The Bible

 

Genesis 5

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1 αὕτη ἡ βίβλος γενέσεως ἀνθρώπων ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν αδαμ κατ' εἰκόνα θεοῦ ἐποίησεν αὐτόν

2 ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτοὺς καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτούς καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν αδαμ ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς

3 ἔζησεν δὲ αδαμ διακόσια καὶ τριάκοντα ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν κατὰ τὴν ἰδέαν αὐτοῦ καὶ κατὰ τὴν εἰκόνα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ σηθ

4 ἐγένοντο δὲ αἱ ἡμέραι αδαμ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν σηθ ἑπτακόσια ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας

5 καὶ ἐγένοντο πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι αδαμ ἃς ἔζησεν ἐννακόσια καὶ τριάκοντα ἔτη καὶ ἀπέθανεν

6 ἔζησεν δὲ σηθ διακόσια καὶ πέντε ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν ενως

7 καὶ ἔζησεν σηθ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν ενως ἑπτακόσια καὶ ἑπτὰ ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας

8 καὶ ἐγένοντο πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι σηθ ἐννακόσια καὶ δώδεκα ἔτη καὶ ἀπέθανεν

9 καὶ ἔζησεν ενως ἑκατὸν ἐνενήκοντα ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν καιναν

10 καὶ ἔζησεν ενως μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν καιναν ἑπτακόσια καὶ δέκα πέντε ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας

11 καὶ ἐγένοντο πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι ενως ἐννακόσια καὶ πέντε ἔτη καὶ ἀπέθανεν

12 καὶ ἔζησεν καιναν ἑκατὸν ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν μαλελεηλ

13 καὶ ἔζησεν καιναν μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν μαλελεηλ ἑπτακόσια καὶ τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας

14 καὶ ἐγένοντο πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι καιναν ἐννακόσια καὶ δέκα ἔτη καὶ ἀπέθανεν

15 καὶ ἔζησεν μαλελεηλ ἑκατὸν καὶ ἑξήκοντα πέντε ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν ιαρεδ

16 καὶ ἔζησεν μαλελεηλ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν ιαρεδ ἑπτακόσια καὶ τριάκοντα ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας

17 καὶ ἐγένοντο πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι μαλελεηλ ὀκτακόσια καὶ ἐνενήκοντα πέντε ἔτη καὶ ἀπέθανεν

18 καὶ ἔζησεν ιαρεδ ἑκατὸν καὶ ἑξήκοντα δύο ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν ενωχ

19 καὶ ἔζησεν ιαρεδ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν ενωχ ὀκτακόσια ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας

20 καὶ ἐγένοντο πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι ιαρεδ ἐννακόσια καὶ ἑξήκοντα δύο ἔτη καὶ ἀπέθανεν

21 καὶ ἔζησεν ενωχ ἑκατὸν καὶ ἑξήκοντα πέντε ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν μαθουσαλα

22 εὐηρέστησεν δὲ ενωχ τῷ θεῷ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν μαθουσαλα διακόσια ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας

23 καὶ ἐγένοντο πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι ενωχ τριακόσια ἑξήκοντα πέντε ἔτη

24 καὶ εὐηρέστησεν ενωχ τῷ θεῷ καὶ οὐχ ηὑρίσκετο ὅτι μετέθηκεν αὐτὸν ὁ θεός

25 καὶ ἔζησεν μαθουσαλα ἑκατὸν καὶ ἑξήκοντα ἑπτὰ ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν τὸν λαμεχ

26 καὶ ἔζησεν μαθουσαλα μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν λαμεχ ὀκτακόσια δύο ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας

27 καὶ ἐγένοντο πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι μαθουσαλα ἃς ἔζησεν ἐννακόσια καὶ ἑξήκοντα ἐννέα ἔτη καὶ ἀπέθανεν

28 καὶ ἔζησεν λαμεχ ἑκατὸν ὀγδοήκοντα ὀκτὼ ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱὸν

29 καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ νωε λέγων οὗτος διαναπαύσει ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων ἡμῶν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν λυπῶν τῶν χειρῶν ἡμῶν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἧς κατηράσατο κύριος ὁ θεός

30 καὶ ἔζησεν λαμεχ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν νωε πεντακόσια καὶ ἑξήκοντα πέντε ἔτη καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας

31 καὶ ἐγένοντο πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι λαμεχ ἑπτακόσια καὶ πεντήκοντα τρία ἔτη καὶ ἀπέθανεν

32 καὶ ἦν νωε ἐτῶν πεντακοσίων καὶ ἐγέννησεν νωε τρεῖς υἱούς τὸν σημ τὸν χαμ τὸν ιαφεθ

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2643

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2643. 'Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle sons?' means that by His own power the Lord implanted the Human within the Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' and also of 'Sarah', and from the meaning of 'suckling', and of 'sons'. It has been shown already that 'Abraham' represents Divine Good and 'Sarah' Divine Truth. 'Milk' means that which is spiritual from a celestial origin, that is, truth deriving from good, see 2184, so that 'suckling' means implanting that truth; And 'sons' means truths, here truths that exist in the Rational, as is clear from the meaning of 'sons', 489-491, 533. The reason why in the internal sense the words under consideration mean that the Lord by His own power implanted the Human within the Divine is that Divine Truth is one and the same as the Divine Human, and when in reference to this it is said 'to suckle sons for Abraham' the meaning is that He implanted the Human within the Divine; and as it was the Human He implanted, He did so by His own power. But scarcely any clearer and more intelligible explanation of these matters is possible. To say more would obscure still further what is meant; for these are Divine matters, which can be presented to angels alone by means of celestial and spiritual things. If presented to men in some more exalted manner those matters would fall into the material and bodily ideas which men possess.

[2] What is more, it should be recognized that it is the nature of the Lord's Divine Rational when it was first born that is being described by these words, 'God has made laughter for me; everyone that hears will laugh for me; and she said, Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle sons?' For this was in keeping with an ancient custom that when an infant was born it was given a name which served to mean the state; and at the same time a description of that state was added, as when Cain was born to Eve and Adam, Genesis 4:1, and when Seth was born to the same, Genesis 4:25; and as when Noah was born to Lamech, Genesis 5:29, Esau and Jacob to Isaac, Genesis 25:25-26, the twelve sons to Jacob, Genesis 29:32-35; 30:6, 8, 11, 13, 18, 20, 24; 35:18, Perez and Zerah to Tamar, Genesis 38:29-30, Manasseh and Ephraim to Joseph, Genesis 41:51-52, and Gershom and Eliezer to Moses, Exodus 2:22; 18:4. What all these represent, and what they mean in the internal sense, was embodied in the descriptions added to the names that were given. The same is the case here with what Isaac represents and means. What this name embodies is evident to some small extent from this brief explanation that has been given, but deeper arcana are nevertheless concealed there since they are Divine matters, which no sentences or phrases can be formed to express.

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 25

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1 Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah.

2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba, and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.

4 The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

5 Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac,

6 but to the sons of Abraham's concubines, Abraham gave gifts. He sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east country.

7 These are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years.

8 Abraham gave up the spirit, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people.

9 Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre,

10 the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth. Abraham was buried there with Sarah, his wife.

11 It happened after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac, his son. Isaac lived by Beer Lahai Roi.

12 Now this is the history of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore to Abraham.

13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to the order of their birth: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa,

15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments: twelve princes, according to their nations.

17 These are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred thirty-seven years. He gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people.

18 They lived from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He lived opposite all his relatives.

19 This is the history of the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham became the father of Isaac.

20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife.

21 Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife, because she was barren. Yahweh was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

22 The children struggled together within her. She said, "If it be so, why do I live?" She went to inquire of Yahweh.

23 Yahweh said to her, "Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger."

24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

25 The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau.

26 After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.

28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 Jacob boiled stew. Esau came in from the field, and he was famished.

30 Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am famished." Therefore his name was called Edom.

31 Jacob said, "First, sell me your birthright."

32 Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?"

33 Jacob said, "Swear to me first." He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob.

34 Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.