674. It has been shown already in 40 that 'birds' means intellectual or rational concepts, and in 45, 46, 142, 143, 146, that 'beasts' means desires of the will, or affections. That 'creeping thing of the ground' means the lowest things of each of these may be evident to anyone from the consideration that what creeps along the ground is the lowest of all. That 'pairs of all shall enter in to keep them alive' means the regeneration of those things was stated in the previous verse.

146. These considerations make plain the connection between the things that are meant. Verse 18 said that 'it is not good that the man should be alone, I will make for him a help suitable for him', and directly after that beasts and birds are mentioned even though they have been dealt with already. Immediately after this the statement is repeated that 'for man there was not found a help suitable for him', meaning that when he had been made aware of what he was in character as regards affections for good and cognitions of truth he still had his heart set on the proprium. In fact, people such as desire the proprium begin to despise those things that are the Lord's, no matter how well they are represented and shown to them.