Arcana Coelestia #142
142. Verses 19-20 And Jehovah God formed out of the ground every beast of the field, and every bird of the air, 1 and He brought it to the man to see what he would call it; and whatever the man called it, the living creature, 2 that was its name. And the man gave names to every beast, and to the birds of the air, 1 and to every wild animal of the field; but for man there was not found a help suitable for him.
'Beasts' means celestial affections, 'birds of the air' 3 spiritual ones; that is, 'beasts' means things that belong to the will, and 'birds' those that belong to the understanding. 'Bringing them to the man to see what he would call them' means enabling him to know their nature. 'He gave them names means that he did recognize their nature. But even though he knew the nature of the affections for good and the cognitions of truth which the Lord had granted him, he still set his heart on the proprium, which is expressed in the same way as before - 'there was not found a help suitable for him'.
V:
1. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
2. literally, the living soul
3. literally, birds of the heavens (or the skies)
Genesis 2:19-20
19
Out of the ground Yahweh God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.
20
The man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field; but for man there was not found a helper suitable for him.
