The Bible

 

Postanak 26

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1 Ali nasta glad u zemlji svrh prve gladi koja beše za vremena Avramovog; i Isak otide k Avimelehu caru filistejskom u Gerar.

2 I javi mu se Gospod i reče: Nemoj ići u Misir, nego sedi u zemlji koju ću ti kazati.

3 Sedi u toj zemlji, i ja ću biti s tobom, i blagosloviću te; jer ću tebi i semenu tvom dati sve ove zemlje, i potvrdiću zakletvu, kojom sam se zakleo Avramu ocu tvom.

4 I umnožiću seme tvoje da ga bude kao zvezda na nebu, i daću semenu tvom sve ove zemlje; i u semenu tvom blagosloviće se svi narodi na zemlji,

5 Zato što je Avram slušao glas moj i čuvao naredbu moju, zapovesti moje i pravila moja i zakone moje.

6 I osta Isak u Geraru.

7 A ljudi u mestu onom pitahu za ženu njegovu, a on govoraše: Sestra mi je. Jer se bojaše kazati: Žena mi je; da me, veli, ne ubiju ovi ljudi radi Reveke, jer je lepa.

8 I kad provede mnogo vremena onde, dogodi se, te pogleda Avimeleh car filistejski s prozora, i vide Isaka gde se šali s Revekom ženom svojom.

9 I dozva Avimeleh Isaka i reče: Ta to ti je žena; kako si kazao: Sestra mi je? A Isak mu odgovori: Rekoh: da ne poginem s nje.

10 A Avimeleh reče: Šta si nam učinio? Lako je mogao ko od naroda ovog leći s tvojom ženom, te bi nas ti uvalio u greh.

11 I zapovedi Avimeleh svemu narodu svom govoreći: Ko se dotakne ovog čoveka ili žene njegove, poginuće.

12 I Isak stade sejati u onoj zemlji, i dobi one godine po sto, tako ga blagoslovi Gospod.

13 I obogati se čovek, i napredovaše sve većma, te posta silan.

14 I imaše ovaca i goveda i mnogo sluga; a Filisteji mu zaviđahu,

15 Pa sve studence koje behu iskopale sluge oca njegovog za vremena Avrama oca njegovog zaroniše Filisteji, i zasuše ih zemljom.

16 I Avimeleh reče Isaku: Idi od nas, jer si postao silniji od nas.

17 I Isak otide odande, i razape šatore u dolini gerarskoj, i nastani se onde.

18 I stade Isak otkopavati studence, koji behu iskopani za vremena Avrama oca njegovog, i koje zaroniše Filisteji po smrti Avramovoj; i prozva ih imenima koja im beše nadeo otac njegov.

19 I kopajući sluge Isakove u onom dolu nađoše studenac žive vode.

20 Ali se svađaše pastiri gerarski s pastirima Isakovim govoreći: Naša je voda. I nadede ime onom studencu Esek, jer se svadiše s njim.

21 Posle iskopaše drugi studenac, pa se i oko njega svađaše, zato ga nazva Sitna.

22 Tada se podiže odande, i iskopa drugi studenac, i oko njega ne bi svađe; zato ga nazva Rehovot, govoreći: Sad nam dade Gospod prostora da rastemo u ovoj zemlji.

23 I otide odande gore u Virsaveju.

24 I istu noćjavi mu se Gospod, i reče: Ja sam Bog Avrama oca tvog. Ne boj se, jer sam ja s tobom, i blagosloviću te i umnožiću seme tvoje Avrama radi sluge svog.

25 I načini onde žrtvenik, i prizva ime Gospodnje; i onde razape šator svoj; i sluge Isakove iskopaše onde studenac.

26 I dođe k njemu Avimeleh iz Gerara s Ohozatom prijateljem svojim i s Fiholom vojvodom svojim.

27 A Isak im reče: Što ste došli k meni, kad mrzite na me i oteraste me od sebe?

28 A oni rekoše: Videsmo zaista da je Gospod s tobom, pa rekosmo: Neka bude zakletva između nas, između nas i tebe; hajde da uhvatimo veru s tobom;

29 Da nam ne činiš zla, kao što se mi tebe ne dotakosmo i kao što mi tebi samo dobro činismo, i pustismo te da ideš na miru, i eto si blagosloven od Gospoda.

30 Tada ih on ugosti; te jedoše i piše.

31 A sutradan ustavši rano, zakleše se jedan drugom, i otpusti ih Isak i otidoše od njega s mirom.

32 Isti dan došavši sluge Isakove kazaše mu za studenac koji iskopaše, i rekoše mu: Nađosmo vodu.

33 I nazva ga Saveja; otuda se zove grad onaj Virsaveja do današnjeg dana.

34 A kad bi Isavu četrdeset godina, uze za ženu Juditu, kćer Veoha Hetejina, i Vasematu kćer Elona Hetejina.

35 I one zadavahu mnogo jada Isaku i Reveci.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3373

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3373. 'And to your seed' means truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' as truth, dealt with in 29, 255, 1025, 1447, 1610, 1940, 2848, 3310, and so truth from the Lord's Divine, which is 'your seed'. Those who understand the Word solely according to the sense of the letter can know no more than this, that 'seed' means descendants - here Isaac's descendants through Esau and Jacob, primarily through Jacob since the Word existed among that nation and so many of its historical descriptions have to do with them. But in the internal sense 'seed' is not used to mean any descendants from Isaac but all who are the Lord's 'sons', and so who are 'the sons of His kingdom', or what amounts to the same, those in whom good and truth which come from the Lord are present. And as these constitute 'the seed' it follows that good and truth themselves from the Lord are 'the seed', for these are what make people His 'sons'. This is also the reason why truths themselves which come from the Lord are called 'the sons of the kingdom' in Matthew,

He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the seed are the sons of the kingdom. Matthew 13:37-38.

And for this reason also 'sons' generally means truths, 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623.

[2] Anyone who thinks rather more deeply or inwardly may recognize that the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, mentioned so many times, and spoken of so many times as those who were to be blessed, and more so than all nations and peoples in all the world, cannot in the Divine Word mean the descendants of those three. For among all nations they least of all were moved by the good that flows from love to the Lord and from charity towards the neighbour. Nor indeed did any truth of faith exist with them. Who the Lord is, what His kingdom is, and so what heaven is and what the life after death, they did not know at all. They did not know these things because for one thing they did not wish to know and for another because if they had come to know about them they would have denied them completely in their hearts and so would have profaned interior goods and truths, as they did exterior by becoming on so many occasions open idolaters. This is the reason why any interior truths are rarely visible in the literal sense of the Old Testament Word. Because the nature of those people was such, the Lord therefore said about them, quoting Isaiah,

He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and are converted and I heal them. John 12:40.

What He said about them when they declared they were 'the seed of Abraham',

They said, We are the seed of Abraham. Our father is Abraham. Jesus said to them, If you were Abraham's sons, you would do the works of Abraham. You are from your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will to do. John 8:33, 39, 44.

Here also 'Abraham' is used to mean the Lord, as in every other instance in the Word. The Lord explicitly states that they were not His seed or sons but came from the devil. From this it is quite evident that 'the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' in both the historical part and the prophetical part of the Word is in no way used to mean such descendants, for the Word is Divine in every detail Instead it means all who constitute 'the Lord's seed', that is, those with whom the good and truth of faith in Him are present. The fact that heavenly seed, that is, all good and truth, comes from the Lord alone, see 1438, 1614, 2016, 2803, 2882, 2883, 2891, 2892, 2904, 3195.

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