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Génesis 35

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1 Y dijo Dios a Jacob: Levántate, sube a Bet-el, y estáte allí; y haz allí un altar al Dios que se te apareció cuando huías de tu hermano Esaú.

2 Entonces Jacob dijo a su familia y a todos los que con él estaban : Quitad los dioses ajenos que hay entre vosotros, y limpiaos, y mudad vuestros vestidos.

3 Y levantémonos, y subamos a Bet-el; y allí haré altar al Dios que me respondió en el día de mi angustia, y ha sido conmigo en el camino que he andado.

4 Así dieron a Jacob todos los dioses ajenos que había en poder de ellos, y los zarcillos que estaban en sus orejas; y Jacob los escondió debajo de un alcornoque, que estaba en Siquem.

5 Y salieron, y el terror de Dios fue sobre las ciudades que había en sus alrededores, y no siguieron tras los hijos de Jacob.

6 Y llegó Jacob a Luz, que está en tierra de Canaán, (esta es Bet-el) él y todo el pueblo que con él estaba ;

7 y edificó allí un altar, y llamó el lugar El-betel, porque allí se le había aparecido Dios, cuando huía de su hermano.

8 Entonces murió Débora, ama de Rebeca, y fue sepultada a las raíces de Bet-el, debajo de un alcornoque; y se llamó su nombre Alón-bacut.

9 Y se apareció otra vez Dios a Jacob, cuando se había vuelto de Padan-aram, y le bendijo.

10 Y le dijo Dios: Tu nombre es Jacob; no se llamará más tu nombre Jacob, sino Israel será tu nombre; y llamó su nombre Israel.

11 Y le dijo Dios: Yo soy el Dios Omnipotente: crece y multiplícate; una nación y compañía de naciones (gentiles ) saldrá de ti, y reyes saldrán de tus lomos;

12 y la tierra que yo he dado a Abraham y a Isaac, la daré a ti; y a tu simiente después de ti daré la tierra.

13 Y se fue de él Dios, del lugar donde había hablado con él.

14 Y Jacob puso un título en el lugar donde había hablado con él, un título de piedra, y derramó sobre él libación, y echó sobre él aceite.

15 Y llamó Jacob el nombre de aquel lugar donde Dios había hablado con él, Bet-el.

16 Y partieron de Bet-el, y había aún como media legua de tierra para llegar a Efrata, cuando dio a luz Raquel, y hubo trabajo en su parto.

17 Y aconteció, que como había trabajo en su parto, le dijo la partera: No temas, que también tendrás este hijo.

18 Y acaeció que al salírsele el alma, (pues murió) llamó su nombre Benoni; mas su padre lo llamó Benjamín.

19 Así murió Raquel, y fue sepultada en el camino de Efrata, la cual es Belén.

20 Y puso Jacob un título sobre su sepultura: éste es el título de la sepultura de Raquel hasta hoy.

21 Y salió Israel, y tendió su tienda más allá de la torre de Eder.

22 Y acaeció, morando Israel en aquella tierra, que fue Rubén y durmió con Bilha la concubina de su padre; lo cual oyó Israel. Y fueron los hijos de Israel doce:

23 Los hijos de Lea: Rubén el primogénito de Jacob, y Simeón, y Leví, y Judá, e Isacar, y Zabulón.

24 Los hijos de Raquel: José, y Benjamín.

25 Y los hijos de Bilha, sierva de Raquel: Dan, y Neftalí.

26 Y los hijos de Zilpa, sierva de Lea: Gad, y Aser. Estos fueron los hijos de Jacob, que le nacieron en Padan-aram.

27 Y vino Jacob a Isaac su padre a Mamre, a la ciudad de Arba, que es Hebrón, donde habitaron Abraham e Isaac.

28 Y fueron los días de Isaac ciento ochenta años.

29 Y expiró Isaac y murió, y fue recogido a su pueblo, viejo y lleno de días; y lo sepultaron Esaú y Jacob sus hijos.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2868

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2868. His concubine, whose name was Reumah. That this signifies Gentiles who are in idolatrous worship and in good, is evident from the things which precede; for in the former place are the Gentiles who are signified by the sons who were born to Nahor from his wife, and in this place are the Gentiles signified by those born from his concubine. By those from the wife were signified (as before shown) the Gentiles out of the church who are in brotherhood from good (n. 2863); those now signified are those out of the church who are in idolatrous worship and in good; thus these are not from so legitimate a stock as the former. Nevertheless they are as if legitimate; for at that time children who were born of maidservants were adopted as legitimate (as is evident from the sons of Jacob who were born of the maidservants Bilhah and Zilpah, Genesis 30:4-12; from whom tribes were derived equally as from those who were born of Leah and Rachel, and indeed without any difference). But that still there was a difference is evident from Genesis 33:1-2, 6-7. The maidservants who were at that time given to the husband by the wife for the sake of procreating children were called concubines; as is manifest from Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, who is also called Jacob’s concubine (Genesis 35:22).

That men should procreate children from maidservants or concubines was tolerated at that time, in order that those who are out of the church might thus be represented, and also those who are in a lower degree within the church. The name of this concubine being said to be “Reumah” involves her quality (n. 1896, 2009); which here is exaltation, this being the meaning of the word “Reumah.” (Concerning the state and lot of the nations and peoples who are out of the church, see above, n. 593, 932, 1032, 1059, 1327, 1328, 1366, 2049, 2051, 2284, 2589-2604)

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1366

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1366. And Haran died upon the faces of Terah his father, in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. That this signifies that interior worship was blotted out and became merely idolatrous, is evident from the signification of “Haran,” of “Terah,” of “nativity,” and of “Ur of the Chaldees;” and also from its being said that he “died upon the faces of Terah his father.” As regards the fact that interior worship was blotted out, or that there came to be none, the case is this. The church cannot come forth anew among any nation until it has been so vastated that nothing of evil and falsity remains in its internal worship. So long as there is evil in its internal worship, the things that are good and true, which constitute its internal worship, are impeded; for so long as evils and falsities are present, goods and truths cannot be received. This may be seen from the fact that they who have been born in any heresy, and have so confirmed themselves in its falsities that they are entirely persuaded, can with difficulty, if ever, be brought to receive the truths which are contrary to their falsities. But with Gentiles who do not know what is the truth of faith, and yet live in charity, the case is different. This was the reason why the Lord’s church could not be restored among the Jews, but among Gentiles who had no knowledges of faith. The former, by their falsities, entirely darken and thus extinguish the light of truth; but the Gentiles not so much, for they do not know what is the truth of faith; and what they do not know they cannot darken and extinguish.

[2] As a new church was now to be restored, 1 those were taken to form it with whom goods and truths could be implanted, being those with whom all knowledge of the good and of the truth of faith had been blotted out, and who, like the Gentiles, had become external idolaters. As regards Terah and Abram, it has been shown above that they were of this character, that is to say, they worshiped other gods, and had no knowledge of Jehovah, nor consequently of what is the good and the truth of faith. They had thus become better fitted to receive the seed of truth than others in Syria among whom knowledges as yet remained. That they did remain with some is evident from Balaam, who was from Syria, and who not only worshiped Jehovah, but also offered sacrifice, and was at the same time a prophet. These therefore are the things contained in this verse, namely, that interior worship had been blotted out and had become merely idolatrous.

Footnotes:

1. As Swedenborg all through his theological Writings speaks of “restoring” (restaurare) and “renewing” (instaurare) a new church, he may have had a special reason for this seeming solecism. [REVISER.]

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