The Bible

 

Genesis 29

Study

   

1 και εξαρας ιακωβ τους ποδας επορευθη εις γην ανατολων προς λαβαν τον υιον βαθουηλ του συρου αδελφον δε ρεβεκκας μητρος ιακωβ και ησαυ

2 και ορα και ιδου φρεαρ εν τω πεδιω ησαν δε εκει τρια ποιμνια προβατων αναπαυομενα επ' αυτου εκ γαρ του φρεατος εκεινου εποτιζον τα ποιμνια λιθος δε ην μεγας επι τω στοματι του φρεατος

3 και συνηγοντο εκει παντα τα ποιμνια και απεκυλιον τον λιθον απο του στοματος του φρεατος και εποτιζον τα προβατα και απεκαθιστων τον λιθον επι το στομα του φρεατος εις τον τοπον αυτου

4 ειπεν δε αυτοις ιακωβ αδελφοι ποθεν εστε υμεις οι δε ειπαν εκ χαρραν εσμεν

5 ειπεν δε αυτοις γινωσκετε λαβαν τον υιον ναχωρ οι δε ειπαν γινωσκομεν

6 ειπεν δε αυτοις υγιαινει οι δε ειπαν υγιαινει και ιδου ραχηλ η θυγατηρ αυτου ηρχετο μετα των προβατων

7 και ειπεν ιακωβ ετι εστιν ημερα πολλη ουπω ωρα συναχθηναι τα κτηνη ποτισαντες τα προβατα απελθοντες βοσκετε

8 οι δε ειπαν ου δυνησομεθα εως του συναχθηναι παντας τους ποιμενας και αποκυλισωσιν τον λιθον απο του στοματος του φρεατος και ποτιουμεν τα προβατα

9 ετι αυτου λαλουντος αυτοις και ραχηλ η θυγατηρ λαβαν ηρχετο μετα των προβατων του πατρος αυτης αυτη γαρ εβοσκεν τα προβατα του πατρος αυτης

10 εγενετο δε ως ειδεν ιακωβ την ραχηλ θυγατερα λαβαν αδελφου της μητρος αυτου και τα προβατα λαβαν αδελφου της μητρος αυτου και προσελθων ιακωβ απεκυλισεν τον λιθον απο του στοματος του φρεατος και εποτισεν τα προβατα λαβαν του αδελφου της μητρος αυτου

11 και εφιλησεν ιακωβ την ραχηλ και βοησας τη φωνη αυτου εκλαυσεν

12 και ανηγγειλεν τη ραχηλ οτι αδελφος του πατρος αυτης εστιν και οτι υιος ρεβεκκας εστιν και δραμουσα απηγγειλεν τω πατρι αυτης κατα τα ρηματα ταυτα

13 εγενετο δε ως ηκουσεν λαβαν το ονομα ιακωβ του υιου της αδελφης αυτου εδραμεν εις συναντησιν αυτω και περιλαβων αυτον εφιλησεν και εισηγαγεν αυτον εις τον οικον αυτου και διηγησατο τω λαβαν παντας τους λογους τουτους

14 και ειπεν αυτω λαβαν εκ των οστων μου και εκ της σαρκος μου ει συ και ην μετ' αυτου μηνα ημερων

15 ειπεν δε λαβαν τω ιακωβ οτι γαρ αδελφος μου ει ου δουλευσεις μοι δωρεαν απαγγειλον μοι τις ο μισθος σου εστιν

16 τω δε λαβαν δυο θυγατερες ονομα τη μειζονι λεια και ονομα τη νεωτερα ραχηλ

17 οι δε οφθαλμοι λειας ασθενεις ραχηλ δε καλη τω ειδει και ωραια τη οψει

18 ηγαπησεν δε ιακωβ την ραχηλ και ειπεν δουλευσω σοι επτα ετη περι ραχηλ της θυγατρος σου της νεωτερας

19 ειπεν δε αυτω λαβαν βελτιον δουναι με αυτην σοι η δουναι με αυτην ανδρι ετερω οικησον μετ' εμου

20 και εδουλευσεν ιακωβ περι ραχηλ ετη επτα και ησαν εναντιον αυτου ως ημεραι ολιγαι παρα το αγαπαν αυτον αυτην

21 ειπεν δε ιακωβ προς λαβαν αποδος την γυναικα μου πεπληρωνται γαρ αι ημεραι μου οπως εισελθω προς αυτην

22 συνηγαγεν δε λαβαν παντας τους ανδρας του τοπου και εποιησεν γαμον

23 και εγενετο εσπερα και λαβων λαβαν λειαν την θυγατερα αυτου εισηγαγεν αυτην προς ιακωβ και εισηλθεν προς αυτην ιακωβ

24 εδωκεν δε λαβαν λεια τη θυγατρι αυτου ζελφαν την παιδισκην αυτου αυτη παιδισκην

25 εγενετο δε πρωι και ιδου ην λεια ειπεν δε ιακωβ τω λαβαν τι τουτο εποιησας μοι ου περι ραχηλ εδουλευσα παρα σοι και ινα τι παρελογισω με

26 ειπεν δε λαβαν ουκ εστιν ουτως εν τω τοπω ημων δουναι την νεωτεραν πριν η την πρεσβυτεραν

27 συντελεσον ουν τα εβδομα ταυτης και δωσω σοι και ταυτην αντι της εργασιας ης εργα παρ' εμοι ετι επτα ετη ετερα

28 εποιησεν δε ιακωβ ουτως και ανεπληρωσεν τα εβδομα ταυτης και εδωκεν αυτω λαβαν ραχηλ την θυγατερα αυτου αυτω γυναικα

29 εδωκεν δε λαβαν ραχηλ τη θυγατρι αυτου βαλλαν την παιδισκην αυτου αυτη παιδισκην

30 και εισηλθεν προς ραχηλ ηγαπησεν δε ραχηλ μαλλον η λειαν και εδουλευσεν αυτω επτα ετη ετερα

31 ιδων δε κυριος οτι μισειται λεια ηνοιξεν την μητραν αυτης ραχηλ δε ην στειρα

32 και συνελαβεν λεια και ετεκεν υιον τω ιακωβ εκαλεσεν δε το ονομα αυτου ρουβην λεγουσα διοτι ειδεν μου κυριος την ταπεινωσιν νυν με αγαπησει ο ανηρ μου

33 και συνελαβεν παλιν λεια και ετεκεν υιον δευτερον τω ιακωβ και ειπεν οτι ηκουσεν κυριος οτι μισουμαι και προσεδωκεν μοι και τουτον εκαλεσεν δε το ονομα αυτου συμεων

34 και συνελαβεν ετι και ετεκεν υιον και ειπεν εν τω νυν καιρω προς εμου εσται ο ανηρ μου ετεκον γαρ αυτω τρεις υιους δια τουτο εκαλεσεν το ονομα αυτου λευι

35 και συλλαβουσα ετι ετεκεν υιον και ειπεν νυν ετι τουτο εξομολογησομαι κυριω δια τουτο εκαλεσεν το ονομα αυτου ιουδα και εστη του τικτειν

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3793

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

3793. 'Rachel came with the flock' means the affection for interior truth belonging to the Church and to doctrine. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, and from the meaning of 'the flock' as the Church and also as doctrine, dealt with in 3767, 3768, 3783. To enable it to be known how 'Rachel' represents the affection for interior truth, and 'Leah' the affection for exterior truth, let a brief statement be made about the matter: The natural, which 'Jacob' represents, consists of good and of truth; and within the natural, as within every single part in the human being, and indeed within the whole natural order, there ought to be a marriage of good and truth. Without this marriage nothing is produced, for every act of bringing forth and every effect is from that marriage. When he is born there is no marriage of good and truth within a person's natural because the human being, unlike other creatures, is not born into a condition where Divine order is present. It is true that good which goes with innocence and charity is present, flowing from the Lord in earliest childhood; but no truth is present to which that good may be coupled. As he advances in life this good which has been instilled by the Lord into a person in early childhood is drawn in towards the interior parts and kept there by the Lord so that it may serve to modify the states of life which he experiences subsequently. As a consequence without the good belonging to his infancy and early childhood the human being would be worse and more vicious than any wild animal. When that good belonging to earliest childhood is drawn inwards, evil in that case takes its place and enters the person's natural. Falsity then couples itself to that evil, and a joining together and so to speak a marriage of evil and falsity takes place with him. If a person is to be saved therefore, he has to be regenerated. Evil has to be removed and good instilled by the Lord. And in the measure that he receives good truth is instilled into him so that a coupling, or so to speak marriage, of good and truth takes place.

[2] These are the matters represented by Jacob and his two wives, Rachel and Leah. 'Jacob' now takes on the representation of natural good therefore, and 'Rachel' that of truth. But since all joining of truth to good is effected through affection, it is the affection for truth coupled to good that 'Rachel' represents. Furthermore the natural, like the rational, has an interior and an exterior. 'Rachel' represents the affection for interior truth, and 'Leah' the affection for exterior truth. 'Laban', who is their father, represents a good that springs from a common stock, but is a parallel good, as has been stated. That good is the good which in the parallel line corresponds to the truth of the rational, which is 'Rebekah', 3012, 3013, 3077. Daughters descended from that good therefore represent affections existing within the natural, for these are like daughters fathered by that good. And because those affections are to be coupled to natural good they consequently represent affections for truth - the first representing the affection for interior truth, the second the affection for exterior truth.

[3] The regeneration of a person's natural is altogether like Jacob and Laban's two daughters, Rachel and Leah. Anyone therefore who can see and understand the internal sense of the Word sees this arcanum which has been disclosed to him, but no one else is able to see it except him in whom good and truth are present. No others, no matter how good a perception they may have of the things to do with personal life and life in society and may seem to be highly intelligent, are able to see and then to acknowledge anything at all of that arcanum. Indeed they do not know what good and truth are, for they imagine evil to be good, and falsity to be truth. For this reason the moment good is mentioned the idea of evil presents itself, and the moment truth is mentioned the idea of falsity does so. Consequently they perceive nothing of the things contained in the internal sense, but as soon as they hear anything of it darkness descends which extinguishes the light.

  
/ 10837  
  

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