9335. And the wild beast of the field be multiplied upon thee. That this signifies a flowing in of falsities from the delights of the loves of self and of the world, is evident from the signification of “being multiplied,” when said of the hasty removal of evils and falsities, as being a flowing in; and from the signification of “the wild beast of the field,” as being falsities from the delights of the loves of self and of the world. By “beasts” of various kinds mentioned in the Word are signified good and evil affections (see n. 9280); consequently by “wild beasts” are signified the affections of falsity that arise from the delights of the loves of self and of the world. Moreover, these affections are represented in the other life by wild beasts, as by panthers, tigers, wild boars, wolves, and bears. They are also like wild beasts, for those who are in these loves are in evils of every kind and in the derivative falsities, and like wild beasts do they look at and act toward their associates. (That all evils and falsities spring from these loves, see n. 2041, 2045, 2057, 2363, 2364, 2444, 4750, 4776, 6667, 7178, 7255, 7364, 7366-7377, 7488, 7490-7494, 7643, 8318, 8487, 8678)

[2] That through the hasty removal of evils and falsities, the falsities from these loves would flow in, is because goods and truths must remove the evils and falsities by being successively implanted; for falsities can only be removed by truths; and evils can only be removed by goods. If this is not done successively and according to order, the falsities which favor these loves will flow in; for before he has been regenerated these loves reign in every man, and when falsities flow in, truths are no longer acknowledged. Moreover, the man who is being regenerated is kept in the affection of truth, and while he is in this affection he seeks on all sides for truths among the memory-knowledges in the natural; and the fallacies of the external senses then present themselves there—for they are very abundant there—and when the delights of the loves of self and of the world breathe on the man, he infers from these fallacies nothing but falsities, which follow on, and fill the mind, if the falsities of evil are suddenly removed. These are the things which are meant in the internal sense by “I will not drive him out from before thee in one year, lest the land be desolate, and the wild beast of the field multiply upon thee; by little and little I will drive him out from before thee, until thou be fruitful and inherit the land.”

[3] That “a wild beast” denotes falsity and evil springing from the loves of self and of the world, is plain from the passages in the Word where it is mentioned; as in Isaiah:

A path shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass through it, nor shall any ravenous wild beast go up thereon (Isaiah 35:8-9).

I will send upon thee famine, and an evil wild beast, and they shall bereave thee (Ezekiel 5:17).

When I cause the evil wild beast to pass through the land, and it bereave it, and it become a desolation, so that no one passeth through because of the beast (Ezekiel 14:15).

Thou shalt fall upon the faces of the field; I will give thee for food to the wild beast of the earth, and to the bird of the heaven (Ezekiel 29:5).

Then I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will make the evil wild beast to cease out of the land; that they may dwell securely in the wilderness. They shall no more be a prey to the nations, and the wild beast of the field shall no longer devour them (Ezekiel 34:25, 28).

[4] I will lay waste her vine and her fig-tree, and I will make them into a forest, and the wild beast of the field shall devour them (Hos. 2:12).

The land shall mourn, and everyone that dwelleth therein shall waste away, because of the wild beast of the field, and because of the bird of the heavens (Hos. 4:3).

The boar out of the wood doth trample it, and the wild beast of the fields doth consume it. Turn again, O God Zebaoth, and visit Thy vine (Psalms 80:13-14).

Thou makest darkness that it may be night; wherein every wild beast of the forest doth come forth (Psalms 104:20).

If ye shall walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them, I will cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land. But if ye shall reject My statutes, I will send against you the wild beast of the field, which shall lay you waste (Leviticus 26:3, 6, 15, 22).

Jehovah thy God will drive out those nations before thee by little and little, lest perchance the wild beast of the field multiply against thee (Deuteronomy 7:22).

In these passages “the wild beast of the field,” “the wild beast of the earth,” and “the wild beast of the forest” denote the falsities and evils which are of the loves of self and of the world.

[5] As by “a wild beast” is signified falsity, and falsity is from a double origin, namely, from what is evil, and from what is upright (n. 9258), therefore by “wild beasts” in the Word are also signified the upright Gentiles, who although in falsity, are yet in uprightness of life. In this sense the term “wild animal” ¹ is used in David:

Every wild animal of the forest is Mine, and the beasts upon a thousand mountains. I know every bird of the mountains; and the wild animal of My fields is with Me (Psalms 50:10-11).

Praise ye Jehovah, ye wild animal, and every beast (Psalms 148:7, 10).

Every wild animal of My fields, come ye to devour, every wild animal in the forest (Isaiah 56:9).

All the birds of the heavens made their nests in the branches of the cedar, which is Asshur, and under his branches every wild animal of the field brought forth, and in his shadow dwelt all great nations (Ezekiel 31:6).

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4750. And Judah said unto his brethren. That this signifies the depraved in the church who are against whatever is good, is evident from the representation of Judah, as being in a good sense the good of celestial love (n. 3654, 3881), but in the opposite sense to be against all good whatever (of which hereafter); and from the signification of his “brethren,” as being those in the church who are in faith separate. That by Judah are here represented those who are against all good whatever, is because in a good sense they who are in the good of celestial love are represented in the Word by him. Celestial love is love to the Lord and the derivative love toward the neighbor. They who are in this love are most closely conjoined with the Lord, and are therefore in the inmost heaven, where they are in a state of innocence, from which they appear to the rest as little children, and wholly as loves in form. Others are not able to go near them, and therefore when they are sent to others, they are encompassed by other angels, by whom the sphere of their love is tempered, which would otherwise throw into a swoon those to whom they are sent; for the sphere of their love penetrates even to the marrows.

[2] As this love or this good of love which is called celestial is represented by Judah in a good sense, so in the opposite sense is represented by him that which is contrary to celestial good, and thus contrary to all good whatever. Most things in the Word have a twofold sense, namely, a good sense and its opposite. From the good sense the quality of the opposite one is known; for whatever is contained in the opposite sense is diametrically opposed to what is contained in the good sense.

[3] The goods of love are in general two—the good of celestial love, and the good of spiritual love. Diametrically opposed to the good of celestial love, is the evil of the love of self; and diametrically opposed to the good of spiritual love, is the evil of the love of the world. They who are in the evil of the love of self are against all good whatever; but not so much so they who are in the evil of the love of the world. In the Word, by Judah in the opposite sense are represented those who are in the love of self; and by Israel they who are in the love of the world. The reason of this is that by Judah was represented the Lord’s celestial kingdom, and by Israel His spiritual kingdom.

[4] The hells also are distinct according to these two loves. They who are in the love of self, being against all good whatever, are in the deepest and therefore the most grievous hell; but they who are in the love of the world, being not so much against all good whatever, are in hells not so deep, and therefore less grievous.

[5] The evil of the love of self is not, as is generally thought, that external elation which is called pride; but it is hatred against the neighbor, and thence a burning desire for revenge, and delight in cruelty. These are the interiors of the love of self. Its exteriors are contempt for others in comparison with self, and an aversion to those who are in spiritual good, and this sometimes with manifest elation or pride, and sometimes without it; for one who holds the neighbor in such hatred, interiorly loves no one but himself and those whom he regards as making one with himself; thus he loves them in himself, and himself in them, for the sole end of self.

[6] Such is the quality of those who are represented by Judah in the opposite sense. The Jewish nation had been in such love even from the first, for they had looked upon all in the whole world as the vilest slaves, and as worthless in comparison with themselves, and had also held them in hatred; and what is more, when the love of self and of the world had not mutually conjoined them, they persecuted even their associates and brothers with similar hatred. This disposition still remains with that nation; but because they now dwell in foreign lands on sufferance, they keep it concealed.