841. That by “Noah” is signified, as before, the man of the Ancient Church; and by “every wild animal, and every beast that was with him in the ark” everything that belonged to him, is evident from what was previously stated concerning Noah, and concerning the signification of “wild animal” and “beast.” In the Word “wild animal” is taken in a twofold sense, namely, for those things in man which are alive, and for those which are dead. It stands for what is alive, because the word in the Hebrew tongue signifies a living thing; but as the most ancient people in their humiliation acknowledged themselves to be as wild animals, the word became also a type of what is dead in man. In the present passage, by “wild animal” is meant both what is alive and what is dead in one complex, in accordance with what is usually the case with man after temptation, in whom the living and the dead, or the things which are of the Lord, and those which are man’s own, appear so confounded that he scarcely knows what is true and good; but the Lord then reduces and disposes all things into order, as is evident from what follows. That a “wild animal” signifies what is alive in man, may be seen in the preceding chapter (Genesis 7:14), and in the present chapter (Genesis 8:17, 19); that it also signifies what is dead in man, is evident from what has been shown above respecting wild animals and beasts n. 45-46vvv3, 142-143, 246).

246. That the “beast and the wild animal of the field” signify affections, is evident from what was previously said concerning them n. 45, 46), to which it is permitted to add the following passage from David:

Thou, O God, dost send the rain of Thy kindnesses; Thou confirmest Thy laboring inheritance; Thy wild animal shall dwell therein (Psalms 68:9-10),

where also “wild animal” denotes the affection of good, because it is said that it shall “dwell in the inheritance of God.” The reason why here, and also in chapter 2, the “beast and the wild animal of the field” are mentioned, while in chapter 1, the “beast and the wild animal of the earth” are named, is that the present passage treats of the church or regenerated man, whereas the first chapter related to what was as yet not a church, or to man about to become regenerate; for the word “field” is applied to the church, or to the regenerate.