Commentary - Overview

The Book of Daniel occupies a unique place among the books of the prophets in the Old Testament. It is somewhat like the place held by The Apocalypse of John in the New Testament, being mainly apocalyptic in character. The first six chapters are partly historical, or relate incidents in which Daniel took a prominent part. The latter six chapters contain the account of four visions seen by Daniel. The prophecy is written in two languages, or rather, two dialects. From chapter 2:4 - 7:28, it is in Aramaic, or what is improperly called Chaldee. It is not the language of the Chaldean empire, but a dialect akin to the Hebrew, which in later times became the language of the exiled Jews in Chaldea. The book contains several words of Persian origin, and a few Greek words. Certain other peculiarities are worthy of notice. The familiar prophetic expression "Thus saith the Lord" is not once used. The word "Jehovah" (printed Lord in capital letters in our English Bibles) which occurs on almost every page of the books of the Divine Word, appears only in chapter 0. Other names, such as God of heaven, Son of God, Ancient of Days, etc., are used instead. Daniel does not address the Jews like Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc. He does not upbraid them for their sins. His view of the advent of the Messiah is distinctive. The Messiah is not spoken of as of David's line. The Jews are not to be restored to their own land. The prophet's vision steps beyond the limits of his own race, he sees whole empires rise and fall, and a religion take the place of past religions which is to fill the whole earth. "Instead of a church for the Jews, there is to be a church for all mankind."

We must learn what we can about Daniel from the first chapter. He was a young man, among the first captives taken from Jerusalem. The taking of captives mentioned in Daniel 1:1-2, seems to be the same that is described in 2 Kings 24:1, 10-14. Shinar means the country of Babylon. (Gen. 11:2)

As to the prophet himself, he was apparently of noble blood. (Daniel 1:3-4) He was carried into captivity "in the third year of Jehoiakim king of Judah," that is, the year 606 or 605 B.C. He was young then and was instructed, together with his companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "in the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans."

The names of the young men chosen for special training were changed. Their Hebrew names contained a name of God. Daniel means "God is my judge," "Dan" meaning judge, and "el" meaning God. This is lost in the Babylonian names, which often instead contained the names of heathen gods.

Daniel and his three friends felt that the king's food was unclean and would defile them. It may have been unclean according to the Jewish law in its manner of preparation, and it may have been dedicated to idols. They asked for pulse. This word usually means in English peas, beans, lentils. But the meaning here is vegetable food. They were allowed to try this diet, and after ten days were so well and strong that they were allowed to eat only the vegetable food. When they were brought with others before the king and examined by him, Daniel and his three friends were found better than all the rest and superior to the wise men of Babylon. That Daniel continued to the first year of King Cyrus would mean through all the seventy years that the Jews were captives in Babylon, for it was Cyrus who gave them liberty to return to the Holy Land.

There follow in the book of Daniel chapters that give pictures of the selfish pride of the kings of Babylon and of the courage of Daniel and his friends in remaining faithful to the Lord. These chapters (1 to 6) make the first half of the book. We find here the story of the fiery furnace, and of the lions' den.

Chapters 7 to 12, the second half of the book, record visions of Daniel that have an immediate relation to the history of the times after the captivity and a more spiritual relation to conditions and changes in the Christian Church.

The Prophet Daniel is twice referred to in Ezekiel's prophecy. In the first instance (Ezekiel 14:14, 20), he is associated with Noah and Job as an example of piety; in the second passage (Ezekiel 28:3), he is extolled for his wisdom. It is noteworthy that these two qualities - piety and wisdom - stand out prominently in his book.

The experiences of the prophet in Babylon are sometimes regarded as being in a large degree parallel with those of Joseph in Egypt. Each resists temptation to defilements. Each interprets the dreams of the king. And each is raised to a position of honor in recognition of his wisdom.Commentary - In-Depth

Until recent years, the narratives of Daniel (chapters 1 to 6) were regarded as literal history, but acquaintance with "apocalyptic" literature of the later Jewish days has led to the belief that this type of writing is employed in the book of Daniel. It was characteristic of such writing that the name of the author did not appear, but that the lessons given in historical or prophetic form were associated with some wise leader of the past. It was also characteristic of the apocalyptic writing, as the name implies, that it drew aside the veil to reveal forces of the spiritual world and the fulfillment of Divine promises there which had no fulfillment here. We recognize this in the Revelation, the Apocalypse of the New Testament. This view of the book of Daniel need not affect at all the acceptance of the book as of the Divine Word, and it is definitely recognized as of the Divine Word, in our Lord's reference to it in Matthew 24:15, and in our doctrines. (Arcana Coelestia 10325, 1709) It is of interest to learn what we can of Daniel, the central figure of this Divine book.

Those who read chapters of Daniel as apocalyptic and of later writing believe that the date of writing was in the days of persecution by Antiochus Epiphanes, ruler in Antioch, 175 to 164 B.C. The history of Persian rule in western Asia, which began with Cyrus, and of Greek rule, which began with Alexander's defeat of Persia, belongs to the period between the Old Testament and the New. This history is indicated in the book of Daniel itself as the subject of Daniel's visions (Daniel 8:19-22; 11:2-4) Following this historical application of the visions, they lead up to the oppression of Antiochus and promise then Divine deliverance. If ever there was a time in Jewish history which needed Divine lessons of courage and devotion to the Lord, it was this time, and it may well be that the Lord in those days gave everlasting lessons of courage and devotion. (Arcana Coelestia 1183, 5223)

Scripture itself points us also to an application of the book of Daniel to the Christian Church. See the Lord's reference to Daniel in Matthew 24:15. This reference indicates the conditions and experience of the Christian Church to which the lessons of Daniel apply, for the Lord in that chapter of Matthew is describing in representative language the states of spiritual desolation to be experienced by the Christian Church as it approached its judgment and the founding of a new church by the Lord. The reference to Daniel may be especially to Daniel 9:27 and 12:11.

Swedenborg speaks of it, however, as a reference in a more general sense to all prophecies concerning the coming of the Lord and the condition of the church, especially its condition at His coming. (Arcana Coelestia 3652; Apocalypse Explained 684)

The abomination of desolation in the holy place describes a condition in the Christian Church when the Lord's truth and good are despised and things evil and false have taken the central place. The charge, "Whoso readeth, let him understand," means that such conditions should be well noted by people of the church, who should cling for safety to love to the Lord and charity to the neighbor. The line of application to the Christian Church is followed throughout the interpretation of Daniel in Prophets and Psalms. Babylon is everywhere recognized as the symbol of self-love and the love of rule in the church, even by the profane use of holy things. This is the meaning of Babylon in the Book of Revelation, which in the explanation of that book is shown to have had a special development in the Roman Church. Prophets and Psalms shows in Daniel 1 the desire and effort of the selfish spirit of rule to appropriate for its own use the knowledge and understanding of the church. It shows in Daniel 3 the effort of this same love to claim worship to itself. The attractiveness of such worship is meant by the music at which all should fall down.

Those faithful and loyal to the Lord refuse to worship. Self-love burns as a fiery furnace with hatred and desire to destroy them. The protection of the Lord is so manifest with those loyal to Him, that even those in self-love are constrained to worship.

The summary of the internal sense of the first chapter is thus stated in Prophets and Psalms:

"Verses 1, 2. When the church among the Jewish nation had been destroyed, ‘Babylon' appropriated to herself all things pertaining to it. Verses 3-21. She wished to know all things of the church, and to acquire an understanding of them, and this was the beginning of ‘Babylon.'"

Jerusalem besieged by Babylon represents the church in a state of profanation. The vessels in the house of God taken to the land of Shinar signify that the holy truths of the Word were appropriated by the love of rule. (Arcana Coelestia 1183)

This same spirit also desires to acquire all the knowledges of truth that it may use them to further its own interests. Daniel and his companions were to be educated that they might serve the king of Babylon. The love of rule is a strong incentive to the study of even the spiritual sense of the Word. That is a Babylonic spirit, which is well illustrated in worldly affairs. The love of pre-eminence stimulates people beyond measure to study and to master those knowledges which will insure success. Likewise, when the knowledge of the truths of the church lies in the path of success, no pains are spared to acquire proficiency therein. It is clearly Babylon which has taken hold of people when they study the truth simply to prove that others are wrong and they are right.

Daniel and his companions refused to partake of the king's meat and drink. This suggests the presence of a true spirit in people at war with the evil spirit of dominating over others. This spirit of the Lord in people is ultimately to be their judge and protect them from bondage to evil. It refuses to be defiled with evil and falsity that belong to an unclean lust of the flesh. It is nourished by the truths from the Word, "pulse," or, rather, "seeds." The spiritual life of a person can only prosper when fed by true thoughts drawn from the Word that are capable of being developed so as to produce the fruits of righteousness.

At the end of three years, Daniel and his three companions were found in matters of wisdom and understanding to be ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers in the kingdom. "The magicians were acquainted with such things as are of the spiritual world, which they learnt from the correspondences and representatives of the church; therefore also many of them had communication with spirits and hence learnt illusory arts, whereby they wrought magical miracles." (Arcana Coelestia 5223)

Daniel is called the "chief or master of the magicians." (Daniel 4:9; 5:11)

Doubtless he had his light in spiritual knowledges from above under the Lord's guidance. He prospered for the same reason that Joseph prospered: because the Lord was with him. Light and strength and prosperity accompany all who look to the Lord and trust in Him.

Commentary for Young Students

Daniel was also a prophet of the Lord who was taken to Babylon, as Ezekiel was, among the first captives from Jerusalem. He was a young man at the time, and was one of several princes who were chosen for fine looks and bright minds, to be taught and trained in the palace school in Babylon, so that after three years they could be attendants and advisers to the king. We read their names in verse 6, but their names were changed and they were given other strange names by the king. Hear what Daniel and his three friends did. They would not eat the food nor drink the wine provided for them, which they called unclean, and asked to be given pulse to eat, which means here various fruits and vegetables, and water to drink. The one in charge of caring for the young men was afraid to change their food, lest they should not be as strong and beautiful as the rest. But he let them try it for ten days. And what happened? Daniel and his three friends were better in face and flesh than those who had eaten the king's food. So the keeper took away the king's food and gave them the food they asked. After three years of special care and training, the young men were brought before the king, and Daniel and his three friends were the best. They were ten times better in wisdom and understanding than the wise men of Babylon.

Several grand stories follow in the book of Daniel, which teach us to be brave and faithful to the Lord.

537. Verse 2. And he opened the pit of the abyss, signifies communication and conjunction with the hells where and from which are such falsities. This is evident from the signification of "to open" as here being to communicate and conjoin (of which presently); and from the signification of "the pit of the abyss" as being the hell where and from which are such falsities. These are called in the Word "pits [or wells] of the abyss" because a "pit" [or well] signifies the Word in the sense of the letter and the truth of doctrine therefrom, but in the contrary sense the Word falsified and the falsity of doctrine therefrom; and the "abyss" (or depth of the sea) signifies hell. This signifies the hell where those are who have falsified the truths of the Word by applying its truths to the evils of life, because such hells appear to those who are above like seas, and those who are in them appear to be in their depths. These seas or hells I have also seen, and also those who are in their depths; but those who spoke with me therefrom declared that they were not in waters, but on dry ground. This shows that the waters of these seas are appearances corresponding to the falsities in which those are who are in them. The waters of these seas are grosser and denser according to the falsifications, and the depths also differ in accordance with the evils that have been falsified.

[2] What "abyss" signifies in the Word will be told below. "To open the pit of the abyss" signifies communication and conjunction with such hells, because the hells are not opened except when evil spirits enter, which takes place when they have fulfilled their time in the world of spirits; for it is not allowed to any evil spirit to go out from hell when he has been once cast into it; if he goes out he nevertheless immediately falls back into it. But every man is conjoined with spirits who are in the world of spirits, who are such as he himself is; consequently a man who falsifies the Word by applying it to evils of life and to falsities confirming those evils, is conjoined with like spirits, and by them with the hells that are in like falsities. Every man after death becomes a spirit, and he then becomes at once attached either with infernal or with heavenly societies, according to his life in the world; and all spirits, before they are cast down into hell or raised up into heaven, are first in the world of spirits, and they are then with men who are living in the world, evil spirits with the evil, and good spirits with the good. Through these man has communication and conjunction either with the hells or with the heavens. This makes clear that "to open the pit" does not signify to open hell, but to have communication, and by communication conjunction with hell. From every one of the hells falsities of evil exhale in great abundance, and in these falsities are the spirits who are in the world of spirits, and at the same time the men who are in like falsities in our world. No spirit or man can be anywhere else than where the love of his life is, for that which a man loves, that he wills, that he thinks, and that he breathes. (What the world of spirits is, see in the work onHeaven and Hell 421-431, et seq.)

[3] A "pit" [or well] signifies the Word and the truth of doctrine, and in the contrary sense the Word falsified and the falsity of doctrine therefrom, because "pits" contain waters, and "waters" signify truths, and in the contrary sense falsities (as shown above, n. 71, 483, 518). That a "pit" [or well] has these two meanings can be seen from the following passages in the Word. In Moses:

They journeyed to Beer; this is the well whereof Jehovah said unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give it ¹ waters. Then Israel sang this song, Come up, O well; answer ye from it; the princes digged the well, the willing ones of the people delved it, through the lawgiver, with their staves (Numbers 21:16-18).

That this "well" signifies the truth of doctrine from the Word is evident from the song that Israel sang respecting it: "Come up, O well, answer ye from it," signifies that doctrine from the Word should teach truth and that they should receive it, "Come up, O well," signifying the calling forth of truth, and "answer ye from it" reception and instruction; "the princes digged the well, the willing ones of the people delved it, through the lawgiver, with their staves," signifies that those who are in truths and in the goods of truths are enlightened by the Lord, and from Him by means of the Word search out and collect doctrine; "princes" signifying those who are in truths; "the willing ones of the people" those who are in the goods of truth; "to dig" to search out and gather up; "lawgiver" the Lord in respect to the Word and the doctrine from the Word, and "staves" the potency and powers of the mind, here from the Lord by means of the Word, because it is said, "by the lawgiver." This makes clear what "well" here signifies. "Israel sang a song" respecting it, because "Beer," in the original, means a well, and in the spiritual sense "a well" signifies the Word, and doctrine from the Word; likewise "Beersheba," which is often mentioned in the historical parts of the Word.

[4] The same is meant by:

Jacob's well, at which the Lord sat and spoke with the Samaritan woman, and said, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, thou wouldest ask water of Him, and He would give thee living water; and this should become a fountain of water springing up unto everlasting life (John 4:6-15).

The Lord spoke with the Samaritan woman at that well, because "the Samaritan woman" meant the church to be established with the Gentiles, and "the Samaritans" who are also mentioned in other passages, mean the Gentiles that were to receive doctrine from the Lord and respecting the Lord. This "well" signifies doctrine from the Word, the "water" the truth of doctrine, and "the Lord sitting at that well" the Word or Divine truth. That salvation is from the Lord by means of Divine truth from the Word is signified by "the water which He would give should become a fountain of water springing up unto everlasting life."

[5] Something similar to what is signified by "the well of Jacob" is signified also by:

The wells that the servants of Abraham and the servants of Isaac dug, respecting which they strove with the servants of Abimelech (Genesis 21:26; 26:1, 15, 18-22, 25, 32).

The wells that the servants of Abraham and the servants of Isaac dug signify the truths of doctrine, because by "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," in the Word, the Lord is meant; but "Abimelech" king of Gerar, or of the Philistines, means those who place salvation in truths alone without the good of life, as those do at the present day who are in faith alone. And as every truth is from good, or everything of faith from charity, and as those who separate and exclude good from truth, or charity from faith, possess no genuine truth of doctrine, but every truth of the Word with them is like the meaning of the mere words with no perception of the thing, thus like a shell without a kernel, so they dispute about the truths of faith; this was represented and signified by the strifes of the servants of Abimelech with the servants of Abraham and of Isaac respecting the wells. There is an internal spiritual sense in the historical parts as well as in the prophetical parts of the Word, as can be seen from the Arcana Coelestia, where the histories that are contained in Genesis and Exodus are explained in respect to the internal spiritual sense; so, too, what is said about the wells of Abraham and Isaac, as may be seen. Why else should there be historical statements respecting wells in the Word?

[6] In Luke:

Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a well; and will not straightway draw him out on a Sabbath day? (Luke 14:5).

This was a statute with the Israelitish and Jewish nation, because of the spiritual sense contained in it; for all the statutes, judgments, and commandments given to the sons of Israel signified spiritual things belonging to heaven and to the church; so this statute signified that if anyone falls into falsity or into evil, he must be led out of it by means of the truth that is taught from the Lord on the Sabbath day. The "well" here means falsity and the evil of falsity; "an ass and an ox" signify the truth and good of the natural man; "to fall into a well" signifies into falsity and into the evil of falsity; "to be drawn out on a Sabbath day" signifies to be instructed and thus led out of these; for "the Sabbath day" signifies here the Lord in relation to instruction and doctrine, therefore He calls Himself "Lord of the Sabbath." (That an "ass" signifies the truth of the natural man, see Arcana Coelestia 2781, 5741; and that an "ox" signifies the good of the natural man, n. 2180, 2566, 9134.)

[7] Nearly the same spiritual sense is contained in these words in Moses:

When a man shall open a pit, or when a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall into it, the owner of the pit shall requite and shall return silver unto the owner ² of it; and the dead beast shall be his (Exodus 21:33, 34).

"When a man shall open a pit" signifies when one shall proclaim any falsity that he has; or "when a man shall dig a pit" signifies when he shall frame or hatch out a falsity; "and an ox or an ass fall therein" signifies the perversion of good and truth in the natural belonging to another; "the owner of the pit shall requite" signifies that he from whom is the falsity shall make amend; "and return silver to the owner of it" signifies by means of truth with him whose truth and good in the natural has been perverted; "and the dead beast shall be his" signifies that the evil or the falsity shall remain with him (but this may be seen more fully explained in Arcana Coelestia 9084-9089). Here "pit" has the same signification as well.

[8] So in Matthew:

Blind leaders of the blind. When the blind leads the blind, both fall into the pit (Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39).

This the Lord said to the scribes and Pharisees, who understood nothing of truth, although they had the Word, in which are all Divine truths; and because they taught falsities and their falsities were also believed by the people, they are called "blind leaders of the blind;" those are called in the Word "blind" who do not understand truth; and because "pit" signifies falsity, it is said that "they both fall into it."

[9] In David:

Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the depths of waters. Let not the billows of waters overwhelm me, neither let the abyss swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me (Psalms 69:14, 15).

Here very evidently the "pit" signifies the hell where and from which are falsities, for it is said, "let not the pit shut her mouth upon me," that is, let not the hell from which are falsities, or falsities from hell, wholly possess me, that I may not escape; "deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink," means out of the evil of falsity, lest I perish; "let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the depths of waters," signifies to be delivered from evils and falsities that are from the hells, "them that hate" meaning evils therefrom, and "depths of waters" falsities therefrom; "neither let the abyss swallow me up" signifies, let not the hell where are the falsities of evil, or the falsities of evil from hell, do this.

[10] In the same:

They make their mouth smooth as butter, and when one's heart draweth near, his words are softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords. But Thou, O God, wilt cast them down into the well of the pit (Psalms 55:21, 23).

This is said of those who simulate good affections when they utter falsities by which they lead astray; "to make the mouth smooth as butter" signifies a simulation of good by means of affections, "butter" signifying the good of external affection. "Their words are softer than oil" has a like signification, "oil" meaning the good of internal affection; "yet are they drawn swords" signifies, and yet they are falsities destroying good and truth, "drawn swords" meaning falsities destroying; "but Thou, O God, wilt cast them down into the well of the pit," signifies into the hell where there are destructive falsities of that kind.

[11] As "pits" have nearly the same signification in the Word as "wells," for they are like wells, I will also quote some passages respecting them. In Jeremiah:

Their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters; they came to the pits, they found no waters; they returned with their vessels empty (Jeremiah 14:3).

"Nobles" mean those who lead and teach others, "little ones" those who are led and taught, and "waters" truths; this makes evident what is signified by "Their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters;" "the pits in which there were no waters" signify doctrinals in which there are no truths; this makes evident what is signified by "they came to the pits, they found no waters;" that they had no knowledge [scientia] or understanding of truth is signified by "they returned with their vessels empty," "vessels" signifying in the Word things recipient of truth, and thus things of knowledge and understanding.

[12] In Zechariah:

By the blood of thy covenant I will send forth the bound out of the pit wherein is no water (Zechariah 9:11).

This is said of the deliverance of the faithful by the Lord, who were detained in the lower earth until His coming; and also of the enlightenment of the Gentiles who were in falsities from ignorance. "The blood of thy covenant" signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, thus the Word, which is called a covenant because it is the means of conjunction, "covenant" signifying conjunction. "The bound in the pit in which there is no water" mean those who are in falsities from ignorance, "pit" here meaning doctrine not of truth, and also the lower earth where those who were in falsities from ignorance were detained until the Lord came, "wherein is no water" means where there is no truth; they are called "bound" because they could not be delivered from falsities except by the Lord.

[13] In Jeremiah:

My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew out for themselves pits, broken pits, that cannot hold waters (Jeremiah 2:13).

"To hew out pits, broken pits, that hold no waters," signifies to hatch out doctrinals from self-intelligence, which are false because they are from man's own (proprium), for man's own is nothing but evil, and because it is evil, falsity is brought forth from it, for evil can bring forth nothing but falsity. (But this may be seen explained above, n. 483.)

[14] In the same:

Jehovah, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of the desert and the pit, in a land of drought and of dense shade, through a land that no man [vir] passed through, and where no man [homo] dwelt (Jeremiah 2:6).

It has been shown in the Arcana Coelestia, where Exodus is explained, that "the wilderness in which the sons of Israel were led," represented and signified the first state of the church that is to be established with those who are in mere ignorance of good and truth; and as that state was represented and signified by their wanderings in the wilderness, it is said that "Jehovah led them in a land of the desert and the pit, in a land of drought and of dense shade;" "a land of the desert and of drought" means here, as elsewhere in the Word, a state of non-perception of good, and "a land of the pit and of dense shade" means a state of ignorance of truth, and thus of falsity; "that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt," signifies where there is no understanding of truth nor perception of good, "man" [vir] in the Word meaning the understanding of truth, and "man" [homo] the perception of good, and the absence of both meaning no church either in respect to truth or to good.

[15] In Isaiah:

He that leadeth forth shall hasten that it may be opened, that he may not die in the pit, and that his bread fail not (Isaiah 51:14).

This is said of the Lord. His coming is meant by "he that leadeth forth shall hasten;" deliverance from the falsities of ignorance is signified by "that he die not in the pit," thus "pit" here has a similar signification as "the pit in which were the bound," above; that spiritual instruction and nourishment shall not fail is signified by "that his bread fail not," for "bread" means all spiritual food, and spiritual food means instruction in truths and goods, from which come intelligence and wisdom.

[16] In Ezekiel:

Behold, I bring strangers upon thee, the violent of the nations; and they shall draw their swords upon the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall profane thy radiance; they shall bring thee down into the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the heart of the seas (Ezekiel 28:7, 8).

This is said of the prince of Tyre, by whom are meant those who hatch out falsities from self-intelligence, which destroy the knowledges of truth and good; their destruction by their own falsities is signified by "Behold, I bring strangers upon thee, the violent of the nations," "strangers" signifying the falsities that destroy truths, and "the violent of the nations" the evils that destroy goods; that such will be destroyed by their falsities that are from self-intelligence is signified by "they shall draw their swords upon the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall profane thy radiance," "swords" meaning falsities destroying truths; "they shall bring thee down into the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the heart of the seas," [signifies their immersion in falsities and destruction and damnation by falsities from hell, ] ³ "pit," in like manner as "well," signifying infernal falsity; "them that are slain" those who perish by falsities, and "the heart of the seas," in like manner as "abyss," the hell where and from which are such falsities.

[17] The "pit:"

Into which they let down Jeremiah the prophet, and out of which Ebed-melech and the men with him drew Jeremiah by means of old cast off and old worn out things (Jeremiah 38:6-13);

signifies the truth of doctrine falsified, the "prophet" signifying the truth of doctrine, and "to let down into the pit" signifying to be falsified; the "old castoff and old worn out things by which he was drawn out" signify the vindication and restitution of the truth of doctrine by means of such goods and truths of the sense of the letter of the Word as had not been perceived and understood, and therefore had been neglected and rejected; this is the signification of these old things; why otherwise would it be mentioned in the Divine Word that the prophet was drawn out by means of such things? From these few passages it can be seen what "well" and "pit" signify in the Word, namely, the Word and the truth of doctrine, and in the contrary sense the Word falsified and the falsity of doctrine therefrom. In some passages "well" and "pit" have a similar signification as "fountain," respecting the signification of which in both senses see above n. 483.

Notas de rodapé: