2439. 'Therefore he called the name of the city Zoar' means the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of that city as the affection for good, that is to say, the affection for good that is the fruit of knowledge, which is the affection for truth, dealt with in 1589, and from the meaning of 'calling the name' as knowing the essential nature of some person or thing, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 2009. Here the meaning is that little truth was present, for the name 'Zoar' in the original language means little or small. People with the affection for truth possess little truth because they possess little good in comparison with those with the affection for good; see above 2429

[2] What is more, truths which are in themselves truths are more true with one person, less so with another; and with some they are not truths at all but indeed falsities. This becomes clear from almost all things which in themselves are truths. For truths as they reside-with the individual vary according to his affections. For example, the doing of a good work or the good of charity is in itself a truth to be put into practice. With one person it is the good of charity because it flows from charity, with another a work of obedience because it flows from obedience, with others it is a merit-seeking because they wish by means of it to earn merit and salvation, but with certain people it is a hypocritical action which they do to be seen by others; and so on. So it is with all other truths which are called truths of faith. From this it also becomes clear that much truth resides with people with the affection for good, but less truth with those with the affection for truth; for the latter look on good as something rather remote from themselves while the former look on it as something present within themselves.

2429. 'It is small' means from the small amount of it which he had. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a city' as truth, dealt with immediately above. The reference to its being 'small' means a small amount of truth, here acting from the small amount he had, as is clear from what comes before and after. As regards this matter, namely that those with the affection for truth possess little truth in comparison with those with the affection for good, this becomes clear from the consideration that they see truth from a poor and obscure good residing with them.

[2] The truth present with someone is altogether as is the good with him. Where there is little good there is little truth. They are present in the same ratio and are of the same degree, or as people say, they march in step with each other. This may indeed seem a paradox but it is nevertheless the truth. Good is the actual essence of truth, and truth without its essence is not truth. Although it looks as though it were, it is no more than something that merely resounds, and is like an empty vessel.

[3] For anyone to have the truth within him he must not only know it, but also acknowledge it and have faith in it. When he does he possesses truth for the first time, for in that case it has an influence on him and remains. It is different when he merely knows the truth but does not acknowledge it and have faith in it. In that case he does not have the truth within him, as applies to many who are governed by evil. They can know of truths, sometimes better than anybody else, but they nevertheless do not possess it. Indeed their possession of it is so much the less because at heart they deny it.

[4] It is provided by the Lord that no one should possess - that is, acknowledge and believe - a greater amount of truth than of the good which he receives. This is why here it is said of the city, which means truth, that 'it is small', and again in this same verse 'is it not small?' and also in verse 22 that 'he called the name of the city Zoar', which means small in the original language. The reason for this is that the subject here is people with the affection for truth, and not so much with the affection for good.