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710. And she being with child.- That this signifies nascent doctrine from the good of celestial love, is evident from the signification of being with child (or bearing in the womb), when stated of the church, which is signified by the woman, as denoting nascent doctrine of truth from the good of celestial love. For the womb signifies inmost conjugial love, and thus celestial love in its whole extent, and the embryo in the womb, truth of doctrine from the good of celestial love, for it has the same signification as the male child which the woman brought forth, which is described in the fifth verse and which signifies doctrine of truth from the good of love, with this difference, that the embryo, being yet in the womb, derives more from the good of innocence than after birth, therefore by embryo is signified the doctrine of truth equally as by son; but the latter signifies the doctrine itself, while the former signifies nascent doctrine. From these things it is evident that to be with child (or to bear in the womb) signifies nascent doctrine of truth from the good of celestial love.
[2] The womb signifies the inmost good of love, because all the organs whose function is generation, both with males and females, signify conjugial love, and the womb, the inmost thereof, because there the foetus is conceived, and developed until birth; it is also the inmost of the genital organs, and from it also the maternal love called storge is derived. Since a man who is being regenerated is also conceived, and carried as it were in the womb and born, and since regeneration is effected by means of truths from the good of love, therefore to bear in the womb, in the spiritual sense, signifies the doctrine of truth from the good of love. There is also a correspondence of the womb with the inmost good of love; for the whole heaven corresponds to all things with man, concerning which correspondence see Heaven and Hell 87-102); this is also the case with the organs whose function is generation, these correspond there to celestial love. There is also all influx of this love out of heaven into mothers during the time of gestation, and also into embryos; and from this springs the love of their infants with mothers, and innocence with infants. From these things it is evident why the womb signifies the inmost good of love, and to bear in the womb signifies nascent doctrine of truth from the good of love.
[3] That this is the signification of the womb, and of bearing in the womb, is evident from the following passages in the Word.
In Isaiah:
"Attend unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remains of the house of Israel carried from the womb, borne from the matrix, even unto old age I am the same, and even to hoariness I will carry; I have made, I will carry, and I will bear and deliver" (46:3, 4).
This is said of the reformation of the church, and of the regeneration of the men of the church by the Lord. The church is signified by the house of Jacob and by the house of Israel, the external church by the house of Jacob, and the internal by the house of Israel. Those carried from the womb signify those who are being regenerated by the Lord, and those borne from the matrix (vulva) signify those who are regenerated. Because the man who is being regenerated is first conceived by the Lord, and is afterwards born, and lastly educated and perfected, and because regeneration is similar in this respect to the natural generation of man, therefore to be carried from the womb signifies the state of the man who is to be regenerated from conception to birth. Birth itself, and afterwards education and perfection, are signified by to be borne from the matrix; even unto old age I am the same, and even, to hoariness I will carry. I have made, I will carry, and I will bear and deliver, has a similar signification, the former meaning regeneration by means of the goods of love and of charity, and the latter regeneration by means of truths from those goods. To deliver means to take away and remove evils and falsities which are from hell.
[4] In Hosea:
"Ephraim, his glory shall fly away as a bird, and from the birth, and from the belly, and from conception; yea, though they have brought up their sons, yet will I make them bereaved of man. Give to them, O Jehovah, a miscarrying matrix and dry breasts. Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall not bear fruit; even when they have begotten I will slay the desires of their belly" (9:11, 12, 14, 16).
Ephraim means the church as to the understanding of truth and good. That there would be no longer any understanding of Divine Truth in the church is signified by "Ephraim, his glory shall fly away as a bird," glory signifying Divine Truth, and to fly away signifying to be scattered. The expression to fly away is used because it is said of a bird, and mention is made of a bird because a bird signifies such things as belong to the understanding and to thought therefrom. From the birth, and from the belly, and from conception, signifies the dispersion of all truth from its ultimates to primaries, birth signifying its ultimates, because it signifies what has been born; from the belly and from conception signifies what is before birth, thus all things from ultimates to primaries, for when ultimates perish, things prior also successively fall away. Though they have brought up their sons, yet I will make them bereaved of man, signifies although they have procured for themselves truths, nevertheless they will be without intelligence, sons denoting the truths of the church, and man intelligence; therefore to make them bereaved of man signifies that still they have no intelligence.
[5] Give them, O Jehovah, a miscarrying matrix and dry breasts, signifies that they have no longer truths from any good, but falsities from evil, a miscarrying matrix signifying falsities from evil in the place of truth from good, dry breasts have a similar signification, but matrix signifies truths from the good of love, and breasts truths from the good of charity, here falsities from evil contrary to truths. Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, signifies that there was no more any understanding of truth even from primaries, Ephraim here, as above, meaning the understanding of the truth of the church, and root its primary. They shall not bear fruit, signifies not any good, for where there are no truths good does not exist. Even when they have begotten, I will slay the desires of their belly, signifies though they have procured for themselves truths that yet they will perish, the desires of the belly signifying truths procured. It is said the belly instead of the womb, because the belly has the appearance of distention in those who are with child, but yet the term belly is used where truths are treated of, and the womb where good is treated of.
[6] In David:
"For thou art he who took me out of the womb, giving me trust from my mother's breasts; upon thee I was cast from my mother's belly, thou art my God" (Psalm 22:9, 10).
Here also the spiritual regeneration of man is described by such things as belong to natural generation from the mother; therefore Thou art He who took me out of the womb signifies to be regenerated by the Lord, and made a man of the church. Thou givest me trust from my mother's breasts, signifies to be afterwards led and spiritually educated, the mother's breasts signifying spiritual nourishment in such things as belong to the church, mother meaning the church. I was cast upon thee from the womb, signifies that the Lord has done all things from the good of love; and from my mother's belly Thou art my God, signifies that He has done all things by means of truths. For, as said above, where the subject treated of is the good of love, the term womb (uterus) is used, and where truths from that good are treated of, the term belly is used; it is therefore said, "Thou art my God," for where the good of love is treated of, the Lord is called Jehovah, and where truths are treated of, He is called God.
[7] In the Evangelists:
"Woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days" (Heaven and Hell 538, 540, 541, 546, 589-596); and the small work concerning the Last Judgment (73, 74).
[8] In Luke:
"Behold, the days shall come, in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the bellies which have not borne, and the breasts which have not given suck" (23:29).
These words have a similar signification, they are also spoken of the last time of the church; the barren, and the bellies that have not borne, signify those who have not received genuine truths, that is, truths from the good of love, and the breasts that have not given suck signify those who have not received genuine truths from the good of charity. For all truths are from good; and goods are of a twofold kind, celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord, and spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour, and breasts have a similar signification to that of milk, namely, truth from good.
[9] In the same:
"A woman lifting up her voice from the people said" concerning Jesus, "Blessed is the belly which bare thee, and the breasts which thou hast sucked; but 'Jesus' said, Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it" (11:27, 28).
Since to bear in the belly, and to give suck with the breast, signify the regeneration of man, as said above, therefore the Lord answered, Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it, which describes the regeneration effected by means of truths from the Word, and by a life according to them; to hear the Word of God signifies to learn truths from the Word, and to keep it signifies to live according to them.
[10] In John:
"Nicodemus said, How can a man be born when he is old? he cannot enter into his mother's womb a second time? Jesus answered, Verily, I say unto you, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of the heavens. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit" (3:4-6).
That Nicodemus was thinking of natural instead of spiritual generation, concerning which the Lord spoke, is evident, therefore the Lord teaches him concerning regeneration, that it is effected by means of truths from the Word, and by a life according to them, and this is signified by being born of water and of the spirit; for water, in the spiritual sense, is truth from the Word, and the spirit is life according to it. That man is born natural, and becomes spiritual by a life according to truths from the Word, is signified by "that which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit"; that the natural man, unless he becomes spiritual, cannot be saved, is meant by the words, "except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of the heavens."
[11] Since the Lord alone reforms and regenerates man, therefore in the Word He is called the Former from the womb; as in Isaiah:
"Jehovah, thy Maker and Former from the womb, helpeth thee" (44:2, 24).
In the same:
"Jehovah hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother he hath remembered my name. Thus saith Jehovah, my Former from the womb, to be his servant, to bring back Jacob unto him," and Israel shall be gathered to Him (49:1, 5).
In many passages of the Word the Lord is called Creator, Maker, and Former from the womb, and also Redeemer, for the reason that He creates man anew, reforms, regenerates, and redeems. It may be supposed that the Lord is so called because He created man and forms him in the womb, but still it is a spiritual creation and formation which is there meant. For the Word is not only natural, but also spiritual; it is natural for men, who are natural, and spiritual for angels, who are spiritual, as also is evident from this, that the things here said are said of Israel, and, in the highest sense, of the Lord. Israel means the church, thus every man of the church; and because the Lord knows what every one is as to the good of love and truth of faith, therefore it is said, "Jehovah hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother he hath remembered my name"; to call and to know the name of any one signifies to know what he is; from the womb denotes as to the good of love, and from the bowels of my mother, as to truths from that good. Jacob who shall be brought back unto Him, and Israel who shall be gathered to Him, signify the church; Jacob signifies the external church, and Israel the internal church, the latter being in the spiritual, the former in the natural man.
[12] In Jeremiah:
"Before I formed thee in the womb I knew thee, and before thou camest forth from the womb I sanctified thee; I will give thee as a prophet unto the nations" (1:5).
This is said of the prophet Jeremiah, but a prophet, in the spiritual sense, means one that teaches truth, and, in the abstract sense, doctrine of truth; therefore to form in the womb, and to know him before he came forth from the womb, signify the foreseeing that one may be in truths from good by regeneration, thus that one may be able to receive and teach the Word. To sanctify and to give as a prophet to the nations have the same meaning, the nations denoting those who are in good, and who from good receive truths.
[13] In David:
"I have been laid upon thee from the womb; thou art he that brought me forth from my mother's bowels" (Psalm 71:6).
This has a similar meaning.
In the same:
"Lo, sons are the heritage of Jehovah, the fruit of the belly a reward" (Psalm 127:3).
Here sons mean those who are in truths from good, as also elsewhere in the Word; and the fruit of the belly means those who are in good by means of truths, and these have heaven, which is a heritage and also a reward.
[14] In Isaiah:
"Can a woman forget her sucking child and not have compassion on the son of her belly? yea, though these forget, yet will not I forget thee" (49:15).
This is said, because in the spiritual sense regeneration is meant, therefore a comparison is made with a woman, and her love towards her sucking child; the case is similar with one who is regenerated by the Lord.
[15] In David:
"Jehovah hath sworn unto David in truth, Of the fruit of thy belly will I set upon thy throne" (Psalm 132:11).
David here, as also elsewhere, means the Lord as to the spiritual kingdom, which is His royalty, therefore to set the fruit of His belly upon the throne means one who is being regenerated by Him; such a man is called the fruit of His belly, because he is in truths and in a life according to them; the throne which he shall have means heaven. This is the signification of the above words in their spiritual sense, but in the highest sense the Lord and His glorification are meant.
In the same:
"Thou possessest my reins, thou hast covered me in my mother's belly" (Psalm 139:13).
[16] To possess the reins signifies to purify truths from falsities, as may be seen above (n. 167), and to cover in the mother's belly signifies to defend from the falsities of evil which are from hell, and this from the beginning of
regeneration and continually afterwards.
[17] In the same:
"The wicked are estranged from the womb, they go astray from the belly, speaking a lie" (Psalm 58:3).
This does not mean that the wicked are estranged from the womb, and that they go astray from the belly, that is, from birth, for no one from birth is estranged from God and goes astray; but to be estranged from the womb signifies that they go back from good to evil from the first day when one could be reformed, and to go astray from the belly signifies to go back in a similar manner from truths to falsities; to speak a lie also signifies to believe falsities. Such are said to go back from the first day when they could be reformed, because the Lord strives to reform all, whoever they may be, beginning from childhood and continuing through boyhood to youth; but those who do not suffer themselves to be reformed, at once turn back.
[18] In Hosea:
"The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, his sin is hidden, the pains of a travailing woman shall come upon him; he is a son not wise, because he doth not continue his time in the womb of sons" (13:12, 13).
Ephraim signifies the understanding of truth, here the understanding perverted, which is that of falsity instead of truth; it's falsity is signified by iniquity, and the evil of falsity by his sin; he is therefore called a son not wise; his not accepting reformation is signified by "the pains of a travailing woman shall come upon him"; "he doth not continue his time in the womb of sons," signifies that he doth not remain in a state of reformation.
[19] In Isaiah:
"I knew that, in dealing treacherously, thou wouldest deal treacherously, and thou wast called by the name of a transgressor from the womb" (48:8).
This is said of the house of Jacob, which signifies the church perverted; to deal treacherously, signifies to act contrary to revealed truths; and to be called by the name of a transgressor from the womb, signifies to turn back from truths from the first time when reformation might be effected; to be called by a name, signifies one's quality as to truths.
[20] In Hosea:
Jacob "supplanted his brother in the womb, and in his strength he fought powerfully with God" (Arcana Coelestia 4281). That the Israelitish and Jewish nation was not chosen, but was accepted in order to represent a church, because of the stubbornness with which their fathers and Moses persisted, may be seen in the same work (n. 4290, 4293, 7051, 7439, 10430, 10535, 10632).
[21] In Moses:
The sons strove with each other in the belly of Rebecca; and "Jehovah said, Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels, and people shall prevail over people, and the elder shall serve the younger. And the days were fulfilled to bring forth, and, lo, twins were in her womb; and the first came forth red all over, like a hairy garment, and they called his name Esau; and afterwards his brother came forth, and his hand had hold of the heel of Esau, and he called his name Jacob" (Genesis 25:20-26).
These historical statements involve what has just been said above concerning Jacob and his posterity, - that they were merely natural, and thus not in any natural good from what is spiritual, which is signified by Esau. That Jacob's posterity had not that good is signified by Jacob, as he came forth out of his mother's womb taking hold of the heel of Esau, the heel signifying the ultimate Natural. But these things are also explained in the Arcana Coelestia.
[22] In the same:
"From the God of thy father, and he will help thee, and with the Almighty (Schaddai), and he will bless thee, with the blessings of heaven from above, with the blessings of the abyss lying beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb" (6428-6434), where it is shown that the blessings of the breasts signify the affections for good and truth, and the blessings of the womb the conjunction of good and truth, thus regeneration.
[23] In the same:
"That" Jehovah "may love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee, that he may bless the fruit of thy belly, and the fruit of thy ground, thy corn, and thy new wine, thy oil, the young of thine oxen, and the rams of thy flock" (Deuteronomy 7:13).
And in another place:
"Blessed be the fruit of thy belly, and the fruit of thy ground, the young of thine oxen, and of the sheep of thy flock" (Deuteronomy 28:4).
These words were spoken to the sons of Jacob, who understood them only naturally, that is, according to the sense of the letter, because they were completely natural, and not in the least degree spiritual. But those blessings signify spiritual blessings, which pertain to heaven, and thus to eternal life - the fruit of the belly signifying the good of love and the truth of that good; the fruit of the ground, everything pertaining to the church; the corn and new wine (mustum), all good and truth in the natural man; the young of oxen, and of the sheep of the flock, their affections, exterior and interior. In general all those things signify the fructification and multiplication of truth and good.
[24] In Isaiah:
"Behold, I stir up against them the Medes, who will not esteem silver, and in gold they will not take delight, whose bows shall dash in pieces the young men, and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the belly; their eye shall not spare the sons" (13:17, 18).
The Medes mean those who make no account of the truth and good of the church, and who destroy those things of the understanding and love that are therefrom - the silver, which they will not esteem, and the gold, in which they will not take delight, signifying the truth and good of heaven and of the church, silver their truth, and gold their good. Their bows shall dash in pieces the young men, and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the belly, signifies that falsities of doctrine will destroy all the understanding of truth and all the good of love; bow signifying falsity of doctrine, young men the understanding of truth, and the fruit of the belly the good of love. Their eye shall not spare the sons, signifies that their perverted understanding and their insanity will lay waste all the truth of the church, sons denoting truths, and the eye the understanding perverted, which is insanity. It must be observed that the Medes do not mean the Medes, but those persons and things in the church that lay it waste.
[25] In Matthew:
The Pharisees said, "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? Jesus answering, said, Have ye not read, that he who made them from the beginning made them male, and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh? Therefore they are no more two but one flesh; what therefore God hath joined together, no man shall put asunder. Moses, for the hardness of your heart, suffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery, and whosoever marrieth her that is put away, committeth adultery. The disciples said, If the case of a man with his wife be so, it is not expedient to marry. But Jesus said, All do not receive this word, but those to whom it is given; for there are eunuchs who are so born from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God. He who is able to receive, let him receive" (19:3-12).
That there are interior arcana contained in these words is evident from the Lord's saying, that all do not receive these words, but those to whom it is given. Men have scarcely any understanding of the interior arcanum contained in the above words spoken by the Lord, but all the angels in heaven understand it, because they perceive the words of the Lord spiritually, and the arcana contained therein are spiritual, namely, that there are marriages in the heavens equally as on earth, but in the heavens marriages are of like with like. For man is born to act from the understanding, but woman from affection, and the understanding with men is the understanding of truth and good, and affection with women is the affection for truth and good; and as all understanding derives its life from affection, therefore the two there are conjoined just as affection which is of the will is conjoined with a correspondent thought belonging to the understanding. For the understanding is different with every one just as the truths from which the understanding is formed are different.
In general there are celestial truths, spiritual truths, moral truths, civil truths, and in fact natural truths, and of every kind of truth there are species and varieties innumerable. And in consequence of this the understanding of one person is never like the understanding of another, or the affection of one like that of another; still, in order that understanding and affection may act unitedly, they are so conjoined in heaven that the correspondent affection of the woman is conjoined with the correspondent understanding of the man. This is the reason why the life of each, from correspondence, is full of love. Now, because two different affections cannot correspond to one understanding, a man never has and never can have more than one wife in heaven.
[26] From these things what is spiritually meant by the above words of the Lord can be seen and inferred; for example by "a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh," is meant that a man will leave the evil and falsity which he has from his religion and which defile his understanding, thus that which he has from father and mother, and that his understanding, being separated from these, will be conjoined with the correspondent affection of the wife; by this means the two become one affection for truth and good. This is meant by the one flesh, in which the two will be; for flesh, in the spiritual sense, signifies the good which belongs to love or affection. Therefore, they are no more two but one flesh, signifies that thus the understanding of truth and good, and the affection for good and truth, are not two, but one, just as the understanding and the will, being indeed two, are nevertheless one; and as truth and good, and faith and charity, being two are nevertheless one; that is to say, when truth is of good, and good is of truth, also when faith is of charity, and charity is of faith; this also is the source of love conjugial.
[27] Moses for the hardness of their hearts suffered them to put away a wife for every cause, because the Israelites and Jews were natural and not spiritual, and those who are completely natural are also hard in heart, because they are not in conjugial love, but in lascivious love, such as is that of adultery. It is said that whosoever shall put away a wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery, because fornication signifies falsity, and with a woman the affection for evil and falsity, thus all affection which does not at all agree with the understanding of truth and good; and on account of that discordance, conjugial love, which is of truth and good, and thus is heaven and the church with man, entirely perishes; for when there is no interior conjunction, which is that of minds and dispositions, the marriage is dissolved. He who marries her that is put away also commits adultery, because she that is put away on account of fornication means an affection for evil and falsity, as said above, which must not be conjoined with any understanding of truth and good, for by such means the understanding is perverted, and also becomes an understanding of falsity and evil; and the conjunction of falsity and evil is spiritual adultery, as the conjunction of truth and good is spiritual marriage.
[28] The reason why the Lord afterwards spoke concerning eunuchs, was that the disciples said, "If the case of a man with his wife be so, it is not expedient to marry;" and since marriages among the Jewish nation, which was a nation hard in heart because in falsities from evil, were not marriages, but, understood in a spiritual sense, were adulteries, therefore also that nation was called by the Lord an adulterous generation. This is why the Lord spoke concerning eunuchs, who mean those who do not desire to enter into marriage, that is, to be conjoined with affection for evil, because by that means the understanding of truth and good would be perverted and dissipated. Thus eunuchs mean both the married and the unmarried, in whom the understanding of truth and good is conjoined with affection for truth and good. They are called eunuchs, because they have no lasciviousness such as those have, who, from hardness of heart, in which the Jews were, have married more than one wife, and divorced them for every cause.
[29] It must be first observed that the marriage of the understanding of truth and good with affection for truth and good has, in general, a threefold origin, and thus is in a threefold degree. In the highest degree there is the marriage of those who are called celestial, in a lower degree, of those who are spiritual, and in the lowest degree, of those who are natural; for there are three degrees of man's interiors, and thus there are three heavens; those who are in the highest heaven are called celestial, those in the lower, spiritual, and those in the lowest, natural.
The marriage of the understanding of truth and good with the affection for truth and good in the Celestial is meant by the eunuchs who are born eunuchs from their mother's womb, because, when such are being regenerated, they receive truths immediately in the life, through the love of truths; for this reason they know truths from truths themselves; and their regeneration from the Lord through love to Him is signified by being made eunuchs in the womb, thus being free from the lasciviousness of adultery.
[30] But the marriage of the understanding of truth and good with the affection for truth and good with the spiritual, is meant by eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, for these are not regenerated in the womb, that is, through love, but by means of truths first received in the memory, afterwards intelligently in the thought, and so finally in the life through a certain spiritual affection. These are said to be made eunuchs by men, because they are reformed from the memory through the understanding; and man signifies that understanding, as also above, where man and wife are mentioned. But the marriage of the understanding of truth and good with the affection for truth and good with the natural, is meant by the eunuchs who make themselves eunuchs; for the natural, by means of cognitions and knowledges (scientiae), get to themselves a natural light (lumen), and by means of the good of life according to these they acquire affection, and thus conscience. And as these know no otherwise than that they themselves do this - for the natural man does not enjoy the intelligence of the spiritual man, or the perception of the celestial man - therefore they are meant by those who make themselves eunuchs, but this is so said from appearance, and from their obscure faith. This, therefore, is the meaning of becoming eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God. And because few apprehend these things, the Lord says, He who is able to receive, let him receive. But for the illustration of this subject see what is said in Heaven and Hell concerning the two kingdoms into which the heavens are distinguished, and concerning the three heavens according to the three degrees of the interiors of man (n. 20-40), and concerning marriages in heaven (n. 366-386).
[31] It is said of John the Baptist, that he was filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother's womb; and that [the babe] leaped in the womb at the salutation of Mary (Arcana Coelestia 7643, 9372).
[32] The signification of the male that first opened the womb shall also be stated. Of this it is said in Moses:
"When Jehovah hath brought thee into the land of Canaan, thou shalt cause to pass over to Jehovah every one that shall open the womb, and every firstling that cometh of a beast, as many males as thou hast shall be Jehovah's. But every first born among thy sons thou shalt redeem. And it shall come to pass that if thy son shall ask thee in time to come, saying, What is this? thou shalt say unto him, By might of hand Jehovah brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of servants, when he slew all the first-born in the land, from the first-born of man even to the first-born of beast; therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah every one that shall open the womb, males; and all the first-born of my sons I redeem" (Exodus 13:11, 15; 34:19, 20).
That the Levites were accepted in the place of these, also in the same:
"Behold, I have accepted the Levites out of the midst of the sons of Israel, instead of all the first-born that openeth the womb among the sons of Israel, that the Levites may be mine; because every first-born is mine, in the day when I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to me all the first-born in Israel; from man even to beast they shall be mine" (Numbers 3:12, 13; 8:16, 17).
The spiritual meaning that lies concealed in this statute does not appear, until it is known that natural generations and nativities signify spiritual generations and nativities; also, that all the organs of generation correspond to celestial love and its productions, which are uses, and are called the truths of that love. Because this is the case, and because marriage in the spiritual sense signifies the marriage of good and truth, as stated above, therefore the signification, in the same sense, of him that openeth the womb, or the first-born male is evident. By him that openeth the womb, or the first-born male is signified that which is first born from celestial love, and from the perception of good and truth; and this is evidently truth from good, which serves as a beginning to what follows; this in its essence is spiritual good, for such good, in its form, is truth from good, or, what is the same, truth from good, in its essence, is spiritual good. This is signified by him that openeth the womb, the first-born male, because the womb corresponds to inmost conjugial love, which in its essence is celestial love; and from this love spiritual good is produced, which in its form is truth from good, and specifically, that truth from good which serves as a beginning to what follows. That which serves as a beginning is everything, as regards their essential, in the things which succeed, because it is that which rules in them. As this is the signification of him that openeth the womb, or the first-born male, therefore it was sanctified to Jehovah, and by it all the subsequent offspring were also sanctified.
[33] It must be understood that the goods of heaven and of the church are of three degrees; the good of the inmost degree, thus also of the inmost heaven, is called the good of celestial love; the good of the lower degree, which is also the good of the middle heaven, is called the good of spiritual love; and the good of the lowest degree, which is also the good of the ultimate heaven, is called natural good. These goods, as they follow in order, so are also born in order. The good of natural love is born from the good of spiritual love, and the good of spiritual love is born from the good of celestial love. This is the reason that by him that openeth the womb, the first-born male, is signified the good of spiritual love born from the good of celestial love.
[34] Since beasts signify affections, beasts of the herd exterior affections, and beasts of the flock interior affections, therefore also the first-born of these were sanctified. That this is the case is also evident from this, that the Levites were received in the place of all the first-born. For Levi - and thus the Levite - signifies spiritual good from celestial good; consequently the priesthood, which signifies celestial good, was given to Aaron and his sons, and the ministry of that good, which signifies truth from good, was given to the Levites. That this was the signification of the tribe of Levi, may be seen above (n. Genesis 20:17, 18), may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia, where the passage is explained.
710. Verse 2. And being with child, signifies nascent doctrine from the good of celestial love. This is evident from the signification of "being with child" [or having in the womb] as being, in reference to the church, which the woman signifies, the nascent doctrine of truth from the good of celestial love. For the "womb" signifies inmost conjugial love, and thence celestial love in the whole complex; and the embryo in the womb signifies the truth of doctrine from the good of celestial love, for it has a similar signification as "the son a male" which the woman brought forth, described in the fifth verse, which signifies the doctrine of truth from the good of love, but with the difference that the embryo, being yet in the womb, partakes more from the good of innocence than after it is born, therefore the embryo and the son a male both signify the doctrine of truth, the latter doctrine itself, but the former nascent doctrine. From this it is clear that "being with child" signifies the nascent doctrine of truth from the good of celestial love.
[2] The "womb" signifies the inmost good of love, because all the members devoted to generation, both with males and with females, signify conjugial love, and "the womb" its inmost, because there the fetus is conceived and grows, until it is born; moreover, it is the inmost of the genital organs, and from it is also derived the maternal love that is called "storge." Because the man who is regenerating is also conceived, and as it were carried in the womb and born, and because regeneration is effected by truths from the good of love, so "to bear in the womb" signifies in the spiritual sense the doctrine of truth from the good of love. There is also a correspondence of the womb with the inmost good of love, since the whole heaven corresponds to all things with man (of which correspondence see in the work on Heaven and Hell 87-102); and thus also the members devoted to generation; these correspond there to celestial love. There is also an influx of that love out of heaven with mothers during the time of gestation, and into the embryos; and from it springs the love of the babe with mothers, and innocence with babes. This shows why the "womb" signifies the inmost good of love, and "to bear in the womb" signifies the nascent doctrine of truth from the good of love.
[3] That this is the signification of the "womb," and of "bearing in the womb," can be seen from the following passages in the Word. In Isaiah:
Hearken unto Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel carried from the womb, borne from the matrix; even unto old age I am the same, and even to hoariness I will carry; I have made, I will carry, and I will bear and will deliver (Isaiah 46:3, 4).
This is said of the reformation of the church, and of the regeneration of the men of the church by the Lord. The church is signified by "the house of Jacob" and "the house of Israel," the external church by "the house of Jacob," and the internal by "the house of Israel." "Those carried from the womb" signify those who are being regenerated by the Lord, and "those borne from the matrix" signify those who are regenerated. Because the man who is being regenerated is first conceived by the Lord, and next is born, and lastly is educated and perfected, and because regeneration is in this respect like the natural generation of man, so "to be carried from the womb" signifies the state of the man who is to be regenerated from conception to birth; the birth itself and afterwards education and perfection, is signified by "to be borne from the matrix; even unto old age I am the same, and even to hoariness I will carry;" "I have made, I will carry, and I will bear and will deliver," have like significations; the former meaning regeneration by the goods of love and charity, and the latter regeneration by the truths from those goods; "to deliver" means to take away and remove evils and falsities that are from hell.
[4] In Hosea:
Ephraim, as a bird shall his glory fly away, from the birth and from the belly and from conception; yea, if they have brought up their sons, yet I will make them bereaved of man. Give to them, O Jehovah, a miscarrying matrix and dry breasts. Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall yield no fruit, even when they have borne I will kill the desires of their belly (Hosea 9:11, 12, 14, 16).
"Ephraim" means the church in respect to the understanding of truth and good; that there will be no longer any understanding of Divine truth in the church is signified by "Ephraim, as a bird shall his glory fly away," "glory" signifying Divine truth, and "to fly away" signifying to be scattered; the expression "to fly away" is used because it is said of a bird, and a bird is mentioned because it signifies things belonging to the understanding and to thought therefrom; "from the birth and from the belly and from conception" signifies the dispersion of all truth from things last to things first, "birth" signifying things last, because it signifies what has been born; "from the belly and from conception" signifies what is before birth, thus all things from things last to things first, for when last things perish things prior also successively fall away; "if they have brought up their sons, yet I will make them bereaved of man," signifies that although they have acquired for themselves truths, yet they will be without intelligence, "sons" signifying the truths of the church, and "man" intelligence, therefore "to make them bereaved of man" signifies that still they have no intelligence.
[5] "Give them, O Jehovah, a miscarrying matrix and dry breasts," signifies that they have no longer truths from any good, but falsities from evil; "a miscarrying matrix" signifying falsities from evil in the place of truth from good, "dry breasts" have a like meaning, but "matrix" signifies truths from the good of love, and "breasts" truths from the good of charity, here falsities from evil contrary to those truths; "Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up," signifies there is no longer any understanding of truth even from things first, Ephraim here as above meaning the understanding of the truth of the church, and "root" its first; "they shall yield no fruit" signifies no good, for where there are no truths there is no good; "even when they have borne, I will kill the desires of their belly," signifies that although they have acquired for themselves truths, they will nevertheless perish, "desires of the belly" signifying truths acquired; it is said the "belly" instead of the womb, because the belly seems to swell in childbearing, and yet the term "belly" is used where truths are treated of, and "womb" where good is treated of.
[6] In David:
For thou art He that took me out of the womb, giving me trust from my mother's breasts; I was cast upon Thee; Thou art my God from my mother's belly (Psalms 22:9, 10).
This, too, describes the regeneration of the spiritual man by such things as belong to natural generation from the mother; therefore "Thou art He that took me out of the womb" signifies that one is regenerated by the Lord and made a man of the church; "Thou dost give me trust from my mother's breasts" signifies that one is afterwards led and spiritually educated, "the mother's breasts" signifying spiritual nourishment in such things as belong to the church, "mother" meaning the church; "I was cast upon thee from the womb" signifies that the Lord has done all things from the good of love, and "Thou art my God from my mother's belly" signifies that He has done all things by means of truths, for, as has been said above, where the good of love is treated of the term "womb" is used, and where truths from that good are treated of the term "belly" is used; therefore it is said, "Thou art my God," for where the good of love is treated of the Lord is called "Jehovah," and where truths are treated of He is called "God."
[7] In the Gospels:
Woe to them that bear in the womb, and to them that give suck in those days (Heaven and Hell 538, 540, 541, 546, 589-596; and in the small work on The Last Judgment 73, 74.)
[8] In Luke:
Behold, the days shall come in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren and the bellies that have not borne, and the breasts that have not given suck (Luke 23:29).
This has a like signification, for it is said of the last time of the church; and "the barren," and "the bellies that have not borne," signify those who have not received genuine truths, that is, truths from the good of love, and "the breasts that have not given suck" signify those who have not received genuine truths from the good of charity. For all truths are from good; and goods are of two kinds, celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord, and spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbor; "breasts" have a similar signification as "milk," namely, truth from good.
[9] In the same:
A woman lifting up her voice out of the throng said of Jesus, Blessed is the belly that bare Thee, and the breasts that Thou hath sucked; but Jesus said, Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it (Luke 11:27, 28).
Because "to bear in the belly" and "to give suck with the breasts" signify the regeneration of man, as has been said above, the Lord answered, "Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it," which describes the regeneration that is effected by truths from the Word and a life according to them; "to hear the Word of God" signifies to learn truths from the Word, and "to keep it" signifies to live according to those truths.
[10] In John:
Nicodemus said, How can a man be born when he is old? he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except one be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of the heavens. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit (John 3:4-6).
Nicodemus evidently understood natural generation instead of the spiritual generation, of which the Lord spoke, therefore the Lord teaches him concerning regeneration, which is effected by truths from the Word, and by a life according to them, and this is signified by "being born of water and of the spirit," for "water" means in the spiritual sense the truth from the Word, and "the life is spirit" 1according to it. That man is born natural and becomes spiritual by a life according to truths from the Word, is signified by "that which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit;" that the natural man cannot be saved unless he becomes spiritual is meant by "except one be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of the heavens."
[11] Because it is the Lord alone who reforms and regenerates man, He is called in the Word "the Former from the womb," as in Isaiah:
Jehovah, thy Maker and thy Former from the womb, helpeth thee (Isaiah 44:2, 24).
In the same:
Jehovah hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother doth He make mention of my name. Thus said Jehovah, my Former from the womb, to be His servant, to bring back Jacob to Him, and that Israel be gathered to Him (Isaiah 49:1, 5).
In many passages in the Word the Lord is called "Creator," "Maker," and "Former from the womb," and also "Redeemer;" for the reason that He creates man anew, reforms, regenerates, and has redeemed him. It may be believed that the Lord is so called because He created man and forms him in the womb, but yet it is the spiritual creation and formation that is here meant; for the Word is both natural and spiritual; it is natural for men, who are natural, and spiritual for angels, who are spiritual, as can also be seen from this, that what is here said is said of Israel, and in the highest sense of the Lord. "Israel" means the church, thus every man of the church; and because the Lord knows what the nature of every man is in respect to the good of love and the truth of faith it is said, "Jehovah hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother doth He make mention of my name;" 2"to call and to know the name" of anyone signifies to know of what nature he is; "from the womb" means to know this in respect to the good of love; and "from the bowels of my mother" in respect to the truths from that good; "Jacob" who shall be brought again to Him, and "Israel" who shall be gathered to Him, signify the church, "Jacob" the external church, and "Israel" the internal church; the internal church is in the spiritual man, the external in the natural.
[12] In Jeremiah:
Before I formed thee in the womb I knew thee, and before thou camest forth from the womb I sanctified thee; I will give thee as a prophet unto the nations (Jeremiah 1:5).
This is said of the prophet Jeremiah, but yet "prophet" means in the spiritual sense one who teaches truth, and in the abstract sense the doctrine of truth; therefore "to form in the womb," and "to know before he came forth from the womb," signify a foreseeing that one can be in truths from good by regeneration, thus that one can receive and teach the Word. "To sanctify" and "to give as a prophet to the nations" have the same meaning; "nations" are those who are in good, and who from good receive truths.
[13] In David:
Upon Thee have I been laid from the womb. Thou art He that took me out of my mother's bowels (Psalms 71:6).
This has a like meaning. In the same:
Lo, sons are the heritage of Jehovah, the fruit of the belly is his reward (Psalms 127:3).
Here, as elsewhere in the Word, "sons" mean those who are in truths from good, and "fruit of the belly" means those who are in good by truths, who have heaven, which is a "heritage" and also a "reward."
[14] In Isaiah:
Can a woman forget her infant, that she may not have compassion on the son of her belly? Yea, though these may forget, yet will not I forget thee (Isaiah 49:15).
This is said because in the spiritual sense regeneration is meant, and this is why there is a comparison made with a woman and her love for her infant; the like is true of one who is regenerated by the Lord.
[15] In David:
Jehovah hath sworn truth unto David, Of the fruit of thy belly will I set upon thy throne (Psalms 132:11).
By "David," here as elsewhere, the Lord in relation to the spiritual kingdom, which is his royalty, is meant, therefore "to set of the fruit of his belly upon his throne" means one who is being regenerated by the Lord; such a man is called "the fruit of his belly" because he is in truths and in a life according to them; the "throne" which he shall have means heaven. This is what is signified by these words in the spiritual sense, but in the highest sense the Lord and His glorification are meant.
[16] In the same:
Thou dost possess my reins, Thou hast covered me in my mother's belly (167); and "to cover in the mother's belly" signifies to defend from the falsities of evil which are from hell, and this from the beginning of regeneration and afterwards continually.
[17] In the same:
The wicked are estranged from the womb, they go astray from the belly, speaking falsehood (Psalms 58:3).
This does not mean that the wicked are estranged from the womb, and go astray from the belly, that is, from birth; for no one is estranged from God and goes astray from birth; but "to be estranged from the womb" signifies to turn away from good to evil from the first day when one could be reformed, and "to go astray from the belly" signifies to turn away in like manner from truths to falsities; and "to speak falsehood" signifies to believe falsities. Such are said to turn away from the first day when they could be reformed, because the Lord strives to reform all, whoever they may be, beginning from childhood and continuing through adolescence to youth, but those who do not suffer themselves to be reformed are said to turn away at once.
[18] In Hosea:
The iniquity of Ephraim is tied together, his sin is hidden away, the throes of a woman in travail shall come upon him; he is a son not wise, for he doth not stay his time in the womb of sons (Hosea 13:12, 13).
"Ephraim" signifies the understanding of truth, here the understanding perverted, which is the understanding of falsity instead of truth; its falsity is signified by "iniquity," and the evil of falsity by "his sin;" therefore he is called "a son not wise;" his not accepting reformation is signified by "the throes of a woman in travail shall come upon him," and by "he doth not stay his time in the womb of sons," this signifying that he does not remain in a state of reformation.
[19] In Isaiah:
I knew that in dealing treacherously thou wouldst deal treacherously, and the name of a transgressor was given thee from the womb (Isaiah 48:8).
This is said of "the house of Jacob," which means the perverted church; "to deal treacherously" signifies to act contrary to revealed truths; and "to have the name of a transgressor given from the womb" signifies a turning away from truths from the first time when one might be reformed; "to be called by name" signifies of what quality one is in respect to truths.
[20] In Hosea:
Jacob supplanted his brother in the womb, and in his vigor he struggled powerfully with God (Arcana Coelestia 4281, where it is explained. That the Israelitish and Jewish nation was not chosen, but was accepted to represent a church, because of the tenacity with which their fathers and Moses persisted, see n. 4290, 4293, 7051, 7439, 10430, 10535, 10632)
[21] In Moses:
The sons strove with each other in the belly of Rebecca; and Jehovah said, Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels, and the one people shall prevail over the other people, and the greater shall serve the less. And the days for bringing forth were fulfilled, and behold twins were in her womb; and the first came forth red all over like a hairy garment, and they called his name Esau. And afterwards his brother came forth, and his hand had seized Esau's heel, and he called his name Jacob (Genesis 25:20-26).
These historical statements involve what has just been said about Jacob and his posterity, namely, that they were merely natural, and thus were in no natural good from spiritual, which is signified by "Esau." That Jacob's posterity was without that good is signified by Jacob's seizing Esau's heel when he came forth out of his mother's womb, the "heel" signifying the lowest natural. (But this, too, is explained in Arcana Coelestia.)
[22] In the same:
From the God of thy father and He shall help thee, and with Shaddai and He shall bless thee, with the blessings of heaven from above, with the blessings of the abyss lying beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb (Arcana Coelestia 6428-6434), where it is shown that "the blessings of the breasts" signify the affections of good and truth, and "the blessings of the womb" the conjunction of good and truth, thus regeneration.
[23] In the same:
That Jehovah may love thee and bless thee and multiply thee, that He may bless the fruit of thy belly and the fruit of thy land, thy corn and thy new wine, thine oil, the young of thy kine and the rams of thy flock (Deuteronomy 7:13).
And elsewhere:
Blessed shall be the fruit of thy belly and the fruit of thy land, the young of thy kine and of the herd of thy flock (Deuteronomy 28:4)
This was said to the sons of Jacob, who understood it only in a natural way, that is, according to the sense of the letter, because they were merely natural, and not in the least spiritual; but these "blessings" signify spiritual blessings, which are of heaven, and thence of eternal life, "the fruit of the belly" signifying the good of love and the truth of that good; "the fruit of the land" everything of the church; "the corn and new wine" all good and truth in the natural man; "the young of kine and of the herd of the flock" the affections of good and truth exterior and interior. In general all this signifies the fructification and multiplication of truth and good.
[24] In Isaiah:
Behold, I stir up against them the Mede, who will not esteem silver, and in gold they will not delight; whose bows will dash in pieces the young men, and they will have no compassion on the fruit of the belly; their eye shall not spare the sons (Isaiah 13:17, 18).
The "Mede" means those who make no account of the truth and good of the church, and who destroy the things of the understanding and love that are therefrom; the "silver" that they will not esteem, and the "gold" they will not delight in signify the truth and good of heaven and of the church, "silver" the truth and "gold" the good of these; "their bows will dash in pieces the young men, and they will have no compassion on the fruit of the belly," signifies that the falsities of doctrine will destroy all the understanding of truth and all the good of love; "the bow" meaning the falsity of doctrine, "the young men" the understanding of truth, and "the fruit of the belly" the good of love; "their eye shall not spare the sons" signifies that their perverted understanding and insanity will lay waste every truth of the church, "sons" meaning truths, and the "eye" the perverted understanding, which is insanity. It is to be known that the "Mede," does not mean the Mede, but such persons and things in the church as devastate it.
[25] In Matthew:
The Pharisees said, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? Jesus, answering, said, Have ye not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they twain shall become one flesh? Therefore they are no more twain but one flesh. What, therefore, God hath joined together let not man put asunder. Moses for the hardness of your heart suffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery; and whosoever marrieth her that is put away committeth adultery. The disciples said, If the case of the man is so with his wife, it is not expedient to contract matrimony. But Jesus said, All do not receive this word, but they to whom it is given; for there are eunuchs who were so born from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God. He that is able to receive let him receive (Matthew 19:3-12).
That this contains interior arcana can be seen from the Lord's saying that "all do not receive these words, but they to whom it is given." The interior arcanum contained in these words spoken by the Lord is but little apprehended by men, but it is apprehended by all angels in heaven, because they perceive these words of the Lord spiritually, and the arcana contained in them are spiritual. These arcana are, that there are marriages in the heavens even as on earth, but in the heavens the marriages are of like with like; for man is born to act from the understanding, but woman from affection, and the understanding with men is the understanding of truth and good, and the affection with women is the affection of truth and good; and as all understanding derives its life from affection, therefore the two there are joined together, as the affection which belongs to the will is joined with the correspondent thought which belongs to the understanding. For the understanding is different with everyone, as the truths that constitute the understanding are different. In general there are celestial truths, spiritual truths, moral truths, civil truths, and even natural truths; and of every kind of truth there are species and varieties innumerable; and since in consequence of this the understanding of one is never like the understanding of another, nor the affection of one like that of another, yet, in order that the understanding and affection may act as one, they are so joined together in heaven that the correspondent affection, which belongs to the woman, is conjoined with the correspondent understanding which belongs to the man; and as a result, both by correspondence have a life that is full of love. Now because two different affections cannot correspond to one understanding, therefore in heaven one man never has and never can have several wives.
[26] From this it can be seen and concluded what these words of the Lord also mean spiritually, as what is meant by "a man shall leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh," namely, that man must leave that evil and falsity that he has from his religion, and that defiles his understanding, that is, that he has from father and mother, and his understanding separated from such evil and falsity must be conjoined with the correspondent affection which belongs to the wife, thus the two become one affection of truth and good; this is meant by "one flesh" which the two must become, "flesh" signifying in the spiritual sense good which is of love or affection. "Therefore they are no more twain but one flesh" signifies that thus the understanding of good and truth and the affection of good and truth are not two but one, in like manner as while will and understanding are two they are nevertheless one; and the like is true of truth and good and of faith and charity, which indeed are two but yet one, that is, when truth is of good and good is of truth, so also when faith is of charity and charity is of faith; and this also is the source of conjugial love.
[27] "Moses for the hardness of their heart suffered them to put away a wife for every cause," because the Israelites and Jews were natural and not spiritual, and those who are purely natural are also hard in heart, since they are not in any conjugial love but in lascivious love, such as is the love of adultery. It is said that "whosoever shall put away a wife except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery," because fornication signifies falsity, and with a woman the affection of evil and falsity, thus an affection that does not at all agree with the understanding of truth and good; and since by such discordance conjugial love, which is of truth and good, and thence is heaven and the church with man, is entirely destroyed, for when the interior conjunction which is of the minds and dispositions is no more, marriage is dissolved. "Whosoever marrieth her that is put away committeth adultery," because one put away on account of fornication means the affection of evil and falsity, as above, and this must not be joined with any understanding of truth and good, for thereby the understanding is perverted, and becomes an understanding of falsity and evil, and the conjunction of falsity and evil is spiritual adultery, as the conjunction of truth and good is spiritual marriage.
[28] The Lord afterwards spoke of eunuchs because the disciples said, "If the case of the man is so with the wife, it is not expedient to contract matrimony;" also because with the Jewish nation, which was a nation hard in heart because they were in falsities from evil, marriages were not marriages, but understood in the spiritual sense were adulteries, and therefore that nation was called by the Lord "an adulterous generation." This was why the Lord spoke of eunuchs, "eunuchs" meaning those who have no desire to enter into marriage, that is, to be conjoined with the affection of evil, because the understanding of truth and good would thus be perverted and dissipated; thus "eunuchs" mean both the married and the unmarried in whom the understanding of truth and good is conjoined with the affection of truth and good. Such are called "eunuchs" because they have no lasciviousness, such as those have who, from the hardness of heart in which the Jews were, take several wives, and divorce them for every cause.
[29] It is to be known, in the first place, that the marriage of the understanding of truth and good with the affection of truth and good has in general a threefold origin, and thus is in a threefold degree. In the highest degree is the marriage of those who are called celestial, in a lower degree the marriage between those who are spiritual, and in the lowest degree between those who are natural; for there are three degrees of man's interiors, and thence there are three heavens; those in the highest heaven are called celestial, those in the lower, spiritual, and those in the lowest natural. The marriage of the understanding of truth and good with the affection of truth and good with the celestial is meant by "the eunuchs who are born eunuchs from the mother's womb," because these when they are becoming regenerate, receive truths immediately in the life through love of truths, consequently they know truths from truths themselves; the regeneration of these by the Lord through love to Him is signified by "being made eunuchs in the womb," thus without the lasciviousness of adultery.
[30] The marriage of the understanding of truth and good with the affection of truth and good of those who are spiritual is meant by "the eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men," for such do not become regenerate in the womb, that is, through love, but through truths first received in the memory, and afterwards intellectually in the thought, and so finally in the life through a certain spiritual affection; these are said "to be made eunuchs by men" because they are reformed through the understanding from the memory, and "man" signifies that understanding, as also above, where "man and wife" are mentioned. But the marriage of truth and good with the affection of truth and good with those who are natural is meant by "eunuchs who make themselves eunuchs," for those who are natural acquire for themselves by means of cognitions and knowledges a natural lumen, and through the good of life according to these knowledges they acquire affection and thence conscience; and as these know no otherwise than that they themselves do this, for the natural man does not enjoy the intelligence of the spiritual man, nor does he enjoy the perception of the celestial man, so these are meant by those who "make themselves eunuchs;" but this is said from the appearance, and from the obscure faith with them. This, therefore, is the meaning of "becoming eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God." And as there are but few who apprehend these things the Lord says, "He that is able to receive let him receive." (But in illustration of this subject see what is said in the work on Heaven and Hell, under the heads, The Two Kingdoms into Which the Heavens are Divided, and The Three Heavens According to the Three Degrees of Man's Interiors, n 20-40, and Marriages in Heaven, n 366-386)
[31] It is said of John the Baptist:
That he was filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother's womb; and that the babe leaped in the womb at the salutation of Mary (Arcana Coelestia 7643, 9372.)
[32] What is signified by "the male that first opened the womb" shall also be told. Of this it is said in Moses:
When Jehovah shall have brought thee into the land of Canaan, thou shalt cause to pass over to Jehovah everyone that shall open the womb, and every firstling that cometh of beast, as many males as thou hast shall be Jehovah's. But every firstborn among thy sons thou shalt redeem. And it shall be that if thy son shall ask thee on the morrow, saying, What is this? thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand Jehovah brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of servants, when he slew all the firstborn in the land, from the firstborn of men even to the firstborn of beast; therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah everyone that openeth the womb, the males; but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem (Exodus 13:11-15; 34:19, 20).
That the Levites were accepted in place of these, see in the same:
Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the womb among the sons of Israel, that the Levites may be Mine, for every firstborn is Mine, in the day when I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me all the firstborn in Israel, from man even to beast they shall be Mine (Numbers 3:12, 13; 8:16, 17).
The spiritual meaning that lies concealed in this statute does not appear until it is known that natural generations and nativities signify spiritual generations and nativities; also that all the organs of generation correspond to celestial love and its products, which are uses, and are called the truths of that love. Because this is so, and because marriage signifies in the spiritual sense the marriage of truth and good, as has been said above, it can be seen thence what is signified in the same sense by "the one that openeth the womb, or the firstborn male." "The one that openeth the womb or the firstborn male" signifies that which is firstborn from celestial love and from the perception of good and truth; and this evidently is truth from good, which serves as a beginning to what follows; in its essence this is spiritual good, since that good in its form is truth from good, or, what is the same, truth from good in its essence is spiritual good. This is signified by "the one that openeth the womb, the firstborn male," because "the womb" corresponds to inmost conjugial love, which in its essence is celestial love, and from that love spiritual good comes forth, which in its form is truth from good, and in particular, that truth from good which is in place of a beginning to what follows; that which is in the place of a beginning is everything as regards their essential in the things that succeed, because that is what rules in them. As this is what is signified by "the one that openeth the womb (or the firstborn male)" therefore this was made holy to Jehovah, and by it also all the subsequent offspring were sanctified.
[33] It is to be known that the goods of heaven and the church are of three degrees; the good of the inmost degree, thus also of the inmost heaven, is called the good of celestial love; the good of the lower degree, which is also the good of the middle heaven, is called the good of spiritual love; and the good of the lowest degree, which is the good of the lowest heaven, is called natural good. These goods, as they follow in order, are also born in order. The good of natural love is born from the good of spiritual love, and the good of spiritual love is born from the good of celestial love; and for this reason "the one that openeth the womb, the firstborn male," signifies the good of spiritual love born from the good of celestial love.
[34] Because "beasts" signify affections, "beasts of the herd" exterior affections, and "beasts of the flock" interior affections, so the firstborn of these were made holy. That this is so is also evident from this, that the Levites were taken in place of all the firstborn; for "Levi" (and thence the Levite) signifies spiritual good from celestial good; consequently the priesthood, which signifies celestial good, was given to Aaron and his sons, and the ministry of that good which signifies truth from good, was given to the Levites. (That this was the signification of the tribe of Levi see above, n. Genesis 20:17, 18),
may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia, where it is explained.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin has "life is spirit," for "spirit is a life," etc.
2. The Latin has "man" for "name."
710. [Vers. 2.] "Et in utero habens." - Quod significet nascentem doctrinam ex bono amoris caelestis, constat ex significatione "in utero habere", cum de ecclesia, quae significatur per "mulierem", quod sit nascens doctrina veri ex bono amoris caelestis; per "uterum" enim significatur amor conjugialis intimus, et inde amor caelestis in omni complexu; et per "embryonem qui in utero", verum doctrinae ex bono amoris caelestis, per illum enim simile significatur quod per "filium masculum" quem peperit, de quo in versu quinto sequenti, per quem doctrina veri ex bono amoris significatur, cum differentia quod embryo, quia adhuc in utero, plus trahat a bono innocentiae quam postquam natus est; inde per illum aeque significatur doctrina veri ac per "filium", sed per hunc significatur ipsa doctrina, per illum autem nascens doctrina: ex his patet quod per "in utero habere" significetur nascens doctrina veri ex bono amoris caelestis.
[2] Quod "uterus" significet bonum amoris intimum, est quia omnia membra generationi dicata, tam apud mares quam apud feminas, significent amorem conjugialem, ac "uterus ejus intimum, quia ibi fetus concipitur, et incrementa capit, usque dum nascitur; est etiam intimum membrorum genitalium; ex eo etiam derivatur amor maternus, qui vocatur storge. Quoniam homo qui regeneratur etiam concipitur, et quasi in utero gestatur, et nascitur, et quoniam regeneratio fit per vera ex bono amoris, inde per "in utero gestare" in spirituali sensu significatur doctrina veri ex bono amoris; est etiam correspondentia uteri cum bono amoris intimo; universum enim caelum correspondet omnibus apud hominem (de qua correspondentia videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 87-102); ita quoque membra generationi dicata; haec ibi correspondent amori caelesti: hic amor e caelo etiam influit apud matres quae in utero gestant, et quoque embryones; inde apud matres existit amor infantis, et apud infantes innocentia. Ex his constare potest unde est quod "uterus" significet bonum amoris intimum, et quod "gestare in utero" significet doctrinam veri nascentem ex bono amoris.
[3] Quod talia per "uterum", et per "gestare in utero" significentur, constare potest ex sequentibus locis in Verbo:
- Apud Esaiam,
"Attendite ad Me, domus Jacobi, et omnes reliquiae domus Israelis, portati ab utero, lati a vulva; usque ad senectutem Ego idem, et usque ad canitiem Ego portabo: Ego feci, Ego portabo, et Ego feram atque eripiam" (46:3, 4):
haec de reformatione ecclesiae, et de regeneratione hominum ibi a Domino: ecclesia significatur per "domum Jacobi" et per "domum Israelis", externa per "domum Jacobi" et interna per "domum Israelis", per "portatos ab utero" significantur qui a Domino regenerantur, et per "latos a vulva" significantur regenerati: quia homo qui regeneratur primum a Domino concipitur, et postea nascitur, et demum educatur et perficitur, et quia regeneratio similis est in eo generationi naturali hominis, ideo per "portari ab utero" significatur status hominis regenerandi a conceptione ad nativitatem; ipsa nativitas, et postea educatio et perfectio, significatur per "ferri a vulva; usque ad senectutem Ego idem, et usque ad canitiem Ego portabo": similia significantur per "Ego feci, Ego portabo, et Ego feram atque eripiam"; sed per priora intelligitur regeneratio per bona amoris et charitatis, et per posteriora intelligitur regeneratio per vera ex illis bonis; per "eripere" intelligitur auferre et removere mala et falsa quae ab inferno.
[4] Apud Hoscheam,
"Ephraim sicut avis avolabit gloria ejus, a partu, et a Ventre, et a conceptione: immo si educaverint filios suos, tum orbos faciam eos ab homine. .... Da illis, Jehovah, vulvam abortientem, et ubera arentia. .... Percussus est Ephraim, radix eorum exaruit; fructum non facient, etiam cum generaverint, occidam desideria ventris eorum" (9:11, 12, 14, 16):
per "Ephraim" intelligitur ecclesia quoad intellectum veri et boni; quod non amplius aliquis intellectus Divini Veri in ecclesia futurus sit, significatur per quod "Ephraim sicut avis avolabit gloria ejus"; per "gloriam" significatur Divinum Verum, per "avolare" significatur dissipari; dicitur "avolare" quia dicitur "avis", et "avis" quia per "avem" significantur talia quae intellectus et inde cogitationis sunt: "a partu, et a ventre et a conceptione", significat dissipationem omnis veri ab ultimis ejus ad prima; "partus" significat ultima ejus, quia id quod natum est; "a ventre et a conceptione" significat quod ante nativitatem; ita omnia ab ultimis ad prima, nam cum ultima pereunt etiam priora successive dilabuntur: "si educaverint filios suos, tum orbos faciam eos ab homine", significat tametsi comparaverint sibi vera, usque tamen futuri absque intelligentia; per "filios" significantur vera ecclesiae, per "hominem" significatur intelligentia; inde per "orbos facere ab homine" significatur quod usque non intelligentia:
[5] "Da illis, Jehovah, vulvam abortientem et ubera arentia", significat quod illis non amplius vera ex aliquo bono, sed falsa ex malo; "vulva abortiens" significat falsa ex malo loco veri ex bono; similiter "ubera arentia", sed "vulva" significat vera ex bono amoris, et "ubera" vera ex bono charitatis, hic falsa ex malo illis contraria: "Percussus est Ephraim, radix eorum exaruit", significat quod non amplius aliquis intellectus veri usque a primis; "Ephraim" hic ut supra est intellectus veri eccleSiae, et "radix" est primum ejus: "fructum non facient" significat non aliquod bonum, nam ubi non vera ibi non bonum: "etiam cum generaverint, occidam desideria ventris eorum", significat si vera sibi comparaverint quod usque peritura sint; "desideria ventris" significant vera comparata; "venter" pro utero dicitur ex apparentia tumescentiae ventris apud gravidas, sed usque "venter" dicitur ubi agitur de veris, ac "uterus" ubi de bono.
[6] Apud Davidem,
"Quoniam Tu eductor meus ex utero, fiduciam mihi faciens ex uberibus matris meae; super Te projectus sum [ab utero,] a ventre matris meae Deus meus Tu" (Psalms 22:10, 11 [B.A. 9, 10]):
etiam hic describitur regeneratio spiritualis hominis per talia quae sunt generationis naturalis ex matre; inde per "Tu eductor meus ab utero" significatur quod a Domino regeneratus sit et factus homo ecclesiae: per "fiduciam mihi facis ex uberibus matris meae" significatur quod ductus sit postea, et spiritualiter educatus; "ubera matris" significant nutritionem spiritualem in talibus quae ecclesiae sunt ("mater" est ecclesia): per "super Te projectus sum ad utero", significatur quod Dominus operatus sit omnia ex bono amoris; et per "a ventre matris meae Deus meus Tu" significatur quod operatus sit omnia per vera; nam, ut supra dictum est, "uterus" dicitur ubi agitur de bono amoris, ac "venter" ubi de veris ex illo bono; inde dicitur "Deus meus Tu", nam ubi agitur de bono amoris, vocatur Dominus "Jehovah", et ubi de veris, vocatur "Deus."
[7] Apud Evangelistas,
"Vae in utero gerentibus et lactantibus in diebus illis" (Matthaeus 24:19; Marcus 13:17; Luca 21:23):
agitur in illis capitibus de consummatione saeculi, per quam intelligitur finis ecclesiae, quando ultimum judicium: inde per "gerentes in utero" et per "lactantes diebus illis", super quibus lamentatio, intelliguntur illi qui tunc recipiunt bona amoris, et vera illius boni; "gerentes [in] utero" sunt qui recipiunt bonum amoris, et "lactantes" sunt qui recipiunt vera illius boni, nam "lac" quod lactatur significat verum ex bono amoris; quod dicatur "Vae illis", est quia non possunt custodire bona et vera illi qui recipiunt, praevalet enim tunc infernum, et aufert illa, unde profanatio; quod tunc praevaleat infernum, est quia in fine ecclesiae falsa mali regnant, et auferunt vera boni; homo enim tenetur in medio inter caelum et infernum, et ante ultimum judicium praevalet id quod ex inferno exsurgit super id quod e caelo descendit. (De qua re videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 538, 540, 541, 546, 589-596; et in opusculo De Ultimo Judicio 73, 74.)
[8] Apud Lucam,
"Ecce venient dies in quibus dicent, 1
Beatae steriles, et ventres qui non genuerunt, et ubera quae non lactarunt" (23:29):
haec similia significant, quia etiam de ultimo tempore ecclesiae dicta sunt; ac per "steriles" et per "ventres qui non genuerunt" significantur qui non genuina vera, hoc est, vera ex bono amoris, receperunt; et per "ubera quae non lactarunt" significantur qui non genuina vera ex bono charitatis: omnia enim vera sunt ex bono; ac bona sunt duplicis generis, bonum caeleste, quod est bonum amoris in Dominum, ac bonum spirituale quod est bonum charitatis erga proximum; simile per "ubera" significatur quod per "lac", nempe verum ex bono.
[9] Apud eundem,
"Mulier tollens vocem ex populo, dixit" de Jesu, "Beatus venter qui gestavit Te, et ubera quae lactasti: at" Jesus "dixit, Verum tamen beati qui audiunt Verbum Dei, et custodiunt illud" (11:27, 28):
quoniam "ventre gestare" et "ubera lactare" significant regenerationem hominis, ut supra dictum est, ideo respondit Dominus, "Beati qui audiunt Verbum Dei et custodiunt illud"; per quae describitur regeneratio quae fit per vera ex Verbo, et per vitam secundum illa; per "audire Verbum Dei" significatur discere vera ex Verbo, et per "custodire illud" significatur vivere secundum illa.
[10] Apud Johannem,
"Dixit... Nicodemus, Quomodo potest homo generari cum senex est? 2
Non potest in uterum matris suae secundum ingredi. Respondit Jesus, Amen. . dico tibi, nisi quis generatus fuerit ex aqua et spiritu, non potest ingredi in regnum" caelorum; "quod natum est ex carne caro est, sed quod generatum est a spiritu spiritus est" (3:4-6):
quod Nicodemus pro generatione spirituali, de qua Dominus locutus est, intellexerit generationem naturalem, patet; quare Dominus docet illum de regeneratione, quod illa fiat per vera ex Verbo et per vitam secundum illa, quod significatur per "generari aqua et spiritu"; "aqua" enim in spirituali sensu est verum ex Verbo, et " 3
spiritus" est vita secundum illa: quod homo nascatur naturalis, et fiat spiritualis per vitam secundum vera ex Verbo, significatur per "quod natum est ex carne caro est, sed quod generatum est a spiritu spiritus est": quod naturalis homo, nisi fiat spiritualis, non salvari possit, intelligitur per "Nisi quis generatus est ex aqua et spiritu, non possit ingredi in regnum caelorum."
[11] Quoniam Dominus solus reformat et regenerat hominem, ideo in Verbo vocatur "Formator ex utero":
- Ut apud Esaiam,
"Jehovah, Factor tuus et Formator.. ex utero, adjuvat te" (44:2, 24);
apud eundem,
"Jehovah ab utero vocavit me, a visceribus matris meae meminit nominis mei. .... Dixit Jehovah, Formator meus ab utero, in servum suum, ad redigendum Jacobum ad Ipsum, et Israel Ipsi congregetur" (49:1, 5).
Dominus multis in locis in Verbo vocatur "Creator", "Factor" et "Formator ab utero", et quoque "Redemptor", ex eo quod hominem e novo creet, reformet, regeneret et redemerit: credi potest quod Dominus ita vocetur ex eo, quod creaverit hominem et quod formet illum in utero, sed usque est spiritualis creatio et formatio quae ibi intelligitur; nam Verbum non modo est naturale, sed etiam spirituale; naturale pro hominibus qui naturales sunt, et spirituale pro angelis qui spirituales sunt; ut quoque constare potest ex eo, quod haec, quae dicta sunt, de Israele dicta sint, et in sensu supremo de Domino: per "Israelem" intelligitur ecclesia, ita omnis homo ecclesiae; et quia Dominus novit quale cujusvis quoad bonum amoris et verum fidei, ideo dicitur, "Jehovah ab utero vocavit me, a visceribus matris meae meminit 4
nominis mei"; per "vocare" et "scire nomen" alicujus, significatur nosse qualis est; quoad bonum amoris est "ab utero", et quoad vera illius boni est "a visceribus matris meae": per "Jacobum" qui ad Ipsum redigetur, et per "Israelem" qui Ipsi congregabitur, significatur ecclesia; per "Jacobum" ecclesia externa, et per "Israelem" ecclesia interna; haec est in spirituali homine, illa in naturali.
[12] Apud Jeremiam,
"Priusquam formarem te in utero, noveram te; et priusquam exires ex utero, sanctificabam te, prophetam gentibus dabam te" (1:5 5
):
haec quidem dicta sunt de propheta Jeremia, sed usque per "prophetam" in sensu spirituali intelligitur docens verum, et in sensu abstracto doctrina veri; inde per "formare in utero", et "nosse antequam exiret ex utero", significatur praevidentia quod in veris ex bono per regenerationem possit esse, ita quod Verbum recipere et docere possit: hoc quoque est "sanctificare et dare prophetam gentibus"; "gentes" sunt qui in bono et ex bono recipiunt vera.
[13] Apud Davidem,
"Super Te impositus sum ab utero, e visceribus matris meae Tu eductor meus" (Psalms 71:6);
per haec similia significantur.
Apud eundem,
"Ecce hereditas Jehovae filii, merces fructus ventris" (Psalms 127:3):
hic per "filios" intelliguntur illi qui in veris ex bono sunt, ut quoque alibi in Verbo: et per "fructum ventris" intelliguntur qui in bono sunt per vera, quibus caelum, quod est "hereditas" et quoque "merces."
[14] Apud Esaiam,
"Num obliviscitur mulier infantis sui, ut non misereatur filii ventris sui? etiam si 6
hi obliviscerentur, Ego tamen non obliviscar tui" (49:15):
hoc dicitur, quia in sensu spirituali intelligitur regeneratio; quare comparatio fit cum muliere, et ejus amore erga infantem suum; simile fit cum regenerato a Domino.
[15] Apud 7
Davidem,
"Juravit Jehovah Davidi Veritatem De fructu Ventris tui ponam super thronum tibi" (Psalms 132:11):
per "Davidem" hic, ut quoque alibi, intelligitur Dominus quoad regnum spirituale, quod est regium Ipsius; quare per "ponere super thronum de fructu ventris ejus", intelligitur qui ab Ipso regeneratur; is vocatur "fructus ventris ejus" ex eo, quia est in veris et in vita secundum illa; per "thronum", qui ei erit, intelligitur caelum: haec sunt quae in sensu spirituali per illa verba significantur; in sensu autem supremo per illa intelligitur Dominus ac Ipsius glorificatio.
[16] Apud eundem,
"Tu possides renes meos, obtexisti me in ventre matris meae" (Psalms 139:13):
per "possidere renes" significatur purificare vera a falsis (videatur supra, n. 167); et per "obtegere in ventre matris" significatur tutari a falsis mali quae ab inferno, et a principio regenerationis et dein continue.
[17] Apud eundem,
"Abalienati sunt impii ab utero, aberrant a ventre loquentes mendacium" (Psalms 58:4 [B.A. 3]):
hic non intelligitur quod impii abalienati sint ab utero, et quod aberrent a ventre, hoc est, a prima nativitate, nam nemo ex ea abalienatur a Deo et aberrat; sed "abalienari ab utero" significat quod recesserint a bono ad malum a primo die quando reformari possunt; et "aberrare a ventre" significat quod recesserint a veris ad falsa similiter; "loqui mendacium" etiam significat credere falsa: quod recesserint a primo die quando reformari possunt, est quia Dominus omnes, quicunque sint, conatur reformare, incipiendo a pueritia et continuando per adolescentiam in juventutem; sed quod illi statim recesserint, non passi se reformari.
[18] Apud Hoscheam,
"Ligata est iniquitas Ephraimi, reconditum peccatum ejus: dolores parturientis venient illi; ille filius non sapiens, quia tempus non stat in utero filiorum" (13:12, 13):
per "Ephraimum" significatur intellectus veri, hic intellectus perversus, qui est falsi pro vero; falsum ejus significantur per "iniquitatem", ac malum falsi per "peccatum ejus"; inde vocatur "filius non sapiens": quod reformationem non recipiat, significatur per quod "dolores parturientis venient illi", et per quod "tempus non stet in utero filiorum"; per "tempus non stat in utero filiorum" significatur quod non permaneat in statu reformationis.
[19] Apud Esaiam,
"Novi perfide agendo perfide acturus esses, et praevaricatoris nomine ab utero vocatum est tibi" (48:8):
haec de domo Jacobi, per quam intelligitur ecclesia perversa; "perfide agere" significat contra vera revelata; "et praevaricatoris nomine ab utero vocari" significat recessionem a veris a primo tempore quo reformari posset; per "vocari nomine" significatur quale ejus quoad illa.
[3]):
quid per haec in sensu interno significatur, nemo scire potest, nisi qui scit quod Jacob et ejuS posteri usque a patribus eorum fuerint mere naturales, inde contra bonum caeli et ecclesiae; nam qui naturalis est et non simul spiritualis, ille est contra bonum illud; hoc enim comparatur solum per conjunctionem veri et boni primum in spirituali homine, et dein in naturali; per "Esavum" autem significatur bonum naturale in spirituali: nunc quia Jacob et posteri ejus tales fuerunt, et quia omne bonum tale rejecerunt, et hoc a primo tempore, ideo dicitur de Jacobo quod "in utero supplantaverit fratrem suum." Praeterea per "pugnam Jacobi Cum angelo" (de qua agitur Genesis 32:25-3224-[314] ] :
sed quod usque futuri absque aliquo bono amoris caelestis et spiritualis, intelligitur per
Quod angelus tetigerit volam femoris Jacobi, et quod luxata sit vola femoris ejus in luctando cum angelo (Genesis 32:25, 3224, [31]):
per "femur" enim significatur conjunctio boni et veri, et per "luxationem" ejus, quod nulla conjunctio veri cum bono esset Jacobo et posteris ejus; hoc intelligitur per quod "Jacob potenter pugnaverit cum Deo." (Sed de his videantur Arcana Caelestia, n. 4281, ubi explicata sunt. Quod gens Israelitica et Judaica non electa fuerit, sed recepta ut ecclesiam repraesentaret, ob contumaciam qua patres eorum et Moses institerunt, ibi n. 4290, 4293, 7051, 7439, 10430, 10535, 10632.)
[21] Apud Mosen,
Collidebant filii inter se in ventre Rebeccae: et "dixit Jehovah, Duae gentes in utero tuo, et duo populi e visceribus tuis separabuntur, et populus prae populo valebit, et major 8
serviet minori. Et impleti sunt dies ad pariendum, et ecce gemini in utero ejus, et exivit primus rufus totus, sicut tunica pilosa, et vocabant nomen ejus Esau: et post ita exivit frater ejus, et manus ejus prehendens in calcaneum Esavi, et vocabat nomen ejus Jacob" (Genesis 25:20-26):
haec historica involvunt illa quae nunc supra de Jacobo et ejus posteris dicta sunt; quod nempe mere naturales essent, et inde non in aliquo bono naturali ex spirituali, quod significatur per "Esavum"; quod Jacobi posteri absque illo essent, significatur per quod "Jacob exiens ex utero matris prehenderit calcaneum Esavi"; per "calcaneum" significatur ultimum naturale. (Sed haec quoque explicata sunt in Arcanis Caelestibus.)
[22] Apud eundem,
"A Deo patris tui et juvabit te, et cum Schaddai et benedicet tibi, bene dictionibus caeli desuper, benedictionibus abyssi cubantis infra, benedictionibus uberum et uteri" (Genesis 49:25):
haec benedictio Josephi a patre Israele, de qua etiam in Arcanis Caelestibus (n. 6428-6434); et ibi quod "benedictiones uberum" significent affectiones boni et veri, et "benedictiones uteri" conjunctionem boni et veri, ita regenerationem.
[23] Apud eundem,
"Ut" Jehovah "amet te, et benedicat tibi, et multiplicet te, benedicat fructui ventris tui, et fructui terrae tuae, frumento tuo et musto tuo, oleo tuo, fetui boum tuorum, et arietum gregis tui." (Deuteronomius 7:13);
et alibi,
"Benedictus fructus ventris tui, et fructus terrae tuae, .... fetus bonum tuorum, et pecorum gregis tui" (Deuteronomius 28:4):
haec ad filios Jacobi, qui non aliter illa intellexerunt quam naturaliter, hoc est, secundum sensum litterae, quia mere naturales erant, et prorsus non spirituales; at per "benedictiones" illas significantur benedictiones spirituales, quae sunt caeli et inde vitae aeternae: nam per "fructum ventris" significatur bonum amoris et verum illius boni; per "fructum terrae" significatur omne ecclesiae; per "frumentum et mustum" significatur omne bonum et verum in naturali homine; per "fetum boum et pecorum gregis" significantur affectiones illorum exteriores et interiores; in genere per omnia illa significatur fructificatio et multiplicatio illorum.
[24] Apud Esaiam,
"Ecce Ego excitans contra eos Medum, qui argentum non aestimabunt, et auro non delectabuntur, quorum arcus juvenes allident, et fructus ventris non miserabuntur, filiorum non parcet oculus eorum" (13:17, 18):
per "Medum" intelliguntur illi qui nihili faciunt verum et bonum ecclesiae, et 9
illa quae inde intellectus et amoris sunt, destruunt; per "argentum" quod non aestimabunt, et per "aurum" quo non delectabuntur, significatur verum et bonum caeli et ecclesiae, per "argentum" verum et per "aurum" bonum eorum: quod "arcus illorum juvenes allident, et fructus ventris non miserabuntur", significat quod falsa doctrinae destruent omnem intellectum veri, et omne bonum amoris; per "arcum" significatur falsum doctrinae, per "juvenes" intelligentia veri, et per "fructum ventris" bonum amoris: quod "filiorum non parcet oculus eorum" significat quod perverSus eorum intellectus ac insania omne verum ecclesiae devastabit; "filii" sunt vera, et "oculus" est perversus intellectus qui insania. Sciendum est quod per "Medum" non intelligatur Medus, sed tales et talia in ecclesia quae devastant illam.
[25] Apud Matthaeum,
Pharisaei dicebant, "Licetne homini dimittere uxorem suam quavis ex causa? Respondens" Jesus, "dixit.., Annon legistis, quod Is qui fecit ab initio, masculum et feminam fecit eos, et dixit, Propterea deseret homo patrem et matrem, et adhaerebit uxori suae, et erunt duo in carnem unam? quare non amplius sunt duo, sed una caro: quod ergo Deus copulavit, homo non separabit. .... Moses ob duritiem cordis vestri permisit dimittere uxores vestras; ab initio non fuit sic: dico vobis, quod quicunque dimiserit uxorem suam nisi ob fornicationem, et aliam duxerit, adulterium committat; et quicunque dimissam ducat, adulterium committat. Dixerunt.. discipuli.., Si sic causa cum uxore sua, non expedit matrimonium contrahere; sed dixit Jesus..., Non omnes capiunt verbum hoc, sed ii quibus datum est; sunt enim eunuchi qui ex utero matris nati sunt sic; et sunt eunuchi qui eunuchi facti sunt ab hominibus; et sunt eunuchi qui eunuchos fecerunt se ipsos propter regnum Dei: qui potest capere, ille capiat" (19:3-12):
quod arcana interiora his insint, constare potest ex Domini verbis, quod non omnes capiant verba haec, sed ii quibus datum est. Arcanum interius, quod illis quae a Domino dicta sunt, inest, homines parum capiunt, sed omnes angeli in caelo; causa est, quia hi illa Domini verba spiritualiter percipiunt, et arcana, quae insunt, spiritualia sunt: nempe, in caelis aeque ac in terris conjugia sunt, sed in caelis conjugia similium cum similibus fiunt; vir enim natus est ut ex intellectu agat, mulier autem ut ex affectione; ac intellectus apud viros est intellectus veri et boni, et affectio apud mulieres est affectio veri et boni; et quia omnis intellectus vitam trahit ex affectione, ideo copulantur ibi sicut copulatur affectio quae voluntatis cum correspondente cogitatione quae intellectus: intellectus enim apud unumquemvis est varius, sicut vera, ex quibus intellectus, sunt varia; in genere sunt vera caelestia, sunt vera spiritualia, sunt vera moralia, sunt vera civilia, immo sunt vera naturalia; et cujusvis veri sunt species et sunt varietates innumerabiles; et quia inde est quod nusquam unius intellectus sit similis alterius, nec unius affectio similis alterius, ut tamen usque intellectus et affectio unum agant, ideo copulantur in caelo ita ut correspondens affectio quae est mulieris conjungatur cum correspondente intellectu qui est viri: inde est [quod] vita utrique sit ex correspondentia, plena amore. Quia nunc binae affectiones variae non correspondere possunt uni intellectui, inde in caelo nusquam datur, nec dari potest, quod plures uxores sint uni viro.
[26] Ex his videri et concludi potest quid per illa Domini verba etiam spiritualiter intelligitur; ut quid per quod "vir relinquet patrem et matrem et adhaerebit uxori suae, et erunt in carnem unam"; nempe, quod vir relinquet id malum et falsum quod ei ex religione est, et inquinat intellectum ejus, ita ex patre et matre; et quod intellectus ejus ab illis separatus conjungetur cum correspondente affectione quae uxoris; inde duo fiunt una affectio veri et boni; hoc intelligitur per "carnem unam", in qua duo erunt, "caro" enim in spirituali sensu significat bonum quod est amoris seu affectionis: "quare non amplius sunt duo, sed una caro", significat quod sic intellectus boni et veri ac affectio boni et veri non duo sed unum sint, similiter ac voluntas et intellectus quidem duo sunt, sed usque unum; et similiter ac verum et bonum, tum fides et charitas, quae quidem duo sunt, sed usque unum; nempe, quando verum est boni ac bonum est veri, tum quando fides est charitatis ac charitas est fidei; est etiam inde amor conjugialis:
[27] quod "Moses ob duritiem cordis permiserit dimittere uxorem ex quacunque causa", erat quia Israelitae et Judaei naturales erant, et non spirituales; et qui mere naturales sunt, illi etiam duri corde sunt, quia non in aliquo amore conjugiali, sed in lascivo, quale est adulterii: quod "quicunque dimiserit uxorem nisi ob fornicationem, et aliam duxerit, adulterium committat", est quia fornicatio significat falsum, et apud mulierem affectionem mali et falsi, ita affectionem quae nullatenus concordat cum intellectu veri et boni; et quia ex illa discordantia amor conjugialis, qui est veri et boni, et inde caelum et ecclesia apud hominem, prorsus perit; nam cum conjunctio interior, quae est mentium et animorum, nulla est, conjugium dissolvitur: quod "qui dimissam ducit etiam adulterium committat", est quia per "dimissam propter fornicationem" intelligitur affectio mali et falsi, ut supra, quae non copulanda est cum aliquo intellectu veri et boni; inde enim intellectus pervertitur, et quoque fit falSi et mali, et conjunctio falsi et mali est adulterium spirituale, sicut conjunctio veri et boni est conjugium spirituale.
[28] Quod Dominus postea locutus sit de eunuchis, erat quia discipuli dixerunt, "Si sic est causa hominis cum uxore, non expedit matrimonium contrahere"; et quia conjugia apud gentem Judaicam, quae dura corde fuit ex eo quod in falsis ex malo essent, non erant conjugia sed adulteria in spirituali sensu intellecta, quare etiam illa gens a Domino "gens adultera" vocata est, ideo locutus est Dominus de "eunuchis", per quos intellecti sunt qui non volunt conjugium inire, hoc est, conjungi, cum affectione mali, quia sic intellectus veri et boni perverteretur et dissiparetur; ita per "eunuchos" intelliguntur tam nupti quam non nupti, apud quos conjunctus est intellectus veri et boni cum affectione veri et boni: quod "eunuchi" dicantur est quia non illis lascivum est, quale est illis qui ex duritie cordis, in qua fuerunt Judaei, plures uxores duxerunt, et quamlibet ex causa quacunque repudiarunt.
[29] Prius sciendum est quod conjugium intellectus veri et boni cum affectione veri et boni sit in genere ex triplici origine, et inde in triplici gradu; in supremo gradu est conjugium illorum qui caelestes vocantur, in inferiori inter illos qui spirituales, et in infimo inter illos qui naturales; tot enim gradus sunt interiorum hominis: inde tres caeli sunt; qui in supremo caelo sunt vocantur caelestes, qui in inferiori spirituales, et qui in infimo naturales. Conjugium intellectus veri et boni cum affectione veri et boni apud caelestes, intelligitur per "eunuchos qui in utero matris nati sunt eunuchi"; ex causa quia illi, dum regenerantur, recipiunt vera statim in vita per amorem eorum, inde est quod illi sciant vera ex ipsis veris: regeneratio eorum a Domino per amorem in Ipsum significatur per "in utero fieri 10
eunuchos", ita absque lascivo adulterii.
[30] Conjugium autem intellectus veri et boni cum affectione veri et boni apud Spirituales, intelligitur per "eunuchos qui ab hominibus facti sunt eunuchi"; hi enim non in utero, hoc est, per amorem, regenerantur, sed per vera primum recepta in memoria, et dein intellectualiter in cogitatione, et sic demum in vita per quandam affectionem spiritualem; hi dicuntur "fieri eunuchi ex hominibus", quia per intellectum ex memoria reformantur, et "homo" significat illum intellectum, ut quoque supra, ubi dicitur "homo et uxor." Conjugium autem [intellectus] veri et boni cum affectione veri et boni apud naturales, intelligitur per "eunuchos qui Se ipsos faciunt eunuchos"; naturales enim per cognitiones et scientias sibi comparant lumen naturale, et per bonum vitae secundum illas affectionem, et inde conscientiam; et quia hi non aliud sciunt quam quod ipsi hoc faciant, nam naturalis homo non gaudet intelligentia qua spiritualis homo, nec gaudet perceptione qua caelestis homo, inde est quod illi sint qui se ipsos faciant; sed ita dicitur ex apparentia et ex fide obscura apud illos. Haec itaque sunt quae intelliguntur per "fieri eunuchos propter regnum Dei": et quia pauci haec capiunt, dicitur a Domino, "Qui potest capere, capiat." (Sed ad illustrationem hujus rei, videantur quae in opere De Caelo et Inferno, De duobus Regnis, in quae Caeli distincti sunt; tum De tribus Caelis secundum tres Gradus interiorum Hominis, n. 20-40; et quae De Conjugiis in Caelo, n. 366-386, dicta et ostensa sunt.)
[31] Dicitur de Johanne Baptista,
Quod impletus sit Spiritu sancto in utero matris: et quod embyro in utero ad salutationem Mariae exultaverit (Luca 1:15, 41, 44):
sed per hoc significabatur quod ille repraesentaturus esset Dominum quoad verbum, sicut Elias; in Verbo enim, quod est Divinum Verum, est ubivis conjugium Divini Boni ac Divini Veri, ac Divinum Bonum unitum Divino Vero est Divinum a Domino procedens, quod vocatur "Spiritus sanctus": "exultatio in utero" ad salutationem Mariae repraesentabat gaudium ex amore conjunctionis Boni et Veri, ita gaudium amoris conjugialis caelestiS, qui est in Singulis Verbi. (Quod Johannes Baptista, sicut Elias, repraesentaverit Dominum quoad Verbum, videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 7643, 9372.)
[32] Quid significat "masculus qui primo aperit uterum" etiam dicetur; de illo ita legitur apud Mosen,
"Cum deduxerit te Jehovah in terram 11
Canaanem, .... transire facies omnem aperturam uteri Jehovae, et omnem aperturam fetus bestiae, quotquot erunt tibi masculi, Jehovae: .... sed omnem primogenitum.. inter filios tuos redimes. Quod si fiat, ut interroget te filius tuus cras, dicendo, Quid hoc? dices ad eum, Per fortitudinem manus eduxit nos Jehovah ex Aegypto, e domo servorum; .... dum occidit omnem primogenitum in terra, a primogenito hominis usque ad primogenitum bestiae; propterea ego sacrifico Jehovae omnem aperturam uteri, masculos, et omnem primogenitum filiorum meorum redimo" (Exodus 13:11-15; 34:19, 20).
Quod loco eorum accepti sint Levitae, apud eundem,
"Ecce accepi Levitas e medio filiorum Israelis loco omnis primogeniti, aperturae uteri, de filiis Israelis, ut sint Mihi Levitae: quia Mihi omne primogenitum in die quo percussi omne primogenitum in terra Aegypti, sanctificavi Mihi omne primogenitum in Israele, ab homine usque ad bestiam Mihi erunt" (Numeri 3:12, 13; 8:16, 17):
spirituale quod in hoc statuto reconditum latet, non patet, nisi sciatur quod "generationes" et "nativitates" naturales significent generationes et nativitates spirituales; tum etiam quod omnia membra generationis correspondeant amori caelesti et ejus productis, quae sunt usus, qui vocantur vera illius amoris. Quia ita est, et quia "conjugium" in sensu spirituali significat conjugium boni et veri, ut supra dictum est, inde constare potest quid in eodem sensu significatur per "aperturam uteri", seu "primogenitum masculum": per "aperturam uteri", seu per "primogenitum masculum", significatur id quod primum nascitur ex amore caelesti et perceptione boni et veri; quod hoc sit verum ex bono, quod loco principii est reliquis, patet; hoc in sua essentia est bonum spirituale, nam hoc bonum in sua forma est verum ex bono; seu, quod idem est, verum ex bono in sua essentia est bonum spirituale. Hoc significatur per "aperturam uteri", "primogenitum masculum", ex causa quia uterus correspondet intimo amori conjugiali, qui in sua essentia est amor caelestis; et ex hoc amore producitur bonum spirituale, quod in sua forma est verum ex bono, ac in specie id verum ex bono quod principii loco est reliquis; quod principii loco est, id in succedentibus est omne quoad essentiale illorum, quia id in his est regnans. Quoniam hoc significatur per "aperturam uteri", seu "primogenitum masculum", ideo id sanctificatum est Jehovae, et per id etiam sanctificati fuerunt omnes fetus sequentes.
[33] Sciendum est quod bona caeli et ecclesiae trium graduum sint; bonum intimi gradus, ita quoque intimi caeli, vocatur bonum amoris caelestis; bonum inferioris gradus, quod etiam est bonum medii caeli, vocatur bonum amoris spiritualis; et bonum infimi gradus, quod etiam est bonum ultimi caeli, vocatur bonum naturale: haec bona sicut ordine Sequuntur ita quoque ordine nascuntur; bonum amoris naturalis nascitur ex bono amoris spiritualis, et bonum amoris spiritualiS nascitur ex bono amoris caelestis; inde est, quod per "aperturam uteri", "primogenitum masculum", significetur bonum amoris spiritualis natum 12
ex bono amoris caelestis.
[34] Quoniam per "bestias" significantur affectiones, per "bestias" ex armento affectiones exteriores, et per "bestias ex grege" affectiones interiores, ideo etiam illarum primogenita sanctificata sunt. Quod ita sit etiam constare potest ex eo, quod Levitae loco omnium primogenitorum recepti sint, per "Levin" enim et inde per "Levitam" significatur bonum spirituale ex bono caelesti; inde etiam sacerdotium, per quod significatur bonum caeleste, datum est Aharoni et filiis ejus, ac ministerium hujus 13
boni, per quod significatur verum ex bono, datum est Levitis. (Quod illa per "tribum Levi" significata fuerint, videatur supra, n. 444.) Quod statutum de primogenitis datum sit filiis Israelis, quia occisa sunt omnia primogenita in Aegypto, erat quia per "primogenita" ibi significantur falsa ex malo contraria seu opposita veris ex bono, ita malum infernale contrarium seu oppositum bono spirituali; et quia cum illa falsa ex malo apud hominem sunt occisa, hoc est, remota, tunc primum vera ex bono, seu bonum spirituale, a Domino influit, et ab homine recipitur. Ex his constare potest quid per id statutum repraesentatum est, et in sensu spirituali significatum. Quid significatum est per
Quod Deus clauserit omnem uterum domus Abimelechi propter Saram, uxorem Abrahami; et postquam Abraham oraverat pro illis, Deus sanaverit Abimelechum, uxorem ejus, et ancillas eorum, ut pepererint (Genesis 20:17, 18),
videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, ubi illa explicata sunt.
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