10646. For Jehovah, whose name is Jealous, a jealous God is He. That this signifies that if another is worshiped, the Divine good and Divine truth will depart, is evident from the signification of “Jealous,” as being one who does not suffer anyone but Himself to be loved and worshiped; and from the signification of the “name of Jehovah,” as being everything by means of which the Lord is worshiped (see n. 2724, 3006, 6674, 9310). And as this is the Divine truth that proceeds from His Divine Human, it is the Divine Human of the Lord which in the supreme sense is meant by the “name of Jehovah” (n. 2628, 6887, 8274); for the Divine truth is the Lord Himself in heaven, because that which proceeds from Him is Himself. From the Divine, nothing else can proceed than what is Divine, and the Divine is one. From this it is evident that by, “whose name is Jealous,” is signified that the Lord does not suffer anyone but Himself to be worshiped, because from Him alone come all the truth and all the good whereby is salvation. The Lord is called “Jealous” because as soon as another is worshiped, all truth and good depart; for a man is conjoined with the Lord by means of the good and truth which are from Him; and therefore as soon as another is worshiped, disjunction takes place, and then falsity succeeds in the place of truth, and evil in the place of good.

[2] That He is twice called “jealous” is because by “Jehovah” is meant the Divine good, and by “God” the Divine truth. (That in the Word the Lord is called “Jehovah” where the Divine good is treated of, but “God” where the Divine truth is treated of, see n. 2586, 2769, 2921, 6303, 6905, 10158, 10617.) And as both the Divine good and the Divine truth depart from a man when another than the Lord is worshiped, He is twice called “jealous.”

[3] It is said that the Lord alone is to be worshiped. He who does not know how the case is with the worship of the Lord, may believe that the Lord loves to be worshiped, and desires glory from man, just like a man, who in order to be honored himself, gives others what they ask for. He who so believes has no knowledge of what love is, and still less of what love Divine is. Love Divine consists in desiring worship and glory, not for the sake of itself, but for the sake of man and his salvation; for he who worships the Lord and gives glory to the Lord is in humiliation; and what is his own departs from the man who is in humiliation; and insofar as this departs, so far the Divine is received; for what is man’s own, because it is evil and false, is that which alone obstructs the Divine. This is the glory of the Lord; and the worship of Him is for the sake of this end. Glory for the sake of self is from the love of self, and heavenly love differs from the love of self as heaven differs from hell, and infinitely more does the Divine love differ from it.

2586. For closing Jehovah had therefore closed every womb of the house of Abimelech. That this signifies barrenness, namely, of doctrine, is evident from the signification of “closing to close up the womb,” as being to prevent conception itself; and from the signification of “the house of Abimelech,” as being the good of the doctrine of faith, which shows that barrenness is signified. That up to this point in this chapter “God” is mentioned, but here for the first time “Jehovah,” is because “God” is mentioned where the subject is truth, but “Jehovah” where the subject is good. All the conception of doctrine is from good as a father, but its birth is by means of truth as a mother, as occasionally stated before. Here the conception of doctrine is treated of, and as this is from good, “Jehovah” is mentioned; whereas above its birth is treated of, and as this takes place by means of truth, “God” is mentioned, as in the verse preceding: “God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants, and they brought forth.”

[2] The case is the same elsewhere in the Word where conception is treated of, as in Isaiah:

Jehovah hath called me from the womb. Thus saith Jehovah that formed me from the womb; then shall I be precious to Jehovah; and my God shall be my strength (Isaiah 49:1, 5);

“strength” is predicated of truth, and therefore “God” is mentioned. In the same:

Thus saith Jehovah thy Maker, and thy Former from the womb (Isaiah 44:2, 24, and elsewhere).

For the same reason it is said “the house of Abimelech,” by which is signified the good of the doctrine of faith (that a “house” denotes good may be seen above, n. 2048, 2233, 2234; and that “Abimelech” denotes the doctrine of faith, n. 2509, 2510). That there is a Divine arcanum in the fact that they brought forth, and that the wombs of the house of Abimelech were shut on account of Sarah, is manifest; and this arcanum cannot possibly be disclosed except by the internal sense.