The Bible

 

Genesis 10

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1 Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.

2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

5 Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations.

6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.

8 Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth.

9 He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. Therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Yahweh."

10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

11 Out of that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,

12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (the same is the great city).

13 Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,

14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (which the Philistines descended from), and Caphtorim.

15 Canaan became the father of Sidon (his firstborn), Heth,

16 the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite,

17 the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite,

18 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad.

19 The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you go toward Gerar, to Gaza; as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, to Lasha.

20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, in their nations.

21 To Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, to him also were children born.

22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.

23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.

24 Arpachshad became the father of Shelah. Shelah became the father of Eber.

25 To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. His brother's name was Joktan.

26 Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,

27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,

28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba,

29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.

30 Their dwelling was from Mesha, as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.

31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, after their nations.

32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations. Of these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.

   

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Arcana Coelestia #1228

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1228. That by “Elam” is signified faith from charity, is evident from the essence of an internal church. A church is internal when charity is the principal of it, from which it thinks and acts. The first offspring of charity is none other than faith; for faith is from it, and from no other source. That “Elam” is faith from charity, or the faith itself which constitutes an internal church, is evident also in Jeremiah:

The Word of Jehovah that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might. And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four ends of the heavens, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come. And I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their soul; and I will bring evil upon them, My fierce anger, and I will send the sword after them till I have consumed them. And I will set My throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes. But it shall come to pass in the latter days that I will bring back the captivity of Elam (Jeremiah 49:34-39).

[2] In this passage “Elam” denotes faith, or what is the same thing, an internal church, become perverted and corrupt; and then the same restored. Just as in the Word, Judah, Israel, and Jacob, are frequently spoken of—by whom churches are signified—by “Judah” a celestial church, by “Israel” a spiritual church, by “Jacob” an external church; of which become perverted it is said in like manner that they should be scattered, and then, being scattered by their enemies, they should be gathered again and brought back from their captivity, by which is meant the creation of a new church. So here it is said of Elam, or the internal church perverted and corrupt, that it should be scattered, and afterwards that it should be brought back; and then that Jehovah should set His throne in Elam, that is in the internal church, or in the internals of the church, which are nothing else than the things of faith from charity.

[3] In Isaiah:

The burden of the desert of the sea. It cometh from the desert, from a terrible land. A grievous vision is declared unto Me; the treacherous one dealeth treacherously: and the waster layeth waste. Go up, O Elam, besiege, O Madai; all the sighing thereof I will make to cease (Isaiah 21:1-2)

Here the laying waste of the church by Babel is spoken of; “Elam” is the internal church; “Madai” is the external church, or external worship in which is internal. That Madai is such a church, or such worship, is shown at verse 2 of this chapter, where Madai is said to be a son of Japheth.

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