Arcana Coelestia #3142
3142. 'And I have swept the house' means all things had been prepared and filled with goods. This is clear from the meaning of 'sweeping' as preparing and being filled, dealt with immediately below, and from the meaning of 'a house' as good, dealt with in 2233, 2234, 2559. And a person himself, from the good which governs him, is called a house, 3128. The reason why 'sweeping' means preparing and being filled is that nothing else is asked of anyone except to 'sweep his house', that is, to reject evil desires and resulting false persuasions. If he does this he is filled with all forms of good, for good from the Lord is constantly flowing in. It flows into 'the house', that is, into the person who has been cleansed of such things as hinder influx, that is, which turn away, or pervert, or stifle inflowing good. Hence the proverbial expression used by the ancients about sweeping or cleansing the house, and also about sweeping and preparing the way. 'Sweeping the house' was used to mean cleansing oneself of evils and thereby preparing oneself for goods to enter, while 'sweeping the way' was used to mean preparing oneself for the reception of truths; for 'a house' meant good, 3128, and 'the way' truth, 627, 2333.
[2] As in Isaiah,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Sweep (prepare) the way of Jehovah; make straight in the lonely place a highway for our God. Isaiah 40:3.
In the same prophet,
Level out, level out, sweep (prepare) the way; remove the stumbling block from My people's way. Isaiah 57:14.
In the same prophet,
Go through, go through into the gates; sweep (prepare) the way of the people. Level out, level out the way; gather out the stones. Isaiah 62:10.
In Malachi,
Behold, I am sending My angel, and he will sweep (prepare) the way before Me; and suddenly there will come to His temple the Lord whom you are seeking. Malachi 3:1.
In these places 'sweeping the way' stands for getting oneself ready and preparing to receive truth. They refer to the Lord's coming, for which people were to prepare themselves so as to receive the truth of faith, and through that the good of charity, and through this in turn eternal salvation.
[3] In David,
You caused a vine to journey out of Egypt. You cast out the nations, and You planted it, You swept before it and caused its root to be rooted, and it filled the land. Psalms 80:8-9.
This refers in the highest sense to the Lord. 'A vine out of Egypt' is truth based on facts, 'casting out the nations' cleansing from evils, 'sweeping before it' preparing for goods to fill it. 'Sweeping the house' also means in the contrary sense the person who dispossesses himself of all goods and truths and so is filled with evils and falsities, as in Luke,
If the unclean spirit finds no rest he says, I will return to my house out of which I came. And if when he comes he finds it swept and decorated, he goes away and brings seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. Luke 11:24-26; Matthew 12:43-45.
Genesis 18
1
Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
2
He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,
3
and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don't go away from your servant.
4
Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
5
I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant." They said, "Very well, do as you have said."
6
Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly prepare three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes."
7
Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.
8
He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
9
They asked him, "Where is Sarah, your wife?" He said, "See, in the tent."
10
He said, "I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
11
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
12
Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"
13
Yahweh said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?'
14
Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son."
15
Then Sarah denied, saying, "I didn't laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."
16
The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.
17
Yahweh said, "Will I hide from Abraham what I do,
18
since Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?
19
For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him."
20
Yahweh said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,
21
I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know."
22
The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh.
23
Abraham drew near, and said, "Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?
24
What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?
25
Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn't the Judge of all the earth do right?"
26
Yahweh said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake."
27
Abraham answered, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.
28
What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?" He said, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."
29
He spoke to him yet again, and said, "What if there are forty found there?" He said, "I will not do it for the forty's sake."
30
He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?" He said, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."
31
He said, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake."
32
He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the ten's sake."
33
Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
