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Génesis 20

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1 DE allí partió Abraham á la tierra del Mediodía, y asentó entre Cades y Shur, y habitó como forastero en Gerar.

2 Y dijo Abraham de Sara su mujer: Mi hermana es. Y Abimelech, rey de Gerar, envió y tomó á Sara.

3 Empero Dios vino á Abimelech en sueños de noche, y le dijo: He aquí muerto eres á causa de la mujer que has tomado, la cual es casada con marido.

4 Mas Abimelech no había llegado á ella, y dijo: Señor, ¿matarás también la gente justa?

5 ¿No me dijo él: Mi hermana es; y ella también dijo: Es mi hermano? Con sencillez de mi corazón, y con limpieza de mis manos he hecho esto.

6 Y díjole Dios en sueños: Yo también sé que con integridad de tu corazón has hecho esto; y yo también te detuve de pecar contra mí, y así no te permití que la tocases.

7 Ahora, pues, vuelve la mujer á su marido; porque es profeta, y orará por ti, y vivirás. Y si tú no la volvieres, sabe que de cierto morirás, con todo lo que fuere tuyo.

8 Entonces Abimelech se levantó de mañana, y llamó á todos sus siervos, y dijo todas estas palabras en los oídos de ellos; y temieron los hombres en gran manera.

9 Después llamó Abimelech á Abraham y le dijo: ¿Qué nos has hecho? ¿y en qué pequé yo contra ti, que has atraído sobre mí y sobre mi reino tan gran pecado? lo que no debiste hacer has hecho conmigo.

10 Y dijo más Abimelech á Abraham: ¿Qué viste para que hicieses esto?

11 Y Abraham respondió: Porque dije para mí: Cierto no hay temor de Dios en este Lugar, y me matarán por causa de mi mujer.

12 Y á la verdad también es mi hermana, hija de mi padre, mas no hija de mi madre, y toméla por mujer.

13 Y fue que, cuando Dios me hizo salir errante de la casa de mi padre, yo le dije: Esta es la merced que tú me harás, que en todos los lugares donde llegáremos, digas de mí: Mi hermano es.

14 Entonces Abimelech tomó ovejas y vacas, y siervos y siervas, y diólo á Abraham, y devolvióle á Sara su mujer.

15 Y dijo Abimelech: He aquí mi tierra está delante de ti, habita donde bien te pareciere.

16 Y á Sara dijo: He aquí he dado mil monedas de plata á tu hermano; mira que él te es por velo de ojos para todos los que están contigo, y para con todos: así fué reprendida.

17 Entonces Abraham oró á Dios; y Dios sanó á Abimelech y á su mujer, y á sus siervas, y parieron.

18 Porque había del todo cerrado Jehová toda matriz de la casa de Abimelech, á causa de Sara mujer de Abraham.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2449

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2449. He overthrew those cities. That this signifies that all truths were separated from them, in order that they might have only falsities, is evident from the signification of “cities,” as being doctrinal things, thus truths, since these belong to doctrinal things (see n. 402, 2268, 2428); and which are said to be “overthrown” when there are falsities instead of truths, in the present case when all truths have been separated from them, as well as all goods, which are likewise treated of in this verse because the subject is the last state of those within the church who are in falsities and evils; and this is the state into which they come, concerning the nature of which a few words shall be said.

[2] They who come into the other life are all brought again into a life similar to that which they had in the body; and then with the good evils and falsities are separated, in order that by means of goods and truths they may be elevated by the Lord into heaven; but with the evil, goods and truths are separated in order that by evils and falsities they may be borne into hell (see n. 2119); precisely in accordance with the Lord’s words in Matthew:

Whosoever hath, to him shall be given, that he may have more abundance; but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath (Matthew 13:12).

And elsewhere in the same:

Unto him that hath shall be given, that he may have abundance; but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath (Matthew 25:29; Luke 8:18; 19:24-26; Mark 4:24-25).

The same things are also signified by these words in Matthew:

Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn. The harvest is the consummation of the age; as therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the consummation of the age (Matthew 13:30, 39-40).

The same are also signified by what is said of the net cast into the sea that gathered fishes of various kinds, the good being collected into vessels and the bad cast away; and of its being so at the consummation of the age (verses 47 to 50). What the “consummation” is, and that it involves like things as these in regard to the church, may be seen above, n 1857, 2243.) The reason why evils and falsities are separated from the good is that they may not hang between evils and goods, but may be elevated by means of goods into heaven; and the reason why goods and truths are separated from the evil is that they may not by means of any goods that pertain to them seduce the upright, and also that by means of their evils they may go away among the evil who are in hell. For such is the communication in the other life, of all ideas of thought, and of all affections, that goods are communicated among the good, and evils among the evil (n. 1388-1390); so that unless the good and the evil were separated, countless mischiefs would result, and moreover all association together would be impossible; when yet all things are most exquisitely consociated, in the heavens according to all the differences of love to the Lord and of mutual love, and of the derivative faith (n. 685, 1394); and in the hells according to all the differences of cupidities and of the derivative phantasies (n. 695, 1322). Be it known however that the separation is not entire removal, for from no one is that which he has had altogether taken away.

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