The Bible

 

Genesis 10:32

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32 Əntanatay da da tawšeten šin əganen daɣ maddanəs ən Nux əzunnen s əzzurriyatan-nasan əd ɣərfan-nasan. Əntanay ələsəl ən ɣərfan win wazawaznen daɣ əddənet dəffər əlwabil.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1715

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1715. 'And he pursued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus' means to that particular extent. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus'. Where Hobah was nobody knows, for it is not mentioned again in the Word. Damascus however was the capital city of Syria, as is clear in 2 Samuel 8:5-6; Isaiah 7:8, which has almost the same meaning as Syria, dealt with already at Chapter 10:22. The furthest boundary of the land of Canaan, but beyond Dan, is described as being Damascus, as in Amos,

You have taken up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyun your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves And I will cause you to go away beyond Damascus. Amos 5:26-27.

The northern boundary of the holy land or the Lord's kingdom is also called the boundary of Damascus in Ezekiel 47:16 18; 48:1. When it is said in the present verse that 'they were smitten and driven away as far as Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus', the extent to which apparent goods and truths were purified is meant. But unless the nature of those apparent goods and truths is known and by what means they were purified to make them genuine, no proper explanation of the meaning here of 'Hobah on the left of Damascus' is possible, apart from the general observation that they were purified.

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

The Bible

 

Genesis 15

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1 After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Don't be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."

2 Abram said, "Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?"

3 Abram said, "Behold, to me you have given no seed: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir."

4 Behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir, but he who will come forth out of your own body will be your heir."

5 Yahweh brought him outside, and said, "Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." He said to Abram, "So shall your seed be."

6 He believed in Yahweh; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.

7 He said to him, "I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it."

8 He said, "Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?"

9 He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."

10 He brought him all of these, and divided them in the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he didn't divide the birds.

11 The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

12 When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him.

13 He said to Abram, "Know for sure that your seed will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years.

14 I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth,

15 but you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried in a good old age.

16 In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full."

17 It came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

18 In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:

19 the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,

20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."