The Bible

 

Бытие 35

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1 Богъ сказалъ Іакову: встань, поди въ Веѕиль, и живи тамъ; и устрой тамъ жертвейникъ Богу, явившемуся тебј, когда ты бјжалъ отъ лица Исава, брата твоего.

2 И сказалъ Іаковъ дому своему, и всјмъ бывшимъ съ нимъ: бросьте боговъ чужихъ, находящихся у васъ, и очиститесь, и перемјните одежды ваши;

3 встанемъ и пойдемъ въ Веѕиль; тамъ устрою я жертвенникъ Богу, Который услышалъ меня въ день скорби моей, и былъ со мною въ пути, въ который я ходилъ.

4 И отдали Іакову всјхъ боговъ чужихъ, бывшихъ въ рукахъ ихъ, и серьги, бывшія въ ушахъ у нихъ; и закопалъ ихъ Іаковъ подъ терпентиномъ, который близъ Сихема.

5 Потомъ они отправилисъ. И былъ ужасъ Божій на окрестныхъ городахъ, и не преслјдовали сыновъ Іаковлевыхъ.

6 И пришелъ Іаковъ въ Лузъ, иначе Веѕиль, въ землј Ханаанской, самъ и всј люди бывшіе съ нимъ;

7 и устроилъ тамъ жертвенникъ, и назвалъ сіе мјсто: Эл-Веѕиль; ибо тутъ явился ему Богъ, когда онъ бјжалъ отъ лица брата своего.

8 Тогда умерла Девора. кормилица Реввекина, и погребена ниже Веѕиля подъ дубомъ, который и назвалъ Іаковъ дубомъ плача.

9 Опять явился Богъ Іакову, по возврашеніи его изъ Падан-Арама, и благословилъ его.

10 И сказалъ ему Богъ: имя твое Іаковъ. Отнынј ты не будешь называться Іаковомъ, но будетъ имя тебј Израиль. И нарекъ ему имя: Израилъ.

11 И сказалъ ему Богъ: Я Богъ Всемогущій. Плодись и умножайся. Народъ и множество народовъ произойдетъ отъ тебя, и цари выйдутъ изъ чреслъ твоихъ.

12 Землю, которую Я далъ Аврааму и Исааку, Я дамъ тебј, и потомству твоему по тебј дамъ землю сію.

13 И возшелъ отъ него Богъ, отъ мјста, на которомъ говорилъ ему.

14 И поставилъ Іаковъ памятникъ на мјстј. на которомъ говорилъ ему Богъ, памятникъ каменный; и возлилъ на него возліяніе, и возлилъ на него елей.

15 И нарекъ Іаковъ имя мјсту, на которомъ Богъ говорилъ ему: Веѕиль.

16 И отправились изъ Веѕиля. И когда еще оставалось нјкоторое пространство земли до Ефраѕы, Рахиль родила, и роды ея были трудны.

17 Когда же она страдала въ родахъ, повивальная бабка сказала ей: не бойся; ибо это еще тебј сынъ.

18 И когда выходила изъ ней душа, ибо она умирала, то нарекла ему имя: Бен-они. Но отецъ его назвалъ его Веніаминомъ.

19 И умерла Рахиль, и погребена на дорогј въ Ефраѕу, которая есть Виѕлеемъ.

20 Іаковъ поставилъ надъ гробомъ ея памятникъ. Сей памятникъ на гробј Рахилиномъ находится до сего дня.

21 И пошелъ Израиль далје, и раскинулъ шатеръ свой за башнею Гадеръ.

22 Во время пребыванія Израиля въ сей странј случилось, что Рувимъ пошелъ, и преспалъ съ Валлою, наложницею отца своего. И услышалъ Израиль. Сыновъ же у Іакова было двјнадцать.

23 Сыновья Ліи: первенецъ Іаковлевъ Рувимъ, по немъ Симеонъ, Левій, Іуда, Иссахаръ, и Завулонъ.

24 Сыновья Рахили: Іосифъ и Веніаминъ.

25 Сыновья Валлы, служанки Рахилиной: Данъ и Нефѕалимъ.

26 Сыновья Зелфы, служанки Ліиной: Гадъ и Ассиръ. Сіи суть сыновья Іакова, родившіеся ему въ Падан-Арамј.

27 И пришелъ Іаковъ къ Исааку, отцу своему, въ Мамре, въ Киріаѕ-Арбу, иначе Хевронъ, гдј странствовали Авраамъ и Исаакъ.

28 И было дней жизни Исааковой сто восемьдесятъ лјть.

29 И испустилъ Исаакъ духъ, и умеръ, и присоединился къ народу своему, будучи старъ и насыщенъ жизнію; и погребли его Исавъ и Іаковъ, сыновья его

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1453

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1453. As regards 'Bethel being towards the sea and Ai towards the east, 1 ' meaning that His state was still obscure, that is to say, so far as cognitions of celestial and spiritual things were concerned, it is one thing to be governed by celestial things, another to be governed by the cognitions of celestial things. Infants and children are governed, more so than adults, by celestial things because of the presence in them of love towards their parents and of love for one another, as well as of innocence. But adults are governed, more so than infants and children, by the cognitions of those celestial things, very many adults not being governed at all by the celestial things of love. Until a person is taught the things of love and faith, he dwells in an obscure state, that is, so far as cognitions are concerned. That state is described here by the statement 'Bethel' was 'towards the sea', that is, 'towards the west', and 'Ai towards the east' 'Bethel', as stated already, means cognitions of celestial things, but 'Ai' the cognitions of worldly things. The former are said to be 'towards the west' when they are in obscurity, for in the Word 'the west' means that which is obscure, while the latter are said to be 'towards the east' when they are in brightness; for in comparison with the west the east is brightness. There is no need to confirm that west and east have these meanings, as they may be evident to anyone without confirmation.

[2] That 'Bethel' means the cognitions of celestial things however may become clear from other places where Bethel is mentioned in the Word, as in the next chapter,

Abram went according to his journeys from the south even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the start, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar that he had made there. Genesis 13:3-4.

Here 'according to his journeys from the south towards Bethel' means advancing into the light of cognitions, and this is why no reference is made in this case to 'Bethel towards the west and Ai towards the east'. When Jacob saw the stairway he said,

This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And he called the name of this place Bethel. Genesis 28:17, 19.

Here similarly 'Bethel' means knowledge of celestial things, for a person is a 'Bethel', that is, a 'House of God', and a 'Gate of heaven', when he is governed by the celestial things that have been present as cognitions. While a person is being regenerated he is undergoing introduction, which is effected by means of cognitions of spiritual and celestial things; but once he has been regenerated that introduction has been completed, and he is now governed by the celestial and spiritual things that have been present as cognitions. Further on it is said,

God said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there; make there an altar to the God who appeared to you. Genesis 35:1, 6-7.

[3] Here similarly 'Bethel' means cognitions.

The presence of the Ark of Jehovah in Bethel, and the visits to that place by the children of Israel to inquire of Jehovah, Judges 20:18, 26-27; 1 Samuel 7:16, 10:3, have similar meanings. So also has the reference to the king of Assyria sending one of the priests whom he had deported from Samaria, who resided in Bethel and was teaching them how to fear Jehovah, 2 Kings 17:27-28.

In Amos,

Amaziah said to Amos, O seer, go, flee to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there. And do not prophesy any more in Bethel, for this is the king's sanctuary and this is a house of the kingdom. Amos 7:12-13.

[4] After Jeroboam had profaned Bethel, 1 Kings 12:32; 13:1-8; 2 Kings 23:15, Bethel had a contrary representation, as in Hosea 10:15; Amos 3:14-15; 5:5-7. As regards 'Ai' meaning cognitions of worldly things however this too may be confirmed from historical and prophetical parts of the Word, in Joshua 7:2; 8:1-28; Jeremiah 49:3-4.

Footnotes:

1. literally, Bethel from the sea (an idiom for from the west) and Ai from the east

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 11

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1 The whole earth was of one language and of one speech.

2 It happened, as they traveled east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there.

3 They said one to another, "Come, let's make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.

4 They said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth."

5 Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

6 Yahweh said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do.

7 Come, let's go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."

8 So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city.

9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of all the earth. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.

10 This is the history of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old and became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood.

11 Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and became the father of sons and daughters.

12 Arpachshad lived thirty-five years and became the father of Shelah.

13 Arpachshad lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Shelah, and became the father of sons and daughters.

14 Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber:

15 and Shelah lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Eber, and became the father of sons and daughters.

16 Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg.

17 Eber lived four hundred thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and became the father of sons and daughters.

18 Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu.

19 Peleg lived two hundred nine years after he became the father of Reu, and became the father of sons and daughters.

20 Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug.

21 Reu lived two hundred seven years after he became the father of Serug, and became the father of sons and daughters.

22 Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor.

23 Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and became the father of sons and daughters.

24 Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah.

25 Nahor lived one hundred nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and became the father of sons and daughters.

26 Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

27 Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot.

28 Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees.

29 Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran who was also the father of Iscah.

30 Sarai was barren. She had no child.

31 Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife. They went forth from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there.

32 The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran.