Bibeln

 

Genesis 48

Studie

   

1 Pärast seda sündmust öeldi Joosepile: 'Vaata, su isa on haige!' Siis ta võttis oma kaks poega enesega, Manasse ja Efraimi.

2 Ja Jaakobile anti teada ning öeldi: 'Näe, su poeg Joosep tuleb sinu juurde!' Iisrael võttis siis jõu kokku ning tõusis voodis istukile.

3 Ja Jaakob ütles Joosepile: 'Kõigeväeline Jumal ilmutas ennast mulle Luusis Kaananimaal, ja õnnistas mind

4 ning ütles mulle: Vaata, ma teen sind viljakaks ja paljuks ja teen sinust rahvaste hulga ja annan selle maa sinu soole pärast sind igaveseks omandiks.

5 Ja nüüd olgu su kaks poega, kes sulle Egiptusemaal on sündinud, enne kui ma tulin sinu juurde Egiptusesse, minu omad: Efraim ja Manasse olgu minu omad nagu Ruuben ja Siimeongi.

6 Aga su järeltulijad, kes sulle pärast neid sünnivad, olgu sinu päralt ja neid nimetatagu nende vendade nime järgi nende pärisosades.

7 Kui ma Mesopotaamiast tulin, suri mul Raahel Kaananimaal, tee peal, kui veel tükk maad oli minna Efratasse. Ja ma matsin tema Efrata tee äärde, see on Petlemma.'

8 Kui Iisrael nägi Joosepi poegi, siis ta küsis: 'Kes need on?'

9 Ja Joosep vastas oma isale: 'Need on mu pojad, keda Jumal mulle siin on andnud!' Siis ta ütles: 'Too nad minu juurde, et ma neid õnnistaksin!'

10 Aga Iisraeli silmad olid vanadusest tuhmid ja ta ei näinud enam. Siis Joosep viis nad tema juurde ja tema andis neile suud ning süleles neid.

11 Ja Iisrael ütles Joosepile: 'Ei oleks uskunud, et saan näha su nägu, aga vaata, Jumal on mind lasknud näha ka su järglasi.'

12 Siis Joosep võttis nad ära tema põlvilt ja kummardas silmili maha.

13 Ja Joosep võttis nad mõlemad, Efraimi oma paremale käele, Iisraelist vasakule poole, ja Manasse oma vasakule käele, Iisraelist paremale poole, ja viis nad tema juurde.

14 Aga Iisrael sirutas oma parema käe ja pani Efraimi pea peale, kes oli noorem, ja oma vasaku käe Manasse pea peale; ta pani oma käed ristamisi, sest Manasse oli esmasündinu.

15 Ja ta õnnistas Joosepit ning ütles: 'Jumal, kelle palge ees mu isad Aabraham ja Iisak on rännanud, Jumal, kes on olnud mu karjane kogu mu elu kuni tänapäevani,

16 ingel, kes mind on päästnud kõigest kurjast, õnnistagu neid poisse; neid nimetades nimetatagu minu nime ja mu isade Aabrahami ja Iisaki nime! Ja nad siginegu rohkesti keset maad!'

17 Aga kui Joosep nägi, et ta isa oma parema käe asetas Efraimi pea peale, siis ta pani seda pahaks ja haaras kinni oma isa käest, et seda Efraimi pea pealt tõsta Manasse pea peale.

18 Ja Joosep ütles oma isale: 'Mitte nõnda, mu isa, sest see on mu esmasündinu! Pane oma parem käsi tema pea peale!'

19 Aga ta isa keeldus ja ütles: 'Ma tean, mu poeg, ma tean, ka tema peab saama rahvaks ja temagi peab olema suur! Ometi peab ta noorem vend saama temast suuremaks ja selle sugu olema rahvarohke!'

20 Ja ta õnnistas neid sel päeval, öeldes: 'Sinu nimel õnnistatagu Iisraelis, öeldagu: Jumal tehku sind Efraimi ja Manasse sarnaseks!' Nõnda seadis ta Efraimi Manassest ettepoole.

21 Ja Iisrael ütles Joosepile: 'Vaata, ma suren, aga Jumal on teiega ja viib teid tagasi teie isade maale.

22 Ja ma annan sulle ühe mäeseljandiku rohkem kui su vendadele, mille olen mõõga ja ammuga võtnud emorlastelt.'

   

Från Swedenborgs verk

 

Arcana Coelestia #6269

Studera detta avsnitt

  
/ 10837  
  

6269. 'And Israel put out his right hand and placed it on Ephraim's head' means that he considered truth to occupy the first place. This is clear from the meaning of 'putting out his right hand' as considering to occupy the first place - 'right hand' meaning in first place, as is self-evident; and from the representation of' Ephraim' as the understanding, and so the truth of faith since it dwells in the understanding part of a person s mind when sight provided by the light of heaven, thus spiritual sight, exists there, see 6222. The fact that Israel put his right hand on Ephraim's head and his left on Manasseh's is referred to in this verse and also in verses 17-19 below; and by that action is meant the fact that he considered the truth of faith to occupy first place and the good of charity second place. The reason he thought that way was that the spiritual man, represented by 'Israel', 4286, 6256, does not consider them, before he has been regenerated, any differently. For the spiritual man is directly conscious of what the truth of faith is; but he is not conscious of what the good of charity is since it comes to him by an interior route, whereas the truth of faith comes by an exterior one, just as factual knowledge does.

[2] But people who are not being regenerated say quite categorically that faith occupies the first place, that is, that it is the essential element of the Church, because they can then lead whatever kind of life they like and still say that they entertain the hope of salvation. This also is the reason why at the present day charity has disappeared so completely that scarcely anyone knows what it is, or even consequently what faith is since the one does not exist without the other. If charity occupied the first place and faith the second the whole appearance of the Church would be different, for in that case no others would be called Christians but those who led a life in keeping with the truth of faith, which is a charitable life. People would also know what charity was, and they would not on the basis of particular ideas about the truths of faith distinguish between and make many Churches out of different groups. Instead they would speak of one Church that included all leading a good life, and not only those within that part of the world where the Church exists but also those outside. If they spoke in this way the Church would have an enlightened view of such things as belong to the Lord's kingdom; for charity is what brings light, and never faith without charity. And the mistaken ideas that faith separated from charity introduces would also be clearly recognizable.

[3] From this one may see how different the whole appearance of the Church would be if the good of charity were to occupy the first place, that is, if it were the essential element, and the truth of faith occupied the second place, that is, if it were the outward form that expressed it. The whole appearance of the Church would then be like that of the Ancient Church, which identified the Church with charity and had no other teachings of the Church than those concerned with charity, as a consequence of which they had wisdom from the Lord. The nature of that Church is described by these words in Moses,

Jehovah encompassed him, instructed him, and kept him as the pupil of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreads out its wings, He took him, He carried him on His wing. Jehovah alone led him, nor was any foreign god with him. He caused him to ride on the heights of the land, and He fed [Him] from the produce of the fields; He caused him to suck honey out of the rock and oil out of the flinty rock - butter from the herd, and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs and of rams, the breed 1 of Bashan, and of goats, with the kidney-fat of wheat; and of the blood of the grape you drink unmixed wine. Deuteronomy 32:10-14.

Those who belonged to that Church are consequently in heaven, enjoying complete happiness and glory there.

Fotnoter:

1. literally, sons

  
/ 10837  
  

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