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Genesis 20

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1 και εκινησεν εκειθεν αβρααμ εις γην προς λιβα και ωκησεν ανα μεσον καδης και ανα μεσον σουρ και παρωκησεν εν γεραροις

2 ειπεν δε αβρααμ περι σαρρας της γυναικος αυτου οτι αδελφη μου εστιν εφοβηθη γαρ ειπειν οτι γυνη μου εστιν μηποτε αποκτεινωσιν αυτον οι ανδρες της πολεως δι' αυτην απεστειλεν δε αβιμελεχ βασιλευς γεραρων και ελαβεν την σαρραν

3 και εισηλθεν ο θεος προς αβιμελεχ εν υπνω την νυκτα και ειπεν ιδου συ αποθνησκεις περι της γυναικος ης ελαβες αυτη δε εστιν συνωκηκυια ανδρι

4 αβιμελεχ δε ουχ ηψατο αυτης και ειπεν κυριε εθνος αγνοουν και δικαιον απολεις

5 ουκ αυτος μοι ειπεν αδελφη μου εστιν και αυτη μοι ειπεν αδελφος μου εστιν εν καθαρα καρδια και εν δικαιοσυνη χειρων εποιησα τουτο

6 ειπεν δε αυτω ο θεος καθ' υπνον καγω εγνων οτι εν καθαρα καρδια εποιησας τουτο και εφεισαμην εγω σου του μη αμαρτειν σε εις εμε ενεκεν τουτου ουκ αφηκα σε αψασθαι αυτης

7 νυν δε αποδος την γυναικα τω ανθρωπω οτι προφητης εστιν και προσευξεται περι σου και ζηση ει δε μη αποδιδως γνωθι οτι αποθανη συ και παντα τα σα

8 και ωρθρισεν αβιμελεχ το πρωι και εκαλεσεν παντας τους παιδας αυτου και ελαλησεν παντα τα ρηματα ταυτα εις τα ωτα αυτων εφοβηθησαν δε παντες οι ανθρωποι σφοδρα

9 και εκαλεσεν αβιμελεχ τον αβρααμ και ειπεν αυτω τι τουτο εποιησας ημιν μη τι ημαρτομεν εις σε οτι επηγαγες επ' εμε και επι την βασιλειαν μου αμαρτιαν μεγαλην εργον ο ουδεις ποιησει πεποιηκας μοι

10 ειπεν δε αβιμελεχ τω αβρααμ τι ενιδων εποιησας τουτο

11 ειπεν δε αβρααμ ειπα γαρ αρα ουκ εστιν θεοσεβεια εν τω τοπω τουτω εμε τε αποκτενουσιν ενεκεν της γυναικος μου

12 και γαρ αληθως αδελφη μου εστιν εκ πατρος αλλ' ουκ εκ μητρος εγενηθη δε μοι εις γυναικα

13 εγενετο δε ηνικα εξηγαγεν με ο θεος εκ του οικου του πατρος μου και ειπα αυτη ταυτην την δικαιοσυνην ποιησεις επ' εμε εις παντα τοπον ου εαν εισελθωμεν εκει ειπον εμε οτι αδελφος μου εστιν

14 ελαβεν δε αβιμελεχ χιλια διδραχμα προβατα και μοσχους και παιδας και παιδισκας και εδωκεν τω αβρααμ και απεδωκεν αυτω σαρραν την γυναικα αυτου

15 και ειπεν αβιμελεχ τω αβρααμ ιδου η γη μου εναντιον σου ου εαν σοι αρεσκη κατοικει

16 τη δε σαρρα ειπεν ιδου δεδωκα χιλια διδραχμα τω αδελφω σου ταυτα εσται σοι εις τιμην του προσωπου σου και πασαις ταις μετα σου και παντα αληθευσον

17 προσηυξατο δε αβρααμ προς τον θεον και ιασατο ο θεος τον αβιμελεχ και την γυναικα αυτου και τας παιδισκας αυτου και ετεκον

18 οτι συγκλειων συνεκλεισεν κυριος εξωθεν πασαν μητραν εν τω οικω του αβιμελεχ ενεκεν σαρρας της γυναικος αβρααμ

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2516

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2516. 'Behold, you will die because of the woman' means that the doctrine of faith would be ruined if the rational were consulted as regards the contents of that doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of Abimelech, to whom 'you' refers here, as the doctrine of faith; from the meaning of 'dying' as being brought to ruin; and from the meaning of 'a sister', called 'the woman' here, as the rational, dealt with in 2508. Consequently the statement that Abimelech would die because of the woman means that the doctrine of faith would be brought to ruin if the rational were consulted.

[2] The reason no doctrine of faith from the rational exists is that the rational is immersed in the appearances of good and truth, and such appearances are not truths in themselves, as shown already in 2053, 2196, 2203, 2209. What is more, the rational bases itself on illusions, which are the product of external sensory impressions confirmed by facts which introduce haziness into those appearances of truth. The rational for the most part is merely human, as also becomes clear from its birth. This then is why nothing of the doctrine of faith can even be started, let alone be built up from it. Such doctrine must stem from the Lord's Divine itself and His Divine Human. This is the origin of it, so much so indeed that the Lord is doctrine itself. It is for this reason also that in the Word He is called the Word, the truth, the light, the way, and the door. Furthermore - and this is an arcanum - all doctrine is derived from Divine Good and Divine Truth and possesses the heavenly marriage within it. Doctrine which does not possess this within it is not the genuine doctrine of faith. Consequently every detail of the Word, the source of doctrine, holds the image of a marriage within it, see 683, 793, 801.

[3] It does indeed seem in the literal or external sense of the Word as though the doctrine of faith possessed much from the rational and indeed from the natural. But the reason for this is that the Word exists for the sake of man, for whom it has been adapted in this way. Nevertheless in itself the Word is spiritual from a celestial origin, that is, it is derived from Divine Truth joined to Divine Good. The fact that doctrine would be brought to ruin if the rational were consulted as regards the contents of that doctrine will be illustrated by examples in what follows.

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

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