Arcana Coelestia #273
273. That 'thorn and thistle' means curse and vastation is clear from the fact that 'harvest' and 'fruitful tree' mean the opposite, namely blessings and increases. It is clear from the Word that thorn, thistle, brier, bramble, and nettle have such meanings, as in Hosea,
Behold, they have gone away on account of the vastation; Egypt will gather them, Moph 1 will bury them, their precious things of silver. The nettle will inherit them, the bramble will be in their tents. Hosea 9:6.
Here 'Egypt' and 'Moph' 1 stand for people who rely on themselves and on their own factual knowledge to be wise in Divine matters. In the same prophet,
The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. Thorn and thistle will grow up on their altars. Hosea 10:8.
Here 'the high places of Aven' stands for self-love, 'thorn and thistle on their altars' for profanation. In Isaiah,
They are smiting their breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine; for over the ground of My people the spiky thorn will come up. Isaiah 32:12-13.
And in Ezekiel,
No more will there be for the house of Israel a pricking brier and a painful thorn from all those surrounding them. Ezekiel 28:24.
Notes de bas de page:
1. i.e. Memphis
