The Bible

 

Бытие 6

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1 Когда люди начали умножаться на землј, и родились у нихъ дочери: то случилось,

2 что сыны Божіи, видя дочерей человјческихъ, какъ онј прекрасны, брали ихъ себј въ жены, которую кто выбралъ.

3 И сказалъ Іегова: не вјчно Духу Моему быть пренебрегаему человјками; въ заблужденіи своемъ они суть плоть; да будутъ же дни ихъ сто двадцать лјтъ.

4 Въ то время были на землј исполины; особенно же съ того времени, какъ сыны Божіи стали совокупляться съ дочерьми человјческими, и онј стали рождать имъ. Сіи суть сильные, издревле славные люди.

5 И увидјлъ Іегова, что умножилось развращеніе человјковъ на землј, и что всякой образъ помышленій сердца ихъ одно зло во всю жизнь.

6 И раскаялся Іегова, что создалъ человјка на землј и возскорбјлъ въ сердцј Своемъ.

7 И сказалъ Іегова: истреблю съ лица земли человјковъ сотворенныхъ Мною, и не только человјковъ, но и скотъ и гадовъ и птицъ небесныхъ, ибо Я раскаялся, что создалъ ихъ.

8 Ной же обрјлъ благодать предъ очами Іеговы.

9 Вотъ родословіе Ноя. Ной былъ человјкъ праведный и непорочный въ свое врема; съ Богомъ ходилъ Ной.

10 Ной родилъ трехъ сыновъ: Сима, Хама и Іафета.

11 Но земля растлилась предъ лицемъ Божіимъ, и наполнилась земля злодјяніями.

12 Богъ воззрјлъ на землю; и се, она растлјна: ибо всякая плоть на землј совратились съ пути своего.

13 И сказалъ Богъ Ною: конецъ всјхъ людей пришелъ предъ лице Мое: ибо земля наполнилась отъ нихъ злодјяніями. И се, Я истреблю ихъ съ земли.

14 Сдјлай ты себј ковчегъ изъ дерева гоферъ; отдјленія сдјлай въ ковчегј, и осмоли его смолою внутри и снаружи.

15 Сдјлай же его такъ: длина ковчега триста локтей; широта его пятьдесять локтей, а высота его тридцать локтей.

16 Сдјлай отверстіе въ ковчегъ, и въ локоть сведи его вверху: дверь въ ковчегј сдјлай съ бока его: устрой въ немъ нижнее, второе и третье жилье.

17 И се, Я наведу на землю потопъ водный, чтобы истребить всякую плоть, въ которой есть духъ жизни, подъ небесами; все, что есть на землј, лишится жизни.

18 Но съ тобою Я поставлю завјтъ Мой: и войдешь въ ковчегъ ты, и сыновья твои, и жена твоя, и жены сыновъ твоихъ съ тобою.

19 Введи также въ ковчегъ изъ всјхъ животныхъ, оть всякой плоти по парј, чтобы они остались съ тобою въ живыхъ; мужскаго пола и женскаго должны они быть.

20 Изъ птицъ по роду ихъ, и изъ скота по роду его, и изъ всјхъ пресмыкающихся по землј по роду ихъ, изъ всјхъ по парј войдутъ къ тебј, чтобы остались живы.

21 Ты же возьми себј всякой пищи, какою питаются, и заготовь у себя; и будете питаться ею, ты и они.

22 И сдјлалъ Ной все, какъ повелјлъ ему Богъ, такъ и сдјлалъ.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #598

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598. 'He found grace in Jehovah's eyes' means that the Lord foresaw that the human race could in that way be saved. The mercy of the Lord entails and looks to the salvation of the whole human race; and so does His grace. Consequently, the salvation of the human race is meant. 'Noah' means not only a new Church but also the faith of that Church, which was a faith that inhered in charity. The Lord accordingly foresaw that it would be possible for the human race to be saved by means of faith that inhered in charity. Such faith will be dealt with later on.

[2] In the Word however a distinction is made between mercy and grace, a distinction which depends in fact on differences in those who are their recipients. Mercy applies to those who are celestial, but grace to those who are spiritual, for celestial people acknowledge nothing other than mercy, while spiritual acknowledge hardly anything other than grace. Celestial people do not know what grace is, while the spiritual scarcely know what mercy is, for they make mercy and grace to be one and the same. The reason for the difference springs from each one's humility. People in whom there is humility of heart plead for the Lord's mercy, but those in whom there is humility of mind (cogitatio) seek His grace. Or if the latter do plead for mercy they do so in a state of temptation or with the lips only and not with the heart. Since the new Church called Noah was not celestial but spiritual, it is not said to have found mercy but to have found grace in Jehovah's eyes.

[3] The distinction made in the Word between mercy and grace is clear from very many places where Jehovah is said to be merciful and gracious, as in Psalms 103:8; 111:4; 112:4; Joel 2:13. The same distinction is made elsewhere, as in Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness, when He went to give rest to Israel. From afar Jehovah appeared to me. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with mercy. Jeremiah 31:2-3.

Here 'grace' has reference to what is spiritual and 'mercy' to what is celestial. In Isaiah,

Therefore Jehovah will wait to grant you grace, and therefore He will exalt Himself to be merciful to you. Isaiah 30:18.

Here similarly 'grace' has regard to what is spiritual and 'mercy' to what is celestial. And further on [in Genesis] where Lot is addressing the angels,

Behold now, Your servant has found grace in Your eyes, and You have magnified Your mercy which You have shown to me in causing my soul to live. Genesis 19:19.

Here also it is clear that since he is spoken of as 'having found grace in Your eyes' grace has regard to spiritual things which are matters of faith or of the understanding. And since the expressions 'to have magnified mercy' and 'to have caused my soul to live' are used, it is equally clear that mercy has regard to celestial things, which are matters of love or of the will.

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