Arcana Coelestia # 9222
9222. And a prince in thy people thou shall not execrate. That this signifies that neither are the doctrines of truth to be blasphemed, is evident from the signification of “a prince,” as being the primary truths of the church (see n. 5044); from the signification of “a people,” as being those who are in truths of doctrine (n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295, 3581, 7207); and from the signification of “execrating,” as being to blaspheme. How closely these things are connected, is evident from the internal sense; for by “not to curse God” is signified not to blaspheme truth Divine, and by “not to execrate a prince” is signified not to blaspheme the doctrine of truth. Truth Divine is the Word, and the doctrine of the church is the truth thence derived. A few words may be said about the blaspheming of truth Divine. Truth Divine is the Word, and is doctrine from the Word. Those blaspheme who at heart deny these, even though with the mouth they may praise the Word, and preach it. The blasphemy is hidden in the denial, and it emerges when they are left by themselves, especially in the other life; for there hearts speak, after outward things have been removed.
[2] Those who blaspheme, that is, deny the Word, are unable to receive anything of the truth and good of faith; for the Word teaches the existence of the Lord, of heaven and hell, of the life after death, of faith and charity, and of many other things, which without the Word, that is, without revelation, would be quite unknown (n. 8944); and therefore those who deny the Word cannot receive anything of what the Word teaches; for when they either read or hear it, a negative attitude presents itself, which either extinguishes the truth, or turns it into falsity.
[3] Wherefore the very first thing with the man of the church is to believe the Word; and this is the chief thing with him who is in the truth of faith and the good of charity. But with those who are in the evils of the love of self and of the world, the chief thing is not to believe the Word, for they reject it the moment they think about it, and likewise blaspheme it. If a man were to see the magnitude and the nature of the blasphemies against the Word that exist with those who are in the evils of these loves, he would be horrified. While the man himself is in the world he is not aware of this, because these blasphemies are hidden behind the ideas of that active thought which with men passes into speech. Nevertheless they are revealed in the other life, and appear horrible.
[4] Blasphemies are of two kinds; there are those which come forth from the understanding and not at the same time from the will; and those which come forth from the will through the understanding. It is these latter blasphemies which are so horrible; but not the former. Those which come forth from the will through the understanding are from evil of life; but those which come forth from the understanding only, and not at the same time from the will, are from falsity of doctrine, or from the fallacies of the external senses, which deceive a man who is held fast in ignorance. These things have been said in order that it may be known how the case is with the blaspheming of truth Divine, that is, of the Word and its derivative doctrine, which is signified by “cursing God and execrating a prince of the people.”
Genesis 10
1
Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
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The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
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The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
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The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
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Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations.
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The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
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The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.
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Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth.
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He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. Therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Yahweh."
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The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
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Out of that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,
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and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (the same is the great city).
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Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,
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Pathrusim, Casluhim (which the Philistines descended from), and Caphtorim.
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Canaan became the father of Sidon (his firstborn), Heth,
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the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite,
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the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite,
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the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad.
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The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you go toward Gerar, to Gaza; as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, to Lasha.
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These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, in their nations.
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To Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, to him also were children born.
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The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.
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The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
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Arpachshad became the father of Shelah. Shelah became the father of Eber.
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To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. His brother's name was Joktan.
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Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
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Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
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Their dwelling was from Mesha, as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.
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These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, after their nations.
32
These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations. Of these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.
