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589. And they repented not of their murders.- That this signifies, who have not actually turned themselves away from extinguishing those things which pertain to the understanding of truth, to the will of good, and to spiritual life thence, is evident from the signification of repenting, as denoting actually to turn one's self away from, as shown above (n. 585:3); and from the signification of murders, as denoting the extinction of the understanding of truth, of the will of good, and thence of spiritual life. For by man are signified wisdom and the understanding of truth (see above, n. 280, 546, 547), and by slaying is signified to extinguish spiritual life by the falsities of evil (see also above, n. 315, 547, 572). That homicide or the killing of a man signifies the extinction of spiritual life, is clear without confirmations from passages of the Word, from the fact that all the details here mentioned must also be spiritually understood; and to kill spiritually is to extinguish spiritual life, and this is done by the falsities of evil.
[2] It is for this reason that the devil is called a murderer from the beginning, by the Lord in John:
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh from his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it" (8:44).
The Jewish nation itself is meant by these words, which, by its idolatries and traditions, extinguished spiritual life through the falsities of evil. By the father of it, are meant their fathers. Because they extinguished spiritual life through the falsities of evils, it is said, "there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it." A lie signifies, in the Word, the falsity of evil.
[3] The same is signified by murders, and by a lie, in the following passage in the Apocalypse:
"Without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and doeth a lie " (22:15).
Because those meant by Babylon, extinguish all Divine truths by means of the falsities of evil, therefore Babylon is called "an abominable branch, the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with the sword; because thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people" (Isaiah 14:19, 20). These things are said of Babylon. Those who have perished through the falsities of evil are said to be thrust through with the sword. To destroy the land signifies [to destroy] the church; and to slay the people signifies to extinguish the truths of the church.
589. Verse 21. And repented not of their murders, signifies who have not actually turned themselves away from extinguishing the things that pertain to the understanding of truth, the will of good, and spiritual life therefrom. This is evident from the signification of "repenting," as being actually turning oneself away (as above, n. 584; and from the signification of "murders," as being the extinction of the understanding of truth, of the will of good, and of spiritual life therefrom; for "man" signifies the understanding of truth, and wisdom (See above, n. 280, 546, 547); and "to kill" signifies to extinguish spiritual life by the falsities of evil (See above, n. 315, 547, 572). That "murder or manslaughter" signifies the extinction of spiritual life can be seen without proof passages from the Word, from this, that the particulars here must be understood spiritually, and "to kill" spiritually is to extinguish spiritual life, which is done by the falsities of evil.
[2] This is why the devil is called "a murderer from the beginning" by the Lord, in John:
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie he speaketh from his own, for he is a liar and the father thereof (John 8:44).
This means the Jewish nation itself, which through its idolatries and traditions extinguished spiritual life by the falsities of evil; "the father thereof" means their fathers; because they extinguished spiritual life by the falsities of evils it is said, "there is no truth in him; when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh from his own, for he is a liar, and "the father thereof," a "lie" signifying in the Word the falsity of evil.
[3] "Murders" and a "lie" have a similar signification in the following words in Revelation:
Without shall stand the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the whoremongers, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone that loveth and maketh a lie (Revelation 22:15).
Because those who are meant by "Babylon" extinguish all Divine truths by the falsities of evil, Babylon is called:
An abominable shoot, a garment of those that are slain, of those thrust through with the sword; for thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people (Isaiah 14:19, 20).
This is said of Babylon. Those are said to be "thrust through with the sword" who have been destroyed by the falsities of evil; "to destroy the land" signifies to destroy the church; and "to slay the people" signifies to extinguish the truths of the church.
589. [Vers. 21.] "Et non egerunt paenitentiam ex homicidiis suis." - Quod significet qui non actualiter averterunt se ab exstinguendo illa quae intellectus veri, voluntatis boni, et inde vitae spiritualis sunt, constat ex significatione "paenitentiam agere", quod sit actualiter se avertere (ut supra, n. 585 [a]); et ex significatione "homicidiorum", quod sint exstinctio intellectus veri, voluntatis boni, et inde vitae spiritualis; nam per "hominem" significatur intelligentia veri et sapientia (videatur supra, n. 280, 346, 547), et per "occidere" significatur exstinguere vitam spiritualem per falsa mali (etiam supra, n. 315, 347, 572).
Quod "homicidium", seu "hominis occisio", significet exstinctionem vitae spiritualis, constare potest absque locis e Verbo confirmantibus, ex eo quod singula ibi etiam spiritualiter intelligenda sint, et "occidere" spiritualiter est exstinguere vitam spiritualem, quod fit per falsa mali.
[2] Inde est quod diabolus dicatur "homicida ab initio, a Domino apud Johannem,
"Vos ex patre diabolo estis, et desideria patris vestri vultis facere: ille homicida erat ab initio, et in veritate non stetit, quia non est veritas in illo; quando loquitur mendacium ex propriis loquitur, quia mendacium loquens est et pater ejus" (8:44):
per haec intelligitur ipsa gens Judaica, quae per idololatrias et traditiones suas exstinxerunt vitam spiritualem per falsa mali; per "patrem ejus" intelliguntur patres eorum; quia exstinxerunt illam vitam per falsa mali, dicitur quod "non veritas in illo, quando loquitur mendacium ex propriis loquitur, quia mendacium loquens est et pater ejus"; per "mendacium" in Verbo significatur falsum mali.
[3] Simile per "homicidas" et per mendacium" significatur in sequentibus in Apocalypsi,
"Foris stabunt canes, incantatores, scortatores, homicidae, idololatrae, et qui amat et facit mendacium" (22:15).
Quoniam illi qui per "Babelem" intelliguntur, exstinguunt omnia vera Divina per falsa mali, ideo Babel vocatur
"Surculus abominabilis, vestimentum occisorum, confossorum gladio:.... quia terram tuam perdidisti, populum tuum occidisti" (Esaias 14:19, 20):
haec de Babele; "confossi gladio" dicuntur qui perierunt ex falsis mali; et per "terram perdere" significatur [perdere] ecclesiam; et per "populum occidere" significatur vera ecclesiae exstinguere.