De Bijbel

 

Genezo 18

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1 Kaj aperis al li la Eternulo en la arbareto Mamre, kiam li sidis cxe la pordo de la tendo dum la varmego de la tago.

2 Kiam li levis siajn okulojn, li vidis, ke jen tri viroj staras antaux li. Ekvidinte, li kuris al ili renkonte de la pordo de la tendo kaj klinigxis antaux ili gxis la tero.

3 Kaj li diris: Mia sinjoro! se mi trovis placxon en viaj okuloj, ne pasu preter vian sklavon.

4 Oni alportos iom da akvo, kaj vi lavu viajn piedojn kaj ripozu sub la arbo.

5 Kaj mi alportos pecon da pano, por ke vi fortigu viajn korojn; poste vi foriros; cxar por tio vi pasis preter via sklavo. Kaj ili diris: Faru tiel, kiel vi diris.

6 Kaj Abraham rapidis en la tendon al Sara, kaj diris: Rapide prenu tri mezurojn da plej bona faruno, knedu, kaj faru kukojn.

7 Kaj ankaux al la bovoj Abraham kuris, kaj li prenis bovidon delikatan kaj bonan kaj donis al la junulo, kaj tiu rapide pretigis gxin.

8 Kaj li prenis buteron kaj lakton kaj la pretigitan bovidon kaj metis antaux ilin, kaj li staris apud ili sub la arbo, kaj ili mangxis.

9 Kaj ili diris al li: Kie estas Sara, via edzino? Kaj li respondis: Jen sxi estas en la tendo.

10 Kaj Li diris: Mi revenos al vi en la sama jartempo, kaj tiam estos filo cxe Sara, via edzino. Kaj Sara auxskultis cxe la pordo de la tendo, kiu estis malantaux Li.

11 Kaj Abraham kaj Sara estis maljunuloj de profunda agxo; cxe Sara cxesigxis la virinaj ordinarajxoj.

12 Kaj Sara ekridis interne, dirante: CXu kiam mi kadukigxis, mi havus ankoraux volupton? kaj mia sinjoro estas ja maljuna!

13 Kaj la Eternulo diris al Abraham: Kial do Sara ridas, dirante: CXu efektive mi naskos, kiam mi maljunigxis?

14 CXu por la Eternulo io estas malfacila? en la difinita tempo Mi revenos al vi en la venonta jaro, kaj Sara havos filon.

15 Sed Sara malkonfesis, dirante: Mi ne ridis; cxar sxi timis. Sed Li diris: Ne, vi ridis.

16 Kaj levigxis de tie la viroj kaj direktigxis al Sodom: kaj Abraham iris kun ili, por akompani ilin.

17 Kaj la Eternulo diris: CXu mi kasxos antaux Abraham, kion Mi faras?

18 Abraham farigxos ja popolo granda kaj potenca, kaj per li benigxos cxiuj popoloj de la tero.

19 CXar Mi lin elektis, por ke li ordonu al siaj filoj kaj al sia domo post si, ke ili observu la vojon de la Eternulo, agante virte kaj juste; por ke la Eternulo plenumu pri Abraham, kion Li diris pri li.

20 Kaj la Eternulo diris: CXar la kriado de Sodom kaj Gomora estas granda kaj ilia pekado estas tre peza,

21 tial Mi malsupreniros, kaj rigardos, cxu ili plene agas tiel, kiel estas la kriado, kiu venis al Mi, aux ne; Mi sciigxos.

22 Kaj la viroj turnigxis de tie kaj iris al Sodom; kaj Abraham staris ankoraux antaux la Eternulo.

23 Kaj Abraham alproksimigxis, kaj diris: CXu Vi ankaux pereigos virtulon kune kun malvirtulo?

24 Eble ekzistas kvindek virtuloj en la urbo: cxu Vi tiam pereigos kaj ne indulgos la lokon pro la kvindek virtuloj, kiuj estas en gxi?

25 Ne decas por Vi agi tiamaniere, ke Vi mortigu virtulon kune kun malvirtulo, ke virtulo estu kiel malvirtulo; ne decas por Vi, ke la Jugxanto de la tuta tero agu maljuste.

26 Kaj la Eternulo diris: Se Mi trovos en Sodom kvindek virtulojn en la urbo, Mi indulgos la tutan lokon pro ili.

27 Kaj Abraham respondis, dirante: Jen mi ekkuragxis paroli al mia Sinjoro, kvankam mi estas polvo kaj cindro;

28 eble al la kvindeko da virtuloj mankos kvin: cxu Vi pereigos pro la kvin la tutan urbon? Kaj Li diris: Mi ne pereigos, se Mi trovos tie kvardek kvin.

29 Kaj li plue parolis al Li kaj diris: Eble trovigxos tie kvardek? Kaj Li diris: Mi ne faros tion pro la kvardek.

30 Kaj li diris: Ne koleru, mia Sinjoro, ke mi parolos plue: eble trovigxos tie tridek? Kaj Li diris: Mi ne faros, se Mi trovos tie tridek.

31 Kaj li diris: Jen mi ekkuragxis paroli al mia Sinjoro: eble trovigxos dudek? Kaj Li diris: Mi ne pereigos pro la dudek.

32 Kaj li diris: Ne koleru, mia Sinjoro, ke mi parolos ankoraux nur unu fojon: eble trovigxos tie dek? Kaj Li diris: Mi ne pereigos pro la dek.

33 Kaj la Eternulo foriris, kiam Li cxesis paroli kun Abraham; kaj Abraham reiris al sia loko.

   

Van Swedenborgs Werken

 

Arcana Coelestia #2054

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2054. 'As an eternal covenant' means conjunction. This is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' as conjunction, dealt with already. The subject here being those inside the Church, the word 'covenant' is repeated, though this time it is called 'an eternal covenant'. It is repeated not only because it is absolutely vital for people inside the Church to be circumcised, that is, to be purified from self-love and love of the world, as shown above in 2051, but also because the conjunction of the Lord and of His heaven with those inside the Church is the closest of all since it is effected through the goods and truths of faith. There is, it is true, a conjunction as well with those outside the Church, but that is more remote because the goods and truths of faith do not exist with them, as stated above in 2049. In the Lord's kingdom the Church is like the heart and lungs in man. Man's interior things are joined to those that are external by means of the heart and lungs, and in this way all the surrounding organs get their life. So it is with the human race as well. The conjunction of the Lord and of His heaven is closest with the Church, but more remote with those outside the Church who are like the organs which live by means of the heart and lungs. Celestial people resemble the heart, but spiritual people the lungs. The necessity for both of these to be purified is the reason why those inside the Church are dealt with specifically here and why the covenant is referred to twice.

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

Van Swedenborgs Werken

 

Arcana Coelestia #2049

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2049. 'From every son who is a foreigner and not of your seed' means those outside the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'son who is a foreigner' as those who are not born inside the Church and so are not governed by goods and truths of faith because they have no knowledge of them. 'Sons who are foreigners' also means people whose worship is external, dealt with in 1097, though in that context people inside the Church are the subject. Here however, the subject being the Lord's Church in its widest extent, 'sons who are foreigners' means those who, like gentiles, are not born inside the Church. Gentiles outside the Church can possess truths, but not the truths of faith. Their truths, like the Ten Commandments, are that parents should be honoured; that people should not murder, steal, commit adultery, or covet the things that belong to others; and also that they should worship God. Truths of faith consist however of all doctrinal teachings concerning eternal life, the Lord's kingdom, and the Lord. Such teachings cannot be known by gentiles because they do not possess the Word.

[2] These are the people who are meant by 'sons who are foreigners and not of your seed' but who are to be circumcised, that is to be purified. From this it is evident that they are just as much capable of being purified as those inside the Church, which purification was represented by being circumcised. They are purified when they cast aside filthy loves and live among one another in charity, for in their case truths have a part to play in their lives because charity and all truths go together, though such truths belong to the first of the two types mentioned above. When these truths play a part in their lives they then absorb the truths of faith with ease, if not during this life then in the next, because truths of faith are the interior truths of charity. Indeed at that point there is nothing they desire more than to be introduced into the interior truths of charity. Interior truths of charity are what constitute the Lord's kingdom. Regarding these, see 932, 1032, 1059, 1327, 1328, 1366.

[3] In the next life mere knowledge of the cognitions of faith is of no value at all, for the worst people, even those in hell, can have such knowledge, sometimes a better knowledge than others have. Leading a life in accordance with those cognitions is what matters, for all cognitions have life as their end in view. If life was not the reason for learning them they would have no use, apart from enabling people to discuss them and as a result to be considered learned in the world, to be raised to positions of importance, and to enhance reputation and wealth. From this it is clear that a life in keeping with the cognitions of faith is nothing other than the life of charity. Indeed love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour constitute the Law and the Prophets, that is, the doctrine of faith in its entirety together with all the cognitions of it, as is plain to anyone from the Lord's words in Matthew 22:35-40, and Mark 12:28-35.

[4] Matters of doctrine, or cognitions of faith, are nevertheless absolutely vital for the formation of the life of charity; it cannot be formed without them. This is the life which saves a person after death. The life of faith never exists without the life of charity, for without charity the life of faith is impossible. People in whom the life of love and charity dwells have the Lord's life within them. Nobody can be joined to Him by means of any other life. From this it is also clear that the truths of faith cannot possibly be acknowledged as truths - that is, no acknowledgement of what they are saying is possible - other than outwardly or with the lips, if they are not implanted within charity, since inwardly or at heart they are denied. For as has been stated, all truths of faith have charity as their end in view, and if charity is not present within them then inwardly they are rejected. The nature of the things that are interior is plain to see when those that are exterior are taken away, as is done in the next life, namely that they are utterly contrary to all the truths of faith. No people can possibly receive the life of charity, or mutual love, in the next life, when they have had none in this life; but their life as it has been with them in the world remains with them after death. Indeed they are averse to and hate mutual love. When merely approaching a community where the life that belongs to mutual love exists they quiver and shake, and experience torment.

[5] Although people such as these are born inside the Church, they are called 'sons who are foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in the flesh' who are not to be allowed into the sanctuary, that is, into the Lord's kingdom. They are also meant in Ezekiel,

No son who is a foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter the sanctuary. Ezekiel 44:7, 9.

And in the same prophet,

Whom have you thus become like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? You will be made to go down with the trees of Eden into the nether world; you will lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those slain by the sword. Ezekiel 31:18.

This refers to Pharaoh who means types of knowledge in general, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462. 'The trees of Eden' with which they were to go down into the nether world also means types of knowledge, but knowledge of the cognitions of faith. From this it is now evident what 'one uncircumcised' means in the internal sense, namely one in whom filthy loves and the life belonging to these are present.

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