623. The earth was filled with violence. That this is said on account of their foul cupidities, and most of all on account of those which come of the love of self, or of inordinate arrogance, is evident from the Word. It is called “violence” when men do violence to holy things by profaning them, as did these antediluvians who immersed the doctrinal things of faith in all kinds of cupidities. As in Ezekiel:

My faces will I turn from them, and they shall profane My secret [place], and robbers shall enter into it and profane it. Make the chain; for the land is full of the judgment of bloods, and the city is full of violence (Ezekiel 7:22-23).

The “violent” are here described as to who they are, and that they are such as we have stated. Again:

They shall eat their bread in solicitude, and drink their waters in desolation, that her land may be devastated from its fullness, because of the violence, of all them that dwell therein (Ezekiel 12:19).

The “bread which they shall eat in solicitude” is the celestial things, and the “waters which they shall drink in desolation” are the spiritual things, to which they have done violence, or which they have profaned.

[2] In Isaiah:

Their webs shall not be for garments; neither shall they be covered in their works; their works are works of iniquity, and the deed of violence is in their hands (Isaiah 59:6).Here “webs” and “garments” are predicated of things of the understanding, that is, of the thought; “iniquity” and “violence” of things of the will, that is, of works.

In Jonah:

Let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands (Jonah 3:8),

where the “evil way” is predicated of falsities, which are of the understanding; and “violence” of evils, which are of the will.

In Jeremiah:

A rumor shall come in one year, and violence in the land (Jeremiah 51:46).

“A rumor” denotes things which are of the understanding, “violence” those which are of the will.

In Isaiah:

He hath done no violence, neither was there any deceit in His mouth (Isaiah 53:9).

Here also “violence” denotes the things of the will; “deceit in His mouth” those of the understanding.