9341. 'And from the wilderness even to the River' means from delight belonging to the sensory level even to good and truth belonging to the rational level. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting the boundary' as the full range, dealt with immediately above in 9340; from the meaning of 'the wilderness' as a place where no one lives and nothing is grown, so that when it applies to the spiritual matters of faith and the celestial aspects of love 'the wilderness' is a place where no good nor any truth resides, as is the situation with the level of the senses (that this is what the sensory level of the human mind is like, see end of 9331), for no celestial good nor any spiritual truth exists on the sensory level, only delight and pleasure having a bodily and worldly origin exist there, which being so 'the wilderness' means this outermost level of mind in a member of the Church; and from the meaning of the Euphrates, to which 'the River' refers here, as good and truth belonging to the rational level. The reason why the Euphrates has this meaning is that Assyria lay there, and Assyria or Asshur means the rational level of the mind, 119, 1186.

[2] This rational level is meant by 'the Euphrates' where the words 'from the wilderness to the Euphrates' occur, and also 'from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates', as in Joshua,

From the wilderness and Lebanon even to the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea, the going down of the sun, will be your boundary. Joshua 1:4.

And in Moses,

To your seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river, the River Euphrates. Genesis 15:18.

Similarly in David,

You caused a vine to journey out of Egypt. You sent out its shoots even to the sea, and its little branches to the River. Psalms 80:8, 11.

'A vine out of Egypt' stands for the spiritual Church represented by the children of Israel; 'to the sea' and 'to the River' stand for interior truths and forms of good. The like occurs in Micah,

They will come to you from Asshur and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, ¹ from mountain to mountain. Micah 7:12.

[3] But something different is meant by 'the Euphrates' when, from the middle of the land of Canaan as the standpoint, it is seen to be the furthest limit of the land on one side or that which encloses it on one side. In this case that river means the last and lowest level of the Lord's kingdom, that is, the last and lowest level of heaven and the Church in respect of rational goodness and truth. The fact that the boundaries of the land of Canaan, which were seas and rivers, meant the lowest things in the Lord's kingdom, see 1585, 1866, 4116, 4240, 6516. 'The Euphrates' therefore meant the kinds of truths and forms of good on the sensory level that were in agreement with truths and forms of good on the rational level. But since the sensory level of the human mind lies next to earth and the world and receives its impressions from them, 9331 (end), it does not acknowledge anything as good except that which delights the body, nor anything as truth except that which lends support to that delight. In this sense therefore 'the River Euphrates' means pleasure which is attributable to self-love and love of the world, and falsity that supports it with reasonings based on the illusions of the senses.

[4] These things are meant by 'the River Euphrates' in John,

A voice said to the sixth angel, Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. They were released, and they killed a third part of mankind. Revelation 9:14-15.

'The angels bound at the Euphrates' stands for falsities which arise through reasonings based on the illusions of the senses, and which lend support to pleasures attributable to self-love and love of the world. In the same book,

The sixth angel poured out his bowl over the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way of the kings who were from the rising of the sun. ² Revelation 16:12.

Here 'the Euphrates' stands for falsities from a similar origin. 'Dried up water' stands for those falsities after they had been removed by the Lord; and 'the way of the kings from the rising of the sun' stands for the fact that at that time the truths of faith were seen by and revealed to those governed by love to the Lord.

'Waters' are truths and in the contrary sense falsities, see 705, 739, 756, 790, 839, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 7307, 8137, 8138, 8568, 9323.

'The way' is truth that has been seen and revealed, 627, 2333, 3477.

'The kings' are those with whom truths exist, 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148.

'The rising' or 'the east' is the Lord, also love from Him and to Him, 101, 1250, 3708.

'The sun' has the same meaning, 1529, 1530, 2440, 2495, 3636, 3643, 4060, 4696, 5377, 7078, 7083, 7171, 7173, 8644, 8812.

[5] In Jeremiah,

You have forsaken Jehovah your God at a time when He led you in the way. For this reason what have you to do with the way of Egypt, that you drink the waters of Shihor, or what [have you to do] with the way of Asshur, that you drink the waters of the River? Jeremiah 2:17-18.

'Leading in the way' stands for teaching truth. 'What have you to do with the way of Egypt, that you drink the waters of Shihor?' stands for, What have you to do with falsities arising through a perverse use of factual knowledge? 'What have you to do with the way of Asshur, that you drink the waters of the River?' stands for, What have you to do with falsities that arise on account of reasonings - reasonings which are based on the illusions of the senses and lend support to pleasures attributable to self-love and love of the world?

[6] In the same prophet,

Jehovah [said] to the prophet, Take the girdle which you have bought, which is over your loins, and arise, go away to the Euphrates, and hide it there in the cleft of a rock. He went away and hid it by the Euphrates. Afterwards it happened at the end of many days, that Jehovah said, Arise, go away to the Euphrates, take from there the girdle. Therefore he went away to the Euphrates and dug, and took the girdle from the place where he had hidden it. But behold, the girdle was spoiled; it was profitable for nothing. Jeremiah 13:3-7.

'The girdle of the loins' is the outward bond that holds within itself all things of love and consequently of faith. 'Being hidden in the cleft of a rock beside the Euphrates' means in a place where faith dwells in obscurity and is rendered no faith at all by falsities that are the product of reasonings. 'The girdle that had been spoiled, so that it was profitable for nothing' stands for the fact that then all the things of love and faith had been broken apart and scattered.

[7] When Jeremiah was to tie a stone to the book written by him and to throw it into the middle of the Euphrates, Jeremiah 51:63, the meaning was that the prophetical part of the Word would be destroyed by like falsities. In the same prophet,

The swift will not flee away, nor the strong man escape. Northwards on the bank of the River Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen. But Jehovah Zebaoth takes revenge on His adversaries, for the Lord Jehovah Zebaoth holds a sacrifice in the land of the north beside the River Euphrates. Jeremiah 46:6, 10.

Here also 'the River Euphrates' stands for truths that have been falsified and forms of good that have been adulterated by reasonings based on illusions, and therefore stands for factual knowledge which lends support to self-love and love of the world.

Bilješke:

3012. Genesis 24

1. And Abraham, being old, was advanced in years; ¹ and Jehovah blessed Abraham in all things.

2. And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his house, who administered all that he had, Put now your hand under my thigh.

3. And I will make you swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose midst I am dwelling;

4. But that you go to my land and to the place of my nativity; and you shall take a wife for my son Isaac.

5. And the servant said to him, Perhaps the woman is not willing to go after me to this land: Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?

6. And Abraham said to him, Beware that you do not by any chance take my son back there.

7. Jehovah, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my nativity, and who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, To your seed I will give this land, He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

8. And if the woman is not willing to go after you, you are clear from this my oath; only do not take my son back there.

9. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

10. And the servant took ten camels from his master's camels, and went; and every good thing that was his master's was in his hand; and he rose up and went to Aram Naharaim, to the city of Nahor.

11. And he made the camels kneel down outside and away from the city near a well of water, at evening time, at the time that women go out to draw water.

12. And he said, O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, make it go right for me today ² and deal mercifully with my master Abraham.

13. Behold, I am standing beside a spring of water and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

14. And let it be that the girl to whom I say, Let down now your pitcher and I will drink, and she says, Drink, and also I will give your camels a drink - let her be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And in this I shall know that You have dealt mercifully with my master.

15. And so it was, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milkah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother; and her pitcher was on her shoulder.

16. And the girl was very good looking, a virgin, and no man had known her. And she went down to the spring, and filled her pitcher, and went up.

17. And the servant ran to meet her and said, Let me sip now a little water from your pitcher.

18. And she said, Drink, my lord. And she hastened and lowered her pitcher on to her hand and gave him a drink.

19. And she finished giving him the drink and said, I will draw for your camels also until they have finished drinking.

20. And she hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.

21. And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether Jehovah had prospered his way or not.

22. And so it was, when the camels finished drinking, that the man took a gold nose-jewel, half a shekel in weight, and two bracelets to go on her hands, ten [shekels] of gold in weight.

23. And he said, Whose daughter are you? Tell me now, is there at your father's house a place for us to spend the night?

24. And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milkah, whom she bore to Nahor.

25. And she said to him, There is both straw and also much fodder with us, and a place to spend the night.

26. And the man bowed, and bowed down to Jehovah.

27. And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned His mercy and His truth towards my master. As for me, being on the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master's brethren.

28. And the girl ran and told [those of] her mother's house all about these things.

29. And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and Laban ran to the man outside, to the spring.

30. And so it was - when he saw the nose-jewel and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, who said, Thus the man spoke to me - that he went to the man, and behold, he was standing with the camels at the spring.

31. And he said, Come, O blessed of Jehovah; why do you stand outside? And I have swept the house, and there is a place for the camels.

32. And the man came to the house. And he ungirded the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

33. And [food] was set before him to eat, and he said, I am not eating until I have spoken my words. And he said, Speak on!

34. And he said, I am Abraham's servant.

35. And Jehovah has blessed my master greatly and has made him great, and has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and male and female servants, and camels and asses.

36. And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master in her old age; and to him he has given all that he has.

37. And my master made me swear, saying, You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I am dwelling;

38. But you shall go to my father's house, and to my family, and you shall take a wife for my son.

39. And I said to my master, Perhaps the woman is not going to follow me.

40. And he said to me, Jehovah, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and will prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house.

41. Then you will be clear from my oath, because you have come to my family; and if they will not give her to you, you will be clear from my oath.

42. And I came today to the spring and said, O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, if You will, prosper now my way which I am walking in.

43. Behold, I am standing at a spring of water; and let it be that the young woman going out to draw, to whom I say, Give me a drink now of a little water from your pitcher,

44. And she says to me, Drink, and I will also draw for your camels - let her be the woman whom Jehovah has appointed for my master's son.

45. I had scarcely finished speaking in my heart, and behold, Rebekah came out, with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, Give me a drink now.

46. And she hastened and lowered her pitcher from upon her, and said, Drink, and also I will give your camels a drink; and I drank, and she gave the camels also a drink.

47. And I asked her and said, Whose daughter are you? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milkah bore to him. And I put a jewel on her nose, and bracelets on her hands.

48. And I bowed, and bowed down to Jehovah, and blessed Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who led me into the way of truth to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son.

49. And now if you are going to show mercy and truth to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, and I will look to the right or to the left.

50. And Laban answered, then Bethuel, and they said, From Jehovah has this thing come; we cannot speak to you bad or good.

51. Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as Jehovah has spoken.

52. And so it was, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he bowed down to the earth to Jehovah.

53. And the servant brought out vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; and he gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.

54. And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed the night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me to my master.

55. And her brother said, and her mother, Let the girl stay with us a week or ten days; ³ after that you will go.

56. And he said to them, Do not delay me, since Jehovah has prospered my way. Send me away and let me go to my master.

57. And they said, Let us call the girl and ask her personally. ⁴

58. And they called Rebekah and said to her, Are you going to go with this man? And she said, I will go.

59. And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men.

60. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, Our sister, may you become thousands of myriads, and may your seed inherit the gate of those who hate you.

61. And Rebekah rose up, and her maids, and they rode on the camels and went after the man. And the servant took Rebekah and went.

62. And Isaac had come from ⁵ Beer Lahai Roi, and was dwelling in the land of the south.

63. And Isaac came out to meditate in the field towards evening, and lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, the camels were coming.

64. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac, and dropped down from upon the camel.

65. And she said to the servant, Who is that man there walking in the field to meet us? And the servant said, He is my master. And she took a veil and covered herself.

66. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

67. And Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother; and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after [the death of] his mother.

CONTENTS

Described in the internal sense is the whole process by which truth was joined to good in the Lord's Divine Rational. In this chapter it is the process of introduction which precedes that joining together. Isaac is the good of the rational, Rebekah here is the truth that has to be introduced into good, and Laban the affection for good in the natural man.

Bilješke: