The Bible

 

1 Mosebok 10

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1 Dette er de ætter som stammer fra Noahs sønner Sem, Kam og Jafet: De fikk sønner efter vannflommen.

2 Jafets sønner var Gomer og Magog og Madai og Javan og Tubal og Mesek og Tiras.

3 Og Gomers sønner var Askenas og ifat og Togarma.

4 Og Javans sønner var Elisa og Tarsis, Kittim og Dodanim.

5 Fra disse bredte de som bor på hedningenes kyster, sig ut i sine land, med sine forskjellige tungemål, efter sine ætter, i sine folkeslag.

6 Og Kams sønner var Kus og Misra'im og Put og Kana'an.

7 Og Kus' sønner var Seba og Havila og Sabta og aema og Sabteka, og aemas sønner var Sjeba og Dedan.

8 Og Kus fikk sønnen Nimrod; han var den første som fikk stort velde på jorden.

9 Han var en veldig jeger for Herrens åsyn; derfor sier folk: En veldig jeger for Herrens åsyn som Nimrod.

10 Først hersket han over Babel og Erek og Akkad og Kalne i landet Sinear.

11 Fra dette land drog han ut til Assur og bygget Ninive og ehobot-Ir og Kalah

12 og esen mellem Ninive og Kalah; dette er den store stad.

13 Og Misra'im blev stamfar til luderne og anamerne og lehaberne og naftuherne

14 og patruserne og kasluherne, som filistrene er kommet fra, og kaftorerne.

15 Og Kana'an blev far til Sidon, som var hans førstefødte, og til Het

16 og til jebusittene og amorittene og girgasittene

17 og hevittene og arkittene og sinittene

18 og arvadittene og semarittene og hamatittene; siden bredte kana'anittenes ætter sig videre ut.

19 Og kana'anittenes grense gikk fra Sidon bortimot Gerar like til Gasa, og bortimot Sodoma og Gomorra og Adma og Sebo'im like til Lesa.

20 Dette var Kams barn, efter sine ætter, med sine tungemål, i sine land, i sine folkeslag.

21 Også Sem fikk barn; han var stamfar til alle Ebers barn og var den eldste bror av Jafet.

22 Sems sønner var Elam og Assur og Arpaksad og Lud og Aram.

23 Og Arams sønner var Us og Hul og Geter og Mas.

24 Og Arpaksad fikk sønnen Salah, og Salah fikk sønnen Eber.

25 Og Eber fikk to sønner; den ene hette Peleg, for i hans dager blev menneskene spredt over jorden; og hans bror hette Joktan.

26 Og Joktan blev far til Almodad og Salef og Hasarmavet og Jarah

27 og Hadoram og Usal og Dikla

28 og Obal og Abimael og Sjeba

29 og Ofir og Havila og Jobab; alle disse var Joktans sønner.

30 De hadde sine bosteder i fjellbygdene i øst fra Mesa bortimot Sefar.

31 Dette var Sems barn efter sine ætter, med sine tungemål, i sine land, i sine folkeslag.

32 Dette var Noahs sønners ætter efter sin avstamning, i sine folkeslag; og fra dem har folkene utbredt sig på jorden efter vannflommen.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1164

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1164. That 'Cush' or Ethiopia means interior cognitions of the Word by which people confirm false assumptions is clear in Jeremiah,

Egypt comes up like the river, and like the rivers the waters are tossed about; and he said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and those who dwell in it. Go up, O horses, and rage, O chariots, and let the mighty men go forth, Cush and Put that handle the shield. Jeremiah 46:8-9.

In this case 'Egypt' stands for people who believe nothing they do not grasp through facts. As a result everything is subject to doubt, denial and falsification, meant by 'rising up, covering the earth, and destroying the city'. Here 'Cush' stands for the more universal and interior cognitions of the Word by which they confirm accepted false assumptions. 'Put' stands for cognitions drawn from the literal sense of the Word which are based on sensory appearances.

[2] In Ezekiel,

A sword will come upon Egypt, and there will be grief in Cush when the slain 1 falls in Egypt; and they will take her multitude, and her foundations will be destroyed. Cush and Put and Lud and all of Ereb 2 and Kub, and the sons of the land of the covenant will fall with them by the sword. Ezekiel 30:4-6.

Except from the internal sense nobody could possibly know what these statements mean. And if the names did not mean real things, these verses would have practically no meaning at all. In this case however 'Egypt' means the knowledge by means of which they wish to enter into the mysteries of faith. 'Cush and Put' are called 'her foundations' because they are cognitions drawn from the Word.

[3] In the same prophet,

On that day messengers will go forth from before Me in ships to terrify overconfident Cush, and there will be grief among them as in the day of Egypt. Ezekiel 30:9.

'Cush' stands for cognitions drawn from the Word which confirm falsities hatched out of facts. In the same prophet,

I will make the land of Egypt into waste places, an utter desolation, from the tower of Seveneh as far as the border of Cush. Ezekiel 29:10.

In this case 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Cush' for cognitions of the interior things of the Word, which are 'the borders' beyond which knowledge does not go.

[4] In Isaiah,

The king of Asshur will lead away the captives of Egypt and the captives of Cush, boys and old men, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. And they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope, and because of Egypt their glory. Isaiah 20:4-5.

Here 'Cush' stands for cognitions drawn from the Word by which falsities obtained through facts are confirmed. 'Asshur' is reasoning which carries away those who are captive. In Nahum,

Cush was her strength, Egypt too, and that without limit; Put and the Libyans were your help. Nahum 3:9.

This refers to a vastated Church where in a similar way 'Egypt' stands for facts and 'Cush' for cognitions.

[5] 'Cush' and 'Egypt' stand simply for cognitions and knowledge which are truths useful to people whose faith is grounded in charity. 'Cush and Egypt' is used in this good sense in Isaiah,

Jehovah said, The labour of Egypt, and the wares of Cush and of the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours. They will follow after you in fetters, they will come over and bow down to you. To you they will make the supplication, God is with you only, and there is no other besides God. Isaiah 45:14.

'The labour of Egypt' stands for knowledge, 'the wares of Cush and the Sabeans' for cognitions of spiritual things which serve those who acknowledge the Lord, for all knowledge and every cognition are theirs.

[6] In Daniel,

The king of the north will have dominion over the secret hoards of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans (Put) and the Cushites will follow in his 3 steps. Daniel 11:3.

'Put and Cush' here stands for cognitions drawn from the Word, 'Egypt' for facts. In Zephaniah,

From beyond the rivers of Cush are those who adore Me. Zephaniah 3:10.

This stands for those who are beyond the range of cognitions, and so for gentiles. In David,

Noblemen will come out of Egypt, Cush will hasten [to stretch out] her hands to God. Psalms 68:31.

Here 'Egypt' stands for knowledge, and 'Cush' for cognitions.

[7] In the same author,

I will mention Rahab and Babel among those who know Me; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush. The latter was born here (in the city of God). Psalms 87:4.

'Cush' stands for cognitions drawn from the Word, hence the statement that he was 'born in the city of God'. Since 'Cush' means interior cognitions of the Word and intelligence acquired from these, it is therefore said that the second river going out of the garden of Eden encompassed the whole land of Cush. On this see what has appeared already in 117.

Footnotes:

1. literally, the pierced

2. the Hebrew word rendered Ereb here is usually regarded not as a proper but as a common noun which means a mixed company.

3. The Latin means your but the Hebrew means his, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.

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