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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 #3974

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3974. 'Give me my womenfolk' means that the affections for truth belonged to that natural, 'and my children' means as did the truths born from those affections. This is clear from the meaning of 'womenfolk' or 'wives' as affections for truth - his wife 'Leah' meaning the affection for external truth, and 'Rachel' the affection for internal truth, both dealt with often above; and from the meaning of 'children' as truths born from those affections. For 'sons' means truths, 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373, and the children born of the womenfolk truths that spring from those affections.

It was a regulation among the Ancients that women given to slaves belonged to the master with whom they served, and so did the children born from them, as may be seen in Moses,

If you buy a Hebrew slave he shall serve for six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. If his master has given him a wife and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out by himself. 1 Exodus 21:2, 4.

It was because this was also a regulation in the Ancient Church and was therefore well known to Laban that he laid claim to Jacob's wives and children, as is evident in the next chapter,

Laban said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock, and all that you see belongs to me. Genesis 31:43.

And because Jacob knows this he says to Laban, 'Give me my womenfolk and my children'. But this regulation as stated in Moses in the verses quoted above represented the right of the internal or rational man to the goods and truths of the external or natural man which the latter has obtained for itself. For a slave represented the truth of the natural man as that truth exists at first before genuine truths are instilled. The truth which is present at first is not truth but the outward appearance of it. Nevertheless it serves as the means by which genuine truths and goods are introduced, as has been shown already. For this reason once goods and truths have been instilled through that truth present at first, that is, through the service it renders, it is dispensed with, but the genuine truths obtained in that way are retained. It was for the sake of this representation that this law about slaves was laid down.

[2] But as for Jacob, he was not a slave who had been purchased, but a man from a more distinguished family than Laban. He himself - that is to say, Jacob - purchased Laban's daughters, and so also the children by them, through the service he rendered; for they were his instead of wages. Consequently Laban's assumptions concerning them were not correct. Furthermore 'a Hebrew slave' means the truth which serves to introduce genuine goods and truths, and his wife the affection for natural good. But Jacob's position was different from that of a slave. He represented the good of natural truth, and his wives the affections for truth. Nor does Laban have the same representation as the master in the law that has been quoted relating to a Hebrew slave. That is to say, he does not represent the rational, but a parallel good, 3612, 3665, 3778, which is such that it is not genuine good but the outward appearance of the genuine, serving to introduce truths, 3665, 3690, which were accordingly 'Jacob's'.

[3] These details which have been presented are indeed such as fall within the mental grasp of none but a very few, for most people do not know what the truth and good of the natural are, and that these are different from the truth and good of the rational. Still less do they know that goods and truths which are not genuine but only so to external appearance serve to introduce genuine truths and goods, especially at the outset of regeneration. All the same, as these details are contained in the internal sense of these words, and also in the internal sense of those that follow concerning Laban's flock from which Jacob obtained a flock for himself, they ought not to be passed over in silence. There will perhaps be some who grasp them. Any who have a strong desire to know such things, that is, who are stirred by an affection for spiritual good and truth, receive enlightenment in such matters.

Footnotes:

1. literally, with his own body

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