The Bible

 

Genesis 26

Study

   

1 γίγνομαι-VBI-AMI3S δέ-X λιμός-N2--NSM ἐπί-P ὁ- A--GSF γῆ-N1--GSF χωρίς-P ὁ- A--GSM λιμός-N2--GSM ὁ- A--GSM πρότερον-D ὅς- --NSM γίγνομαι-VBI-AMI3S ἐν-P ὁ- A--DSM χρόνος-N2--DSM ὁ- A--DSM *αβρααμ-N---GSM πορεύομαι-VCI-API3S δέ-X *ισαακ-N---NSM πρός-P *αβιμελεχ-N---ASM βασιλεύς-N3V-ASM *φυλιστιιμ-N---GPM εἰς-P *γεραρα-N2--AS

2 ὁράω-VVI-API3S δέ-X αὐτός- D--DSM κύριος-N2--NSM καί-C εἶπον-VBI-AAI3S μή-D καταβαίνω-VZ--AAS2S εἰς-P *αἴγυπτος-N2--ASF καταοἰκέω-VA--AAD2S δέ-X ἐν-P ὁ- A--DSF γῆ-N1--DSF ὅς- --DSF ἄν-X σύ- P--DS εἶπον-VBI-AAS1S

3 καί-C παραοἰκέω-V2--PAD2S ἐν-P ὁ- A--DSF γῆ-N1--DSF οὗτος- D--DSF καί-C εἰμί-VF--FMI1S μετά-P σύ- P--GS καί-C εὐλογέω-VF--FAI1S σύ- P--AS σύ- P--DS γάρ-X καί-C ὁ- A--DSN σπέρμα-N3M-DSN σύ- P--GS δίδωμι-VF--FAI1S πᾶς-A1S-ASF ὁ- A--ASF γῆ-N1--ASF οὗτος- D--ASF καί-C ἵστημι-VF--FAI1S ὁ- A--ASM ὅρκος-N2--ASM ἐγώ- P--GS ὅς- --ASM ὄμνυμι-VAI-AAI1S *αβρααμ-N---DSM ὁ- A--DSM πατήρ-N3--DSM σύ- P--GS

4 καί-C πληθύνω-VF2-FAI1S ὁ- A--ASN σπέρμα-N3M-ASN σύ- P--GS ὡς-C ὁ- A--APM ἀστήρ-N3--APM ὁ- A--GSM οὐρανός-N2--GSM καί-C δίδωμι-VF--FAI1S ὁ- A--DSN σπέρμα-N3M-DSN σύ- P--GS πᾶς-A1S-ASF ὁ- A--ASF γῆ-N1--ASF οὗτος- D--ASF καί-C ἐνεὐλογέω-VC--FPI3P ἐν-P ὁ- A--DSN σπέρμα-N3M-DSN σύ- P--GS πᾶς-A3--NSN ὁ- A--NPN ἔθνος-N3E-NPN ὁ- A--GSF γῆ-N1--GSF

5 ἀντί-P ὅς- --GPM ὑποἀκούω-VAI-AAI3S *αβρααμ-N---NSM ὁ- A--NSM πατήρ-N3--NSM σύ- P--GS ὁ- A--GSF ἐμός-A1--GSF φωνή-N1--GSF καί-C φυλάσσω-VAI-AAI3S ὁ- A--APN πρόσταγμα-N3M-APN ἐγώ- P--GS καί-C ὁ- A--APF ἐντολή-N1A-APF ἐγώ- P--GS καί-C ὁ- A--APN δικαίωμα-N3--APN ἐγώ- P--GS καί-C ὁ- A--APN νόμιμος-A1--APN ἐγώ- P--GS

6 καί-C καταοἰκέω-VAI-AAI3S *ισαακ-N---NSM ἐν-P *γεραρα-N2--DP

7 ἐπιἐρωτάω-VAI-AAI3P δέ-X ὁ- A--NPM ἀνήρ-N3--NPM ὁ- A--GSM τόπος-N2--GSM περί-P *ρεβεκκα-N---GSF ὁ- A--GSF γυνή-N3K-GSF αὐτός- D--GSM καί-C εἶπον-VBI-AAI3S ἀδελφή-N1--NSF ἐγώ- P--GS εἰμί-V9--PAI3S φοβέω-VCI-API3S γάρ-X εἶπον-VBI-AAN ὅτι-C γυνή-N3K-NSF ἐγώ- P--GS εἰμί-V9--PAI3S μήποτε-D ἀποκτείνω-VA--AAS3P αὐτός- D--ASM ὁ- A--NPM ἀνήρ-N3--NPM ὁ- A--GSM τόπος-N2--GSM περί-P *ρεβεκκα-N---GSF ὅτι-C ὡραῖος-A1A-NSF ὁ- A--DSF ὄψις-N3I-DSF εἰμί-V9--IAI3S

8 γίγνομαι-VBI-AMI3S δέ-X πολυχρόνιος-A1B-NSM ἐκεῖ-D παρακύπτω-VA--AAPNSM δέ-X *αβιμελεχ-N---NSM ὁ- A--NSM βασιλεύς-N3V-NSM *γεραρα-N2--NP διά-P ὁ- A--GSF θυρίς-N3D-GSF ὁράω-VBI-AAI3S ὁ- A--ASM *ισαακ-N---ASM παίζω-V1--PAPASM μετά-P *ρεβεκκα-N---GSF ὁ- A--GSF γυνή-N3K-GSF αὐτός- D--GSM

9 καλέω-VAI-AAI3S δέ-X *αβιμελεχ-N---NSM ὁ- A--ASM *ισαακ-N---ASM καί-C εἶπον-VBI-AAI3S αὐτός- D--DSM ἄρα-X γέ-X γυνή-N3K-NSF σύ- P--GS εἰμί-V9--PAI3S τίς- I--ASN ὅτι-C εἶπον-VAI-AAI2S ἀδελφή-N1--NSF ἐγώ- P--GS εἰμί-V9--PAI3S εἶπον-VBI-AAI3S δέ-X αὐτός- D--DSM *ισαακ-N---NSM εἶπον-VAI-AAI1S γάρ-X μήποτε-D ἀποθνήσκω-VB--AAS1S διά-P αὐτός- D--ASF

10 εἶπον-VBI-AAI3S δέ-X αὐτός- D--DSM *αβιμελεχ-N---NSM τίς- I--ASN οὗτος- D--ASN ποιέω-VAI-AAI2S ἐγώ- P--DP μικρός-A1A-GSM κοιμάω-VCI-API3S τις- I--NSM ὁ- A--GSN γένος-N3E-GSN ἐγώ- P--GS μετά-P ὁ- A--GSF γυνή-N3K-GSF σύ- P--GS καί-C ἐπιἄγω-VBI-AAI2S ἐπί-P ἐγώ- P--AP ἄγνοια-N1A-ASF

11 συντάσσω-VAI-AAI3S δέ-X *αβιμελεχ-N---NSM πᾶς-A3--DSM ὁ- A--DSM λαός-N2--DSM αὐτός- D--GSM λέγω-V1--PAPNSM πᾶς-A3--NSM ὁ- A--NSM ἅπτομαι-V1--PMPNSM ὁ- A--GSM ἄνθρωπος-N2--GSM οὗτος- D--GSM ἤ-C ὁ- A--GSF γυνή-N3K-GSF αὐτός- D--GSM θάνατος-N2--GSM ἔνοχος-A1B-NSM εἰμί-VF--FMI3S

12 σπείρω-VAI-AAI3S δέ-X *ισαακ-N---NSM ἐν-P ὁ- A--DSF γῆ-N1--DSF ἐκεῖνος- D--DSF καί-C εὑρίσκω-VB--AAI3S ἐν-P ὁ- A--DSM ἐνιαυτός-N2--DSM ἐκεῖνος- D--DSM ἑκατοστεύω-V1--PAPASF κριθή-N1--ASF εὐλογέω-VA--AAI3S δέ-X αὐτός- D--ASM κύριος-N2--NSM

13 καί-C ὑψόω-VCI-API3S ὁ- A--NSM ἄνθρωπος-N2--NSM καί-C προβαίνω-V1--PAPNSM μέγας-A3C-NSMC γίγνομαι-V1I-IMI3S ἕως-P ὅς- --GSM μέγας-A1P-NSM γίγνομαι-VBI-AMI3S σφόδρα-D

14 γίγνομαι-VBI-AMI3S δέ-X αὐτός- D--DSM κτῆνος-N3E-NPN πρόβατον-N2N-GPN καί-C κτῆνος-N3E-NPN βοῦς-N3--GPM καί-C γεώργιον-N2N-NPN πολύς-A1--NPN ζηλόω-VAI-AAI3P δέ-X αὐτός- D--ASM ὁ- A--NPM *φυλιστιιμ-N---NPM

15 καί-C πᾶς-A3--APN ὁ- A--APN φρέαρ-N3T-APN ὅς- --APN ὀρύσσω-VAI-AAI3P ὁ- A--NPM παῖς-N3D-NPM ὁ- A--GSM πατήρ-N3--GSM αὐτός- D--GSM ἐν-P ὁ- A--DSM χρόνος-N2--DSM ὁ- A--GSM πατήρ-N3--GSM αὐτός- D--GSM ἐνφράσσω-VAI-AAI3P αὐτός- D--APN ὁ- A--NPM *φυλιστιιμ-N---NPM καί-C πίμπλημι-VAI-AAI3P αὐτός- D--APN γῆ-N1--GSF

16 εἶπον-VBI-AAI3S δέ-X *αβιμελεχ-N---NSM πρός-P *ισαακ-N---ASM ἀποἔρχομαι-VB--AAD2S ἀπό-P ἐγώ- P--GP ὅτι-C δυνατός-A1--NSMC ἐγώ- P--GP γίγνομαι-VBI-AMI2S σφόδρα-D

17 καί-C ἀποἔρχομαι-VBI-AAI3S ἐκεῖθεν-D *ισαακ-N---NSM καί-C καταλύω-VAI-AAI3S ἐν-P ὁ- A--DSF φάραγξ-N3G-DSF *γεραρα-N2--GP καί-C καταοἰκέω-VAI-AAI3S ἐκεῖ-D

18 καί-C πάλιν-D *ισαακ-N---NSM ὀρύσσω-VAI-AAI3S ὁ- A--APN φρέαρ-N3T-APN ὁ- A--GSN ὕδωρ-N3T-GSN ὅς- --APN ὀρύσσω-VAI-AAI3P ὁ- A--NPM παῖς-N3D-NPM *αβρααμ-N---GSM ὁ- A--GSM πατήρ-N3--GSM αὐτός- D--GSM καί-C ἐνφράσσω-VAI-AAI3P αὐτός- D--APN ὁ- A--NPM *φυλιστιιμ-N---NPM μετά-P ὁ- A--ASN ἀποθνήσκω-VB--AAN *αβρααμ-N---ASM ὁ- A--ASM πατήρ-N3--ASM αὐτός- D--GSM καί-C ἐπιὀνομάζω-VAI-AAI3S αὐτός- D--DPM ὄνομα-N3M-APN κατά-P ὁ- A--APN ὄνομα-N3M-APN ὅς- --APN ἐπιὀνομάζω-VAI-AAI3S *αβρααμ-N---NSM ὁ- A--NSM πατήρ-N3--NSM αὐτός- D--GSM

19 καί-C ὀρύσσω-VAI-AAI3P ὁ- A--NPM παῖς-N3D-NPM *ισαακ-N---GSM ἐν-P ὁ- A--DSF φάραγξ-N3G-DSF *γεραρα-N2--GP καί-C εὑρίσκω-VB--AAI3P ἐκεῖ-D φρέαρ-N3T-ASN ὕδωρ-N3T-GSN ζάω-V3--PAPGSN

20 καί-C μάχομαι-VAI-AMI3P ὁ- A--NPM ποιμήν-N3--NPM *γεραρα-N2--GP μετά-P ὁ- A--GPM ποιμήν-N3--GPM *ισαακ-N---GSM φάσκω-V1--PAPNPM αὐτός- D--GPM εἰμί-V9--PAN ὁ- A--ASN ὕδωρ-N3--ASN καί-C καλέω-VAI-AAI3S ὁ- A--ASN ὄνομα-N3M-ASN ὁ- A--GSN φρέαρ-N3T-GSN *ἀδικία-N1A-NSF ἀδικέω-VAI-AAI3P γάρ-X αὐτός- D--ASM

21 ἀποαἴρω-VA--AAPNSM δέ-X *ισαακ-N---NSM ἐκεῖθεν-D ὀρύσσω-VAI-AAI3S φρέαρ-N3T-ASN ἕτερος-A1A-ASN κρίνω-V1I-IMI3P δέ-X καί-C περί-P ἐκεῖνος- D--GSM καί-C ἐπιὀνομάζω-VAI-AAI3S ὁ- A--ASN ὄνομα-N3M-ASN αὐτός- D--GSM *ἐχθρία-N1A-NSF

22 ἀποαἴρω-VA--AAPNSM δέ-X ἐκεῖθεν-D ὀρύσσω-VAI-AAI3S φρέαρ-N3T-ASN ἕτερος-A1A-ASN καί-C οὐ-D μάχομαι-VAI-AMI3P περί-P αὐτός- D--GSM καί-C ἐπιὀνομάζω-VAI-AAI3S ὁ- A--ASN ὄνομα-N3M-ASN αὐτός- D--GSM *εὐρυχωρία-N1A-NSF λέγω-V1--PAPNSM διότι-C νῦν-D πλατύνω-V1I-IAI3S κύριος-N2--NSM ἐγώ- P--DP καί-C αὐξάνω-VAI-AAI3S ἐγώ- P--AP ἐπί-P ὁ- A--GSF γῆ-N1--GSF

23 ἀναβαίνω-VZI-AAI3S δέ-X ἐκεῖθεν-D ἐπί-P ὁ- A--ASN φρέαρ-N3T-ASN ὁ- A--GSM ὅρκος-N2--GSM

24 καί-C ὁράω-VVI-API3S αὐτός- D--DSM κύριος-N2--NSM ἐν-P ὁ- A--DSF νύξ-N3--DSF ἐκεῖνος- D--DSF καί-C εἶπον-VBI-AAI3S ἐγώ- P--NS εἰμί-V9--PAI1S ὁ- A--NSM θεός-N2--NSM *αβρααμ-N---GSM ὁ- A--GSM πατήρ-N3--GSM σύ- P--GS μή-D φοβέω-V2--PMD2S μετά-P σύ- P--GS γάρ-X εἰμί-V9--PAI1S καί-C εὐλογέω-VX--XAI1S σύ- P--AS καί-C πληθύνω-VF2-FAI1S ὁ- A--ASN σπέρμα-N3M-ASN σύ- P--GS διά-P *αβρααμ-N---ASM ὁ- A--ASM πατήρ-N3--ASM σύ- P--GS

25 καί-C οἰκοδομέω-VAI-AAI3S ἐκεῖ-D θυσιαστήριον-N2N-ASN καί-C ἐπικαλέω-VAI-AMI3S ὁ- A--ASN ὄνομα-N3M-ASN κύριος-N2--GSM καί-C πήγνυμι-VAI-AAI3S ἐκεῖ-D ὁ- A--ASF σκηνή-N1--ASF αὐτός- D--GSM ὀρύσσω-VAI-AAI3P δέ-X ἐκεῖ-D ὁ- A--NPM παῖς-N3D-NPM *ισαακ-N---GSM φρέαρ-N3T-ASN

26 καί-C *αβιμελεχ-N---NSM πορεύομαι-VCI-API3S πρός-P αὐτός- D--ASM ἀπό-P *γεραρα-N2--GP καί-C *οχοζαθ-N---NSM ὁ- A--NSM νυμφαγωγός-N2--NSM αὐτός- D--GSM καί-C *φικολ-N---NSM ὁ- A--NSM ἀρχιστράτηγος-N2--NSM ὁ- A--GSF δύναμις-N3I-GSF αὐτός- D--GSM

27 καί-C εἶπον-VBI-AAI3S αὐτός- D--DPM *ισαακ-N---NSM ἵνα-C τίς- I--ASN ἔρχομαι-VAI-AAI2P πρός-P ἐγώ- P--AS σύ- P--NP δέ-X μισέω-VAI-AAI2P ἐγώ- P--AS καί-C ἀποστέλλω-VAI-AAI2P ἐγώ- P--AS ἀπό-P σύ- P--GP

28 καί-C εἶπον-VAI-AAI3P ὁράω-VB--AAPNPM ὁράω-VX--XAI1P ὅτι-C εἰμί-V9--IAI3S κύριος-N2--NSM μετά-P σύ- P--GS καί-C εἶπον-VAI-AAI1P γίγνομαι-VB--AMD3S ἀρά-N1A-NSF ἀνά-P μέσος-A1--ASM ἐγώ- P--GP καί-C ἀνά-P μέσος-A1--ASM σύ- P--GS καί-C διατίθημι-VF--FMI1P μετά-P σύ- P--GS διαθήκη-N1--ASF

29 μή-D ποιέω-VF--FAN μετά-P ἐγώ- P--GP κακός-A1--ASN καθότι-D ἐγώ- P--NP σύ- P--AS οὐ-D βδελύσσω-VAI-AMI1P καί-C ὅς- --ASM τρόπος-N2--ASM χράω-VAI-AMI1P σύ- P--DS καλῶς-D καί-C ἐκ ἀποστέλλω-VAI-AAI1P σύ- P--AS μετά-P εἰρήνη-N1--GSF καί-C νῦν-D σύ- P--NS εὐλογητός-A1--NSM ὑπό-P κύριος-N2--GSM

30 καί-C ποιέω-VAI-AAI3S αὐτός- D--DPM δοχή-N1--ASF καί-C ἐσθίω-VBI-AAI3P καί-C πίνω-VBI-AAI3P

31 καί-C ἀναἵστημι-VH--AAPNPM ὁ- A--ASN πρωΐ-D ὄμνυμι-VAI-AAI3P ἄνθρωπος-N2--NSM ὁ- A--DSM πλησίον-D αὐτός- D--GSM καί-C ἐκ ἀποστέλλω-VAI-AAI3S αὐτός- D--APM *ισαακ-N---NSM καί-C ἀποοἴχομαι-V1I-IMI3P ἀπό-P αὐτός- D--GSM μετά-P σωτηρία-N1A-GSF

32 γίγνομαι-VBI-AMI3S δέ-X ἐν-P ὁ- A--DSF ἡμέρα-N1A-DSF ἐκεῖνος- D--DSF καί-C παραγίγνομαι-VB--AMPNPM ὁ- A--NPM παῖς-N3D-NPM *ισαακ-N---GSM ἀποἀγγέλλω-VAI-AAI3P αὐτός- D--DSM περί-P ὁ- A--GSN φρέαρ-N3T-GSN ὅς- --GSN ὀρύσσω-VAI-AAI3P καί-C εἶπον-VAI-AAI3P οὐ-D εὑρίσκω-VB--AAI1P ὕδωρ-N3--ASN

33 καί-C καλέω-VAI-AAI3S αὐτός- D--ASN *ὅρκος-N2--NSM διά-P οὗτος- D--ASN ὄνομα-N3M-ASN ὁ- A--DSF πόλις-N3I-DSF *φρέαρ-N3T-NSN ὅρκος-N2--GSM ἕως-P ὁ- A--GSF σήμερον-D ἡμέρα-N1A-GSF

34 εἰμί-V9--IAI3S δέ-X *ησαυ-N---NSM ἔτος-N3E-GPN τεσσαράκοντα-M καί-C λαμβάνω-VBI-AAI3S γυνή-N3K-ASF *ιουδιν-N---ASF ὁ- A--ASF θυγάτηρ-N3--ASF *βεηρ-N---GSM ὁ- A--GSM *χετταῖος-N2--GSM καί-C ὁ- A--ASF *βασεμμαθ-N---ASF θυγάτηρ-N3--ASF *αιλων-N---GSM ὁ- A--GSM *ευαῖος-N2--GSM

35 καί-C εἰμί-V9--IAI3P ἐρίζω-V1--PAPNPF ὁ- A--DSM *ισαακ-N---DSM καί-C ὁ- A--DSF *ρεβεκκα-N---DSF

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3419

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

3419. 'Isaac came back and dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father' means that the Lord disclosed the truths that had existed with the Ancients. This is clear from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with already; from the meaning of 'coming back and digging again' as disclosing once again; from the meaning of 'the wells of water' as truths that are the sources of cognitions - 'wells' being truths, see 2702, 3096, and 'waters' cognitions, 28, 2702, 3058; and from the meaning of 'the days of Abraham his father' as a former time and state as regards truths, which are meant by 'which they had dug in those days', and so which had existed with the Ancients - 'days' meaning a time and a state, see 23, 487, 488, 493, 893. When a state is meant by 'days', 'Abraham his father' represents the Lord's Divine itself before this had joined the Human to Itself, see 2833, 2836, 3251; but when a time is meant by 'days', 'Abraham his father' means the goods and truths which came from the Lord's Divine before this had allied the Human to Itself, and so which had existed with the Ancients.

[2] The truths which existed with the Ancients have been completely effaced at the present time, so much so that scarcely anybody knows that they have ever existed or that they could have been anything different from those also taught today. But those truths were indeed quite different. People had representatives and meaningful signs of celestial and spiritual things in the Lord's kingdom, and so of the Lord Himself; and those who understood them were called the wise. They were also wise, because they were accordingly able to talk to spirits and angels; for when angelic speech which is spiritual and celestial and therefore unintelligible to man comes down to someone in the natural realm, it falls into representatives and meaningful signs like those that occur in the Word and consequently make the Word a sacred document. To make correspondence complete the Divine cannot present Itself before man in any other way. And because with the Ancients there were manifested representatives and meaningful signs of the Lord's kingdom, which hold nothing else than celestial and spiritual love within them, the Ancients also possessed matters of doctrine too which wholly and completely were concerned with love to God and charity towards the neighbour, by virtue of which also they were called the wise.

[3] From those matters of doctrine they knew that the Lord was going to come into the world, that Jehovah would be within Him, and that He would make the Human within Him Divine and in so doing would save the human race. From them they also knew what charity was, namely the affection for serving others without any thought of reward; and what was meant by the neighbour to whom they were to exercise charity, namely all persons throughout the world, though each one had to be treated differently. These matters of doctrine have now been completely lost, and instead there are matters of doctrine concerning faith, which the Ancients had regarded as being relatively worthless. These matters of doctrine, that is to say, those concerning love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, have at the present time been rejected on one hand by those who in the Word are referred to as Babylonians and Chaldeans, and on the other by people called Philistines and also Egyptians. They have become so completely lost that scarcely any trace of them remains. Who at the present day knows what charity is which is devoid of all self-regard and repudiates all self-interest? Who knows what is meant by the neighbour - that individual persons are meant who are to be treated each one differently according to the nature and amount of good that resides with him? Thus good itself is meant, and therefore in the highest sense the Lord Himself since He resides in good and is the source of good; for good that does not originate in Him is not good, however much it may seem to be. And because there is no knowledge of what charity is and of what is meant by the neighbour, there is no knowledge of who are really meant in the Word by the poor, the wretched, the needy, the sick, the hungry and thirsty, the oppressed, widows, orphans, captives, the naked, strangers, the blind, the deaf, the lame, the maimed, and others such as these. Yet the matters of doctrine which existed with the Ancients taught who each of these really was and to which category of the neighbour and so of charity each belonged. It is in accordance with those matters of doctrine that the whole Word so far as the sense of the letter is concerned has been written, and therefore those who have no knowledge of them cannot possibly know of any interior sense of the Word.

[4] As in Isaiah,

Is it not to break your bread to the hungry, and that you may bring afflicted outcasts to your house; when you see the naked and cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then will your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing will spring up speedily, and your righteousness will walk before you, the glory of Jehovah will gather you up. Isaiah 58:7-8.

Anyone who keeps rigidly to the sense of the letter believes that if he merely gives bread to the hungry, brings afflicted outcasts or wanderers into his house, and clothes the naked, he will on that account enter into Jehovah's glory, or into heaven. Yet those actions are solely external, which the wicked also can perform to merit the same. But by the hungry, the afflicted, and the naked are meant those who are spiritually such, thus differing states of wretchedness in which one who is the neighbour may find himself and to whom charity is to be exercised.

[5] In David,

He executes judgement for the oppressed, He gives bread to the hungry, Jehovah sets the bound free, Jehovah opens the blind [eyes], Jehovah lifts up the bowed down, Jehovah loves the righteous, Jehovah guards strangers, He upholds the orphan and the widow. Psalms 146:7-9.

Here the oppressed, the hungry, the bound, the blind, those bowed down, strangers, the orphan and the widow are not used to mean people who are ordinarily called such but those who are spiritually so, that is, as to their souls. It was who these were, what state and degree of the neighbour they belonged to, and so what charity needed to be exercised towards them, that was taught by the matters of doctrine which existed with the Ancients. Besides these verses from Psalms 146 there are others elsewhere throughout the Old Testament. Indeed when the Divine comes down into what is natural existing with man it comes down into such things as constitute the works of charity, each work differing from the rest according to its genus and species.

[6] The Lord also spoke in a similar way since He spoke from the Divine itself, as in Matthew,

The King will say to those at His right hand, Come, O blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you; for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me. Matthew 25:34-36.

The works listed here mean all the main kinds of charity and the degree of good to which each work - that is, to which each person who is a neighbour towards whom charity is to be exercised - belongs. Also taught is the truth that the Lord in the highest sense is the neighbour, for He says,

Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matthew 25:40.

From these few places one may see what is meant by truths as they existed among the Ancients. The utter effacement of these truths however by those concerned with matters of doctrine concerning faith and not with the life of charity, that is, by those who in the Word are called 'the Philistines', is meant in the words that come next - 'the Philistines stopped up the wells after Abraham's death'.

  
/ 10837  
  

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