5149.“有飞鸟来吃我头上筐子里的食物”表源于邪恶的虚假将要毁灭它。这从“飞鸟”、“吃”和“筐子”的含义清楚可知：“飞鸟”是指理智概念，以及思维，因而从它们所流出的事物，在正面意义是指各种真理，在反面意义是指虚假（参看40，745，776，778，866，988，3219节）；“吃”是指毁灭（在原文，动词“吃”表示毁灭）；“筐子”是指心智的意愿部分，如前所述（5144，5146节），在此是指出于意愿部分的邪恶，因为这个筐子上面有洞（5145节）。由此可知，“有飞鸟来吃头上筐子里的食物”表示源于邪恶的虚假将要毁灭它。
虚假有两种不同的来源，即教义和邪恶。源于教义的虚假并不毁灭良善，因为人有可能陷入教义的虚假，却又渴望良善，这就是为何各种教义的人，包括外邦人都能得救；但源于邪恶的虚假则是毁灭良善的虚假。邪恶本身反对良善；然而它凭自己并不能毁灭任何良善，而是依靠虚假去毁灭。因为虚假攻击属于良善的真理，因为真理可以说是良善的堡垒。虚假就被用来攻击这些堡垒，一旦得逞，良善遭到毁灭。
凡不知道“飞鸟”表示理智概念的人必以为当“飞鸟”在圣言中被提及时，它要么是指字面上的鸟，要么是日常用语中所用的那种比喻。若不凭内义，没有人能知道“飞鸟”表示属于理解力的事物，如思维、观念、推理、基本假设，因而真理或虚假；如路加福音：
神的国好像一粒芥菜种，有人拿去撒在园子里，它遂生长起来，成了大树，天上的飞鸟宿在它的枝上。（路加福音13:19）
“天上的飞鸟”在此表示真理。
以西结书：
它成为佳美的香柏树；各种翅膀的各样鸟儿都必宿在其下，就是宿在它枝子的荫下。（以西结书17:23）
“各种翅膀的鸟儿”表示各种真理。又：
亚述曾是黎巴嫩的香柏树。天上所有的飞鸟都在枝子上搭窝；田野所有的走兽都在枝条下生子；所有大民族都在他荫下居住。（以西结书31:3，6）
“天上的飞鸟”表示真理。
又：
天上所有的飞鸟空中的飞鸟都要宿在他的废墟上；田间所有的野兽都要卧在他的枝条下。（以西结书31:13）
“天上的飞鸟”表示虚假。但以理书：
尼布甲尼撒在梦中观看；见见地当中有一棵树；田野的走兽得到荫影在它之下，天空的飞鸟宿在它的枝上。（但以理书4:10，12，18）
此处“天空的飞鸟”也表示虚假。
耶利米书：
我观看，看哪，无人，空中的飞鸟也都逃避。（耶利米书4:25）
“无人”表示没有良善（4287节）；“空中的飞鸟也都逃避”表示真理被驱散的事实。又：
从空中的飞鸟直到走兽，都逃走跑掉了。（耶利米书9:10）
此处意思也一样。马太福音：
有一个撒种的出去撒种。有些种子落在硬路上，飞鸟来吃尽了。（马太福音13:3-4）
此处“飞鸟”表示推理，也表示虚假。在其它许多经文中意思也一样。
Potts(1905-1910) 5149
5149. And the bird did eat them out of the basket from upon my head. That this signifies that falsity from evil consumed it, is evident from the signification of "the birds" as being intellectual things, and also thoughts, consequently the things thence derived; namely, in the genuine sense truths of every kind, and in the opposite sense falsities (see n. 40, 745, 776, 778, 866, 988, 3219); and from the signification of "eating," as being to consume (in the original tongue also, the word "eat" means to consume); and from the signification of a "basket," as being the will part (n. 5144, 5146), here evil from the will part, because the basket had holes in it (n. 5145). From this it follows that by the "bird eating out of the basket from upon the head" is signified that falsity from evil consumed. [2] There is falsity from two origins-falsity of doctrine, and falsity of evil. Falsity of doctrine does not consume goods, for a man may be in falsity of doctrine, and yet in good, and therefore men of every doctrine, even Gentiles, are saved; but the falsity of evil is that which consumes goods. Evil in itself is opposite to good, yet by itself it does not consume goods, but by means of falsity, for falsity attacks the truths which belong to good, because truths are as it were outworks that encompass good. These outworks are assaulted by means of falsity, and when these are assaulted good is given to destruction. [3] One who does not know that "birds" signify things of the intellect, cannot know otherwise than that where "birds" are mentioned in the Word, either birds are meant, or else they are used by way of comparison, as in common speech. Except from the internal sense no one can know that by "birds" are meant things of the understanding such as thoughts, ideas, reasonings, principles, consequently truths or falsities; as in Luke:
The kingdom of God is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew and became a great tree; so that the birds of the heaven dwelt in the branches of it (Luke 13:19);
the "birds of the heaven" here denotes truths. [4] In Ezekiel:
It shall go forth into a magnificent cedar; and under it shall dwell every bird of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell (Ezek. 17:23);
"bird of every wing" denotes truths of every kind. And again:
Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon. All the birds of the heavens made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches all the beasts of the field brought forth, and in his shadow dwelt all great nations (Ezek. 31:3, 6);
"birds of the heavens" in like manner denote truths. [5] Again:
Upon his ruin all the birds of the heavens shall dwell, and all the wild animals of the field shall be upon his branches (Ezek. 31:13);
where "birds of the heavens" denote falsities. In Daniel:
Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream; behold a tree in the midst of the earth; the beast of the field had shadow under it, and the bird of the heaven dwelt in the branches thereof (Dan. 4:10, 12, 18);
where again "birds of the heaven" denote falsities. [6] In Jeremiah:
I beheld and lo there was no man, and all the birds of the heaven were fled (Jer. 4:25);
"no man" denotes no good (n. 4287); the "birds of the heaven that were fled" denotes that truths were dispersed. Again:
From the bird of the heavens, even to the beast, they are fled, they are gone (Jer. 9:10);
where the meaning is similar. And in Matthew:
The sower went forth to sow; and some seeds fell upon the hard way, and the birds came and devoured them (Matt. 13:3-4);
where "birds" denote reasonings, and also falsities. The meaning is similar in many other passages.
Elliott(1983-1999) 5149
5149. 'And the birds were eating them out of the basket, from upon my head' means that falsity originating in evil would consume it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the birds' as intellectual concepts and also thoughts, and consequently the things which flow from them - in the genuine sense truths of every kind, and in the contrary sense falsities - dealt with in 40, 745, 776, 778, 866, 988, 7219; from the meaning of eating' as consuming (in the original language the verb to eat also denotes to consume); and from the meaning of 'the basket' as the will part of the mind, dealt with in 5144, 5146, in this case evil coming from the will part since the basket has holes in it, 5145. From this it follows that 'the birds were eating them out of the basket, from upon his head' means that falsity originating in evil would consume it.
[2] Falsity has two different origins, doctrine and evil. Falsity originating in doctrine does not consume any form of good, for a person can have such falsity in his mind and yet desire what is good, which is why people taught any kind of doctrine, including gentiles, can be saved. But falsity originating in evil is falsity which does consume good. Evil itself is opposed to good; yet it does not by itself consume any good but relies on falsity to do so. For falsity attacks the truths which are the defenders of good, those truths being so to speak the ramparts behind which good resides. Falsity is used to attack those ramparts, and once this has been done, good is given over to destruction.
[3] Anyone unacquainted with the fact that 'birds' means intellectual concepts will inevitably suppose that when mentioned in the Word the expression 'birds' is either used to mean birds literally or else is used, as in everyday speech, in a figurative sense. Except from the internal sense no one can know that 'birds' means things belonging to the understanding, such as thoughts, ideas, reasonings, basic assumptions, and consequently truths or falsities, as in Luke,
The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed, which someone took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a big tree so that the birds of the air dwelt in its branches. Luke 13:19.
'The birds of the air' here stands for truths.
[4] In Ezekiel,
It will turn into a noble cedar, and under it will dwell every bird of every sort;a in the shade of its branches they will dwell. Ezek 17:23.
'Bird of every sort' stands for truths of every kind. In the same prophet,
Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon. In its branches all the birds of the air made their nests, and under its branches every beast of the field brought forth, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations. Ezek 31:3, 6.
'The birds of the air' stands in a similar way for truths.
[5] In the same prophet,
Upon its ruin will dwell every bird of the air, and on its branches will be every wild animal of the field. Ezek 31:13.
'Bird of the air' stands for falsities. In Daniel,
Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream. Behold, a tree in the midst of the earth; under it the beasts of the field had shade, and in its branches dwelt the birds of the air. Dan 4:10, 12, 14, 21.
Here also 'the birds of the air' stands for falsities.
[6] In Jeremiah,
I looked, and behold, there was no man; and every bird of the air had flown away. Jer 4:25.
'No man' stands for no good, 4287, 'the birds of the air which had flown away' for the fact that truths had been dispersed. In the same prophet,
From bird of the air even to beast they have flown away, they have gone away. Jer 9:10.
Here the meaning is the same. In Matthew,
A sower went out to sow; and some fell on the pathway, and the birds came and devoured it. Matt 13:3, 4.
Here 'the birds of the air' stands for reasonings, and also for falsities. The same meaning may be seen in many other places.
Latin(1748-1756) 5149
5149. `Et avis edens ea e canistro desuper capite': quod significet falsum ex malo quod consumeret, constat ex significatione `avis' quod sint intellectualia et quoque cogitationes, proinde quae inde sunt, nempe in genuino sensu vera cujusvis generis, et {1} in opposito (o)sensu falsa, de qua n. 40, 745, 776, 778, 866, 988, 3219; ex significatione `edere' quod sit consumere; vox etiam edere in lingua originali denotat consumere;et ex significatione `canistri' quod sit voluntarium, de qua n. 5144, 5146, hic malum ex voluntario quia `canistrum perforatum', n. 5145; inde sequitur quod per `avis edens {2} e canistro desuper capite' significetur falsum ex malo quod consumeret. [2] Est {3} falsum duplicis originis, nempe falsum doctrinae, et falsum mali;
falsum doctrinae non consumit bona, nam homo in falso doctrinae potest esse et tamen in bono; inde est quod salventur ab omni doctrina, etiam gentiles; at falsum mali {4} est quod consumit bona; ipsum malum est oppositum bono, at per se non consumit bona sed per falsum, nam falsum impugnat vera quae sunt boni, vera enim sunt quasi antemuralia intra quae bonum; per falsum antemuralia oppugnantur, quibus oppugnatis bonum devotioni datur. [3] Qui non novit quod `aves' significent intellectualia, non scire aliter potest quam quod ubi aves nominantur in Verbo, sint vel aves quae intelliguntur, vel quod per aves fiant comparativa qualia in communi sermone; quod `aves' sint illa quae intellectualium sunt, sicut cogitationes, ideae, (o)ratiocinia, principia, proinde vera vel {5} falsa, nemo scire potest {6}quam ex sensu interno; sicut apud Lucam,
Regnum Dei simile est grano sinapis, quod accipiens homo projecit in hortum suum, et crevit, et factum est in arborem magnam, ut aves caeli habitaverint in ramis ejus, xiii 19;
`aves {7} caeli' ibi pro veris: [4] apud {8} Ezechielem,
Evadet in cedrum magnificam, et habitabunt sub illa omnes avis cujuscumque alae, in umbra ramorum illius habitabunt,xvii 23;
`avis cujuscumque alae' pro veris (o)omnis generis: apud eundem,
Asshur cedrus in Libano, in ramis ejus nidificarunt omnes aves caelorum, et sub ramis ejus pepererunt omnis bestia agri, ac in umbra ejus habitarunt omnes gentes magnae, xxxi 6;
`aves caelorum' (o)similiter pro veris: [5] apud eundem,
Super ruina ejus habitabunt omnis avis caelorum, et super ramis ejus erunt omnis fera agri, xxxi 13;
`avis caelorum' pro falsis: apud Danielem,
Nebuchadnezzar videns in somnio, ecce arbor in medio terrae,... sub illa umbram habebat bestia agri, et in ramis ejus habitabant aves caeli, iv 7, 9, 11, 18 [A.V. 10, 12, 14, 21];
[6] `aves caeli' (o)etiam ibi pro falsis: apud Jeremiam,
Vidi, cum ecce non homo, et omnis avis caeli avolarunt, iv 25;
`non homo' pro non bonum, n. 4287, `aves caeli quae avolarunt' pro veris quod dissipata: apud eundem,
Ab ave caelorum usque ad bestiam, avolarunt, abiverunt, ix 9 [A.V. 10];
similiter: apud Matthaeum,
Exivit seminans ad seminandum, et alia ceciderunt super viam duram, et venerunt aves et comederunt [ea], xiii 3, 4;
ibi `aves caeli' pro (o)ratiociniis, et quoque pro falsis:
similiter in pluribus aliis locis.
@1 at$ @2 i ea$ @3 This sentence is written at end of number in A, but marked for insertion here.$ @4 ex malo$ @5 aut$ @6 nisi$ @7 avis I$ @8 A i here ref. from Matth. and then the two from Jer. as below.$