Arcana Coelestia # 9024
9024. 'And when men quarrel' means contention among them regarding truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'quarrelling' as contending, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'men' as those who have intelligence and are guided by truths, and in the abstract sense intellectual concepts, and truths, dealt with in 3134, 9007. Consequently 'quarrelling by men' means contention regarding truths that takes place among those belonging to the Church, and in the abstract sense such contention taking place within oneself. For in the spiritual sense 'quarrelling' is contention regarding such things as are the concern of the Church, therefore regarding matters of faith. Nothing other than this is meant in the Word by 'quarrelling', because the Word is spiritual and deals with spiritual matters, that is, with those which have to do with the Lord, His kingdom in heaven, and His kingdom on earth, which is the Church. The fact that 'quarrelling' in the Word means contention regarding truths, and in general contention in support of truths against falsities, as well as defence against and deliverance from falsities, is evident from the following places:
[2] In Jeremiah,
A clamour is coming even to the end of the earth, because Jehovah's quarrel is against the nations. Judgement will come in with all flesh; He will hand the wicked over to the sword. Behold, evil will go out from nation to nation, and a great tempest will be raised up from the sides of the earth. Jeremiah 25:31-32.
In these prophetic statements a perverted state of the Church is described. 'A clamour' is contention in support of falsities against truths and in support of evils against forms of good, 'the earth' being the Church. 'Jehovah's quarrel is against the nations' is contention by the Lord in support of truths against falsities, and in support of forms of good against evils, thus also defence, 'the nations' being falsities and evils. 'The sword' is falsity engaged in conflict and conquering, 'a great tempest' is falsity reigning, and 'the sides of the earth' are the place where falsities arising from evil burst out.
[3] In the same prophet,
Jehovah will act for them in their quarrel 1 , that He may give rest to the land. Jeremiah 50:34.
'Acting for them in their quarrel' stands for defending truths against falsities and delivering, 'the land' standing for the Church, which has 'rest' when it is governed by good and consequently guided by truths. In the same prophet,
O Lord, You have acted for my soul in its quarrels, 2 You have delivered my life. Lamentations 3:58.
'Acting for the soul in its quarrels' stands for defending and delivering from falsities. In David,
Act for me in my a, quarrel 3 and redeem me; give me life according to Your word. Psalms 119:154.
Here also 'acting in the quarrel' stands for delivering from falsities. In Micah,
Quarrel with the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Micah 6:1.
'Quarrelling with the mountains' stands for contending and defending against the haughty, and also against the evils of self-love. 'The hills which will hear the voice' are the humble and those who have charity. In Isaiah,
I will not quarrel eternally, nor will I be angry forever. Isaiah 57:16.
'Quarrelling' stands for contending against falsities. In Hosea, Jehovah has a quarrel wit Judah. Hosea 12:2
Here the meaning is similar. There are other places in addition to these.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. literally, will quarrel their quarrel, i.e. will plead their cause
2. literally, You have quarrelled my soul's quarrels
3. literally, Quarrel my quarrel
Exodus 21
1
"Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them.
2
"If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.
3
If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4
If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.
5
But if the servant shall plainly say, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free;'
6
then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever.
7
"If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do.
8
If she doesn't please her master, who has married her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.
9
If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her as a daughter.
10
If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights.
11
If he doesn't do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.
12
"One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,
13
but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen: then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee.
14
If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
15
"Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.
16
"Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
17
"Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
18
"If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he doesn't die, but is confined to bed;
19
if he rises again and walks around with his staff, then he who struck him shall be cleared: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for his healing until he is thoroughly healed.
20
"If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.
21
Notwithstanding, if he gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his property.
22
"If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman's husband demands and the judges allow.
23
But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life,
24
eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25
burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.
26
"If a man strikes his servant's eye, or his maid's eye, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for his eye's sake.
27
If he strikes out his male servant's tooth, or his female servant's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.
28
"If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible.
29
But if the bull had a habit of goring in the past, and it has been testified to its owner, and he has not kept it in, but it has killed a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall also be put to death.
30
If a ransom is laid on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is laid on him.
31
Whether it has gored a son or has gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.
32
If the bull gores a male servant or a female servant, thirty shekels of silver shall be given to their master, and the ox shall be stoned.
33
"If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and doesn't cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it,
34
the owner of the pit shall make it good. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall be his.
35
"If one man's bull injures another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live bull, and divide its price; and they shall also divide the dead animal.
36
Or if it is known that the bull was in the habit of goring in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall surely pay bull for bull, and the dead animal shall be his own.
