THE EXPLANATION of Isaiah Chapter 47

(Note: Rev. Smithson's translation of the Isaiah text is appended below the explanation.)

1. COME down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground; there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for you shalt no longer be called the tender and the delicate.

VERSES 1, 5, 8. The subject here treated of is concerning the profanation of Good and of Truth; for by the "daughter of Babylon" is signified the profanation of Good, and by the "daughter of the Chaldeans" the profanation of Truth. The reason why such things are signified by them is, because they employ the divine Goods and Truths which are in the Word and from the Word as means of bearing rule, whence the Babylonians and Chaldeans regard themselves, or their own dominion, as ends, and the holy things of the church from the Word as means; thus they do not regard the Lord and His dominion as an end, nor their neighbour, and love towards him.

To "come down and sit in the dust, and on the ground", signifies to be in evils and thence in damnation; to "sit in silence" and to "enter into darkness" signifies to be in falsities 'and thence in damnation.

To "sit or dwell in security", denotes to be in confidence that their rule or dominion will remain, and that they shall not perish; "not to sit a widow" and "not to know bereaving or loss of children", signifies not to be in want of attendants, clients, and worshippers.

"There is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shalt no longer be called the mistress of kingdoms", signifies that they shall bear rule no longer, because of their subversion and damnation in the day of the Last Judgment, which is treated of in this chapter. Arcana Coelestia 687.

Verses 1, 2. That by those who "grind meal", when mentioned in the Word, are signified those who within the church are in Truth from the affection of Good, and, in the opposite sense, those who within the church are in Truth from the affection of evil, is evident from Isaiah 47:1, 2:

"Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon", etc.

The "daughter of Babylon" stands for those, with whom the externals appear holy and good, but the interiors profane and evil. (See above, Isaiah 13 and 14, the Exposition.)

The "daughter of the Chaldeans" means those with whom the externals appear holy and true, but the interiors are profane and false.

To "take a millstone" and to "grind meal" signifies to conclude doctrines from Truths which they pervert; for "meal", which is either from wheat or from barley, signifies Truths from Good, and, in the opposite sense, Truths which they pervert for the purpose of seducing others. Arcana Coelestia 4335.

[The correspondence of "grinding meal" may be readily seen, when it is considered that the act of grinding meal is to prepare food for the nourishment of the body; which corresponds to the act of preparing food for the nourishment of the soul, which is done by instructing the mind in the Truths of the Word, and by deriving doctrine therefrom for its spiritual nourishment.]

Verses 1-3. The "daughter of Babylon" is the church, or what professes to be a church, where what is holy is in externals, but what is profane is in the internals. This profanity in the internals consists in this, that they regard themselves and the world as an end, thus dominion and abundance of riches, and the holy things [of the Word and of the church] as means to that end. To "take millstones and grind meal", is to concoct doctrine from such things as can serve, as means, to that end; to "uncover the hair, make bare the leg [or feet], and to "uncover the thigh", is, without shame and fear, to prostitute holy externals and internals; thus" your nakedness shall be revealed", is to cause what is filthy and infernal, which are the ends, to appear. Arcana Coelestia 9960.

2. Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover your locks; make bare the leg; uncover the thigh; pass through the rivers.

Verse 2. Uncover the thigh; pass through the rivers. - These things are said of "Babylon" and of "Chaldea." By "taking the millstones and grinding meal" is signified to produce falsities from evil, and to confirm them by the Word; and by "uncovering the thigh" and by "passing through the rivers" is signified to adulterate Goods by reasonings. Apocalypse Explained 1182.

That the "rivers of Chaldea" signify, in a bad sense, reasonings from fallacies and from false doctrines, also from negative principles respecting the Truths of the Word and of the church, see above, Chapter 8:7, 8, the Exposition.

3. Your nakedness shall be uncovered; even your shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance; and I will not suffer man to intercede.

Verse 3. To be "naked", in a bad sense, signifies to be deprived of the knowledges of Truth and of Good, and to "walk naked" denotes a life without such knowledges as the means [of living], thus a life not spiritual, but merely natural; hence to be "naked" signifies a life without the understanding of Truth, because without the will of Good. Thus when it is said, "Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he, walk naked, and they see his shame" (Revelation 16:15), "not to walk naked" signifies not to be without Truths, and hence without Goods; for they who are without Truths are also without Goods, since all Good is acquired by Truths.

Besides, Good without Truth is not Good, nor is Truth without Good, Truth; in order that it be Truth, it must be conjoined with Good, and in order that Good may be Good, it must be conjoined with Truth. There is indeed a Truth without Good, and a Good without Truth; but Truth without Good is dead, and also Good without Truth, for Truth has its esse from Good, and Good has its existere by Truth.

From this it is evident that by "walking naked" is signified to be without Truths, and hence without Goods.

That to "walk" signifies to be and to live, may be seen in Apocalypse Explained 787. By the "shame of nakedness", (Revelation 16:15) are signified filthy loves. But, in a good sense; to be "naked " signifies to be in innocence and in celestial love, [as was the case with Adam and Eve before the fall, Genesis 2:25.]

To "cover" or to "clothe the naked" signifies to remove, the evils of the will and the falsities of the uuderstanding, thus to instruct those who are in ignorance of Truths, and nevertheless desire them. (See the Exposition of Isaiah Chapter 58:7.) Apocalypse Explained 187, 224, 238, 1008. See also Chapter 20:2-4, the Exposition.

4. Our Redeemer, Jehovah of Hosts is His name! the Holy One of Israel!

Verse 4. Jehovah of Hosts. - See Chapter 1:9, 24, the Exposition.

5. Sit you in silence, go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shalt no longer be called the mistress of kingdoms,

Verse 5. By the "daughter of the Chaldeans" is signified the falsification of Truth; and hence by "darkness" are meant the falsities of evil, inasmuch as evil falsifies Truth. Apocalypse Explained 526.

6. I was angry with My people; I profaned My heritage; and I gave them up in to your hand: you didst not show mercy unto them; even upon the aged didst you lay very heavily your yoke.

7. And you said, I shall be a mistress for ever: so that you didst not lay these things to your heart, neither didst you remember the end thereof.

Verse 6. As to "anger", when said of the Lord, see Chapter 1:24, 9:12, 17, 21, the Exposition.

8. But hear now this, O you voluptuary, that dwells in security; that says in your heart, I am, and there is none else beside me; I shall not sit a widow; I shall not know the loss of children:

Verses 8, 9. These things also are said concerning " Babylon", and thereby are signIfied the same things as by these words in the Apocalypse:

"I am not a widow, and shall not see mourning; wherefore in one day shall her plagues come to you, death, and mourning, and famine." By "widows", in other parts of the Word, are also signified such of both sexes as are in Good but not in Truth, and yet desire Truth, thus such as are without defence against the false and evil whom however, the Lord defends. They are also understood in the opposite sense, as may be evident from Isaiah 9:17, 10:1, 2; (Jeremiah 15:7-9, 22:3. Apocalypse Explained 1121.

Verses 8-14. I shall not sit a widow; I shall not know the loss of children, etc. - That "sorcerers" [or witches] are those who conjoin the false of .the evil of self-love to the Truths of faith, and thereby perish, is evident from every particular in the above passage, viewed in the internal sense, for they are there described. The extinction of their spiritual life is described by "widowhood " and by "bereavement" [or loss of children]. "Widowhood" is the deprivation of Truth, and thence of Good; "bereavement" is the deprivation of Truth and of Good. The origin of the false, as derived from the evil of self-love is described by these words:

"Your wisdom and your knowledge have seduced you; whilst you have said in thine heart, I am, and there is none beside me"; and the evil itself of self-love is described by these words:

"Behold, they shall be like stubble; the fire shall burn them up: they shall not deliver their soul from the hand of the flame;"fire" and "flame" denote self-love. That the all of spiritual life is extinct, is described by these words:

"Therefore shall evil come upon you, which you shalt not know how to deprecate; and calamity shall fall upon you, which you shalt not be able to expiate." They are called "observers of the heavens, and gazers on the stars, and who know the new moons", [or "prognosticate concerning the months, see note] from being in external things, without an internal principle; for such see from the external man, and nothing from the internal, thus from natural lumen; and nothing from spiritual light; for "heaven", the "stars", and "new moons", in the internal sense are knowledges and scientifics, - in this case, such as are viewed from the world, and not from heaven. Arcana Coelestia 9188.

9. Yet shall these two things come upon you in a moment, in one day; loss of children and widowhood: in their perfection shall they, come upon you; because of the multitude of your sorceries, and of the great abundance of thine enchantments.

Verses 9, 12. Because of the multitude of your sorceries, and of the great abundance of thine enchantments, etc. - In the Revelation 18:23: "By your sorceries were all nations deceived." By "your sorceries" [veneficium, poisoning] are meant the abominable arts and schemes by which they have deluded and persuaded the people to worship and adore themselves instead of the Lord, therefore as the Lord; and inasmuch as the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, as He Himself teaches in Matthew 28:18, consequently as gods. That they have transferred the Lord's divine power to themselves, may be seen above, [Chapter 14, the Exposition], and since this is signified by these words, they also signify that by their abominable arts and contrivances they have turned the minds of men from the holy worship of the Lord, to the profane worship of living and dead men and of idols. That nevertheless there will be an end of these things, and that there is already an end of them in the spiritual world, has been shown in the work on the Last Judgment. This is described in the following words of Isaiah:

"Persist in thine enchantments, O Babylon, and in the multitude of your sorceries", etc. (Isaiah 47:9, 12, 14, 15.) Apocalypse Revealed 800.

By "sorcery", when mentioned in the Word, a similar thing is signified as by incantation [or enchantment], and by "incantation" is understood such a persuasion that a man does not perceive otherwise than that it is so. Such a kind of persuasion exists amongst certain spirits as closes up, as it were, the understanding of another, and suffocates the faculty of perception; and as well-disposed men among the Babylonish nation [Roman Catholics] are induced and persuaded to believe and to do what the monks say, therefore it is here said that they are seduced by "sorcery." Apocalypse Explained 1191.

10. For you have trusted in your wickedness: you have said, None sees me. Your wisdom and your knowledge have Reduced you; whilst you have said in your heart, I run, and there is none beside me.

11. Therefore shall, evil come upon you, which you shalt not know how to deprecate; and calamity shall fall upon you, which you shalt not be able to expiate; and destruction shall come upon you suddenly, which you shalt not know.

Verses 10, 11. Your wisdom and your knowledge have seduced you; whilst you have said in your heart, I am, and there is none beside me, etc. - Here also they are described who believe themselves to know all things, and to be intelligent above all others, when yet they know and understand nothing of Truth; wherefore it follows that the understanding of Truth is taken away from them. Their belief that they are more intelligent than all others is understood by these words:

"Your wisdom and your knowledge have seduced you; whilst you have said in your heart, I am, and there is none beside me; and the loss of all understanding of Truth is understood by these words:

"Calamity shall fall upon you, and destruction shall come upon you." Apocalypse Explained 237.

12. Persist now in thine enchantments; and in the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have laboured from your youth; if peradventure you mayest be profited; if you mayest become terrible.

13. You art wearied in the multitude of your counsels. Let them stand up now, and let them save you, - the observers of the heavens, the gazers on the stars, they that prognosticate concerning the months, - from the things that shall come upon you.

Verse 12. As to "enchantments" or "incantations", and the modes in which they were practised in ancient times, see Chapter 3:2, the Exposition.

14. Behold, they shall be like stubble; the fire shall burn them up: they shall not deliver their soul from the hand of the flame; not a coal to warm at, not a fire to sit before it.

Verses 14, 15. By "merchandising" and "trading", in the Word, is signified to procure for one's self spiritual riches, which are the knowledges of Truth and of Goodness; and, in the opposite, the knowledges of what is false and evil, and by these to gain the world, and by the former to gain heaven; wherefore the Lord compared the kingdom of the heavens to "a merchantman seeking goodly pearls." (Matthew 13:45, 46)

By the "merchants of Babylon" no others can be meant than those of the superior and inferior orders in their ecclesiastical hierarchy, because, in Revelation 18:23, it is said that they are "the great men of the earth"; and by the means of her delicacies, through which they have become rich, no other things can be meant than dogmatic tenets, through which, as means, they procure for themselves dominion over the souls of men, and thereby also over their possessions and wealth; that they collect these without any proposed end, and fill their treasuries with them, is a known fact; also that they make a traffic with the holy things of the church, as that by means of offerings and gifts presented to monasteries and to their saints and images, and by means of masses, indulgences, and various dispensations they sell salvation, that is, heaven. Who cannot see that if the Popish dominion had not received a check at the time of the Reformation, they would have amassed together the possessions and riches of all the kingdoms of Europe, and in this case would have been sole lords, and all the rest servants? Have they not derived from former ages, when they had power over emperors and kings, whom they could excommunicate and dethrone if they did not obey them, their principal opulence and annual revenues, which are still immense, together with treasuries full of gold, silver, and jewels? The like barbarous dominion many or them have still at heart, and it is kept within bounds solely by the fear of losing what power they have, if they were to attempt to extend it beyond certain limits. But what use do they make of these vast revenues, treasures, and possessions, except to pamper themselves and gratify their pride, and to confirm their power and dominion to all eternity? From these considerations it may appear what is here signified by the "merchants of the earth", who have become rich through the means of the delicacies of Babylon. Apocalypse Revealed 759.

Verse 14. The fire shall burn them up, etc. - That "fire", in a bad sense, signifies lusts of evil which consume everything Good and True in the mind and in the church, see Chapter 9:17-19, and Chapter 50:11, the Exposition.

Not a coal to warm at, etc. [implies that their lusts of evil will remain ungratified; hence their torment.]

15. Thus shall they be unto you, with whom you have laboured; your merchants, [with whom you have dealt] from your youth: they shall wander everyone to his own quarter; none shall save you.

Verse 15. Every one to his own quarter [or his own way] , denotes that everyone, at the time of judgment, will be reduced to his final state. See the Exposition of Isaiah Chapter 13:14.

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Isaiah Chapter 47

1. COME down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground; there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for you shalt no longer be called the tender and the delicate.

2. Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover your locks; make bare the leg; uncover the thigh; pass through the rivers.

3. Your nakedness shall be uncovered; even your shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance; and I will not suffer man to intercede.

4. Our Redeemer, Jehovah of Hosts is His name! the Holy One of Israel!

5. Sit you in silence, go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shalt no longer be called the mistress of kingdoms,

6. I was angry with My people; I profaned My heritage; and I gave them up in to your hand: you didst not show mercy unto them; even upon the aged didst you lay very heavily your yoke.

7. And you said, I shall be a mistress for ever: so that you didst not lay these things to your heart, neither didst you remember the end thereof.

8. But hear now this, O you voluptuary, that dwells in security; that sayest in your heart, I am, and there is none else beside me; I shall not sit a widow; I shall not know the loss of children:

9. Yet shall these two things come upon you in a moment, in one day; loss of children and widowhood: in their perfection shall they, come upon you; because of the multitude of your sorceries, and of the great abundance of thine enchantments.

10. For you have trusted in your wickedness: you have said, None sees me. Your wisdom and your knowledge have Reduced you; whilst you have said in your heart, I run, and there is none beside me.

11. Therefore shall, evil come upon you, which you shalt not know how to deprecate; and calamity shall fall upon you, which you shalt not be able to expiate; and destruction shall come upon you suddenly, which you shalt not know.

12. Persist now in thine enchantments; and in the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have laboured from your youth; if peradventure you mayest be profited; if you mayest become terrible.

13. You art wearied in the multitude of your counsels. Let them stand up now, and let them save you, - the observers of the heavens, the gazers on the stars, they that prognosticate concerning the months, - from the things that shall come upon you.

14. Behold, they shall be like stubble; the fire shall burn them up: they shall not deliver their soul from the hand of the flame; not a coal to warm at, not a fire to sit before it.

15. Thus shall they be unto you, with whom you have laboured; your merchants, [with whom you have dealt] from your youth: they shall wander everyone to his own quarter; none shall save you.

1182. Verse 21. And one strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast into the sea, signifies confirmations of their doctrine from the Word cast with them into hell. This is evident from the signification of "strong angel," as being the Divine truth in its power (See n. 130, 200, 302, 593, 800); also from the signification of a "millstone," as being the confirmation of truth from the Word, and also the confirmation of falsity from the Word (of which presently); also from the signification of "casting into the sea," as being into hell with them; that the "sea" signifies hell, may be seen (n. 537, 538). A "millstone" signifies confirmation from the Word in both senses, because "wheat" signifies good, and "fine flour" its truth, therefore "a millstone," by which wheat is ground into fine flour, or barley into meal, signifies the production of truth from good, or the production of falsity from evil, so, too, the confirmation of truth or of falsity from the Word; as can be seen from the following passages. In Jeremiah:

I will take away from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of the millstones and the light of the lamp (Jeremiah 25:10).

Here, too, the joy of heaven and of the church is described, and "the voice of joy" signifies exultation of heart from the good of love, and "the voice of gladness" signifies glorification of soul from the truths of faith, for in the Word "joy" is predicated of good, and "gladness" of truth. "The voice of millstones" has a similar signification as "the voice of joy;" and "the light of the lamp" has a similar signification as "gladness," namely, from the truth of faith. "The voice of millstones" signifies joy of heart from the good of love, because a millstone grinds wheat into fine flour, and "wheat" signifies the good of love, and "fine flour" truth from that good.

[2] Like things are said in this chapter of Revelation, namely:

The voice of a millstone shall not be heard in thee anymore, and the light of a lamp shall not shine in thee anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and the voice of bride shall not be heard in thee anymore (Revelation 18:22-23).

These words will be explained presently. In Isaiah:

Take the millstone and grind meal, make bare the thigh passing through the rivers (Isaiah 47:2).

This is said of Babylon and Chaldea; and "to take the millstone and grind meal," signifies to bring forth falsities from evil, and to confirm them by means of the Word; and "to make bare the thigh passing through the rivers," signifies to adulterate goods by means of reasonings. In Lamentations:

The young men they led away to grind, and the boys stumbled under the wood (Lamentations 5:13).

"To lead away the young men to grind," signifies to compel those who are capable of understanding truths to falsify truths; "the boys stumble under the wood," signifies to compel those who are capable of willing goods to adulterate goods, "to grind" being to falsify truths or to confirm falsities by means of the Word, "wood" being good. In Moses:

Thou shalt not take the mill or the upper millstone for a pledge, for He receiveth the soul for a pledge (Deuteronomy 24:6).

This was among their laws, all of which corresponded to spiritual things. "Not to take a mill or millstone for a pledge" signified in the spiritual sense that the ability from good to understand truths must not be taken away from anyone, thus that no one must be deprived of goods and truths. Because this is the signification it is said, "for he receiveth the soul for a pledge," which signifies that thus one would spiritually perish. In the same:

They shall die even to the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill (Exodus 11:5).

"The firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill" signifies the chief things of faith of the natural man, that have been falsified.

[3] In Matthew:

In the end of the age two women shall be grinding, one shall be taken and the other shall be left (Matthew 24:40, 41).

"The end of the age" is the last time of the church; "the two women grinding" mean those who confirm themselves in truths and those who confirm themselves in falsities from the Word; those who confirm themselves in truths are meant by the one that shall be taken, and those who confirm themselves in falsities by the one that shall be left. In the Gospels:

Jesus said, Whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe in Me to stumble, it is profitable for him that an ass-millstone be hanged about his neck, and that he be sunk in the depths of the sea (Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2).

"To cause one of the little ones that believe in Jesus to stumble," signifies to pervert those who acknowledge the Lord; "it is profitable that an ass-millstone be hanged about the neck," signifies that it would be better for him not to know any good and truth, but only evil and falsity; this is meant by "ass millstone," and "to be hanged about the neck" means cutting one off from knowing good and truth; "to be sunk in the depths of the sea," signifies to be cast down to hell. This is profitable because to know goods and truths and to pervert them is to profane. What is meant by:

Moses burnt the calf and ground it even to powder, and sprinkled it upon the face of the waters, and made the sons of Israel to drink of it (Exodus 32:20; Deuteronomy 9:21),

may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia 10462-10466).

(Continuation)

[4] Something shall now be said about the speech of spirits with man. Many believe that man can be taught by the Lord by means of spirits speaking with him; but those who believe this and are willing to believe it do not know that it is attended with danger to their souls. So long as man is living in the world, as to his spirit he is in the midst of spirits, although spirits do not know that they are with man, nor does man know that he is with spirits; and for the reason that as to the affections of the will they are immediately conjoined, while as to the thoughts of the understanding they are mediately conjoined. For man thinks naturally, but spirits think spiritually; and natural and spiritual thought make one only by correspondences; and in a oneness by correspondences neither one of the two knows anything about the other. But as soon as spirits begin to speak with man they come out of their spiritual state into man's natural state, and they then know that they are with man and they conjoin themselves with the thoughts of his affection and speak with him from those thoughts. They can enter into no other state of man, for all conjunction is by like affection and thought therefrom, while unlike separates. For this reason the speaking spirit must be in the same principles as the man is, whether they be true or false; and these he stirs up, and through his affection conjoined to man's affection he strongly confirms them. This makes clear that none but like spirits speak with man, or manifestly operate into him, for manifest operation coincides with speech. Consequently only enthusiastic spirits speak with enthusiasts; only Quaker spirits operate upon Quakers, and only Moravian spirits upon Moravians. The same is true of Arians, Socinians, and other heretics.

[5] All spirits that speak with man were once men in the world, and were then of like character. This has been granted me to know by repeated experience. And what is absurd, when a man believes that the Holy Spirit is speaking with him or operating upon him the spirit also believes himself to be the Holy Spirit. This is common with enthusiastic spirits. All this shows the danger in which a man is who speaks with spirits, or who manifestly perceives their operation. Man does not know what the quality of his affection is, whether it be good or evil, or with what others it is conjoined; and if he is in the pride of self-intelligence the spirit within him favors every thought from that source; and the same is true when one favors certain principles enkindled by such a fire with those who are not in truths from genuine affection. Whenever a spirit from like affection favors man's thoughts or principles, one leads the other as the blind lead the blind until both fall into the pit. The Pythonists formerly were of this character, also the magi in Egypt and in Babylon, who were called wise because they talked with spirits, and because they clearly perceived the operation of spirits in themselves. But by this the worship of God was changed into the worship of demons, and the church perished. For this reason such interaction was forbidden to the sons of Israel under penalty of death.