The Bible

 

Genesis 6

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1 At nangyari, nang magpasimula na dumami ang mga tao sa balat ng lupa, at mangagkaanak ng mga babae,

2 Na nakita ng mga anak ng Dios, na magaganda ang mga anak na babae ng mga tao; at sila'y nangagsikuha ng kanikaniyang asawa sa lahat ng kanilang pinili.

3 At sinabi ng Panginoon, Ang aking Espiritu ay hindi makikipagpunyagi sa tao magpakailan man, sapagka't siya ma'y laman: gayon ma'y magiging isang daan at dalawang pung taon ang kaniyang mga araw.

4 Ang mga higante ay nasa lupa ng mga araw na yaon, at pagkatapos din naman na makasiping ang mga anak ng Dios sa mga anak na babae ng tao, at mangagkaanak sila sa kanila: ang mga ito rin ang naging makapangyarihan nang unang panahon na mga lalaking bantog.

5 At nakita ng Panginoon na mabigat ang kasamaan ng tao sa lupa, at ang buong haka ng mga pagiisip ng kaniyang puso ay pawang masama lamang na parati.

6 At nagsisi ang Panginoon na kaniyang nilalang ang tao sa lupa, at nalumbay sa kaniyang puso.

7 At sinabi ng Panginoon, Lilipulin ko ang tao na aking nilalang sa ibabaw ng lupa; ang tao at gayon din ang hayop, at ang mga umuusad at ang mga ibon sa himpapawid; sapagka't pinagsisisihan ko na aking nilalang sila.

8 Datapuwa't si Noe ay nakasumpong ng biyaya sa mga mata ng Panginoon.

9 Ito ang mga lahi ni Noe. Si Noe ay lalaking matuwid at sakdal noong kapanahunan niya: si Noe ay lumalakad na kasama ng Dios.

10 At nagkaanak si Noe ng tatlong lalake: si Sem, si Cham, at si Japhet.

11 At sumama ang lupa sa harap ng Dios, at ang lupa ay napuno ng karahasan.

12 At tiningnan ng Dios ang lupa, at, narito sumama; sapagka't pinasama ng lahat ng tao ang kanilang paglakad sa ibabaw ng lupa.

13 At sinabi ng Dios kay Noe, Ang wakas ng lahat ng tao ay dumating sa harap ko; sapagka't ang lupa ay napuno ng karahasan dahil sa kanila; at, narito, sila'y aking lilipuling kalakip ng lupa.

14 Gumawa ka ng isang sasakyang kahoy na gofer; gagawa ka ng mga silid sa sasakyan, at iyong sisiksikan sa loob at sa labas ng sahing.

15 At ganitong paraan gagawin mo: tatlong daang siko ang haba ng sasakyan, limang pung siko ang luwang, at tatlong pung siko ang taas.

16 Gagawa ka ng isang durungawan sa sasakyan; at wawakasan mo ng isang siko sa dakong itaas; at ang pintuan ng sasakyan ay ilalagay mo sa tagiliran; gagawin mong may lapag na lalong mababa, pangalawa at pangatlo.

17 At ako, narito, ako'y magpapadagsa ng isang baha ng tubig sa ibabaw ng lupa, upang lipulin sa silong ng langit ang lahat ng laman na may hininga ng buhay; ang lahat na nasa lupa ay mangamamatay.

18 Datapuwa't pagtitibayin ko ang aking tipan sa iyo; at ikaw ay lululan sa sasakyan, ikaw, at ang iyong mga anak na lalake, at ang iyong asawa, at ang mga asawa ng iyong mga anak na kasama mo.

19 At sa bawa't nangabubuhay, sa lahat ng laman ay maglululan ka sa loob ng sasakyan ng dalawa sa bawa't uri upang maingatan silang buhay, na kasama mo; lalake at babae ang kinakailangan.

20 Sa mga ibon ayon sa kanikanilang uri, at sa mga hayop ayon sa kanikanilang uri, sa bawa't nagsisiusad, ayon sa kanikanilang uri, dalawa sa bawa't uri, ay isasama mo sa iyo, upang maingatan silang buhay.

21 At magbaon ka ng lahat na pagkain na kinakain, at imbakin mo sa iyo; at magiging pagkain mo at nila.

22 Gayon ginawa ni Noe; ayon sa lahat na iniutos sa kaniya ng Dios, ay gayon ang ginawa niya.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #468

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468. THE INTERNAL SENSE

It is clear from what was stated and shown in the previous chapter that names meant heresies and systems of doctrine. From that it becomes clear that the names in this chapter do not mean specific individuals but other things that existed. Here they mean systems of doctrine or Churches which, though they underwent certain changes, were preserved from the time of the Most Ancient Church down to that of Noah. Now it so happens that every Church in the course of time gets smaller until at length it remains among only a few people. The few with whom it remained at the time of the Flood were called Noah.

[2] The fact that the true Church gets smaller and remains among the few becomes clear from other Churches which have in a similar manner got smaller. In the Word those who remain are called 'the Remnant' and 'that which is left', and indeed people 'in the midst (or the middle) of the land'. What applies in general applies in particular also; that is, what is true of the Church is equally true of individuals. If the Lord did not preserve remnants with each individual he would inevitably perish in eternal death, for those remnants contain spiritual and celestial life. The same applies to what is general or universal; were there not always some people among whom the Church, or true faith, existed, the human race would perish. For as is well known, a city, even a whole kingdom, is preserved for the sake of a few. These factors are akin to the heart in man: as long as the heart is sound the surrounding organs can go on living. But when it is weak, deterioration sets into them all and the person dies. Final remnants are meant by Noah, for with the exception of these, as is clear from verse 12 of the next chapter, 'the whole earth was corrupt'.

[3] The remnants residing with the individual or within the Church are frequently the subject in the Prophets, as in Isaiah,

He who remains in Zion, and he who is left in Jerusalem will be called holy to Him, everyone who has been written for life 1 in Jerusalem, when the Lord will have washed the filth of the daughters of Zion and washed away the blood 2 of Jerusalem from its midst. Isaiah 4:3-4.

Here holiness is attributed to the remnants, which mean remnants of the Church, and also of the member of the Church, for those left in Zion and in Jerusalem could not be holy people merely because they had been left there.

Similarly in the same prophet,

On that day, the remnant of Israel and those of the house of Jacob that escaped will no more lean on him that smote them; but they will lean upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the God of power. (Isaiah 10:20)

In Jeremiah,

In those days and in that time the iniquity of Israel will be sought, but there will be none, and the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon him whom I shall make one that is left. Jeremiah 50:10.

In Micah,

The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from Jehovah, like showers on the grass. Micah 5:7.

[4] That which is left, or the remnant, whether of the individual or of the Church, was also represented by tenths, which were holy. And any number involving ten was consequently holy too. Ten therefore has reference to things that are left over, as in Isaiah,

Jehovah will remove man far away, and there will be many forsaken places in the midst of the land; yet there will be a tenth part in it, and this will return; it will be a wiping out like an oak or a terebinth when the stump is cast away from them. The holy seed is its stump. Isaiah 6:12-13.

Here that which is left is called 'the holy stump'. In Amos,

Thus said the Lord Jehovah, The city that goes forth a thousand will have a hundred that are left, and that which goes forth a hundred will have ten that are left to the house of Israel. Amos 9:3.

In these and many other places the internal sense means remnants, also the subject here. The fact that a city is preserved for the sake of the remnant of the Church is clear from what Abraham was told concerning Sodom, Abraham said, Perhaps ten may be found there; and He said, I will not destroy it for the sake of ten. Genesis 18:32.

Footnotes:

1. literally, lives

2. literally, bloods

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