The Bible

 

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 #4013

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4013. 'Jacob took for himself fresh rods of poplar' means the power proper to natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a rod' as power, and from the meaning of 'poplar' as the good of the natural, dealt with below. 'A rod' is referred to in various places in the Word, and in every case it means power, for one reason because of its use by shepherds in the exercise of power over their flocks, and for another because it served to support the body, and existed so to speak for the sake of the right hand - for 'the hand' means power, 878, 3387. And because it had that meaning a rod was also used in ancient times by a king; and the royal emblem was a short rod and also a sceptre. And not only a king used a rod, but also a priest and a prophet did so, in order that he too might denote by means of his rod the power which he possessed, as Aaron and Moses did. This explains why Moses was commanded so many times to stretch out his rod, and on other occasions his hand, when miracles were performed, the reason being that 'a rod' and 'the hand' means Divine power. And it is because 'a rod' means power that the magicians of Egypt likewise used one when performing magical miracles. It is also the reason why at the present day a magician is represented with a rod in his hand.

[2] From all these considerations it may be seen that power is meant by 'rods'. But in the original language the word used for the rod that a shepherd, or else a king, or else a priest or a prophet possessed, is different from that used for the rods which Jacob took. The latter were used by wayfarers and so also by shepherds, as becomes clear from other places, such as Genesis 32:10; Exodus 12:11; 1 Samuel 17:40, 43; Zechariah 11:7, 10. In the present verse, it is true, the rod is not referred to as one supporting the hand but as a stick cut out from a tree, that is to say, from the poplar, hazel, or plane, to be placed in the troughs in front of the flock. Nevertheless the word has the same meaning, for in the internal sense it describes the power of natural good and from that the good that empowers natural truths.

[3] As regards 'the poplar' from which a rod was made, it should be recognized that trees in general mean perceptions and cognitions - perceptions when they have reference to the celestial man, but cognitions when they have reference to the spiritual man, see 103, 2163, 2682, 2722, 2972. This being so, trees specifically mean goods and truths, for it is these that are involved in perceptions and cognitions. Some kinds of trees mean the interior goods and truths which belong to the spiritual man, such as olives and vines, other kinds mean the exterior goods and truths which belong to the natural man, such as the poplar, the hazel, and the plane. And because in ancient times each tree meant some kind of good or truth, the worship which took place in groves accorded with the kinds of trees there, 2722. The poplar referred to here is the white poplar, so called from the whiteness from which it gets its name. Consequently 'poplar' means good which was a product of truth, or what amounts to the same, the good of truth, as also in Hosea 4:13, though in this instance the good has been falsified.

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