The Bible

 

Genesis 24

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1 και αβρααμ ην πρεσβυτερος προβεβηκως ημερων και κυριος ευλογησεν τον αβρααμ κατα παντα

2 και ειπεν αβρααμ τω παιδι αυτου τω πρεσβυτερω της οικιας αυτου τω αρχοντι παντων των αυτου θες την χειρα σου υπο τον μηρον μου

3 και εξορκιω σε κυριον τον θεον του ουρανου και τον θεον της γης ινα μη λαβης γυναικα τω υιω μου ισαακ απο των θυγατερων των χαναναιων μεθ' ων εγω οικω εν αυτοις

4 αλλα εις την γην μου ου εγενομην πορευση και εις την φυλην μου και λημψη γυναικα τω υιω μου ισαακ εκειθεν

5 ειπεν δε προς αυτον ο παις μηποτε ου βουλεται η γυνη πορευθηναι μετ' εμου οπισω εις την γην ταυτην αποστρεψω τον υιον σου εις την γην οθεν εξηλθες εκειθεν

6 ειπεν δε προς αυτον αβρααμ προσεχε σεαυτω μη αποστρεψης τον υιον μου εκει

7 κυριος ο θεος του ουρανου και ο θεος της γης ος ελαβεν με εκ του οικου του πατρος μου και εκ της γης ης εγενηθην ος ελαλησεν μοι και ωμοσεν μοι λεγων σοι δωσω την γην ταυτην και τω σπερματι σου αυτος αποστελει τον αγγελον αυτου εμπροσθεν σου και λημψη γυναικα τω υιω μου ισαακ εκειθεν

8 εαν δε μη θελη η γυνη πορευθηναι μετα σου εις την γην ταυτην καθαρος εση απο του ορκου τουτου μονον τον υιον μου μη αποστρεψης εκει

9 και εθηκεν ο παις την χειρα αυτου υπο τον μηρον αβρααμ του κυριου αυτου και ωμοσεν αυτω περι του ρηματος τουτου

10 και ελαβεν ο παις δεκα καμηλους απο των καμηλων του κυριου αυτου και απο παντων των αγαθων του κυριου αυτου μεθ' εαυτου και αναστας επορευθη εις την μεσοποταμιαν εις την πολιν ναχωρ

11 και εκοιμισεν τας καμηλους εξω της πολεως παρα το φρεαρ του υδατος το προς οψε ηνικα εκπορευονται αι υδρευομεναι

12 και ειπεν κυριε ο θεος του κυριου μου αβρααμ ευοδωσον εναντιον εμου σημερον και ποιησον ελεος μετα του κυριου μου αβρααμ

13 ιδου εγω εστηκα επι της πηγης του υδατος αι δε θυγατερες των οικουντων την πολιν εκπορευονται αντλησαι υδωρ

14 και εσται η παρθενος η αν εγω ειπω επικλινον την υδριαν σου ινα πιω και ειπη μοι πιε και τας καμηλους σου ποτιω εως αν παυσωνται πινουσαι ταυτην ητοιμασας τω παιδι σου ισαακ και εν τουτω γνωσομαι οτι εποιησας ελεος τω κυριω μου αβρααμ

15 και εγενετο προ του συντελεσαι αυτον λαλουντα εν τη διανοια και ιδου ρεβεκκα εξεπορευετο η τεχθεισα βαθουηλ υιω μελχας της γυναικος ναχωρ αδελφου δε αβρααμ εχουσα την υδριαν επι των ωμων αυτης

16 η δε παρθενος ην καλη τη οψει σφοδρα παρθενος ην ανηρ ουκ εγνω αυτην καταβασα δε επι την πηγην επλησεν την υδριαν και ανεβη

17 επεδραμεν δε ο παις εις συναντησιν αυτης και ειπεν ποτισον με μικρον υδωρ εκ της υδριας σου

18 η δε ειπεν πιε κυριε και εσπευσεν και καθειλεν την υδριαν επι τον βραχιονα αυτης και εποτισεν αυτον

19 εως επαυσατο πινων και ειπεν και ταις καμηλοις σου υδρευσομαι εως αν πασαι πιωσιν

20 και εσπευσεν και εξεκενωσεν την υδριαν εις το ποτιστηριον και εδραμεν ετι επι το φρεαρ αντλησαι και υδρευσατο πασαις ταις καμηλοις

21 ο δε ανθρωπος κατεμανθανεν αυτην και παρεσιωπα του γνωναι ει ευοδωκεν κυριος την οδον αυτου η ου

22 εγενετο δε ηνικα επαυσαντο πασαι αι καμηλοι πινουσαι ελαβεν ο ανθρωπος ενωτια χρυσα ανα δραχμην ολκης και δυο ψελια επι τας χειρας αυτης δεκα χρυσων ολκη αυτων

23 και επηρωτησεν αυτην και ειπεν θυγατηρ τινος ει αναγγειλον μοι ει εστιν παρα τω πατρι σου τοπος ημιν καταλυσαι

24 και ειπεν αυτω θυγατηρ βαθουηλ ειμι εγω του μελχας ον ετεκεν τω ναχωρ

25 και ειπεν αυτω και αχυρα και χορτασματα πολλα παρ' ημιν και τοπος του καταλυσαι

26 και ευδοκησας ο ανθρωπος προσεκυνησεν κυριω

27 και ειπεν ευλογητος κυριος ο θεος του κυριου μου αβρααμ ος ουκ εγκατελιπεν την δικαιοσυνην αυτου και την αληθειαν απο του κυριου μου εμε ευοδωκεν κυριος εις οικον του αδελφου του κυριου μου

28 και δραμουσα η παις απηγγειλεν εις τον οικον της μητρος αυτης κατα τα ρηματα ταυτα

29 τη δε ρεβεκκα αδελφος ην ω ονομα λαβαν και εδραμεν λαβαν προς τον ανθρωπον εξω επι την πηγην

30 και εγενετο ηνικα ειδεν τα ενωτια και τα ψελια επι τας χειρας της αδελφης αυτου και οτε ηκουσεν τα ρηματα ρεβεκκας της αδελφης αυτου λεγουσης ουτως λελαληκεν μοι ο ανθρωπος και ηλθεν προς τον ανθρωπον εστηκοτος αυτου επι των καμηλων επι της πηγης

31 και ειπεν αυτω δευρο εισελθε ευλογητος κυριος ινα τι εστηκας εξω εγω δε ητοιμακα την οικιαν και τοπον ταις καμηλοις

32 εισηλθεν δε ο ανθρωπος εις την οικιαν και απεσαξεν τας καμηλους και εδωκεν αχυρα και χορτασματα ταις καμηλοις και υδωρ νιψασθαι τοις ποσιν αυτου και τοις ποσιν των ανδρων των μετ' αυτου

33 και παρεθηκεν αυτοις αρτους φαγειν και ειπεν ου μη φαγω εως του λαλησαι με τα ρηματα μου και ειπαν λαλησον

34 και ειπεν παις αβρααμ εγω ειμι

35 κυριος δε ευλογησεν τον κυριον μου σφοδρα και υψωθη και εδωκεν αυτω προβατα και μοσχους αργυριον και χρυσιον παιδας και παιδισκας καμηλους και ονους

36 και ετεκεν σαρρα η γυνη του κυριου μου υιον ενα τω κυριω μου μετα το γηρασαι αυτον και εδωκεν αυτω οσα ην αυτω

37 και ωρκισεν με ο κυριος μου λεγων ου λημψη γυναικα τω υιω μου απο των θυγατερων των χαναναιων εν οις εγω παροικω εν τη γη αυτων

38 αλλ' η εις τον οικον του πατρος μου πορευση και εις την φυλην μου και λημψη γυναικα τω υιω μου εκειθεν

39 ειπα δε τω κυριω μου μηποτε ου πορευσεται η γυνη μετ' εμου

40 και ειπεν μοι κυριος ω ευηρεστησα εναντιον αυτου αυτος αποστελει τον αγγελον αυτου μετα σου και ευοδωσει την οδον σου και λημψη γυναικα τω υιω μου εκ της φυλης μου και εκ του οικου του πατρος μου

41 τοτε αθωος εση απο της αρας μου ηνικα γαρ εαν ελθης εις την εμην φυλην και μη σοι δωσιν και εση αθωος απο του ορκισμου μου

42 και ελθων σημερον επι την πηγην ειπα κυριε ο θεος του κυριου μου αβρααμ ει συ ευοδοις την οδον μου ην νυν εγω πορευομαι επ' αυτην

43 ιδου εγω εφεστηκα επι της πηγης του υδατος και αι θυγατερες των ανθρωπων της πολεως εξελευσονται υδρευσασθαι υδωρ και εσται η παρθενος η αν εγω ειπω ποτισον με μικρον υδωρ εκ της υδριας σου

44 και ειπη μοι και συ πιε και ταις καμηλοις σου υδρευσομαι αυτη η γυνη ην ητοιμασεν κυριος τω εαυτου θεραποντι ισαακ και εν τουτω γνωσομαι οτι πεποιηκας ελεος τω κυριω μου αβρααμ

45 και εγενετο προ του συντελεσαι με λαλουντα εν τη διανοια ευθυς ρεβεκκα εξεπορευετο εχουσα την υδριαν επι των ωμων και κατεβη επι την πηγην και υδρευσατο ειπα δε αυτη ποτισον με

46 και σπευσασα καθειλεν την υδριαν αυτης αφ' εαυτης και ειπεν πιε συ και τας καμηλους σου ποτιω και επιον και τας καμηλους μου εποτισεν

47 και ηρωτησα αυτην και ειπα τινος ει θυγατηρ η δε εφη θυγατηρ βαθουηλ ειμι του υιου ναχωρ ον ετεκεν αυτω μελχα και περιεθηκα αυτη τα ενωτια και τα ψελια περι τας χειρας αυτης

48 και ευδοκησας προσεκυνησα κυριω και ευλογησα κυριον τον θεον του κυριου μου αβρααμ ος ευοδωσεν μοι εν οδω αληθειας λαβειν την θυγατερα του αδελφου του κυριου μου τω υιω αυτου

49 ει ουν ποιειτε υμεις ελεος και δικαιοσυνην προς τον κυριον μου απαγγειλατε μοι ει δε μη απαγγειλατε μοι ινα επιστρεψω εις δεξιαν η εις αριστεραν

50 αποκριθεις δε λαβαν και βαθουηλ ειπαν παρα κυριου εξηλθεν το προσταγμα τουτο ου δυνησομεθα ουν σοι αντειπειν κακον καλω

51 ιδου ρεβεκκα ενωπιον σου λαβων αποτρεχε και εστω γυνη τω υιω του κυριου σου καθα ελαλησεν κυριος

52 εγενετο δε εν τω ακουσαι τον παιδα τον αβρααμ των ρηματων τουτων προσεκυνησεν επι την γην κυριω

53 και εξενεγκας ο παις σκευη αργυρα και χρυσα και ιματισμον εδωκεν ρεβεκκα και δωρα εδωκεν τω αδελφω αυτης και τη μητρι αυτης

54 και εφαγον και επιον αυτος και οι ανδρες οι μετ' αυτου οντες και εκοιμηθησαν και αναστας πρωι ειπεν εκπεμψατε με ινα απελθω προς τον κυριον μου

55 ειπαν δε οι αδελφοι αυτης και η μητηρ μεινατω η παρθενος μεθ' ημων ημερας ωσει δεκα και μετα ταυτα απελευσεται

56 ο δε ειπεν προς αυτους μη κατεχετε με και κυριος ευοδωσεν την οδον μου εκπεμψατε με ινα απελθω προς τον κυριον μου

57 οι δε ειπαν καλεσωμεν την παιδα και ερωτησωμεν το στομα αυτης

58 και εκαλεσαν ρεβεκκαν και ειπαν αυτη πορευση μετα του ανθρωπου τουτου η δε ειπεν πορευσομαι

59 και εξεπεμψαν ρεβεκκαν την αδελφην αυτων και τα υπαρχοντα αυτης και τον παιδα τον αβρααμ και τους μετ' αυτου

60 και ευλογησαν ρεβεκκαν την αδελφην αυτων και ειπαν αυτη αδελφη ημων ει γινου εις χιλιαδας μυριαδων και κληρονομησατω το σπερμα σου τας πολεις των υπεναντιων

61 αναστασα δε ρεβεκκα και αι αβραι αυτης επεβησαν επι τας καμηλους και επορευθησαν μετα του ανθρωπου και αναλαβων ο παις την ρεβεκκαν απηλθεν

62 ισαακ δε επορευετο δια της ερημου κατα το φρεαρ της ορασεως αυτος δε κατωκει εν τη γη τη προς λιβα

63 και εξηλθεν ισαακ αδολεσχησαι εις το πεδιον το προς δειλης και αναβλεψας τοις οφθαλμοις ειδεν καμηλους ερχομενας

64 και αναβλεψασα ρεβεκκα τοις οφθαλμοις ειδεν τον ισαακ και κατεπηδησεν απο της καμηλου

65 και ειπεν τω παιδι τις εστιν ο ανθρωπος εκεινος ο πορευομενος εν τω πεδιω εις συναντησιν ημιν ειπεν δε ο παις ουτος εστιν ο κυριος μου η δε λαβουσα το θεριστρον περιεβαλετο

66 και διηγησατο ο παις τω ισαακ παντα τα ρηματα α εποιησεν

67 εισηλθεν δε ισαακ εις τον οικον της μητρος αυτου και ελαβεν την ρεβεκκαν και εγενετο αυτου γυνη και ηγαπησεν αυτην και παρεκληθη ισαακ περι σαρρας της μητρος αυτου

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4818

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4818. 'And there Judah saw the daughter of a man, a Canaanite' means the affection for evil begotten by falsity springing from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'the daughter' as the affection for good, dealt with in 2362, and in the contrary sense as the affection for evil, 3024; from the meaning of 'a man' as one who has intelligence and, in the abstract sense, as truth, but in the contrary sense as one who has no intelligence and as falsity, dealt with just above in 4816; and from the meaning of 'a Canaanite' as evil, dealt with in 1573, 1574. From these meanings it is evident that 'the daughter of a man, a Canaanite' means evil begotten by falsity springing from evil. What evil begotten by falsity springing from evil is will be stated below.

[2] Here the origins of the tribe of Judah must be stated first, since these are the subject in this chapter. That tribe, or the Jewish nation, has three origins, the first being Shelah, Judah's son by his Canaanite wife, the second and third being Perez and Zerah, Judah's sons by his daughter-in-law. The descent of the whole Jewish nation from these three sons of Judah is evident from the list of Jacob's sons and grandsons who accompanied him into Egypt, Genesis 46:12, and also from the grouping of them into families, referred to in Moses,

The sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Parzites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites. Numbers 26:20; 1 Chronicles 4:21.

From this the nature of that nation's origin is evident; that is to say, a third of them were descended from a Canaanite mother and two thirds from a daughter-in-law. They were all therefore the product of an illicit union, because marriages to daughters of the Canaanites were strictly forbidden - as may be seen in Genesis 24:3; Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3; 1 Kings 11:2; and Chapters 9, 10 of Ezra - while lying with a daughter-in-law was a capital offence, as is evident in Moses,

As regards a man who has lain with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall be killed; they have committed perversion; 1 their blood shall be upon them. Leviticus 20:12.

What Judah and his daughter-in-law had done together was linked by him to the law regarding leviratical marriages, which lays down the duty of a brother but never of a father, as is evident from verse 26 of the present chapter. Judah's linking of their deed together to this law implies that the sons of Tamar were to be recognized as the sons of Er the firstborn, who was born from the Canaanite mother, and who was evil in Jehovah's eyes and was therefore made to die, verse 7. For initially those born in a leviratical marriage did not belong to the one from whom they had been conceived but to him whose seed was being raised up, as is clear from Deuteronomy 25:5-6, and also from verses 8 and 9 of the present chapter. Furthermore, the sons whom Tamar bore were the result of whoredom, for when Judah went in to her he thought she was a prostitute, verses 15-16, 21. From all this one can see the origin of the Jewish nation and what kind of origin this was; and one can see that their words in John were founded on a lie,

The Jews said to Him, We were not born of whoredom. John 8:41.

[3] As regards what that origin implies and what it represents, this is evident from what follows. That is to say, those people's interiors were the same or had the same origin. Judah's marriage to a Canaanite implies and represents an origin that consisted in evil begotten by falsity springing from evil, for this is what is meant in the internal sense by 'the daughter of a man, a Canaanite'. And his lying through whoredom with his daughter-in-law implies and represents condemnation due to truth falsified by evil, for throughout the Word 'whoredom' means the falsification of truth, see 3703. 2 Evil begotten by falsity springing from evil is an evil life resulting from a false teaching hatched by the evil of self-love - that is, by those governed by this evil - and backed up by a use of the sense of the letter of the Word. This is what the origin of the evil in the Jewish nation is like, and what the origin of the evil is like in the Christian world, especially among those meant in the Word by Babel. The nature of that evil is such that it closes every path leading into the internal man, closing every path so completely that no conscience at all can be formed there. For if any evil done by a person is due to a false teaching, he believes that this is good because he believes that it is true. He accordingly does it, because he has warrant to do so, with a sense of freedom and delight. All this being so, heaven is closed so completely against him that it cannot be opened.

[4] As an example to explain what this evil is like, take those who from the evil of self-love believe the following: One nation alone is Jehovah's chosen people, in comparison with whom all the rest of mankind are slaves. The rest, they believe, are so base that they may be killed at will and may be treated in a cruel fashion. Such ideas, likewise backed up by a use of the sense of the letter of the Word, were the beliefs of the Jewish nation, as they are also of the Babylonish 3 nation at the present day. Whatever kind of evil done by the latter that is the result of that false teaching, and of any other false teachings built on that one as their foundation, is evil begotten by falsity springing from evil. It destroys the internal man and shuts out even the possibility of any conscience being formed there. These people are referred to in the Word as those immersed in bloodshed; for they treat in savage ways the entire human race because it does not venerate what they believe and so themselves too, and because it does not present its gifts on their altars.

[5] Take another example - those who from the evil of self-love and love of the world believe in the necessity for someone to act as the Lord's vicar on earth. They believe that this person has power to open and close heaven, and so to control everyone's mind and conscience, and they back up this falsity by a use of the sense of the letter of the Word. In their case whatever kind of evil they perform as a result of these ideas is evil begotten by falsity springing from evil, which similarly destroys the internal man in those who are led by that evil to lay claim to that power and so control others. That evil destroys the internal man so completely that people cease to know any longer what the internal man is, or to know of the existence of conscience in anyone, with the result that they cease to believe any longer in a life after death, or in the existence of hell and of heaven, however much they talk about these.

[6] The nature of this evil is such that people in the world cannot tell it apart from other evils; but in the next life angels recognize it quite clearly. For in the next life the countless differences in the essential nature and the origin of evils and falsities are in full view; and it is also the genera and species to which these evils and falsities belong that mark off the hells from one another. Of these countless differences man knows scarcely anything. He believes in the existence of evil but has no knowledge of its essential nature, for the simple reason that he does not know what good is, and does not know what good is because he does not know what charity is. If he knew what the good of charity was he would also know its opposites, which are evils, and also their differences.

Footnotes:

1. literally, confusion

2. Reading 3703 for 3708

3. i. e. Papal

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