9024. 'And when men quarrel' means contention among them regarding truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'quarrelling' as contending, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'men' as those who have intelligence and are guided by truths, and in the abstract sense intellectual concepts, and truths, dealt with in 3134, 9007. Consequently 'quarrelling by men' means contention regarding truths that takes place among those belonging to the Church, and in the abstract sense such contention taking place within oneself. For in the spiritual sense 'quarrelling' is contention regarding such things as are the concern of the Church, therefore regarding matters of faith. Nothing other than this is meant in the Word by 'quarrelling', because the Word is spiritual and deals with spiritual matters, that is, with those which have to do with the Lord, His kingdom in heaven, and His kingdom on earth, which is the Church. The fact that 'quarrelling' in the Word means contention regarding truths, and in general contention in support of truths against falsities, as well as defence against and deliverance from falsities, is evident from the following places:

[2] In Jeremiah,

A clamour is coming even to the end of the earth, because Jehovah's quarrel is against the nations. Judgement will come in with all flesh; He will hand the wicked over to the sword. Behold, evil will go out from nation to nation, and a great tempest will be raised up from the sides of the earth. Jeremiah 25:31-32.

In these prophetic statements a perverted state of the Church is described. 'A clamour' is contention in support of falsities against truths and in support of evils against forms of good, 'the earth' being the Church. 'Jehovah's quarrel is against the nations' is contention by the Lord in support of truths against falsities, and in support of forms of good against evils, thus also defence, 'the nations' being falsities and evils. 'The sword' is falsity engaged in conflict and conquering, 'a great tempest' is falsity reigning, and 'the sides of the earth' are the place where falsities arising from evil burst out.

[3] In the same prophet,

Jehovah will act for them in their quarrel ¹ , that He may give rest to the land. Jeremiah 50:34.

'Acting for them in their quarrel' stands for defending truths against falsities and delivering, 'the land' standing for the Church, which has 'rest' when it is governed by good and consequently guided by truths. In the same prophet,

O Lord, You have acted for my soul in its quarrels, ² You have delivered my life. Lamentations 3:58.

'Acting for the soul in its quarrels' stands for defending and delivering from falsities. In David,

Act for me in my a, quarrel ³ and redeem me; give me life according to Your word. Psalms 119:154.

Here also 'acting in the quarrel' stands for delivering from falsities. In Micah,

Quarrel with the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Micah 6:1.

'Quarrelling with the mountains' stands for contending and defending against the haughty, and also against the evils of self-love. 'The hills which will hear the voice' are the humble and those who have charity. In Isaiah,

I will not quarrel eternally, nor will I be angry forever. Isaiah 57:16.

'Quarrelling' stands for contending against falsities. In Hosea, Jehovah has a quarrel wit Judah. Hosea 12:2

Here the meaning is similar. There are other places in addition to these.

Poznámky pod čarou:

9007. 'Anyone striking a man - and he dies' means injury done to the truth of faith, and consequent loss of spiritual life. This is clear from the meaning of 'striking' as injuring by means of falsity, dealt with in 7136, 7146; from the meaning of 'a man' as the truth of faith, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'dying' as loss of spiritual life, dealt with in 5407, 6119, 7494, no other kind of life being meant in the internal sense, though natural life is meant in the external sense. The reason why injury done to the truth of faith leads to the destruction of spiritual life is that good united to truth composes that life, and therefore when truth is snatched away good falls to the ground, and so does spiritual life.

[2] The reason why 'a man' means the truth of faith is that in heaven they do not focus their attention on the person or anything of the person, only on things in the abstract, that is, without envisaging any actual person, 4380 (end), 8343, 8985. Consequently they do not think of 'a man' when this expression is used in the Word, for a man is a person; instead they think of his power of mind which makes him a man, namely the power of understanding. And when they think of this they think of the truth of faith, since it belongs to that power of mind and not only enlightens it but also shapes it. Just as in heaven they think of someone's power of understanding when 'a man' (vir) is used, so they think of his power of will when 'a human being' (homo) is used; for a human being is a human being by virtue of the will, whereas 'a man' is such by virtue of the understanding. And as the will is really the human being, 'human being' therefore means the good of love, since it belongs to the will, perfecting and composing it. For the meaning of 'a man' as the power of understanding and consequently the truth of faith, see 158, 265, 749, 1007, 2517, 3134, 3309, 3459, 4823, 7716; and for 'a human being' as the good of love, 768, 4287, 7523, 8547, 8988.