The Bible

 

Postanak 35

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1 A Bog reče Jakovu: Ustani, idi gore u Vetilj i onde stani; i načini onde žrtvenik Bogu, koji ti se javio kad si bežao od Isava brata svog.

2 I Jakov reče porodici svojoj i svima koji behu s njim: Bacite tuđe bogove što su u vas, i očistite se i preobucite se;

3 Pa da se dignemo i idemo gore u Vetilj, da načinim onde žrtvenik Bogu, koji me čuo u dan nevolje moje i bio sa mnom na putu kojim sam išao.

4 I dadoše Jakovu sve bogove tuđe koji behu u njihovim rukama, i oboce, koje imahu u ušima; i Jakov ih zakopa pod hrastom kod Sihema.

5 Potom otidoše. A strah Božji dođe na gradove koji behu oko njih, te se ne digoše u poteru za sinovima Izrailjevim.

6 I Jakov i sva čeljad što beše s njim dođoše u Luz u zemlji hananskoj, a to je Vetilj.

7 I onde načini žrtvenik, i nazva ono mesto: Bog vetiljski, jer mu se onde javi Bog, kad je bežao od brata svog.

8 Tada umre Devora dojkinja Revečina, i pogreboše je ispod Vetilja pod hrastom, koji nazva Jakov Alon-Vakut.

9 I javi se Bog Jakovu opet, pošto iziđe iz Padan-Arama, i blagoslovi ga,

10 I reče mu Bog: Ime ti je Jakov; ali se odsele nećeš zvati Jakov, nego će ti Ime biti Izrailj. I nadede mu Ime Izrailj.

11 I još mu reče Bog: Ja sam Bog Svemogući; rasti i množi se; narod i mnogi će narodi postati od tebe, i carevi će izaći iz bedara tvojih.

12 I daću ti zemlju koju sam dao Avramu i Isaku, i nakon tebe semenu tvom daću zemlju ovu.

13 Potom otide od njega Bog s mesta gde mu govori.

14 A Jakov metnu spomenik na istom mestu gde mu Bog govori, spomenik od kamena, i pokropi ga kropljenjem, i preli ga uljem.

15 I Jakov prozva mesto gde mu govori Bog Vetilj.

16 I otidoše od Vetilja. A kad im osta još malo puta do Efrate, porodi se Rahilja, i beše joj težak porođaj.

17 I kad se veoma mučaše, reče joj babica: Ne boj se, imaćeš još jednog sina.

18 A kad se rastavljaše s dušom te umiraše, nazva ga Venonija; ali mu otac nadede ime Venijamin.

19 I umre Rahilja, i pogreboše je na putu koji ide u Efratu, a to je Vitlejem.

20 I metnu Jakov spomenik na grob njen. To je spomenik na grobu Rahiljinom do današnjeg dana.

21 Odatle otišavši Izrailj razape šator svoj iza kule migdol-ederske.

22 I kad Izrailj živeše u onoj zemlji, otide Ruvim i leže s Valom inočom oca svog. I to doču Izrailj. A imaše Jakov dvanaest sinova.

23 Sinovi Lijini behu: Ruvim prvenac Jakovljev, i Simeun i Levije i Juda i Isahar i Zavulon;

24 A sinovi Rahiljini: Josif i Venijamin;

25 A sinovi Vale robinje Rahiljine: Dan i Neftalim;

26 A sinovi Zelfe robinje Lijine: Gad i Asir. To su sinovi Jakovljevi, koji mu se rodiše u Padan-Aramu.

27 I Jakov dođe k Isaku ocu svom u Mamriju u Kirijat-Arvu, koje je Hevron, gde Avram i Isak behu došljaci.

28 A Isaku beše sto i osamdeset godina;

29 I onemoćav umre Isak, i bi pribran k rodu svom star i sit života; i pogreboše ga Isav i Jakov sinovi njegovi.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4538

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4538. And God said unto Jacob. That this signifies the perception of natural good, such as Jacob now represents, from the Divine, is evident from the signification in the historicals of the Word of “to say,” as being to perceive (n. 1602, 1791, 1815, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2061, 2080, 2238, 2260, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509), wherefore that “God said” denotes perception from the Divine; and from the representation of Jacob, who here in the supreme sense is the Lord as to natural good. In the preceding pages it has been shown what Jacob represents in the Word; and as he represents various things, the subject shall be briefly explained.

[2] In the supreme sense Jacob represents in general the Lord’s Divine natural. But as the Lord glorified His natural, it was different in the beginning from what it was in the progression, and at the end. Therefore Jacob represented various things, namely, in the beginning the Lord’s natural as to truth, in the progression the Lord’s natural as to the good of truth, and at the end the Lord’s natural as to good. For the Lord’s glorification proceeded from truth to the good of truth, and finally to good, as has already been frequently shown. Now as this is the end, Jacob represents the Lord as to natural good. (See what has already been shown on these points, namely, that in the supreme sense Jacob represents the Lord’s Divine natural, in the beginning as to truth, n. 3305, 3509, 3525, 3546, 3576, 3599; and in the progression, the Lord’s Divine natural as to the good of truth, n. 3659, 3669, 3677, 4234, 4273, 4337.) The reason why Jacob now represents the Lord’s Divine natural as to good, is that this is the end, as before said.

[3] This was the process when the Lord made His natural Divine, and the process is similar also when the Lord regenerates man; for it pleased the Lord to make His Human Divine in the same order as that in which He makes man new. It is for this reason that it has been repeatedly stated that man’s regeneration is an image of the Lord’s glorification (n. 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4402). When the Lord makes man new He first instructs him in the truths of faith, for without the truths of faith man does not know what the Lord is, what heaven is, and what hell is, nor even that they exist; and still less does he know the innumerable things relating to the Lord, to His kingdom in heaven, and to His kingdom on earth, that is, to the church; neither does he know what and of what nature are the things opposite to these, which relate to hell.

[4] Before he has learned these things, he cannot know what good is, by which is not meant civil good and moral good, for these are learned in the world by means of laws and statutes, and by reflections upon the morals of men, and therefore the nations outside the church also know such things; but by good is meant spiritual good, which good is called in the Word charity; and this good is in general to will and do good to others for no selfish reason, but from the delight of the affection. This good is spiritual good, and to it no man can attain except by means of the truths of faith, which are taught by the Lord by means of the Word and preachings of the Word.

[5] After a man has been instructed in the truths of faith, he is gradually led by the Lord to will the truth, and also from willing to do it. This truth is called the good of truth, for the good of truth is truth in will and act; and it is called the good of truth because the truth which has been of doctrine then becomes of the life. At last, when the man perceives delight in willing good and in doing it from will, it is no longer called the good of truth, but good; for he is then regenerate, and no more wills and does good from truth, but truth from good; and the truth which he then does is also as it were good, for it derives its essence from its origin, which is good. From all this it is evident why and whence it is that Jacob in the supreme sense represents the Lord’s natural as to good. The reason why Jacob here represents this good, is that in the internal sense further progress is now treated of, namely, toward the interior things of the natural, which are “Israel” (n. 4536). No one who is being regenerated by the Lord can be led to these interior things until the truth with him has become good.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1919

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1919. Abram said unto Sarai. That this signifies perception, is evident from what was said above (n. 1898). The Lord’s perception was represented and is here signified by this which Abram said to Sarai; but His thought from the perception, by that which Sarai said to Abram. The thought was from the perception. They who are in perception think from nothing else; but still perception is one thing and thought another. To show that this is the case, take conscience as an illustration.

[2] Conscience is a kind of general dictate, and thus an obscure one, of the things that flow in through the heavens from the Lord. Those which flow in present themselves in the interior rational man and are there as in a cloud, which cloud is from appearances and fallacies concerning the truths and goods of faith. But thought is distinct from conscience, and yet it flows from conscience; for they who have conscience think and speak according to it, and the thought is little else than an unfolding of the things which are of conscience, and thereby the partition of them into ideas and then into words. Hence it is that they who have conscience are kept by the Lord in good thoughts respecting the neighbor, and are withheld from thinking evil; and therefore conscience can have no place except with those who love their neighbor as themselves, and think well concerning the truths of faith. From what has been advanced we may see what the difference is between conscience and thought; and from this we may know what the difference is between perception and thought.

[3] The Lord’s perception was immediately from Jehovah, and thus from the Divine good; but His thought was from intellectual truth and the affection of it, as before said (n. 1904, 1914). The Lord’s Divine perception cannot be apprehended by any idea, not even of angels, and therefore it cannot be described. The perception of the angels (spoken of n. 1354, etc., 1394, 1395) is scarcely anything in comparison with the perception which the Lord had. The Lord’s perception, being Divine, was a perception of all things in the heavens, and therefore also of all things on earth, for such is the order, connection, and influx, that he who is in the perception of the former is also in the perception of the latter.

[4] But after the Lord’s Human Essence had been united to His Divine Essence, and at the same time had become Jehovah, the Lord was then above that which is called perception, because He was above the order that is in the heavens and thence on the earth. It is Jehovah who is the source of order, and hence it may be said that Jehovah is Order itself, for He from Himself governs order; not as is supposed in the universal only, but also in the veriest singulars, for the universal comes from these. To speak of the universal, and to separate from it the singulars, would be nothing else than to speak of a whole in which there are no parts, and therefore to speak of a something in which there is nothing. So that to say that the Lord’s Providence is universal, and is not a Providence of the veriest singulars, is to say what is utterly false, and is what is called an ens rationis [that is, a figment of the imagination]. For to provide and govern in the universal, and not in the veriest singulars, is to provide and govern absolutely nothing. This is true philosophically, and yet wonderful to say, philosophers themselves, even those who soar the highest, apprehend the matter differently, and think differently.

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