The Bible

 

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 #4013

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4013. And Jacob took him a fresh rod of poplar. That this signifies the power proper to natural good, is evident from the signification of a “rod,” as being power; and from the signification of “poplar,” as being the good of the natural (concerning which below). A “rod” is frequently mentioned in the Word, and everywhere signifies power, both from its being used by shepherds for exercising power over their flocks, and from its serving for the support of the body, and as it were for the right hand; for by the “hand” is signified power (n. 878, 3387). And as this was the signification of a “rod,” rods were in ancient times used by kings, and hence the royal badge was a short staff, and also a scepter. Nor were rods used by kings only, but also by priests and prophets, that they also might by their rods signify the power that belonged to them, as for instance did Aaron and Moses. This was the reason why Moses was so frequently commanded to stretch out his rod, and at other times his hand, when miracles were being performed; for Divine power was signified by the “rod;” and by the “hand.” It was because a “rod” signifies power that the Egyptian magi made use of it when they performed their magical miracles; and it is from this that magicians are now represented with rods in their hands. All this shows that “rods” signify power.

[2] But in the original language the rods used by shepherds, and also by kings, as well as those of priests and prophets, are expressed by another word; here, by a word that denotes a traveler’s staff, and also a shepherd’s rod, as may be seen from other passages (Genesis 32:10; Exodus 12:11; 1 Samuel 17:40, 43; Zech. 11:7, 10). In the present case the rod is not spoken of as supporting the hand, but as a stick cut from a tree, namely, from a poplar, a hazel, and a plane-tree, to set in the watering-troughs before the faces of the flock; but still it has the same signification, for by it is described in the internal sense the power of natural good, and derivatively of natural truths.

[3] As regards the poplar, of which the rod was made, be it known that trees in general signify perceptions and knowledges, perceptions when predicated of the celestial man, but knowledges when predicated of the spiritual man (see n. 103, 2163, 2682, 2722, 2972). Hence trees specifically signify goods and truths, for these pertain to perceptions and knowledges. Some kinds of trees, such as olives and vines, signify the interior goods and truths that are of the spiritual man; and some kinds, such as the poplar, hazel, and plane, signify the exterior goods and truths that are of the natural man. And as in ancient times each tree signified some particular kind of good and truth, the worship held in groves was in accordance with the kinds of trees (n. 2722). The poplar here mentioned is the white poplar, so called from its whiteness from which comes its name. For this reason the “poplar” signified the good that is from truth; or what is the same, the good of truth; as also in Hosea 4:13; but there falsified.

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 30

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1 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I will die."

2 Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in God's place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"

3 She said, "Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her."

4 She gave him Bilhah her handmaid as wife, and Jacob went in to her.

5 Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.

6 Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son." Therefore called she his name Dan.

7 Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.

8 Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed." She named him Naphtali.

9 When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

10 Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bore Jacob a son.

11 Leah said, "How fortunate!" She named him Gad.

12 Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bore Jacob a second son.

13 Leah said, "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me Happy." She named him Asher.

14 Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."

15 She said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes, also?" Rachel said, "Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes."

16 Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, "You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." He lay with her that night.

17 God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.

18 Leah said, "God has given me my hire, because I gave my handmaid to my husband." She named him Issachar.

19 Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob.

20 Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons." She named him Zebulun.

21 Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.

22 God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.

23 She conceived, bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach."

24 She named him Joseph, saying, "May Yahweh add another son to me."

25 It happened, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.

26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you."

27 Laban said to him, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that Yahweh has blessed me for your sake."

28 He said, "Appoint me your wages, and I will give it."

29 He said to him, "You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me.

30 For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?"

31 He said, "What shall I give you?" Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it.

32 I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. This will be my hire.

33 So my righteousness will answer for me hereafter, when you come concerning my hire that is before you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that might be with me, will be counted stolen."

34 Laban said, "Behold, let it be according to your word."

35 That day, he removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

36 He set three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

37 Jacob took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.

38 He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink. They conceived when they came to drink.

39 The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted.

40 Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Laban: and he put his own droves apart, and didn't put them into Laban's flock.

41 It happened, whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods;

42 but when the flock were feeble, he didn't put them in. So the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.

43 The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.