門
"Gates" in ancient times had a significance that does not hold in the modern world. Cities then were enclosed by walls for protection; gates in...
關
There are only a couple of references in the Writings to "close" used as a verb, and both stem from Amos 9:11, which talks about...
說
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...
進入
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...
以色列
'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...
神
The Lord is love itself, expressed in the form of wisdom itself. Love, then, is His essence, His inmost. Wisdom - the loving understanding of...
坐
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...
吃
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...
帶
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...
北
'North' signifies people who are in obscurity regarding truth. North,' in Isaiah 14:31, signifies hell. The North,' as in Jeremiah 3:12, signifies people who are...
來
Coming (Gen. 41:14) denotes communication by influx.
看
To look,' as in Genesis 18:22, signifies thinking, because seeing denotes understanding. Look not back behind thee,' as in Genesis 19:17, means that Lot, who...
耶和華的
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...
法
All laws, even civil and judicial laws, which are in the Word, correspond to the laws of good and truth, which are in heaven.
心
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...
聽
'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...
聖
'Sanctuary' signifies the truth of heaven and the church. 'Sanctuary,' as in Ezekiel 24:21, signifies the Word.
偶像
Idols of stone signify worship from falsities of doctrine. Idols of wood signify worship from evils of doctrine. Idols of silver signify worship from what...
近
'Nigh' denotes truth in affinity with good.
羞辱
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...
祭司
Priests' represent the Lord regarding His divine good. When they do not acknowledge the Lord, they lose their signification of the Lord.
衣服
It is said, in Deuteronomy 22:11, "Thou shalt not wear a garment of diverse sorts; as of woolen and linen together…”. This means that the...
頭
The head is the part of us that is highest, which means in a representative sense that it is what is closest to the Lord....
麻布
Flax, as in Exodus 9:31, signifies truth of the natural exterior principle. A smoking flax, as in Isaiah 42:3, signifies a little of truth from...
成聖
'To sanctify' denotes being led by the Lord. 'To sanctify' denotes being incapable of being violated.
長
'Long' and thence to prolong, refer to good.
喝酒
To be drunken without wine (Isa. 29:9), are they who are unconcerned about the Word, and the truths of faith, and thus have no inclination...
處女
'Virgins,' as in Revelation 14:4, signify people who love truths because they are truths, so from a spiritual affection. 'Virgin' signifies the church as a...
知道
Like so many common verbs, the meaning of "know" in the Bible is varied and dependent on context. And in some cases – when it...
站立
'To stand,' and 'come forth' as in Daniel 7:10, refers to truth. In Genesis 24:13, it signifies a state of conjunction of divine truth with...
條例
'Ordinances' in the prophets, signify changes relative to spiritual and celestial things, both in general and particular, which are also compared to the changes of...
安息日
In Exodus 31:13, 'verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep,' signifies continuous holy thought about the union of the Lord’s divine with His human.
死
Dead (Gen. 23:8) signifies night, in respect to the goodnesses and truths of faith.
父親
Father in the Word means what is most interior, and in those things that are following the Lord's order, it means what is good. In...
母親
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...
兒子
'A son,' as in Genesis 5:28, signifies the rise of a new church. 'Son,' as in Genesis 24:3, signifies the Lord’s rationality regarding good. 'A...
女兒
"Behold I have two daughters,” etc. (Gen. 19:8), signifies the affections of good and truth, and the blessedness perceivable from the enjoyment thereof, by those...
人
The relationship between men and women is deep and nuanced, and one entire book of the Writings – Conjugial Love or Love in Marriage –...
後
'A hind,' as mentioned in Genesis 49:21, signifies the affection of natural truth.
七
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,...
罪
In the Word three terms are used to mean bad things that are done. These three are transgression, iniquity, and sin, and they are here...
給
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...
鳥
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...
獸
"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...
撕裂
'Torn,' as in Genesis 31:38, signifies death caused by another, so evil without blame. 'Torn' relates to good, which falsity is injected into, which means...
