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Genesis 34

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1 εξηλθεν δε δινα η θυγατηρ λειας ην ετεκεν τω ιακωβ καταμαθειν τας θυγατερας των εγχωριων

2 και ειδεν αυτην συχεμ ο υιος εμμωρ ο χορραιος ο αρχων της γης και λαβων αυτην εκοιμηθη μετ' αυτης και εταπεινωσεν αυτην

3 και προσεσχεν τη ψυχη δινας της θυγατρος ιακωβ και ηγαπησεν την παρθενον και ελαλησεν κατα την διανοιαν της παρθενου αυτη

4 ειπεν δε συχεμ προς εμμωρ τον πατερα αυτου λεγων λαβε μοι την παιδισκην ταυτην εις γυναικα

5 ιακωβ δε ηκουσεν οτι εμιανεν ο υιος εμμωρ διναν την θυγατερα αυτου οι δε υιοι αυτου ησαν μετα των κτηνων αυτου εν τω πεδιω παρεσιωπησεν δε ιακωβ εως του ελθειν αυτους

6 εξηλθεν δε εμμωρ ο πατηρ συχεμ προς ιακωβ λαλησαι αυτω

7 οι δε υιοι ιακωβ ηλθον εκ του πεδιου ως δε ηκουσαν κατενυχθησαν οι ανδρες και λυπηρον ην αυτοις σφοδρα οτι ασχημον εποιησεν εν ισραηλ κοιμηθεις μετα της θυγατρος ιακωβ και ουχ ουτως εσται

8 και ελαλησεν εμμωρ αυτοις λεγων συχεμ ο υιος μου προειλατο τη ψυχη την θυγατερα υμων δοτε ουν αυτην αυτω γυναικα

9 επιγαμβρευσασθε ημιν τας θυγατερας υμων δοτε ημιν και τας θυγατερας ημων λαβετε τοις υιοις υμων

10 και εν ημιν κατοικειτε και η γη ιδου πλατεια εναντιον υμων κατοικειτε και εμπορευεσθε επ' αυτης και εγκτησασθε εν αυτη

11 ειπεν δε συχεμ προς τον πατερα αυτης και προς τους αδελφους αυτης ευροιμι χαριν εναντιον υμων και ο εαν ειπητε δωσομεν

12 πληθυνατε την φερνην σφοδρα και δωσω καθοτι αν ειπητε μοι και δωσετε μοι την παιδα ταυτην εις γυναικα

13 απεκριθησαν δε οι υιοι ιακωβ τω συχεμ και εμμωρ τω πατρι αυτου μετα δολου και ελαλησαν αυτοις οτι εμιαναν διναν την αδελφην αυτων

14 και ειπαν αυτοις συμεων και λευι οι αδελφοι δινας υιοι δε λειας ου δυνησομεθα ποιησαι το ρημα τουτο δουναι την αδελφην ημων ανθρωπω ος εχει ακροβυστιαν εστιν γαρ ονειδος ημιν

15 εν τουτω ομοιωθησομεθα υμιν και κατοικησομεν εν υμιν εαν γενησθε ως ημεις και υμεις εν τω περιτμηθηναι υμων παν αρσενικον

16 και δωσομεν τας θυγατερας ημων υμιν και απο των θυγατερων υμων λημψομεθα ημιν γυναικας και οικησομεν παρ' υμιν και εσομεθα ως γενος εν

17 εαν δε μη εισακουσητε ημων του περιτεμνεσθαι λαβοντες τας θυγατερας ημων απελευσομεθα

18 και ηρεσαν οι λογοι εναντιον εμμωρ και εναντιον συχεμ του υιου εμμωρ

19 και ουκ εχρονισεν ο νεανισκος του ποιησαι το ρημα τουτο ενεκειτο γαρ τη θυγατρι ιακωβ αυτος δε ην ενδοξοτατος παντων των εν τω οικω του πατρος αυτου

20 ηλθεν δε εμμωρ και συχεμ ο υιος αυτου προς την πυλην της πολεως αυτων και ελαλησαν προς τους ανδρας της πολεως αυτων λεγοντες

21 οι ανθρωποι ουτοι ειρηνικοι εισιν μεθ' ημων οικειτωσαν επι της γης και εμπορευεσθωσαν αυτην η δε γη ιδου πλατεια εναντιον αυτων τας θυγατερας αυτων λημψομεθα ημιν γυναικας και τας θυγατερας ημων δωσομεν αυτοις

22 μονον εν τουτω ομοιωθησονται ημιν οι ανθρωποι του κατοικειν μεθ' ημων ωστε ειναι λαον ενα εν τω περιτεμνεσθαι ημων παν αρσενικον καθα και αυτοι περιτετμηνται

23 και τα κτηνη αυτων και τα υπαρχοντα αυτων και τα τετραποδα ουχ ημων εσται μονον εν τουτω ομοιωθωμεν αυτοις και οικησουσιν μεθ' ημων

24 και εισηκουσαν εμμωρ και συχεμ του υιου αυτου παντες οι εκπορευομενοι την πυλην της πολεως αυτων και περιετεμοντο την σαρκα της ακροβυστιας αυτων πας αρσην

25 εγενετο δε εν τη ημερα τη τριτη οτε ησαν εν τω πονω ελαβον οι δυο υιοι ιακωβ συμεων και λευι οι αδελφοι δινας εκαστος την μαχαιραν αυτου και εισηλθον εις την πολιν ασφαλως και απεκτειναν παν αρσενικον

26 τον τε εμμωρ και συχεμ τον υιον αυτου απεκτειναν εν στοματι μαχαιρας και ελαβον την διναν εκ του οικου του συχεμ και εξηλθον

27 οι δε υιοι ιακωβ εισηλθον επι τους τραυματιας και διηρπασαν την πολιν εν η εμιαναν διναν την αδελφην αυτων

28 και τα προβατα αυτων και τους βοας αυτων και τους ονους αυτων οσα τε ην εν τη πολει και οσα ην εν τω πεδιω ελαβον

29 και παντα τα σωματα αυτων και πασαν την αποσκευην αυτων και τας γυναικας αυτων ηχμαλωτευσαν και διηρπασαν οσα τε ην εν τη πολει και οσα ην εν ταις οικιαις

30 ειπεν δε ιακωβ συμεων και λευι μισητον με πεποιηκατε ωστε πονηρον με ειναι πασιν τοις κατοικουσιν την γην εν τε τοις χαναναιοις και τοις φερεζαιοις εγω δε ολιγοστος ειμι εν αριθμω και συναχθεντες επ' εμε συγκοψουσιν με και εκτριβησομαι εγω και ο οικος μου

31 οι δε ειπαν αλλ' ωσει πορνη χρησωνται τη αδελφη ημων

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4502

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4502. 'And they took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went away' means that they took away the affection for truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Dinah' as the affection for truth, dealt with above in 4498. The meaning according to the internal proximate sense is that they took away the affection for truth from those who were part of the remnants of the Most Ancient Church, for the phrase 'from Shechem's house' is used and by 'Shechem's house' is meant the good of truth of that Church. But as the subject here is the utter destruction of truth and good among those descended from Jacob, who are meant here by Jacob's sons, and as every detail mentioned has a specific application to the particular subject that is under discussion, 'Shechem's house' therefore means here simply the good of truth, like that which had existed with the member of the Most Ancient Church. Thus the meaning is that this good was wiped out among the nation descended from Jacob. For in the internal sense of the Word every expression or name means some aspect of the subject to which it belongs. At the same time the extinction of good and truth among Hamor and Shechem and his family is meant, because they accepted external usages, as shown in 4493.

[2] The truth of what has been explained so far regarding Simeon and Levi becomes clear from the prophetical utterances of Jacob before he died, where the following occurs,

Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of violence are their swords. Into their secret place let my soul not come; in their congregation let not my glory be united; for in their anger they killed a man, in their pleasure they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their fury, for it is severe. I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel. Genesis 49:5-7.

'Simeon and Levi' means the truth of faith which among the descendants of Jacob was turned into falsity, and the good of charity into evil, as above in 4499, 4500. They are called 'brothers' because good is the brother of truth, or charity is the brother of faith, 4498. 'Instruments of violence are their swords' means that falsities and evils did violence to truths and goods, 4499. 'Into their secret place let my soul not come, in their congregation let not my glory be united' means severance as regards life and doctrine, for in the Word 'soul' is used to refer to life, 1000, 1040, 1742, 3299, and 'glory' to doctrine. 'For in their anger they killed a man, in their pleasure they hamstrung an ox' means that with evil intent they annihilated the truth of the Church and the good of the Church, 'a man' meaning the truth of the Church, 3134, and 'an ox' its good, 2180, 2566, 2781. 'Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their fury, for it is severe' means the punishment incurred for turning away from truth and good - 'cursing' meaning turning oneself away and also being punished on that account, 245, 379, 1423, 3530, 3584, while anger means the departure from good, and 'fury' the departure from truth, 357, 3614. 'I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel' means that goods and truths will exist no longer within either the external or the internal aspect of their Church - 'dividing' and 'scattering' meaning separating and completely removing from them, 4424, 'Jacob' being the external aspect of the Church and 'Israel' the internal, 4286.

[3] These things are said about Simeon and Levi in this prophetical utterance because those two mean in general the truth and good of the Church, and when these cease to exist, and more so when falsities and evils take their place, the Church has been wiped out. Nothing other than this is contained in these prophetical words, as may be seen from the fact that neither the tribe of Simeon nor the tribe of Levi was cursed more than any other tribe. For the tribe of Levi was selected for the priesthood, and the tribe of Simeon existed as one of the rest of the tribes of Israel.

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

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