10155. And they shall know that I am Jehovah their God. That this signifies the perceptivity that from the Lord is all good and all truth, is evident from the signification of “knowing,” as being to understand, believe, and perceive (of which below); that it denotes to perceive that from the Lord is all good and all truth, is because it is said “Jehovah God,” and the Lord is called “Jehovah” from good, and “God” from truth (see n. 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4287, 4402, 7010, 9167). That “to know” denotes to understand, believe, and perceive, is because it is said both of man’s understanding, and of his will. When said of the understanding only, it denotes to understand; when of the understanding and at the same time of the will it denotes to believe; and when of the will only, it denotes to perceive. With those therefore who are merely in the memory-knowledge of a subject, and from this are in thought about it, “to know” denotes to understand; but with those who are in faith, “to know” denotes to believe; and with those who are in love, “to know” denotes to perceive.

[2] But when “to know” is conjoined with “to understand,” “to see,” or “to believe,” then “to know” denotes to perceive, because understanding, seeing, and believing bear relation to the understanding, consequently to truth, while “to perceive” bears relation to the will, consequently to good, as in John:

Peter said, We have believed and have known that Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God (John 6:69).

Jesus said, Believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father (John 10:38).

Jesus said, If ye had known Me, ye would have known My Father also; and from henceforth ye have known Him and have seen Him (John 14:7).

The Spirit of truth shall be sent, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him, for He abideth with you, and shall be in you (John 14:16-17).

Jesus spoke in parables, that seeing they may see, and not know (Mark 4:11-12).

That ye may know and see that it is an evil thing and a bitter, to forsake Jehovah thy God (Jeremiah 2:19).

Let him that glorieth glory in this, to understand and know Me, that I am Jehovah (Jeremiah 9:24).

I will betroth thee to Me in faith; and thou shalt know Jehovah (Hos. 2:20).

[3] In these passages “to know” denotes to perceive, and to perceive is from good; whereas “to understand” and “to see” are from truth; for they who are in good or in love perceive within themselves that a thing is so; but they who are in truth or in faith, see within themselves. Therefore they who are in the Lord’s celestial kingdom have perception that a thing is so; but they who are in the Lord’s spiritual kingdom have faith that it is so (see the places cited in n. 9277 and also in n. 9992, 9995, 10105; and as to what perception is, in n. 125, 371, 483, 495, 503, 521, 536, 597, 607, 1121, 1384, 1387, 1398, 1442, 1919, 2144, 2515, 2831, 3528, 5121, 5145, 5227, 7680, 7977, 8780).

[4] As in the proper sense “to know” signifies to perceive from good, therefore it is also said, “it is known from the heart” (Deuteronomy 8:5); for “from the heart” denotes from the good of love (n. 3883-3896, 7542, 9050, 9300, 9495); and therefore doing good is called “knowing Jehovah” (Jeremiah 22:16). From this it is evident that by “they shall know that I am Jehovah their God,” is signified the perceptivity that all good and truth are from the Lord.

3762. And went to the land of the sons of the east. That this signifies to the truths of love (that is, elevation thereto) is evident from the signification of the “land of the sons of the east.” That Aram, or Syria, was called the “land of the sons of the east,” is evident, because it was thither that Jacob betook himself (see n. 3249). That by “Syria” in general are signified the knowledges of good, was shown above (n. 1232, 1234); but specifically, by “Aram-naharaim” (that is, “Syria of the rivers”) are signified the knowledges of truth (n. 3051, 3664). In this case however it is not said that he went “to Aram,” or “Syria,” but “to the land of the sons of the east,” in order to signify what is treated of in this chapter throughout, namely, an ascent to the truths of love. Those truths are called the truths of love which have been elsewhere termed celestial truths, for they are knowledges that relate to charity toward the neighbor and love to the Lord; in the supreme sense, in which the Lord is treated of, they are the truths of Divine love.

[2] These truths, that relate to charity toward the neighbor and to love to the Lord, must be learned before it is possible for a man to be regenerated; and must also be acknowledged and believed; and insofar as they are acknowledged, believed, and ingrafted in the life, so far the man is regenerated, and insofar they are at the same time implanted in the man’s natural, in which they are as in their own ground. They are first implanted therein through instruction by parents and teachers; next from the Word of the Lord; and afterwards through the man’s own reflection about them; but by these means they are merely stored up in the memory of the natural man, being classed among the knowledges therein, but still not acknowledged, believed, and ingrafted, unless the life is in accordance with them; for in this case the man comes into affection, and insofar as he comes into affection from life, so far these truths are implanted in his natural as in their ground. The truths which are not thus implanted are indeed with the man, but are merely in his memory as a matter of mere knowledge or history, which serves no other purpose than to be talked about and made the means of getting a reputation which is to serve for the acquisition of riches and honors. But in this case these truths are not implanted.

[3] That by the “land of the sons of the east” are signified the truths of love, thus the knowledges of truth which tend to good, may be seen from the signification of “sons,” as being truths (see n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623); and from the signification of the “east,” as being love (n. 101, 1250, 3249). Their “land” is the ground in which they are. That the “sons of the east” are those who are in the knowledges of truth and good, and consequently in the truths of love, may be seen also from other passages in the Word. As in the first book of Kings:

The wisdom of Solomon was multiplied more than the wisdom of all the sons of the east, and than all the wisdom of the Egyptians (1 Kings:4:30); where by the “wisdom of the sons of the east” are signified the interior knowledges of truth and good, thus those who are in them;” but by the “wisdom of the Egyptians” is signified the memory-knowledge of the same, which is in a lower degree. (That by the “Egyptians” are signified memory-knowledges in general, may be seen n 1164-1165 . 1164, 1165, 1462.)

[4] In Jeremiah:

Thus saith Jehovah, Arise ye, go up against Kedar, lay waste the sons of the east. Their tents and their flocks they shall take; they shall take their curtains, and all their vessels, and their camels (Jeremiah 49:28-29).

That by the “sons of the east” are here meant those who are in the knowledges of good and truth, is evident from the fact that they were to take their tents and flocks, also their curtains and all their vessels, and likewise their camels; for by “tents” are signified the holy things of good (n. 414, 1102, 2145, 2152, 3312); by “flocks,” the goods of charity (n. 343, 2566); by “curtains,” holy truths (n. 2576, 3478); by “vessels,” truths of faith and memory-knowledges (n. 3068, 3079); by “camels,” memory-knowledges in general (n. 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145). Thus by the “sons of the east” are signified those who are in these things, that is, who are in the knowledges of good and truth.

[5] That the wise men from the east who came to Jesus at His birth were of those who were called the “sons of the east,” is evident from the fact that they were in the knowledge that the Lord was to be born, and that they knew of His advent by a star which appeared to them in the east, concerning which things we read in Matthew:

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him (Matthew 2:1-2

That from ancient times such a prophetic knowledge had existed among the sons of the east, who were of Syria, is evident from Balaam’s prophecy concerning the Lord’s advent, in Moses:

I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not nigh there shall arise a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise up out of Israel (Numbers 24:17).

That Balaam was from the land of the sons of the east, that is, from Syria, is evident from these words:

Balaam uttered his enunciation and said, Balak hath brought me from Syria, out of the mountains of the east (Numbers 23:7).

Those wise men who came to Jesus at His birth are called magi, ¹ but wise men were so called at that time, as is evident from many passages; such as Genesis 41:8; Exodus 7:11; Daniel 2:27; 4:6-7; 1 Kings 4:30; and from the Prophets throughout.

[6] That in the opposite sense the “sons of the east” signify the knowledges of evil and falsity, thus those who are in them, is evident in Isaiah:

The envy of Ephraim shall depart, and the enemies of Judah shall be cut off; they shall fly on the shoulder of the Philistines toward the sea; and together shall they spoil the sons of the east (Isaiah 11:13-14).

In Ezekiel:

Against the sons of Ammon. Behold I have delivered thee to the sons of the east for a possession, and they shall set their ordinances in thee (Ezekiel 25:3-4).

And in the book of Judges:

When Israel sowed, Midian came up, and Amalek, and the sons of the east; they came up against him (Judg. 6:3).

“Midian” denotes those who are in falsity because not in the good of life (n. 3242); “Amalek,” those who are in falsities with which they assault truths (n. 1679); the “sons of the east,” those who are in the knowledges of falsity.

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