Genesi 27:3
To many Protestant and Evangelical Italians, the Bibles translated by Giovanni Diodati are an important part of their history. Diodati’s first Italian Bible edition was printed in 1607, and his second in 1641. He died in 1649. Throughout the 1800s two editions of Diodati’s text were printed by the British Foreign Bible Society. This is the more recent 1894 edition, translated by Claudiana.
Arcana Coelestia #925
925. And Jehovah smelled an odor of rest. That this signifies that worship therefrom was grateful to the Lord, that is, worship from charity and the faith of charity, which is signified by “burnt-offering” has been stated under the preceding verse. It is often said in the Word that Jehovah “smelled an odor of rest” especially from burnt-offerings; and this always means what is grateful or acceptable; as that He “smelled an odor of rest” from burnt-offerings (Exodus 29:18, 25, 41; Leviticus 1:9, 13, 17; 23:12-13, 18; Numbers 28:6, 8, 13; 29:2, 6, 8, 13, 36), and also from other sacrifices (Leviticus 2:2, 9; 6:15, 21; 8:21, 28; 15:3, 7). They are also called “made by fire for an odor of rest unto Jehovah” by which is signified that they are from love and charity. “Fire” in the Word and “made by fire” when predicated of the Lord and of the worship of Him, signifies love. So also does “bread” and for this reason representative worship by burnt-offerings and sacrifices is called “the bread of the offering made by fire for an odor of rest” (Leviticus 3:11, 16).
[2] That an “odor” signifies what is grateful and acceptable, and thus that an odor in the Jewish Church was a representative of what is grateful, and is ascribed to Jehovah or the Lord, is because the good of charity and the truth of faith from charity correspond to sweet and delightful odors. The fact of this correspondence and the nature of it is demonstrable from the spheres of spirits and angels in heaven, where there are spheres of love and faith which are plainly perceived. The spheres are such that when a good spirit or angel, or a society of good spirits or of angels, comes near, then, whenever the Lord pleases, it is at once perceived, even at a distance, but more sensibly on a nearer approach, what is the quality in respect to love and faith of that spirit, angel, or society. This is incredible, yet is perfectly true. Such is the communication in the other life, and such is the perception. Wherefore, when it pleases the Lord, there is no need to explore in many ways the quality of a soul or spirit; for it may be known at his first approach. To these spheres correspond the spheres of odors in the world. That they do so correspond is evident from the fact that when it pleases the Lord the spheres of love and faith in the world of spirits are turned into spheres of sweet and pleasing odors, and are plainly perceived.
[3] From these things it is now evident whence and why “an odor of rest” signifies what is grateful, and why an odor became representative in the Jewish Church, and why “an odor of rest” is here ascribed to Jehovah or the Lord. An odor of rest is one of peace, or a grateful sense of peace. Peace taken in the complex embraces all things of the Lord’s kingdom both in general and in particular, for the state of the Lord’s kingdom is a state of peace, and in a state of peace there come forth all the happy states that result from love and faith in the Lord. From what has now been said it is plain not only how it is with representatives, but also why in the Jewish Church incense was used, for which there was an altar before the veil and the mercy-seat; why there were offerings of frankincense in the sacrifices; also why so many spices were used in the incense, in the frankincense, and in the oil for anointing; and thus what is signified in the Word by “an odor of rest” “incense” and “spices” namely, the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith therefrom; in general, whatever is grateful from love and faith.
[4] As in Ezekiel:
In the mountain of My holiness, in the mountain of the height of Israel, there shall all the house of Israel in the whole land serve Me; there will I accept them, and there will I seek your oblations and the first fruits of your gifts, with all your holy things; as an odor of rest will I accept you (Ezekiel 20:40-41).
Here “an odor of rest” is predicated of burnt-offerings and gifts, that is, of worship from charity and its faith, which is signified by the burnt-offerings and gifts, and is consequently acceptable, which is meant by the “odor.”
In Amos:
I hate, I have rejected your feasts, and I will not receive the odor of your holidays, for if ye shall offer Me your burnt-offerings and gifts, they shall not be acceptable (Amos 5:21-22).
Here “odor” manifestly signifies what is grateful or acceptable. Of Isaac when blessing Jacob instead of Esau it is said:
And Jacob came near, and he kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which Jehovah hath blessed (Genesis 27:27).
The “smell of his raiment” signifies natural good and truth, which is grateful from its agreement with celestial and spiritual good and truth, the gratefulness of which is described by the “smell of a field.”
Leviticus 15
1
Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
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"Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'When any man has a discharge from his body, because of his discharge he is unclean.
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This shall be his uncleanness in his discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body has stopped from his discharge, it is his uncleanness.
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"'Every bed whereon he who has the discharge lies shall be unclean; and everything he sits on shall be unclean.
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Whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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He who sits on anything whereon the man who has the discharge sat shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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"'He who touches the body of him who has the discharge shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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"'If he who has the discharge spits on him who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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"'Whatever saddle he who has the discharge rides on shall be unclean.
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Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until the evening. He who carries those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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"'Whoever he who has the discharge touches, without having rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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"'The earthen vessel, which he who has the discharge touches, shall be broken; and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.
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"'When he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes; and he shall bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.
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"'On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before Yahweh to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and give them to the priest:
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and the priest shall offer them, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. The priest shall make atonement for him before Yahweh for his discharge.
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"'If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall bathe all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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Every garment, and every skin, whereon the semen is, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the evening.
18
If a man lies with a woman and there is an emission of semen, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the evening.
19
"'If a woman has a discharge, and her discharge in her flesh is blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days: and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening.
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"'Everything that she lies on in her impurity shall be unclean. Everything also that she sits on shall be unclean.
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Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
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Whoever touches anything that she sits on shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
23
If it is on the bed, or on anything whereon she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until the evening.
24
"'If any man lies with her, and her monthly flow is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed whereon he lies shall be unclean.
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"'If a woman has a discharge of her blood many days not in the time of her period, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her period; all the days of the discharge of her uncleanness shall be as in the days of her period: she is unclean.
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Every bed whereon she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her period: and everything whereon she sits shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her period.
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Whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
28
"'But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.
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On the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting.
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The priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her before Yahweh for the uncleanness of her discharge.
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"'Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, so they will not die in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is in their midst.'"
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This is the law of him who has a discharge, and of him who has an emission of semen, so that he is unclean thereby;
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and of her who has her period, and of a man or woman who has a discharge, and of him who lies with her who is unclean.
