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Postanak 30

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1 A Rahilja videvši gde ne rađa dece Jakovu, pozavide sestri svojoj; i reče Jakovu: Daj mi dece, ili ću umreti.

2 A Jakov se rasrdi na Rahilju, i reče: Zar sam ja a ne Bog koji ti ne da poroda?

3 A ona reče: Eto robinje moje Vale, lezi s njom, neka rodi na mojim kolenima, pa ću i ja imati dece od nje.

4 I dade mu Valu robinju svoju za ženu, i Jakov leže s njom.

5 I zatrudne Vala, i rodi Jakovu sina.

6 A Rahilja reče: Gospod mi je sudio i čuo glas moj, te mi dade sina. Zato mu nadede ime Dan.

7 I Vala robinja Rahiljina zatrudne opet, i rodi drugog sina Jakovu;

8 A Rahilja reče: Borah se žestoko sa sestrom svojom, ali odoleh. I nadede mu ime Neftalim.

9 A Lija videvši gde presta rađati uze Zelfu robinju svoju i dade je Jakovu za ženu.

10 I rodi Zelfa robinja Lijina Jakovu sina;

11 I Lija reče: Dođe četa. I nadede mu ime Gad.

12 Opet rodi Zelfa robinja Lijina drugog sina Jakovu;

13 I reče Lija: Blago meni, jer će me blaženom zvati žene. Zato mu nadede ime Asir.

14 A Ruvim iziđe u vreme žetve pšenične i nađe mandragoru u polju, i donese je Liji materi svojoj. A Rahilja reče Liji: Daj mi mandragoru sina svog.

15 A ona joj reče: Malo li ti je što si mi uzela muža? Hoćeš da mi uzmeš i mandragoru sina mog? A Rahilja joj reče: Neka noćas spava s tobom za mandragoru sina tvog.

16 I uveče kad se Jakov vraćaše iz polja, iziđe mu Lija na susret i reče: Spavaćeš kod mene, jer te kupih za mandragoru sina svog. I spava kod nje onu noć.

17 A Bog usliši Liju, te ona zatrudne, i rodi Jakovu petog sina.

18 I reče Lija: Gospod mi dade platu moju što dadoh robinju svoju mužu svom. I nadede mu ime Isahar.

19 I zatrudne Lija opet, i rodi Jakovu šestog sina;

20 I reče Lija: Dariva me Gospod darom dobrim; da ako se sada većpriljubi k meni muž moj, jer mu rodih šest sinova. Zato mu nadede ime Zavulon.

21 Najposle rodi kćer, i nadede joj ima Dina.

22 Ali se Gospod opomenu Rahilje; i uslišivši je otvori joj matericu.

23 I zatrudne, i rodi sina, i reče: Uze Bog sramotu moju.

24 I nadede mu ime Josif, govoreći: Neka mi doda Gospod još jednog sina.

25 A kad Rahilja rodi Josifa, reče Jakov Lavanu: Pusti me da idem u svoje mesto i u svoju zemlju.

26 Daj mi žene moje, za koje sam ti služio, i decu moju, da idem, jer znaš kako sam ti služio.

27 A Lavan mu reče: Nemoj, ako sam našao milost pred tobom; vidim da me je blagoslovio Gospod tebe radi.

28 I još reče: Išti koliko hoćeš plate, i ja ću ti dati.

29 A Jakov mu odgovori: Ti znaš kako sam ti služio i kakva ti je stoka postala kod mene.

30 Jer je malo bilo što si imao dokle ja ne dođoh; ali se umnoži veoma, jer te Gospod blagoslovi kad ja dođoh. Pa kad ću i ja tako sebi kuću kućiti?

31 I reče mu Lavan: Šta hoćeš da ti dam? A Jakov odgovori: Ne treba ništa da mi daš; nego ću ti opet pasti stoku i čuvati, ako ćeš mi učiti ovo:

32 Da zađem danas po svoj stoci tvojoj, i odlučim sve što je šareno i s belegom, i sve što je crno između ovaca, i šta je s belegom i šareno između koza, pa šta posle bude tako, ono da mi je plata.

33 Tako će mi se posle posvedočiti pravda moja pred tobom kad dođeš da vidiš zaslugu moju: Šta god ne bude šareno ni s belegom ni crno između ovaca i koza u mene, biće kradeno.

34 A Lavan reče: Eto, neka bude kako si kazao.

35 I odluči Lavan isti dan jarce s belegom i šarene i sve koze s belegom i šarene, i sve na čem beše šta belo, i sve crno između ovaca, i predade sinovima svojim.

36 I ostavi daljine tri dana hoda između sebe i Jakova. I Jakov pasaše ostalu stoku Lavanovu.

37 I uze Jakov zelenih prutova topolovih i leskovih i kestenovih, i naguli ih do beline koja beše na prutovima.

38 I metaše naguljene prutove pred stoku u žlebove i korita kad dolažaše stoka da pije, da bi se upaljivala kad dođe da pije.

39 I upaljivaše se stoka gledajući u prutove, i šta se mlađaše beše s belegom, prutasto i šareno.

40 I Jakov odlučivaše mlad, i obraćaše stado Lavanovo da gleda u šarene i u sve crne; a svoje stado odvajaše i ne obraćaše ga prema stadu Lavanovom.

41 I kad se god upaljivaše stoka rana, metaše Jakov prutove u korita pred oči stoci da bi se upaljivala gledajući u prutove;

42 A kad se upaljivaše pozna stoka, ne metaše; tako pozne bivahu Lavanove a rane Jakovljeve.

43 I tako se taj čovek obogati vrlo, te imaše mnogo stoke i sluga i sluškinja i kamila i magaraca.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3941

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3941. 'Reuben went in the days of the wheat harvest' means faith in regard to its state of love and charity. This is clear from the representation of 'Reuben' as faith, which is the first stage of regeneration, dealt with in 3862, 3866; from the meaning of 'days' as states, dealt with in 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785; and from the meaning of 'wheat' as love and charity, dealt with below - 'wheat harvest' therefore meaning a developing state of love and charity. Jacob's four sons by the servant-girls have portrayed the various means by which the external man is joined to the internal man. Now his remaining four sons portray the actual joining together of good and truth, on account of which reference is made first of all to 'dudaim', by which that joining together or conjugial relationship is meant. The reason why 'wheat harvest' means a developing state of love and charity is that 'the field' means the Church and so the things that constitute the Church, while the seeds sown in it mean the germs of good and truth. And what springs up from those seeds, such as wheat, barley, and many other crops, are the fruits of love and charity, and also of faith. The states of the Church so far as those things are concerned are therefore compared to seedtime and harvest, and are also actually called seedtime and harvest, as in Genesis 8:22 - see 932.

[2] That 'wheat' means the things which constitute love and charity may also be seen from the following places: In Moses,

Jehovah causes him to ride over the heights of the land and He feeds [him] with the produce of the fields, causes him to suck honey out of the crag, and oil out of the stony rock - butter from the cattle, and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs and rams, the breed 1 of Bashan, and of goats, with the kidney-fat of wheat; and of the blood of the grape you drink unmixed wine. Deuteronomy 32:13-14.

This refers in the internal sense to the Ancient Church and its state when it was established, every aspect of love and charity, and every aspect of faith there, being described by means of things that have spiritual meanings. 'The kidney-fat of wheat' means the celestial side of love and charity. And because 'fat' or 'fatness' means that which is celestial, 353, and 'wheat' means love, the two words are therefore linked together in various places in the Word, as also in David,

O that My people were obedient to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! He would feed them with the fat of wheat, and with honey out of the rock I will satisfy you. Psalms 81:13, 16.

And elsewhere in the same author,

Jehovah is the one who makes peace your border; with the fat of wheat He satisfies you. Psalms 147:14.

[3] That 'wheat' means love and charity is evident in Jeremiah,

Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard, they have trampled down the portion of My field, they have rendered the portion of My field into a lonely wilderness. On all the hills in the wilderness those who cause devastation have come, for the sword of Jehovah is devouring from one end of the land even to the other end of the land. There is no peace for any flesh. They have sown wheat and reaped thorns. Jeremiah 12:10, 12-13.

'Vineyard' and 'the field' stand for the Church, 'a lonely wilderness' for the vastation of it, 'a devouring sword' for the vastation of truth, 'no peace' for the absence of good stirring the affections, 'sowing wheat' for forms of good which are the product of love and charity, 'sowing thorns' for evils and falsities which are the result of self-love and love of the world. For 'vineyard' means the spiritual Church, 1069; 'the field' the Church as regards good, 2971; 'wilderness' vastation, 1927, 2708; 'a devouring sword' vastation of truth, 2799; 'peace' good that stirs the affections, 3780.

[4] In Joel,

The field has been laid waste, the ground has been mourning because the grain has been laid waste, the new wine has failed, the oil languishes. Farmers have been put to shame, vinedressers have wailed over the wheat and over the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. Gird yourselves and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Joel 1:10-11, 13.

It is evident to anyone that here the state of the Church when it has been vastated is what is described, and this being so, that 'the field' and 'the ground' mean the Church, 'the grain' its good, and 'the new wine' its truth, 3580, while 'wheat' means celestial love, 'barley' spiritual love. And since the state of the Church is the subject, the call to 'gird yourselves and lament, O priests, and wail, O ministers of the altar' is used.

[5] In Ezekiel,

The Spirit of Jehovah addressing the prophet, Take for yourself wheat and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them into a single vessel, and make them for yourself into bread. With human excrement you shall make a cake before their eyes. Thus shall the children of Israel eat their unclean bread. Ezekiel 4:9, 12-13.

This refers to the defilement of good and truth. 'Wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, spelt' stands for different kinds of good and of truth derived from good. 'Bread' or a cake made from these together with human excrement stands for the defilement of them all.

[6] In John,

I saw, and behold, a black horse, and the one seated on it held a balance in his hand I heard a voice from the midst of the four living creatures saying, A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenices of barley for a denarius; but do no harm to oil and wine. Revelation 6:5-6.

This too refers to the vastation of good and truth. 'A choenix of wheat for a denarius' stands for a scarcity of love, 'three choenices of wheat for a denarius' for a scarcity of charity.

[7] In Ezekiel,

Judah and the land of Israel, they were your merchants. Wheat of minnith and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm, they exchanged for your tracings. Ezekiel 27:17.

This refers to Tyre, which means the cognitions of good and truth. The goods of love and charity, and the happiness they bring, are meant by 'wheat of minnith and pannag, and honey, oil, and balm'. 'Judah' means the celestial Church, 'the land of Israel' the spiritual, which are the source of those goods. 'Tracings' means acquisitions.

[8] In Moses,

A land of wheat and barley, and of the vine and of the fig and of the pomegranate, a land of olive oil and honey. Deuteronomy 8:8.

This is a description of the land of Canaan, which in the internal sense means the Lord's kingdom, 1413, 1437, 1585, 1607, 3038, 3705. Forms of good which are the product of love and charity in that kingdom are meant by 'wheat and barley', forms of good which are the product of faith by 'the vine and the fig'.

[9] In Matthew,

Whose fan is in His hand, and He will purge His threshing-floor and gather His wheat into the granary, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire. Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17.

John the Baptist referred in this way to the Lord. 'Wheat' stands for the goods of love and charity, 'chaff' for those things which do not have any good at all within them. In the same gospel,

Let both grow together until the harvest; and at the time of harvest I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my barn. Matthew 13:30.

'Weeds' stands for evils and falsities, 'wheat' for goods. These are comparisons, but all comparisons in the Word are made through the use of things that carry a spiritual meaning.

Footnotes:

1. literally, sons

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