New Christian Bible Study

The Bible

 

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 #3300

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3300. 'And the first came out, ruddy all over, like a hairy garment' 1 means good constituting the life of natural truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming out' as being born, from the meaning of 'ruddy' as good constituting the life, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'a hairy garment' as the truth of the natural, also dealt with below. His being 'the first' means that in essence good is prior, as stated above in 3299. It is also called 'a hairy garment' so as to mean that good was clothed with truth as in a thin casing or body, as also stated above in 3299. In the Word 'a tunic' means nothing else in the internal sense than something that clothes another thing, and that also is why truths are compared to garments, 1073, 2576.

[2] The reason why 'ruddy' or 'red' means good constituting the life is that all good flows from love, and love itself is celestial and spiritual fire. Love is also compared to and actually called fire, see 933-936, as well as being compared to and actually called blood, 1001. Because both fire and blood are red, good that flows from love is meant by 'ruddy' and 'red', as may also be seen from the following places in the Word: In the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel,

He will wash his clothing in wine and his garment in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. Genesis 49:11-12.

This refers to Judah, who is used here to mean the Lord, as may be clear to anyone. 'Clothing' here and 'garment' are the Lord's Divine Natural. 'wine' and 'the blood of grapes' are the Divine Good and Divine Truth of the Natural - Divine Good being spoken of as 'eyes redder than wine', and Divine Truth as 'teeth whiter than milk'. It is the joining together of good and truth within the Natural that is described in this fashion.

[3] In Isaiah,

Who is this who is coming from Edom, red as to his clothing, and his clothes like his that treads in the winepress? Isaiah 63:1-2.

Here 'Edom' stands for the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Natural, as will be evident later on. 'Red as to clothing' is the good of truth, and 'clothes like his that treads in the winepress' the truth of good. In Jeremiah,

Her Nazirites were brighter than snow, they were whiter than milk. They were ruddier in body 2 than rubies, polished like sapphire. 3 Lamentations 4:7.

'Nazirites' represented the Lord's Divine Human, in particular the Divine Natural, and so the good of the latter was represented by their being 'ruddier in body than rubies'.

[4] Because 'red' meant good, in particular the good of the natural, the Jewish Church - in which every single thing was representative of the Lord, and from this of His kingdom, and consequently of good and truth which are the source of the Lord's kingdom - was therefore commanded to have a covering for the tabernacle of red-rams' skins, Exodus 25:5; 26:14; 35:5-7, 23; 36:19. That Church was also commanded to prepare the water for making atonement from the ashes of the red heifer that had been burnt, Numbers 19:2 and following verses. Unless the colour red had been a sign of something heavenly in the Lord's kingdom, it would never have been commanded that the rams should be red and that the heifer should be red. The fact that they represented sacred things anyone acknowledges who considers the Word to be sacred. Because the colour red had that meaning, therefore also the coverings of the Tabernacle were interwoven with, and had loops made of, scarlet, purple, and violet yarn, Exodus 35:6.

[5] Seeing that almost everything also has a contrary sense, as often stated, so too has 'red'. In the contrary sense 'red' means evil that is the outcome of self-love, the reasons for this being that the desires belonging to self-love are compared to and actually called fire, 934 (end), 1297, 1527, 1528, 1861, 2446, and are likewise compared to and actually called blood, 374, 954, 1005. Consequently 'red' in the contrary sense means those things, as in Isaiah,

Jehovah said, Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. Though they are red as crimson, 4 they will be as wool. Isaiah 1:18.

In Nahum,

The shields of the mighty men of Belial have been made red, the mighty men are in crimson!; enveloped in the fire of torches are the chariots on the day [of preparation]. Nahum 2:3.

In John,

Another sign appeared in heaven, Behold, a great fiery-red dragon having seven heads, and on his heads seven jewels. Revelation 12:3.

In the same book,

I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; to him a crown was given; he went out conquering and to conquer. Then there came out another horse, fiery-red; and he who sat on the horse was permitted to take peace away from the earth, and so that men would slay one another. Therefore to him was given a great sword. After that a black horse came out, and at length a pale horse, whose name is death. Revelation 6:2-8.

Footnotes:

1. The Latin word is tunica, which is discussed in 4677.

2. literally, bone

3. literally, sapphire their polishing

4. literally, purple

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

The Bible

 

Lamentations 4

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1 How is the gold become dim! [how] is the most pure gold changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.

2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

3 Even the jackals draw out the breast, they nurse their young ones: The daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

4 The tongue of the nursing child clings to the roof of his mouth for thirst: The young children ask bread, and no man breaks it to them.

5 Those who did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: Those who were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

6 For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, That was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid on her.

7 Her nobles were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire.

8 Their appearance is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: Their skin clings to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.

9 Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger; For these pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field.

10 The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children; They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11 Yahweh has accomplished his wrath, he has poured out his fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has devoured its foundations.

12 The kings of the earth didn't believe, neither all the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem.

13 [It is] because of the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her priests, That have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.

14 They wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood, So that men can't touch their garments.

15 Depart! they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don't touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more live [here].

16 The anger of Yahweh has scattered them; he will no more regard them: They didn't respect the persons of the priests, they didn't favor the elders.

17 Our eyes do yet fail [in looking] for our vain help: In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.

18 They hunt our steps, so that we can't go in our streets: Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky: They chased us on the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Yahweh, was taken in their pits; Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.

21 Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, that dwell in the land of Uz: The cup shall pass through to you also; you shall be drunken, and shall make yourself naked.

22 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion; he will no more carry you away into captivity: He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom; he will uncover your sins.

   

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