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Genesis第29章

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1 Then Jacob went on in his journey, and came into the east country.

2 And he saw a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep lying by it: for the beasts were watered out of it, and the mouth thereof was closed with a great stone.

3 And the custom was, when all the sheep were gathered together to roll away the stone, and after the sheep were watered, to put it on the mouth of the well again.

4 And he said to the shepherds: Brethren, whence are you? They answered: Of Haran.

5 And he asked them, saying: Know you Laban the son of Nachor? They said: We Know him.

6 He said: Is he in health? He is in health, say they: and behold Rachel his daughter cometh with his flock.

7 And Jacob said: There is yet much day remaining, neither is it time to bring the flocks into the folds again: first give the sheep drink, and so lead them back to feed.

8 They answered: We cannot, till all the cattle be gathered together, and we remove the stone from the well's mouth, that we may water the flocks.

9 They were yet speaking, and behold Rachel came with her father's sheep: for she fed the flock.

10 And when Jacob saw her, and knew her to be his cousin-german, and that they were the sheep of Laban, his uncle: he removed the stone wherewith the well was closed.

11 And having watered the flock, he kissed her: and lifting up his voice, wept.

12 And he told her that he was her father's brother, and the son of Rebecca: but she went in haste and told her father.

13 Who, when he heard that Jacob his sister's son was come, ran forth to meet him; and embracing him, and heartily kissing him, brought him into his house. And when he had heard the causes of his journey,

14 He answered: Thou art my bone and my flesh. And after the days of one month were expired,

15 He said to him: Because thou art my brother, shalt thou serve me without wages? Tell me what wages thou wilt have.

16 Now he had two daughters, the name of the elder was Lia: and the younger was called Richel.

17 But Lia was blear eyed: Rachel was well favoured, and of a beautiful countenance.

18 And Jacob being in love with her, said: I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

19 Lahan answered: It is better that I give her thee than to another man; stay with me.

20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel: and they seemed but a few days, because of the greatness of his love.

21 And he said to Laban: Give me my wife; for now the time is fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.

22 And he, having invited a great number of his friends to the feast, made the marriage.

23 And at night he brought in Lia his daughter to him,

24 Giving his daughter a handmaid, named Zalpha. Now when Jacob had gone in to her according to custom when morning was come he saw it was Lia:

25 And he said to his father in law: What is it that thou didst mean to do? did not I serve thee for Rachel? why hast thou deceived me?

26 Laban answered: It is not the custom in this place, to give the younger in marriage first.

27 Make up the week of days of this match: and I will give thee her also, for the service that thou shalt render me other seven years.

28 He yielded to his pleasure: and after the week was past, he married Rachel:

29 To whom her father gave Bala for her servant.

30 And having at length obtained the marriage he wished for, he preferred the love of the latter before the former, and served with him other seven years.

31 And the Lord seeing that he despised Lia, opened her womb, but her sister remained barren.

32 And she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Ruben, saying: The Lord saw my affliction: now my husband will love me.

33 And again she conceived and bore a son, and said: Because the Lord heard that I was despised, he hath given this also to me: and she called his name Simeon.

34 And she conceived the third time, and bore another son: and said: Now also my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons: and therefore she called hi sname Levi.

35 The fourth time she conceived and bore a son, and said: now will I praise the Lord: and for this she called him Juda. And she left bearing.

   

来自斯威登堡的著作

 

Arcana Coelestia#728

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728. That 'seven days' time' here means the onset of temptation is clear from the internal sense of all the details in this verse, where the subject is the temptation of the man called Noah. In general the subject concerns not only the temptation of that man but also the utter vastation of those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church and who had become such as described. Consequently 'seven days' time' means not only the onset of temptation but also the finish of vastation. The reason 'seven days' time' means those things is that seven Is a holy number, as stated and shown at verse 2 of this chapter, at Genesis 4:15, 24, and in 84-87. It means the Lord's Coming into the world, and also His coming into glory. In particular it means every coming He makes. Every one of His comings involves a beginning for those who are being regenerated and the end of those who are being vastated. And so for the member of this Church His coming marked the onset of temptation, for when someone is being tempted he starts to become a new man and be regenerated. At the same time it was the end of those from the Most Ancient Church who had become of such a character that inevitably they perished. It was similar when the Lord came into the world; at that time the Church had entered the final stages of its vastation, and a new one came into being.

[2] That 'seven days' time' means these things is clear in Daniel,

Seventy weeks have been decreed concerning your people and your holy city to bring transgression to a close and to seal up sins and to atone for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. And you will know and perceive that from the going forth of the Word to restore and to build Jerusalem until the Messiah, the Prince, there will be SEVEN WEEKS. Daniel 9:24-25.

Here 'seventy weeks' and 'seven weeks' are similar in meaning to seven days, namely the Coming of the Lord. But because it is plain prophecy here, periods of time are presented in an even more holy and decided fashion by numbers involving seven. From this quotation it is clear that, when applied in this way to periods of time, 'seven' means not only the Coming of the Lord, but also - in the words stating that He was to anoint the Most Holy Place and that He was to restore and build Jerusalem - the beginning of a new Church at that time, and simultaneously - in the words stating that [seventy] weeks were decreed concerning the holy city to bring transgression to a close and to seal up sin - final vastation.

[3] Similar usages occur elsewhere in the Word, as in Ezekiel where he describes a personal experience,

I came to those in captivity at Tel-abib, who were sitting by the river Chebar, and I sat there seven days, astonished among them And at the end of seven days the Word of Jehovah came to me. Ezekiel 3:15-16.

Here also 'seven days' stands for the onset of visitation, for when he had sat seven days among those in captivity, the Word of Jehovah came to him. In the same prophet,

They will bury Gog, that they may cleanse the land in seven months. At the end of seven months they will make their search. Ezekiel 39:12, 14.

This similarly stands for the final phase of vastation and the first of visitation. In Daniel,

The heart of Nebuchadnezzar will be changed from a man and the heart of a beast given to him, and seven times will pass over him. Daniel 4:16, 25, 31.

This likewise stands for the finish of vastation and the beginning of a new man.

[4] The seventy years of captivity in Babylon represented the same. Whether the number is seventy or seven what is embodied is the same. The same applies whether it is seven days, or seven years, or seven decades which make seventy years. Vastation was represented by the years of captivity, the beginning of a new Church by the liberation and by the rebuilding of the Temple. Jacob's serving in the house of Laban also represented things of a similar nature - where the following is stated,

I will serve you for seven years for Rachel. And he served for seven years. Laban said, Complete the week of this one, and we will give you also the other one for the service you render with me for another seven years. And Jacob did so, and completed the week of this one. Genesis 29:18, 20, 27-28.

Here 'the service of seven years' embodies something similar. And after the period of seven years marriage and freedom followed. The period of these seven years was called a week, as also in Daniel.

[5] Something similar was also represented by the command to go around the city of Jericho seven times, and the wall would collapse. It is also said that they rose at dawn on the seventh day and went around the city, as they were accustomed to do, seven times. And after the seventh time round, the seven priests blew on their seven trumpets and the wall collapsed, Joshua 6:10-20. Unless these events had also had this meaning the command would never have been given to go round seven times, or that there were to be seven priests and seven trumpets. From these and many other places, for example in Job 2:13; Revelation 15:1, 6-7; 21:9, it becomes clear that 'seven days' time' means the beginning of a new Church and the end of the old. Since the subject here is not only the member of the Church called Noah and his temptation, but also the final descendants of the Most Ancient Church who destroyed themselves, 'seven days' time' can mean nothing other than the onset of the temptation of Noah and the finish of the Most Ancient Church, which was the final destruction and extinction of it.

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