איש
The relationship between men and women is deep and nuanced, and one entire book of the Writings – Conjugial Love or Love in Marriage –...
ישראל
'Israel,' in Jeremiah 23:8, signifies the spiritual natural church. The children of Israel dispersed all the literal sense of the Word by falsities. 'The children...
לפני
In most cases, the meaning of "before" is pretty straightforward, both as a way of assessing relative time, and in its use meaning "in someone's...
יהוה
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...
בא
As with common verbs in general, the meaning of “come” in the Bible is highly dependent on context – its meaning is determined largely by...
פארן
'Paran' or 'Elparan' signifies a state of illumination from the Lord’s divine human.
לנו
Angels do give us guidance, but they are mere helpers; the Lord alone governs us, through angels and spirits. Since angels have their assisting role,...
יעקב
Jacob is told twice that his name will now be Israel. The first time is when he wrestles with an angel on his journey to...
מלך
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...
ראובן
'Reuben,' in the highest sense, signifies omniscience. In a spiritual sense, he signifies wisdom, intelligence, science, and faith. In a natural sense, he signifies sight....
יהודה
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.
שמע
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...
קול
'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,...
רב
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...
אמר
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...
מריבה
'Meribah' signifies things pertaining to the spiritual church.
ידע
Like so many common verbs, the meaning of "know" in the Bible is varied and dependent on context. And in some cases – when it...
היום
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...
מברכת
The Lord is perfect love expressed as perfect wisdom. He created us so that He could love us, could give us love and wisdom of...
שמים
"Air" in the Bible represents thought, but in a very general way – more like our capacity to perceive ideas and the way we tend...
תחת
In the Bible, things that are lower down, or under, physically, generally represent things that are lower or more external spiritually. In some cases, the...
שמש
The 'sun' signifies celestial and spiritual love. The 'sun' in the Word, when referring to the Lord, signifies His divine love and wisdom. Because the...
ארץ
"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...
יוסף
Joseph, Jacob’s eleventh son, is one of the favorite characters in the Bible, with his troubles, his triumphs over them, and his constant trust in...
בכור
When the Bible talks about generations or birth order, the internal meaning has to do with the progression of spiritual states and their relative importance....
אפרים
Ephraim was the second son born to Joseph in Egypt and was, along with his older brother Manasseh, elevated by Jacob to the same status...
מנשה
'Manasseh' signifies the will of the spiritual church.
שמח
To make glad signifies influx and reception from joy of heart.
הר
'Hills' signify the good of charity.
חול
'Sand,' as in Matthew 7:27, signifies faith separate from charity.
גד
Gad, in a supreme sense, signifies omnipotence; in a spiritual sense, the good of life, or use; and in a natural sense, works. Gad, in...
זרוע
Arms and feet (Daniel 10:6) signify the exterior things of the Word, which are its literal sense.
דן
The tribe of Dan (Jer. 8:16) signifies truth in its own ultimate degree of order, here truth in the church, which is contained in the...
אריה
'A lion' signifies the good of celestial love and the truth from that good.
נפתלי
'Naphtali' in a supreme sense, signifies the proper power of the Lord’s divine human. In a spiritual sense, he signifies temptation and victory and a...
ים
Water generally represents what Swedenborg calls “natural truth,” or true concepts about day-to-day matters and physical things. Since all water ultimately flows into the seas,...
ברזל
Brass and iron as in Isaiah 48:4 and Daniel 7:19 signify what is hard.
רכב
'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...
אויב
An enemy in the Bible refers to people who are in the love of evil and the false thinking that springs from evil. On a...
עין
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...
טל
Dew, in Deut. 32:2 signifies the multiplication of truth from good, and the fructification of good by truth.
מגן
'A shield' signifies defense which is trusted against evils and falsities. In respect to the Lord, it signifies defense, and in respect to people, confidence...
חרב
A 'sword,' in the Word, signifies the truth of faith combating and the vastation of truth. In an opposite sense, it signifies falsity combating and...
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