1928. 'Near the spring on the road to Shur' means that this truth was an assemblage of things which come from facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'a spring', also from that of 'a road', as well as from the meaning of 'Shur'. 'A spring', as has been stated, means truth; 'a road' means that which leads to truth and which comes from truth, as shown already in 627; while 'Shur' means factual knowledge such as is still in the desert so to speak, that is, which has not yet acquired any life. Truths that come from facts are said to acquire life when they ally or associate themselves with truths into which the celestial element of love is flowing, the source of the actual life of truth. Real things, and thus truths, exist joined together in the way that communities in heaven are joined together, to which communities they also correspond; for interiorly man is a kind of miniature heaven. Real things, or truths, which do not exist joined together in accordance with the form which heavenly communities possess have not as yet acquired any life; for prior to this the celestial element of love from the Lord cannot fittingly flow in. They first receive life when a similar form exists on both sides, that is, when the miniature heaven in man is a corresponding image of the Grand [Man]. Prior to that nobody can be called a heaven-like man.

[2] The Lord, who from Himself was to govern the whole of heaven, imposed such order while He was in the world on the truths and goods present with His External Man, that is, with His Human Essence. But because He perceived that such order did not exist with His rational conceived first, as was stated above at verses 4 and 5, He thought about and perceived the reason why. This was that natural truths arising from facts did not as yet have any life in them, that is, that heavenly order had not been imposed on them. Furthermore truths of faith never possess any life unless a person is leading a charitable life, charity being that form from which all truths of faith flow, and that in which they inhere; and when they inhere in and flow from charity they possess life. It is in charity that life resides, never in truths devoid of charity.

[3] That 'Shur' means factual knowledge that as yet has not acquired life is clear from the meaning of this name. Shur was a desert not far from the Sea Suph, and so lay in the direction of Egypt, as is clear in Moses,

Moses made Israel journey from the Sea Suph, and they went out to the desert of Shur; from there they went three days in the desert, and did not find any water. Exodus 15:22.

That it lay in the direction of Egypt is again clear in Moses where the descendants of Ishmael are the subject,

They dwelt from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt. ¹ Genesis 25:18.

And in Samuel,

Saul defeated Amalek from Havilah as you come to Shur, which is opposite Egypt'. ¹ 1 Samuel 15:7.

And elsewhere in 1 Samuel,

David spread out against the Geshurites, and the Gizrites, and the Amalekites, who inhabited the land from of old, as you come to Shur and as far as the land of Egypt. 1 Samuel 27:8.

These quotations show that 'Shur' means primary factual knowledge, in particular such as is still in the desert, that is, not yet joined to all the rest in accordance with the form which heavenly communities possess, for 'Egypt' which it was opposite ² means knowledge in every sense, as shown already in 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462.

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1951. 'And he will dwell in opposition to ¹ all his brothers' means incessant strife against things of faith, but rational truth will nevertheless be the conqueror. This is clear from what has just been stated, and the matter is described more fully still where the descendants of Ishmael are referred to, in these words,

They dwelt from Havilah to Shur which is opposite Egypt ² as you come towards Asshur. (His lot) fell opposite all his brothers. ³ Genesis 25:18.

The internal sense of these words is evident from the meaning of Havilah, Shur, Egypt, and Assyria. 'Havilah' means that which is connected with intelligence, as is evident from what has been shown in 115. 'Shur' means truth stemming from facts, dealt with above in 1928, 'Egypt' everything that is connected with knowledge, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, and 'Assyria' that which is connected with reason, 119, 1186. From the meanings of these names when used together so as to present a single concept it is clear that Ishmael represents such a rational. In the next life such truth is represented in various ways, but always as that which is strong, powerful, and hard, to such a degree that it cannot be resisted at all. The mere thought of such truth produces in spirits a sense of terror for the reason that its nature is such that it does not yield, and so does not retreat. These considerations also show what is meant by 'dwelling in opposition to ¹ all his brothers'. Anyone may recognize that an arcanum lies within this description, but up to now the nature of it has not been known.

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