Here are some excerpts from Swedenborg's "Arcana Coelestia" that help explain the inner meaning of this chapter:

AC 190. The third state of the Most Ancient Church is treated of, which so desired its Own as to love it.

AC 191. Because from the love of self, that is, their own love, they began to believe nothing that they did not apprehend by the senses, the sensuous part is represented by the "serpent;" the love of self, or their own love, by the "woman;" and the rational by the "man."

AC 192. Hence the "serpent," or sensuous part, persuaded the woman to inquire into matters pertaining to faith in the Lord in order to see whether they are really so, which is signified by "eating of the tree of knowledge;" and that the rational of man consented, is signified by "the man that he did eat" (verses 1-6).

AC 193. But they perceived that they were in evil; from which remnant of perception, signified by their "eyes being opened," and by their "hearing the voice of Jehovah" (verses 7, 8), and from the fig-leaves of which they made themselves girdles (verse 7), and from their shame or hiding in the midst of the tree of the garden (verses 8, 9), as well as from their acknowledgment and confession (verses 10-13), it is evident that natural goodness still remained in them.

AC 234. The subsequent state of the church down to the flood is here described; and as at that time the church utterly destroyed itself, it is foretold that the Lord would come into the world and save the human race.

AC 235. Being unwilling to believe anything that could not be apprehended by the senses, the sensuous part which is the "serpent," cursed itself, and became infernal (verse 14).

AC 236. Therefore to prevent all mankind from rushing into hell, the Lord promised that He would come into the world (verse 15).

AC 237. The church is further described by the "woman," which so loved self or the Own as to be no longer capable of apprehending truth, although a rational was given them that should "rule" (verse 16).

AC 238. The quality of the rational is then described, in that it consented, and thus cursed itself, and became infernal, so that reason no longer remained, but ratiocination (verse 17).

AC 239. The curse and vastation are described, and also their ferine nature (verse 18).

AC 240. Next, their aversion to everything of faith and love; and that thus from being man they became not men (verse 19).

AC 280. The Most Ancient Church, and those who fell away, are here summarily treated of; thus also its posterity down to the flood, when it expired.

AC 281. Of the Most Ancient Church which was celestial, and from the life of faith in the Lord, called "Eve," and the "mother of all living" (verse 20).

AC 282. Of its first posterity, in which there was celestial spiritual good; and of its second and third, in which there was natural good, signified by the "coat of skin which Jehovah God made for the man and his wife" (verse 21).

AC 283. Of the fourth posterity, in which natural good began to be dissipated, and which, had they been created anew or instructed in the celestial things of faith, would have perished, which is meant by, "Lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of lives, and eat, and live to eternity" (verse 22).

AC 284. Of the fifth posterity, which was deprived of all good and truth, and was reduced to the state in which they had been previous to regeneration, which is meant by his being "sent forth out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken" (verse 23).

AC 285. Of the sixth and seventh posterities, in that they were deprived of all memory-knowledge (scientia) of what is good and true, and were left to their own filthy loves and persuasions; this being provided lest they should profane the holy things of faith,-which is signified by his being "driven out, and cherubim being made to dwell at the garden, with the flame of a sword, to keep the way of the tree of lives" (verse 24).

190. Genesis 3:1-13

1. And the serpent was subtle, more than every wild animal of the field that Jehovah God had made. And it said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2. And the woman said to the serpent, Of the fruit from the tree of the garden we are to eat.

3. But of the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden God has said, You shall not eat of it nor touch it, or else you will die.

4. And the serpent said to the woman, You will certainly not die.

5. For God knows that on the day in which you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

6. And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was appetizing to the eyes, and a tree desirable for imparting intelligence; and she took from its fruit and ate; and she also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

7. And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made girdles for themselves.

8. And they heard Jehovah God's voice going to and fro in the garden in the breeze of the daytime; and the man hid himself, and so did his wife, from the face of Jehovah God, in the middle of the tree of the garden.

9. And Jehovah God called out to the man and said to him, Where are you?

10. And he said, I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11. And He said, Who pointed out to you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree concerning which I commanded you that you should not eat from it?

12. And the man said, The woman whom You gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I did eat.

13. And Jehovah God said to the woman, Why have you done this? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate.

CONTENTS

The subject is the third state of the Most Ancient Church, which set their heart on the proprium, even to the point of loving it.