A Bíblia

 

1 Mose 39

Estude

   

1 Joseph ward hinab in Ägypten geführet; und Potiphar, ein ägyptischer Mann, des Pharao Kämmerer und Hofmeister, kaufte ihn von den Ismaeliten, die ihn hinabbrachten.

2 Und der HERR war mit Joseph, daß er ein glückseliger Mann ward; und war in seines HERRN, des Ägypters, Hause.

3 Und sein HERR sah, daß der HERR mit ihm war; denn alles, was er tat, da gab der HERR Glück zu durch ihn,

4 also daß er Gnade fand vor seinem HERRN und sein Diener ward. Der setzte ihn über sein Haus, und alles, was er hatte, tat er unter seine Hände.

5 Und von der Zeit an, da er ihn über sein Haus und alle seine Güter gesetzt hatte, segnete der HERR des Ägypters Haus um Josephs willen, und war eitel Segen des HERRN in allem, was er hatte, zu Hause und zu Felde.

6 Darum ließ er alles unter Josephs Händen, was er hatte; und er nahm sich keines Dinges an, weil er ihn hatte, denn daß er und trank. Und Joseph war schön und hübsch von Angesicht.

7 Und es begab sich nach dieser Geschichte, daß seines HERRN Weib ihre Augen auf Joseph warf und sprach: Schlafe bei mir!

8 Er weigerte sich's aber und sprach zu ihr: Siehe, mein HERR nimmt sich nichts an vor mir, was im Hause ist; und alles, was er hat, das hat er unter meine Hände getan;

9 und hat nichts so groß in dem Hause, das er vor mir verhohlen habe, ohne dich, indem du sein Weib bist. Wie sollt ich denn nun ein solch groß Übel tun und wider Gott sündigen?

10 Und sie trieb solche Worte gegen Joseph täglich. Aber er gehorchte ihr nicht, daß er nahe bei ihr schlief noch um sie wäre.

11 Es begab sich der Tage einen, daß Joseph in das Haus ging, sein Geschäft zu tun, und war kein Mensch vom Gesinde des Hauses dabei.

12 Und sie erwischte ihn bei seinem Kleid und sprach: Schlafe bei mir! Aber er ließ das Kleid in ihrer Hand und floh und lief zum Hause hinaus.

13 Da sie nun sah, daß er sein Kleid in ihrer Hand ließ und hinaus entfloh,

14 rief sie dem Gesinde im Hause und sprach zu ihnen: Sehet, er hat uns den ebräischen Mann hereingebracht, daß er uns zuschanden mache. Er kam zu mir herein und wollte bei mir schlafen; ich rief aber mit lauter Stimme.

15 Und da er hörete, daß ich ein Geschrei machte und rief, da ließ er sein Kleid bei mir und floh und lief hinaus.

16 Und sie legte sein Kleid neben sich, bis sein HERR heim kam,

17 und sagte zu ihm eben dieselben Worte und sprach: Der ebräische Knecht, den du uns hereingebracht hast, kam zu mir herein und wollte mich zuschanden machen.

18 Da ich aber ein Geschrei machte und rief, da ließ er sein Kleid bei mir und floh hinaus.

19 Als sein HERR hörete die Rede seines Weibes, die sie ihm sagte und sprach: Also hat mir dein Knecht getan, ward er sehr zornig.

20 Da nahm ihn sein HERR und legte ihn ins Gefängnis, da des Königs Gefangene innen lagen; und er lag allda im Gefängnis.

21 Aber der HERR war mit ihm und neigte seine Huld zu ihm und ließ ihn Gnade finden vor dem Amtmann über das Gefängnis,

22 daß er ihm unter seine Hand befahl alle Gefangenen im Gefängnis, auf daß alles, was da geschah, durch ihn geschehen mußte.

23 Denn der Amtmann über das Gefängnis nahm sich keines Dinges an; denn der HERR war mit Joseph, und was er tat, da gab der HERR Glück zu.

   

Comentário

 

Joseph

  

Joseph in his highest meaning represents the life of Jesus. He also represents the state of knowing truths and using them to do good. This is phrased in many of the attached references as the celestial of the spiritual, or the good of truth, which is the good that is done because we know truths that are our guides to life.

(Referências: Arcana Coelestia 3969, 4607, 4669, 4682, 4741, 4988, 5036, 5094, 5249, 5316, 5876, 5890, 5974, 5975, 6275, Genesis 30, 30:24, 30:25)

Das Obras de Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia # 6222

Estudar Esta Passagem

  
/ 10837  
  

6222. 'And he took his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim' means the Church's will and the Church's understanding, born from the internal. This is clear from the representation of 'Manasseh' as the new will in the natural and its essential nature, dealt with in 5354 (end); and from the representation of 'Ephraim' as the new understanding in the natural and its essential nature, dealt with in 5354. The birth of the two from the internal is meant by the fact that they were the sons of Joseph, who represents the internal celestial, 5869, 5877.

[2] What the Church's understanding is and what its will is must be stated. The Church's understanding consists in perceiving from the Word what the truth of faith is and what the good of charity is. As is well known, the literal sense of the Word is by nature such that a person can use that sense to support any opinion at all that he may adopt. The reason for this is that ideas appearing in the literal sense of the Word serve as general vessels to receive truths, though not until they have actually received truths does the real nature of those vessels reveal itself as if through transparency. Thus those ideas form merely a general impression which a person must gain first in order that he may aptly receive particular aspects and specific details. This fact - that the literal sense of the Word is by nature such that a person can use that sense to support any opinion at all that he may adopt - is clearly evident from the great number of heresies that have existed in the Church, and still exist in it. Adherents of each heresy find support for it in the literal sense of the Word, support which enables them to believe fully that it is the truth, which means that if they were to hear the actual truth from heaven they would receive nothing at all of it.

[3] The reason why they would not receive it is that they do not share in the understanding that the Church possesses; for that understanding exists when people read the Word, assiduously take one statement together with another, and by doing so see what they ought to believe and what they ought to do. Such understanding comes only to those who receive light from the Lord, whom the Christian world also calls 'the enlightened'. That enlightenment does not come to any but the kind of people who have the desire to know truths, not for the sake of reputation and glory but for the sake of life and service. That same enlightenment is received by a person in his understanding, for the understanding is the receiver of light. This is clearly evident from the fact that people who have little understanding cannot by any means see such things from the Word but have faith in those who they think are the enlightened. Furthermore it should be recognized that those who have been regenerated receive from the Lord an understanding which is capable of being enlightened; and it is the light of heaven coming from the Lord that flows into the understanding and gives it light, for the understanding receives its light, its sight, and consequently its perception from no other source.

[4] But this understanding which is being called the Church's understanding is more internal than an understanding based merely on factual knowledge, for it consists in a discernment that a thing is true not because factual evidence and philosophical deductions dictate it but because the Word in its spiritual sense does so. For example, people who possess the Church's understanding can perceive clearly that in every single part the Word teaches that love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour are the essential qualities of the Church, that a person's life continues after death, and that his life arises out of his loves. They can also perceive that faith separated from charity is not faith, that faith contributes nothing to eternal life except in the measure that the good of love to the Lord and the good of charity towards the neighbour are linked to it, and that faith and charity must therefore be joined together so that spiritual life may exist. People with an enlightened understanding can perceive quite clearly that these things are true; but those without it can by no means see that they are.

[5] It is thought that the people with an understanding in things of the Church are those who know how to substantiate extensively the opinions or teachings of their Church, to the point of convincing others that they are true, and who know how to refute numerous heresies in a masterly way. But this is not what is meant by the Church's understanding, for substantiating opinions is not a characteristic of the understanding but of mental ability at a sensory level, which sometimes comes to exist in very wicked people; indeed those without any beliefs at all, also those who are steeped in actual falsities, can have that ability. Nothing comes more easily to both these kinds of people than to substantiate whatever idea they like, so thoroughly that they convince the simple. But before substantiating any opinion the Church's understanding engages in seeing and perceiving whether it is true or not, and in substantiating it only after that.

[6] This understanding is what is represented by 'Ephraim'. But the Church's good, which is represented by 'Manasseh', is the good of charity, which the Lord instills into a member of the Church through the truths of faith. For these truths together with the good of charity are what flow into the understanding and give it light, and also enable the understanding and the will to constitute one mind. The truth that both these - the understanding and the will - are born from the internal may be seen from what was stated and shown previously; for the whole affection for goodness and truth, the affection through which enlightenment comes, flows in from no other origin, thus is born from no other origin than the internal; that is, it comes from the Lord through the internal.

  
/ 10837  
  

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