According to Swedenborg, a person's name in the Bible represents his or her entire spiritual nature, their whole state of love (good or evil) and thought (from heavenly wisdom to infernal insanity). This is why the name of the Lord is so important; it represents and embodies His perfect love and perfect wisdom, which is everything that we should worship and follow. It's easy to see that names are important in the Bible. Jehovah changed Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah, changed Jacob to Israel and included in the Ten Commandments the order that believers "shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain." In the New Testament, Zacharias was told to name John the Baptist "John," and both Joseph (Matthew 1:21) and Mary (Luke 1:31) were told to name Jesus "Jesus." Jesus himself renamed Simon as Peter, and included the phrase "hallowed be thy name" in the Lord's prayer.

(Notae: Luke 1)

9102. 'He shall repay five oxen for the ox' means the corresponding punishment, carried to a great degree. This is clear from the meaning of 'five' as something, dealt with in 4638, 5291, and also much or a great amount, 5708, 5956; and from the meaning of 'repaying' as amendment, 9087, and as restoration, 9097. The reason why it also means punishment is that when good that has been alienated has to receive amendment, or has to be restored, a person undergoes hard experiences. For either he is abandoned to his evil, thus also to the punishment accompanying evil since evil carries punishment with it, 8214, or he is brought into temptations by means of which evil is tamed and removed, which is the punishment meant here by 'repaying'. It is the corresponding punishment because the evil incurred as punishment and the evil of the wrong-doing correspond, 1857, 6559, 8214.