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創世記第18章

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1 耶和華在幔利橡樹那裡向亞伯拉罕顯現出來。那時正熱,亞伯拉罕在帳棚口,

2 舉目觀,見有個人在對面站著。他一見,就從帳棚口跑去迎接他們,俯伏在

3 :我,我若在你眼前蒙恩,求你不要離開僕人往前去。

4 容我拿點來,你們,在歇息歇息。

5 我再拿一點餅來,你們可以加添力,然往前去。你們既到僕人這裡來,理當如此。他們:就照你的行罷。

6 亞伯拉罕急忙進帳棚見撒拉,:你速速拿細亞細麵調和作餅。

7 亞伯拉罕又跑到牛群裡,牽了一隻又嫩又犢來,交僕人,僕人急忙預備了。

8 亞伯拉罕又取了奶油和奶,並預備好的牛犢來,擺在他們面前,自己在站在旁邊,他們就吃了

9 他們問亞伯拉罕:你妻子撒拉在那裡?他:在帳棚裡。

10 三人中有一位:到明年這時候,我必要回到你這裡;你的妻子撒拉必生一個兒子。撒拉在那人邊的帳棚口也見了這話。

11 亞伯拉罕和撒拉年紀老邁,撒拉的月經已斷絕了。

12 撒拉心裡暗笑,:我既已衰敗,我也老邁,豈能有這喜事呢?

13 耶和華亞伯拉罕:撒拉為甚麼暗笑,:我既已年老,果真能生養麼?

14 耶和華豈有難成的事麼?到了日期,明年這時候,我必回到你這裡,撒拉必生一個兒子

15 撒拉就害怕,不承認,:我沒有笑。那位:不然,你實在笑了。

16 三人就從那裡起行,向所多瑪觀看,亞伯拉罕也與他們同行,要送他們一程。

17 耶和華:我所要作的事豈可瞞著亞伯拉罕呢?

18 亞伯拉罕必要成為強的國;上的萬國都必因他得福。

19 我眷顧他,為要叫他吩咐他的眾子和他的眷屬遵守我的道,秉公行,使我所應許亞伯拉罕的話都成就了。

20 耶和華所多瑪和蛾摩拉的惡甚重,聲聞於我。

21 我現在要去,察他們所行的,果然盡像那達到我耳中的聲音一樣麼?若是不然,我也必知道

22 二人轉身離開那裡,向所多瑪去;但亞伯拉罕仍舊站在耶和華面前。

23 亞伯拉罕前來,:無論善惡,你都要剿滅麼?

24 假若那城裡有五十人,你還剿滅那地方麼?不為城裡這五十人饒恕其中的人麼?

25 人與惡人同殺,將人與惡人一樣看待,這斷不是你所行的。審判全的主豈不行公麼?

26 耶和華:我若在所多瑪城裡見有五十人,我就為他們的緣故饒恕那地方的眾人。

27 亞伯拉罕:我雖然是灰塵,還敢對主說話

28 假若這五十人短了五個,你就因為短了五個毀滅全城麼?他:我在那裡若見有四十五個,也不毀滅那城。

29 亞伯拉罕又對他:假若在那裡見有四十個怎麼樣呢?他:為這四十個的緣故,我也不作這事。

30 亞伯拉罕:求主不要動怒,容我,假若在那裡見有三十個怎麼樣呢?他:我在那裡若見有三十個,我也不作這事。

31 亞伯拉罕:我還敢對主說話,假若在那裡見有二十個怎麼樣呢?他:為這二十個的緣故,我也不毀滅那城。

32 亞伯拉罕:求主不要動怒,我再這一次,假若在那裡見有個呢?他:為這個的緣故,我也不毀滅那城。

33 耶和華亞伯拉罕說完了話就走了;亞伯拉罕也回到自己的地方去了。

   

来自斯威登堡的著作

 

Arcana Coelestia#2269

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2269. 'And He said, I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there' means that mankind would not perish if [goods and truths] could be joined together. This is clear from the meaning of the number 'forty-five' as a joining together. It has been shown already that simple numbers retain their own meaning even when they are multiplied; and so larger numbers have a similar meaning to smaller. So it is with 'forty-five', a number which is the product of five times nine; and because it is the product of five times nine it has the same meaning as five and nine. 'Five' means that which is small, as has been shown already in 649, and 'nine' means conjunction or that which is joined together, 2075; so that the meaning here is, If goods have in some measure been joined to truths. That numbers in the Word mean real things or else states is clear from what has been stated above in 2252 about 'fifty', and also from what has been shown already concerning numbers, in 482, 487, 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988.

[2] It is because 'five' means that which is small, and 'forty-five' a joining together, that those numbers are used in the way they are in this verse. That is to say, first it is said, 'Perhaps the fifty righteous persons will lack five', which means, If it were something less. Then it is said, 'Will You for five destroy the whole city?' which means, Will they perish for the small amount that is lacking? But after that, because five means a small amount, the number five is not used again but it is said, 'I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there', which means that they would not perish if [goods and truths] could be joined together. And a further reason why the expression 'forty-five' is used, and not 'if the fifty are lacking five', is that 'five' not only means that which is small, as shown in 649, but also severance, as has also been shown in Volume One, in 1686. Consequently so that a joining together might be meant and not a severance, this number, that is to say, forty-five is used, for forty-five means some joining together, as stated above. Thus in a very beautiful way every detail follows in its particular sequence in the internal sense.

[3] As regards good and truth when joined together, this is an arcanum that cannot be described in such a way that the ordinary mind is able to grasp it. Let merely a brief explanation be given here. The more genuine and pure truth is, the better is good from the Lord able to be accommodated to it as the recipient vessel; but the less genuine and pure truth is, the less is good from the Lord able to be accommodated. For they must each answer to the other; and to the extent that they do, they are joined together. Goods cannot possibly be received into falsities, nor evils into truths as their recipient vessels, for they are by nature and disposition contrary. The one rejects the other as its very enemy; indeed if they tried to join together, each of them would throw up - good would throw up evil as though it were poison, and evil would throw up good as though it were something that induces vomiting. Such enmity between evil and good has been provided by the Lord to prevent the possibility of their being mixed together, for if they were so mixed a person would perish. Those who are deceivers and hypocrites come near to having the two joined together in them; yet even in their case the Lord takes care to prevent them becoming joined together. This is the reason why in the next life deceivers and hypocrites suffer more dreadfully than all others.

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