The Bible

 

Postanak 8

Study

   

1 A Bog se opomenu Noja i svih zveri i sve stoke što behu s njim u kovčegu; i posla Bog vetar na zemlju da uzbije vodu.

2 I zatvoriše se izvori bezdanu i ustave nebeske, i dažd s neba prestade.

3 I stade voda opadati na zemlji, i jednako opadaše posle sto pedeset dana;

4 Te se ustavi kovčeg sedmog meseca dana sedamnaestog na planini Araratu.

5 I voda opadaše sve većma do desetog meseca; i prvog dana desetog meseca pokazaše se vrhovi od brda.

6 A posle četrdeset dana otvori Noje prozor na kovčegu, koji beše načinio;

7 I ispusti gavrana, koji jednako odletaše i doletaše dokle ne presahnu voda na zemlji.

8 Pa pusti i golubicu da bi video je li opala voda sa zemlje.

9 A golubica ne našavši gde bi stala nogom svojom vrati se k njemu u kovčeg, jer još beše voda po svoj zemlji; i Noje pruživši ruku uhvati je i uze k sebi u kovčeg.

10 I počeka još sedam dana, pa opet ispusti golubicu iz kovčega.

11 I pred veče vrati se k njemu golubica, i gle, u kljunu joj list maslinov, koji beše otkinula; tako pozna Noje da je opala voda sa zemlje.

12 Ali počeka još sedam dana, pa opet ispusti golubicu, a ona mu se više ne vrati.

13 Šest stotina prve godine veka Nojevog prvi dan prvog meseca usahnu voda na zemlji; i Noje otkri krov na kovčegu, i ugleda zemlju suvu.

14 A drugog meseca dvadeset sedmog dana beše sva zemlja suva.

15 Tada reče Bog Noju govoreći:

16 Izađi iz kovčega ti i žena tvoja i sinovi tvoji i žene sinova tvojih s tobom;

17 Sve zveri što su sa tobom od svakog tela, ptice i stoku i šta god gamiže po zemlji, izvedi sa sobom, neka se raziđu po zemlji, i neka se plode i množe na zemlji.

18 I iziđe Noje i sinovi njegovi i žena njegova i žene sinova njegovih s njim.

19 Sve zveri, sve sitne životinje, sve ptice i sve što se miče po zemlji po svojim vrstama iziđoše iz kovčega.

20 I načini Noje žrtvenik Gospodu, i uze od svake čiste stoke i od svih ptica čistih, i prinese na žrtveniku žrtve paljenice.

21 I Gospod omirisa miris ugodni, i reče u srcu svom: Neću više kleti zemlje s ljudi, što je misao srca čovečijeg zla od malena; niti ću više ubijati sve što živi, kao što učinih.

22 Od sada dokle bude zemlje, neće nestajati setve ni žetve, studeni ni vrućine, leta ni zime, dana ni noći.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #880

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

880. That 'he waited yet another seven days' means the beginning of the second state of regeneration becomes clear from the fact that the interval between the first state, dealt with in verses 8-9, just above, and this second state, dealt with here in verses 10-11, is being described. So that things may be linked together as though they were historical events, that interval is expressed by the phrase 'he waited'. The nature of the second state of regeneration becomes clear to some extent from what has been stated and shown concerning the first, which was a state in which truths of faith had not as yet been able to take root on account of the falsities that obstructed. Truths of faith first strike root when a person starts to acknowledge and believe. Till then they have not struck root. What a person hears from the Word and retains in the memory is no more than a sowing of the seed; in no way does rooting start until that person receives and welcomes good that stems from charity. Every truth of faith has its roots in the good of faith, that is, in good that stems from charity. It is just like seed that is cast on the land. While it is still winter-time, that is, when the land is frozen hard, there it indeed lies but does not take root. But as soon as the warmth of the sun which arrives in early spring warms up the land, the seed starts to grow roots for the first time and then to strike down into the soil. The same applies to spiritual seed that is sown. This never strikes root until good that stems from charity warms it up so to speak. Only then does it grow a root on itself which it then pushes forth.

[2] With man there are three things which go together and combine - the natural, the spiritual, and the celestial. His natural never acquires any life except from the spiritual; the spiritual never acquires any except from the celestial; and the celestial does so from the Lord alone, who is Life itself. To obtain a clearer picture of this idea, let it be said that the natural is the receptacle that receives, or the vessel into which the spiritual is poured; and the spiritual is the receptacle that receives, or the vessel into which the celestial is poured. Thus it is through celestial things that life from the Lord flows. That is how influx works. The celestial is essentially all the good of faith; with a spiritual man it exists as the good of charity. The spiritual is truth, which in no way becomes the truth of faith unless it has within it the good of faith, that is, good that stems from charity, in which good there is life itself from the Lord. To make the matter more intelligible still: it is man's natural that puts a work of charity into effect, whether by hand or by mouth, and so through the organs of the body. Yet in itself the work is dead and has no life except from what is spiritual within it. Nor does what is spiritual have life except from what is celestial, which has it from the Lord. This is what enables it to be called a good work, for nothing is good if it does not derive from the Lord.

[3] This being so it may become clear to anyone that with every work of charity, the work regarded in itself is a purely physical action, which is made living however by the truth of faith lying within the work. And what is more, the truth of faith is something lifeless, which is however made alive from the good of faith. And the good of faith has no life except from the Lord alone, who is Good itself and Life itself. This explains why celestial angels will not hear of faith, even less of works, see 202, for they trace both faith and works back to love. They attribute faith to love, and they attribute the works produced by faith to love. For them therefore both the works and faith leave their sight, and only love and good deriving from it remain. And within their love is the Lord. Because those angels have ideas so celestial they are differentiated from the angels who are called spiritual. Their very thinking and consequent speaking are more inconceivable by far than the thought and speech of spiritual angels.

  
/ 10837  
  

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