9320. For destroying thou shalt destroy them. That this signifies that evils must be wholly removed, is evident from the signification of “destroying,” when said of the evils and falsities which are signified by the nations of the land of Canaan and by their gods, as being to remove. That “to destroy” denotes to remove, is because those who are in good and truth never destroy those who are in evil and falsity, but only remove them; for the reason that they act from good, and not from evil; and good is from the Lord, who never destroys anyone. But those who are in evil and from it in falsity endeavor to destroy, and as far as they are able do destroy, those who are in good, for the reason that they act from evil. But because they then run counter to the good which is from the Lord, thus counter to the Divine, they destroy themselves, that is, they cast themselves headlong into damnation and into hell. Such is the law of order, as may be seen above (n. 4299, 7643, 7679, 7710, 7926, 7989, 8137, 8146, 8265, 8945, 8946).

[2] That the Israelites and the Jews destroyed the nations of the land of Canaan, was because the former represented spiritual and heavenly things, and the nations infernal and diabolical things, which cannot possibly be together; for they are opposites. The reason why the Israelites were permitted to destroy the nations, was that there was no church among the Israelites, but only the representative of a church, and consequently the Lord was not present with them except representatively (n. 4307); for they were in external things without anything internal; that is, they were in a worship representative of good and truth, but not in good and truth. Such people are permitted to destroy, to kill, to exterminate, and to devote to destruction; but this is not permitted to those who are in external things and at the same time in internal things, because these people must act from good, and good is from the Lord.

[3] That the Jews and Israelites were of such a character is openly declared by Moses:

Speak not thou in thine heart, after that Jehovah thy God hath thrust the nations out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness Jehovah hath brought me in to possess this land. Not for thy righteousness, and for the uprightness of thine heart; for thou art a stiffnecked people (Deuteronomy 9:4-6).

They are a nation ruined in counsels, neither is there any understanding in them. Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall; their clusters of bitterness; their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel gall of asps. Is not this hidden away with Me, sealed up in My treasuries (Deuteronomy 32:28, 32-34);

in the internal sense “a vine” signifies the church (n. 1069, 5113, 6375, 6376, 9277); “grapes,” and “clusters,” signify the internal and external goods of that church (n. 1071, 5117, 6378); and “wine” signifies the internal truth of that church (n. 1071, 1798, 6377). From this it is plain what is signified by “their vine being of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah,” “their grapes, grapes of gall, and their clusters of bitterness,” and “their wine the poison of dragons and the cruel gall of asps.” That these things are known to Jehovah, that is, to the Lord, is signified by its being “hidden away with Him, and sealed up in His treasuries.”

[4] In John:

Jesus said to the Jews, Ye are of your father the devil, and the desire of your father ye will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44).

Consequently they are called “a depraved and adulterous generation” (Matthew 12:39); and also “an offspring of vipers” (Matthew 3:7; 12:34; 23:33; Luke 3:7). That such was their nature was also described by the Lord in parables (Matthew 21:33-45; Mark 12:1-9; Luke 14:16-24; 20:9-19). (That that nation was the worst of all; that when in worship they were in external things without any internal; that there was no church among them, but only the representative of a church; and that nevertheless they could represent the internal things of the church, see n. 3398, 3479, 3480, 3732, 3881, 4208, 4281, 4288-4290, 4293, 4307, 4314, 4316, 4317, 4429, 4433, 4444, 4500, 4503, 4680, 4815, 4818, 4820, 4825, 4832, 4837, 4844, 4847, 4865, 4868, 4874, 4899, 4903, 4911-4913, 5057, 5998, 6304, 6832, 6877, 7048, 7051, 7248, 7401, 7439, 8301, 8588, 8788, 8806, 8814, 8819, 8871, 8882, 9284)

4868. And said, Grant I pray that I may come to thee. That this signifies lust for conjunction, is evident from the signification of “coming or entering to anyone” as being to be conjoined (n. 4820). That lust is meant such as is that for conjunction with a harlot, is plain; in the internal sense, with falsity. That the Jewish nation, which is here signified by “Judah” (n. 4815, 4842, 4864), regarded the internal truth of the representative church no otherwise than as falsity, and also at this day so regards it, can be seen above (n. 4865). What is now here treated of is that nevertheless this nation conjoined itself with this truth, yet not as with a wife, but as with a harlot, that is, not as with truth, but as with falsity. Lust is predicated of conjunction with falsity, just as of conjunction with a harlot.

[2] All those conjoin themselves with internal truth as with a harlot who believe only the external sense of the Word, that is, only its literal sense, and entirely reject all its internal, that is, its spiritual sense; but especially those who apply the external or literal sense of the Word to favor the cupidities of the love of self and of the world, or of rule and gain. They who do this cannot but regard internal truth in this way; and if they conjoin themselves with it, they do so from lust as for conjunction with a harlot. This is done especially by those who are of the Jewish nation, and also by those who in the Word are meant by Babylon; but not by those who indeed believe in simplicity the literal sense of the Word, and yet live according to those things which are of the internal sense, that is in love and charity, and thence in faith-for these are of the internal sense of the Word-and who also from the literal sense teach these things; for the internal and the external sense come together in the two precepts-to love the Lord above all things, and the neighbor as one’s self.

[3] That the Jewish nation regard internal truth as a harlot, and that, if they conjoin themselves with it, they do so from lust as for conjunction with a harlot, may be illustrated by the following examples. If they are told that the Word is holy, even most holy, also that every tittle therein is holy, they acknowledge it and conjoin themselves, but this from such lust; for they believe that it is holy in the letter, and not that by this means the holy flows in with those who when they read it are in the affection of good and truth.

[4] If they are told that many who are mentioned in the Word are to be venerated as holy-as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, David-they acknowledge it and conjoin themselves, but from such a lust; for they believe that these persons were chosen in preference to others, that they are therefore holy, and that they should for this reason be worshiped as deities; when yet these men have holiness from no other source than this, that they represented the Lord; and a holy representative does not at all affect the person. Moreover, the life of everyone without distinction remains with him after death.

[5] If they are told that the ark that was with them, the temple, the altar of burnt offering, the altar of incense, the bread upon the table, the lampstand with its lamps, the perpetual fire, the sacrifices, the incenses, the oil, also the garments of Aaron, especially the breastplate on which were the Urim and Thummim, were holy, they acknowledge it and conjoin themselves, but from the same lust; for they believe that these things were holy in themselves, thus that the wood, the stone, the gold, silver, bread, and fire were holy, and this interiorly because Jehovah was in them, or that the holiness of Jehovah applied to them was actually in them. This is their internal truth, which yet is relative falsity; for the holy is solely in good and truth, which is from the Lord in love to Him and in love toward the neighbor, and thence in faith; thus only in living subjects, that is, in men who receive these things from the Lord.

[6] Again, if they are told that the Christian Church is one with the church that was instituted with them, but that it is internal, whereas theirs was external, so that when the church instituted with them is stripped of its externals and laid bare, the Christian Church comes to view, they do not acknowledge this truth otherwise than as a harlot, that is, as falsity. Nevertheless some of them, who are converted from Judaism to Christianity, conjoin themselves with this truth, but also from the same lust. Such things in the Word are often called “whoredoms.” In regard to those, however, who are signified in the Word by “Babylon,” these regard in a similar way the internal truths of the church; but because they are acquainted with internal things, and also acknowledge them in childhood, but deny them in adult age, they are described in the Word by foul adulteries and abominable copulations; for they are profanations.