3079. With her pitcher upon her shoulder. That this signifies receptions of truth, and endeavor, is evident from the signification of a “pitcher,” as being memory-knowledge, and thus a receptacle of truth (see n. 3068); and from the signification of the “shoulder,” as being all power, and thus endeavor (see n. 1085). That “pitchers” or “water-jars,” also vessels in general, signify in the internal sense things which are in the position of being a receptacle (as are memory-knowledges and knowledges in relation to truths, and as are truths themselves in relation to good), may be seen from many passages in the Word. The “vessels” of the temple and of the altar have no other signification, and because they signified such things they were also holy, their holiness being from no other source.

[2] And when Belshazzar, with his great men and his wives, was drinking wine out of the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had brought from the temple of Jerusalem, and they were praising the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone, it was because of such signification of the vessels that the writing then appeared on the wall of his palace (Daniel 5:2, etc .). The “vessels of gold and of silver” denote the knowledges of good and truth, which were profaned; for the Chaldeans denote those who are in knowledges, but such as have been profaned by the falsities that are in them (n. 1368); so that the knowledges serve them to worship gods of gold and silver; for Belshazzar is called king of the Chaldeans in this same chapter (verse 30).

[3] That “vessels” signify the externals of spiritual things, is also plain from other passages in the Word, as in Isaiah:

As the sons of Israel bring their offering in a clean vessel into the house of Jehovah (Isaiah 66:20); where the Lord’s kingdom is treated of. The “offering in a clean vessel” is representative of the external man relatively to the internal; that which brings the gift is the internal man; the “clean vessel” is the external man that is in agreement, thus it denotes the things in the external man, which are memory-knowledges, knowledges, and doctrinal things.

[4] In Jeremiah:

The cry of Jerusalem is gone up, and their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters; they came to the pits, they found no waters, they returned with their vessels empty, they are ashamed (Jeremiah 14:2-3);

“empty vessels” denote knowledges wherein there is no truth, and also truths wherein there is no good. Again:

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, hath devoured me, he hath troubled me, he hath made me an empty vessel (Jeremiah 51:34); where an “empty vessel” has a similar meaning. That it is Babel that lays waste, may be seen above (n. 1327, at the end).

In Moses:

As the valleys are they planted, as gardens by the river’s side; waters shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be at many waters (Numbers 24:6-7).

This is Balaam’s parable concerning Jacob and Israel; “waters flowing from his buckets,” signify that truths flow from knowledges.

[5] In the parable of the ten virgins, five of whom took oil in their vessels with their lamps, while the foolish did not (Matthew 25:4), by the “virgins” are signified affections. That the wise “took oil in their vessels,” denotes that there was good in truths, and thus charity in faith. That “oil” denotes good, may be seen above (n. 886); “lamps” denote love.

1368. That by “Ur of the Chaldees” is signified external worship in which there are falsities, is evident from the signification in the Word of “the Chaldeans.” It has been shown above, at verse 9, that by “Babel” is signified worship in which interiorly there are evils; but by “Chaldea” is signified worship in which interiorly there are falsities. Consequently by “Babel” is signified worship in which there is inwardly nothing of good; and by “Chaldea,” worship in which there is inwardly nothing of truth. Worship in which there is inwardly nothing good and nothing true, is a worship wherein there is interiorly what is profane and idolatrous. That such worship is signified in the Word by “Chaldea,” may be seen from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people is no more; Asshur founded it in Ziim; they shall set up the watchtowers thereof, they shall raise up her palaces; he shall make it a ruin (Isaiah 23:13).

“The land of the Chaldeans which is not a people,” denotes falsities; “Asshur founded it,” denotes reasonings; “the watchtowers,” phantasies. Again:

Thus hath said Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have thrown down the bars, all of them, and the Chaldeans in whose ships is a cry (Isaiah 43:14).

“Babylon” denotes worship in which inwardly there is evil; “the Chaldeans,” worship in which inwardly there is falsity; the “ships” are knowledges of truth which are corrupted.

[2] Again:

Sit thou silent and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for they shall no more call thee the lady of kingdoms. I was wroth with My people, I profaned My inheritance, and gave them into thy hand; these two things shall come to thee suddenly in one day, the loss of children and widowhood together; to the full shall they come upon thee, because of the multitude of thy sorceries, and because of the greatness of thine enchantments (Isaiah 47:5-6, 9).

Here it is evident that “Chaldea” is the profanation of truth, and is called “sorceries” and “enchantments.” Again:

Go ye forth out of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans (Isaiah 48:20).

That is, from the profanation of good and of truth in worship.

In Ezekiel:

Cause Jerusalem to know her abominations; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite; thou hast committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt; thou hast committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur; hence thou hast multiplied thy whoredom even into the land of Chaldea (Ezekiel 16:2-3, 26, 28-29).

This is said specifically of the Jewish Church; “the Sons of Egypt” denote memory-knowledges; “the sons of Assyria,” reasonings; “the land of Chaldea into which she multiplied her whoredom,” the profanation of truth. That countries are not meant by Egypt, Assyria, and Chaldea, and that no other whoredom is spoken of, may be seen by anyone.

[3] Again:

Oholah hath committed whoredom, and hath doted on her lovers the Assyrians, her neighbors; and she hath not forsaken her whoredoms from Egypt; she hath added to her whoredoms; and she saw men, it was portrayed upon the wall, images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, girded with girdles upon their loins, dyed turbans hanging down on their heads, all of them leaders to look upon, the likeness of the sons of Babylon, of the Chaldeans, the land of their nativity. As soon as she saw them she loved them lewdly, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea; the sons of Babylon polluted her by their whoredoms (Ezekiel 23:5, 8, 14-17).

Here the Chaldeans are called “sons of Babylon,” and denote truths profaned in worship. “Oholah” denotes the spiritual church, which is called Samaria.

[4] In Habakkuk:

I stir up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation, that march through the breadths of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs, a horrible and a terrible one, and from itself doth its judgment and its exaltation go forth; whose horses are swifter than leopards, and keener ¹ than the evening wolves; and the horsemen thereof spread themselves, yea, the horsemen thereof come from afar; they fly as an eagle that hasteth to devour; wholly doth it come for violence; the panting desire of its faces is toward the east (Habakkuk 1:6-9).

The Chaldean nation is here described by many representatives that are significant of the profanations of truth in worship.

[5] Moreover, Babylon and Chaldea are described in two entire chapters in Jeremiah (chapters Jeremiah 50 and Jeremiah 51), where what is signified by each is plainly evident, namely, by Babylon the profanation of celestial things, and by Chaldea the profanation of spiritual things, in worship. From all this therefore it is evident what is signified by “Ur of the Chaldees,” namely, external worship in which there is inwardly profane idolatry. Moreover it has been permitted that I should be instructed by themselves that such was the character of their worship.

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