3119. 'And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham' means from the Divine itself and the Divine Human. This is clear from what has been stated above in 3061, where the same words occur with the exception of 'Blessed'. 'Blessed be Jehovah' was an expression of thanksgiving, and thus also of joy and gladness, that things had turned out as one wished. In addition, as to what the ancients meant by blessing Jehovah, see 1096, 1422.

660. That 'a flood' means a deluge of evil and falsity is clear from what has been stated already about the descendants of the Most Ancient Church being possessed with filthy desires and immersing doctrinal matters concerning faith in them. This immersing led to false persuasions within them which annihilated all truth and good and simultaneously closed off the road for remnants and so made it impossible for them to do their work. It was inevitable therefore that these men would destroy themselves. When the road for remnants has been closed off a person is no longer human, for he can no longer be protected by angels but is wholly and completely possessed by evil spirits who long and desire to do nothing else but annihilate man. It was this that led to the death of the people who existed before the Flood, a death described by 'a flood' or utter deluge. Indeed the influx of delusions and desires from evil spirits is not unlike a flood. Consequently in various places in the Word that influx is called a flood or a deluge, as in the Lord's Divine mercy will be seen in the preliminary remarks to the next chapter. ¹

Bilješke: