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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 #3122

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3122. With regard to this truth, by which charity is meant, there is more to be said: The most ancient people, who were celestial, understood nothing else by mercy and truth from the Lord than the reception 1 of the influx of love to the Lord and from this of charity towards the neighbour; but the ancients, who were spiritual, took mercy and truth present with them from the Lord to mean charity and faith. The reason for this was that those who were celestial never thought about the things that are matters of faith or truth but about those that are matters of love or good, as becomes clear from what has been stated already about the celestial man in 202, 337, 2669, 2715. Furthermore it was by means of charity towards the neighbour that celestial people were led into love to the Lord when they were being reformed and regenerated. From this it is evident that 'mercy from the Lord' is used to mean nothing else than a perception of the influx of love to Him, and 'truth' to mean the influx of charity towards the neighbour from that inflowing love.

[2] With those who are spiritual however it is different. These do think about the things that are matters of faith, and when they are being reformed and regenerated it is by means of the things which are matters of faith that they are led into charity towards the neighbour. Consequently when spiritual people are the subject 'mercy from the Lord' is used to mean the influx of charity towards the neighbour, and 'truth' to mean the influx of faith. Nevertheless once the spiritual man has been regenerated this faith becomes charity, for now he acts from charity, so much so that anyone among them who does not act from charity is not regenerate, whereas anyone who does act from charity is regenerate. Also, he now has no interest at all in matters of faith or truth, for his life springs from the good of faith, and no longer from the truth of faith. Indeed truth has now so joined itself to good that it ceases to be seen except as the form which good takes, that is, faith is now nothing else so to speak than the form which charity takes.

[3] From this one may see what the most ancient people meant, and what the ancients meant, by mercy and truth which are mentioned so many times in the Word, as in David,

The king will dwell for ever before God. Prepare mercy and truth, let them watch over him. Psalms 61:7.

In the same author,

Mercy and truth will meet, righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Psalms 85:10.

In the same author,

The Lord God is great in mercy and truth. Psalms 86:15.

In the same author,

My truth and My mercy will be with Him. Psalms 89:24.

In the same author,

Jehovah has remembered His mercy and His truth to the house of Israel. Psalms 98:3.

In the same author,

O Jehovah, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your mercy and Your truth. Psalms 115:1.

In Micah,

Jehovah God will give truth to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old. Micah 7:20.

Here 'Jacob' stands for the Lord's external man, 'Abraham' for the internal as regards the human. In Hosea,

Jehovah's controversy with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth, and no mercy, and no knowledge of God. Hosea 4:1.

'No truth' stands for no reception of the influx of charity, 'no mercy' for no reception of the influx of love, 'no knowledge of God' for no reception of the influx of the truth of faith.

Footnotes:

1. Or, reading what Swedenborg has in his rough draft the perception

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

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