The Bible

 

Genesis 21

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1 και κυριος επεσκεψατο την σαρραν καθα ειπεν και εποιησεν κυριος τη σαρρα καθα ελαλησεν

2 και συλλαβουσα ετεκεν σαρρα τω αβρααμ υιον εις το γηρας εις τον καιρον καθα ελαλησεν αυτω κυριος

3 και εκαλεσεν αβρααμ το ονομα του υιου αυτου του γενομενου αυτω ον ετεκεν αυτω σαρρα ισαακ

4 περιετεμεν δε αβρααμ τον ισαακ τη ογδοη ημερα καθα ενετειλατο αυτω ο θεος

5 αβρααμ δε ην εκατον ετων ηνικα εγενετο αυτω ισαακ ο υιος αυτου

6 ειπεν δε σαρρα γελωτα μοι εποιησεν κυριος ος γαρ αν ακουση συγχαρειται μοι

7 και ειπεν τις αναγγελει τω αβρααμ οτι θηλαζει παιδιον σαρρα οτι ετεκον υιον εν τω γηρει μου

8 και ηυξηθη το παιδιον και απεγαλακτισθη και εποιησεν αβρααμ δοχην μεγαλην η ημερα απεγαλακτισθη ισαακ ο υιος αυτου

9 ιδουσα δε σαρρα τον υιον αγαρ της αιγυπτιας ος εγενετο τω αβρααμ παιζοντα μετα ισαακ του υιου αυτης

10 και ειπεν τω αβρααμ εκβαλε την παιδισκην ταυτην και τον υιον αυτης ου γαρ κληρονομησει ο υιος της παιδισκης ταυτης μετα του υιου μου ισαακ

11 σκληρον δε εφανη το ρημα σφοδρα εναντιον αβρααμ περι του υιου αυτου

12 ειπεν δε ο θεος τω αβρααμ μη σκληρον εστω το ρημα εναντιον σου περι του παιδιου και περι της παιδισκης παντα οσα εαν ειπη σοι σαρρα ακουε της φωνης αυτης οτι εν ισαακ κληθησεται σοι σπερμα

13 και τον υιον δε της παιδισκης ταυτης εις εθνος μεγα ποιησω αυτον οτι σπερμα σον εστιν

14 ανεστη δε αβρααμ το πρωι και ελαβεν αρτους και ασκον υδατος και εδωκεν αγαρ και επεθηκεν επι τον ωμον και το παιδιον και απεστειλεν αυτην απελθουσα δε επλανατο την ερημον κατα το φρεαρ του ορκου

15 εξελιπεν δε το υδωρ εκ του ασκου και ερριψεν το παιδιον υποκατω μιας ελατης

16 απελθουσα δε εκαθητο απεναντι αυτου μακροθεν ωσει τοξου βολην ειπεν γαρ ου μη ιδω τον θανατον του παιδιου μου και εκαθισεν απεναντι αυτου αναβοησαν δε το παιδιον εκλαυσεν

17 εισηκουσεν δε ο θεος της φωνης του παιδιου εκ του τοπου ου ην και εκαλεσεν αγγελος του θεου την αγαρ εκ του ουρανου και ειπεν αυτη τι εστιν αγαρ μη φοβου επακηκοεν γαρ ο θεος της φωνης του παιδιου σου εκ του τοπου ου εστιν

18 αναστηθι λαβε το παιδιον και κρατησον τη χειρι σου αυτο εις γαρ εθνος μεγα ποιησω αυτον

19 και ανεωξεν ο θεος τους οφθαλμους αυτης και ειδεν φρεαρ υδατος ζωντος και επορευθη και επλησεν τον ασκον υδατος και εποτισεν το παιδιον

20 και ην ο θεος μετα του παιδιου και ηυξηθη και κατωκησεν εν τη ερημω εγενετο δε τοξοτης

21 και κατωκησεν εν τη ερημω τη φαραν και ελαβεν αυτω η μητηρ γυναικα εκ γης αιγυπτου

22 εγενετο δε εν τω καιρω εκεινω και ειπεν αβιμελεχ και οχοζαθ ο νυμφαγωγος αυτου και φικολ ο αρχιστρατηγος της δυναμεως αυτου προς αβρααμ λεγων ο θεος μετα σου εν πασιν οις εαν ποιης

23 νυν ουν ομοσον μοι τον θεον μη αδικησειν με μηδε το σπερμα μου μηδε το ονομα μου αλλα κατα την δικαιοσυνην ην εποιησα μετα σου ποιησεις μετ' εμου και τη γη η συ παρωκησας εν αυτη

24 και ειπεν αβρααμ εγω ομουμαι

25 και ηλεγξεν αβρααμ τον αβιμελεχ περι των φρεατων του υδατος ων αφειλαντο οι παιδες του αβιμελεχ

26 και ειπεν αυτω αβιμελεχ ουκ εγνων τις εποιησεν το πραγμα τουτο ουδε συ μοι απηγγειλας ουδε εγω ηκουσα αλλ' η σημερον

27 και ελαβεν αβρααμ προβατα και μοσχους και εδωκεν τω αβιμελεχ και διεθεντο αμφοτεροι διαθηκην

28 και εστησεν αβρααμ επτα αμναδας προβατων μονας

29 και ειπεν αβιμελεχ τω αβρααμ τι εισιν αι επτα αμναδες των προβατων τουτων ας εστησας μονας

30 και ειπεν αβρααμ οτι τας επτα αμναδας ταυτας λημψη παρ' εμου ινα ωσιν μοι εις μαρτυριον οτι εγω ωρυξα το φρεαρ τουτο

31 δια τουτο επωνομασεν το ονομα του τοπου εκεινου φρεαρ ορκισμου οτι εκει ωμοσαν αμφοτεροι

32 και διεθεντο διαθηκην εν τω φρεατι του ορκου ανεστη δε αβιμελεχ και οχοζαθ ο νυμφαγωγος αυτου και φικολ ο αρχιστρατηγος της δυναμεως αυτου και επεστρεψαν εις την γην των φυλιστιιμ

33 και εφυτευσεν αβρααμ αρουραν επι τω φρεατι του ορκου και επεκαλεσατο εκει το ονομα κυριου θεος αιωνιος

34 παρωκησεν δε αβρααμ εν τη γη των φυλιστιιμ ημερας πολλας

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2714

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2714. That 'Paran' means enlightenment coming from the Lord's Divine Human is clear from the meaning of 'Paran' as the Lord's Divine Human, as is evident from those places in the Word where this name is used, as in the prophet Habakkuk,

O Jehovah, I have heard Your fame; I was afraid. O Jehovah, revive Your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known. In zeal You will remember mercy. God will come out of Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His fame has covered the heavens, and the earth has been filled with His praise. And His brightness will be as the light; He has horns going out of His hand, and there the hiding-place of His strength will be. Habakkuk 3:2-4.

This plainly refers to the Lord's Coming, which is meant by 'reviving in the midst of the years' and 'making known in the midst of the years'. His Divine Human is described by the words 'God will come out of Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran'. He is said to come 'out of Teman' in regard to celestial love, and 'from Mount Paran' in regard to spiritual love; and the springing of these from enlightenment and power is meant by the words 'His brightness will be as the light; He has horns going out of His hand'. 'Brightness' and 'light' mean enlightenment, 'horns' power.

[2] In Moses,

Jehovah came from Sinai, and dawned from Seir upon them; He shone from Mount Paran, and came from myriads of holiness From His right hand came a fiery law for them. He indeed loves the peoples. All His holy ones are in your hand and have been joined together at your feet; and He will receive of your words. Deuteronomy 33:2-3.

This also refers to the Lord, whose Divine Human is described by the words 'He dawned from Seir' and 'He shone from Mount Paran' - 'from Seir' being used in regard to celestial love, 'from Mount Paran' to spiritual love. Those who are spiritual are meant by 'the peoples whom He loves' and by 'those joined together at your feet', 'the foot' meaning that which is lower, and so more obscure, in the Lord's kingdom.

[3] In the same author,

Chedorlaomer and the kings with him smote the Horites in their Mount Seir as far as El-paran, which is over into the wilderness. Genesis 14:5-6.

As regards the Lord's Divine Human being meant there by 'Mount Seir' and by 'El-paran', see 1675, 1676. In the same author,

So it was, in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day in the month, that the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony. And the children of Israel travelled according to their travels from the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud settled in the wilderness of Paran. Numbers 10:11-12.

[4] The truth that all the travels of the people in the wilderness mean the state of the Church militant, and its temptations, in which a person goes under but the Lord conquers on his behalf, and the truth that consequently they mean the Lord's own actual temptations and victories, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown elsewhere. And because the Lord underwent temptations by reason of His Divine Human, the Lord's Divine Human is in a similar way meant here by 'the wilderness of Paran'. The same is also meant by the following in the same author,

After that the people travelled from Hazeroth, and camped in the wilderness of Paran. And Jehovah spoke to Moses and said, Send men and let them explore the land of Canaan which I am giving to the children of Israel. And Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran as spoken by the mouth of Jehovah. And they returned to Moses and to Aaron and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran in Kadesh; and they brought back word to them, and showed them the fruit of the land. Numbers 12:16; 13:1-3, 26.

Their travelling from the wilderness of Paran to explore the land of Canaan means that by means of the Lord's Divine Human these people - the children of Israel, by whom were meant those who are spiritual - have access to the heavenly kingdom, meant by the land of Canaan. But their faltering also at that time means their weakness, on account of which the Lord fulfilled everything in the Law, underwent temptations and was victorious, so that those with whom faith grounded in charity resides, also those who undergo temptations in which the Lord is victorious, have salvation from His Divine Human. This also explains why, when the Lord was tempted, He was in the wilderness, Matthew 4:1; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1; see above in 2708.

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