The Bible

 

Genesis 20

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1 At mula roon ay naglakbay si Abraham sa dakong lupain ng Timugan, at tumahan sa pagitan ng Cades at Shur; at siya'y nakipamayan sa Gerar.

2 At sinabi ni Abraham tungkol kay Sara na kaniyang asawa, Siya'y aking kapatid; at si Abimelech na hari sa Gerar, ay nagsugo at kinuha si Sara.

3 Datapuwa't naparoon ang Dios kay Abimelech sa panaginip sa gabi, at sa kaniya'y sinabi, Narito, ikaw ay dili iba't isang patay dahil sa babaing iyong kinuha; sapagka't siya'y asawa ng isang lalake.

4 Nguni't si Abimelech ay hindi pa, nakasisiping sa kaniya: at nagsabi, Panginoon, papatayin mo ba pati ng isang bansang banal?

5 Hindi ba siya rin ang nagsabi sa akin, Siya'y aking kapatid? at si Sara man ay nagsabi, Siya'y aking kapatid; sa katapatang loob ng aking puso, at kawalang sala ng aking mga kamay, ay ginawa ko ito.

6 At sinabi sa kaniya ng Dios sa panaginip: Oo, talastas ko, na sa katapatang loob ng iyong puso ay ginawa mo ito, at hinadlangan din naman kita sa pagkakasala ng laban sa akin: kaya't hindi ko ipinahintulot sa iyong galawin mo siya.

7 Ngayon nga'y isauli mo ang asawa ng lalaking ito; sapagka't siya'y profeta, at ikaw ay ipananalangin niya, at mabubuhay ka: at kung di mo siya isauli, ay talastasin mong walang pagsalang mamamatay ka, ikaw at ang lahat ng iyo.

8 At si Abimelech ay bumangong maaga ng kinaumagahan at tinawag ang lahat niyang bataan, at sinabi sa kanilang pakinig ang lahat ng bagay na ito: at ang mga tao'y natakot na mainam.

9 Nang magkagayo'y tinawag ni Abimelech si Abraham, at sa kaniya'y sinabi, Anong ginawa mo sa amin? at sa ano ako nagkasala laban sa iyo, na dinalhan mo ako at ang aking kaharian ng isang malaking kasalanan? Ginawan mo ako ng mga gawang di marapat gawin.

10 At sinabi ni Abimelech kay Abraham, Anong nakita mo na ginawa mo ang bagay na ito?

11 At sinabi ni Abraham, Sapagka't inisip ko. Tunay na walang takot sa Dios sa dakong ito: at papatayin nila ako dahil sa aking asawa.

12 At saka talagang siya'y kapatid ko, na anak ng aking ama, datapuwa't hindi anak ng aking ina; at siya'y naging asawa ko:

13 At nangyari, na nang ako'y palayasin ng Dios sa bahay ng aking ama, na sinabi ko sa kaniya, Ito ang magandang kalooban mo na maipakikita sa akin; sa lahat ng dakong ating datnin, ay sabihin mo tungkol sa akin, Siya'y aking kapatid.

14 At si Abimelech ay kumuha ng mga tupa at mga baka, at mga aliping lalake at babae, at ipinagbibigay kay Abraham, at isinauli sa kaniya si Sara na kaniyang asawa.

15 At sinabi ni Abimelech, Narito ang lupain ko ay nasa harapan mo: tumahan ka kung saan mo magalingin.

16 At kay Sara'y sinabi niya, Narito, nagbigay ako ng isang libong putol na pilak sa iyong kapatid: narito, ito sa iyo'y piring sa mga mata ng lahat ng kasama mo; at sa harap ng lahat ay nagbangong puri ka.

17 At nanalangin si Abraham sa Dios; at pinagaling ng Dios si Abimelech, at ang kaniyang asawa, at ang kaniyang mga aliping babae, na ano pa't nagkaanak sila.

18 Sapagka't sinarhang lubos ng Panginoon ang lahat ng bahay-bata sa bahay ni Abimelech, dahil kay Sara, na asawa ni Abraham.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1502

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1502. From these considerations it is now evident that Abram's sojourning in Egypt represents and means nothing else than the Lord, in particular His instruction during childhood. This is also confirmed by what is stated in Hosea,

Out of Egypt I called My son. Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15.

And further still from what is said in Moses,

The dwelling of the sons of Israel who dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And it happened at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on that very day it happened that all the hosts of Jehovah went out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:40-41.

Those four hundred and thirty years were measured not from the time that Jacob entered Egypt but from Abram's sojourning in Egypt. Thus 'My son out of Egypt' in Hosea 11:1 means, in the internal sense, the Lord. The matter gains further confirmation from the fact that 'Egypt' in the Word means nothing other than knowledge, as shown in 1164, 1165, 1462.

[2] And that these arcana are contained in this section may become additionally clear from the fact that similar things are said of Abram when he sojourned in Philistia, namely that he called his wife his sister, Genesis 20:1-end, and also of Isaac, who, when he too sojourned in Philistia, called his wife his sister, Genesis 26:6-13. These actions would never have been recorded in the Word, and set in almost identical circumstances, unless these arcana had been lying hidden within. Furthermore this is the Word of the Lord which cannot possibly have any life unless there is an internal sense which has regard to Him.

[3] The arcana which lie hidden in this section, and in those regarding Abram and Isaac in Philistia, have to do with the way in which the Lord's Human Essence was joined to His Divine Essence, or what amounts to the same, how the Lord became Jehovah as regards His Human Essence also. They also have to do with the fact that His initiation, which is the subject in this chapter, began in childhood. Besides all this these descriptions also embody more arcana than anyone can possibly believe, and those that can be mentioned are so few as to be scarcely anything at all. In addition to the very deep arcana concerning the Lord, they also embody arcana concerning the instruction and regeneration of a person so that he may become celestial, as well as his instruction and regeneration so that he may become spiritual; and not only concerning the individual in particular but also concerning the Church in general. The descriptions here also embody arcana regarding the instruction of young children in heaven. In short they have to do with all who become images and likenesses of the Lord. These arcana are not at all clearly visible in the sense of the letter, the reason being that historical details engulf and obscure them; but they are clearly visible in the internal sense.

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