Arcana Coelestia # 1675
1675. That 'the Horites in their Mount Seir' means false persuasions deriving from self-love is clear from the meaning of 'the Horites' and from the meaning of 'Seir'. As for the Horites, they were the people who dwelt on Mount Seir, as is clear from Genesis 36:8, 20, and following verses, where Esau, who is called Edom, is the subject. Esau or Edom in the genuine sense means the Lord as regards His Human Essence. He is also represented by Esau or Edom, as becomes clear from many places in both the historical and the prophetical sections of the Word, to be dealt with, in the Lord's Divine mercy, later on. Because 'the Horites' represented people who are under the influence of false persuasions, and because representatives at that time occurred within actual events, therefore the expulsion of the Horites from Mount Seir by the descendants of Esau had a similar representation.
[2] These are spoken of in Moses as follows,
This also is considered to be a land of Rephaim; Rephaim dwelt formerly in it, and the Ammonites called them Zamzummim; they were a people great and many and tall like the Anakim. And Jehovah destroyed them from before them; and they dispossessed them, and dwelt in their place. He did the same for the sons of Esau who dwelt in Seir, in that He destroyed the Horites from before them, and they dispossessed them, and dwelt in their place. Deuteronomy 2:20-22.
These things represent and mean the same as what the present verse says about Chedorlaomer, namely that 'Chedorlaomer and the kings with him smote the Horites in Mount Seir'. For, as has been stated, Chedorlaomer represents the Lord's Good and Truth during childhood, and so the Lord's Human Essence at that time as regards Good and Truth, by which He destroyed false persuasions, that is, the hells filled with so devilish a crew, which set out to destroy the world of spirits, and consequently the human race, with its false persuasions.
[3] And because Esau or Edom represented the Lord as regards the Human Essence, Mount Seir also, and Paran as well, represented those things that belonged to His Human Essence, namely the celestial things of love, as is clear from the blessing uttered by Moses,
Jehovah came from Sinai, and dawned from Seir upon them; He shone from Mount Paran, and came out of myriads of holiness. From His right hand came a fiery law for them. He indeed loves the peoples. Deuteronomy 33:2-3.
'Jehovah dawned from Mount Seir and shone from Mount Paran' means nothing else than the Lord's Human Essence. Anyone may see that 'dawning from Mount Seir and shining from Mount Paran' does not mean mountains and their inhabitants but Divine realities, thus the celestial things of the Lord's Human Essence, from which Jehovah is said to have dawned and to have shone.
[4] As for 'Seir', its meaning is clear from the Song of Deborah and Barak in the Book of Judges,
O Jehovah, when You went forth from Seir, when You set out from the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, the clouds indeed dropped water, the mountains flowed down, this Sinai before Jehovah God of Israel. Judges 5:4-5.
Here 'going forth from Seir and setting out from the field of Edom' has no other meaning.
[5] This is plainer still in Moses in the prophetic utterance of Balaam, who was one of the sons of the east, that is, he came from Syria where a residue of the Ancient Church existed,
I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will arise out of Jacob, and a scepter will rise up out of Israel. And Edom will be an inheritance and Seir will be an inheritance of his enemies. Numbers 24:17-18.
Here 'seeing Him, but not now; beholding Him, but not near' is the Lord's Coming into the world - His Human Essence being called 'a star that would arise out of Jacob', and also 'Edom' and 'Seir'. That neither Edom nor Seir were to be the inheritance may become clear to anyone. 'Seir, the inheritance of his enemies' or 'The mountain of his enemies' has the same meaning as in many other places where it is said that enemies were to be driven out and possession was to be taken of their land.
[6] That Mount Paran, or El-paran, mentioned in this verse also has the same meaning is clear from Habakkuk as well,
God will come from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His fame has covered the heavens, and the earth has been filled with His praise. Habakkuk 3:3.
It should be realized however that mountains and lands have and take their meaning from their inhabitants, from the Horites when these dwelt there, and when they had been driven out, from those who drove them out, such as from Esau or Edom, or else from some others. Mount Paran is used therefore in both senses, the genuine and the contrary. In the genuine sense it stands for the Lord's Human Essence, in the contrary sense for self-love. The Lord's Human Essence is celestial love itself, while the contrary to celestial love is self-love. Thus 'the Horites' in this verse means false persuasions deriving from self-love.
[7] There are false persuasions that originate in self-love, and there are false persuasions that originate in love of the world. The former persuasions - those originating in self-love - are the most foul, whereas those originating in love of the world are not so foul. The former, or false persuasions originating in self-love, are the very opposite of the celestial things of love, whereas the latter, or false persuasions originating in love of the world, are the opposite of the spiritual things of love. Persuasions originating in self-love carry with them the desire to rule over all things, and insofar as the restraints placed upon them are loosened they hasten to fulfill that desire, even to the extent of desiring to rule over the entire universe, and, as has been shown, over Jehovah as well. Consequently persuasions of that kind are not tolerated at all in the next life. But persuasions originating in love of the world do not go so far. They do not go beyond the insanity of not being satisfied with their lot. They vainly strive after heavenly joy, and wish to acquire other people's goods, but are not so intent on ruling. But the differences among these persuasions are countless.
Genesis 36
1
Now this is the history of the generations of Esau (that is, Edom).
2
Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon, the Hittite; and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, the Hivite;
3
and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebaioth.
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Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz. Basemath bore Reuel.
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Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
6
Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, with his livestock, all his animals, and all his possessions, which he had gathered in the land of Canaan, and went into a land away from his brother Jacob.
7
For their substance was too great for them to dwell together, and the land of their travels couldn't bear them because of their livestock.
8
Esau lived in the hill country of Seir. Esau is Edom.
9
This is the history of the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir:
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these are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz, the son of Adah, the wife of Esau; and Reuel, the son of Basemath, the wife of Esau.
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The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.
12
Timna was concubine to Eliphaz, Esau's son; and she bore to Eliphaz Amalek. These are the sons of Adah, Esau's wife.
13
These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife.
14
These were the sons of Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's wife: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
15
These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz,
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chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek: these are the chiefs who came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah.
17
These are the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah: these are the chiefs who came of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife.
18
These are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau's wife: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah: these are the chiefs who came of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife.
19
These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs.
20
These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,
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Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chiefs who came of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom.
22
The children of Lotan were Hori and Heman. Lotan's sister was Timna.
23
These are the children of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
24
These are the children of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he fed the donkeys of Zibeon his father.
25
These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.
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These are the children of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
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These are the children of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.
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These are the children of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
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These are the chiefs who came of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah,
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chief Dishon, chief Ezer, and chief Dishan: these are the chiefs who came of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir.
31
These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the children of Israel.
32
Bela, the son of Beor, reigned in Edom. The name of his city was Dinhabah.
33
Bela died, and Jobab, the son of Zerah of Bozrah, reigned in his place.
34
Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
35
Husham died, and Hadad, the son of Bedad, who struck Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. The name of his city was Avith.
36
Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place.
37
Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the river, reigned in his place.
38
Shaul died, and Baal Hanan, the son of Achbor reigned in his place.
39
Baal Hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his place. The name of his city was Pau. His wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
40
These are the names of the chiefs who came from Esau, according to their families, after their places, and by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth,
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chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon,
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chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar,
43
chief Magdiel, and chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession. This is Esau, the father of the Edomites.
