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 #3412

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3412. And all the wells that his father’s servants digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped them up. That this signifies that they who were in the memory-knowledge of knowledges were not willing to know interior truths which are from the Divine, and thus obliterated them, is evident from the signification of “wells,” as being truths (n. 2702, 3096), here, interior truths which are from the Divine, inasmuch as the wells by which truths are signified are said to have been digged by his father’s servants in the days of Abraham his father, for by Abraham is represented the Lord’s Divine Itself (n. 2011, 2833, 2836, 3251, 3305); from the signification of “stopping up,” as being not to be willing to know, and thus to obliterate; and from the representation of the Philistines, as being those who are solely in the memory-knowledges of knowledges (n. 1197, 1198).

[2] Appearances of truth of a lower degree are now treated of, in which they may be who are in the memory-knowledge of knowledges, and who are here meant by the “Philistines.” With interior truths which are from the Divine, and which are obliterated by those who are called “Philistines,” the case is this: In the Ancient Church and afterwards, those were called “Philistines” who applied themselves little to life, but much to doctrine, and who in process of time even rejected the things which are of life, and acknowledged as the essential of the church the things which are of faith, which they separated from life; consequently who made light of the doctrinal things of charity, which in the Ancient Church were the sum and substance of doctrine, and thus obliterated them, and instead thereof vaunted much the doctrinal things of faith, and made the whole of religion to consist in these; and inasmuch as thereby they departed from the life which is of charity-that is, from the charity which is of life-they preeminently were called the “uncircumcised;” for by the “uncircumcised” were signified all who were not in charity, however much they might be in doctrinal things (n. 2049).

[3] Those who thus departed from charity removed themselves also from wisdom and intelligence; for no one can be wise and intelligent in regard to truth unless he is in good, that is, in charity, because all truth is from good, and looks to good; so that they who are without good cannot understand truth, and are not even willing to know it. In the other life, when such persons are far from heaven, there sometimes appears with them a snowy light; but this light is like that of winter, which being devoid of heat produces no fruit; and therefore when such persons draw near to heaven their light is turned into mere darkness, and their minds are plunged into the like, that is, into stupor. From all this it can now be seen what is meant by the statement that those who are in the mere memory-knowledge of knowledges were not willing to know interior truths which are from the Divine, and thus obliterated them.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1186

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1186. That “Asshur” is reasoning, is evident from the signification of Asshur or Assyria in the Word, where it is constantly taken for the things which pertain to reason, in both senses; namely, for what is of reason, and for reasonings. By reason and rational things are properly meant things that are true; and by reasoning and reasonings, those which are false. Because “Asshur” signifies reason and reasoning, it is very frequently connected with “Egypt,” which signifies memory-knowledges; for reason and reasoning are from such knowledges. That “Asshur” signifies reasoning is evident in Isaiah:

Woe unto Asshur, the rod of Mine anger, he thinketh not right, neither doth his heart meditate right, he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, because I am intelligent (Isaiah 10:5, 7, 13), where “Asshur” denotes reasoning, of whom it is therefore predicated that he neither thinketh nor doth meditate right; and it is said, “by his own wisdom, because he is intelligent.”

[2] In Ezekiel:

Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredom in Egypt; they committed whoredom in their youth. The one committed whoredom, and doted on her lovers, on Asshur (the Assyrians) her neighbors, who were clothed in blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses. The sons of Babel came to her, and they defiled her with their whoredom (Ezekiel 23:2-3, 5-6, 17).

Here “Egypt” denotes memory-knowledges; “Asshur,” reasoning; and “the sons of Babel,” falsities from cupidities.

[3] In the same:

O Jerusalem, thou hast also committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt, thou hast committed whoredom also with the sons of Asshur, and thou hast multiplied thy whoredom even into the land of Canaan unto Chaldea (Ezekiel 16:26, 28-29), where “Egypt” in like manner denotes memory-knowledges; “Asshur,” reasoning. Reasoning from memory-knowledges concerning spiritual and celestial things is called “whoredom,” both here and elsewhere in the Word. That whoredom with the Egyptians and the Assyrians is not meant, anyone can see.

[4] In Jeremiah:

Israel, what hast thou to do with the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? and what hast thou to do with the way of Asshur, to drink the waters of the river [Euphrates]? (Jeremiah 2:18, 36).

Here likewise “Egypt” denotes memory-knowledges; and “Asshur,” reasoning. In the same:

Israel is a scattered sheep, the lions have driven him away, first the king of Asshur hath devoured him, and after that this king of Babel hath broken his bones (Jeremiah 50:17-18).

“Asshur” here is reasoning concerning spiritual things.

[5] In Micah:

This shall be the peace, when Asshur shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces, we will even set over him seven shepherds, and eight princes of men, and they shall feed down the land of Asshur with the sword, and the land of Nimrod, In the gates thereof, and he shall deliver from Asshur, when he shall come into our land, and when he shall tread upon our border (Micah 5:5-6).

The subject here is Israel, or the spiritual church, of which it is said that “Asshur shall not enter in,” that is, that reasoning shall not; “the land of Nimrod” denotes such worship as is signified by Nimrod, in which the interiors are evil and false.

[6] That “Asshur” in the Word is also reason, which is in the man of the church, whereby he discerns truth and good, is evident in Hosea:

They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Asshur (Hosea 11:11).

“Egypt” here denotes the memory-knowledge of the man of the church; and “Asshur,” his reason. That a “bird” is the intellectual of the memory [scientificum intellectuale], and “a dove” rational good, has been shown before.

[7] In Isaiah:

In that day shall there be a path from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur shall come into Egypt, and Egypt into Asshur, and the Egyptians shall serve Asshur. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the land, which Jehovah Zebaoth shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance (Isaiah 19:23-25).

The subject here is the spiritual church, which is “Israel,” whose reason is “Asshur,” and memory-knowledge “Egypt.” These three constitute the intellectual things of the man of the spiritual church, which follow one another in this order. In other places also where Asshur is named, it signifies the rational, either true or false, as in:

Isaiah 20:1, 3; 23:13; 27:13; 30:31; 31:8, 36, 37; 52:4,

Ezekiel 27:23-24; 31:3-18; 32:22;

Micah 7:12;

Zephaniah 2:13;

Zechariah 10:11;

Psalms 83:8.

“Asshur” denotes reasoning in Hosea 5:13; 7:11; 10:6; 11:5; 12:1; 14:3; and in Zechariah 10:10, where Ephraim is spoken of, by whom is signified the intellectual, but here, perverted.

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