6277. The God who feedeth me. That this signifies this Divine vivifying the good of spiritual truth from the natural, is evident from the signification of “feeding,” as being to vivify. That “to feed” is to instruct, (see n. 6044) is because a “pasture” is that which sustains the spiritual life of man (n. 6078); but “feeding” and a “pasture” are there said of a flock, whereas “feeding” is here said of Jacob-that he was sustained with food and the necessaries of life; by which in the internal sense the like is signified; for that which sustains and vivifies the life of the body, in the internal sense signifies that which sustains the spiritual life and vivifies it. That Israel represents spiritual good from the natural, has been shown above (n. 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833); and because this good which Israel represents is the good of truth, therefore the good of spiritual truth is here signified; for in the genuine sense “Israel” is the spiritual church, and the good of this church is the good of truth; because those who belong to this church are instructed about good by means of truth, and when they do according to the truth in which they are instructed, then this truth is called good. This is the good which is called the good of truth, and is represented by Israel.
