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Genesis 23

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1 εγενετο δε η ζωη σαρρας ετη εκατον εικοσι επτα

2 και απεθανεν σαρρα εν πολει αρβοκ η εστιν εν τω κοιλωματι αυτη εστιν χεβρων εν γη χανααν ηλθεν δε αβρααμ κοψασθαι σαρραν και πενθησαι

3 και ανεστη αβρααμ απο του νεκρου αυτου και ειπεν τοις υιοις χετ λεγων

4 παροικος και παρεπιδημος εγω ειμι μεθ' υμων δοτε ουν μοι κτησιν ταφου μεθ' υμων και θαψω τον νεκρον μου απ' εμου

5 απεκριθησαν δε οι υιοι χετ προς αβρααμ λεγοντες

6 μη κυριε ακουσον δε ημων βασιλευς παρα θεου ει συ εν ημιν εν τοις εκλεκτοις μνημειοις ημων θαψον τον νεκρον σου ουδεις γαρ ημων το μνημειον αυτου κωλυσει απο σου του θαψαι τον νεκρον σου εκει

7 αναστας δε αβρααμ προσεκυνησεν τω λαω της γης τοις υιοις χετ

8 και ελαλησεν προς αυτους αβρααμ λεγων ει εχετε τη ψυχη υμων ωστε θαψαι τον νεκρον μου απο προσωπου μου ακουσατε μου και λαλησατε περι εμου εφρων τω του σααρ

9 και δοτω μοι το σπηλαιον το διπλουν ο εστιν αυτω το ον εν μερει του αγρου αυτου αργυριου του αξιου δοτω μοι αυτο εν υμιν εις κτησιν μνημειου

10 εφρων δε εκαθητο εν μεσω των υιων χετ αποκριθεις δε εφρων ο χετταιος προς αβρααμ ειπεν ακουοντων των υιων χετ και παντων των εισπορευομενων εις την πολιν λεγων

11 παρ' εμοι γενου κυριε και ακουσον μου τον αγρον και το σπηλαιον το εν αυτω σοι διδωμι εναντιον παντων των πολιτων μου δεδωκα σοι θαψον τον νεκρον σου

12 και προσεκυνησεν αβρααμ εναντιον του λαου της γης

13 και ειπεν τω εφρων εις τα ωτα του λαου της γης επειδη προς εμου ει ακουσον μου το αργυριον του αγρου λαβε παρ' εμου και θαψω τον νεκρον μου εκει

14 απεκριθη δε εφρων τω αβρααμ λεγων

15 ουχι κυριε ακηκοα γη τετρακοσιων διδραχμων αργυριου ανα μεσον εμου και σου τι αν ειη τουτο συ δε τον νεκρον σου θαψον

16 και ηκουσεν αβρααμ του εφρων και απεκατεστησεν αβρααμ τω εφρων το αργυριον ο ελαλησεν εις τα ωτα των υιων χετ τετρακοσια διδραχμα αργυριου δοκιμου εμποροις

17 και εστη ο αγρος εφρων ος ην εν τω διπλω σπηλαιω ος εστιν κατα προσωπον μαμβρη ο αγρος και το σπηλαιον ο ην εν αυτω και παν δενδρον ο ην εν τω αγρω ο εστιν εν τοις οριοις αυτου κυκλω

18 τω αβρααμ εις κτησιν εναντιον των υιων χετ και παντων των εισπορευομενων εις την πολιν

19 μετα ταυτα εθαψεν αβρααμ σαρραν την γυναικα αυτου εν τω σπηλαιω του αγρου τω διπλω ο εστιν απεναντι μαμβρη αυτη εστιν χεβρων εν τη γη χανααν

20 και εκυρωθη ο αγρος και το σπηλαιον ο ην εν αυτω τω αβρααμ εις κτησιν ταφου παρα των υιων χετ

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2904

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2904. 'The life of Sarah was' means all the preceding times and states of the Church as regards Divine truths. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'the life' here, and from the representation of 'Sarah'. 'The life' here - since it refers to the whole span of life and to the periods that constitute it, namely early childhood, youth, adult years, and old age means states, as do all periods of time in general, see 2625, 2788, 2837. And since the subject in what follows is the Church, 'the life' therefore means times and states of the Church. 'Sarah' represents Divine truth, see 1468, 1901, 2063, 2172, 2173, 2198, 2507. From this it follows that here 'the life of Sarah was' means in the internal sense all the preceding times and states of the Church as regards Divine truths. When she lived as Abraham's wife Sarah represented the Lord's Divine Truth joined to His Divine Good, as may be seen in the paragraphs just quoted. And as she represented the Lord's Divine Truth, so she also means the Church's Divine truth, for in the Church no other truth exists than that which is the Lord's. Truth that does not come from Him is not truth, as is also clear both from the Word itself and from the doctrine of faith drawn from it. It is clear from the Word itself in John,

Man cannot receive anything unless it is given him from heaven. John 3:27.

And elsewhere in John,

Without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5.

The same is also clear from the doctrine of faith, which teaches that the whole of faith, that is, all truth, comes from the Lord.

[2] The representatives and the meaningful signs in the Word are such that every single one in the highest sense has regard to the Lord; and from this springs the life itself of the Word. And because they have regard to the Lord, they also have regard to His kingdom, since the Lord is the All in His kingdom. Divine things from the Lord within His kingdom are what make it the kingdom. To the extent therefore that an angel, spirit, or man receives good and truth from the Lord, and believes that these come from Him, he is in His kingdom. But to the extent that he does not receive them, and does not believe that they come from the Lord, he is not in His kingdom. Thus Divine things from the Lord are what constitute His kingdom or heaven; and this is what is meant when it is said that the Lord is the All in His kingdom.

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

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