The Bible

 

Genesis 15

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1 Pagkatapos ng mga bagay na ito ay dumating ang salita ng Panginoon kay Abram sa pangitain na nagsasabi, Huwag kang matakot, Abram: ako ang iyong kalasag, at ang iyong ganting pala na lubhang dakila.

2 At sinabi ni Abram, Oh Panginoong Dios, anong ibibigay mo sa akin, kung ako'y nabubuhay na walang anak at ang magaari ng aking bahay ay itong taga Damascong si Eliezer?

3 At sinabi ni Abram, Narito, hindi mo ako binigyan ng anak at, narito't isang ipinanganak sa aking bahay ang siyang tagapagmana ko.

4 At, narito, ang salita ng Panginoon ay dumating sa kaniya, na nagsabi, Hindi ang taong ito ang magiging tagapagmana mo; kundi lalabas sa iyong sariling katawan ang magiging tagapagmana mo.

5 At siya'y inilabas at sinabi, Tumingala ka ngayon sa langit, at iyong bilangin ang mga bituin, kung mabibilang mo: at sa kaniya'y sinabi, Magiging ganiyan ang iyong binhi.

6 At sumampalataya siya sa Panginoon; at ito'y ibinilang na katuwiran sa kaniya.

7 At sinabi sa kaniya, Ako ang Panginoon na nagpaalis sa iyo sa Ur ng mga Caldeo, upang ibigay sa iyo ang lupaing ito na manahin mo.

8 At sinabi niya, Oh Panginoong Dios, paanong pagkakilala ko na aking mamanahin?

9 At sinabi sa kaniya, Magdala ka rito sa akin ng isang dumalagang bakang tatlong taon ang gulang, at ng isang babaing kambing na tatlong taon ang gulang, at ng isang lalaking tupang tatlong taon ang gulang, at ng isang inakay na batobato at ng isang inakay na kalapati.

10 At dinala niya ang lahat ng ito sa kaniya, at pinaghati niya sa gitna, at kaniyang pinapagtapattapat ang kalakalahati; datapuwa't hindi hinati ang mga ibon.

11 At binababa ng mga ibong mangdadagit ang mga bangkay, at binubugaw ni Abram.

12 At nang lulubog na ang araw, ay nakatulog si Abram ng mahimbing; at, narito, ang isang kasindaksindak na malaking kadiliman ay sumakaniya.

13 At sinabi ng Dios kay Abram, Tunay na pakatalastasin mo, na ang iyong binhi ay magiging taga ibang bayan sa lupaing hindi kanila, at mangaglilingkod sa mga yaon; at pahihirapang apat na raang taon.

14 At yaon namang bansang kanilang paglilingkuran ay aking hahatulan: at pagkatapos ay aalis silang may malaking pag-aari.

15 Datapuwa't ikaw ay payapang pasa sa iyong mga magulang; at ikaw ay malilibing sa mabuting katandaan.

16 At sa ikaapat na salin ng iyong binhi, ay magsisipagbalik rito: sapagka't hindi pa nalulubos ang katampalasanan ng mga Amorrheo.

17 At nangyari, na paglubog ng araw, at pagdilim, na narito, ang isang hurnong umuusok, at ang isang tanglaw na nagniningas na dumaan sa gitna ng mga hinating hayop.

18 Nang araw na yaon, ang Panginoon ay nakipagtipan kay Abram, na nagsabi, Sa iyong binhi ibinigay ko ang lupaing ito, mula sa ilog ng Egipto hanggang sa malaking ilog, na ilog Eufrates.

19 Ang mga Cineo, at ang mga Ceneceo, at ang mga Cedmoneo,

20 At ang mga Heteo, at ang mga Pherezeo, at ang mga Refaim,

21 At ang mga Amorrheo, at ang mga Cananeo, at ang mga Gergeseo, at ang mga Jebuseo.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1844

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1844. In a land which is not theirs. That this signifies where there is a church that is as it were not composed of those who are in charity and faith, is evident from the signification of “a land,” as being the church (see n. 566, 662, 1066, 1067). At this day men speak of the church as existing from the mere doctrinals of faith, and thereby distinguish the churches of the Lord, not caring what life men live-whether they cherish inward hatreds, and tear one another like wild beasts, rob one another, and deprive others of reputation, honor, and wealth, and at heart deny whatever is holy. And yet with such there is no church at all; but the church is with those who love the Lord, and who love the neighbor as themselves, who have conscience, and are averse to such hatreds as have been mentioned. But among those previously described these men are like strangers, and are treated with the utmost possible abuse and persecution, or else are regarded as being simple, mean, and of no account. This then is what is meant by “thy seed shall be a stranger in the land.”

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #566

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566. That by the “faces of the ground” is signified all that region where the church was, is evident from the signification of “ground;” for in the Word there is an accurate distinction made between “ground” and “earth;” by “ground” is everywhere signified the church, or something belonging to the church; and from this comes the name of “man” or “Adam” which is “ground;” by “earth” in various places is meant where there is no church, or anything belonging to the church, as in the first chapter, where “earth” only is named, because as yet there was no church, or regenerate man. The “ground” is first spoken of in the second chapter, because then there was a church. In like manner it is said here, and in the following chapter (Genesis 7:4, 23), that “every substance should be destroyed from off the faces of the ground” signifying in the region where the church was; but in Genesis 7:3, speaking of a church about to be created, it is said, “to keep seed alive on the faces of the ground.” “Ground” has the same signification everywhere in the Word; as in Isaiah:

Jehovah will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and will set them upon their own ground, and the peoples shall take them, and shall bring them to their place, and the house of Israel shall inherit them on the ground of Jehovah (Isaiah 14:1-2),

speaking of the church that has been made; whereas where there is no church it is in the same chapter called “earth” (Isaiah 14:9, 12, 16, 20-21, 25-26).

[2] Again:

And the ground of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt; in that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking with the lip of Canaan (Isaiah 19:17-18),

where “ground” signifies the church, and “land” where there is no church. In the same:

The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard; Jehovah shall visit upon the army of the height in the height, and upon the kings of the ground on the ground (Isaiah 24:20-21).

In Jeremiah:

Because of the ground that is worn, because there was no rain on the earth, the husbandmen were ashamed, they covered their heads, yea, the hind also calved in the field (Jeremiah 14:4-5),

where “earth” is that which contains the “ground” and “ground” that which contains the “field.”

[3] In the same:

He brought the seed of the house of Israel from the northern land, from all the lands whither I have driven them, and they shall dwell on their own ground (Jeremiah 23:8),

where “land” and “lands” are where there are no churches; “ground” where there is a church or true worship. Again: I will give the remains of Jerusalem, them that are left in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt, and I will deliver them to commotion, for evil to all the kings of the earth, and I will send the sword, the famine, and pestilence among them, till they be consumed from off the ground which I gave to them and to their fathers (Jeremiah 24:8-10),

where “ground” signifies doctrine and the worship thence derived; and in like manner in the same Prophet, chapter 5.

[4] In Ezekiel:

I will gather you out of the lands wherein ye have been scattered, and ye shall know that I am Jehovah when I shall bring you again into the ground of Israel, into the land for which I lifted up My hand to give it to your fathers (Ezekiel 20:41-42),

where “ground” signifies internal worship; it is called “land” when there is no internal worship.

In Malachi:

I will rebuke him that consumeth for your sakes, and he shall not corrupt for you the fruit of the ground, nor shall the vine be bereaved for you in the field; and all nations shall call you blessed, because ye shall be a delightsome land (Malachi 3:11-12),

where “land” denotes the containant, and therefore it plainly denotes man, who is called “land” when “ground” denotes the church, or doctrine.

[5] In Moses:

Sing, O ye nations, His people, He will make expiation for His ground, His people (Deuteronomy 32:43),

evidently signifying the Church of the Gentiles, which is called “ground.”

In Isaiah:

Before the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the ground shall be forsaken, which thou abhorrest in presence of both her kings (Isaiah 7:16),

speaking of the advent of the Lord; that the “ground will be forsaken” denotes the church, or the true doctrine of faith. That “ground” and “field” are so called from being sown with seed, is evident; as in Isaiah:

Then shall he give rain of thy seed wherewith thou shalt sow the ground; the oxen also and the young asses that labor on the ground (Isaiah 30:23-24).

And in Joel:

The field is laid waste, and the ground hath mourned, because the corn is laid waste (Joel 1:10).

Hence then it is evident that “man” who in the Hebrew tongue is called “Adam” from “ground” signifies the church.

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