The Bible

 

Postanak 20

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1 A Avram otide odande na jug, i stani se između Kadisa i Sura; i živeše kao došljak u Geraru.

2 I govoraše za ženu svoju Saru: Sestra mi je. A car gerarski Avimeleh posla te uze Saru.

3 Ali dođe Bog Avimelehu noću u snu, i reče mu: Gle, poginućeš sa žene koju si uzeo, jer ima muža.

4 A Avimeleh ne beše se nje dotakao, i zato reče: Gospode, eda li ćeš i pravedan narod pogubiti?

5 Nije li mi sam kazao: Sestra mi je? A i ona sama kaza: Brat mi je. Učinio sam u čistoti srca svog i u pravdi ruku svojih.

6 Tada mu reče Bog u snu: Znam da si učinio u čistoti srca svog, zato te sačuvah da mi ne sagrešiš, i ne dadoh da je se dotakneš.

7 A sada vrati čoveku ženu njegovu, jer je prorok, i moliće se za te, te ćeš ostati živ. Ako li ne vratiš, znaj da ćeš umreti ti i svi tvoji.

8 I ujutru rano usta Avimeleh, i sazva sve sluge svoje, i kaza im sve ovo da čuju. I uplašiše se ljudi veoma.

9 Tada Avimeleh dozva Avrama i reče mu: Šta si nam učinio? Šta li sam ti zgrešio, te navuče na me i na carstvo moje toliko zlo? Učinio si mi šta ne valja činiti.

10 I još reče Avimeleh Avramu: Šta ti je bilo, te si to učinio?

11 A Avram odgovori: Govorih: jamačno nema straha Božjeg u ovom mestu, pa će me ubiti radi žene moje.

12 A upravo i jeste mi sestra, kći oca mog; ali nije kći moje matere, pa pođe za me.

13 A kad me Bog izvede iz doma oca mog, ja joj rekoh: Učini dobro, i kaži za me gde god dođemo: Brat mi je.

14 Tada Avimeleh uze ovaca i goveda i sluga i sluškinja, te dade Avramu, i vrati mu Saru ženu njegovu.

15 I reče Avimeleh Avramu: Evo, zemlja ti je moja otvorena, živi slobodno gde ti je volja.

16 A Sari reče: Evo dao sam tvom bratu hiljadu srebrnika; gle, on ti je očima pokrivalo pred svima koji budu s tobom; i to sve da ti je za nauku.

17 I Avram se pomoli Bogu, i isceli Bog Avimeleha i ženu njegovu i sluškinje njegove, te rađahu.

18 Jer Gospod beše sasvim zatvorio svaku matericu u domu Avimelehovom radi Sare žene Avramove.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2540

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2540. That 'in the morning Abimelech rose up early' means a clear perception and confirmatory light flowing from celestial good is clear from the meaning of 'rising in the morning', also of 'Abimelech', as well as of 'early'. What 'the morning' means has been shown in 2333, 2405. From these meanings - and also from the whole train of thought, which is that at first the Lord's perception was obscure, 2513, 2514, and after that less obscure, 2528 - it is evident that here a clear perception is meant. As for 'Abimelech' - that he means the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational things - see above 2509, 2510. And what 'in the early morning' means is evident from the meaning of 'the morning'. Here, since it is said that 'he rose up in the morning - in the early morning', not only a clear perception is meant but also confirmatory light flowing from celestial good; for celestial good is the source from which the confirmatory light of truth is derived. These considerations now show that such things are meant.

[2] The reason why the perception which the Lord had when He was in the Human, and why His thought concerning that which was rational with the doctrine of faith, are dealt with so extensively in the internal sense is that stated above. A further reason is that it is angel-like to think in a distinct manner about the various aspects of the Lord's life in the world, and about how He cast off the human rational and by His own power made it Divine, and at the same time to think about the nature of the doctrine of charity and faith when the rational mixes with it, besides many more things dependent on these, which are interior features of the Church and of man. To anyone whose heart and mind are set on worldly and bodily interests, such matters seem of little importance, and perhaps of no advantage to him; whereas to angels whose hearts and minds are set on celestial and spiritual interests, those same matters are precious. Their ideas and perceptions regarding them are beyond description. From this it is evident that very many matters which to man are of little importance because they are above and beyond his grasp of things are to angels of the highest worth since those matters come within the light of their wisdom; and conversely, the matters of highest worth to man, because they are worldly and so come within his grasp of things, are to angels of little importance since those matters go on away from the light of angels' wisdom. This difference between angels and men with regard to the internal sense of the Word occurs in many places.

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