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Genesis 9

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1 και ηυλογησεν ο θεος τον νωε και τους υιους αυτου και ειπεν αυτοις αυξανεσθε και πληθυνεσθε και πληρωσατε την γην και κατακυριευσατε αυτης

2 και ο τρομος υμων και ο φοβος εσται επι πασιν τοις θηριοις της γης και επι παντα τα ορνεα του ουρανου και επι παντα τα κινουμενα επι της γης και επι παντας τους ιχθυας της θαλασσης υπο χειρας υμιν δεδωκα

3 και παν ερπετον ο εστιν ζων υμιν εσται εις βρωσιν ως λαχανα χορτου δεδωκα υμιν τα παντα

4 πλην κρεας εν αιματι ψυχης ου φαγεσθε

5 και γαρ το υμετερον αιμα των ψυχων υμων εκζητησω εκ χειρος παντων των θηριων εκζητησω αυτο και εκ χειρος ανθρωπου αδελφου εκζητησω την ψυχην του ανθρωπου

6 ο εκχεων αιμα ανθρωπου αντι του αιματος αυτου εκχυθησεται οτι εν εικονι θεου εποιησα τον ανθρωπον

7 υμεις δε αυξανεσθε και πληθυνεσθε και πληρωσατε την γην και πληθυνεσθε επ' αυτης

8 και ειπεν ο θεος τω νωε και τοις υιοις αυτου μετ' αυτου λεγων

9 εγω ιδου ανιστημι την διαθηκην μου υμιν και τω σπερματι υμων μεθ' υμας

10 και παση ψυχη τη ζωση μεθ' υμων απο ορνεων και απο κτηνων και πασι τοις θηριοις της γης οσα μεθ' υμων απο παντων των εξελθοντων εκ της κιβωτου

11 και στησω την διαθηκην μου προς υμας και ουκ αποθανειται πασα σαρξ ετι απο του υδατος του κατακλυσμου και ουκ εσται ετι κατακλυσμος υδατος του καταφθειραι πασαν την γην

12 και ειπεν κυριος ο θεος προς νωε τουτο το σημειον της διαθηκης ο εγω διδωμι ανα μεσον εμου και υμων και ανα μεσον πασης ψυχης ζωσης η εστιν μεθ' υμων εις γενεας αιωνιους

13 το τοξον μου τιθημι εν τη νεφελη και εσται εις σημειον διαθηκης ανα μεσον εμου και της γης

14 και εσται εν τω συννεφειν με νεφελας επι την γην οφθησεται το τοξον μου εν τη νεφελη

15 και μνησθησομαι της διαθηκης μου η εστιν ανα μεσον εμου και υμων και ανα μεσον πασης ψυχης ζωσης εν παση σαρκι και ουκ εσται ετι το υδωρ εις κατακλυσμον ωστε εξαλειψαι πασαν σαρκα

16 και εσται το τοξον μου εν τη νεφελη και οψομαι του μνησθηναι διαθηκην αιωνιον ανα μεσον εμου και ανα μεσον πασης ψυχης ζωσης εν παση σαρκι η εστιν επι της γης

17 και ειπεν ο θεος τω νωε τουτο το σημειον της διαθηκης ης διεθεμην ανα μεσον εμου και ανα μεσον πασης σαρκος η εστιν επι της γης

18 ησαν δε οι υιοι νωε οι εξελθοντες εκ της κιβωτου σημ χαμ ιαφεθ χαμ ην πατηρ χανααν

19 τρεις ουτοι εισιν οι υιοι νωε απο τουτων διεσπαρησαν επι πασαν την γην

20 και ηρξατο νωε ανθρωπος γεωργος γης και εφυτευσεν αμπελωνα

21 και επιεν εκ του οινου και εμεθυσθη και εγυμνωθη εν τω οικω αυτου

22 και ειδεν χαμ ο πατηρ χανααν την γυμνωσιν του πατρος αυτου και εξελθων ανηγγειλεν τοις δυσιν αδελφοις αυτου εξω

23 και λαβοντες σημ και ιαφεθ το ιματιον επεθεντο επι τα δυο νωτα αυτων και επορευθησαν οπισθοφανως και συνεκαλυψαν την γυμνωσιν του πατρος αυτων και το προσωπον αυτων οπισθοφανες και την γυμνωσιν του πατρος αυτων ουκ ειδον

24 εξενηψεν δε νωε απο του οινου και εγνω οσα εποιησεν αυτω ο υιος αυτου ο νεωτερος

25 και ειπεν επικαταρατος χανααν παις οικετης εσται τοις αδελφοις αυτου

26 και ειπεν ευλογητος κυριος ο θεος του σημ και εσται χανααν παις αυτου

27 πλατυναι ο θεος τω ιαφεθ και κατοικησατω εν τοις οικοις του σημ και γενηθητω χανααν παις αυτων

28 εζησεν δε νωε μετα τον κατακλυσμον τριακοσια πεντηκοντα ετη

29 και εγενοντο πασαι αι ημεραι νωε εννακοσια πεντηκοντα ετη και απεθανεν

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1010

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1010. That 'shedding man's blood in man' means destroying charity, and 'in man' means residing with man, is clear from the meaning of 'blood', dealt with already, as the holiness of charity, and from the fact that the expression 'man's blood in man' is used, that is, his internal life, which does not reside in him but with him. For the Lord's life is charity, which does not reside within man, since man is filthy and unholy, but with him. That 'shedding blood' is doing violence to charity is clear from places in the Word, including those quoted already in 374, 376, where it has been shown that violence done to charity is called 'blood'.

[2] In the sense of the letter 'shedding blood' is killing, but in the internal sense it is hating the neighbour, as the Lord teaches in Matthew,

You have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not kill, and whoever skills will be liable to judgement. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without cause will be liable to judgement. Matthew 5:21-22.

Here 'being angry' means departing from charity - about which see what has been said already in 357 - and consequently hatred. Someone who hates not only has no charity but also does violence to it, that is, he 'sheds blood'. It is in hatred that murder lies, as is quite clear from the fact that the one desire of him who hates another is to have him killed. And but for the external restraints holding him back he would kill him. This is why killing 'a brother' and 'shedding his blood' is hatred. And being hatred, it is present in every idea he has against him. It is similar with profanation. As has been stated, a person who profanes the Word not only hates the truth but also annihilates it or slays it. This is quite clear in the next life from people who have been guilty of profanation. Although in outward appearance they have been honest, wise, and devout during their lifetime, in the next life they hold in deadly hatred the Lord, and also all goods that stem from love, and all truths of faith, the reason being that these are contrary to all their inner hatred, robbery, and adultery which they have covered over with a display of holiness while adulterating those goods and truths to their own advantage.

[3] That profanation is meant by 'blood' is clear from the following in Moses, in addition to the places quoted already in 374,

Anyone from the house of Israel who slays an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or who slays it outside the camp, and does not bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to offer it as a gift to Jehovah before the dwelling-place of Jehovah, blood will be imputed to that man; he has shed blood, and that man will be cut off from among his people. Leviticus 17:3-4.

Sacrificing anywhere else than on the altar at the Tent of Meeting represented profanation, for 'offering sacrifice' was holy, but offering it 'in the camp' or 'outside the camp' was unholy.

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

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