142. Verses 19-20 And Jehovah God formed out of the ground every beast of the field, and every bird of the air, ¹ and He brought it to the man to see what he would call it; and whatever the man called it, the living creature, ² that was its name. And the man gave names to every beast, and to the birds of the air, ¹ and to every wild animal of the field; but for man there was not found a help suitable for him.

'Beasts' means celestial affections, 'birds of the air' ³ spiritual ones; that is, 'beasts' means things that belong to the will, and 'birds' those that belong to the understanding. 'Bringing them to the man to see what he would call them' means enabling him to know their nature. 'He gave them names means that he did recognize their nature. But even though he knew the nature of the affections for good and the cognitions of truth which the Lord had granted him, he still set his heart on the proprium, which is expressed in the same way as before - 'there was not found a help suitable for him'.

Poznámky pod čarou:

246. 'Beast' and 'wild animal of the field' mean affections. This becomes clear from what has been stated already in 45, 46, about 'beast' and 'wild animal', to which let the following quotation from David be added,

You shake down a shower of blessings, O God; Your heritage which is labouring, You strengthen; Your wild animals will dwell in it. Psalms 68:9-10.

Here also 'wild animal' stands for the affection for good, since it is going 'to dwell in God's heritage'. The reason 'beast' and 'wild animal of the field' are mentioned here, as also in Genesis 2:19, 20, but 'beast' and 'wild animal of the earth' in Genesis 1:24-25, is that the subject is the Church, that is, man when regenerate, whereas in Chapter 1 the subject is the time when the Church does not exist, that is, when man has yet to be regenerated; for 'field' is a term applying to the Church, that is, to man when regenerate.