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그들이 그 땅에 평안히 거하고 두렵게 할 자가 없게 될 때에 부끄러움을 품고 내게 범한 죄를 뉘우치리니
Arcana Coelestia # 1292
1292. That 'they found a valley in the land of Shinar' means that worship became more unclean and unholy is clear from the meaning of 'a valley' and from the meaning of 'the land of Shinar'. As regards the meaning of 'a valley', in the Word 'mountains' means love or charity because these are the highest points, or what amounts to the same, inmost features of worship, as shown already in 795. Consequently 'a valley' means that which is below the mountains, that is, the lower, or what amounts to the same, exterior aspect of worship. 'The land of Shinar' however means external worship which has unholiness within it, as shown already in 1183. Thus in this verse the statement that 'they found a valley in the land of Shinar' means that worship became more unclean and unholy.
[2] Verse one dealt with the Church having one lip and its words being one that is, one doctrine in general and in particular. This verse however deals with the decline of the Church - 'they travelled from the east' that is, they began to depart from charity. For to the extent that the Church, or a member of the Church, departs from charity, its worship departs from what is holy, or its worship approaches what is unclean and unholy. The reason 'they found a valley in the land of Shinar' means the decline of the Church, that is, of worship, into unholiness is that a valley is a low-lying area between mountains, which, as has been stated, mean the holy things of love or of charity within worship. This also becomes clear from the meaning of 'a valley' in the Word where in the original language several expressions for valley occur which mean, when used in that sense, things present in worship that are less or more unholy.
[3] That 'valleys' means such things is clear in Isaiah,
The burden of the valley of vision; for the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth has a day of tumult and of trampling and of confusion in the valley of vision. Isaiah 22:1, 5.
'The valley of vision' stands for delusions and for reasonings by which worship is rendered false and at length profaned. In Jeremiah,
How do you say, I have not been defiled, I have not walked after the baals? Look at your way in the valley. Jeremiah 2:23.
'The valley' stands for unclean worship. In the same prophet, They have built the high places of Topheth, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom. Therefore, behold, the days are coming when it will no more be called Topheth or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter. Jeremiah 7:31, 34; 19:6.
'The valley of Hinnom' stands for hell, also for the profanation of truth and good.
[4] In Ezekiel,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys Behold, I, even I, am bringing a sword places. Ezekiel 6:3.
In the same prophet,
I will give to Gog a place there for burial in Israel, the valley of those that pass over towards the east of the sea. And they will call it the valley of the multitude of Gog. Ezekiel 39:11, 15.
This refers to worship in external things, 'the valley' standing for such worship. But when worship has not yet become unholy to that extent, it is described by the word for a valley used here in Genesis 11:2, as in Isaiah,
I will open rivers on the sloping heights, and I will place springs in the midst of valleys; I will make the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into streams of water. Isaiah 41:18.
This refers to people who are in ignorance, that is, without cognitions of faith and charity, and who yet have charity. 'valley' here stands for those people, as does 'valley' in Ezekiel 37:1.
Genesis 10
1
Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
2
The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
3
And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
4
And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
5
By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
6
And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
7
And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.
8
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
9
He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
10
And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
11
Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,
12
And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.
13
And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
14
And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.
15
And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,
16
And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,
17
And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,
18
And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.
19
And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.
20
These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.
21
Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.
22
The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
23
And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.
24
And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.
25
And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.
26
And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazar-maveth, and Jerah,
27
And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,
28
And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
29
And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.
30
And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.
31
These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
32
These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.
