10300. Salted. That this signifies the longing of truth for good, is evident from the signification of “salt,” as being that longing for good which is of the love of truth (of which below); hence “salted” denotes that in which is this longing. The reason why there must be a longing of truth for good is that this longing is conjunctive of the two; for insofar as truth longs for good, so far it is conjoined with it. The conjunction of truth and good is what is called the heavenly marriage, which is heaven itself with man; and therefore when in Divine worship, and in each and all things of it, there is a longing for this conjunction, heaven is in each and all things there. Thus the Lord is in them. This is signified by the requirement that the incense should be salted. Salt has this signification from its conjunctive nature; for it conjoins all things, and from this gives them relish; salt ¹ even conjoins water and oil, which otherwise will not combine.

[2] When it is known that by “salt” is signified a longing for the conjunction of truth and good, it can be known what is signified by the Lord’s words in Mark:

Everyone shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt; salt is good, but if the salt have lost its saltiness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves (Mark 9:49-50).

“Everyone shall be salted with fire” denotes that everyone will long from genuine love; “every sacrifice shall be salted with salt” denotes that there shall be in all worship a longing from genuine love; “salt without saltiness” signifies a longing from some other love than genuine love; “to have salt in themselves” denotes the longing of truth for good. (That “fire” denotes love, see n. 4906, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 10055; and that “sacrifice” denotes worship in general, n. 922, 6905, 8680, 8936.) Who can know what it is to be salted with fire, and why the sacrifice should be salted, and what it is to have salt in themselves, unless it is known what is meant by fire, salt, and by being salted?

[3] In like manner in Luke:

Whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all his possessions, he cannot be My disciple. Salt is good; but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is fit neither for the land, nor for the dunghill: they shall cast it out (Luke 14:33, 35).

“To renounce all his possessions” denotes to love the Lord above all things; “his possessions” denote the things which are man’s own; “salt that has lost its savor” denotes a longing from what is one’s own, thus from the love of self and the world: such a longing is “salt without savor,” not fit for anything. So also in Matthew:

Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is no longer fit for anything but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot by men (Matthew 5:13-14).

[4] That in all worship there must be a longing of truth for good is also signified by the law that every offering of the meat offering should be salted; and that upon every offering there should be the salt of the covenant of Jehovah (Leviticus 2:13). By the “meat offering,” and the “offering,” which is sacrifice, is signified worship, as above; and salt is there called “the salt of the covenant of Jehovah,” because by a “covenant” is signified conjunction (n. 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778, 9396, 9416). Moreover, longing is the very ardor of love, thus its continuity; and love is spiritual conjunction.

[5] As the longing of truth for good conjoins, so the longing of falsity for evil disjoins, and that which disjoins also destroys; consequently by “salt” in the opposite sense is signified the destruction and devastation of truth and good, as in Jeremiah:

Cursed is the man that maketh flesh his arm; he shall not see when good cometh, but shall dwell in parched places, in a salt land which is not inhabited (Jeremiah 17:5-6).

“To make flesh his arm” denotes to trust in one’s self, thus in what is one’s own, and not in the Divine (n. 10283); and as one’s own consists in loving self more than God and the neighbor, it is the love of self which is thus described: hence it said that “he shall not see when good cometh,” and that “he shall dwell in parched places, and in a salt land,” that is, in filthy loves and their longings, which have destroyed the good and truth of the church.

[6] In Zephaniah:

It shall be as Gomorrah; a place left to the nettle, and a pit of salt, and a waste forever (Zeph. 2:9).

“A place left to the nettle” denotes the ardor and burning of the life of man from the love of self; “a pit of salt” denotes a longing for what is false, which, as it destroys truth and good, is called “a waste forever.” It is said that it shall be “as Gomorrah,” because by “Gomorrah and Sodom” is signified the love of self (n. 2220).

[7] That Lot’s wife was turned into a statue of salt, because she turned her face to these cities (Genesis 19:26), signified the vastation of truth and good; for in the internal sense to “turn the face to anything” denotes to love (n. 10189); hence it is that the Lord says:

Let him not turn back to what is behind him; remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:31-32).

The whole land thereof shall be sulphur, and salt, and a burning, according to the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah (Deuteronomy 29:22).

By “land” here, as elsewhere in the Word, is meant the church (see at the places cited in n. 9325).

[8] From this then it was that the cities which were no longer to be inhabited were after their destruction sown with salt (Judges 9:45). From all this it is evident that by “salt” in the genuine sense is signified the longing of truth for good, thus what is conjunctive; and in the opposite sense, the longing of falsity for evil, thus what is destructive.

[9] He therefore who knows that “salt” denotes the longing of truth for good and their capability of conjunction, is able to know also what is signified by the waters of Jericho being healed by Elisha by casting in salt into their outlet (2 Kings 2:10-22); for by Elisha, as by Elijah, was represented the Lord in respect to the Word (n. 2762, 8029); and by “waters” are signified the truths of the Word; by the “waters of Jericho” the truths of the Word in the sense of the letter, and likewise by the “outlet of the waters;” and by “salt” is signified the longing of truth for good, and the conjunction of both; whence comes healing.

Fußnoten:

9416. And I will give thee the tables of stone. That this signifies the book of the law, or the Word in the whole complex, is evident from the signification of “the tables,” as being that whereon were written the things which are of doctrine and of life, here the things which are of heavenly doctrine and of a life in accordance therewith. That these tables signify the book of the law, that is, the Word in the whole complex, is because the things which were inscribed on them contained in general all things that belong to heavenly life and doctrine. Wherefore also those things which were inscribed on them are called “the ten words” (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 10:4); for by “ten” in the internal sense are signified all; and by “words” are signified the truths of doctrine, and the goods of life. (That “ten” denotes all, see n. 3107, 4638, 8468, 8540; that “words” denote the truths and goods of life and doctrine, n. 1288, 4692, 5272.) For this reason these tables signify the Word in the whole complex; in like manner as the law, which in a close sense signifies what was inscribed on these tables; in a less close sense the Word written by Moses; in a wide sense the historic Word; and in the widest sense the Word in its whole complex; as may be seen above (n. 6752). Moreover, the things inscribed on these tables were the first of the revelation of Divine truth, and were proclaimed by the Lord before all the people of Israel with a living voice. The things which are first signify all the rest in their order; and their being proclaimed by the Lord with a living voice signifies immediate Divine inspiration in the rest also. The reason why these tables were of stone was that “stone” signifies truth (n. 643, 1298, 3720, 6426), properly truth in ultimates (n. 8609); truth Divine in ultimates is the Word in the letter, such as it is on this earth (n. 9360).

[2] The reason why there was not one table, but two, was that there might be represented the conjunction of the Lord through the Word with the church, and through the church with the human race. Therefore they are also called “the tables of the covenant” (Deuteronomy 9:9, 11, 15); and the words inscribed are called “the words of the covenant” (Exodus 34:27-28), and also “the covenant” (Deuteronomy 4:13, 23); and the ark itself, in which the tables were placed, was called “the ark of the covenant” (Numbers 10:33; 14:44; Deuteronomy 10:8; 31:9, 25-26; Josh. 3:3, 6, 8, 1, 11, 14, 17; 4:7, 9, 18; 6:6, 8; 8:33; Judges 20:27; 1 Samuel 4:3-5; 2 Samuel 15:24; 1 Kings 3:15; 6:19; 8:1, 6; Jeremiah 3:16); for a “covenant” denotes conjunction (n. 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778, 9396). Wherefore these tables were divided the one from the other; but were joined together by attachment; and the writing was continued from one table on to the other, as though it was upon one table; but not according to the common opinion, some commandments upon one table, and some upon the other. For by one being divided into two, and by the two being thus joined together, or placed beside each other, is signified the conjunction of the Lord with man. For this reason covenants were entered into in a similar way; as with Abraham by a she-calf, a she-goat, and a ram divided in the middle, and by one part being placed opposite the other (Genesis 15:9-12); in this chapter also by the blood being put in basins, and half of it being sprinkled on the altar, and half upon the people (verses 6, 8); and in general by all the sacrifices, a part of which was burnt upon the altar, and a part was given to the people to eat. The like was also represented by the breaking of bread by the Lord (Matthew 14:19; 15:36; 26:26; Mark 6:41; 8:6; 14:22; Luke 9:16; 22:19; 24:30, 35). Hence also it is that by “two” in the Word is signified conjunction (n. 5194, 8423), here, that of the Lord and heaven, or of the Lord and the church, thus also of good and truth, which conjunction is called the heavenly marriage. From this it can be seen why there were two tables, and why they were written on the two sides, on the one side and on the other (Exodus 32:15-16).

[3] Moreover, “writing” and “engraving” on “tables” signify in the Word those things which must be impressed on the memory and on the life, and which are therefore to be lasting; as in Isaiah:

Write it before them on a table, and impress it on a book, that it may be for the latter day forever even to eternity (Isaiah 30:8).

The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, with a point of a diamond; it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars (Jeremiah 17:1).

Jehovah said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; though it tarry, wait for it; because coming it will come (Hab. 2:2-3).