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Genesis 25

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1 προσθεμενος δε αβρααμ ελαβεν γυναικα η ονομα χεττουρα

2 ετεκεν δε αυτω τον ζεμραν και τον ιεξαν και τον μαδαν και τον μαδιαμ και τον ιεσβοκ και τον σωυε

3 ιεξαν δε εγεννησεν τον σαβα και τον θαιμαν και τον δαιδαν υιοι δε δαιδαν εγενοντο ραγουηλ και ναβδεηλ και ασσουριιμ και λατουσιιμ και λοωμιμ

4 υιοι δε μαδιαμ γαιφα και αφερ και ενωχ και αβιρα και ελραγα παντες ουτοι ησαν υιοι χεττουρας

5 εδωκεν δε αβρααμ παντα τα υπαρχοντα αυτου ισαακ τω υιω αυτου

6 και τοις υιοις των παλλακων αυτου εδωκεν αβρααμ δοματα και εξαπεστειλεν αυτους απο ισαακ του υιου αυτου ετι ζωντος αυτου προς ανατολας εις γην ανατολων

7 ταυτα δε τα ετη ημερων ζωης αβρααμ οσα εζησεν εκατον εβδομηκοντα πεντε ετη

8 και εκλιπων απεθανεν αβρααμ εν γηρει καλω πρεσβυτης και πληρης ημερων και προσετεθη προς τον λαον αυτου

9 και εθαψαν αυτον ισαακ και ισμαηλ οι υιοι αυτου εις το σπηλαιον το διπλουν εις τον αγρον εφρων του σααρ του χετταιου ο εστιν απεναντι μαμβρη

10 τον αγρον και το σπηλαιον ο εκτησατο αβρααμ παρα των υιων χετ εκει εθαψαν αβρααμ και σαρραν την γυναικα αυτου

11 εγενετο δε μετα το αποθανειν αβρααμ ευλογησεν ο θεος ισαακ τον υιον αυτου και κατωκησεν ισαακ παρα το φρεαρ της ορασεως

12 αυται δε αι γενεσεις ισμαηλ του υιου αβρααμ ον ετεκεν αγαρ η παιδισκη σαρρας τω αβρααμ

13 και ταυτα τα ονοματα των υιων ισμαηλ κατ' ονομα των γενεων αυτου πρωτοτοκος ισμαηλ ναβαιωθ και κηδαρ και ναβδεηλ και μασσαμ

14 και μασμα και ιδουμα και μασση

15 και χοδδαδ και θαιμαν και ιετουρ και ναφες και κεδμα

16 ουτοι εισιν οι υιοι ισμαηλ και ταυτα τα ονοματα αυτων εν ταις σκηναις αυτων και εν ταις επαυλεσιν αυτων δωδεκα αρχοντες κατα εθνη αυτων

17 και ταυτα τα ετη της ζωης ισμαηλ εκατον τριακοντα επτα ετη και εκλιπων απεθανεν και προσετεθη προς το γενος αυτου

18 κατωκησεν δε απο ευιλατ εως σουρ η εστιν κατα προσωπον αιγυπτου εως ελθειν προς ασσυριους κατα προσωπον παντων των αδελφων αυτου κατωκησεν

19 και αυται αι γενεσεις ισαακ του υιου αβρααμ αβρααμ εγεννησεν τον ισαακ

20 ην δε ισαακ ετων τεσσαρακοντα οτε ελαβεν την ρεβεκκαν θυγατερα βαθουηλ του συρου εκ της μεσοποταμιας αδελφην λαβαν του συρου εαυτω γυναικα

21 εδειτο δε ισαακ κυριου περι ρεβεκκας της γυναικος αυτου οτι στειρα ην επηκουσεν δε αυτου ο θεος και ελαβεν εν γαστρι ρεβεκκα η γυνη αυτου

22 εσκιρτων δε τα παιδια εν αυτη ειπεν δε ει ουτως μοι μελλει γινεσθαι ινα τι μοι τουτο επορευθη δε πυθεσθαι παρα κυριου

23 και ειπεν κυριος αυτη δυο εθνη εν τη γαστρι σου εισιν και δυο λαοι εκ της κοιλιας σου διασταλησονται και λαος λαου υπερεξει και ο μειζων δουλευσει τω ελασσονι

24 και επληρωθησαν αι ημεραι του τεκειν αυτην και τηδε ην διδυμα εν τη κοιλια αυτης

25 εξηλθεν δε ο υιος ο πρωτοτοκος πυρρακης ολος ωσει δορα δασυς επωνομασεν δε το ονομα αυτου ησαυ

26 και μετα τουτο εξηλθεν ο αδελφος αυτου και η χειρ αυτου επειλημμενη της πτερνης ησαυ και εκαλεσεν το ονομα αυτου ιακωβ ισαακ δε ην ετων εξηκοντα οτε ετεκεν αυτους ρεβεκκα

27 ηυξηθησαν δε οι νεανισκοι και ην ησαυ ανθρωπος ειδως κυνηγειν αγροικος ιακωβ δε ην ανθρωπος απλαστος οικων οικιαν

28 ηγαπησεν δε ισαακ τον ησαυ οτι η θηρα αυτου βρωσις αυτω ρεβεκκα δε ηγαπα τον ιακωβ

29 ηψησεν δε ιακωβ εψεμα ηλθεν δε ησαυ εκ του πεδιου εκλειπων

30 και ειπεν ησαυ τω ιακωβ γευσον με απο του εψεματος του πυρρου τουτου οτι εκλειπω δια τουτο εκληθη το ονομα αυτου εδωμ

31 ειπεν δε ιακωβ τω ησαυ αποδου μοι σημερον τα πρωτοτοκια σου εμοι

32 ειπεν δε ησαυ ιδου εγω πορευομαι τελευταν και ινα τι μοι ταυτα τα πρωτοτοκια

33 και ειπεν αυτω ιακωβ ομοσον μοι σημερον και ωμοσεν αυτω απεδοτο δε ησαυ τα πρωτοτοκια τω ιακωβ

34 ιακωβ δε εδωκεν τω ησαυ αρτον και εψεμα φακου και εφαγεν και επιεν και αναστας ωχετο και εφαυλισεν ησαυ τα πρωτοτοκια

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1928

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1928. 'Near the spring on the road to Shur' means that this truth was an assemblage of things which come from facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'a spring', also from that of 'a road', as well as from the meaning of 'Shur'. 'A spring', as has been stated, means truth; 'a road' means that which leads to truth and which comes from truth, as shown already in 627; while 'Shur' means factual knowledge such as is still in the desert so to speak, that is, which has not yet acquired any life. Truths that come from facts are said to acquire life when they ally or associate themselves with truths into which the celestial element of love is flowing, the source of the actual life of truth. Real things, and thus truths, exist joined together in the way that communities in heaven are joined together, to which communities they also correspond; for interiorly man is a kind of miniature heaven. Real things, or truths, which do not exist joined together in accordance with the form which heavenly communities possess have not as yet acquired any life; for prior to this the celestial element of love from the Lord cannot fittingly flow in. They first receive life when a similar form exists on both sides, that is, when the miniature heaven in man is a corresponding image of the Grand [Man]. Prior to that nobody can be called a heaven-like man.

[2] The Lord, who from Himself was to govern the whole of heaven, imposed such order while He was in the world on the truths and goods present with His External Man, that is, with His Human Essence. But because He perceived that such order did not exist with His rational conceived first, as was stated above at verses 4 and 5, He thought about and perceived the reason why. This was that natural truths arising from facts did not as yet have any life in them, that is, that heavenly order had not been imposed on them. Furthermore truths of faith never possess any life unless a person is leading a charitable life, charity being that form from which all truths of faith flow, and that in which they inhere; and when they inhere in and flow from charity they possess life. It is in charity that life resides, never in truths devoid of charity.

[3] That 'Shur' means factual knowledge that as yet has not acquired life is clear from the meaning of this name. Shur was a desert not far from the Sea Suph, and so lay in the direction of Egypt, as is clear in Moses,

Moses made Israel journey from the Sea Suph, and they went out to the desert of Shur; from there they went three days in the desert, and did not find any water. Exodus 15:22.

That it lay in the direction of Egypt is again clear in Moses where the descendants of Ishmael are the subject,

They dwelt from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt. 1 Genesis 25:18.

And in Samuel,

Saul defeated Amalek from Havilah as you come to Shur, which is opposite Egypt'. 1 1 Samuel 15:7.

And elsewhere in 1 Samuel,

David spread out against the Geshurites, and the Gizrites, and the Amalekites, who inhabited the land from of old, as you come to Shur and as far as the land of Egypt. 1 Samuel 27:8.

These quotations show that 'Shur' means primary factual knowledge, in particular such as is still in the desert, that is, not yet joined to all the rest in accordance with the form which heavenly communities possess, for 'Egypt' which it was opposite 2 means knowledge in every sense, as shown already in 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462.

Footnotes:

1. literally, towards the faces of Egypt

2. literally, towards the face of which it was

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

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