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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 #4594

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4594. This is Bethlehem. That this signifies in place thereof the resurrection of a new spiritual of the celestial, is evident from the signification of “Bethlehem,” as being the spiritual of the celestial in a new state; for “Ephrath” is the spiritual of the celestial in a former state (n. 4585), and by her being buried there is signified the resurrection of a new state (n. 4593). That Rachel brought forth her second son or Benjamin in Bethlehem, and died in bringing him forth, also that David was born in Bethlehem and was there anointed king, and finally that the Lord was there born, is a mystery which as yet has not been revealed, and could not be revealed to anyone who did not know what is signified by “Ephrath” and by “Bethlehem,” and what was represented by Benjamin, and also by David; and especially who did not know what the spiritual of the celestial is, for this was signified by these places and was represented by these persons.

[2] The reason why the Lord was born there and not elsewhere, is that He alone was born a spiritual celestial man, but all others natural, with the capacity or ability to become either celestial or spiritual by regeneration from the Lord. The reason why the Lord was born a spiritual celestial man was that He might make His Human Divine, and this according to order from the lowest degree to the highest, and might thus dispose into order all things in the heavens and in the hells. For the spiritual celestial is intermediate between the natural or external man and the rational or internal man (see above, n. 4585, 4592), thus below it was the natural or external, and above it was the rational or internal.

[3] He who cannot apprehend these things, cannot possibly comprehend, by any revelation whatever, why the Lord was born at Bethlehem. For from the most ancient time “Ephrath” signified the spiritual of the celestial, and therefore afterwards “Bethlehem” had the same signification. This then is the reason why the following is said in David:

He sware to Jehovah, he vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, If I shall come into the tent of my house, if I shall go upon the couch of my bed, if I shall give sleep to mine eyes, slumber to mine eyelids, until I find a place for Jehovah, habitations for the Mighty One of Jacob; lo we heard of Him in Ephrata, we found Him in the fields of the forest; we will go into His habitations, we will bow ourselves at His footstool (Psalms 132:2-7).

That these things were said of the Lord is very evident; “we heard of Him,” and “we found Him,” are expressed in the original language at the end of the words by the letter “h” taken from the name Jehovah.

[4] And in Micah:

Thou Bethlehem Ephrata, it is little that thou be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto Me who shall be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from the days of eternity (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6).

From these prophecies it was known to the Jewish people that the Messiah or Christ would be born at Bethlehem, as is evident in Matthew:

Herod, gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, inquired of them where the Christ (the Messiah) should be born; and they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea (Matthew 2:4-5).

And in John:

The Jews said, Doth not the Scripture say that the Christ (Messiah) should come of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the city where David was? (John 7:42).

And that He was born there may be seen in Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7. For this reason also, and because He was from David, the Lord is called a “rod out of the stock of Jesse,” and the “root of Jesse” (Isaiah 11:1, 10); for Jesse, David’s father, was a Bethlehemite; and David was born at Bethlehem and was anointed king there (1 Samuel 16:1-14; 17:12). Hence Bethlehem was called “the city of David” (Luke 2:4, 11; John 7:42). By David is especially represented the Lord as to His royalty or the Divine truth (n. 1888).

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

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