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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 #4430

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4430. And Shechem saw her. That this signifies truth, is evident from the representation of Shechem as being truth, here the truth of the church from ancient time. That this is represented by Shechem is because there still were remains of the church with that nation to which Shechem belonged. That this was one of the well-disposed nations is manifest from the sincerity with which Hamor and Shechem spoke to Jacob and his sons (verses 8-12), and from the condescension that Shechem might take Dinah for a wife (verses 18-24); for which reason the truth of the church was represented by them. And besides, the city Shechem was Abram’s first station when he came from Syria into the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:6); and was now also Jacob’s first station in coming from Syria, in which he spread his tent, made booths, and erected an altar (Genesis 33:17-20). That by the journeys or sojournings of Abraham and Jacob were represented progressions into the truths of faith and goods of love which in the supreme sense relate to the Lord and in the relative sense to the man who is being regenerated by the Lord, has been repeatedly shown. Hence by the “city Shechem” was signified the first of light (n. 1440, 1441), consequently interior truth, for this is the first of light.

[2] But in this chapter in the internal sense the descendants of Jacob are treated of—how they extinguished in themselves this first of light, or interior truth. In this sense, which is the internal historical sense, the sons of Jacob signify all his descendants; for in the internal sense of the Word the things of the Lord’s kingdom are exclusively treated of, thus the things of His church. The sons of Jacob themselves did not constitute any church, but their descendants, and this only after they had gone out of Egypt, and in actuality only after they came into the land of Canaan.

[3] Moreover as regards this city named from Shechem, it was anciently called “Shalem,” as is evident in the foregoing chapter:

Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan (Genesis 33:18).

That by “Shalem” is signified tranquillity, and by the “city of Shechem” the interior truths of faith, and that when a man comes to these truths he comes into a tranquil state, may be seen above (n. 4393). But the same city was afterwards called “Shechem,” as may be seen in Joshua:

The bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel caused to go up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in the portion of the field which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred kesitah (Josh. 24:32).

And in the book of Judges:

Gaal the son of Ebed said to the citizens of Shechem, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is not he the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul is his officer? Serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, and why should we serve this man? (Judg. 9:28).

[4] The same city was afterwards called “Sychar,” as is evident in John:

Jesus came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near to the field which Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and Jacob’s spring was there (John 4:5-6).

That by this city is signified interior truth, is evident from these passages, and also from others where it is named, as in Hosea:

Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, it has been befouled with blood; and as troops wait for a man, a companionship of priests, on the way to Shechem they kill, because they have wrought wickedness; in the house of Israel I have seen a foul thing (Hos. 6:8-10); where “on the way to Shechem they kill” signifies that they extinguish truths even to those which are interior, thus all external truths. The extinction of interior truth is also signified by Abimelech’s destroying that city and sowing it with salt (Judges 9:45).

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

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