2230. Very many things in the Word of the Lord, unbelievably many, are spoken according to the fallacies of the human senses, because people supposed them to be so. They were therefore said in this way so as not to break their convictions and passions, but to bend them. To speak otherwise than as people are able to grasp is to sow seed in the water. They immediately reject it, and nothing comes of it.
For example, that the Lord was driven by fury against someone, or that He killed, that He does evil, that He rejoices at destroying and wiping them out as in Deuteronomy 28:63-these are nothing but fallacies, [so said] because they believed them to be so. For it is the truth that the Lord rules all things down to the very least, and that He is the All - but because they did not know any of the countless particulars beyond that such as every universal Truth contains, therefore the Word was spoken to their very general way of thinking, just as good spirits likewise speak with those freshly arriving from bodily life, before they are better informed. 1748, 7 June.
2230. In like manner very many things in the Word of the Lord, and more than anyone can credit, are spoken to the fallacy of man's senses, because they supposed such things can happen [ita putarunt]. Therefore these things are so spoken, because their persuasions and cupidities were not to be broken, but bent; for to speak otherwise than man receives [apprehends], is to sow seed in water; he immediately rejects [it], hence it is (to him as) nothing; for instance, [such expressions] as the Lord is stirred with fury [wrath] against any one, that He would slay, that He does evil, that He rejoices to destroy them and to bring them to nought, as in Deut. 28:63, are mere fallacies, because they believed such to be the case [crediderunt ita]. [And this occurs] because it is a truth that the Lord rules each and all things, and that He is everything, therefore, because they were ignorant of the rest which is indefinite, as that every universal truth contains indefinite things, it is on this account spoken to their most general [communissimum] senses. Such is the speech of good spirits with those who recently arrive from the life of the body before these are instructed. - 1748, June 7.
2230. Sicut permulta, et plura quam aliquis credit, in Verbo Domini, sint dicta ad fallaciam sensuum hominum, quia ita putarunt, ideo ita dicta sunt, ob causam, ut non frangerentur persuasiones et cupiditates eorum, sed ut flecterentur; nam loqui aliter, quam homo capit, est serere semen in aquam, illico rejicit, inde nihil; sicut quod Dominus furore sit actus contra aliquem, quod occiderit, quod faciat malum, quod gaudeat ad perdendum eos et delendum, ut Deut. XXVIII: 63, sunt merae fallaciae, quia ita crrdiderunt: nempe quia veritas est, quod Dominus regat omnia et singula, et quod sit omne, ideo, quia nesciverunt caetera, quae indefinita sunt, sicut omnis veritas universalis indefinita continet, ideo loquutum est ad eorum sensum communissimum, sicut quoque loquuntur spiritus boni, cum iis, qui nuper ex vita corporis adveniunt, antequam instruuntur. 1748, 7 Junius.