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創世記第37章

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1 ヤコブは父の寄留の地、すなわちカナンの地に住んだ。

2 ヤコブの孫は次のとおりである。

3 ヨセフは年寄りであったから、イスラエルは他のどのよりも彼をして、彼のために長そでの着物をつくった。

4 兄弟たちは父がどの兄弟よりも彼を愛するのを見て、彼を憎み、穏やかに彼に語ることができなかった。

5 ある時、ヨセフはを見て、それを兄弟たちに話したので、彼らは、ますます彼を憎んだ。

6 ヨセフは彼らに言った、「どうぞわたしが見たを聞いてください。

7 わたしたちがの中で束を結わえていたとき、わたしの束が起きて立つと、あなたがたの束がまわりにきて、わたしの束を拝みました」。

8 すると兄弟たちは彼に向かって、「あなたはほんとうにわたしたちの王になるのか。あなたは実際わたしたちを治めるのか」と言って、彼のとその言葉のゆえにますます彼を憎んだ。

9 ヨセフはまた一つのを見て、それを兄弟たちに語って言った、「わたしはまたを見ました。日とと十一のとがわたしを拝みました」。

10 彼はこれを父と兄弟たちに語ったので、父は彼をとがめて言った、「あなたが見たそのはどういうのか。ほんとうにわたしとあなたのと、兄弟たちとが行って地に伏し、あなたを拝むのか」。

11 兄弟たちは彼をねたんだ。しかし父はこの言葉を心にとめた。

12 さて兄弟たちがシケムに行って、父の群れを飼っていたとき、

13 イスラエルはヨセフに言った、「あなたの兄弟たちはシケムで羊を飼っているではないか。さあ、あなたを彼らの所へつかわそう」。ヨセフは父に言った、「はい、行きます」。

14 父は彼に言った、「どうか、行って、あなたの兄弟たちは無事であるか、また群れは無事であるか見てきて、わたしに知らせてください」。父が彼をヘブロンからつかわしたので、彼はシケムに行った。

15 ひとりの人が彼に会い、彼が野をさまよっていたので、その人は彼に尋ねて言った、「あなたは何を捜しているのですか」。

16 彼は言った、「兄弟たちを捜しているのです。彼らが、どこで羊を飼っているのか、どうぞわたしに知らせてください」。

17 その人は言った、「彼らはここを去りました。彼らが『ドタンへ行こう』と言うのをわたしは聞きました」。そこでヨセフは兄弟たちのあとを追って行って、ドタンで彼らに会った。

18 ヨセフが彼らに近づかないうちに、彼らははるかにヨセフを見て、これを殺そうと計り、

19 互に言った、「あの見る者がやって来る

20 さあ、彼を殺してに投げ入れ、悪い獣が彼を食ったと言おう。そして彼のがどうなるか見よう」。

21 ルベンはこれを聞いて、ヨセフを彼らのから救い出そうとして言った、「われわれは彼の命を取ってはならない」。

22 ルベンはまた彼らに言った、「を流してはいけない。彼を荒野のこのに投げ入れよう。彼にをくだしてはならない」。これはヨセフを彼らのから救いだして父に返すためであった。

23 さて、ヨセフが兄弟たちのもとへ行くと、彼らはヨセフの着物、彼が着ていた長そでの着物をはぎとり、

24 彼を捕えてに投げ入れた。そのはからで、その中にはなかった。

25 こうして彼らはすわってパン食べた。時に彼らがをあげて見ると、イシマエルびとの隊商が、らくだに香料と、乳香と、もつやくとを負わせてエジプトへ下り行こうとギレアデからやってきた。  

26 そこでユダ兄弟たちに言った、「われわれが弟を殺し、そのを隠して何の益があろう。

27 さあ、われわれは彼をイシマエルびとに売ろう。彼はわれわれの兄弟、われわれの身だから、彼にを下してはならない」。兄弟たちはこれを聞き入れた。

28 時にミデアンびとの商人たちが通りかかったので、彼らはヨセフをから引き上げ、二十シケルでヨセフをイシマエルびとに売った。彼らはヨセフをエジプトへ連れて行った。

29 さてルベンはに帰って見たが、ヨセフがの中にいなかったので、彼は衣服を裂き、

30 兄弟たちのもとに帰って言った、「あの子はいない。ああ、わたしはどこへ行くことができよう」。

31 彼らはヨセフの着物を取り、雄やぎを殺して、着物をそのに浸し、

32 その長そでの着物を父に持ち帰って言った、「わたしたちはこれを見つけましたが、これはあなたのの着物か、どうか見さだめてください」。

33 父はこれを見さだめて言った、「わがの着物だ。悪い獣が彼を食ったのだ。確かにヨセフはかみ裂かれたのだ」。

34 そこでヤコブは衣服を裂き、荒布にまとって、長い間そののために嘆いた

35 らとらとは皆立って彼を慰めようとしたが、彼は慰められるのを拒んで言った、「いや、わたしは嘆きながら陰府に下って、わがのもとへ行こう」。こうして父は彼のために泣いた。

36 さて、かのミデアンびとらはエジプトでパロの役人、侍衛長ポテパルにヨセフを売った

   

来自斯威登堡的著作

 

Arcana Coelestia#4748

学习本章节

  
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4748. 'And their camels carrying spices, and resin' and stacte' means interior natural truths. This is clear from the general meaning of 'camels' as things belonging to the natural man which serve the spiritual, and from their specific meaning as general facts within the natural man, dealt with in 3048, 3071, 3114, 3143, 3145, 4156; and from the meaning of 'spices, resin, and stacte' as interior natural truths joined to the good there, which are dealt with below. Among the ancients, sweet smelling and fragrant substances were used in their sacred worship; from these substances they obtained their frankincense and incense, similar substances being mixed with oil for their anointings. But no one today knows why those fragrances were used, for the reason that no knowledge at all exists of the fact that all aspects of the worship of the ancients had their origin in the spiritual and celestial things existing in heaven, or that those aspects of it corresponded to these. Mankind has been removing itself so far from spiritual and celestial things, immersing itself in natural, worldly, and bodily ones, that it lives in obscurity, many people having a negative attitude of mind to the existence of anything spiritual or celestial.

[2] The reason frankincense and incense were used among the ancients in sacred acts of worship is that 'odour' corresponds to perception, and 'a fragrant odour' - like that of the aromas which various kinds of spices have - to a pleasing and acceptable perception, as is the perception of truth derived from good, or of faith from charity. Indeed the correspondence of one to the other is such that, as often as it pleases the Lord, actual perceptions in the next life are converted into odours. Regarding these, see what has already been told from experience in 925, 1514, 1517-1519, 3577, 4624-4634. What specifically is meant here by 'spices, resin, and stacte' may be seen from other places where these three are mentioned. In general they mean interior truths within the natural, but those truths which are derived from the good there; for truths do not on their own constitute the natural, but good does by means of truths. Consequently variations exist, conditioned by what the truth joined to the good is like and therefore by what the good is like, since the particular nature of the good depends on what the truths are like.

[3] 'Gilead' means exterior good like that belonging to the senses, called pleasure, 4117, 4124, while 'Egypt' in the good sense means facts, which are the external truths of the natural man that correspond to, that is, are in accord with, that good, 1462. Therefore the reference to Ishmaelites from Gilead bringing down those aromatic commodities on camels to Egypt means bringing their own interior truths, based on their own facts, to the facts meant by 'Egypt', which matters are dealt with below. Interior truths are conclusions based on exterior truths, that is, on facts; for the facts belonging to the natural man are the means that enable conclusions to be drawn about interior truths and thereby to identify them, just as a person identifies another's state of mind in his facial expressions and in the twinkling of light in his eyes, as well as in his tone of voice and his gestures.

[4] Because such truths are the means by which a person's natural is made more perfect and also receives correction, healing is therefore associated with spices of this kind - with resin, for example, in Jeremiah,

Is there no balsamic resin in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why has not the healing of the daughter of my people arisen? Jeremiah 8:22.

In the same prophet,

Go up to Gilead to take resin, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain you have multiplied medicaments; there is no healing for you. Jeremiah 46:11.

In the same prophet,

Suddenly Babel has fallen and been broken; wail over her! Take resin for her pain; perhaps she will be healed. Jeremiah 51:8.

[5] Wares similar to this mean spiritual things, as is quite evident in John,

The merchants of the earth will weep and will mourn over Babel, that nobody buys their wares any longer, wares of gold and silver, and precious stones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and bronze, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and incense, and ointment, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and draught-cattle, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and the bodies and souls of people. Revelation 18:11-13.

These wares would never have been listed in this specific manner if each and all had not meant the kinds of things that exist in the Lord's kingdom and in His Church. Otherwise they would have been words that had no real meaning. It is well known that 'Babel' means those who turn all worship of the Lord into worship of themselves, so that profanity exists inwardly while outwardly they are doing what is holy. This being so, 'their wares' means the things which, for the sake of worship of themselves, they themselves have invented enthusiastically and skillfully, as well as doctrinal teachings and ideas of good and truth from the Word which they have twisted to suit themselves. Thus the individual wares mentioned in these verses mean specific features of their invention, 'cinnamon, incense, ointment, and frankincense' meaning truths that are derived from good, but with those people perverted truths and falsities that are the products of evil.

[6] Something similar may be seen in what is recorded in Ezekiel regarding the wares of Tyre,

Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders. Wheat of minnith and pannag, and honey, and oil, and resin, they exchanged for your trading. Ezekiel 27:17.

Here also 'resin' means truth derived from good. To one who has no belief in the internal sense of the Word all these expressions will be mere words and so vessels with nothing in them, when in fact they hold Divine, celestial, and spiritual things within them.

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