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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 #2966

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2966. Four hundred shekels of silver. That this signifies the price of redemption, was shown above (n. 2959); but what the price of redemption is shall now be told. Redemption is of the Lord alone, and so too is the price of redemption; and this price is also predicated of the reception by man, with whom the price is great according to the reception. The price of redemption is the Lord’s merit and righteousness through the most grievous temptations, whereby He united the Human Essence to the Divine, and the Divine Essence to the Human, and this by His own power; and by this unition saved the human race, and especially those who are of the spiritual church. (That the Lord was made righteousness through the most grievous temptations, may be seen above, n. 1813, 2025-2027; also that He united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, and the Divine to the Human, n. 1725, 1729, 1733, 1737, 1813, 2083; and that He did this from His own power, n. 1616, 1921, 2025, 2026, 2083, 2500, 2523, 2632; and by this unition saved the human race, and especially those who are of the spiritual church, n. 2661, 2716.) These are the things which are signified by the “price of redemption.”

[2] That this price is also predicated of the reception with man, with whom it is great in proportion to his reception, is evident from the fact that it is the Lord’s Divine which makes the church with man; for nothing is called the church that is not the Lord’s own; for it is the good which is of love and charity, and it is the truth which is of faith, which make that which is called the church. That all good is from the Lord, and that all truth is from Him, is well known; good and truth that are from man are not good and truth; and from this it is plain that the price of redemption with a man is great in proportion to his reception.

[3] As with the Jews the Lord’s redemption was so little esteemed as to be scarcely anything, it is said in Zechariah:

I said unto them, If it be good in your eyes, give me my hire, and if not, forbear. And they weighed my hire, thirty pieces of silver. And Jehovah said unto me, Cast it unto the potter, the goodly price that I was priced at of them (Zech. 11:12-13).

And in Matthew:

They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him that was priced, whom they had bought from the sons of Israel, and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me (Matthew 27:9-10).

That “thirty” denotes what is so little as to be scarcely anything, may be seen above (n. 2276); thus this passage denotes that the Jews placed no value on the merit and redemption of the Lord. But with those who believe all good and all truth to be from the Lord, the price of redemption is signified by “forty,” and in a higher degree by “four hundred.”

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

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