9198. 'Any widow' means those who have good that is without truth, and still have a desire for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a widow' as good that is without truth and nevertheless has a desire for truth. The reason why 'a widow' has this meaning is that 'a man' (vir) means truth and his 'wife' (mulier) good, so that when this man's wife has become a widow she means good that is without truth. But in an even more internal sense than this 'a widow' means truth that is without good, the reason being that in that sense 'a husband' (maritus) means good and his 'wife' (uxor) truth, see 3236, 4510, 4823. In this sense the Lord by virtue of His Divine Good is called 'Husband' and 'Bridegroom', while His kingdom and Church by virtue of its acceptance of Divine Truth that emanates from the Lord is called 'wife' and 'bride', 9182. But since the subject now is not the Lord's celestial Church but His spiritual Church, 'a widow' means one who has good but not truth, and still has a desire for truth. It is similar with 'an orphan'. In the inmost or celestial sense 'an orphan' means those who have good and a desire for truth. See what has been introduced and explained in 4844 regarding the meaning of 'a widow' and 'an orphan' in the celestial sense. To this let what the Lord says in Luke about the widow in Zarephath be added,

Truly I say to you that no prophet is accepted in his own country. In truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, while there was a great famine over the whole land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath of Sidon, to a woman - a widow. Luke 4:24-26.

[2] Since the Divine was the source of all the things spoken by the Lord they have an inner meaning; and the subject in that inner meaning is the Lord Himself, also His kingdom and the Church. Therefore what the Lord meant on that level of meaning by the things He said about the widow in Zarephath of Sidon may be seen if brought out into the open.

No prophet is accepted in his own country

This means that the Lord and Divine Truth that comes from Him are less well received and loved in people's hearts within the Church than outside it. The Lord spoke these words to the Jews, among whom the Church existed at that time; and as is well known, the Lord was less well received there than by gentiles who were outside the Church. The situation is similar in the Church at the present day, which takes its name Christian from Him. In this Church the Lord is indeed received in what it teaches; yet few accept Him by acknowledging Him in their heart, fewer still doing so with love and affection. The acceptance of Him by gentiles outside the Church who have been converted is different. They worship and adore Him as their one and only God; they declare with their lips and contemplate in their hearts that they acknowledge Him as their God, since He has appeared in human form, 5256. A contrary attitude exists within the Church. Here, because He was born a human being, there is scarcely any acknowledgement of Him as God in people's hearts. They make His Humanity like their own, even though they know that His Father was Jehovah and not a human being. All this shows what 'No prophet is accepted in his own country' has been used to mean in the internal sense. In this sense 'a prophet' means the Lord in respect of Divine Truth, and so in respect of the teachings of the Church. For the meaning of 'a prophet' as one who teaches, and in the abstract sense as doctrinal teachings, and - when it is used in reference to the Lord - as Divine Truth or the Word, see above in 9188 (end).

[3] There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah

In the internal sense this means the situation at that time, when God's truth coming from the Word was acknowledged in the Church. 'Widows' are those who have good that is without truth, as stated above; 'Elijah' is the Lord in respect of the Word, 'the days of Elijah' being the situation or state at that time, when God's truth coming from the Word was received; and 'Israel' is the Church.

'Elijah' represented the Lord in respect of the Word, see Preface to Genesis 18, and 2762, 5247 (end), 8029. 'Days' are states, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850, 6110, 8426. 'Israel' is the Church, 4286, 6426, 6637, 8805.

[4] When the heaven was closed for three years and six months

This means the internal Church completely laid waste, 'the heaven' meaning the internal aspect of the Church, and 'three years and six months' meaning to completeness. For the meaning of 'the heaven' as the internal aspect of the Church, see 1733, 1850, 3355, 4535. It is said to be 'closed' when it has been laid waste and exists no longer. As regards the meaning of 'three years and six months' as to completeness, this is clear from the meaning of '1260 days' in Revelation 11:3; 12:6 - this number of days making up three years and six months - as to completeness or right to the end. It is clear likewise from the meaning of 'three days and a half', Revelation 11:9-11, and also of 'a time and times and half a time' in Revelation 12:14, and in Daniel 12:7 too, as to completeness or right to the end.

[5] While there was a great famine over the whole land

This means the external Church also laid waste, for 'a famine' is an absence and want of truth and good, 3364, 5277, 5279, 5281, 5300, 5360, 5376, 5415, 5576, 6110, 7102, and 'the land' or 'the earth' is the external Church, 1262, 1413, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 3355, 4535, 5577, 8011, 8732.

Yet Elijah was sent to none of them

This means the Lord in respect of the Word, thus the Lord's Word, not sent to others, because it would not have been received elsewhere, 'Elijah' being, as stated above, the Lord in respect of the Word.

[6] Except to Zarephath of Sidon, to a woman - a widow

This means sent only to those who have good and a desire for truth. The description 'Zarephath of Sidon' is used because 'Sidon' means cognitions or knowledge of goodness and truth, 1201. The fact that 'a woman - a widow' means one who has good and a desire for truth is evident from this, and especially from what is recorded about her in the first Book of Kings,

Elijah came to Zarephath of Sidon, to a woman - a widow - to sustain him. He told her to bring him a little water to drink, and then to bring him a small piece of bread in her hand. She said that she had a tiny amount of flour in a jar, and a tiny amount of oil in a flask, to make just a cake for herself and her son. Elijah said, Make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and make one for yourself and your son after that. She did so; and the jar of flour was not used up, and the flask of oil did not fail. 1 Kings 17:9-15.

[7] Obedience, and the desire that good has for truth, is described by her giving the prophet water, as she had been commanded to do, and then by her making a cake for him first from the little she had, and for herself and her son after that. Consequent enrichment in the good of truth is meant when it says that the pot of flour was not used up and the flask of oil did not fail.

'Water' in the internal sense is truth, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 8568. 'Flour' is truth derived from good, 2177. 'Oil is the good of love, 886, 4582, 4638. 'A cake' made from these ingredients is truth joined to its own good, 7978.

From all this it is plain that 'a widow' means one who has good and a desire for truth. Good and its desire for truth is described by her charity towards the prophet, greater than towards herself and her son, 'a prophet' being teachings that present truth, as has been shown above.

[8] All that has been said here shows what the Word is like, that it conceals within itself the arcana of heaven, which are not visible in the letter. But every detail of what the Lord spoke when He was in the world, and of what He spoke before that through prophets, contains heavenly and Divine matters on a level altogether above the sense of the letter. And not only individual words contain those matters, but even the individual letters of words, indeed the individual parts of each letter. But is there anyone who believes this to be so? Yet it is most certainly so; it has been proved to me beyond all doubt, as in the Lord's Divine mercy will be shown elsewhere.

4811. Genesis 38

1. And it happened at that time, that Judah went down from his brothers, and turned aside even to a man, an Adullamite; and his name was Hirah.

2. And there Judah saw the daughter of a man, a Canaanite, and his name was Shua; and he took her and came [in] to her.

3. And she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er.

4. And she conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

5. And yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah; and he was in Kezib as she was giving birth to him.

6. And Judah took a wife (mulier) for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

7. And Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah caused him to die.

8. And Judah said to Onan, Come [in] to your brother's wife (uxor) and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her, and raise up seed for your brother.

9. And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and so it was, when he came [in] to his brother's wife (uxor), that he spilled it on the ground, ¹ so that he should not provide seed for his brother.

10. And what he had done was evil in the eyes of Jehovah; and He caused him to die also.

11. And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in your father's house, until Shelah my son is grown up; for he said, In case he also dies, like his brothers. And Tamar went and remained in her father's house.

12. And the days were multiplied, and Shua's daughter died, the wife of Judah; and Judah was comforted, and he went up to the shearers of his flock, he and his companion Hirah the Adullamite, to Timnah.

13. And it was pointed out to Tamar, saying, Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his flock.

14. And she took off the clothes of her widowhood from upon her, and covered herself with a veil, and concealed herself, and sat in the gate of the fountains, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

15. And Judah saw her and supposed that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face.

16. And he turned aside to her at the wayside, and said, Allow me now to come [in] to you; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What do you give me for coming [in] to me?

17. And he said, I will send a kid of the she-goats from the flock. And she said, If you give a pledge until you send it.

18. And he said, What is the pledge which I am to give you? And she said, Your seal, your cord, and your rod which is in your hand. And he gave them to her, and came [in] to her; and she conceived from him.

19. And she rose up and went, and took off her veil from upon her and put on the clothes of her widowhood.

20. And Judah sent the kid of the she-goats by the hand of his companion the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand; and he did not find her.

21. And he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the harlot in the fountains on the wayside? And they said, There has been no harlot there.

22. And he returned to Judah and said, I did not find her; and also the men of the place said, There has been no harlot there.

23. And Judah said, Let her keep [them]; maybe we shall be put to shame. Behold, I sent this kid, and you did not find her.

24. And so it was about three months later, that it was pointed out to Judah, saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed whoredom, and also, behold, she is pregnant owing to acts of whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her out, and let her be burnt.

25. She was brought out; and she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man to whom these belong I am pregnant. And she said, Acknowledge now to whom these belong, the seal and the cord and the rod.

26. And Judah acknowledged them and said, She is more righteous than I am, seeing that I have not given her to Shelah my son. And he did not know her ever again.

27. And it happened at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb.

28. And it happened as she was giving birth, that one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound on his hand a twice-dyed thread, saying, This one came out first.

29. And it happened as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out; and she said, Why have you made a breach upon yourself? And he called his name Perez.

30. And afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the twice-dyed thread; and he called his name Zerah.

CONTENTS

The internal sense deals in this chapter with the Jewish Church and the genuine Church. The Jewish Church is described by means of Judah, and the genuine Church by Tamar.

Poznámky pod čarou: