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.

755. That by “the six hundredth year, the second month, and seventeenth day” is signified the second state of temptation, follows from what has hitherto been said; for from the sixth verse to (Genesis 7:6-11) this eleventh verse the first state of temptation is treated of, which was temptation as to things of his understanding. And that now the second state is treated of, namely, as to things of the will, is the reason why his age is told again. It was said before that he was “a son of six hundred years” and here that the flood came “in the six-hundredth year of his life, in the second month, and in the seventeenth day.” No one could suppose that by the years of Noah’s age, of which the years, months, and days are specified, a state of temptation as to things of the will is meant. But as has been said, such was the manner of speech and of writing among the most ancient people; and especially were they delighted in being able to specify times and names, and thereby construct a narrative similar to actual history; and in this consisted their wisdom.

[2] Now it has been shown above, at verse 6), that the “six hundred years” signify nothing else than the first state of temptation, and so do the “six hundred years” here; but in order that the second state of temptation might be signified, “months” and “days” are added; and indeed two months or “in the second month” which signifies combat itself, as is evident from the signification of the number “two” in the second verse (Genesis 7:2) of this chapter, where it is shown that it signifies the same as “six” that is, labor and combat, and also dispersion. But the number “seventeen” signifies both the beginning of temptation and the end of temptation, because it is composed of the numbers seven and ten. When this number signifies the beginning of temptation, it involves the days up to seven, or a week of seven days; and that this signifies the beginning of temptation has been shown above, at the fourth verse (Genesis 7:4) of this chapter. But when it signifies the end of temptation (as at Genesis 8:4), then “seven” is a holy number; to which “ten” (which signifies remains) is adjoined, for without remains man cannot be regenerated.

[3] That the number “seventeen” signifies the beginning of temptation, is evident in Jeremiah, when that prophet was commanded to buy a field from Hanamel his uncle’s son, which was in Anathoth; and he weighed him the money, seventeen shekels of silver (Jeremiah 32:9). That this number also signifies the Babylonish captivity, which represents the temptation of the faithful and the devastation of the unfaithful, and so the beginning of temptation and at the same time the end of temptation, or liberation, is evident from what follows in the same chapter-the captivity in the thirty-sixth verse (Jeremiah 32:36), and the liberation in the thirty-seventh (Jeremiah 32:37)and following verses. No such number would have appeared in the prophecy if it had not, like all the other words, involved a hidden meaning.

[4] That “seventeen” signifies the beginning of temptation, is also evident from the age of Joseph, who was a “son of seventeen years” when he was sent to his brothers and sold into Egypt (Genesis 37:2). His being sold into Egypt has a similar signification, as of the Lord’s Divine mercy will be shown in the explication of that chapter. There the historical events are representative, which actually took place as described; but here significative historical incidents are composed, which did not take place as described in the sense of the letter. And yet the actual events involve arcana of heaven, in fact every word of them does so, exactly as do these made-up histories. It cannot but appear strange that this is so, because where any historical fact or statement is presented, the mind is held in the letter and cannot release itself from it, and so thinks that nothing else is signified and represented.

[5] But that there is an internal sense in which the life of the Word resides (and not in the letter, which without the internal sense is dead), must be evident to every intelligent man. Without the internal sense how does any historical statement in the Word differ from history as told by any profane writer? And then of what use would it be to know the age of Noah, and the month and day when the flood took place, if it did not involve a heavenly arcanum? And who cannot see that this saying: “all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the cataracts of heaven were opened” is a prophetical one? Not to mention other like considerations.