The Bible

 

Ezekiel 6

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1 και εγενετο λογος κυριου προς με λεγων

2 υιε ανθρωπου στηρισον το προσωπον σου επι τα ορη ισραηλ και προφητευσον επ' αυτα

3 και ερεις τα ορη ισραηλ ακουσατε λογον κυριου ταδε λεγει κυριος τοις ορεσιν και τοις βουνοις και ταις φαραγξιν και ταις ναπαις ιδου εγω επαγω εφ' υμας ρομφαιαν και εξολεθρευθησεται τα υψηλα υμων

4 και συντριβησονται τα θυσιαστηρια υμων και τα τεμενη υμων και καταβαλω τραυματιας υμων ενωπιον των ειδωλων υμων

5 και διασκορπιω τα οστα υμων κυκλω των θυσιαστηριων υμων

6 εν παση τη κατοικια υμων αι πολεις εξερημωθησονται και τα υψηλα αφανισθησεται οπως εξολεθρευθη τα θυσιαστηρια υμων και συντριβησονται τα ειδωλα υμων και εξαρθησεται τα τεμενη υμων

7 και πεσουνται τραυματιαι εν μεσω υμων και επιγνωσεσθε οτι εγω κυριος

8 εν τω γενεσθαι εξ υμων ανασωζομενους εκ ρομφαιας εν τοις εθνεσιν και εν τω διασκορπισμω υμων εν ταις χωραις

9 και μνησθησονται μου οι ανασωζομενοι εξ υμων εν τοις εθνεσιν ου ηχμαλωτευθησαν εκει ομωμοκα τη καρδια αυτων τη εκπορνευουση απ' εμου και τοις οφθαλμοις αυτων τοις πορνευουσιν οπισω των επιτηδευματων αυτων και κοψονται προσωπα αυτων εν πασι τοις βδελυγμασιν αυτων

10 και επιγνωσονται διοτι εγω κυριος λελαληκα

11 ταδε λεγει κυριος κροτησον τη χειρι και ψοφησον τω ποδι και ειπον ευγε ευγε επι πασιν τοις βδελυγμασιν οικου ισραηλ εν ρομφαια και εν θανατω και εν λιμω πεσουνται

12 ο εγγυς εν ρομφαια πεσειται ο δε μακραν εν θανατω τελευτησει και ο περιεχομενος εν λιμω συντελεσθησεται και συντελεσω την οργην μου επ' αυτους

13 και γνωσεσθε διοτι εγω κυριος εν τω ειναι τους τραυματιας υμων εν μεσω των ειδωλων υμων κυκλω των θυσιαστηριων υμων επι παντα βουνον υψηλον και υποκατω δενδρου συσκιου ου εδωκαν εκει οσμην ευωδιας πασι τοις ειδωλοις αυτων

14 και εκτενω την χειρα μου επ' αυτους και θησομαι την γην εις αφανισμον και εις ολεθρον απο της ερημου δεβλαθα εκ πασης της κατοικιας και επιγνωσεσθε οτι εγω κυριος

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2723

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2723. As regards Beersheba however, 'Beersheba' means the state and the essential nature of the doctrine, that is to say, it is Divine doctrine to which merely human rational ideas have been allied. This becomes clear from the train of thought in verse 22 to the present verse, 2613, 2614, and also from the meaning of the actual expression in the original language as 'the well of the oath' and 'the well of seven'. 'A well' means the doctrine of faith, see 2702, 2720, 'an oath' means a joining together, 2720, as does 'the covenant established with an oath', 1996, 2003, 2021, 2037; and 'seven' means that which is holy and so that which is Divine, 395, 433, 716, 881. From these meanings it may become clear that 'Beersheba' means doctrine which in itself is Divine together with merely human rational ideas or appearances allied to it.

[2] The fact that this is how the name Beersheba was derived is evident from Abraham's words,

Abraham said, Because you will take the seven ewe-lambs from my hand, that they may be a witness for me that I dug this well. Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them swore an oath. And they made a covenant in Beersheba (verses 30-32).

Similarly from Isaac's words recorded in Chapter 26,

So it was on that day, that Isaac's servants came and pointed out to him the reasons for the well which they had dug, and they said to him, We have found water. And he called it Shibah ('an oath' and 'seven'); therefore the name of the city is Beersheba even to this day. Genesis 26:32-33.

This too has to do with wells, about which there was disagreement with Abimelech, and with a covenant made with him. 'Beersheba' means merely human rational ideas which were again allied to the doctrine of faith, and because they were allied to it again and the doctrine was in that way made such that the human mind could grasp it, it is called 'a city' - 'a city' being doctrine in its entirety, see 402, 2268, 2449, 2451. What is more, the name Beersheba is used with a similar meaning in the internal sense in Genesis 22:19; 26:23; 28:10; 46:1, 5; Joshua 15:28; 19:1-2; 1 Samuel 8:2; 1 Kings 19:3, and in the contrary sense in Amos 5:5; 8:13-14. The whole range of celestial and spiritual things taught by doctrine is meant in the internal sense where the land of Canaan is said to range from 'Dan even to Beersheba'; for the land of Canaan means the Lord's kingdom, also the Church, and therefore means the celestial and spiritual things taught by doctrine, as in the Book of Judges.

All the children of Israel came out, and the congregation assembled as one man from Dan even to Beersheba. Judges 20:1.

In the Book of Samuel,

All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba. 1 Samuel 3:20.

Elsewhere in Samuel,

To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba, 2 Samuel 3:10.

Elsewhere in Samuel,

Hushai said to Absalom, Let all Israel be assembled together, from Dan even to Beersheba. 2 Samuel 17:11.

Elsewhere in Samuel, David told Joab to go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan even to Beersheba. 2 Samuel 24:2, 7.

Elsewhere in Samuel,

There died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men. 2 Samuel 24:15.

In the Book of Kings,

Judah dwelt under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 1 Kings 4:25.

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 12

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1 Now Yahweh said to Abram, "Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.

2 I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you."

4 So Abram went, as Yahweh had spoken to him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran.

5 Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother's son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in Haran, and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan. Into the land of Canaan they came.

6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. The Canaanite was then in the land.

7 Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your seed." He built an altar there to Yahweh, who appeared to him.

8 He left from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and called on the name of Yahweh.

9 Abram traveled, going on still toward the South.

10 There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in the land.

11 It happened, when he had come near to enter Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at.

12 It will happen, when the Egyptians will see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife.' They will kill me, but they will save you alive.

13 Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you."

14 It happened that when Abram had come into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

15 The princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

16 He dealt well with Abram for her sake. He had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

17 Yahweh plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.

18 Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this that you have done to me? Why didn't you tell me that she was your wife?

19 Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go your way."

20 Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they brought him on the way with his wife and all that he had.