Arcana Coelestia (Elliott): AC 3229

3229. If only the historical narratives, that is, if merely the external or literal sense, constituted the Word, all the historical narratives there would in that case be holy. And what is more, many of the characters mentioned there would be considered holy, and, as indeed happens with many, would come to be venerated as gods merely because they are referred to in the holiest work ever to have been written - for example, those called the Patriarchs, namely, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and after these the twelve sons of Jacob who were forefathers of the tribes; and subsequently David and many more. Yet all these were only human beings, some of whom were little concerned about Divine worship. Moreover I can certify that their present condition is nothing at all out of the ordinary, and also that in heaven they are altogether unknown. Those characters and their state in the next life will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described elsewhere. From this it now becomes quite clear that the external or literal sense is the Word only by virtue of the internal or spiritual sense Lying within it and from which it exists.

GENESIS 25

And Abraham took another wife; and her name was Keturah.

And she bore to him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

And Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan; and the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.

And the sons of Midian, Ephah and Epher, and Enoch,^a and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.

And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.

And to the concubines' sons, whom Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from being with Isaac his son - while he was still living - eastwards to the land of the east.

And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred and seventy-five years.

And Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full [of years]; and he was gathered to his peoples.

And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him at the cave of Machpelah, at the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which faced Mamre.

The field which Abraham bought from the sons of Heth, there Abraham was buried and Sarah his wife.

And so it was after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son; and Isaac dwelt in ^b Beer Lahai Roi.

And these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant-girl, bore to Abraham.

And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their births: Nebaioth, Ishmael's firstborn, and Kedar, and Abdeel, and Mibsam;

And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa;

Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

And these are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, in their villages, and in their fortified places; twelve princes of their peoples.

And these are the years of Ishmael's life, a hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his peoples.

And they resided from Havilah as far as Shur, which is opposite Egypt as you come towards Asshur. [His lot] fell opposite all his brothers.

And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begot Isaac.

And Isaac was a son of forty years when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.

And Isaac prayed to Jehovah on behalf of his wife because she was barren; and Jehovah granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

And the sons struggled together within her, and she said, If this is so, why am I [going through this]? And she went to inquire of Jehovah.

And Jehovah said to her, Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be separated from your bowels, and [one] people will prevail over [the other] people, and the greater will serve the less.

And her days for bringing forth were completed, and behold, there were twins in her womb.

And the first came out, ruddy all over, like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

And after that his brother came out, and his hand was grasping Esau's heel; and he called his name Jacob. And Isaac was a son of sixty years when she bore them.

And the boys grew up, and Esau was a man skilled in hunting, a man of the field; and Jacob was a blameless man, dwelling in tents.

And Isaac loved Esau because of the venison ^c in his mouth; and Rebekah loved Jacob.

And Jacob boiled pottage; and Esau came from the field, and he was weary.

And Esau said to Jacob, Let me sip now from the red [pottage], this red [pottage], for I am weary. Therefore he called his name Edom.

And Jacob said, Sell me - as if today - your birthright.

And Esau said, Behold, I am going to die; so what is this birthright to me?

And Jacob said, Swear to me, as if today; and he swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Jacob.

And Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil pottage; and he ate, and drank, and he rose up, and went. And Esau despised the birthright.

Notes

^aIn most English versions this name appears as Hanoch, but in the Latin, as in the original Hebrew, the spelling is the same as that of the one mentioned in Gen 4:17, 18; 5:18-24.
^b lit. with
^c or hunting

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