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1 Mosebok 25

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1 Og Abraham tok sig atter en hustru; hun hette Ketura.

2 Med henne fikk han Simran og Joksan og Medan og Midian og Jisbak og Suah.

3 Og Joksan fikk sønnene Sjeba og Dedan; og Dedans barn var assurerne og letuserne og le'ummerne

4 Og Midians barn var Efa og Efer og Hanok og Abida og Elda'a; alle disse var Keturas barn.

5 Og Abraham gav Isak alt det han eide.

6 Men sønnene til de medhustruer som Abraham hadde, gav han gaver og lot dem, mens han enn levde, flytte bort fra Isak, sin sønn, østover, til Østerland.

7 Abrahams levetid og den alder han nådde, var hundre og fem og sytti år.

8 Så opgav Abraham ånden og døde i en god alderdom, gammel og mett av dager, og han blev samlet til sine fedre.

9 Og Isak og Ismael, hans sønner, begravde ham i Makpela-hulen på den mark som hadde tilhørt hetitten Efron, Sohars sønn, østenfor Mamre,

10 den mark Abraham hadde kjøpt av Hets barn; der blev Abraham begravet likesom Sara, hans hustru.

11 Og efter Abrahams død velsignet Gud Isak, hans sønn. Og Isak bodde ved brønnen Lakai o'i.

12 Dette er Ismaels, Abrahams sønns ættetavle, han som Abraham fikk med egypterkvinnen Hagar, Saras trælkvinne.

13 Dette er navneneIsmaels sønner - de navn som de har i sin ættetavle: Nebajot, Ismaels førstefødte, og Kedar og Adbe'el og Mibsam.

14 og Misma og Duma og Massa,

15 Hadar og Tema, Jetur, Nafis og Kedma.

16 Dette var Ismaels sønner, og dette var deres navn, i deres byer og leire, tolv ættehøvdinger.

17 Ismaels leveår var hundre og syv og tretti år; så opgav han ånden og døde og blev samlet til sine fedre.

18 Og de bodde fra Havila til Sur, som ligger midt for Egypten, og bortimot Assyria; han nedsatte sig østenfor alle sine brødre.

19 Dette er historien om Abrahams sønn Isaks ætt: Abraham fikk sønnen Isak.

20 Og Isak var firti år gammel da han ektet ebekka, som var datter til arameeren Betuel fra Mesopotamia og søster til arameeren Laban.

21 Og Isak bad til Herren for sin hustru, for hun var barnløs; og Herren bønnhørte ham, og ebekka, hans hustru, blev fruktsommelig.

22 Men fosterne støtte til hverandre i hennes liv; da sa hun: Er det således, hvorfor skal jeg da være til? Og hun gikk for å spørre Herren.

23 Og Herren sa til henne: I ditt liv er det to folk, og fra ditt skjød skal to folkeslag skille sig at; det ene folk skal være sterkere enn det andre, og den eldste skal tjene den yngste.

24 Da nu hennes tid var kommet at hun skulde føde, se, da var det tvillinger i hennes liv.

25 Og den som kom først frem, var rød og over hele kroppen som en lodden kappe; og de kalte ham Esau*. / {* d.e. den lodne.}

26 Derefter kom hans bror frem, og hans hånd holdt i Esaus hæl, og ham kalte de Jakob*. Isak var seksti år gammel da de blev født. / {* d.e. han holder i hælen.}

27 Da nu guttene vokste til, blev Esau en dyktig jeger, en mann som holdt til i skog og mark; men Jakob var en stillferdig mann, som holdt sig ved teltene.

28 Og Isak holdt mest av Esau, for han var glad i vilt; men ebekka holdt mest av Jakob.

29 Engang da Jakob holdt på å koke en velling, kom Esau hjem fra marken og var rent opgitt.

30 Og Esau sa til Jakob: La mig få til livs noget av det røde, det røde du har der, for jeg er rent opgitt! Derfor kalte de ham Edom*. / {* d.e. den røde.}

31 Men Jakob sa: Selg mig først din førstefødselsrett!

32 Esau svarte: Jeg holder på å ; hvad skal jeg da med førstefødselsretten?

33 Da sa Jakob: Gjør først din ed på det! Og han gjorde sin ed på det og solgte så sin førstefødselsrett til Jakob.

34 Og Jakob gav Esau brød og linsevelling, og han åt og drakk og stod op og gikk sin vei. Således ringeaktet Esau førstefødselsretten.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3242

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3242. 'And the sons of Midian, Ephah and Epher, and Enoch, and Abida, and Eldaah' means the derivatives from the third division. This becomes clear from the representation of 'Midian' as those governed by the truth of faith, to be dealt with below; and since those governed by the truth of faith are 'Midian', it follows that 'sons' are derivatives from it. With regard to those governed by the truth of faith the position is that no one is admitted into the Lord's kingdom except him with whom the good of faith is present since the good of faith is the life of faith. The life of faith remains, but not the doctrine of faith except insofar as it makes one with life. Nevertheless people governed by the truth of faith, that is, who profess faith and refer to it as the essential thing because they have been taught that it is, but who, in spite of that teaching have goodness of life, that is, who are Christians in their hearts and not just on their lips, are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom. For anyone can easily be made to believe that faith is the essential thing if such an idea is handed on to him by teachers and at an early age he becomes steeped in that way of thinking. He is also made to believe because those who are reputed to be very learned, even church-leaders, say the same, some of whom are afraid to talk about the good of life because when life is the criterion they stand condemned, and also - in addition - because matters of faith, when they display themselves, are perceptible, whereas matters of charity are less so. Those therefore who are governed by the truth of faith, and yet also by the good of life are called Midian. But the truths which govern their lives are 'the sons of Midian'.

[2] Just as those in whom the truth of faith is joined to the good of that faith are meant by Midian so also in the contrary sense Midian means those under the influence of falsity because the good of life is lacking in them - as becomes clear from the following: In Isaiah,

A drove of camels will cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense, and will proclaim the praises of Jehovah. Isaiah 60:6.

This refers to the Lord's spiritual kingdom. 'Dromedaries of Midian and Ephah' stands for matters of doctrine. Matters of doctrine concerning good are meant by 'gold', those concerning truth by 'frankincense'; and both by 'the praises of Jehovah'. From this also it is evident what 'Ephah' means. 'The Midianites' who pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him to Ishmaelites, and to Potiphar in Egypt, Genesis 37:28, 36, means people governed by truth coupled to simple good, as will in the Lord's Divine mercy be seen later on when those verses are dealt with.

[3] As regards 'Midian' also meaning those under the influence of falsity because the good of life is lacking in them, this may be seen from what is said about Midian in Moses,

The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian with deceptions in their hand came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. Numbers 22:4, 7, and following verses.

In the good sense 'Moab' stands for people with whom natural good exists and who easily allow themselves to be misled, but in the contrary sense stands for those who adulterate goods, 2468. 'Midian' in the good sense, as has been stated, stands for those who are governed by truth coupled to simple good, and so who are easily led to believe things, but in the contrary sense, as here, stands for those who falsify truths. Falsifications are meant by 'deceptions in their hand', and deeds which are the product of falsities by their sending to Balaam to act against the children of Israel, who are the goods, and from these the truths, of faith.

[4] The acts of whoredom committed by the sons of Israel with Midianite women which brought about the plague that Phinehas checked by running through with his spear the Midianite woman and the Israelite man in the brothel, Numbers 25:6-8, and following verses, has a similar meaning, for acts of whoredom represented falsifications of truth, 2466, 2729. And because falsifications of truth are what are meant in the internal sense by acts of whoredom, therefore by command twelve thousand of the children of Israel assailed them, killed their kings, all the males, and the women they had taken captive who had had carnal knowledge of a man, and divided the booty among themselves, Numbers 25:16-17; 31:1-end. The reason why 'twelve thousand' were involved was that 'twelve' means all things of faith, 577, 2089, 2129 (end), 2130 (end), by means of which falsities are destroyed. 'The kings' they killed are falsities, as also are 'the males', 'the women who had had carnal knowledge of a man' are affections for falsity, and 'the booty' which consisted of gold, silver, and cattle, are truths that have been falsified. From this it is evident that every single thing mentioned there is representative of the punishment and destruction of falsity by means of truths.

[5] The same is meant by the facts related about the Midianites in the Book of Judges,

Because the children of Israel did evil in the eyes of Jehovah they were given into the hand of Midian for seven years.

On account of Midian the children of Israel made dens for themselves in the mountains, also caves, and strongholds. And whenever Israel put in seed, Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east came up and destroyed the produce of their land.

After that they were liberated by Gideon by means of the three hundred who had lapped water with their tongue like a dog, whereas those who had sunk down on their knees to drink had been sent home.

Further references to them, in addition to these, are made in Genesis 6 Chapters-8.

Here too every single detail is representative of the falsification of truth, and on that account of punishment even to the point of their being destroyed by the kind of things meant by 'lapping water with their tongue like a dog'. But what each detail means in the internal sense would take too long to explain here. All this will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with in its proper place. In Habakkuk,

He looked and scattered the nations, and the mountains of time were dissolved, and the hills of old sank down. Below Aven I saw the tents of Cushan, the curtains of the land of Midian trembled. Habakkuk 3:6-7.

This refers to the Coming of the Lord. 'The tents of Cushan' stands for a religion raised up out of evil, 'the curtains of the land of Midian' for a religion raised up out of falsity.

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