The Bible

 

Genesis 22

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1 And it came to pass after these things, that God tempted Abraham, and said to him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thy only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and go into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will name to thee.

3 And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and cleft the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose and went to the place which God had named to him.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

5 And Abraham said to his young men, Abide you here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and return to you.

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife: and they went both of them together.

7 And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?

8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering: so they went both of them together.

9 And they came to the place which God had named to him; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order; and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

11 And the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing to him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld from me thy son, thy only son.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it will be seen.

15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven the second time,

16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thy only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is on the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed: because thou hast obeyed my voice.

19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.

20 And it came to pass after these things, that it was told to Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also borne children to thy brother Nahor;

21 Huz his first-born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,

22 And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.

23 And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah bore to Nahor Abraham's brother.

24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bore also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2860

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2860. Verses 20-23 And so it was, after these events, 1 that it was pointed out to Abraham, saying, Behold, Milkah, she also has borne sons, to Nahor your brother: Uz her firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram; and Kesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel. And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milkah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.

'So it was, after these events' means the thing that had been accomplished in regard to those within the Church. 'That it was pointed out to Abraham, saying' means the Lord's perception. 'Behold, Milkah, she also has borne sons, to Nahor your brother' means those outside the Church who dwell in a brotherly relationship by virtue of good. 'Uz her firstborn, Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram; and Kesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel' means various religions and the forms of worship that derived from these. 'Bethuel begot Rebekah' means from good sprang [their] affection for truth. 'These eight Milkah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother' means a second group of people who are saved.

Footnotes:

1. literally, words

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