1866. From the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates. That this signifies the extension of spiritual and celestial things-to “the river of Egypt” being the extension of spiritual things, and “to the river Euphrates” being the extension of celestial things-is evident from the signification of “the river of Egypt,” and from the signification of “the great river,” or “the Euphrates.” That these “rivers” signify the extension of spiritual and celestial things, may be seen from the signification of the land of Canaan, as being the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens and on the earth, in which there is nothing but the spiritual things which are of faith and the celestial things which are of mutual love; and therefore nothing but the extension of these can be meant by the boundaries of the land of Canaan. For what the land of Canaan is, what the river of Egypt is, and what the great river Euphrates is, and indeed what the boundaries of any land are, they who are in the heavens do not know at all; but they well know what the extension of spiritual and celestial things is, and also the determinations and the limitations of the states of these things. These things they have in mind while the others are being read by man; and so the letter vanishes and together with it that historical sense which has served as an objective form for the heavenly ideas.

[2] That “the river of Egypt” signifies the extension of spiritual things, is because “Egypt” signifies memory-knowledges [scientifica], which, together with a man’s rational and intellectual things, constitute spiritual things (as before said, n. 1443 and in other places; and that “Egypt” in the internal sense signifies memory-knowledges may be seen n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462). That “the river Euphrates” signifies the extension of celestial things, may be seen from a consideration of the lands which that river bounds and separates from the land of Canaan, and by which likewise in many passages are signified the knowledges [scientifica et cognitiones] of celestial things but here, because it is called “the river” and “the great river,” celestial things and the knowledges [cognitiones] of them are what alone are signified; for a “great river” and “greatness” are predicated of these.

1186. That “Asshur” is reasoning, is evident from the signification of Asshur or Assyria in the Word, where it is constantly taken for the things which pertain to reason, in both senses; namely, for what is of reason, and for reasonings. By reason and rational things are properly meant things that are true; and by reasoning and reasonings, those which are false. Because “Asshur” signifies reason and reasoning, it is very frequently connected with “Egypt,” which signifies memory-knowledges; for reason and reasoning are from such knowledges. That “Asshur” signifies reasoning is evident in Isaiah:

Woe unto Asshur, the rod of Mine anger, he thinketh not right, neither doth his heart meditate right, he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, because I am intelligent (Isaiah 10:5, 7, 13), where “Asshur” denotes reasoning, of whom it is therefore predicated that he neither thinketh nor doth meditate right; and it is said, “by his own wisdom, because he is intelligent.”

[2] In Ezekiel:

Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredom in Egypt; they committed whoredom in their youth. The one committed whoredom, and doted on her lovers, on Asshur (the Assyrians) her neighbors, who were clothed in blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses. The sons of Babel came to her, and they defiled her with their whoredom (Ezekiel 23:2-3, 5-6, 17).

Here “Egypt” denotes memory-knowledges; “Asshur,” reasoning; and “the sons of Babel,” falsities from cupidities.

[3] In the same:

O Jerusalem, thou hast also committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt, thou hast committed whoredom also with the sons of Asshur, and thou hast multiplied thy whoredom even into the land of Canaan unto Chaldea (Ezekiel 16:26, 28-29), where “Egypt” in like manner denotes memory-knowledges; “Asshur,” reasoning. Reasoning from memory-knowledges concerning spiritual and celestial things is called “whoredom,” both here and elsewhere in the Word. That whoredom with the Egyptians and the Assyrians is not meant, anyone can see.

[4] In Jeremiah:

Israel, what hast thou to do with the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? and what hast thou to do with the way of Asshur, to drink the waters of the river [Euphrates]? (Jeremiah 2:18, 36).

Here likewise “Egypt” denotes memory-knowledges; and “Asshur,” reasoning. In the same:

Israel is a scattered sheep, the lions have driven him away, first the king of Asshur hath devoured him, and after that this king of Babel hath broken his bones (Jeremiah 50:17-18).

“Asshur” here is reasoning concerning spiritual things.

[5] In Micah:

This shall be the peace, when Asshur shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces, we will even set over him seven shepherds, and eight princes of men, and they shall feed down the land of Asshur with the sword, and the land of Nimrod, In the gates thereof, and he shall deliver from Asshur, when he shall come into our land, and when he shall tread upon our border (Micah 5:5-6).

The subject here is Israel, or the spiritual church, of which it is said that “Asshur shall not enter in,” that is, that reasoning shall not; “the land of Nimrod” denotes such worship as is signified by Nimrod, in which the interiors are evil and false.

[6] That “Asshur” in the Word is also reason, which is in the man of the church, whereby he discerns truth and good, is evident in Hosea:

They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Asshur (Hosea 11:11).

“Egypt” here denotes the memory-knowledge of the man of the church; and “Asshur,” his reason. That a “bird” is the intellectual of the memory [scientificum intellectuale], and “a dove” rational good, has been shown before.

[7] In Isaiah:

In that day shall there be a path from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur shall come into Egypt, and Egypt into Asshur, and the Egyptians shall serve Asshur. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the land, which Jehovah Zebaoth shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance (Isaiah 19:23-25).

The subject here is the spiritual church, which is “Israel,” whose reason is “Asshur,” and memory-knowledge “Egypt.” These three constitute the intellectual things of the man of the spiritual church, which follow one another in this order. In other places also where Asshur is named, it signifies the rational, either true or false, as in:

Isaiah 20:1, 3; 23:13; 27:13; 30:31; 31:8, 36, 37; 52:4,

Ezekiel 27:23-24; 31:3-18; 32:22;

Micah 7:12;

Zephaniah 2:13;

Zechariah 10:11;

Psalms 83:8.

“Asshur” denotes reasoning in Hosea 5:13; 7:11; 10:6; 11:5; 12:1; 14:3; and in Zechariah 10:10, where Ephraim is spoken of, by whom is signified the intellectual, but here, perverted.