Arcana Coelestia #1188
1188. 'Nineveh' means falsities contained in those teachings, as do 'Rehoboth and Calah' though falsities from a different source. This is clear from the meaning of 'Nineveh' in the Word, dealt with below. Falsities of this kind arise from three sources. The first source is the illusions of the senses - when the understanding, being in obscurity, is unenlightened - and also ignorance. This is the source of the falsity meant by 'Nineveh'. The second source is the same, but with some predominating desire present, for innovation or pre-eminence. This is the source of the falsities meant by Rehoboth. And the third is that of the will, and so of evil desires. In this case people are unwilling to acknowledge anything as true except that which is favorable to evil desires. This is the source of the falsities called Calah. All of these falsities arise through Asshur, or reasonings concerning the truths and goods of faith.
[2] That 'Nineveh' means falsities arising from the illusions of the senses when the understanding, being in obscurity, is unenlightened, and also from ignorance, is clear in the case of Jonah, who was sent to Nineveh, a city that was pardoned because they were such. It is clear also from the facts recorded in the Book of Jonah regarding Nineveh, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed elsewhere. Though the details there are historical they are nevertheless prophetical, embodying and representing such arcana, in the way every other historical part of the Word does.
[3] Similarly in Isaiah, when the king of Asshur is referred to as remaining in Nineveh, and, when he bowed down in the house of Nisroch his god, is referred to as slain by his sons with a sword, Isaiah 37:37-38. Although these details are historical they are nevertheless prophetical, embodying and representing arcana of a like nature. 'Nineveh' in this case means external worship that has falsities within it which, being idolatrous, 'is slain by his sons with a sword', 'sons' meaning falsities, as shown already. 'A sword' is the punishment of falsity, as everywhere else in the Word. In Zephaniah also,
Jehovah will stretch out His hand over the north, and will destroy Asshur, and He will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like a desert. Flocks will lie down in the midst of her, every wild beast of that nation. The spoonbill also and the duck will lodge in its pomegranates. 1 A voice will sing in the window, vastation will be on the threshold, for her cedar has been laid bare. Zephaniah 2:13-14.
This describes Nineveh, though in the prophetical style, and falsity itself meant by 'Nineveh'. Because that falsity is worshipped it is called 'the north, a wild beast of the nation, the spoonbill and the duck in pomegranates' and is expressed as 'a voice singing in the window and a cedar laid bare', which is intellectual truth. Every one of these expressions is used to mean such falsity.
Bilješke:
1. The original Hebrew word is thought to describe capitals shaped like pomegranates.
Genesis 10
1
Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
2
The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
3
The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
4
The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
5
Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations.
6
The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
7
The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.
8
Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth.
9
He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. Therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Yahweh."
10
The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
11
Out of that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,
12
and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (the same is the great city).
13
Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,
14
Pathrusim, Casluhim (which the Philistines descended from), and Caphtorim.
15
Canaan became the father of Sidon (his firstborn), Heth,
16
the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite,
17
the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite,
18
the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad.
19
The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you go toward Gerar, to Gaza; as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, to Lasha.
20
These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, in their nations.
21
To Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, to him also were children born.
22
The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.
23
The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
24
Arpachshad became the father of Shelah. Shelah became the father of Eber.
25
To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. His brother's name was Joktan.
26
Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
29
Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
30
Their dwelling was from Mesha, as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.
31
These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, after their nations.
32
These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations. Of these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.
