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Genesis 32

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1 αναστας δε λαβαν το πρωι κατεφιλησεν τους υιους αυτου και τας θυγατερας αυτου και ευλογησεν αυτους και αποστραφεις λαβαν απηλθεν εις τον τοπον αυτου

2 και ιακωβ απηλθεν εις την εαυτου οδον και αναβλεψας ειδεν παρεμβολην θεου παρεμβεβληκυιαν και συνηντησαν αυτω οι αγγελοι του θεου

3 ειπεν δε ιακωβ ηνικα ειδεν αυτους παρεμβολη θεου αυτη και εκαλεσεν το ονομα του τοπου εκεινου παρεμβολαι

4 απεστειλεν δε ιακωβ αγγελους εμπροσθεν αυτου προς ησαυ τον αδελφον αυτου εις γην σηιρ εις χωραν εδωμ

5 και ενετειλατο αυτοις λεγων ουτως ερειτε τω κυριω μου ησαυ ουτως λεγει ο παις σου ιακωβ μετα λαβαν παρωκησα και εχρονισα εως του νυν

6 και εγενοντο μοι βοες και ονοι και προβατα και παιδες και παιδισκαι και απεστειλα αναγγειλαι τω κυριω μου ησαυ ινα ευρη ο παις σου χαριν εναντιον σου

7 και ανεστρεψαν οι αγγελοι προς ιακωβ λεγοντες ηλθομεν προς τον αδελφον σου ησαυ και ιδου αυτος ερχεται εις συναντησιν σοι και τετρακοσιοι ανδρες μετ' αυτου

8 εφοβηθη δε ιακωβ σφοδρα και ηπορειτο και διειλεν τον λαον τον μετ' αυτου και τους βοας και τα προβατα εις δυο παρεμβολας

9 και ειπεν ιακωβ εαν ελθη ησαυ εις παρεμβολην μιαν και εκκοψη αυτην εσται η παρεμβολη η δευτερα εις το σωζεσθαι

10 ειπεν δε ιακωβ ο θεος του πατρος μου αβρααμ και ο θεος του πατρος μου ισαακ κυριε ο ειπας μοι αποτρεχε εις την γην της γενεσεως σου και ευ σε ποιησω

11 ικανουται μοι απο πασης δικαιοσυνης και απο πασης αληθειας ης εποιησας τω παιδι σου εν γαρ τη ραβδω μου διεβην τον ιορδανην τουτον νυν δε γεγονα εις δυο παρεμβολας

12 εξελου με εκ χειρος του αδελφου μου ησαυ οτι φοβουμαι εγω αυτον μηποτε ελθων παταξη με και μητερα επι τεκνοις

13 συ δε ειπας καλως ευ σε ποιησω και θησω το σπερμα σου ως την αμμον της θαλασσης η ουκ αριθμηθησεται απο του πληθους

14 και εκοιμηθη εκει την νυκτα εκεινην και ελαβεν ων εφερεν δωρα και εξαπεστειλεν ησαυ τω αδελφω αυτου

15 αιγας διακοσιας τραγους εικοσι προβατα διακοσια κριους εικοσι

16 καμηλους θηλαζουσας και τα παιδια αυτων τριακοντα βοας τεσσαρακοντα ταυρους δεκα ονους εικοσι και πωλους δεκα

17 και εδωκεν δια χειρος τοις παισιν αυτου ποιμνιον κατα μονας ειπεν δε τοις παισιν αυτου προπορευεσθε εμπροσθεν μου και διαστημα ποιειτε ανα μεσον ποιμνης και ποιμνης

18 και ενετειλατο τω πρωτω λεγων εαν σοι συναντηση ησαυ ο αδελφος μου και ερωτα σε λεγων τινος ει και που πορευη και τινος ταυτα τα προπορευομενα σου

19 ερεις του παιδος σου ιακωβ δωρα απεσταλκεν τω κυριω μου ησαυ και ιδου αυτος οπισω ημων

20 και ενετειλατο τω πρωτω και τω δευτερω και τω τριτω και πασι τοις προπορευομενοις οπισω των ποιμνιων τουτων λεγων κατα το ρημα τουτο λαλησατε ησαυ εν τω ευρειν υμας αυτον

21 και ερειτε ιδου ο παις σου ιακωβ παραγινεται οπισω ημων ειπεν γαρ εξιλασομαι το προσωπον αυτου εν τοις δωροις τοις προπορευομενοις αυτου και μετα τουτο οψομαι το προσωπον αυτου ισως γαρ προσδεξεται το προσωπον μου

22 και παρεπορευοντο τα δωρα κατα προσωπον αυτου αυτος δε εκοιμηθη την νυκτα εκεινην εν τη παρεμβολη

23 αναστας δε την νυκτα εκεινην ελαβεν τας δυο γυναικας και τας δυο παιδισκας και τα ενδεκα παιδια αυτου και διεβη την διαβασιν του ιαβοκ

24 και ελαβεν αυτους και διεβη τον χειμαρρουν και διεβιβασεν παντα τα αυτου

25 υπελειφθη δε ιακωβ μονος και επαλαιεν ανθρωπος μετ' αυτου εως πρωι

26 ειδεν δε οτι ου δυναται προς αυτον και ηψατο του πλατους του μηρου αυτου και εναρκησεν το πλατος του μηρου ιακωβ εν τω παλαιειν αυτον μετ' αυτου

27 και ειπεν αυτω αποστειλον με ανεβη γαρ ο ορθρος ο δε ειπεν ου μη σε αποστειλω εαν μη με ευλογησης

28 ειπεν δε αυτω τι το ονομα σου εστιν ο δε ειπεν ιακωβ

29 ειπεν δε αυτω ου κληθησεται ετι το ονομα σου ιακωβ αλλα ισραηλ εσται το ονομα σου οτι ενισχυσας μετα θεου και μετα ανθρωπων δυνατος

30 ηρωτησεν δε ιακωβ και ειπεν αναγγειλον μοι το ονομα σου και ειπεν ινα τι τουτο ερωτας το ονομα μου και ηυλογησεν αυτον εκει

31 και εκαλεσεν ιακωβ το ονομα του τοπου εκεινου ειδος θεου ειδον γαρ θεον προσωπον προς προσωπον και εσωθη μου η ψυχη

32 ανετειλεν δε αυτω ο ηλιος ηνικα παρηλθεν το ειδος του θεου αυτος δε επεσκαζεν τω μηρω αυτου

33 ενεκεν τουτου ου μη φαγωσιν οι υιοι ισραηλ το νευρον ο εναρκησεν ο εστιν επι του πλατους του μηρου εως της ημερας ταυτης οτι ηψατο του πλατους του μηρου ιακωβ του νευρου και εναρκησεν

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4236

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4236. 'And Jacob said [when he saw them], This is God's camp' means heaven. 'God's camp' means heaven, for the reason that 'an army' means truths and goods, 3448, and goods and truths are arranged by the Lord in conformity with heavenly order. Hence the arrangement of them like armies when arrayed is meant by 'an encampment', and the heavenly order itself, which is heaven, by 'a camp'. This camp or order is such that it cannot in any way be broken apart by hell, despite the constant effort from hell to break it apart. This also is why this order, which is heaven, is referred to as 'a camp', and why truths and goods, that is, angels, who are arranged in conformity with that order are called 'armies'. From all this it is now evident how 'God's camp' comes to mean heaven. It is that actual order, and so heaven itself, which was represented by the encampments of the children of Israel in the wilderness; and their actual dwelling together there according to their tribes was referred to as 'the camp'. The Tabernacle pitched in the middle and around which they encamped represented the Lord Himself. Regarding the children of Israel's encampment in this manner, see Numbers 1:1-end, and 33:2-56; and regarding their encampment around the Tabernacle according to their tribes - Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun to the east; Reuben, Simeon, and Gad to the south; Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin to the west; Dan, Asher, and Naphtali to the north; and the Levites in the middle next to the Tabernacle - Numbers 2:2 and following verses.

[2] The tribes' means all goods and truths in their entirety, see 3858, 3862, 3926, 3939, 4060. Consequently when Balaam saw Israel dwelling according to tribes and the Spirit of God came upon him, he delivered the utterance,

How good your tabernacles are, O Jacob; your dwelling-places, O Israel! They are like valleys that are planted, like gardens beside a river. Numbers 24:2-3, 5-6.

It is quite plain that this prophecy did not mean the people named Jacob and Israel but that it was the Lord's heaven which was represented. This also is why in other places in the Word their ordered settlements in the wilderness, or encampments according to tribes, are called camps, and in those places 'a camp' in the internal sense means heavenly order and 'encampment' an arrangement in conformity with that order, that is to say, with the order in which goods and truths exist in heaven - as in Leviticus 4:12; 8:17; 13:46; 14:8; 16:26, 28; 24:14, 23; Numbers 3; 4:4 and following verses; 5:2-4; Numbers 9:17-end; 10:1-10, 28; 11:31-32; 12:14-15; 31:19-24; Deuteronomy 23:9-14.

[3] The meaning of 'God's camp' as heaven may also be seen in Joel,

The earth quaked before Him, the heavens trembled. The sun and the moon were darkened, and the stars gathered back their shining; and Jehovah gave voice before His army, for His camp is exceedingly many; for that which executes His word is uncountable. Joel 2:10-11.

In Zechariah,

I will encamp by My house with an army set against anyone passing through and against anyone leaving, so that the oppressor passes over them no more. Zechariah 9:8.

In John,

Gog and Magog went up over the breadth 1 of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city; but fire came down 2 from God and consumed them. Revelation 20:9.

'Gog and Magog' stands for people whose worship is external separated from internal - worship that has become idolatrous, 1151. 'The breadth of the earth' stands for truth possessed by the Church - 'breadth', or a plain, meaning truth that constitutes doctrinal teaching, 2450, and 'earth' the Church, 556, 662, 1066, 1067, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355. 'The camp of the saints' stands for heaven or the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church.

[4] Since most things in the Word also have a contrary sense, so too does the word 'camp'. In this case it means evils and falsities, and consequently hell, as in David,

Though the evil pitch camp against me, my heart will not fear. Psalms 27:3.

In the same author,

God has scattered the bones of those encamping against you; 3 you have put them to shame, for God has rejected them. Psalms 53:5.

The camp of Asshur in which the angel of Jehovah smote a hundred and eighty-five thousand, Isaiah 37:36, does not have any other meaning, nor likewise does the camp of the Egyptians, Exodus 14:19-20.

Footnotes:

1. literally, the plain

2. The Latin means went up, but the Greek means came down, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.

3. The Latin means me, but the Hebrew means you.

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

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