The Bible

 

Ezekiel 16:1

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1 Again the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

Commentary

 

Sister

  

In Genesis 4:22 and 12:13, this signifies intellectual truth. (Arcana Coelestia 1475)

In Genesis 24:30 and 24:59, this signifies the affection of truth. (Arcana Coelestia 3133, 3182)

In Genesis 24:60, this signifies a desire for truth. (Arcana Coelestia 3186)

In Genesis 30:8, this signifies temptation resulting in victory. (Arcana Coelestia 3927)

In Exodus 2:4, this signifies rational truth. (Arcana Coelestia 6727)

The Lord calls people who are in truth from the good of charity from Him 'sisters' in Matthew 12:50. 'Sister' denotes intellectual truth and 'wife' celestial truth.

(References: Apocalypse Explained 746; Matthew 12)


From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3077

Study this Passage

  
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3077. 'That behold, Rebekah came out' means the affection for truth coming from matters of doctrine. This is clear from the representation of 'Rebekah' as Divine truth that was to be joined to the Divine Good of the Rational, though here, before she has been betrothed, she takes on the representation of the affection for truth coming from matters of doctrine; for from these comes forth truth. Truth however is not truth unless it has life within it, and that life is affection, which is an attribute of love. As regards 'Rebekah' representing Divine truth that was to be joined to the Divine good of the Rational, this is clear from the details that occur in this chapter in the internal sense, and also from the fact that 'Isaac' represents the Lord's Divine Rational, 1893, 2066, 2083, 2630. Thus 'Rebekah', who became Isaac's wife, represents something within the Rational that was to be joined like a wife to a husband, and this something was clearly Divine Truth, for 'Abraham' in a similar way represented Divine Good itself, and 'Sarah his wife' Divine Truth itself joined to Divine Good, 1468, 1901, 2063, 2065, 2904. Isaac and Rebekah represent something similar, but within the Lord's Divine Human, that is to say, within His Rational.

[2] In general 'a husband' in the Word means good and 'his wife' truth, 1468, 2517; for the essence of every marriage is derived, that is, conjugial love is derived, from the marriage of Divine Good to Truth, and of Truth to Good in the Lord, 2508, 2618, 2728, 2729, 2803. The reason the affection for truth comes from matters of doctrine is that Rebekah is said 'to have come out', that is to say, out of the city, and 'a city' means matters of doctrine, see 402, 2449. Truths too come from matters of doctrine.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.