2575. Behold I have given to thy brother a thousand of silver. That this signifies an infinite abundance of rational truth adjoined to good, is evident from the signification of a “thousand,” as being much and countless; here infinite, or an infinite abundance, because predicated of the Lord (concerning which signification see below); from the signification of “silver,” as being rational truth (see n. 1551, 2048); and from the signification of “brother,” as being celestial good adjoined to rational truth, as a brother to a sister (n. 2524, 2557). From all this it is evident that “I have given to thy brother a thousand of silver” signifies an infinite abundance of rational truth adjoined to good. Its being given to good, which is the “brother,” but not to truth, is because truth is from good, not good from truth. (Concerning this infinite abundance, see above, n. 2572.)

[2] That in the Word a “thousand” signifies much and countless, and when predicated of the Lord what is infinite, is manifest from the following passages.

In Moses:

I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate Me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments (Exodus 20:5-6; 34:7; Deuteronomy 5:9-10).

And in Jeremiah:

Jehovah showeth mercy unto thousands, and recompenseth the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their sons after them (Jeremiah 32:18).

In these passages by “thousands” is not signified any definite number, but what is infinite, for the Lord’s mercy is infinite, because Divine.

In David:

The chariots of God are two myriads, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them, Sinai in holiness (Psalms 68:17); where “myriads” and “thousands” denote things innumerable.

[3] In the same:

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and a myriad at thy right hand; it shall not come nigh thee (Psalms 91:7); where also a “thousand” and a “myriad” denote things innumerable; and as it is concerning the Lord, who in the Psalms is meant by “David,” they denote all who are His enemies. In the same:

Our garners are full, affording all manner of food, our flocks bring forth a thousand and ten thousand in our streets (Psalms 144:13); where also a “thousand,” and “ten thousand,” that is, a myriad, denote things innumerable. In the same:

A thousand years in Thine eyes are as yesterday when it is past (Psalms 90:4);

a “thousand years” denote what is without time, and therefore eternity, which is infinity of time.

In Isaiah:

One thousand from before the rebuke of one, from before the rebuke of five shall ye flee, until ye be left as a mast upon the top of a mountain (Isaiah 30:17); where “one thousand” denotes many without any definite number; and “five” a few (n. 649).

In Moses:

Jehovah the God of your fathers make you a thousand times as many more as ye are, and bless you (Deuteronomy 1:11); where a “thousand times” denotes numberless, as in common speech, in which also a “thousand” is used for many; as when it is said that a thing has been said a thousand times, or done in a thousand ways. In like manner in Joshua:

One man of you shall chase a thousand, for Jehovah your God fighteth for you (Josh. 23:10).

[4] As in computation a “thousand” is a definite number, it appears in the prophecies, especially when connected with history, as if a “thousand” meant simply a thousand, when yet it signifies many or innumerable, apart from any fixed number; for historical matters are of such a nature as to determine the ideas into the nearest and proper significations of the words, as also to the names given; when yet real things are signified in the Word by numbers as well as by names (as is evident from what has been shown before, n. 482, 487, 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252). Hence also it is supposed by some that by the “thousand years” in the Revelation (Revelation 20:1-7) there are meant a thousand years or a thousand periods, for the reason as already said that things prophetic are there described under the form of history; when yet by the “thousand years” nothing is there meant except an indeterminate large amount, as elsewhere also infinity of time, or eternity.

1201. That “Zidon” signifies exterior knowledges of spiritual things, is evident from the fact that it is called the “first-born of Canaan;” for the firstborn of every church, in the internal sense, is faith n. 352, 367 as at here, where there is no faith, because no internal things, there are nothing but exterior knowledges of spiritual things which are in the place of faith; thus knowledges such as existed among the Jews, which are knowledges not only of the rites of external worship, but also of many things, such as doctrinals, which belong to that worship. That this is the signification of “Zidon” is also evident from the fact that Tyre and Zidon were extreme borders of Philistia, and were moreover by the sea; and therefore by “Tyre” interior knowledges are signified, and by “Zidon” exterior knowledges, that is, of spiritual things-which is also evident from the Word.

In Jeremiah:

On the day that cometh to lay waste all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Zidon every helper that remaineth; for Jehovah will lay waste the Philistines, the remnant of the isle of Caphtor (Jeremiah 47:4).

Here “the Philistines” denote the mere memory-knowledge of the knowledges of faith and charity; “Tyre” denotes the interior knowledges, and “Zidon” the exterior knowledges, of spiritual things.

[2] In Joel:

What are ye to Me, O Tyre and Zidon, and all the borders of Philistia? Forasmuch as ye have taken My silver and gold, and have carried into your temples My desirable good things (Joel 3:4-5).

Here “Tyre and Zidon” evidently denote knowledges, and are called “the borders of Philistia;” “silver and gold,” and “desirable good things,” are knowledges.

In Ezekiel:

The princes of the north, all of them, and every Zidonian who has gone down with the slain into the pit. When he has been made to lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that are slain with the sword; Pharaoh and all his crowd (Ezekiel 32:30, 32).

“The Zidonians” here denote exterior knowledges, which without internal things are nothing but memory-knowledges and therefore they are named in connection with Pharaoh, or Egypt, by whom memory-knowledges are signified.

In Zechariah:

Hamath also shall be bordered thereon; Tyre and Zidon, because she was very wise (Zechariah 9:2).

The subject here is Damascus; “Tyre and Zidon” denote knowledges.

[3] In Ezekiel:

The inhabitants of Zidon and of Arvad were thy rowers; thy wise men, O Tyre, were in thee, they were thy pilots (Ezekiel 27:8).

Here “Tyre” denotes interior knowledges; wherefore her wise men are called “pilots;” and “Zidon” denotes exterior knowledges, and therefore her inhabitants are called “rowers;” for such is the relation of interior knowledges to exterior.

In Isaiah:

Let the inhabitants of the isle be silent, the merchant of Zidon, that passes over the sea, they have replenished thee. And in great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river was her revenue, and she was the mart of nations. Be ashamed, O Zidon, for the sea hath spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, nor brought forth, nor have I brought up young men, nor caused virgins to grow up (Isaiah 23:2-4).

“Zidon” here denotes exterior knowledges, which, because there is nothing internal in them, are called “the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river her revenue, the mart of the nations,” and also “the sea,” and “the stronghold of the sea;” and it is said that she doth not “travail and bring forth”—which could not be comprehended in the literal sense, but is all perfectly clear in the internal sense; as is the case with other passages in the Prophets. Because “Zidon” signifies exterior knowledges, it is said to be “a circuit about Israel,” that is, around the spiritual church (Ezekiel 28:24, 26); for exterior knowledges are like a circuit round about.