The Bible

 

Genesis 11

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1 And the whole earth is of one pronunciation, and of the same words,

2 and it cometh to pass, in their journeying from the east, that they find a valley in the land of Shinar, and dwell there;

3 and they say each one to his neighbour, `Give help, let us make bricks, and burn [them] thoroughly:' and the brick is to them for stone, and the bitumen hath been to them for mortar.

4 And they say, `Give help, let us build for ourselves a city and tower, and its head in the heavens, and make for ourselves a name, lest we be scattered over the face of all the earth.'

5 And Jehovah cometh down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men have builded;

6 and Jehovah saith, `Lo, the people [is] one, and one pronunciation [is] to them all, and this it hath dreamed of doing; and now, nothing is restrained from them of that which they have purposed to do.

7 Give help, let us go down, and mingle there their pronunciation, so that a man doth not understand the pronunciation of his companion.'

8 And Jehovah doth scatter them from thence over the face of all the earth, and they cease to build the city;

9 therefore hath [one] called its name Babel, for there hath Jehovah mingled the pronunciation of all the earth, and from thence hath Jehovah scattered them over the face of all the earth.

10 These [are] births of Shem: Shem [is] a son of an hundred years, and begetteth Arphaxad two years after the deluge.

11 And Shem liveth after his begetting Arphaxad five hundred years, and begetteth sons and daughters.

12 And Arphaxad hath lived five and thirty years, and begetteth Salah.

13 And Arphaxad liveth after his begetting Salah four hundred and three years, and begetteth sons and daughters.

14 And Salah hath lived thirty years, and begetteth Eber.

15 And Salah liveth after his begetting Eber four hundred and three years, and begetteth sons and daughters.

16 And Eber liveth four and thirty years, and begetteth Peleg.

17 And Eber liveth after his begetting Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begetteth sons and daughters.

18 And Peleg liveth thirty years, and begetteth Reu.

19 And Peleg liveth after his begetting Reu two hundred and nine years, and begetteth sons and daughters.

20 And Reu liveth two and thirty years, and begetteth Serug.

21 And Reu liveth after his begetting Serug two hundred and seven years, and begetteth sons and daughters.

22 And Serug liveth thirty years, and begetteth Nahor.

23 And Serug liveth after his begetting Nahor two hundred years, and begetteth sons and daughters.

24 And Nahor liveth nine and twenty years, and begetteth Terah.

25 And Nahor liveth after his begetting Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begetteth sons and daughters.

26 And Terah liveth seventy years, and begetteth Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

27 And these [are] births of Terah: Terah hath begotten Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran hath begotten Lot;

28 and Haran dieth in the presence of Terah his father, in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees.

29 And Abram and Nahor take to themselves wives; the name of Abram's wife [is] Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife [is] Milcah, daughter of Haran, father of Milcah, and father of Iscah.

30 And Sarai is barren -- she hath no child.

31 And Terah taketh Abram his son, and Lot, son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, wife of Abram his son, and they go out with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go towards the land of Canaan; and they come unto Charan, and dwell there.

32 And the days of Terah are two hundred and five years, and Terah dieth in Charan.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1288

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1288. Their words were one. That this signifies that there was one doctrine in particular, is evident from what has been said before; for “a lip” signifies doctrine in general, as was shown; and “words” signify doctrine in particular, or the particulars of doctrine. For the particulars cause no disagreement, provided they look to one end, which is to love the Lord above all things and the neighbor as oneself; for then they are particulars of these generals.

[2] That a “word” signifies all doctrine concerning charity and the derivative faith, and that “words” signify the things which are of doctrine, is evident in David:

I will confess unto Thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall learn the judgments of Thy righteousness; I will keep Thy statutes. Wherewithal shall a child make pure his path? By taking heed according to Thy word. With my whole heart have I sought Thee; make me not to wander from Thy precepts. Thy word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee. Blessed art Thou, O Jehovah; teach me Thy statutes. With my lips have I rehearsed all the judgments of Thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies. I meditate in Thy commandments, and look unto Thy ways. I delight in Thy statutes; I do not forget Thy word (Psalms 119:7-16).

“Word” here denotes doctrine in general. It is evident that a distinction is here made between “precepts,” “judgments,” “testimonies,” “commandments,” “statutes,” “way,” and “lips;” and that all these belong to the Word, or to doctrine. And everywhere else in the Word they signify the same distinct things.

[3] Again:

A song of love. My heart hath willed a good word; my tongue is the pen of a rapid writer. Thou art beauteous above the sons of man; grace is poured upon thy lips. Ride upon the word of truth; and of the gentleness of righteousness; thy right hand shall teach thee wonderful things (Psalms 45:1-2, 4).

“To ride upon the word of truth and of the gentleness of righteousness,” is to teach the doctrine of truth and of good. Here, as elsewhere in the Word, the terms “word,” “lip,” and “tongue” signify distinct things; that they are things of doctrine concerning charity is evident, because it is called “a song of loves.” Of this doctrine is predicated beauty above the sons of man, grace of lips, and a right hand that teacheth wonderful things.

[4] In Isaiah:

Jehovah sent a word unto Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel (Isaiah 9:8).

“A word” denotes the doctrine of internal and of external worship; “Jacob” here denotes external worship, and “Israel” internal.

In Matthew:

Jesus said, Man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

Again:

When anyone heareth the word of the Kingdom and heedeth it not, then cometh the evil one and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart (Matthew 13:19);

see also concerning “the word” in the same chapter, verses 20-23. Again:

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away (Matthew 24:35).

In these passages, “the word” denotes the Lord’s doctrine; and “words” the things that belong to His doctrine.

[5] Because the expression “words” denotes all things of doctrine, the commandments of the Decalogue were called “words,” in Moses:

Jehovah wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten words (Exodus 34:28).

Again:

He hath declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, the ten words; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone (Deuteronomy 4:13; 10:4).

Again:

Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the words that thine eyes have seen (Deuteronomy 4:9);

besides other places.

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