9257. When thou shalt see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden. That this signifies falsity not agreeing with the good of the church, by reason of which they are about to perish, is evident from the signification of “an ass,” as being memory-truth, and therefore in the opposite sense, memory-falsity (see n. 2781, 5492, 5741, 8078); from the signification of “him that hateth thee,” when said of falsity, as being what is contrary to the good of the church, thus what does not agree with it; for in the spiritual sense “hatred” denotes the aversion and variance that exist between truths and falsities, and also between goods and evils (n. 3605, 4681, 4684); and from the signification of “lying under a burden,” as being to perish. From this it is evident that by “the ass of him that hateth thee” is signified falsity not agreeing with the good of the church, by reason of which they are about to perish.

5403. And Jacob said to his sons. That this signifies perception regarding truths in general, is evident from the signification of “saying,” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509); and from the signification of “sons,” as being the truths of faith (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373, 4257); and because they were the sons of Jacob, truths in general are signified; for by Jacob’s twelve sons, as by the twelve tribes, were signified all things of faith, thus truths in general (n. 2129, 2130, 3858, 3862, 3926, 3939, 4060).