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.

6422. 'And hate him, do the archers' means with utter hostility. This is clear from the meaning of 'hatred' as utter hostility, for one who hates another treats him, so far as he can, with utter hostility; and from the meaning of 'the archers' here as those who are opposed to members of the spiritual Church. For one who shoots with the bow or an archer is the spiritual man, for the reason that 'a bow' means matters of doctrine which the spiritual Church possesses, 2686, 2709, and therefore in the contrary sense one who shoots with the bow or an archer is he who as an enemy fights against the spiritual man. For the meaning of one who shoots with the bow or an archer as the spiritual man, see 2686, 2709. From this it is evident that 'hate him, do the archers' means that those led by falsities treat with utter hostility the member of the spiritual Church.