522. Because they were made bitter. - That this signifies, because the truths of the Word were falsified, is evident from the signification of the waters in the rivers and in the fountains, which denote truths of the understanding and truths of doctrine; see above (n. 518); and from the signification of bitter and bitterness, which denote what is falsified by an intermingling of truth with the falsities of evil. For bitter here means the bitter of wormwood, and wormwood, on account of its bitterness, signifies truth mingled with the falsity of evil, thus truth falsified, as explained above (n. 519). Bitter, in the Word, signifies what is undelightful, but the bitter of wormwood signifies one kind of undelightfulness, the bitter of gall another, the bitter of hemlock another, and the bitter of unripe fruit another, while the bitter which is neither from herbs nor fruit, another; the latter signifies a grief of mind and anxiety arising from various causes.

[2] From these things the signification of bitternesses in the following passages is evident; as in Isaiah:

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine (vinum), and men of strength to mingle strong drink (sicera)" (5:20, 22).

Again, in the same prophet:

"The new wine (mustum) mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merry-hearted do sigh. They shall not drink wine (vinum) with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it" (24:7, 9).

Again in Moses:

"The waters in Marah, which they could not drink on account of their bitterness, were healed by wood cast into them (Exodus 15:23-25).

At the time of the passover they ate unleavened bread with bitter herbs (Exodus 12:8; Num. 9:11).

Again, waters that caused the curse were given to a woman accused of adultery by her husband, and, if she was guilty, those waters became changed into bitterness in her, and her belly swelled and her thigh fell away (Num. 5:12-29).

The little book which the prophet was told to eat, was sweet as honey in his mouth, but his belly was made bitter by it (Apocalypse 10:9, 10), similarly elsewhere.

But here where it is said that many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter, the bitter of wormwood is meant, the signification of which bitterness has just been explained.

520. And the third part of [the waters] became wormwood. That this signifies that all truth in the understanding and in doctrine became such, is evident from the signification of the third part, which denotes all, here all truth in the understanding, and in doctrine, because stated of rivers and fountains of waters, which signify the understanding of truth, and doctrine from the Word. That the third part signifies all, may be seen above (n. 506). And from the signification of wormwood, which denotes truth mingled with the falsity of evil, as explained in the article above. It is therefore evident, that the third part becoming wormwood, signifies that all truth in the understanding and in doctrine was intermingled with the falsity of evil. Truth is intermingled with the falsity of evil, when evils of the life, which are adulteries, whoredoms, murders, hatreds of various degrees, enmities, injustice for the sake of gain, artful and secret thefts and robberies, cunning, deceit, and other things of a similar nature, are confirmed by the sense of the letter of the Word; also when falsities of religion are thus confirmed by those who are in the love of self, and thence in the pride of [their] own intelligence. The reason why truths are then mingled with the falsities of evil, is, that all things of the Word are truths, but when they are applied and made use of to confirm evils of the life, and false principles of religion, then the truths of the Word are intermingled with the falsities of evil, and they are consequently no longer truths, but truths falsified, which in themselves are falsities. In order that the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word may continue to be truths, they must be applied to confirm goods of the life, and true principles of religion, but if they are drawn aside and diverted from this application as their end, they are no longer truths, because there is not any perception of truth in them. Perception of truth comes from good, but not from evil.

[2] In every detail of the Word there is a marriage of good and truth, therefore, if in the truths of the Word, there is not good from the person who perceives them they are without their consort, and may be applied for the purpose of every evil desire, and of every kind of false principles, and consequently become falsities of evil. In this way the truths of the Word are falsified by all those who from self love are in the pride of [their] own intelligence. For interiorly evils of every kind from the love of self are dominant, and falsities of every kind from the pride of [man's] own intelligence, while outwardly, in the speech and in preaching, there are truths from the Word, which before those who are in simple good sound like truths, but so far as the person speaking or preaching is concerned, they are interiorly full of falsities of every kind. The truth of the Word with such persons is like a vessel pure and shining, wherein are foul waters which are not seen through the vessel by those who are in simple good, but clearly by the angels of heaven.