hemel
"Air" in the Bible represents thought, but in a very general way – more like our capacity to perceive ideas and the way we tend...
aarde
"Earth" in the Bible can mean a person or a group of like-minded people as in a church. But it refers specifically to the external...
God
The Lord is called "Jehovah" in the Bible when the text is referring to his essence, which is love itself. He is called "God" when...
sewende
The number 'seven' was considered holy, as is well known, because of the six days of creation, and the seventh, which is the celestial self,...
dag
The expression 'even to this day' or 'today' sometimes appears in the Word, as in Genesis 19:37-38, 22:14, 26:33, 32:32, 35:20, and 47:26. In a...
werk
'Works,' as in Genesis 46:33, denote goods, because they are from the will, and anything from the will is either good or evil, but anything...
geheilig
'To sanctify' denotes being led by the Lord. 'To sanctify' denotes being incapable of being violated.
Here
The Lord, in the simplest terms, is love itself expressed as wisdom itself. In philosophic terms, love is the Lord's substance and wisdom is His...
veld
A "field" in the Bible usually represents the Lord's church, and more specifically the desire for good within the church. It's where good things start,...
plante
Every herb in the Word signifies some species of scientifics. 'Herb bearing seed,' as mentioned in Genesis 1:29, signifies every truth which regards use. 'Green...
laat reën
'Rain,' in a positive sense, denotes blessing, but in the opposite sense, damnation Rain,' as in Genesis 2:5-6, Exodus 34:25-27, and Hosea 6:3, signifies the...
reën
'Rain,' in a positive sense, denotes blessing, but in the opposite sense, damnation Rain,' as in Genesis 2:5-6, Exodus 34:25-27, and Hosea 6:3, signifies the...
grond
Is there any difference in meaning between “earth” and “ground”? At first it doesn’t seem so; both refer to the soil making up the land...
stof
Dust, in Ezekiel 26:12, signifies the lowest things which are of the sensual principle of man. In Isaiah 40:12, the dust signifies exterior or natural...
neus
'A nose' signifies the life of good, because of the respiration which happens through it, which is life in the internal sense, and because of...
lewe
'Lives' is used in the plural, because of the will and understanding, and because these two lives make one.
lewende
'Lives' is used in the plural, because of the will and understanding, and because these two lives make one.
siel
The nature of the soul is a deep and complicated topic, but it can be summarized as "spiritual life," who we are in terms of...
tuin
Plants, in general, represent knowledge, ideas and intellectual concepts – things of the mind. Plant the best and most beautiful of those in one place,...
geplant
'A shrub' signifies the knowledges of truth.
Eden
According to the Writings, “Eden” by itself means love, in most cases the love that comes from the Lord and our love for the Lord,...
bome
In general, plants in the Bible represent facts, thoughts and ideas – intellectual things. This makes sense: Plants are rooted in place, but can grow...
om
‘To grow’ signifies to be perfected.
sien
The symbolic meaning of "seeing" is "understanding," which is obvious enough that it has become part of common language (think about it; you might see...
boom
In general, plants in the Bible represent facts, thoughts and ideas – intellectual things. This makes sense: Plants are rooted in place, but can grow...
middel
'Middle' denotes what is primary, principal, or inmost.
kwaad
'Wickedness' signifies evil, and 'iniquity' signifies falsities.
rivier
'Rivers' signify truths in abundance serving the rational self, and so, the understanding, for the purpose of doctrine and life. 'Rivers' or 'floods' signify temptations....
vier
The number "four" in the Bible represents things being linked together or joined. This is partly because four is two times two, and two represents...
naam
It's easy to see that names are important in the Bible. Jehovah changed Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah, changed Jacob to Israel and...
land
Generally in the Bible a "country" means a political subdivision ruled by a king, or sometimes a tribe with a territory ruled by a king...
Háwila
'Havilah,' as mentioned in Genesis 10:28, signifies a ritual of the church called Eber. 'The land of Havilah,' as mentioned in Genesis 2:11, signifies the...
goud
Gold means good, and just as gold was the most precious metal known to ancient mankind so it represents the good of the highest and...
derde
'Three' denotes fullness, and 'a third,' not full.
Hiddékel
'The river Hiddekel,' as mentioned in Genesis 2:14, signifies reason, or the clarity and lucidity of reason.
vierde
The number "four" in the Bible represents things being linked together or joined. This is partly because four is two times two, and two represents...
Tuin van eden
According to the Writings, “Eden” by itself means love, in most cases the love that comes from the Lord and our love for the Lord,...
bevel
To command is to give an order that something must be done, and is directed to an individual, or a group. It is an imperative,...
eet
When we eat, our bodies break down the food and get from it both energy and materials for building and repairing the body. The process...
daarvan eet
When we eat, our bodies break down the food and get from it both energy and materials for building and repairing the body. The process...
sterwe
Dead (Gen. 23:8) signifies night, in respect to the goodnesses and truths of faith.
gesê
As with many common verbs, the meaning of “to say” in the Bible is highly dependent on context. Who is speaking? Who is hearing? What...
voëls
Fowl signify spiritual truth; a bird, natural truth; and a winged thing, sensual truth. Fowl signify intellectual things. Fowl signify thoughts, and all that creeps...
noem
To call someone or summon someone in the Bible represents a desire for conjunction between higher and lower states of life. For instance, imagine someone...
genoem
To call someone or summon someone in the Bible represents a desire for conjunction between higher and lower states of life. For instance, imagine someone...
name
It's easy to see that names are important in the Bible. Jehovah changed Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah, changed Jacob to Israel and...
diere
"Beasts" represent the affection for doing good things, a true desire to do them from the heart. In the negative sense, "beasts" stand for the...
gevind
Finding, or being found, can have different meanings in the Word, depending on the context. Here are two examples, From Arcana Coelestia 5756, 'Behold, the...
val
Like other common verbs, the meaning of "fall" is highly dependent on context in regular language, and is highly dependent on context in a spiritual...
een
A company might have executives setting policy and strategy, engineers designing products, line workers building them, managers handling personnel and others handling various functions. They...
vlees
Flesh has several meanings just in its most obvious form. It can mean all living creatures as when the Lord talks about the flood "destroying...
bou
There are really two meanings for "build" in the Bible. When something is being built for the first time, or built in the most typical...
rib
The most famous rib in the Bible is, of course, the one taken from Man (or Adam) and formed into Woman (or Eve) in the...
vrou
The Hebrew of the Old Testament has six different common words which are generally translated as "wife," which largely overlap but have different nuances. Swedenborg...
bring
As with common verbs in general, the meaning of “bring” is highly dependent on context, but in general it represents an introduction to a new...
sê
As with many common verbs, the meaning of “to say” in the Bible is highly dependent on context. Who is speaking? Who is hearing? What...
been
Bones are strong and supportive, providing a framework for our bodies and making motion and action possible. They are also the least "alive" part of...
man
The relationship between men and women is deep and nuanced, and one entire book of the Writings – Conjugial Love or Love in Marriage –...
moeder
In general, mothers in the Bible represent the Lord's church on earth, or the church among those who know and follow the Lord. In some...
naak
Clothing in general represents day-to-day knowledge about spiritual things, held in the memory so it can be used for the goodness of life. For someone...