The Bible

 

Genesis 4

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1 αδαμ δὲ ἔγνω ευαν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκεν τὸν καιν καὶ εἶπεν ἐκτησάμην ἄνθρωπον διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ

2 καὶ προσέθηκεν τεκεῖν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν αβελ καὶ ἐγένετο αβελ ποιμὴν προβάτων καιν δὲ ἦν ἐργαζόμενος τὴν γῆν

3 καὶ ἐγένετο μεθ' ἡμέρας ἤνεγκεν καιν ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν τῆς γῆς θυσίαν τῷ κυρίῳ

4 καὶ αβελ ἤνεγκεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν πρωτοτόκων τῶν προβάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν στεάτων αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπεῖδεν ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ αβελ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ

5 ἐπὶ δὲ καιν καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς θυσίαις αὐτοῦ οὐ προσέσχεν καὶ ἐλύπησεν τὸν καιν λίαν καὶ συνέπεσεν τῷ προσώπῳ

6 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῷ καιν ἵνα τί περίλυπος ἐγένου καὶ ἵνα τί συνέπεσεν τὸ πρόσωπόν σου

7 οὐκ ἐὰν ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς ἥμαρτες ἡσύχασον πρὸς σὲ ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ σὺ ἄρξεις αὐτοῦ

8 καὶ εἶπεν καιν πρὸς αβελ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ διέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ καὶ ἀνέστη καιν ἐπὶ αβελ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτόν

9 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸς καιν ποῦ ἐστιν αβελ ὁ ἀδελφός σου ὁ δὲ εἶπεν οὐ γινώσκω μὴ φύλαξ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μού εἰμι ἐγώ

10 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεός τί ἐποίησας φωνὴ αἵματος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου βοᾷ πρός με ἐκ τῆς γῆς

11 καὶ νῦν ἐπικατάρατος σὺ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἣ ἔχανεν τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς δέξασθαι τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου

12 ὅτι ἐργᾷ τὴν γῆν καὶ οὐ προσθήσει τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς δοῦναί σοι στένων καὶ τρέμων ἔσῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

13 καὶ εἶπεν καιν πρὸς τὸν κύριον μείζων ἡ αἰτία μου τοῦ ἀφεθῆναί με

14 εἰ ἐκβάλλεις με σήμερον ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου κρυβήσομαι καὶ ἔσομαι στένων καὶ τρέμων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὁ εὑρίσκων με ἀποκτενεῖ με

15 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ κύριος ὁ θεός οὐχ οὕτως πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας καιν ἑπτὰ ἐκδικούμενα παραλύσει καὶ ἔθετο κύριος ὁ θεὸς σημεῖον τῷ καιν τοῦ μὴ ἀνελεῖν αὐτὸν πάντα τὸν εὑρίσκοντα αὐτόν

16 ἐξῆλθεν δὲ καιν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ὤ|κησεν ἐν γῇ ναιδ κατέναντι εδεμ

17 καὶ ἔγνω καιν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκεν τὸν ενωχ καὶ ἦν οἰκοδομῶν πόλιν καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ ενωχ

18 ἐγενήθη δὲ τῷ ενωχ γαιδαδ καὶ γαιδαδ ἐγέννησεν τὸν μαιηλ καὶ μαιηλ ἐγέννησεν τὸν μαθουσαλα καὶ μαθουσαλα ἐγέννησεν τὸν λαμεχ

19 καὶ ἔλαβεν ἑαυτῷ λαμεχ δύο γυναῖκας ὄνομα τῇ μιᾷ αδα καὶ ὄνομα τῇ δευτέρᾳ σελλα

20 καὶ ἔτεκεν αδα τὸν ιωβελ οὗτος ἦν ὁ πατὴρ οἰκούντων ἐν σκηναῖς κτηνοτρόφων

21 καὶ ὄνομα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ιουβαλ οὗτος ἦν ὁ καταδείξας ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάραν

22 σελλα δὲ ἔτεκεν καὶ αὐτὴ τὸν θοβελ καὶ ἦν σφυροκόπος χαλκεὺς χαλκοῦ καὶ σιδήρου ἀδελφὴ δὲ θοβελ νοεμα

23 εἶπεν δὲ λαμεχ ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ γυναιξίν αδα καὶ σελλα ἀκούσατέ μου τῆς φωνῆς γυναῖκες λαμεχ ἐνωτίσασθέ μου τοὺς λόγους ὅτι ἄνδρα ἀπέκτεινα εἰς τραῦμα ἐμοὶ καὶ νεανίσκον εἰς μώλωπα ἐμοί

24 ὅτι ἑπτάκις ἐκδεδίκηται ἐκ καιν ἐκ δὲ λαμεχ ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά

25 ἔγνω δὲ αδαμ ευαν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκεν υἱὸν καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ σηθ λέγουσα ἐξανέστησεν γάρ μοι ὁ θεὸς σπέρμα ἕτερον ἀντὶ αβελ ὃν ἀπέκτεινεν καιν

26 καὶ τῷ σηθ ἐγένετο υἱός ἐπωνόμασεν δὲ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ενως οὗτος ἤλπισεν ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #382

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382. That to be a “fugitive and a wanderer in the earth” signifies not to know what is good and true, is evident from the signification of “wandering” and “fleeing away” in the Word. As in Jeremiah:

The prophets and priests wander blind in the streets, they have been polluted in blood; the things they cannot do they touch with garments (Lamentations 4:13-14),

where “prophets” are those who teach, and “priests” those who live accordingly; to “wander blind in the streets” is not to know what is true and good.

[2] In Amos:

A part of the field was rained upon, and the part of the field whereupon it rained not withered; so two or three cities shall wander unto one city to drink waters, and shall not be satisfied (Amos 4:7-8), where by the “part of the field on which it rained” is signified the doctrine of faith from charity; and by the “part” or “piece” “of the field on which it did not rain” the doctrine of faith without charity. To “wander to drink the waters” likewise denotes to seek after truth.

[3] In Hosea:

Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit; my God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto Him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations (Hosea 9:16-17).

“Ephraim” here denotes the understanding of truth, or faith, because he was the firstborn of Joseph; the “root which was dried up” denotes charity that cannot bear fruit; “wanderers among the nations” are those who do not know what is true and good.

[4] In Jeremiah:

Go ye up against Arabia, and devastate the sons of the east. Flee, wander ye exceedingly; the inhabitants of Hazor have let themselves down into the deep for a habitation (Jeremiah 49:28, 30). “Arabia” and the “sons of the east” signify the possession of celestial riches, or of the things that are of love, which, when vastated, are said to “flee” and “wander” that is, to be “fugitives and wanderers” when they do nought of what is good. Of the “inhabitants of Hazor” or those who possess spiritual riches, which are those of faith, it is said that they “let themselves down into the deep” that is, they perish.

[5] In Isaiah:

All thy foremost ones wander together, they are bound before the bow, they have fled from far (Isaiah 22:3),

speaking of the “valley of vision” or the phantasy that faith is possible without charity. Hence appears the reason why it is said, in a subsequent verse (Isaiah 22:14), that he who professes faith that is apart from charity is a “fugitive and a wanderer” that is, knows nothing of good and truth.

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