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Génesis 30

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1 Y VIENDO Rachêl que no daba hijos á Jacob, tuvo envidia de su hermana, y decía á Jacob: Dame hijos, ó si no, me muero.

2 Y Jacob se enojaba contra Rachêl, y decía: ¿Soy yo en lugar de Dios, que te impidió el fruto de tu vientre?

3 Y ella dijo: He aquí mi sierva Bilha; entra á ella, y parirá sobre mis rodillas, y yo también tendré hijos de ella.

4 Así le dió á Bilha su sierva por mujer; y Jacob entró á ella.

5 Y concibió Bilha, y parió á Jacob un hijo.

6 Y dijo Rachêl: Juzgóme Dios, y también oyó mi voz, y dióme un hijo. Por tanto llamó su nombre Dan.

7 Y concibió otra vez Bilha, la sierva de Rachêl, y parió el hijo segundo á Jacob.

8 Y dijo Rachêl: Con luchas de Dios he contendido con mi hermana, y he vencido. Y llamó su nombre Nephtalí.

9 Y viendo Lea que había dejado de parir, tomó á Zilpa su sierva, y dióla á Jacob por mujer.

10 Y Zilpa, sierva de Lea, parió á Jacob un hijo.

11 Y dijo Lea: Vino la ventura. Y llamó su nombre Gad.

12 Y Zilpa, la sirva de Lea, parió otro hijo á Jacob.

13 Y dijo Lea: Para dicha mía; porque las mujeres me dirán dichosa: y llamó su nombre Aser.

14 Y fué Rubén en tiempo de la siega de los trigos, y halló mandrágoras en el campo, y trájolas á Lea su madre: y dijo Rachêl á Lea: Ruégote que me des de las mandrágoras de tu hijo.

15 Y ella respondió: ¿Es poco que hayas tomado mi marido, sino que también te has de llevar las mandrágoras de mi hijo? Y dijo Rachêl: Pues dormirá contigo esta noche por las mandrágoras de tu hijo.

16 Y cuando Jacob volvía del campo á la tarde, salió Lea á él, y le dijo: A mí has de entrar, porque á la verdad te he alquilado por las mandrágoras de mi hijo. Y durmió con ella aquella noche.

17 Y oyó Dios á Lea: y concibió, y parió á Jacob el quinto hijo.

18 Y dijo Lea: Dios me ha dado mi recompensa, por cuanto dí mi sierva á mi marido: por eso llamó su nombre Issachâr.

19 Y concibió Lea otra vez, y parió el sexto hijo á Jacob.

20 Y dijo Lea: Dios me ha dado una buena dote: ahora morará conmigo mi marido, porque le he parido seis hijos: y llamó su nombre Zabulón.

21 Y después parió una hija, y llamó su nombre Dina.

22 Y acordóse Dios de Rachêl, y oyóla Dios, y abrió su matriz.

23 Y concibió, y parió un hijo: y dijo: Quitado ha Dios mi afrenta:

24 Y llamó su nombre José, diciendo: Añádame Jehová otro hijo.

25 Y aconteció, cuando Rachêl hubo parido á José, que Jacob dijo á Labán: Envíame, é iré á mi lugar, y á mi tierra.

26 Dame mis mujeres y mis hijos, por las cuales he servido contigo, y déjame ir; pues tú sabes los servicios que te he hecho.

27 Y Labán le respondió: Halle yo ahora gracia en tus ojos, y quédate; experimentado he que Jehová me ha bendecido por tu causa.

28 Y dijo: Señálame tu salario, que yo lo daré.

29 Y él respondió: Tú sabes cómo te he servido, y cómo ha estado tu ganado conmigo;

30 Porque poco tenías antes de mi venida, y ha crecido en gran número; y Jehová te ha bendecido con mi llegada: y ahora ¿cuándo tengo de hacer yo también por mi propia casa?

31 Y él dijo: ¿Qué te daré? Y respondió Jacob: No me des nada: si hicieres por mí esto, volveré á apacentar tus ovejas.

32 Yo pasaré hoy por todas tus ovejas, poniendo aparte todas las reses manchadas y de color vario, y todas las reses de color oscuro entre las ovejas, y las manchadas y de color vario entre las cabras; y esto será mi salario.

33 Así responderá por mí mi justicia mañana cuando me viniere mi salario delante de ti: toda la que no fuere pintada ni manchada en las cabras y de color oscuro en las ovejas mías, se me ha de tener por de hurto.

34 Y dijo Labán: Mira, ojalá fuese como tú dices.

35 Y apartó aquel día los machos de cabrío rayados y manchados; y todas las cabras manchadas y de color vario, y toda res que tenía en sí algo de blanco, y todas las de color oscuro entre las ovejas, y púsolas en manos de sus hijos;

36 Y puso tres días de camino entre sí y Jacob: y Jacob apacentaba las otras ovejas de Labán.

37 Y tomóse Jacob varas de álamo verdes, y de avellano, y de castaño, y descortezó en ellas mondaduras blancas, descubriendo así lo blanco de las varas.

38 Y puso las varas que había mondado en las pilas, delante del ganado, en los abrevaderos del agua donde venían á beber las ovejas, las cuales se recalentaban viniendo á beber.

39 Y concebían las ovejas delante de las varas, y parían borregos listados, pintados y salpicados de diversos colores.

40 Y apartaba Jacob los corderos, y poníalos con su rebaño, los listados, y todo lo que era oscuro en el hato de Labán. Y ponía su hato aparte, y no lo ponía con las ovejas de Labán.

41 Y sucedía que cuantas veces se recalentaban las tempranas, Jacob ponía las varas delante de las ovejas en las pilas, para que concibiesen á la vista de las varas.

42 Y cuando venían las ovejas tardías, no las ponía: así eran las tardías para Labán, y las tempranas para Jacob.

43 Y acreció el varón muy mucho, y tuvo muchas ovejas, y siervas y siervos, y camellos y asnos.

   

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Apocalypse Explained #447

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447. Of the tribe of Zebulun were sealed twelve thousand.- That this signifies the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the third heaven is evident from the representation and thence the signification of Zebulun and the tribe named after him, as denoting the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the third heaven. For the name Zebulun in Hebrew is derived from [a word meaning] cohabitation, and cohabitation in the spiritual sense signifies conjunction, such as exists with those who love each other. Zebulun here signifies the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the third heaven, because the nine preceding tribes signify all those who are in the heavens and come into the heavens; and there are three heavens, the inmost, the middle, and the ultimate, and none come into heaven but those whom the Lord conjoins to Himself, therefore the three tribes last named signify conjunction with the Lord. The tribe of Zebulun signifies the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the third heaven; the tribe of Joseph, the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the second heaven; and the tribe of Benjamin, the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the ultimate heaven.

[2] In the highest sense, Zebulun signifies the union of the Divine itself and the Divine Human in the Lord; in the internal sense, the conjunction of the Lord with heaven and the church, and specifically, the conjunction of good and truth therein, since this conjunction is the cause of the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the three heavens, and in the church. For the Lord flows into them with the good of love and charity, and conjoins it to the truths which they have, and by means of it He conjoins men and angels to Himself. These are the things signified by "cohabitation," from which Zebulun is named. That these things are signified by Zebulun may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 3960, 3961), where the words of his mother Leah when she brought him forth are explained, which are these:

"And Leah conceived, and bare a sixth son to Jacob. And Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my husband cohabit with me, because I have borne him six sons; and she called his name Zebulun" (Genesis 30:19, 20).

[3] From these significations of Zebulun, it is evident what is signified by him in the following passages; as in the prophecy of Israel concerning his sons:

"Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the seas; and he shall be for a haven of ships; and his border shall be over unto Zidon" (Genesis 49:13).

Here, Zebulun signifies the conjunction of good and truth, which is also called the heavenly marriage. To dwell at the haven of the seas, signifies the conjunction of spiritual things with natural truths, for the sea denotes scientifics, which are natural truths. To dwell at a haven of ships, signifies spiritual conjunction with doctrinals from the Word, ships denoting doctrinals and knowledges of all kinds. His border being over unto Zidon, signifies extension to the knowledges of good and truth from the celestial kingdom. These things may be seen more fully explained in the Arcana Coelestia 6382-6386).

[4] Similarly in the prophecy of Moses concerning the sons of Israel:

"Of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going forth; and Issachar, in thy tents. They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall sacrifice sacrifices of justice; for they shall suck the abundance of the sea, and the hidden treasures of the sand" (Deuteronomy 33:18, 19).

That Zebulun here also signifies the conjunction of good and truth, may be seen in a previous article (n. 445:5), where this prophecy is explained. Similarly in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak in the book of Judges:

"Out of Machir, shall come down legislators, and out of Zebulun they who handle the staff of the scribe. Zebulun a people that devoted the soul to die, and Naphtali upon the high places of the field. The kings came, they fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of silver. They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera" (5:14, 18, 19, 20).

The subject in this prophecy is the combat of truth from good against falsity from evil. The king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor, and Sisera, the chief of his army, who fought against Barak and Deborah, signify the falsity of evil; Barak and Deborah, the truth of good. And because the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun signified combat from the truth which is from good, the tribe of Naphtali, combat, and the tribe of Zebulun, the conjunction of good and truth, therefore these two tribes only and not the other tribes were chosen to go into the combat (Judges 4:6). That this combat signified such things, is evident from the prophecy pronounced by Deborah and Barak, which treats in the spiritual sense of the victory of truth from good over falsity from evil, and of the purification and reformation of the church. Here therefore, Out of Machir shall come down legislators, signifies, that the truths of good shall flow from the good of life, for Machir has a signification similar to that of Manasseh, for he was the son of Manasseh (Genesis 50:23; Josh. 13:31); and legislators signify those who are in the truths of good, and in the abstract, the truths of good itself. And out of Zebulun they who handle the staff of the scribe, signifies intelligence from the conjunction of truth and good, for Zebulun signifies here, as above, the conjunction of truth and good, and the staff of the scribe, intelligence. Zebulun a people that devoted the soul to die, and Naphtali upon the high places of the field, signifies combat in the natural man by means of truths from the spiritual man, and from its influx and conjunction; the high places of the field signify the interior things of the spiritual man, from which the natural man fights. The kings came, they fought, then fought the kings of Canaan, signifies the falsities of evil against which there is combat. In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, signifies those falsities and their nature. They took no gain of silver, signifies that they took and carried away nothing of truth from good, silver denoting truth from good. They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera, signifies combat by means of the knowledges of truth and good, which come through heaven from the Lord, stars denoting such knowledges, and courses denoting truths.

[5] Zebulun and Naphtali also signify the conjunction of truth and good by combat against falsities and evils, and consequent reformation, in these words in Matthew:

Jesus "leaving Nazareth, came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, The land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw a great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (4:13-17; Isaiah 9:1, 2).

That these words in Isaiah were spoken concerning the Lord, is evident, for it is said, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet "wherefore the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, also Galilee of the Gentiles," signify the establishment of the church with the Gentiles, who are in the good of life and receive truths, and are thus in the conjunction thereof, and in combat against evil and falsities. That the establishment of the church and the reformation of such Gentiles are there meant, is also evident from the statement that it was "beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles," and also that the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, and that to them that sat in the region and shadow of death light sprang up.

[6] Zebulun and Naphtali, in the highest sense, signify the union of the Divine itself with the Divine Human of the Lord by means of temptations admitted into Himself, and the victories which He obtained by His own power; as in David (Psalm 68:27-29) explained above (no. 439:5). Because such things were signified by Zebulun, therefore, the tribe of Judah, together with the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun, encamped to the east about the tent of the congregation (Num. 2:3-10). For the encampments of the sons of Israel around the tent of the congregation represented and thence signified the arrangement of the angelic societies in heaven; and those who are in conjunction with the Lord through love to Him are there in the east. The tribe of Judah represented love to the Lord, and the tribe of Zebulun, conjunction with Him.

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.