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 #2049

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2049. From every son that is a stranger who is not of thy seed. That this signifies those who are outside the church, is evident from the signification of “son that is a stranger,” as being those who are not born within the church, thus are not in the goods and truths of faith, because not in the knowledges of them. “Sons that are strangers” also signify those who are in external worship (concerning whom, n. 1097); but where this is the meaning, those who are within the church are treated of, whereas in the passage before us the Lord’s church in the universal is treated of, and therefore “sons that are strangers” signify those who are not born within the church, as is the case with the Gentiles. Gentiles, who are outside the church, may be in truths, but not in the truths of faith. Their truths, like the precepts of the Decalogue, are that parents are to be honored, that men are not to kill, steal, commit adultery, or covet things that belong to others; also that the Deity is to be worshiped. But the truths of faith are all doctrinal things concerning eternal life, the Lord’s kingdom, and the Lord Himself, which cannot be known to the Gentiles because they have not the Word.

[2] These are they who are signified by “sons that are strangers who are not of thy seed,” and yet were to be circumcised, that is purified, together with them. This shows that they can be purified, equally with those within the church; as was represented by their being circumcised. They are purified when they reject filthy loves, and live with one another in charity; for then they live in truths, since all truths are of charity; but in the truths already mentioned. They who live in these truths readily imbibe the truths of faith, if not in the life of the body, yet in the other life, because the truths of faith are the interior truths of charity, and they then love nothing more than to be admitted into the interior truths of charity. The interior truths of charity are those in which the Lord’s kingdom consists (see n. 932, 1032, 1059, 1327, 1328, 1366)

[3] In the other life a memory-knowledge of the knowledges of faith is of no avail, for the worst, nay, the infernals, can be in the memory-knowledge of them, sometimes more than others; but that which avails is a life according to the knowledges, for all knowledges have life as their end. Unless knowledges were learned for the sake of life, they would be of no use except that men might talk about them, and thereby be esteemed learned in the world, be exalted to honors, and gain reputation and wealth. From this it is evident that a life of the knowledges of faith is no other than a life of charity; for the Law and the Prophets, that is, the universal doctrine of faith together with all its knowledges, consists in love to the Lord and in love toward the neighbor; as is manifest to all from the Lord’s words in Matthew 22:34-39 and Mark 12:28-35

[4] But still doctrinal things, that is, the knowledges of faith, are most necessary for forming the life of charity, which cannot be formed without them. This is the life that saves after death, and by no means any life of faith without it; for without charity there cannot be any life of faith. They who are in the life of love and charity are in the Lord’s life, and by no other life can anyone be conjoined with Him. Hence also it is evident that the truths of faith can never be acknowledged as truths, that is, the acknowledgment of them so much talked of is impossible, except outwardly, and by the mouth, unless they are implanted in charity; for inwardly or in the heart they are denied, since, as already said, they all have charity as their end; and if this is not within them they are inwardly rejected. When the exteriors are taken away-as is done in the other life-the interiors are manifest in their true character, in that they are utterly contrary to all the truths of faith. When men have had no life of charity-that is, no mutual love-during their bodily life, it is utterly impossible to receive it in the other life, because they are averse to and hate it, for after death the same life remains with us that we have lived here. When such persons merely approach a society where there is the life of mutual love, they tremble, shudder, and feel torture.

[5] Such persons, although born within the church, are called “sons that are strangers, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh,” who are not to be admitted into the sanctuary, that is, into the Lord’s kingdom; and who are also meant in Ezekiel:

No son that is a stranger, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into My sanctuary (Ezekiel 44:7, 9).

Again:

To whom art thou thus become like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? and thou shalt be brought down with the trees of Eden into the lower earth, thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain by the sword (Ezekiel 31:18); where Pharaoh is treated of, by whom are signified memory-knowledges in general (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462); by “the trees of Eden” with which they should go down into the lower earth, are also signified memory-knowledges, but those of the knowledges of faith. All this shows what “the uncircumcised” is in the internal sense, namely, one who is in filthy loves and the life of them.

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