Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 24:34-48
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AC 3154. Verses 34-48. And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. And Jehovah hath blessed my lord exceedingly, and hath made him great, and hath given him flock and herd, and silver and gold, and menservants and maidservants, and camels and asses. And Sarah, my lord‘s wife, bare a son to my lord after she was old; and he hath given unto him all that he hath. And my lord made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a woman for my son of the daughters of the Canaanite, in whose land I dwell. But thou shalt go unto my father’s house, and to my family, and take a woman for my son. And I said unto my lord, Peradventure the woman will not follow me. And he said into me, Jehovah, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a woman for my son from my family, and from my father‘s house. Then shalt thou be clear from my oath, when thou comest to my family’; and if they give not to thee, thou shalt be clear from my oath. And I came this day unto the fountain, and said, O Jehovah God of my lord Abraham, if now Thou do prosper my way wherein I do walk; behold I stand by the fountain of waters; and let it come to pass that the maiden which cometh forth to draw, and to whom I shall say, Let me drink, I pray, a little water from thy pitcher; and she shall say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels, let her be the woman whom Jehovah hath appointed for my lord‘s son. I scarcely’ had done speaking in my heart, when behold Rebekah came forth, and her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the fountain and drew; and I said into her, Let me drink, I pray. And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from upon her, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also; and I drank, and she gave drink to the camels also. and I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bare unto him. And I put the jewel upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands. And I bent and bowed myself down to Jehovah, and blessed Jehovah God of my lord Abraham, who led me into the way of truth, to take the daughter of my lord‘s brother for his son.

[2] "He said, I am Abraham’s servant," signifies that it was from the Divine good; "and Jehovah hath blessed my lord exceedingly, and hath made him great," signifies the Divine Human as to good and as to truth; "and hath given him flock and herd," signifies goods in general; "and silver and gold," signifies truths in general; "and menservants and maidservants, and camels and asses," signifies truths specifically. "And Sarah, my lord‘s wife, bare a son to my lord," signifies the Divine rational, from Divine truth; "after she was old," signifies when the state was; "and he hath given unto him all that he hath," signifies that to the Divine rational belong all Divine things.

[3] "And my lord made me swear," signifies here as before, a binding pledge, and a sacred obligation "saying, Thou shalt not take a woman for my son of the daughters of the Canaanite," signifies here as before, that the Divine rational was not to be conjoined with any affection not in agreement with truth; "in whose land I dwell," signifies the discordant things in which Divine good is. "But thou shalt go unto my father’s house," signifies good which is from the Divine; " and to my family," signifies truth which is from the Divine; "and take a woman for my son." signifies that thence should be conjunction.

[4] "And I said unto my lord, Peradventure the woman will not follow me," signifies here as before the doubting of the natural mind concerning that affection, as to whether it was separable; "and he said unto me," signifies instruction; "Jehovah, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with thee," signifies here as before, the Divine providence; "and prosper thy way," signifies as to truth "and thou shalt take a woman for my son," signifies that there should be conjunction; "from my family, and from my father‘s house," signifies from the good and truth which are there from the Divine. "Then shalt thou be clear from my oath," signifies here as before, the freedom which the natural man has; "when thou comest to my family, and if they give not to thee," signifies as to the separation; "thou shalt be free from my oath," signifies that then there shall be no blame to the natural man. The other words, to (verse 48), signify the same as before.

AC 3155. An explication of these particulars may be omitted, because they have been already explained in this chapter. They were repeated for the sake of the instruction of the natural man. For with the initiation and conjunction of truth with good, the case is as when a virgin is betrothed and afterwards joined to a husband that is to say, she ought to be instructed in all things before she gives consent. Although such things do not appear with a man when the truths in the natural are being initiated and conjoined, that is, when the man is being reformed, still they take place; that is, instruction precedes, of good concerning truth, and of truth concerning good; and afterwards there is consent on each side, concerning which see what now follows.

GENESIS 24:34-48    previous  -  next  -  text  -  summary  -  Genesis  -  Full Page

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. www.BibleMeanings.info