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...
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...
af
"Down" is used many different ways in natural language, and its spiritual meaning in the Bible is highly dependent on context. Phrases like "bowing down,"...
huis
A "house" is essentially a container - for a person, for a family, for several families or even for a large group with shared interests...
koning
The human mind is composed of two parts, a will and an understanding, a seat of loves and affections, and a seat of wisdom and...
Juda
City of Judah,' as in Isaiah 40:9, signifies the doctrine of love towards the Lord and love towards our neighbor in its whole extent.
spreek
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...
woord
'Word,' as in Psalms 119:6-17, stands for doctrine in general. 'The Word,' as in Psalms 147:18, signifies divine good united with divine truth. 'Word,' as...
Hoor
'To hearken to father and mother,' as mentioned in Genesis 28:7, signifies obedience from affection. 'To hearken,' as mentioned in Genesis 30:22, signifies providence. See...
sit
If you think about sitting, it seems fair to say that where you're sitting is more important than that you're sitting. Sitting in a movie...
troon
'The Lord's throne' signifies, in general, the whole heaven, and specifically, the spiritual heaven, and by extension, divine truth proceeding, and so, everything of heaven...
dienaars
“Servant” literally means “a person who serves another,"" and its meaning is similar in reference to the spiritual meaninngs of the Bible. Our lives in...
ingaan
All changes of place in the Bible represent changes in spiritual state. “Entering” – usually used as entering someone’s house or “going in unto” someone...
reg
'Justice' signifies both good and truth.
geregtigheid
The word "righteous" has taken on a bit of negative shading in modern language. That may be because we hear it most often as part...
hand
Scientists believe that one of the most crucial developments in the evolution of humans was bipedalism – walking on two legs. That left our hands...
vreemdeling
The word "stranger" is used many times in the Bible, and it is sometimes paired with the word "sojourner". They are different concepts in the...
bloed
The internal meaning of “blood” is a little tricky, because Swedenborg gives two meanings that seem quite different. In most cases, Swedenborg links blood with...
plek
'A dry place,' as in Luke 11:24, signifies states of evil and falsity which are in the life of someone who does the work of...
konings
The human mind is composed of two parts, a will and an understanding, a seat of loves and affections, and a seat of wisdom and...
ry
'To ride' signifies being elevated regarding the intellectual part of the mind. To ride upon a cherub,' as in Psalm 18:9, 10, denotes the Lord’s...
perde
'A horse' signifies knowledges or understanding of the Word. In an opposite sense it signifies the understanding of the Word falsified by reasonings, and likewise...
woorde
'Word,' as in Psalms 119:6-17, stands for doctrine in general. 'The Word,' as in Psalms 147:18, signifies divine good united with divine truth. 'Word,' as...
luister
Thanks to modern science, we now understand that hearing actually happens in the brain, not the ears. The ears collect vibrations in the air and...
sweer
'To sware' is a binding.
Líbanon
'Lebanon' signifies spiritual good. 'Lebanon' signifies the church regarding the perception of truth from the rational self.
woestyn
'Wilderness' signifies something with little life in it, as described in the internal sense in Luke 1:80 'Wilderness' signifies somewhere there is no good because...
stede
In the ancient world cities were very nearly nations unto themselves – they existed within walls, with their own laws and customs, generally centered on...
bewoon
'Inhabit' refers to good.
heilig
'To sanctify' denotes being led by the Lord. 'To sanctify' denotes being incapable of being violated.
vuur
Just as natural fire can be both comforting in keeping you warm or scary in burning down your house, so fire in the spiritual sense...
baie
Intellectual things – ideas, knowledge, facts, even insight and understanding – are more separate and free-standing than emotional things, and it’s easier to imagine numbering...
nasies
'A nation,' as in Genesis 21:18, signifies the spiritual church which should receive the good of faith. Nation from afar,' as in Jeremiah 5:17, signifies...
Stad
In the ancient world cities were very nearly nations unto themselves – they existed within walls, with their own laws and customs, generally centered on...
groot
The word "great" is used in the Bible to represent a state with a strong degree of love and affection, of the desire for good;...
God
When the Bible speaks of "Jehovah," it is representing love itself, the inmost love that is the essence of the Lord. That divine love is...
gode
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...
land
Land' in the Word, denotes the church, for the things which signify the church also signify the things relating to the church, for these constitute...
geboorte
'Nativity,' as in Genesis 10:32, signifies reformation. Out of thy nativity and out of thy father's house,' as in Genesis 12:1, signifies corporeal and worldly...
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...
seun
A child is a young boy or girl in the care of parents, older than a suckling or an infant, but not yet an adolescent....
sterwe
Dead (Gen. 23:8) signifies night, in respect to the goodnesses and truths of faith.
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...
gee
Like other common verbs, the meaning of "give" in the Bible is affected by context: who is giving what to whom? In general, though, giving...
vensters
'Window' signifies truth in the light.
geëet
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...
gedrink
Food in the Bible represents the desire for good, and water and other drinks represent the understanding and true ideas we need to recognize what...
behoeftige
In most cases, those described as "needy" in the Bible are those who lack true knowledge of the Lord and his teachings, but have a...
oë
It’s common to say “I see” when we understand something. And indeed, “seeing” in the Bible represents grasping and understanding spiritual things. So it makes...
hart
The heart means love. A good heart means love to the Lord and to the neighbor while a hard or stony heart means the love...
wins
Gain denotes every false principle derived from evil, which perverts the judgment of the mind.
broer
Brethren (Gen. 27:29) signify the affections of good.
suster
The Lord calls people who are in truth from the good of charity from Him 'sisters,' as in Matthew 12:50. 'Sister' denotes intellectual truth, when...
Jerusalem
Jerusalem, on Mount Zion, signifies the doctrine of love to the Lord, and how it governs your life. Jerusalem first comes to our attention in...
stem
'Voice' signifies what is announced from the Word. 'Voice' often refers and is applied to things that cannot have a voice, as in Exodus 4,...
verbreek
To “break” something creates an image that is much different from “attacking,” “destroying,” or “shattering.” It is less emotional, less violent in its intent; it...
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...
geluister het
'To hearken to father and mother,' as mentioned in Genesis 28:7, signifies obedience from affection. 'To hearken,' as mentioned in Genesis 30:22, signifies providence. See...
wind
Because a nearer and stronger divine influx through the heavens disperses truths among the wicked, 'wind' signifies this dispersion of truth and the resulting conjunction...
herders
The Writings tell us that shepherds represent those who lead and teach others, using knowledge and true ideas to help people reach the goodness of...
beskaamd
To be ashamed (Gen 2:25) signifies to be in evil
skande
On a natural level, there are a variety of things that can cause shame. We might be ashamed of physical weakness or ugliness; we might...
boosheid
'Wickedness' signifies evil, and 'iniquity' signifies falsities.
kom
As with common verbs in general, the meaning of “come” in the Bible is highly dependent on context – its meaning is determined largely by...
Gonja
Coniah (King of Judah) and his seed signify the same as Satan and his seed; viz., the internal false principle.
soek
The meaning of "to seek" in the Bible is pretty straightforward, but there is a bit of nuance: Swedenborg tells us that in most cases...
Chaldeërs
Chaldea was a land lying along the Euphrates river near its mouth, south of Babylon, part of what is now southern Iraq. It was a...
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...
gebaar
In a general sense, being "born" in the Bible represents one spiritual state producing another, usually some form of love or affection producing or "giving...
Gebore
In a general sense, being "born" in the Bible represents one spiritual state producing another, usually some form of love or affection producing or "giving...
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...
terug
Everyone knows the phrase "the natural order of things." It means that everything is in its proper place, occupying the niche it is meant to...
man
The relationship between men and women is deep and nuanced, and one entire book of the Writings – Conjugial Love or Love in Marriage –...
veragte
We tend to think of "despising" something or someone as just a strong way of expressing dislike, but there is a further shade of meaning...
skryf
In John 8:2-11, the Lord wrote twice on the ground, when the woman taken in adultery was brought to him, which signifies the condemnation of...
voorspoedig
'To be made to prosper' signifies being provided for. Which is why 'Jehovah made it prosper in his hand' means Divine Providence.
dae
"Day" describes a state in which we are turned toward the Lord, and are receiving light (which is truth) and heat (which is a desire...
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