The Bible

 

Genesis 3

Study

   

1 ο δε οφις ην φρονιμωτατος παντων των θηριων των επι της γης ων εποιησεν κυριος ο θεος και ειπεν ο οφις τη γυναικι τι οτι ειπεν ο θεος ου μη φαγητε απο παντος ξυλου του εν τω παραδεισω

2 και ειπεν η γυνη τω οφει απο καρπου ξυλου του παραδεισου φαγομεθα

3 απο δε καρπου του ξυλου ο εστιν εν μεσω του παραδεισου ειπεν ο θεος ου φαγεσθε απ' αυτου ουδε μη αψησθε αυτου ινα μη αποθανητε

4 και ειπεν ο οφις τη γυναικι ου θανατω αποθανεισθε

5 ηδει γαρ ο θεος οτι εν η αν ημερα φαγητε απ' αυτου διανοιχθησονται υμων οι οφθαλμοι και εσεσθε ως θεοι γινωσκοντες καλον και πονηρον

6 και ειδεν η γυνη οτι καλον το ξυλον εις βρωσιν και οτι αρεστον τοις οφθαλμοις ιδειν και ωραιον εστιν του κατανοησαι και λαβουσα του καρπου αυτου εφαγεν και εδωκεν και τω ανδρι αυτης μετ' αυτης και εφαγον

7 και διηνοιχθησαν οι οφθαλμοι των δυο και εγνωσαν οτι γυμνοι ησαν και ερραψαν φυλλα συκης και εποιησαν εαυτοις περιζωματα

8 και ηκουσαν την φωνην κυριου του θεου περιπατουντος εν τω παραδεισω το δειλινον και εκρυβησαν ο τε αδαμ και η γυνη αυτου απο προσωπου κυριου του θεου εν μεσω του ξυλου του παραδεισου

9 και εκαλεσεν κυριος ο θεος τον αδαμ και ειπεν αυτω αδαμ που ει

10 και ειπεν αυτω την φωνην σου ηκουσα περιπατουντος εν τω παραδεισω και εφοβηθην οτι γυμνος ειμι και εκρυβην

11 και ειπεν αυτω τις ανηγγειλεν σοι οτι γυμνος ει μη απο του ξυλου ου ενετειλαμην σοι τουτου μονου μη φαγειν απ' αυτου εφαγες

12 και ειπεν ο αδαμ η γυνη ην εδωκας μετ' εμου αυτη μοι εδωκεν απο του ξυλου και εφαγον

13 και ειπεν κυριος ο θεος τη γυναικι τι τουτο εποιησας και ειπεν η γυνη ο οφις ηπατησεν με και εφαγον

14 και ειπεν κυριος ο θεος τω οφει οτι εποιησας τουτο επικαταρατος συ απο παντων των κτηνων και απο παντων των θηριων της γης επι τω στηθει σου και τη κοιλια πορευση και γην φαγη πασας τας ημερας της ζωης σου

15 και εχθραν θησω ανα μεσον σου και ανα μεσον της γυναικος και ανα μεσον του σπερματος σου και ανα μεσον του σπερματος αυτης αυτος σου τηρησει κεφαλην και συ τηρησεις αυτου πτερναν

16 και τη γυναικι ειπεν πληθυνων πληθυνω τας λυπας σου και τον στεναγμον σου εν λυπαις τεξη τεκνα και προς τον ανδρα σου η αποστροφη σου και αυτος σου κυριευσει

17 τω δε αδαμ ειπεν οτι ηκουσας της φωνης της γυναικος σου και εφαγες απο του ξυλου ου ενετειλαμην σοι τουτου μονου μη φαγειν απ' αυτου επικαταρατος η γη εν τοις εργοις σου εν λυπαις φαγη αυτην πασας τας ημερας της ζωης σου

18 ακανθας και τριβολους ανατελει σοι και φαγη τον χορτον του αγρου

19 εν ιδρωτι του προσωπου σου φαγη τον αρτον σου εως του αποστρεψαι σε εις την γην εξ ης ελημφθης οτι γη ει και εις γην απελευση

20 και εκαλεσεν αδαμ το ονομα της γυναικος αυτου ζωη οτι αυτη μητηρ παντων των ζωντων

21 και εποιησεν κυριος ο θεος τω αδαμ και τη γυναικι αυτου χιτωνας δερματινους και ενεδυσεν αυτους

22 και ειπεν ο θεος ιδου αδαμ γεγονεν ως εις εξ ημων του γινωσκειν καλον και πονηρον και νυν μηποτε εκτεινη την χειρα και λαβη του ξυλου της ζωης και φαγη και ζησεται εις τον αιωνα

23 και εξαπεστειλεν αυτον κυριος ο θεος εκ του παραδεισου της τρυφης εργαζεσθαι την γην εξ ης ελημφθη

24 και εξεβαλεν τον αδαμ και κατωκισεν αυτον απεναντι του παραδεισου της τρυφης και εταξεν τα χερουβιμ και την φλογινην ρομφαιαν την στρεφομενην φυλασσειν την οδον του ξυλου της ζωης

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #255

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

255. 'The seed of the woman' is used to mean faith in the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'woman' as the Church, the seed of which is nothing else than faith. It is from faith in the Lord that the Church has its being and gets its name. In Malachi faith is called 'God's seed',

Jehovah was a witness between you and the wife of your youth. And not one has done so, though he has a residue of the spirit. And is there one seeking God's seed? But take heed within your spirit, lest he act treacherously against the wife of your youth. Malachi 2:14-15.

Here 'wife of your youth' is the Ancient Church and the Most Ancient, whose seed or faith is the subject. In Isaiah,

I will pour out waters upon the thirsty land, and streams on the dry. I will pour out [My] Spirit upon your seed and My blessing upon your descendants. Isaiah 44:3.

This too refers to the Church. In Revelation,

The dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her seed, who kept the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17.

And in David,

I have made a covenant with My Chosen One, I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed even for ever; and I will set up his seed in perpetuity, and his throne as the days of the heavens; his seed will be for ever, and his throne will be like the sun in front of Me. Psalms 89:7, 4, 29, 36.

Here David is used to mean the Lord, 'his throne' to mean His Kingdom, 'the sun' love, and 'seed' faith.

  
/ 10837  
  

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

The Bible

 

Revelation 12

Study

   

1 A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

2 She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth.

3 Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns.

4 His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne.

6 The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.

7 There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war.

8 They didn't prevail, neither was a place found for him any more in heaven.

9 The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10 I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now is come the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.

11 They overcame him because of the Lamb's blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn't love their life, even to death.

12 Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time."

13 When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.

14 Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

15 The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.

16 The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth.

17 The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep God's commandments and hold Jesus' testimony.