Día: 5 de marzo de 2023
Lección 34 – Números ordinales y la orientación
The Bible – Old Testament
Daniel
Chapter 9
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1 It was the first year that Darius, son of Ahasuerus, of the race of the Medes, reigned over the kingdom of the Chaldeans;
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2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, tried to understand in the Scriptures the counting of the years of which the LORD spoke to the prophet Jeremiah: that for the ruins of Jerusalem seventy years must be fulfilled.
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I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
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I prayed to the LORD, my God, and confessed, «Ah, Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your commandments!
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We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.
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We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land.
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Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel, near and far, in all the countries to which you have scattered them because of their treachery toward you.
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O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers, for having sinned against you.
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But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness! Yet we rebelled against you
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and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God, to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets.
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Because all Israel transgressed your law and went astray, not heeding your voice, the sworn malediction, recorded in the law of Moses, the servant of God, was poured out over us for our sins.
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You carried out the threats you spoke against us and against those who governed us, by bringing upon us in Jerusalem the greatest calamity that has ever occurred under heaven.
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3 As it is written in the law of Moses, this calamity came full upon us. As we did not appease the LORD, our God, by turning back from our wickedness and recognizing his constancy,
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so the LORD kept watch over the calamity and brought it upon us. You, O LORD, our God, are just in all that you have done, for we did not listen to your voice.
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«Now, O Lord, our God, who led your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, and made a name for yourself even to this day, we have sinned, we are guilty.
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O Lord, in keeping with all your just deeds, let your anger and your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. On account of our sins and the crimes of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become the reproach of all our neighbors.
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Hear, therefore, O God, the prayer and petition of your servant; and for your own sake, O Lord, let your face shine upon your desolate sanctuary.
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Give ear, O my God, and listen; open your eyes and see our ruins and the city which bears your name. When we present our petition before you, we rely not on our just deeds, but on your great mercy.
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O Lord, hear! O Lord, pardon! O Lord, be attentive and act without delay, for your own sake, O my God, because this city and your people bear your name!»
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I was still occupied with my prayer, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, presenting my petition to the LORD, my God, on behalf of his holy mountain –
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4 I was still occupied with this prayer, when Gabriel, the one whom I had seen before in vision, came to me in rapid flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.
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He instructed me in these words: «Daniel, I have now come to give you understanding.
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When you began your petition, an answer was given which I have come to announce, because you are beloved. Therefore, mark the answer and understand the vision.
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5 «Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and for your holy city: Then transgression will stop and sin will end, guilt will be expiated, Everlasting justice will be introduced, vision and prophecy ratified, and a most holy will be anointed.
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6 Know and understand this: From the utterance of the word that Jerusalem was to be rebuilt Until one who is anointed and a leader, there shall be seven weeks. During sixty-two weeks it shall be rebuilt, With streets and trenches, in time of affliction.
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7 After the sixty-two weeks an anointed shall be cut down when he does not possess the city; And the people of a leader who will come shall destroy the sanctuary. Then the end shall come like a torrent; until the end there shall be war, the desolation that is decreed.
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8 For one week he shall make a firm compact with the many; Half the week he shall abolish sacrifice and oblation; On the temple wing shall be the horrible abomination until the ruin that is decreed is poured out upon the horror.»
1 [1] Darius: see the note on ⇒ Daniel 6:1.
2 [2] Seventy years: the prophet Jeremiah (⇒ Jeremiah 25:11; ⇒ 29:10) prophesied a Babylonian captivity of seventy years, a round number signifying the complete passing away of the existing generation. Jeremiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in the capture of Babylon by Cyrus and the subsequent return of the Jews to Palestine. However, the author of Daniel, living during the persecution of Antiochus, sees the conditions of the exile still existing; therefore, in his meditation he extends Jeremiah’s number to seventy weeks of years (⇒ Daniel 9:24), i.e., seven times seventy years, to characterize the Jewish victory over the Seleucids as the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy.
3 [13] As it is written: the first time that this formula of Scriptural citation is used in the Bible. The reference (⇒ Daniel 9:11) is to the sanctions of ⇒ Lev 26:14-16; ⇒ Deut 28:15-17.
4 [21] At the time of the evening sacrifice: between three and four in the afternoon.
5 [24] Seventy weeks: i.e., of years. Just as Jeremiah’s seventy years was an approximation (see note on ⇒ Daniel 9:2), the four hundred and ninety years here is not to be taken literally. Similarly, the distribution of the «weeks» in the following verses indicates only relative proportions of the total figure. A most holy: an expression used almost always of an object, the altar or the temple, but once (⇒ 1 Chron 23:13) of Aaron the high priest. The author sees the definitive establishment of the kingdom of God, realized in the reconsecration of the temple after Antiochus’ desecration, or personified in the holy community (like the Son of Man of Daniel 7). The Fathers of the Church almost unanimously understood the reference to be to Christ, the final realization of the prophecy.
6 [25] From the utterance . . . to be rebuilt: from the time of Jeremiah’s prophecy. One . . . anointed and a leader: either Cyrus, who was called the anointed of the Lord to end the exile (⇒ Isaiah 45:1), or the high priest Joshua who presided over the rebuilding of the altar of sacrifice after the exile (⇒ Ezra 3:2). Seven weeks: forty-nine years, an approximation of the time of the exile. During sixty-two weeks . . . rebuilt: a period of 434 years, roughly approximating the interval between the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the exile and the beginning of the Seleucid persecution.
7 [26] An anointed: doubtless the high priest Onias III, murdered in 171 B.C., from which the author dates the beginning of the persecution. Onias was in exile when he was killed. A leader: Antiochus IV.
8 [27] One week: the final phase of the period in view, the time of Antiochus’ persecution; he is Antiochus himself. The many: the faithless Jews who allied themselves with the heathen; cf ⇒ 1 Macc 1:11-13. Half the week: three and a half years; see note on ⇒ 1 Macc 7:25. The temple was desecrated by Antiochus from 167 to 165 B.C. The temple wing: probably the main portal. The horrible abomination: see note on ⇒ Daniel 8:13. Perhaps an inscription was placed on the portal of the temple dedicating it to the Olympian Zeus. Our Lord referred to this passage in his own prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem (⇒ Matthew 24:15).
Saint Luke – Chapter 6
The Bible – New Testament Saint Luke Chapter 6 1 1 While he was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. 2 Some Pharisees said, «Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?» 3 Jesus said… Seguir leyendo Saint Luke – Chapter 6
PALABRA MUNDIAL DEL DÍA
05/03/2023
II Domingo de Cuaresma
LECTURA DEL DÍA
Primera lectura
Lectura del libro del Génesis
Gn 12, 1-4a
En aquellos días, dijo el Señor a Abram: «Deja tu país, a tu parentela y la casa de tu padre, para ir a la tierra que yo te mostraré. Haré nacer de ti un gran pueblo y te bendeciré. Engrandeceré tu nombre y tú mismo serás una bendición. Bendeciré a los que te bendigan, maldeciré a los que te maldigan. En ti serán bendecidos todos los pueblos de la tierra». Abram partió, como se lo había ordenado el Señor.
Segunda lectura
Lectura de la segunda carta del apóstol san Pablo a Timoteo
2 Tm 1, 8b-10
Querido hermano: Comparte conmigo los sufrimientos por la predicación del Evangelio, sostenido por la fuerza de Dios. Pues Dios es quien nos ha salvado y nos ha llamado a que le consagremos nuestra vida, no porque lo merecieran nuestras buenas obras, sino porque así lo dispuso él gratuitamente.
Este don, que Dios nos ha concedido por medio de Cristo Jesús desde toda la eternidad, ahora se ha manifestado con la venida del mismo Cristo Jesús, nuestro Salvador, que destruyó la muerte y ha hecho brillar la luz de la vida y de la inmortalidad, por medio del Evangelio.
EVANGELIO DEL DÍA
Lectura del santo evangelio según san Mateo
Mt 17, 1-9
En aquel tiempo, Jesús tomó consigo a Pedro, a Santiago y a Juan, el hermano de éste, y los hizo subir a solas con él a un monte elevado. Ahí se transfiguró en su presencia: su rostro se puso resplandeciente como el sol y sus vestiduras se volvieron blancas como la nieve. De pronto aparecieron ante ellos Moisés y Elías, conversando con Jesús.
Entonces Pedro le dijo a Jesús: «Señor, ¡qué bueno sería quedarnos aquí! Si quieres, haremos aquí tres chozas, una para ti, otra para Moisés y otra para Elías».
Cuando aún estaba hablando, una nube luminosa los cubrió y de ella salió una voz que decía: «Éste es mi Hijo muy amado, en quien tengo puestas mis complacencias; escúchenlo». Al oír esto, los discípulos cayeron rostro en tierra, llenos de un gran temor. Jesús se acercó a ellos, los tocó y les dijo: «Levántense y no teman». Alzando entonces los ojos, ya no vieron a nadie más que a Jesús.
Mientras bajaban del monte, Jesús les ordenó: «No le cuenten a nadie lo que han visto, hasta que el Hijo del hombre haya resucitado de entre los muertos».
GRANDES LAGOS DE ÁFRICA
GRANDES LAGOS DE ÁFRICA GRANDES LAGOS DE ÁFRICA
The Bible – New Testament
Saint Matthew
Chapter 17
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1 2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
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3 And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.
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4 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.
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Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, «Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents 5 here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.»
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While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, 6 then from the cloud came a voice that said, «This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.»
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7 When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid.
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But Jesus came and touched them, saying, «Rise, and do not be afraid.»
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And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
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8 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, «Do not tell the vision 9 to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.»
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10 Then the disciples asked him, «Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?»
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He said in reply, 11 «Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;
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but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.»
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12 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
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13 When they came to the crowd a man approached, knelt down before him,
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and said, «Lord, have pity on my son, for he is a lunatic 14 and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water.
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I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.»
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Jesus said in reply, «O faithless and perverse 15 generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him here to me.»
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Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, 16 and from that hour the boy was cured.
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Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, «Why could we not drive it out?»
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17 He said to them, «Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.»
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) 18
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19 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, «The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,
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and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.» And they were overwhelmed with grief.
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20 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax 21 approached Peter and said, «Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?»
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«Yes,» he said. 22 When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, «What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?»
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23 When he said, «From foreigners,» Jesus said to him, «Then the subjects are exempt.
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But that we may not offend them, 24 go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.»
1 [1-8] The account of the transfiguration confirms that Jesus is the Son of God (⇒ Matthew 17:5) and points to fulfillment of the prediction that he will come in his Father’s glory at the end of the age (⇒ Matthew 16:27). It has been explained by some as a resurrection appearance retrojected into the time of Jesus’ ministry, but that is not probable since the account lacks many of the usual elements of the resurrection-appearance narratives. It draws upon motifs from the Old Testament and noncanonical Jewish apocalyptic literature that express the presence of the heavenly and the divine, e.g., brilliant light, white garments, and the overshadowing cloud.
2 [1] These three disciples are also taken apart from the others by Jesus in Gethsemane (⇒ Matthew 26:37). A high mountain: this has been identified with Tabor or Hermon, but probably no specific mountain was intended by the evangelist or by his Marcan source (⇒ Matthew 9:2). Its meaning is theological rather than geographical, possibly recalling the revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai (⇒ Exodus 24:12-18) and to Elijah at the same place (⇒ 1 Kings 19:8-18; Horeb = Sinai).
3 [2] His face shone like the sun: this is a Matthean addition; cf ⇒ Daniel 10:6. His clothes became white as light: cf ⇒ Daniel 7:9 where the clothing of God appears «snow bright.» For the white garments of other heavenly beings, see ⇒ Rev 4:4; ⇒ 7:9; ⇒ 19:14.
4 [3] See the note on ⇒ Mark 9:5.
5 [4] Three tents: the booths in which the Israelites lived during the feast of Tabernacles (cf ⇒ John 7:2) were meant to recall their ancestors’ dwelling in booths during the journey from Egypt to the promised land (⇒ Lev 23:39-42). The same Greek word, skene, here translated tents, is used in the LXX for the booths of that feast, and some scholars have suggested that there is an allusion here to that liturgical custom.
6 [5] Cloud cast a shadow over them: see the note on ⇒ Mark 9:7. This is my beloved Son . . . listen to him: cf ⇒ Matthew 3:17. The voice repeats the baptismal proclamation about Jesus, with the addition of the command listen to him. The latter is a reference to ⇒ Deut 18:15 in which the Israelites are commanded to listen to the prophet like Moses whom God will raise up for them. The command to listen to Jesus is general, but in this context it probably applies particularly to the preceding predictions of his passion and resurrection (⇒ Matthew 16:21) and of his coming (⇒ Matthew 16:27, ⇒ 28).
7 [6-7] A Matthean addition; cf ⇒ Daniel 10:9-10, ⇒ 18-19.
8 [9] In response to the disciples’ question about the expected return of Elijah, Jesus interprets the mission of the Baptist as the fulfillment of that expectation. But that was not suspected by those who opposed and finally killed him, and Jesus predicts a similar fate for himself.
9 [9] The vision: Matthew alone uses this word to describe the transfiguration. Until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead: only in the light of Jesus’ resurrection can the meaning of his life and mission be truly understood; until then no testimony to the vision will lead people to faith. ⇒ Matthew 17:9-13
10 [10] See the notes on ⇒ Matthew 3:4; ⇒ 16:14.
11 [11-12] The preceding question and this answer may reflect later controversy with Jews who objected to the Christian claims for Jesus that Elijah had not yet come.
12 [13] See ⇒ Matthew 11:14.
13 [14-20] Matthew has greatly shortened the Marcan story (⇒ Matthew 9:14-29). Leaving aside several details of the boy’s illness, he concentrates on the need for faith, not so much on the part of the boy’s father (as does Mark, for Matthew omits ⇒ Mark 9:22b-24) but on that of his own disciples whose inability to drive out the demon is ascribed to their little faith (⇒ Matthew 17:20).
14 [15] A lunatic: this description of the boy is peculiar to Matthew. The word occurs in the New Testament only here and in ⇒ Matthew 4:24 and means one affected or struck by the moon. The symptoms of the boy’s illness point to epilepsy, and attacks of this were thought to be caused by phases of the moon.
15 [17] Faithless and perverse: so Matthew and Luke (Matthew 9:41) against Mark’s faithless (⇒ Matthew 9:19). The Greek word here translated perverse is the same as that in ⇒ Deut 32:5 LXX, where Moses speaks to his people. There is a problem in knowing to whom the reproach is addressed. Since the Matthean Jesus normally chides his disciples for their little faith (as in ⇒ Matthew 17:20), it would appear that the charge of lack of faith could not be made against them and that the reproach is addressed to unbelievers among the Jews. However in ⇒ Matthew 17:20b (if you have faith the size of a mustard seed), which is certainly addressed to the disciples, they appear to have not even the smallest faith; if they had, they would have been able to cure the boy. In the light of ⇒ Matthew 17:20b the reproach of ⇒ Matthew 17:17 could have applied to the disciples. There seems to be an inconsistency between the charge of little faith in ⇒ Matthew 17:20a and that of not even a little in ⇒ Matthew 17:20b.
16 [18] The demon came out of him: not until this verse does Matthew indicate that the boy’s illness is a case of demoniacal possession.
17 [20] The entire verse is an addition of Matthew who (according to the better attested text) omits the reason given for the disciples’ inability in ⇒ Mark 9:29. Little faith: see the note on Matthew 6, 30. Faith the size of a mustard seed . . . and it will move: a combination of a Q saying (cf ⇒ Luke 17:6) with a Marcan saying (cf ⇒ Mark 11:23).
18 [21] Some manuscripts add, «But this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting»; this is a variant of the better reading of ⇒ Mark 9:29.
19 [22-23] The second passion prediction (cf ⇒ Matthew 16:21-23) is the least detailed of the three and may be the earliest. In the Marcan parallel the disciples do not understand (⇒ Matthew 9:32); here they understand and are overwhelmed with grief at the prospect of Jesus’ death (⇒ Matthew 17:23).
20 [24-27] Like ⇒ Matthew 14:28-31 and ⇒ Matthew 16:16b-19, this episode comes from Matthew’s special material on Peter. Although the question of the collectors concerns Jesus’ payment of the temple tax, it is put to Peter. It is he who receives instruction from Jesus about freedom from the obligation of payment and yet why it should be made. The means of doing so is provided miraculously. The pericope deals with a problem of Matthew’s church, whether its members should pay the temple tax, and the answer is given through a word of Jesus conveyed to Peter. Some scholars see here an example of the teaching authority of Peter exercised in the name of Jesus (see ⇒ Matthew 16:19). The specific problem was a Jewish Christian one and may have arisen when the Matthean church was composed largely of that group.
21 [24] The temple tax: before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in A.D. 70 every male Jew above nineteen years of age was obliged to make an annual contribution to its upkeep (cf ⇒ Exodus 30:11-16; ⇒ Nehemiah 10:33). After the destruction the Romans imposed upon Jews the obligation of paying that tax for the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. There is disagreement about which period the story deals with.
22 [25] From their subjects or from foreigners?: the Greek word here translated subjects literally means «sons.»
23 [26] Then the subjects are exempt: just as subjects are not bound by laws applying to foreigners, neither are Jesus and his disciples, who belong to the kingdom of heaven, bound by the duty of paying the temple tax imposed on those who are not of the kingdom. If the Greek is translated «sons,» the freedom of Jesus, the Son of God, and of his disciples, children («sons») of the kingdom (cf ⇒ Matthew 13:38), is even more clear.
24 [27] That we may not offend them: though they are exempt (⇒ Matthew 17:26), Jesus and his disciples are to avoid giving offense; therefore the tax is to be paid. A coin worth twice the temple tax: literally, «a stater,» a Greek coin worth two double drachmas. Two double drachmas were equal to the Jewish shekel and the tax was a half-shekel. For me and for you: not only Jesus but Peter pays the tax, and this example serves as a standard for the conduct of all the disciples.
Genesis – Chapter 12
The Bible – Old Testament Genesis Chapter 12 1 The LORD said to Abram: «Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. 2 «I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great,… Seguir leyendo Genesis – Chapter 12
La Biblia – El Antiguo Testamento
GÉNESIS
Capítulo 12
El llamado de Dios a Abrám
1 El Señor dijo a Abram: «Deja tu tierra natal y la casa de tu padre, y ve al país que yo te mostraré.
2 Yo haré de ti una gran nación y te bendeciré; engrandeceré tu nombre y serás una bendición.
3 Bendeciré a los que te bendigan y maldeciré al que te maldiga, y por ti se bendecirán todos los pueblos de la tierra».
4 Abram partió, como el Señor se lo había ordenado, y Lot se fue con él. Cuando salió de Jarán, Abram tenía setenta y cinco años.
5 Tomó a su esposa Sarai, a su sobrino Lot, con todos los bienes que habían adquirido y todas las personas que habían reunido en Jarán, y se encaminaron hacia la tierra de Canaán. Al llegar a Canaán,
6 Abram recorrió el país hasta el lugar santo de Siquem, hasta la encina de Moré. En ese tiempo, los cananeos ocupaban el país.
7 Entonces el Señor se apareció a Abram y le dijo: «Yo daré esta tierra a tu descendencia». Allí Abram erigió un altar al Señor, que se la había aparecido.
8 Después se trasladó hasta la región montañosa que está al este de Betel, que quedaba al oeste, y Ai, al este. También allí erigió un altar al Señor e invocó su Nombre.
9 Luego siguió avanzando por etapas hasta el Négueb.
Abrám en Egipto
10 Entonces hubo hambre en aquella región, y Abram bajó a Egipto para establecerse allí por un tiempo, porque el hambre acosaba al país.
11 Cuando estaba por llegar a Egipto, dijo a Sarai, su mujer: «Yo sé que eres una mujer hermosa.
12 Por eso los egipcios, apenas te vean, dirán: «Es su mujer», y me matarán, mientras que a ti te dejarán con vida.
13 Por favor, di que eres mi hermana. Así yo seré bien tratado en atención a ti, y gracias a ti, salvaré mi vida».
14 Cuando Abram llegó a Egipto, los egipcios vieron que su mujer era muy hermosa,
15 y los oficiales de la corte, que también la vieron, la elogiaron ante el Faraón. Entonces fue llevada al palacio del Faraón.
16 En atención a ella, Abram fue tratado deferentemente y llegó a tener ovejas, vacas, asnos, esclavos, sirvientas, asnas y camellos.
17 Pero el Señor infligió grandes males al Faraón y su gente, por causa de Sarai, la esposa de Abram.
18 El Faraón llamó a Abram y le dijo: «¿Qué me has hecho? ¿Por qué no me advertiste que era tu mujer?
19 ¿Por qué dijiste que era tu hermana, dando lugar a que yo la tomara por esposa? Ahí tienes a tu mujer: tómala y vete».
20 Después el Faraón dio órdenes a sus hombres acerca de Abram, y ellos lo hicieron salir junto con su mujer y todos sus bienes.
INGLÉS
1
The LORD said to Abram: «Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.
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«I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
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1 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.»
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Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
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2 Abram took his wife Sarai, his brother’s son Lot, all the possessions that they had accumulated, and the persons they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,
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Abram passed through the land as far as the sacred place at Shechem, by the terebinth of Moreh. (The Canaanites were then in the land.)
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The LORD appeared to Abram and said, «To your descendants I will give this land.» So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.
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From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel, pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there to the LORD and invoked the LORD by name.
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3 Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb.
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There was famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, since the famine in the land was severe.
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When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai: «I know well how beautiful a woman you are.
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When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘She is his wife’; then they will kill me, but let you live.
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4 Please say, therefore, that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me on your account and my life may be spared for your sake.»
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When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw how beautiful the woman was; and when Pharaoh’s courtiers saw her,
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they praised her to Pharaoh. So she was taken into Pharaoh’s palace.
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5 On her account it went very well with Abram, and he received flocks and herds, male and female slaves, male and female asses, and camels.
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But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai.
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Then Pharaoh summoned Abram and said to him: «How could you do this to me! Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?
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Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Here, then, is your wife. Take her and be gone!»
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Then Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and all that belonged to him.
1 [3] Shall find blessing in you: the sense of the Hebrew expression is probably reflexive, «shall bless themselves through you» (i.e., in giving a blessing they shall say, «May you be as blessed as Abraham»), rather than passive, «shall be blessed in you.» Since the term is understood in a passive sense in the New Testament (⇒ Acts 3:25; ⇒ Gal 3:8), it is rendered here by a neutral expression that admits of both meanings. So also in the blessings given by God to Isaac (⇒ Genesis 26:4) and Jacob (⇒ Genesis 28:14).
2 [5] Persons: slaves and retainers that formed the social aggregate under the leadership of Abraham; cf ⇒ Genesis 14:14.
3 [9] The Negeb: the semidesert land of southern Palestine.
4 [13] You are my sister: although Abraham’s deceit may not be fully defensible, his statement was at least a half-truth; Sarah was indeed his relative, called «a sister» in Hebrew; cf ⇒ Genesis 20:12. Moreover, the ancient traditions on which this story and the parallel ones in ⇒ Genesis 20:1-18; ⇒ 26:6-11 are based, probably come from the Hurrian custom of wife-sister marriage. Among the Hurrians, with whom Abraham’s clan lived in close contact at Haran, a man could adopt his wife as his sister and thus give her higher status.
5 [16] Camels: domesticated camels probably did not come into common use in the ancient Near East until the end of the millennium B.C. Thus the mention of camels at the time of the patriarchs (⇒ Genesis 24:11-64; ⇒ 30:43; ⇒ 31:17, ⇒ 34; ⇒ 32:8, ⇒ 16; ⇒ 37:25) is seemingly an anachronism.
Símbolo de los Apóstoles
Creo en Dios, Padre Todopoderoso,
Creador del cielo y de la tierra.
Creo en Jesucristo, su único Hijo,
Nuestro Señor,
Que fue concebido por obra y gracia del Espíritu Santo, nació de Santa María Virgen, padeció bajo el poder de Poncio Pilato,
fue crucificado, muerto y sepultado, descendió a los infiernos, al tercer día resucitó de entre los muertos, subió a los cielos y está sentado a la derecha de Dios, Padre todopoderoso. Desde allí ha de venir
a juzgar a vivos y muertos.
Creo en el Espíritu Santo,
la santa Iglesia católica,
la comunión de los santos,
el perdón de los pecados,
la resurrección de la carne
y la vida eterna.
Amén
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son,
our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell; the third day
He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, and sits at
the right hand of God the Father
almighty, from thence He shall come
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting.
Amen.
