2709. And he became a shooter of the bow. That this signifies the man of the spiritual church, is evident from the signification of a “shaft,” “dart,” or “arrow,” as being truth; and from the signification of a “bow,” as being doctrine (see above, n. 2686). The man of the spiritual church was formerly called a “shooter of the bow,” because he defended himself by truths, and disputed about truths; differently from the man of the celestial church, who is secure by means of good, and does not dispute about truths (see above, n. 2708). The truths by which the man of the spiritual church defends himself, and respecting which he disputes, are from the doctrine which he acknowledges.

[2] That the spiritual man was in old time called a “shooter” and an “archer,” and that doctrine was called a “bow” and a “quiver,” and that the truths of doctrine, or rather doctrinal matters, were called “darts,” “shafts,” and “arrows,” is further evident in David:

The sons of Ephraim, being armed, shooters of the bow, turned back in the day of battle (Psalms 78:9).

“Ephraim” denotes the intellectual of the church. In the book of Judges:

Consider, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit upon carpets, and ye that walk by the way; because of the voice of archers among them that draw water, there shall they rehearse the righteousnesses of Jehovah, the righteousnesses toward His villages in Israel (Judg. 5:10-11).

In Isaiah:

Jehovah hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath He made mention of my name, and He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand hath He hid me, and He hath made me a polished arrow, in His quiver hath He hid me; and He said unto me, Thou art My servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified ¹ (Isaiah 49:1-3).

“Israel” denotes the spiritual church.

[3] In David:

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of the youth; happy is the man that hath filled his quiver with them (Psalms 127:4);

a “quiver” denotes the doctrine of good and truth.

In Habakkuk:

The sun and moon stood still in their seat; at the light of Thine arrows shall they go, at the shining of the lightning of Thy spear (Hab. 3:11).

That Joash king of Israel shot an arrow from a bow through the window, at the command of Elisha, while Elisha said, “The arrow of the salvation of Jehovah, the arrow of the salvation of Jehovah against the Syrian” (2 Kings 13:16 to 18), signifies arcana concerning the doctrine of good and truth.

[4] As most of the things in the Word have also an opposite sense, so likewise have “shafts,” “darts,” “arrows,” “bows,” and a “shooter;” and they signify falsities, the doctrine of falsity, and those who are in falsity. Thus in Moses:

Joseph is the son of a fruitful one, the son of a fruitful one by a fountain, of a daughter, she marcheth upon the wall; they grieved him, and shot at him, and the archers hated him (Genesis 49:22-23).

In Jeremiah:

They have shot out their tongue, their bow is a lie, and not for truth; their tongue is a lengthened arrow, it speaketh deceit (Jeremiah 9:3, 8).

In David:

They have sharpened their tongue like a sword, they have aimed their arrow, a bitter word, to shoot in secret places at the perfect; suddenly will they shoot at him, and will not fear. They will make strong for themselves an evil word, they will tell of the hiding of snares (Psalms 64:4-6).

In the same:

Lo, the wicked bend the bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, to shoot in the darkness at the upright in heart (Psalms 11:2).

In the same:

His truth is a shield and buckler; thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, for the arrow that flieth by day (Psalms 91:4-5).

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