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Genesis 18

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1 At napakita ang Panginoon sa kaniya sa mga punong encina ni Mamre, habang siya'y nakaupo sa pintuan ng tolda, ng kainitan ng araw.

2 At itiningin ang kaniyang mga mata at nagmalas, at, narito't tatlong lalake ay nakatayo sa tabi niya: at pagkakita niya sa kanila, ay tinakbo niya upang sila'y salubungin mula sa pintuan ng tolda, at yumukod siya sa lupa.

3 At nagsabi, Panginoon ko, kung ngayo'y nakasumpong ako ng biyaya sa iyong paningin, ay ipinamamanhik ko sa iyo, na huwag mong lagpasan ang iyong lingkod.

4 Itulot mong dalhan kayo rito ng kaunting tubig, at maghugas kayo ng inyong mga paa, at mangagpahinga kayo sa lilim ng kahoy.

5 At magdadala ako ng isang subong tinapay at inyong palakasin ang inyong puso; at pagkatapos ay magsisipagtuloy kayo: yamang kayo'y naparito sa inyong lingkod, At nagsipagsabi, Mangyari ang ayon sa iyong sinabi.

6 At si Abraham ay nagmadaling napasa tolda ni Sara, at sinabi, Maghanda ka agad ng tatlong takal ng mainam na harina, iyong tapayin at gawin mong mga munting tinapay.

7 At tumakbo si Abraham sa bakahan at nagdala ng isang bata at mabuting guya, at ibinigay sa alipin; at siya'y nagmadali, upang lutuin.

8 At siya'y kumuha ng mantekilla, at ng gatas, at ng guyang niluto niya, at inihain sa harapan nila; at siya'y tumayo sa siping nila sa lilim ng punong kahoy; at sila'y nagsikain.

9 At sinabi nila sa kaniya, Saan naroon si Sara na iyong asawa? At sinabi niya Narito, nasa tolda.

10 At sinabi niya, Walang salang di ako babalik sa iyo sa ganitong panahon ng taong darating; at narito't si Sara na iyong asawa ay magkakaanak ng isang lalake. At narinig ni Sara sa pintuan ng tolda, na nasa likod niya.

11 Si Abraham at si Sara nga'y matatanda na, at lipas na sa panahon; at tinigilan na si Sara ng kaugalian ng mga babae.

12 At nagtawa si Sara sa kaniyang sarili, na sinasabi, Pagkatapos na ako'y tumanda ay magtatamo ako ng kaligayahan, at matanda na rin pati ng panginoon ko?

13 At sinabi ng Panginoon kay Abraham, Bakit tumawa si Sara, na sinasabi, Tunay kayang ako'y manganganak, na matanda na ako?

14 May anomang bagay kayang napakahirap sa Panginoon? Sa tadhanang panahon ay babalik ako sa iyo, sa taong darating, at si Sara ay magkakaanak ng isang lalake.

15 Nang magkagayo'y nagkaila si Sara, na sinasabi, Hindi ako tumawa, sapagka't siya'y natakot. Nguni't sinabi niya, Hindi gayon; kundi ikaw ay tumawa.

16 At nangagtindig doon ang mga lalake, at nangagsitingin sa dakong Sodoma; at sinamahan sila ni Abraham, upang ihatid sila sa daan.

17 At sinabi ng Panginoon, Ililihim ko ba kay Abraham ang aking gagawin;

18 Dangang si Abraham ay tunay na magiging isang bansang malaki at matibay, at pagpapalain sa kaniya ang lahat ng bansa sa lupa?

19 Sapagka't siya'y aking kinilala, upang siya'y magutos sa kaniyang mga anak at sa kaniyang sangbahayan pagkamatay niya, na maingatan nila ang daan ng Panginoon, na gumawa ng kabanalan, at kahatulan; upang padatnin ng Panginoon, kay Abraham ang kaniyang ipinangako tungkol sa kaniya.

20 At sinabi ng Panginoon, Sapagka't ang sigaw ng Sodoma at Gomorra ay malakas, at sapagka't ang kasalanan nila ay napakalubha;

21 Ay bababa ako ngayon at titingnan ko kung ginawa nga ang ayon sa sigaw na dumarating hanggang sa akin; at kung hindi ay aking malalaman.

22 At ang mga lalake ay nagsilayo roon at nagsitungo sa Sodoma datapuwa't si Abraham ay nakatayo pa sa harapan ng Panginoon.

23 At lumapit si Abraham, at nagsabi, Ang mga banal ba ay iyong lilipuling kasama ng mga masama?

24 Kung sakaling may limang pung banal sa loob ng bayan: lilipulin mo ba, at di mo patatawarin ang dakong yaon, alangalang sa limang pung banal na nasa loob niyaon?

25 Malayo nawa sa iyo ang paggawa ng ganito, na ang banal ay iyong pataying kasama ng masama, anopa't ang banal ay mapara sa masama; malayo nawa ito sa iyo: di ba gagawa ng matuwid ang Hukom ng buong lupa?

26 At sinabi ng Panginoon, Kung makasumpong ako sa Sodoma ng limang pung banal sa loob ng bayan, patatawarin ko ang buong dakong yaon, alangalang sa kanila.

27 At sumagot si Abraham, at nagsabi, Narito, ngayo'y nangahas akong magsalita sa Panginoon, akong alabok at abo lamang:

28 Kung sakaling magkukulang ng lima sa limang pung banal: lilipulin mo ba, dahil sa limang kulang, ang buong bayan? At sinabi niya, Hindi ko lilipulin kung makasumpong ako roon ng apat na pu't lima.

29 At siya'y muling nagsalita pa sa kaniya, at nagsabi, Marahil ay may masusumpungang apat na pu. At sinabi niya, Hindi ko gagawin, alangalang sa apat na pu.

30 At sinabi niya, Oh huwag magalit ang Panginoon, at ako'y magsasalita: kung sakaling may masusumpungan doong tatlong pu. At sinabi niya, Hindi ko gagawin kung makakasumpong ako roon ng tatlong pu.

31 At kaniyang sinabi, Narito ngayon, ako'y nangahas na magsalita sa Panginoon: kung sakaling may masusumpungan doong dalawang pu. At sinabi niya, Hindi ko lilipulin, alangalang sa dalawang pu.

32 At sinabi niya, Oh huwag magalit ang Panginoon at magsasalita na lamang akong minsan: kung sakaling may masusumpungan doong sangpu: at sinabi niya, Hindi ko lilipulin, alangalang sa sangpu.

33 At ang Panginoon ay nagpatuloy, pagkatapos na makipagusap kay Abraham: at si Abraham ay nagbalik sa kaniyang dako.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2252

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2252. Peradventure there be fifty righteous in the midst of the city. That this signifies that the truths may possibly be full of goods, is evident from the signification of “fifty,” as being what is full; from the signification of “righteous” as being good (see n. 612, 2235); from that of the “midst,” as being what is within (n. 1074); and from that of “city,” as being truth (n. 402). Thus “fifty righteous in the midst of the city,” means in the internal sense that truths may possibly be full of goods within. That there is this meaning in these words cannot be seen from the letter, for the historicals of the literal sense lead the mind in quite a different direction, that is, to different thoughts; and yet that these words are so perceived by those who are in the internal sense, I know of a certainty. The numbers themselves also, as here “fifty,” and in what follows “forty-five,” “forty,” “thirty,” “twenty,” and “ten,” are by no means perceived as numbers by those who are in the internal sense, but as real things or states (as is shown, n. 482, 487, 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 2075).

[2] For the ancients marked the states of their church-in one way-by numbers; and the nature of their computation in so doing is evident from the signification of the numbers in the places just referred to. They had the signification of numbers from the representatives which exist in the world of spirits, where, when anything appears as numbered, it does not signify anything that is determined by the numbers, but the thing or state itself; as is evident from the things that have been adduced (n. 2129, 2130, also n. 2089) concerning “twelve,” as meaning all the things of faith. It is similar with the numbers which now follow. This shows what is the nature of the Word in the internal sense.

[3] That “fifty” signifies what is full, comes from its following next after the product of seven into seven, or forty-nine, so that it is the impletion of this number, on which account there was in the Representative Church the festival of the Seven Sabbaths on the fiftieth day, and the Jubilee in the fiftieth year. As regards the festival of the seven sabbaths we read in Moses:

Ye shall count unto you from the morrow of the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave-offering, seven entire sabbaths shall there be, even unto the morrow of the seventh sabbath shall ye count fifty days, and ye shall offer a new offering unto Jehovah (Leviticus 23:15).

And concerning the Jubilee:

Thou shalt count for thee seven sabbaths of years, seven years seven times, and they shall be to thee seven sabbaths of years, nine and forty years, and ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty in the land to all the inhabitants thereof; it shall be a jubilee unto you (Leviticus 25:8, 10),

which shows that the fiftieth is what is full in relation to sabbaths.

[4] Moreover, wherever “fifty” is mentioned in the Word, it signifies what is full; as when it is said that:

The Levites were numbered from a son of thirty years and upward, even unto a son of fifty years (Numbers 4:23, 34, 35, 39, 43, 47; 8:25);

meaning the full or final state of discharging the ministry.

That a man lying with a damsel, a virgin, shall give unto the damsel’s father fifty pieces of silver, and she should be to him for a wife, nor could he put her away (Deuteronomy 22:29),

which denotes a full fine and full restitution.

David’s giving to Araunah for the threshing-floor where he built the altar to Jehovah, fifty shekels of silver (2 Samuel 24:24)

denotes a full price and a full purchase.

Absalom’s preparing for himself a chariot and horses, and having fifty men running before him (2 Samuel 15:1),

and in like manner:

Adonijah’s having chariots and horsemen, and fifty men running before him (1 Kings 1:5),

denotes full excellence and greatness. For they had from the ancients certain representative and significative numbers, which they observed, and which were also commanded in their rites; but most of them did not know what they signified.

[5] And in the same way, as “fifty” signifies what is full, and as this number was also representative-already said-the same thing is signified by it in the Lord’s parable of the steward, who said to him that owed the oil:

How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, a hundred baths of oil. And he said unto him, take thy bond, and sit down quickly, and write fifty (Luke 16:6);

“fifty” denoting full payment. As fifty is a number, it indeed appears to involve nothing beyond the number; whereas in the internal sense what is full is everywhere meant by it, as in Haggai:

One came to the wine-press to draw out fifty out of the wine-press; there were twenty (Haggai 2:16),

that is, instead of fullness there was not much. “Fifty” could not have been mentioned here in the Prophet unless it had been significative.

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