The Bible

 

Postanak 21

Study

   

1 I Gospod pohodi Saru, kao što beše rekao i učini Gospod Sari kao što beše kazao.

2 Jer zatrudne i rodi Sara Avramu sina u starosti njegovoj u isto vreme kad kaza Gospod.

3 I Avram nadede ime sinu koji mu se rodi, kog mu rodi Sara, Isak.

4 I obreza Avram sina svog Isaka kad bi od osam dana, kao što mu zapovedi Bog.

5 A Avramu beše sto godina kad mu se rodi sin Isak.

6 A Sara reče: Bog mi učini smeh; ko god čuje, smejaće mi se.

7 I reče: Ko bi rekao Avramu da će Sara dojiti decu? Ipak mu rodih sina u starosti njegovoj.

8 A kad dete doraste da se odbije od sise, učini Avram veliku gozbu onaj dan kad odbiše Isaka od sise.

9 I Sara vide sina Agare Misirke, koja ga rodi Avramu, gde se podsmeva;

10 Pa reče Avramu: Oteraj ovu robinju sa sinom njenim, jer sin ove robinje neće biti naslednik s mojim sinom, s Isakom.

11 A to Avramu bi vrlo krivo radi sina njegovog.

12 Ali Bog reče Avramu: Nemoj da ti je krivo radi deteta i radi robinje tvoje. Šta ti je god kazala Sara, poslušaj; jer će ti se u Isaku seme prozvati.

13 Ali ću i od sina robinjinog učiniti narod, jer je tvoje seme.

14 I Avram ustav ujutru rano, uze hleba i mešinu vode, i dade Agari metnuvši joj na leđa, i dete, i otpusti je. A ona otišavši lutaše po pustinji virsavskoj.

15 A kad nesta vode u mešini, ona baci dete pod jedno drvo,

16 Pa otide koliko se može strelom dobaciti, i sede prema njemu; jer govoraše: Da ne gledam kako će umreti dete. I sedeći prema njemu stade glasno plakati.

17 A Bog ču glas detinji, i anđeo Božji viknu s neba Agaru, i reče joj: Šta ti je Agaro? Ne boj se, jer Bog ču glas detinji odande gde je.

18 Ustani, digni dete i uzmi ga u naručje; jer ću od njega učiniti velik narod.

19 I Bog joj otvori oči, te ugleda studenac; i otišavši napuni mešinu vode, i napoji dete.

20 I Bog beše s detetom, te odraste, i živeše u pustinji i posta strelac.

21 A živeše u pustinji Faranu. I mati ga oženi iz zemlje misirske.

22 U to vreme reče Avimeleh i Fihol vojvoda njegov Avramu govoreći: Bog je s tobom u svemu što radiš.

23 Zakuni mi se sada Bogom da nećeš prevariti mene ni sina mog ni unuka mog nego da ćeš dobro onako kako sam ja tebi činio i ti činiti meni i zemlji u kojoj si došljak.

24 A Avram reče: Hoću se zakleti.

25 Ali Avram prekori Avimeleha za studenac, koji uzeše na silu sluge Avimelehove.

26 A Avimeleh reče: Ne znam ko je to učinio; niti mi ti kaza, niti čuh do danas.

27 Tada Avram uze ovaca i goveda, i dade Avimelehu, i uhvati veru među sobom.

28 A Avram odluči sedam jaganjaca iz stada.

29 A Avimeleh reče Avramu: Šta će ono sedam jaganjaca što si odlučio?

30 A on odgovori: Da primiš iz moje ruke ono sedam jaganjaca, da mi bude svedočanstvo da sam ja iskopao ovaj studenac.

31 Otuda se prozva ono mesto Virsaveja, jer se onde zakleše obojica.

32 Tako uhvatiše veru na Virsaveji. Tada se diže Avimeleh i Fihol vojvoda njegov, i vratiše se u zemlju filistejsku.

33 A Avram posadi lug na Virsaveji, i onde prizva ime Gospoda Boga Večnog.

34 I Avram živeše kao došljak u zemlji filistejskoj mnogo vremena.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2669

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

2669. 'Also, the son of the servant-girl I will make into a nation' means the spiritual Church which was to receive the good of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'the son of the servant-girl' and also of 'a nation'. 'The son of the servant-girl' or Ishmael, while he was in Abraham's house, that is, while he was with Abraham, represented the Lord's first rational, as shown in 2652, 2653, 2657, 2658. But now he has been separated he takes on another representation, namely that of the spiritual Church, 2666. A similar change of representation occurred previously with Lot who while with Abraham represented the Lord's external man, 1428, 1429, 1434, 1547, 1597, 1598, 1698, but once he had been separated from Abraham he represented the external Church and many states of that Church, 2324, 2371, 2399, 2422, 2459, and in the whole of Chapter 19. As regards 'nation' meaning good, see 1159, 1258-1260, 1416, 1849. Here the good of faith is meant since it has reference to the spiritual Church. Hence the words used here, 'Also, the son of the servant-girl I will make into a nation', mean the spiritual Church which was to receive the good of faith, which is charity.

[2] The Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth is celestial and spiritual, and therefore angels are distinguished into those who are celestial and those who are spiritual, see 202, 337. To celestial angels the Lord appears as the Sun, to spiritual as the Moon, 1053, 1521, 1529-1531. Men in a similar way are distinguished into those who are celestial and those who are spiritual. Those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood were celestial, dealt with in 607, 608, 784, 895, 920, 1114-1125, while those who belonged to the Ancient Church which existed after the Flood were spiritual, dealt with in 609, 640, 641, 765. For what the difference was between those two Churches, see 567, 607, and for what the difference is between what is celestial and what is spiritual, 81, 1155, 1577, 1824, 2048, 2069, 2088, 2227, 2507. The celestial are referred to by the Lord in the following,

He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. And when He has led out His own sheep He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice.

The spiritual however are referred to in these words,

And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd. John 10:3-4, 16.

The good of love is that which constitutes the celestial Church, but the good of faith that which constitutes the spiritual Church. The truth of faith does not constitute the Church but leads into it.

  
/ 10837  
  

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