The Bible

 

Бытие 24

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1 Авраамъ былъ уже старъ и въ лјтахъ преклонныхъ. Іегова благословилъ Авраама всјмъ.

2 И сказалъ Авраамъ рабу своему, старшему въ домј его, управлявшему всјмъ, что у него было: положи руку твою подъ стегно мое,

3 и клянись мнј Іеговою, Богомъ небесь и Богомъ земли, что ты не возмешь сыну моему жены изъ дочерей Хананеевъ, среди которыхъ я живу;

4 но пойдешь въ землю мою, на родину мою, взять жену сыну моему Исааку.

5 Рабъ сказалъ ему: можетъ быть, не захочетъ женщина идти со мною въ эту землю; долженъ ли я возвратить сына твоего въ землю, изъ которой ты вышелъ?

6 Авраамъ сказалъ ему: берегись, не возвращай сына моего туда.

7 Іегова, Богъ небесъ, Который взялъ меня изъ дома отца моего, и изъ земли рожденія моего, Который објщался мнј, и Который клялся мнј, говоря: потомству твоему дамъ сію землю, Онъ пошлетъ Ангела Своего предъ лицемъ твоимъ, и ты возмешь жену сыну моему оттуда.

8 Если не захочетъ женщина идти съ тобою, ты будешь свободенъ отъ клятвы моей сей; только сына моего не возвращай туда.

9 Тогда рабъ положилъ руку свою подъ стегно Авраама, господина своего, и клялся ему въ семъ.

10 Потомъ рабъ взялъ изъ верблюдовъ господина своего десять верблюдовъ и пошелъ; въ рукахъ у него были также всякія сокровища господина его; онъ всталъ, и пошелъ въ Месопотамію, въ городъ Нахоровъ.

11 И остановилъ верблюдовъ внј города, у источника водъ, подъ вечеръ, въ такое время, когда выходятъ женщины черпать воду.

12 И сказалъ: Іегова, Боже господина моего Авраама! пошли ее сегодня на встрјчу мнј, и сотвори милость съ господиномъ моимъ Авраамомъ.

13 Вотъ, я стою у источника водъ, и дочери жителей города выходятъ черпать воду:

14 итакъ сдјлай, чтобы дјвица, которой я скажу: наклони ведро свое, я напьюсь, и которая скажетъ: пей, я напою и верблюдовъ твоихъ, была та, которую ты указуешь рабу Твоему Исааку; посему узнаю я, что ты творишь милость съ господиномъ моимъ.

15 Еще не окончилъ онъ словъ сихъ, какъ вышла Ревекка, которая родилась отъ Ваѕуила, сына Милки, жены Нахора, брата Авраамова. На плечј ея было ведро.

16 Она была дјвица прекраснаа видомъ, дјва, которой не позналъ мужъ. Она сошла къ источнику, наполнила ведро свое и пошла вверхъ.

17 Тогда рабъ побјжалъ на встрјчу ей, и сказалъ: дай мнј испить немного воды изъ ведра твоего.

18 Она сказала: пей, господинъ мой; и тотчасъ опустила ведро свое на руку свою и напоила его.

19 И когда напоила его, то сказала: я стану черпать и верблюдамъ твоимъ, нока напьются.

20 И тотчасъ вылила ведро свое въ пойло, и побјжала опять къ колодезю почерпнуть, и начерпала всјмъ верблюдамъ его.

21 Онъ смотрјлъ на нее съ изумленіемъ, въ молчаніи, желая уразумјть, благословилъ ли Іегова путь его или нјтъ.

22 Когда же верблюды перестали пить; тогда онъ взялъ золотое кольцо, вјсомъ въ полсикля, и два запястья на руки ей, вјсомъ въ десять сиклей золота;

23 и сказалъ: чья ты дочь? скажи мнј; есть ли въ домј отца твоего мјсто намъ ночевать?

24 Она отвјчала ему: я дочь Ваѕуила, сына Милки, котораго она родила Нахору.

25 Притомъ сказала ему: у насъ много и соломы, и корму; и естъ мјсто для ночлега.

26 Тогда онъ падши поклонился Іеговј,

27 и сказалъ: благословенъ Іегова, Богъ господина моего Авраама, Который не оставилъ господина моего милостію Своею и истиною Своею! Іегова прямымъ путемъ привелъ меня въ домъ родственниковъ господина моего.

28 Дјвица же побјжала, и разсказала о семъ приключеніи въ домј матери своей.

29 У Ревекки былъ братъ, именемъ Лаванъ. Лаванъ побјжалъ къ оному человјку за городъ къ источнику.

30 Какъ скоро онъ увидјлъ кольцо и запястья на рукахъ у сестры своей, и услышалъ слова Ревекки, сестры своей, которая говорила: вотъ что сказалъ мнј этотъ человјкъ; то пришелъ къ сему человјку, и нашелъ его стоящимъ съ верблюдами у источника,

31 и сказалъ: войди благословенный Іеговою; что тебј стоять на полј? Я приготовилъ домъ, и мјсто верблюдамъ.

32 Онъ вошелъ въ домъ, и Лаванъ разсјдлалъ верблюдовъ, и далъ соломы и корму верблюдамъ, и воды умыть ноги ему и людямъ, которые были съ нимъ.

33 Потомъ предложена ему пища; но онъ сказалъ: не стану јсть, пока не скажу, что я сказать долженъ. Лаванъ сказалъ: говори!

34 Онъ сказалъ: я рабъ Авраамовъ.

35 Іегова весьма благословилъ господина моего, такъ что онъ сдјлался великимъ; ибо Онъ далъ ему овецъ и воловъ, серебра и золота, рабовъ и рабынь, верблюдовъ и ословъ.

36 Сарра, жена господина моего, уже состарјвшись, родила господину моему сына, которому онъ и отдалъ все, что у него было.

37 И взялъ съ меня клятву господинъ мой, сказавъ: не бери жены сыну моему изъ дочерей Хананеевъ, въ землј которыхъ я живу;

38 а поди въ домъ отца моего, и къ племени моему, взять жену сыну моему.

39 Когда же я сказалъ господину моему: можетъ быть, не пойдетъ женщина со мною;

40 то онъ сказалъ мнј: Іегова, предъ лицемъ Котораго я хожу, пошлетъ съ тобою Ангела Своего, и благословитъ путь твой, и ты возмешь жену сыну моему изъ племени моего, и изъ дома отца моего.

41 Тогда будешь ты свободенъ отъ клятвы моей, когда сходишь къ родственникамъ моимъ; если они не дадутъ тебј, то будешь свободенъ оть клятвы моей.

42 Итакъ я нынј пришелъ къ источнику, и сказалъ: Іегова, Боже господина моего Авраама! если есть благословеніе Твое надъ путемъ моимъ, который я совершаю;

43 то, вотъ, я стою у источника водъ; сдјлай же, чтобы дјвица, которая выйдетъ почерпнуть воды и которой я скажу: дай мнј испить немного воды изъ ведра твоего,

44 и которая скажетъ мнј: и ты пей, и верблюдамъ твоимъ я начерпаю, была та жена, которую Іегова указуетъ сыну господина моего.

45 Еще не окончилъ я словъ сихъ въ сердцј моемъ. какъ вышла Ревекка, съ ведромъ на плечј, и сошла къ источнику и почерпнула; тогда я сказалъ ей: напой меня.

46 Она тотчасъ опустила съ себя ведро свое, и сказала: пей; я напою и верблюдовъ твоихъ. Итакъ я пилъ, и верблюдовъ она напоила.

47 И когда я спросилъ ее и сказалъ: чья ты дочь? она сказала: дочь Ваѕуила, сына Нахорова, котораго родила ему Милка. Тогда я вдјлъ кольцо въ ноздри ея, и запястья надјлъ на руки ея.

48 И падши поклонился Іеговј, и благословилъ Іегову, Бога господина моего Авраама, Который прямымъ путемъ привелъ меня, чтобы дочь брата господина моего взять за сына его.

49 Итакъ теперь, если вы намјрены сотворить милость и истину съ господиномъ моимъ, скажите мнј; и если нјтъ, скажите мнј, чтобы мнј обратиться или направо, или налјво.

50 Лаванъ и Ваѕуилъ сказали въ отвјтъ: отъ Іеговы происходятъ дјло сіе; мы не можемъ сказать тебј вопреки ни худаго, ни добраго.

51 Вотъ Ревекка предъ тобою; возми и поди; да будетъ она женою сыну господина твоего, какъ сказалъ Іегова.

52 Когда рабъ Авраамовъ услышалъ слова ихъ: то поклонился Іеговј до земли.

53 И вынулъ рабъ серебрянныя вещи, и золотыя вещи, и одежды, и далъ Ревеккј; также и брату ея, и матери ея далъ богатые дары.

54 По семъ онъ, и люди бывшіе съ нимъ, јли и пили, и ночевали. И когда встали по утру: то онъ сказалъ: отпустите меня къ господину моему.

55 Но братъ ея и ея мать сказали: пусть побудетъ съ нами дјвица дней хотя десять; потомъ пойдешь.

56 Онъ сказалъ имъ: не удерживайте меня, ибо Іегова благословилъ путь мой; отпустите меня, и я пойду къ господину моему.

57 Они сказали: призовемъ дјвицу, и спросимъ, что она скажетъ.

58 И призвали Ревекку, и сказали ей: пойдешь ли съ симъ человјкомъ? Она отвјчала: пойду.

59 Итакъ отпустили Ревекку сестру свою, и кормилицу ея, и раба Авраамова, и людей его.

60 И благословили Ревекку, и сказали ей: Сестра наша! да родятся отъ тебя тысячи тысячъ, И да владјетъ потомство твое жилищами враговъ своихъ!

61 И встала Ревекка, и рабыня ея, и сјли на верблюдовъ, я појхали за тјмъ человјкомъ. Такимъ образомъ рабъ взялъ Ревекку, и пошелъ.

62 Между тјмъ Исаакъ шелъ изъ Беэр-лахай-рои; ибо жилъ онъ въ землј полуденной.

63 При наступленіи вечера, Исаакъ вышелъ въ поле для размышленія; и возвелъ очи свои, и видитъ: вотъ, идутъ верблюды.

64 Ревекка возвела очи свои, и, увидя Исаака, соскочила съ верблюда,

65 и сказала рабу: кто зтотъ человјкъ, идущій по полю на встрјчу намъ? рабъ отвјчалъ: зто господинъ мой. Тогда она взяла покрывало, и покрылась.

66 Рабъ же разсказалъ Исааку все, что сдјлалъ.

67 И ввелъ ее Исаакъ въ шатеръ Сарры, матери своей; и взялъ Ревекку, и она сдјлалась ему женою, и онъ возлюбилъ ее; и утјшился Исаакъ въ печали по матери своей.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3021

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3021. Put I pray thy hand under my thigh. That this signifies pledging it according to its power to the good of conjugial love, is evident from the signification of “hand,” as being power (see n. 878); and from the signification of “thigh,” as being the good of conjugial love, concerning which in what follows. That it is pledging to the extent of its power, is evident from the fact that they who were pledged to anything that related to conjugial love, by an ancient rite placed the hand under the thigh of him to whom they were being pledged, and in this manner they were put under oath by him; and this for the reason that the “thigh” signified conjugial love, and the “hand” power, or so far as was possible; for all the parts of the human body correspond to spiritual and celestial things in the Grand Man which is heaven, as was shown above (n. 2996, 2998); and as will be shown more fully, of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter. The thighs themselves together with the loins, correspond to conjugial love.

These things were well known to the men of the most ancient times; and therefore they had a number of rites based on this correspondence, of which one was that they placed the hands under the thigh when they were pledged to any good of conjugial love. The knowledge of such things, which was in highest esteem among the ancients, and was one of the chief things of their knowledge and intelligence, is at this day wholly lost; so completely that it is not even known that there is any correspondence; and some may therefore wonder that such things are signified by the rite here described. The rite is mentioned in the present case because the betrothing of Isaac to some one of the family of Abraham is treated of, and the discharge of the duty was intrusted to the elder servant.

[2] That as before said the “thigh” from correspondence signifies conjugial love, may also be seen from other passages in the Word; as from the process enjoined when a woman was accused by her husband of adultery.

In Moses:

The priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing; and the priest shall say unto the woman, Jehovah make thee a curse and an oath in the midst of thy people, when Jehovah doth make thy thigh to fall away, and thy belly to swell. And when he hath given her the water to drink, then it shall come to pass, if she be defiled, and hath trespassed a trespass against her husband, that the waters that are accursed shall enter into her and become bitterness, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away, and the woman shall be a curse among her people (Numbers 5:21, 27).

That the “thigh should fall away,” signified evil relating to conjugial love, that is, it signified adultery. The other particulars mentioned in the same process signify each of them some special thing belonging to the subject, so that there is not the least thing that does not involve something, however surprising this may seem to a man who reads the Word without any idea of its sanctity. Because of the signification of the “thigh” as being the good of conjugial love, mention is sometimes made of “coming forth from the thigh”—as is said of Jacob:

Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come forth from thy thighs (Genesis 35:11).

And in another place:

Every soul that came with Jacob into Egypt, that came forth from his thigh (Genesis 46:26; Exodus 1:5).

And of Gideon:

Gideon had seventy sons that came forth from his thigh (Judges 8:30).

[3] And as the “thighs” and the “loins” signify the things belonging to conjugial love, they also signify the things of love and charity, for the reason that conjugial love is the fundamental love of all loves (see n. 686, 2733, 2737-2739); for all loves are from the same origin, that is, from the heavenly marriage, which is that of good and truth (see n. 2727-2759). That the “thigh” signifies the good of celestial love and the good of spiritual love, is evident from the following passages.

In John:

He that sat on the white horse had upon His vesture and upon His thigh a name written: King of kings, and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16).

That He who sat on the white horse is the Word, thus the Lord who is the Word, may be seen above (n. 2760-2762); also that “vesture” is the Divine truth (n. 2576); therefore He is called “King of kings” (n. 3009). Hence it is plain what the “thigh” is, namely, the Divine good which is of His love; from which He is also called “Lord of lords” (n. 3004-3011). And because this is the Lord’s quality, it is said that He “had thereon a name written;” for “name” signifies quality (n. 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006).

[4] In David:

Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O Mighty One, in Thy glory and honor (Psalms 45:3);

speaking of the Lord; where “sword” denotes truth combating (n. 2799); and “thigh” the good of love; to “gird the sword upon the thigh” signifies that the truth from which He would fight would be from the good of love.

In Isaiah:

Righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and truth the girdle of His thighs (Isaiah 11:5);

speaking here too of the Lord; and because “righteousness” is predicated of the good of love (n. 2235), it is called the girdle of the loins;” and because truth is from good, it is called the “girdle of the thighs;” thus “loins” are predicated of the love of good, and “thighs” of the love of truth.

[5] In the same:

None shall be weary nor stumble in Him, He shall not slumber nor sleep, neither is the girdle of His thighs loosed, nor the latchet of His shoes broken off (Isaiah 5:27).

This again is said of the Lord, and the “girdle of His thighs” denotes the love of truth, as before.

In Jeremiah:

Jehovah said unto Jeremiah that he should buy a linen girdle and put it on his loins, but should not pass it through water; and that he should go to the Euphrates and hide it in a hole of the rock; and having done this, when he went and took it from the place, it was marred (Jeremiah 13:1-6).

The “linen girdle” denotes truth, and “putting it on the loins” was a representative that truth was from good. Everyone can see that these are representatives, and their signification cannot be known except from correspondences, concerning which of the Lord’s Divine mercy something will be said at the end of certain chapters.

[6] So too with the signification of the things seen by Ezekiel, by Daniel, and by Nebuchadnezzar. As in Ezekiel:

Above the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the appearance of a burning coal, as the appearance of fire within it round about; from the appearance of his loins and upward, and from the appearance of his loins and downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about Him; as the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about, so was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah (Ezekiel 1:26-28).

That this was representative of the Lord and of His kingdom is evident; and that the appearance of the loins upward and the appearance of the loins downward has reference to His love, is evident from the signification of “fire,” as being love (n. 934); and from the signification of “brightness” and a “rainbow” as being the derivative wisdom and intelligence (n. 1042, 1043, 1053).

[7] Concerning Daniel it is said:

A man appeared to him clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with pure gold of Uphaz; his body also was like the tharshish stone, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and feet like the shining of burnished brass (Daniel 10:5-6).

What is signified by these particulars—by “loins,” “body,” “face,” “eyes,” “arms,” and “feet”—can appear to no one except from representations and their correspondences. From these it is evident that the Lord’s celestial kingdom is thus represented, in which the “loins” are Divine love; and the “gold of Uphaz” with which these were girded, is the good of wisdom which is from love (n. 113, 1551, 1552).

[8] Concerning what was seen by Nebuchadnezzar we read in Daniel:

The head of the statue was good gold; its breast and its arms were silver; its belly and thighs were brass; the feet were part iron and part clay (Daniel 2:32-33).

By that statue were represented the successive states of the church; by the “head which was gold,” the first state, which was celestial, because it was a state of love to the Lord; by the “breast and arms which were silver,” the second state, which was spiritual, as it was a state of charity toward the neighbor; by the “belly and thighs which were brass,” the third state, which was a state of natural good (for this is “brass,” n. 425, 1551). Natural good is of love or charity toward the neighbor in a degree below spiritual good. By the “feet which were iron and clay” is meant the fourth state, which was one of natural truth (which is “iron,” n. 425, 426); and also of no coherence with good (which is “clay”). From all these things it may be seen what is signified by the “thighs” and the “loins,” namely, in the chief place conjugial love, and from this all genuine love, as is evident from the passages quoted, and likewise from others (Genesis 32:25, 32; Isaiah 20:2-4; Nahum 2:1; Psalms 69:23; Exodus 12:11; Luke 12:35-36). In the opposite sense also are signified the opposite loves, which are the loves of self and of the world (see 1 Kings 2:5; Isaiah 32:10-11; Jeremiah 30:6; 48:37; Ezekiel 29:7; Amos 8:10).

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