The Bible

 

Genesis 28

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1 προσκαλεσαμενος δε ισαακ τον ιακωβ ευλογησεν αυτον και ενετειλατο αυτω λεγων ου λημψη γυναικα εκ των θυγατερων χανααν

2 αναστας αποδραθι εις την μεσοποταμιαν εις τον οικον βαθουηλ του πατρος της μητρος σου και λαβε σεαυτω εκειθεν γυναικα εκ των θυγατερων λαβαν του αδελφου της μητρος σου

3 ο δε θεος μου ευλογησαι σε και αυξησαι σε και πληθυναι σε και εση εις συναγωγας εθνων

4 και δωη σοι την ευλογιαν αβρααμ του πατρος μου σοι και τω σπερματι σου μετα σε κληρονομησαι την γην της παροικησεως σου ην εδωκεν ο θεος τω αβρααμ

5 και απεστειλεν ισαακ τον ιακωβ και επορευθη εις την μεσοποταμιαν προς λαβαν τον υιον βαθουηλ του συρου αδελφον δε ρεβεκκας της μητρος ιακωβ και ησαυ

6 ειδεν δε ησαυ οτι ευλογησεν ισαακ τον ιακωβ και απωχετο εις την μεσοποταμιαν συριας λαβειν εαυτω εκειθεν γυναικα εν τω ευλογειν αυτον και ενετειλατο αυτω λεγων ου λημψη γυναικα απο των θυγατερων χανααν

7 και ηκουσεν ιακωβ του πατρος και της μητρος αυτου και επορευθη εις την μεσοποταμιαν συριας

8 και ειδεν ησαυ οτι πονηραι εισιν αι θυγατερες χανααν εναντιον ισαακ του πατρος αυτου

9 και επορευθη ησαυ προς ισμαηλ και ελαβεν την μαελεθ θυγατερα ισμαηλ του υιου αβρααμ αδελφην ναβαιωθ προς ταις γυναιξιν αυτου γυναικα

10 και εξηλθεν ιακωβ απο του φρεατος του ορκου και επορευθη εις χαρραν

11 και απηντησεν τοπω και εκοιμηθη εκει εδυ γαρ ο ηλιος και ελαβεν απο των λιθων του τοπου και εθηκεν προς κεφαλης αυτου και εκοιμηθη εν τω τοπω εκεινω

12 και ενυπνιασθη και ιδου κλιμαξ εστηριγμενη εν τη γη ης η κεφαλη αφικνειτο εις τον ουρανον και οι αγγελοι του θεου ανεβαινον και κατεβαινον επ' αυτης

13 ο δε κυριος επεστηρικτο επ' αυτης και ειπεν εγω κυριος ο θεος αβρααμ του πατρος σου και ο θεος ισαακ μη φοβου η γη εφ' ης συ καθευδεις επ' αυτης σοι δωσω αυτην και τω σπερματι σου

14 και εσται το σπερμα σου ως η αμμος της γης και πλατυνθησεται επι θαλασσαν και επι λιβα και επι βορραν και επ' ανατολας και ενευλογηθησονται εν σοι πασαι αι φυλαι της γης και εν τω σπερματι σου

15 και ιδου εγω μετα σου διαφυλασσων σε εν τη οδω παση ου εαν πορευθης και αποστρεψω σε εις την γην ταυτην οτι ου μη σε εγκαταλιπω εως του ποιησαι με παντα οσα ελαλησα σοι

16 και εξηγερθη ιακωβ απο του υπνου αυτου και ειπεν οτι εστιν κυριος εν τω τοπω τουτω εγω δε ουκ ηδειν

17 και εφοβηθη και ειπεν ως φοβερος ο τοπος ουτος ουκ εστιν τουτο αλλ' η οικος θεου και αυτη η πυλη του ουρανου

18 και ανεστη ιακωβ το πρωι και ελαβεν τον λιθον ον υπεθηκεν εκει προς κεφαλης αυτου και εστησεν αυτον στηλην και επεχεεν ελαιον επι το ακρον αυτης

19 και εκαλεσεν ιακωβ το ονομα του τοπου εκεινου οικος θεου και ουλαμλους ην ονομα τη πολει το προτερον

20 και ηυξατο ιακωβ ευχην λεγων εαν η κυριος ο θεος μετ' εμου και διαφυλαξη με εν τη οδω ταυτη η εγω πορευομαι και δω μοι αρτον φαγειν και ιματιον περιβαλεσθαι

21 και αποστρεψη με μετα σωτηριας εις τον οικον του πατρος μου και εσται μοι κυριος εις θεον

22 και ο λιθος ουτος ον εστησα στηλην εσται μοι οικος θεου και παντων ων εαν μοι δως δεκατην αποδεκατωσω αυτα σοι

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3734

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3734. 'And will give me bread to eat' means even to the point of being joined to Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'bread' as all celestial and spiritual good, which comes from the Lord, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself as regards Divine Good, dealt with in 276, 680, 1798, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, and from the meaning of 'eating' as being communicated, being made one's own, and being joined to, dealt with in 2187, 2343, 3168, 3513 (end), 3596.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #276

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276. That 'eating bread with sweat on the brow' means strong dislike of what is celestial becomes clear from the meaning of 'bread'. Bread is used to mean everything spiritual and celestial, which is the food of angels, and if they were deprived of it they would cease to live, as a person deprived of bread or food ceases to do. That which is celestial and spiritual in heaven also corresponds to bread on earth, and is also represented by bread, as is clear from many places [in the Word]. That the Lord is Bread, because He is the source of everything celestial and spiritual, He Himself teaches in John,

This is the Bread which came down from heaven; anyone who eats this Bread will live forever John 6:58.

This also is why bread and wine are the symbols used in the Holy Supper. This same celestial [or spiritual) was also represented by the manna. That what is celestial and spiritual is the food of angels is clear also from the Lord's own words,

Man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4, that is, from the life of the Lord, who is the source of everything celestial and spiritual.

[2] The final generation of the Most Ancient Church which came immediately before the Flood and which is the subject here was so perverse and immersed in sensory and bodily interests that they did not wish to hear what the truth of faith was, nor what the Lord's coming to save them would be. And if these matters were ever mentioned they did not like it at all. This strong dislike is described as 'eating bread with sweat on the brow'. It was similar with the Jews; being people who did not acknowledge heavenly things, and who wished for a purely earthly Messiah, they inevitably found the manna distasteful, since it was a ration of the Lord; and they called it worthless bread. This was why serpents were sent among them, Numbers 21:5-6. Furthermore the heavenly things, which they obtained in adversity, in affliction, and with tears, were called by them the bread of adversity, the bread of affliction, and the bread of tears. 1 Those things which men obtained but strongly disliked are described in the present verse as 'the bread of the sweat on his brow'.

Footnotes:

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