἐμὸν δράγμα καὶ ὠρθώθη περιστραφέντα δὲ τὰ δράγματα ὑμῶν προσεκύνησαν τὸ ἐμὸν δράγμα

8 εἶπαν δὲ αὐτῷ οἱ ἀδελφοί μὴ βασιλεύων βασιλεύσεις ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ἢ κυριεύων κυριεύσεις ἡμῶν καὶ προσέθεντο ἔτι μισεῖν αὐτὸν ἕνεκεν τῶν ἐνυπνίων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕνεκεν τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ

9 εἶδεν δὲ ἐνύπνιον ἕτερον καὶ διηγήσατο αὐτὸ τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν ἰδοὺ ἐνυπνιασάμην ἐνύπνιον ἕτερον ὥσπερ ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ἡ σελήνη καὶ ἕνδεκα ἀστέρες προσεκύνουν με

10 καὶ ἐπετίμησεν αὐτῷ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ τί τὸ ἐνύπνιον τοῦτο ὃ ἐνυπνιάσθης ἆρά γε ἐλθόντες ἐλευσόμεθα ἐγώ τε καὶ ἡ μήτηρ σου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου προσκυνῆσαί σοι ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν

11 ἐζήλωσαν δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ δὲ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ διετήρησεν τὸ ῥῆμα

12 ἐπορεύθησαν δὲ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ βόσκειν τὰ πρόβατα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν εἰς συχεμ

13 καὶ εἶπεν ισραηλ πρὸς ιωσηφ οὐχ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου ποιμαίνουσιν ἐν συχεμ δεῦρο ἀποστείλω σε πρὸς αὐτούς εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ἰδοὺ ἐγώ

14 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ισραηλ πορευθεὶς ἰδὲ εἰ ὑγιαίνουσιν οἱ ἀδελφοί σου καὶ τὰ πρόβατα καὶ ἀνάγγειλόν μοι καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς κοιλάδος τῆς χεβρων καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς συχεμ

15 καὶ εὗρεν αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπος πλανώμενον ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ ἠρώτησεν δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ ἄνθρωπος λέγων τί ζητεῖς

16 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν τοὺς ἀδελφούς μου ζητῶ ἀνάγγειλόν μοι ποῦ βόσκουσιν

17 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἀπήρκασιν ἐντεῦθεν ἤκουσα γὰρ αὐτῶν λεγόντων πορευθῶμεν εἰς δωθαϊμ καὶ ἐπορεύθη ιωσηφ κατόπισθεν τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ εὗρεν αὐτοὺς ἐν δωθαϊμ

18 προεῖδον δὲ αὐτὸν μακρόθεν πρὸ τοῦ ἐγγίσαι αὐτὸν πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐπονηρεύοντο τοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι αὐτόν

19 εἶπαν δὲ ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἰδοὺ ὁ ἐνυπνιαστὴς ἐκεῖνος ἔρχεται

20 νῦν οὖν δεῦτε ἀποκτείνωμεν αὐτὸν καὶ ῥίψωμεν αὐτὸν εἰς ἕνα τῶν λάκκων καὶ ἐροῦμεν θηρίον πονηρὸν κατέφαγεν αὐτόν καὶ ὀψόμεθα τί ἔσται τὰ ἐνύπνια αὐτοῦ

21 ἀκούσας δὲ ρουβην ἐξείλατο αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπεν οὐ πατάξομεν αὐτὸν εἰς ψυχήν

22 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτοῖς ρουβην μὴ ἐκχέητε αἷμα ἐμβάλετε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν λάκκον τοῦτον τὸν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ χεῖρα δὲ μὴ ἐπενέγκητε αὐτῷ ὅπως ἐξέληται αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀποδῷ αὐτὸν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ

23 ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα ἦλθεν ιωσηφ πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ ἐξέδυσαν τὸν ιωσηφ τὸν χιτῶνα τὸν ποικίλον τὸν περὶ αὐτὸν

24 καὶ λαβόντες αὐτὸν ἔρριψαν εἰς τὸν λάκκον ὁ δὲ λάκκος κενός ὕδωρ οὐκ εἶχεν

25 ἐκάθισαν δὲ φαγεῖν ἄρτον καὶ ἀναβλέψαντες τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς εἶδον καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁδοιπόροι ισμαηλῖται ἤρχοντο ἐκ γαλααδ καὶ αἱ κάμηλοι αὐτῶν ἔγεμον θυμιαμάτων καὶ ῥητίνης καὶ στακτῆς ἐπορεύοντο δὲ καταγαγεῖν εἰς αἴγυπτον

26 εἶπεν δὲ ιουδας πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ τί χρήσιμον ἐὰν ἀποκτείνωμεν τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν καὶ κρύψωμεν τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ

27 δεῦτε ἀποδώμεθα αὐτὸν τοῖς ισμαηλίταις τούτοις αἱ δὲ χεῖρες ἡμῶν μὴ ἔστωσαν ἐπ' αὐτόν ὅτι ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν καὶ σὰρξ ἡμῶν ἐστιν ἤκουσαν δὲ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ

28 καὶ παρεπορεύοντο οἱ ἄνθρωποι οἱ μαδιηναῖοι οἱ ἔμποροι καὶ ἐξείλκυσαν καὶ ἀνεβίβασαν τὸν ιωσηφ ἐκ τοῦ λάκκου καὶ ἀπέδοντο τὸν ιωσηφ τοῖς ισμαηλίταις εἴκοσι χρυσῶν καὶ κατήγαγον τὸν ιωσηφ εἰς αἴγυπτον

29 ἀνέστρεψεν δὲ ρουβην ἐπὶ τὸν λάκκον καὶ οὐχ ὁρᾷ τὸν ιωσηφ ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ καὶ διέρρηξεν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ

30 καὶ ἀνέστρεψεν πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν τὸ παιδάριον οὐκ ἔστιν ἐγὼ δὲ ποῦ πορεύομαι ἔτι

31 λαβόντες δὲ τὸν χιτῶνα τοῦ ιωσηφ ἔσφαξαν ἔριφον αἰγῶν καὶ ἐμόλυναν τὸν χιτῶνα τῷ αἵματι

32 καὶ ἀπέστειλαν τὸν χιτῶνα τὸν ποικίλον καὶ εἰσήνεγκαν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπαν τοῦτον εὕρομεν ἐπίγνωθι εἰ χιτὼν τοῦ υἱοῦ σού ἐστιν ἢ οὔ

33 καὶ ἐπέγνω αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπεν χιτὼν τοῦ υἱοῦ μού ἐστιν θηρίον πονηρὸν κατέφαγεν αὐτόν θηρίον ἥρπασεν τὸν ιωσηφ

34 διέρρηξεν δὲ ιακωβ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπέθετο σάκκον ἐπὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπένθει τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἡμέρας πολλάς

35 συνήχθησαν δὲ πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες καὶ ἦλθον παρακαλέσαι αὐτόν καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν παρακαλεῖσθαι λέγων ὅτι καταβήσομαι πρὸς τὸν υἱόν μου πενθῶν εἰς ᾅδου καὶ ἔκλαυσεν αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ

36 οἱ δὲ μαδιηναῖοι ἀπέδοντο τὸν ιωσηφ εἰς αἴγυπτον τῷ πετεφρη τῷ σπάδοντι φαραω ἀρχιμαγείρῳ

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4720

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4720. 'And the man said, They have travelled on from here, for I heard them saying, Let us go to Dothan' means that they moved on from the general aspects to the specific details of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'travelled on' as moving on; from the meaning of 'from Shechem', to which 'from here' refers here, as from the general aspects of doctrine, 4707, 4716; and from the meaning of 'Dothan' as the specific details of doctrine. This meaning of 'Dothan' - the specific details of doctrine - cannot be easily demonstrated from other places in the Word because no other mention is made of it apart from that in 2 Kings 6:13, where the narrative states that the king of Syria sent chariots and horsemen and a large army to Dothan to seize Elisha, and that they were struck with blindness and were led by Elisha to Samaria.

[2] Since all historical details in the Word are representative of the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom, so too are these. 'The king of Syria' represents people who possess cognitions of truth, 1232, 1234, 3249, 3664, 3680, 4112, though at this point in the contrary sense he represents those who possess cognitions which have no connection with truth. 'Elisha' represents the Word of the Lord, 2762. 'Dothan' means matters of doctrine drawn from the Word. 'Chariots and horsemen and the large army which the king of Syria sent' means falsities of doctrine. 'The mountain full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha that were seen by his servant' means goods and truths taught by doctrine drawn from the Word, 2762. 'The blindness' with which those were struck whom the king of Syria sent there means utter falsities, 2383. 'Their being led by Elisha to Samaria', where their eyes were opened, means instruction given through the Word. These are the kinds of things implied in the historical narrative here, 'Dothan', where Elisha was, meaning matters of doctrine drawn from the Word concerning goodness and truth. The historical details here in Genesis are much the same in meaning, for specific details of doctrine are not anything different. Yet at this particular point the specific details of false assumptions are meant, for the subject is a Church which begins with faith and so right from the start separates it from charity. Matters of doctrine which are formulated after that all smack of the general assumption made initially, and so of faith devoid of charity. Consequently those matters of doctrine are falsities which are the specific details belonging to false assumptions.

[3] When it first begins every Church knows only the general aspects of doctrine, for at that time it is in a state of simplicity and so to speak in childhood. With the passage of time it adds particular aspects, which in part are confirmations of general aspects, in part are additions which do not however conflict with what is general, and also explanations which resolve manifest contradictions but do not in any way offend the dictates of common sense. But in the present instance all the specific details belong to false assumptions, for all aspects of any kind of doctrine are interrelated like members within a community, and are linked to one another as in blood relationships and relationships by marriage, acknowledging a general assumption made initially as their father. From this it is evident that everything smacks of falsity when the general assumption made initially is false.

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 19

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1 The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed himself with his face to the earth,

2 and he said, "See now, my lords, please turn aside into your servant's house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you can rise up early, and go on your way." They said, "No, but we will stay in the street all night."

3 He urged them greatly, and they came in with him, and entered into his house. He made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter.

5 They called to Lot, and said to him, "Where are the men who came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we may have sex with them."

6 Lot went out to them to the door, and shut the door after him.

7 He said, "Please, my brothers, don't act so wickedly.

8 See now, I have two virgin daughters. Please let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them what seems good to you. Only don't do anything to these men, because they have come under the shadow of my roof."

9 They said, "Stand back!" Then they said, "This one fellow came in to live as a foreigner, and he appoints himself a judge. Now will we deal worse with you, than with them!" They pressed hard on the man Lot, and drew near to break the door.

10 But the men put forth their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door.

11 They struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

12 The men said to Lot, "Do you have anybody else here? Sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, bring them out of the place:

13 for we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before Yahweh that Yahweh has sent us to destroy it."

14 Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, and said, "Get up! Get out of this place, for Yahweh will destroy the city." But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking.

15 When the morning came, then the angels hurried Lot, saying, "Get up! Take your wife, and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city."

16 But he lingered; and the men grabbed his hand, his wife's hand, and his two daughters' hands, Yahweh being merciful to him; and they took him out, and set him outside of the city.

17 It came to pass, when they had taken them out, that he said, "Escape for your life! Don't look behind you, and don't stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be consumed!"

18 Lot said to them, "Oh, not so, my lord.

19 See now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your loving kindness, which you have shown to me in saving my life. I can't escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die.

20 See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (isn't it a little one?), and my soul will live."

21 He said to him, "Behold, I have granted your request concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.

22 Hurry, escape there, for I can't do anything until you get there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.

24 Then Yahweh rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from Yahweh out of the sky.

25 He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew on the ground.

26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

27 Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Yahweh.

28 He looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and looked, and saw that the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace.

29 It happened, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the middle of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.

30 Lot went up out of Zoar, and lived in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to live in Zoar. He lived in a cave with his two daughters.

31 The firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in to us in the way of all the earth.

32 Come, let's make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve our father's seed."

33 They made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father. He didn't know when she lay down, nor when she arose.

34 It came to pass on the next day, that the firstborn said to the younger, "Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine again, tonight. You go in, and lie with him, that we may preserve our father's seed."

35 They made their father drink wine that night also. The younger went and lay with him. He didn't know when she lay down, nor when she got up.

36 Thus both of Lot's daughters were with child by their father.

37 The firstborn bore a son, and named him Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day.

38 The younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben Ammi. He is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.