724. And she brought forth a male child.- That this signifies the doctrine of truth, which is for the New Church, which is called the New Jerusalem, is plain from the signification of a son, as denoting truth, and of a male (masculus) child, as denoting the genuine truth of the church, consequently its doctrine, for the truth of the church from the Word is its doctrine, since doctrine contains the truths that are for the church. But the genuine doctrine of the church is the doctrine of good, that is the doctrine of life, which is that of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbour; still it is doctrine of truth, for doctrine teaches life, love, and charity, and so far as it teaches these it is truth. For when a man knows and understands what good is, what life is, what love is, and what charity is, he then knows and understands those things as truths, since he knows and understands what good is, how he ought to live, what love and charity are, and what kind of man he is who is in the life of love and charity. And as long as these things are matters of knowledge (scientia) and of the understanding, they are merely truths, and thus doctrines; but as soon as they, from being knowledge and understanding, pass over into the will, and thus into act, they are then no longer truths but goods, for interiorly man wills nothing but what he loves, and that which he loves is to him good.

From these things it is evident, that every doctrine of the church is a doctrine of truth, and that the truth of doctrine becomes good, and becomes that of love and charity, when from doctrine it passes into life.

[2] This doctrine, signified here by a male child, is especially the doctrine of love to the Lord, and of charity towards the neighbour, thus it is the doctrine of the good of life, but which is yet the doctrine of truth. That the doctrine of the good of love, and thence of life, is here signified by a male child, is evident from this, that the woman, who brought forth the son, was seen encompassed with the sun, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And the sun signifies love to the Lord, and the crown of twelve stars signifies the knowledges of good and truth; and from such a woman and mother, nothing could be born except what pertains to love and good, thus doctrine concerning them. This therefore is the male (masculus) child.

[3] That doctrine is for the New Church, which is called the New Jerusalem, because the woman treated of in this chapter is the one that is called the bride, the Lamb's wife, which was the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God (21:9, 10). This is why she was seen encompassed with the sun, for the sun means the Lord as to Divine Love, as may be seen above (n. 401, 525, 527, 708). The male child also signifies the doctrine of the church, because a son, in the Word, signifies truth, and the doctrine of the church is truth in its whole extent.

That a son, in the Word, signifies truth, is evident from what has been said before concerning the woman, the womb, and bringing forth, namely, that woman signifies the church, womb the inmost of love and the reception of truth from good, while to bring forth signifies the production and fructification of these. See above concerning woman (n. 707); the womb (n. 710); and bringing forth (n. 721). From this it follows that sons and daughters, since they are births, signify the truths and goods of the church, sons its truths, and daughters its goods; in a word, that all terms relating to marriage and thus to procreation on earth, signify such things as belong to the marriage of good and truth, thus father, mother, sons, daughters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandsons, and several other terms, signify goods and truths procreating, and goods and truths procreated, and in fact derivative goods and truths in their order.

[4] But it must be understood that goods and truths procreating are in the spiritual man, and those which are procreated are in the natural man; and that those which are in the spiritual man are like the father and mother, and those which are from these in the natural man are like brothers and sisters; and again that the truths and goods that are further procreated as if from sons married within marriageable limits, and from daughters married also within the same, are in the natural man, after these, as parents, have been raised up into the spiritual man. For all conception, and all travail or gestation in the womb take place in the spiritual man, but birth itself takes place in the natural man. The spiritual man is therefore continually enriched by the elevation into it out of the natural man, of truths and goods, which, like parents, will procreate anew; therein also all things are associated like the societies of heaven, according to the affections for truth and good, and their relationships and affinities. It is therefore clear that those spiritual procreations, like the natural procreations from a father and mother, are multiplied like families and houses on earth, and are made fruitful like trees from seeds, from which arise in the spiritual man gardens, called paradises, but groves and orchards in the natural, and shady forests in the sensual man.

[5] But because sons are mentioned in many places in the Word, and since it has not yet been known that they signify the truths of the church and of doctrine, out of many passages I will cite only the following for the purpose of proof.

In the Evangelists:

Jesus said, "He who leaveth houses, brethren, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall obtain the inheritance of life eternal" (Matthew 19:29; Mark 10:29, 30).

"Every one who cometh to me, and hateth not his father, mother, wife, children, brethren, and sisters, yea, his own soul, is not my disciple" (Luke 14:26).

Who cannot see that father, mother, wife, children, brethren, and sisters, also houses and lands, are not here meant, but such things as belong to man himself, and are called his own? For these things a man must leave and hate, if he desires to worship the Lord, to be His disciple, to receive a hundredfold, and to obtain the inheritance of life eternal. The things that are a man's own are those that are of his love, and thus of his life into which he is born, consequently they are evils and falsities of every kind; and because these are of his love and life, it is therefore said that he must also hate his own soul. These evils and falsities are signified by father and mother, wife, children, brethren, and sisters; for all those things, which belong to the love and life of man, or to the affection and the thought therefrom, or to the will and thus to the understanding, are formed and conjoined like generations, descending from one father and one mother, and are also distinguished as into families and houses. The love of self and consequent love of the world are their father and mother, and the desires arising therefrom, and their evils and falsities are the children, which are brethren and sisters. That this is the meaning is clearly evident from this, that the Lord could not desire that any one should hate his father and mother, or wife or children, or brethren or sisters, since this would be contrary to the spiritual love implanted in every one from heaven, which is that of parents for their children, of children for their parents, and also contrary to conjugial love, which is that of the husband for his wife, and of the wife for her husband, also contrary to mutual love, which is that of brothers and sisters for one another; in fact, the Lord even teaches that enemies must not be hated, but loved. It is evident from these things that the terms denoting consanguinities, affinities, and relationships in the Word, mean consanguinities, affinities, and relationships in a spiritual sense.

[6] In the same:

Jesus said to His disciples, "The brother shall deliver the brother to death, the father the son, and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall deliver them to death" (Matthew 10:21; Mark 13:12).

"The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, the mother-in-law against the daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law" (Luke 12:53).

That these things are not to be understood according to the letter is clear from what precedes, where Jesus says that He came not to give peace upon the earth, but division; and that "there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three," which signifies that falsities and evils will fight against truths and goods, and truths and goods against falsities and evils - which is the case when man comes into temptations and is being reformed; this combat is signified by division and rising up. That "the father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father," signifies that evil will fight against truth, and truth against evil, the father there denoting the evil, which is man's proprium, and the son the truth which man has from the Lord. That the desire for falsity will fight against affection for truth, and affection for truth against the desire for falsity, is signified by "the mother shall be divided against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother," mother here denoting the desire for falsity, and daughter affection for truth; and so on. That this is the meaning is also evident from the words of the Lord elsewhere, where He says, that in Him "they shall have peace," thus not division (John 14:27; 16:33).

[7] In Luke, the angel said to Zechariah concerning John,

"He shall go before" the Lord "in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons" (1:17).

And in Malachi:

"I will send to you Elijah the prophet, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh, that he may turn the heart of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse" (4:5, 6).

John the Baptist was sent before to prepare the people for the reception of the Lord by baptism, for baptism represented and signified purification from evils and falsities, and also regeneration through the Word by the Lord. Unless this representation had preceded, the Lord could not have manifested Himself and taught and lived in Judea and Jerusalem, since He was God of heaven and God of earth under a human form, and could not have been in the midst of a nation which was in mere falsities as to doctrine, and in mere evils as to life. Unless therefore that nation had been prepared for the reception of the Lord by a representative of purification from falsities and evils by baptism, it would have been destroyed by diseases of every kind at the presence of the Divine Itself. This then is the signification of the words, "Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." That this would have been the case is well known in the spiritual world, for there those who are in falsities and evils are direfully tormented and spiritually die at the presence of the Lord.

[8] The baptism of John was able to produce such an effect, because the Jewish church was a representative church, and with them all conjunction of heaven was effected by representatives, as is also evident from the washings commanded therein. As for example all who became unclean had to wash themselves and their garments, and were then regarded as clean; similarly the priests and Levites washed themselves before they entered the tent of assembly and afterwards the temple, to perform their sacred duties; also Naaman was cleansed from leprosy by washing in Jordan. Washing and baptism did not themselves purify them from falsities and evils, but they only represented, and thus signified, purification from these; nevertheless this was received in heaven, as though they themselves had been purified. It was in this way that heaven was conjoined with the people of that church through the baptism of John; and when heaven was thus conjoined to them, the Lord, who was the God of heaven, could manifest Himself to them, teach them, and dwell among them. That Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the region about Jordan went out to John, and were baptized by him in Jordan, confessing their sins, is evident in Matthew (chap. 3:5, 6), and that he said to them,

"O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come" (Luke 3:7).

That the Jews and Israelites were conjoined to heaven by means of representatives may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248).

This now was the reason why John was sent before to prepare the way of the Lord, and to prepare the people for Him. It may be concluded from these things what is signified by turning the heart of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to the fathers, namely, that it means to induce a representation of the conjunction of spiritual goods with truths, and of truths with goods, thus of regeneration by the Lord by means of the Word. For regeneration is the conjunction of goods with truths, and of truths with goods, and it is the Lord who regenerates, and the Word which teaches.

[9] It was said of this John that he should go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, and that he was Elijah, because John, like Elijah, represented the Lord as to the Word, and thus signified the Word, which is from the Lord; and as there is Divine Wisdom and Divine Power in the Word, these are meant by the spirit and power of Elijah. That the Word is of such a nature may be seen in Heaven and Hell 303-310), and in the small work on the White Horse.

[10] That sons signify truths from the Word, is also evident from the following passages.

In David:

"Lo, sons are a heritage of Jehovah, the fruit of the belly a reward; as darts in the hand of a mighty man, so are sons of youth; happy is the man who hath his quiver full of them, they shall not be ashamed when they speak with enemies in the gate" (Psalm 127:3-5).

Sons who are a heritage of Jehovah, and the fruit of the belly which is a reward, mean the truths and goods of the church; sons mean truths, and the fruit of the belly means goods, for both of these are a reward and a heritage of Jehovah, that is, heaven, which is from truths and goods, namely, from the reception of them. Sons of youth, who are as darts in the hands of a mighty man, signify the truths of the Ancient Church, which were natural truths from a spiritual source; this church is meant by youth. And because these truths have all power against evils and falsities, it is therefore said, "As darts in the hand of a mighty man," darts signifying truths destroying falsities. Doctrine from truths is signified by quiver because it is also signified by bow; and as those who are in doctrine from those truths fear nothing from falsities, it is said, "Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed when they speak with enemies in the gate;" not to be ashamed denoting not to be conquered, and enemies in the gate the falsities of evil which are from hell.

[11] In the same:

"Deliver me out of the hand of the sons of the stranger, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is the right hand of a lie; for our sons are as plants, become great in their youth, and our daughters as cornerstones hewn out in the model of a palace" (Psalm 144:11, 12).

That the sons of the stranger here mean falsities is plain, for it is said, "Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is the right hand of a lie;" and that our sons signify truths is also plain, for it is said, "They are as plants, become [great] in their youth," plants also denoting truths, and youth denoting here, as above, the Ancient Church, which possessed genuine truths. Our daughters signify the affections for truth, which are therefore compared to cornerstones hewn out in the model of a palace, because a palace is a representative of the understanding in which truths are in a beautiful form, and they are in a beautiful form when they are from affection for truth.

[12] In Micah:

"Make thee bald and poll thee, because of the sons of thy delights; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle, for they have gone away from thee" (1:16).

Mourning because the truths of the church are destroyed is described by making bald, and by polling themselves, for the hair signifies truths in ultimates, and those who are without truths in ultimates are also without internal truths; for this reason those in the spiritual world who have no truths from good appear bald. That truths are destroyed is signified by "the sons of thy delights have gone away from thee"; they are called sons of delights from the love of truths and consequent delights.

[13] In Zechariah:

"He saw two olive trees at the right hand of the lampstand and at the left, and he said, These are the two sons of the olive standing by the Lord of the whole earth" (4:11, 14).

The two olive trees signify the two churches, the celestial church and the spiritual church, the former at the right hand of the lampstand, and the latter at the left; the sons of the olive signify the truths of those churches, which are doctrinals.

[14] In the same:

"I will bend Judah for me, I will fill Ephraim with the bow, and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, with thy sons, O Javan; and I will set thee as the sword of a mighty man" (9:13).

The sons of Zion and the sons of Javan signify the internal and external truths of the Word, the sons of Zion internal truths, and the sons of Javan external truths. The signification of the rest of the passage may be seen above (n. 357:1, 433:8), where it is explained. Because sons signify truths, it is said, that they shall be set as the sword of a mighty man, the sword of a mighty man signifying truth effectually destroying falsity.

[15] In Isaiah:

"I will raise up against them the Medes, whose bows shall dash in pieces the young men, and they will have no pity on the fruit of the belly, their eye will not spare the sons" (13:17, 18).

Because the Medes mean those who make no account of the truths and goods of the church, it is also therefore, said, "Their eye will not spare the sons," for sons denote the truths of the Word and of the church; but these things may be seen explained above (n. 710:24).

[16] In Jeremiah:

"My tent is laid waste, and all my cords plucked away; my sons have departed from me, and they are not" (10:20).

The tent which is laid waste, signifies the church as to the good of love and worship from it, for all worship in ancient times was performed in tents, and afterwards in the tent of assembly, in memory of which the feast of tents or tabernacles was instituted. All my cords are plucked away, signifies that there is no conjunction of truth with good, or of truths with each other, which thus fall apart; and consequently no conjunction of heaven with the church. My sons have departed from me, and they are not, signifies that the truths of the church from the Word have been dissipated, and that man has thus removed himself from the Lord.

[17] In the same:

"Behold, I bring back the captivity of the tents of Jacob, and I will have pity on his dwelling-places, that the city may be built upon her own heap, and the palace shall be inhabited after its own manner, and his sons shall be as aforetime, and his congregation shall be established before me" (30:18, 20).

The tents of Jacob and his dwelling-places, signify all things of the church and its doctrine; tents signify its goods, and dwelling-places its truths; their captivity signifies spiritual captivity which exists when the truths and goods of the Word cannot be perceived, because of the dominion of falsities. To shake off falsities and to teach truths is signified by bringing back the captivity. That the city may be built upon its own heap, signifies doctrine from truths, which has become a ruin through falsities, city meaning doctrine; and the palace shall be inhabited after its manner, signifies the spiritual understanding of truths, as was the case with the ancients, palace denoting the understanding of spiritual truths; for in the understanding there are spiritual truths in their own forms, which appear like palaces when they are presented to the sight. His sons shall be as aforetime, and his congregation shall be established before Me, signifies that the truths of the church shall be as they were with the ancients, and that their forms shall remain as they did with them in a restored conjunction, sons here denoting truths, and congregation their conjunction and arrangement into forms, such as exists in the understanding of the man of the church, from which he has intelligence; after its manner and aforetime, mean as with the ancients.

[18] In Lamentations:

"Mine eye runneth down with waters, because the counsellor who refresheth my soul is far from me; my sons are made desolate, because the enemy hath prevailed" (1:16).

Mourning because the church is devastated is meant by Mine eye runneth down with waters; its devastation as to truths is signified by My sons are made desolate; that this is done by the falsities of evil, is signified by The enemy hath prevailed, - the enemy denoting falsity of evil and the hell from which it springs.

[19] In Isaiah:

"Awake, awake, rise up, O Jerusalem, who hast drunk out of the hand of Jehovah the cup of his anger; thou hast sucked out the dregs of the cup of trembling; there is none to lead her of all the sons whom she hath brought forth, nor any to take her by the hand of all the sons whom she hath brought up. Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets" (51:17, 18, 20).

The restoration of the church, which had fallen into mere falsities of evil, is signified by Awake, awake, rise up, O Jerusalem, who hast drunk out of the hand of Jehovah the cup of His anger, thou hast sucked out the dregs of the cup of trembling. Jerusalem denotes the church as to doctrine, to awake and rise up denotes its restoration, to drink the cup of anger denotes falsity, and the dregs of the cup mere falsities from which are evils, and to attract these is signified by drinking and sucking. There is none to lead her of all the sons whom she hath brought forth, nor any to take her by the hand of all the sons whom she hath brought up, signifies that none of the truths of the Word which she has learned and imbibed will lead her away from falsities, sons here meaning truths. Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, signifies that truths are dispersed by falsities of every kind; because sons denote truths, fainting signifies to be dissipated, and to lie at the head of all the streets signifies by means of falsities of every kind, for the streets of a city signify true doctrinals, here false doctrinals.

[20] In the same:

"Fear not, Jacob, I will bring thy seed from the east, and I will gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back, bring my sons from afar, my daughters from the end of the earth" (43:5-6).

This is not said of the posterity of Jacob, but of the Gentiles, of whom the church is to be formed. Jacob and his seed mean those who will be of that church. That it must be formed of those who are in falsities from ignorance, and thus in obscurity as to truths, is signified by I will gather thee from the west, and I will say to the north, Give up; and that these must not be repelled but accepted by those who are in the good of love and in the truths of doctrine in their lucidity, is signified by I will bring thy seed from the east, and I will say to the south, Keep not back; for the east signifies the good of love in lucidity, the south the truth of doctrine in lucidity, the west the good of love in obscurity, and the north the truth of doctrine in obscurity, such as those are in who, from ignorance of truth, are in falsities, and yet desire truths. Those quarters have such significations, because, in the spiritual world, all dwell distinctly in those quarters according to the light of truth and the affection for good in which they are. These things have a similar signification in Matthew, where it is said that the elect are to be gathered together "from the four winds, from the ends of the heavens, even to the ends of them" (24:31). That all those who are in falsities from ignorance, and yet in the desire for truth, are to be brought into that church, is signified by Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the end of the earth; sons denoting those who are in truths, and daughters those who are in affection for truths; thus also, in a sense removed from persons, they signify truths and their affections; and afar off and the end of the earth signify removal from the light of truth, because they are in falsities from ignorance, through not possessing the Word, and having no understanding of its meaning.

[21] In the same prophet:

"They shall hasten thy sons; thy destroyers and they that lay thee waste shall go out from thee; behold, I will lift up my hand towards the nations, and towards the peoples will I raise up my sign, that they may bring thy sons in the bosom, and carry thy daughters upon the shoulder" (Isaiah 49:17, 22).

This also treats of the establishment of a new church by the Lord. The sons whom they shall hasten, and whom they shall bring in the bosom, and the daughters whom they shall carry upon the shoulder, mean all those who are in truths and in affection for them, and in a sense removed from persons, truths themselves and affections for them with those who will be of the new church; destroyers and they that lay waste signify falsities of evil; that these must be removed is signified by They shall go out from thee.

[22] In the same:

"The isles shall trust in me, and the ships of Tarshish in the beginning, to bring thy sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them" (60:9).

This also is said of the church of the Gentiles; and the sons who shall be brought, signify those who will receive truths. The rest of the passage may be seen explained above (n. 50, 406:10, 514:5).

In Hosea:

"I will not destroy Ephraim, they shall go after Jehovah, like a lion he shall roar, because he shall roar, and with honour shall sons approach from the sea; with honour they shall come, as a bird from Egypt, and as a dove from the land of Assyria, and I will cause them to dwell in their own houses" (11:9-11).

Sons from the sea, signify truths scientific (vera scientifica) and rational truths; it is therefore said that "they shall come as a bird from Egypt, and as a dove from the land of Assyria"; Egypt signifying the Natural, and Assyria the Rational, both of them as to truths; but these things have also been explained above (n. 275:19, 601:7, 654:22).

[23] And in David:

"Hear this, all ye peoples, perceive in the ear, all ye inhabitants of the age, both the sons of man (homo) and the sons of man (vir), the rich and the poor together; my mouth shall speak wisdoms, and the meditation of my heart intelligences" (Psalm 49:1-3).

The sons of man (homo), signify spiritual truths which are from the Lord through the Word, and these are doctrinals, while the sons of man (vir), signify rational and natural truths, which are from the understanding, thus they signify the understanding of the Word; the rich and the poor, signify those who are wise from these in many things, and those who are wise in few things.

[24] In the same:

Jehovah, "return, look down from the heavens, and see and visit this vine, and the shoot which thy right hand hath planted, and upon the son whom thou hast made strong for thyself; let thy hand be for the man (vir) of thy right hand, for the son of man (homo) whom thou hast made strong for thyself" (Psalm 80:14, 15, 17).

This David said of the church and of himself, which is the sense of the letter, for by the shoot and by the son he meant himself; but in the spiritual sense, the vine and the shoot which Jehovah planted signify the spiritual church, represented by the sons of Israel. The son whom He made strong for Himself, signifies the truth of doctrine from the Word; the man of the right hand, for whom is the hand, and the son of man, whom He had made strong for Himself, signify the truth of the Word in the natural sense, which is the sense of the letter, and the truth of the Word in the spiritual sense, which is the internal sense.

[25] In Ezekiel:

"Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the greatness of my strength, the desire of your eyes, and the fondness of your soul; and your sons and your daughters, whom ye have left, shall fall by the sword" (24:21, 25).

This describes the devastation of all truth which those have who are of the church. The sanctuary which He will profane signifies the Word from which is the church, for this is the sanctuary itself, since it is Divine Truth; from its power against falsities and evils, which are from hell, it is called The greatness of the strength of Jehovah; from intelligence and heavenly life therefrom, it is called The desire of your eyes, and the fondness of your soul. That all truths with affection for them will perish through falsities is signified by Your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, - sons denoting truths, daughters, affections for truth, and the sword, falsity destroying the truth.

[26] In Moses:

"When the Most High gave the nations an inheritance, when he separated the sons of man, he set the bounds of the people, according to the number of the sons of Israel" (Deuteronomy 32:8).

This is said of the ancient churches which preceded the Israelitish, and of the establishment of these by the Lord; the nations mean those who were in the good of love, and the sons of man those who were in truths of doctrine from that good; that these had all truths and goods is signified by He set the bounds of the people, according to the number of the sons of Israel. That the twelve sons of Israel, or the twelve tribes, represented and thus signified the church as to all truths and goods, may be seen above (n. 39, 430, 657).

[27] In Jeremiah:

"Shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our childhood, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters; we lie down in our shame, and our reproach doth cover us" (3:24, 25).

In the same:

"Behold, I bring upon you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, which shall devour thy harvest and thy bread; it shall devour thy sons and thy daughters, it shall devour thy flock and thy herd, it shall devour thy vine and thy fig tree, it shall impoverish thy fortified [cities] in which thou trustest, with the sword" (5:15, 17).

These words in the spiritual sense, describe the devastation of all things of the church with the Israelites. The nation from afar, signifies the falsity of evil, which is the falsity of the sensual man, destroying truths; harvest, bread, sons, daughters, flock, herd, vine, and fig-tree, which that nation will devour, signify all things of the church; harvest and bread, its truths and goods in regard to nourishment; sons and daughters, its truths and goods in regard to generation; flock and herd, spiritual and natural truths and goods; vine and fig-tree, the internal and external spiritual church therefrom.

[28] In Ezekiel:

"Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in the midst of it, as I live, if they delivered their sons or their daughters, they only shall be delivered, and the land shall become a desolation; I will bring a sword upon the land, and I will cut off from it man and beast" (14:14, 16-18, 20).

By these words the devastation of the church is also described as to all the truths of good and the goods of truth, except with those who are reformed by means of truths from the Word, and by temptations; these are signified by Noah, Daniel, and Job. That with the rest all the truths of good and goods of truth will perish is signified by They should not deliver their sons or their daughters, but they only would be delivered; the devastation of the church by falsities is signified by The land shall become a desolation, and I will bring a sword upon the land, - land denoting the church, and sword falsity destroying truth. That all spiritual and natural truth will be destroyed, and that all intelligence and knowledge (scientia) of truth will consequently perish, is signified by I will cut off from it man and beast.

[29] In the same:

"The fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; I will execute judgments in thee, and all thy remnant I will scatter unto every wind" (5:10).

In Moses:

"[It was said] among the curses, that they should eat the flesh of their sons and of their daughters" (Leviticus 26:29).

The fathers shall eat the sons, and the sons the fathers, signifies that evils will destroy truths, and falsities goods, fathers denoting evils and goods, and sons falsities and truths; and because everything of spiritual life with man thus perishes, it is said that judgments will be executed, and the remnant scattered unto every wind, the remnant denoting the truths and goods stored up by the Lord in man from his infancy and childhood.

[30] We read also, that they led away their sons to idols to be devoured, and for food, and through the fire; as in the following passages.

In Ezekiel:

"Thou hast taken thy sons [and thy daughters] whom thou hast brought forth to me, and these thou hast sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter? Thou hast slaughtered my sons, and hast delivered them up, when thou madest them to pass through unto them. Thou art thy mother's daughter, and the sister of thy sisters, they loathed their husbands and their sons" (16:20, 21, 45).

These things are said of the abominations of Jerusalem. And by sacrificing their sons and daughters to idols to be devoured is signified to destroy and consume all the truths and goods of the church; to do this to truths from the Word, is signified by slaughtering the sons, and making them to pass through unto them; that the truths and goods of the Word are destroyed by falsifications and adulterations, is signified by whoredoms here and elsewhere in that chapter.

[31] In the same:

"I will pollute them with their gifts, in that they led through [the fire] every opening of the womb, that I might make them desolate. Wherefore ye offer gifts, when ye led your sons through the fire ye are polluted by all your idols" (20:26, 31).

To destroy truths by the evils of the love of self, and by desires from the proprium, is signified by leading the sons through the fire and [to destroy them] by falsities, is signified by being polluted with idols. That idols signify falsities of doctrine, and worship from [man's] own intelligence, may be seen above (n. 587).

[32] In the same:

Oholah and Oholibah "committed whoredom, and blood was in their hands, and with their idols they committed whoredom; their sons also whom they begat to me they led through unto them for food" (Ezekiel 23:37).

Oholah and Oholibah mean Samaria and Jerusalem, Samaria means the spiritual church, and Jerusalem the celestial, each as to doctrine. Falsifications and adulterations of the Word are signified by their committing whoredom, and by blood being in their hands; the falsities which thence spring up from [their] own intelligence are signified by their idols with which they committed whoredom; the signification of leading their sons through [the fire] to the idols for food, namely, that they destroyed the truths of the Word by falsities is therefore evident.

[33] As sons signify truths, therefore "the seeds which fell into the good ground" are called by the Lord "sons of the kingdom; " and "the tares" which denote falsities, sons of the evil (Matthew 13:38). Also those who are in truths are called "sons of light" (John 12:36); those who are in the marriage of truth and good from the Lord, are called "sons of the nuptials" (Mark 2:19); and those who are regenerated, "sons of God" (John 1:11-13). Because stones, in the Word, signify truths, John the Baptist said, "God is able of these stones to raise up sons unto Abraham" (Luke 3:8). That stones signify the truths upon which interior truths are based may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 643, 1298, 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376).

[34] As sons signify truths, so in the opposite sense they also signify falsities, as in some of the passages quoted above, also in these words of Isaiah:

"Prepare the slaughter for her sons, for the iniquity of their fathers; that they may not rise and possess the land, and the faces of the earth be filled with cities. I will rise against them, and I will cut off from Babel the name and the residue, and the son and the grandson; and I will make her a heritage for the bittern, and pools of waters, and I will sweep her with the besom of destruction" (14:21-23).

This is said of Babel, which signifies adulteration of the Word and profanation. Here the total vastation of truth with those who are meant by Babel is treated of. That truths with them were utterly destroyed through adulteration of the Word is signified by Prepare the slaughter for her sons, that they may not rise and possess the land, and the faces of the earth be filled with cities; the land means the church in which there are truths, and cities mean doctrinals from mere falsities. That all truths from primaries to ultimates would perish, is signified by cutting off from Babel the name and the residue, the son and the grandson; that nothing whatever of truth would remain, is signified by she shall be swept with the besom of destruction.

[35] It must be understood that sons, in the passages above quoted, signify those who are in truths, or those who are in falsities. But because the spiritual sense of the Word has nothing in common with persons, therefore in that sense sons signify truths or falsities apart from the idea of personality. The spiritual sense is of such a nature, because the idea of person limits thought and its extension into heaven in every direction; for all thought that proceeds from affection for truth extends through heaven on all sides, nor has it any termination except like light into shade; but when a person is at the same time thought of, then the idea together with intelligence has its termination, where the person is; this is why sons, in the spiritual sense, signify truths or falsities considered apart from personality.

555. And they had hair as the hair of women.- That this signifies that they also seem to themselves to be natural affections for truth, is evident from the signification of hair, as denoting things pertaining to the natural man, and specifically truths scientific therein; see above (n. 66); and from the signification of women, as denoting affections, of which we shall speak presently. Hair signifies those things that pertain to the natural man, because the head signifies those things that pertain to the spiritual man, and all things of the natural man clothe all things of the spiritual man, as the hair invests the head. The head also corresponds to things spiritual, and the hair to things natural, therefore they are also significative. It is from this correspondence that the angels appear adorned with beautiful hair, and that, according to its orderly arrangement, gracefulness and neatness, the quality of the correspondence of their natural man with the spiritual, may be known. Now since women signify affections, it is evident, that by the [locusts] having hair as the hair of women, is signified that those meant by the locusts appear to themselves as natural affections [for truth]. This is also evident from the series of things treated of; for their faces being as the faces of men, signifies the appearing to be as it were spiritual affections for truth; therefore it now follows, that by their hair being as the hair of women, is signified the appearing to be as it were natural affections for truth. Presently also it is said of their teeth that they were as the teeth of lions, which signify the ultimates of the natural man as to knowledge and as to power. In the prophetic Word the terms woman, daughter, and virgin are frequently used. But hitherto the signification of them has not been known. That a woman, daughter, and virgin, are not meant, is very evident, for they are mentioned where the church is treated of; but the spiritual signification of them may be seen from the series of the things treated of in the spiritual sense.

[2] That a woman signifies the church as to the affection for truth, and thence the affection for the truth of the church, is clear from the following passages in the Word.

Thus in Jeremiah:

"Wherefore commit ye evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and suckling, out of Judah?" (44:7).

Again, in the same prophet:

"I will disperse man and woman; I will disperse old and young, and I will disperse the young man and the virgin" (51:22).

So in Ezekiel:

"The old man and young man, both the virgin, the infant, and the women, slay to destruction" (9:6).

And in Lamentations:

"They ravished the women in Zion, and the virgins in the cities of Judah. Princes were hanged up by their hand; the faces of elders were not honoured" (5:11, 12).

Here, by man and woman, old man and infant, youth and virgin, are not meant man, woman, old man, infant, youth, and virgin, but everything pertaining to the church. By man and woman are signified truth and its affection, by old man and infant, wisdom and innocence, by youth and virgin, the understanding of truth and the affection for good. That such things are signified is evident from the fact that the church is treated of in these chapters, and its desolation as to its good and truth, wherefore by those names are signified such things as pertain to the church. For the Word is interiorly spiritual, because it is Divine, wherefore if by man and woman, old man and infant, young man and virgin, such were meant, the Word would be natural and not spiritual; but when by man and woman is meant the church as to truth and its affection, by old man and infant, the church as to wisdom and innocence, and by young man and virgin, the church as to intelligence and its affection, then it becomes spiritual. Man also is man, by virtue of the church being in him, and where the church is, there is heaven. When, therefore, mention is made of an old man, a young man, a male infant (homo infans), a male (homo vir), a woman, and a virgin, these expressions signify whatever pertains to the church, corresponding to their age, sex, inclination, affection, intelligence, and wisdom.

[3] That by woman is signified the church as to the affection for truth, or the affection for the truth of the church, is also clear from these words in Isaiah:

"Then seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name; take away our reproach" (4:1).

The subject here is the end of the church, when there is no longer any truth, for these words precede: "Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy strength in the war" (3:25), which signify that the understanding of truth would be destroyed by falsities, so that there would be no longer resistance in combats; and these words follow: "In that day shall the branch of Jehovah be beautiful and glorious" (4:2). This is said concerning the coming of the Lord, and signifies that truth should spring up anew in the church. By seven women taking hold of one man, is signified that from affection they would desire and seek truth, but would not find it, man denoting truth, women affections or desires for truth, and seven what is holy. That they would not find instruction in genuine truths, and thus spiritual nourishment, is signified by their saying, "We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel," bread denoting instruction and spiritual nourishment, and apparel truth clothing good. That it is truth only which can be applied, and by application conjoined, is signified by, only let us be called by thy name. And because all beauty is from the spiritual affection for truth and conjunction therefrom, and otherwise there is no beauty, therefore it is added, "take away our reproach."

[4] So in Jeremiah:

"Return, O virgin of Israel, return into thy cities. How long wilt thou go about? for Jehovah hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man" (31:21, 22).

The subject here is the spiritual captivity in which the church was before the coming of the Lord. The church is said to be in spiritual captivity, when there is no truth, and yet truth is desired; in such captivity were the Gentiles, with whom the church was established. Return, O virgin of Israel, return into thy cities, signifies, that they should return to the truths of doctrine, the virgin of Israel denoting the church, and her cities truths of doctrine; for Jehovah hath created a new thing in the earth, a woman shall compass a man, signifies the establishment of a new church, in which truth will be conjoined to its affection. To create a new thing in the earth denotes to establish that new thing; woman denotes the church as to the affection for truth, man denotes truth, and to compass denotes to be conjoined.

[5] And in Isaiah:

"As a woman forsaken and afflicted in spirit, Jehovah hath called thee, and a woman of youth, when she is cast off, said thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee again" (54:6, 7).

Here also by a woman forsaken and afflicted in spirit, is meant the church, which is not in truths, but still in the affection or desire for them, woman denoting the church, which is said to be forsaken when it is not in truths, and afflicted in spirit, when in grief from the affection or desire for truths. By a woman of youth is meant the Ancient Church, which was in truths from affection; and by the same cast off, is meant the Jewish church, which was not in truths from any spiritual affection; the establishment of a new church by the Lord, and liberation from spiritual captivity, are meant by, "for a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee again."

[6] And in Jeremiah:

"Yet hear the word of Jehovah, O ye women, and let your ear perceive the word of his mouth, that ye may teach your sons mourning, and a woman her companion, lamentation. For death is come up through the windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the infant from the broad way, and the young man from the streets" (9:20, 21).

The reason why it was said to the women, that they should hear and perceive, is, that they signify the church from the affection for and reception of truth. By the sons whom the women should teach mourning, and by the companion whom a woman should teach lamentation, are signified all who are of the church; by sons, they who are in the truths of the church; by companion, she who is in the good thereof, while mourning and lamentation signify that these things were to be done on account of the church vastated as to its truths and good; by death is come up through the windows, and is entered into our palaces, is signified the entrance of infernal falsity into the understanding, and thence into everything of thought and affection, windows denoting the understanding, and palaces, everything of thought and affection; to cut off the infant from the broad way, and the young man from the streets, signifies the vastation of truth in the birth, and of the truth that is born, infant in the broad way denoting truth springing up, or in the birth, and young men in the streets denoting the truth that is born.

[7] So in Ezekiel:

"There were two women, the daughters of one mother, and they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth; the name of the elder, Oholah, and the name of her sister, Oholibah; and they bare sons and daughters. Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem Oholibah" (23:2-4).

Since Samaria, the metropolis of the Israelites, signifies, in the Word, the spiritual church, and Jerusalem, the metropolis of the Jews, the celestial church, each as to doctrine, therefore they are called women. And, because both those churches act as one, they are therefore called the daughters of one mother, for a mother also signifies the church, and also Oholah and Oholibah, or the tent or habitation of God, have the same signification, for this signifies heaven where Divine Truth and Divine Good are, consequently, also, where the church is; for the church is the heaven of the Lord on earth. By their committing whoredom in Egypt in their youth, is signified, that they were then in no truths, but in falsities, for in Egypt they had not the Word. This was afterwards given to them through Moses and the prophets, and thus the church was instituted among them. To commit whoredom in Egypt, signifies, to falsify truths by scientifics (scientifica) pertaining to the natural man, and to falsify truths there, denotes to turn holy things into magic, as the Egyptians did. The sons and daughters whom they brought forth, signify the falsities and evils of the church.

[8] So in Micah:

"Ye strip the coat from them that pass by securely that are returned from war. The women of my people have ye cast out from the house of their delights" (2:8, 9).

Here, by stripping the coat from them that pass by securely who are returned from war, is signified to deprive of truths all those who are in truths, and who have combated against falsities. Those who pass by securely denote all those who are in truths; men returning from war, denote those who have been in temptations, and have combated against falsities. By casting out the women of the people from the houses of their delights, signifies to destroy the affections for truth, and thereby the pleasures and happiness of heaven. The women of the people denote the affections for truth, and the houses of their delights the pleasures and happiness of heaven, for these are the affections, for good and truth.

[9] So in Zechariah:

"For I will gather all nations to Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women shall suffer violence" (14:2).

By all nations are signified evils and falsities of every kind; by Jerusalem is signified the church; by city, doctrine; by house, everything that is holy of the church; by women are signified the affections for truth, and by their suffering violence is signified that truths shall be perverted, and that thence the affections for truth will perish.

[10] So again, in the same prophet:

"In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, and the land shall mourn every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their women apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their women apart; the family of the house of Levi apart, and their women apart; the family of Simeon apart, and their women apart; all the families that remain, every family apart, and their women apart" (12:11-14).

The signification of David and his house, also of Nathan, Levi, and Simeon, and their houses, has been already shown in the explanations above. David signifies the Divine Truth, Nathan, the doctrine of truth, Levi, the good of charity, and Simeon means truth and good as to perception and obedience. It is said that the families shall mourn apart, and their women apart, because by families are signified the truths of the church, and by women, the affections for truth which mourn apart when truth mourns that there is no affection for it, and affection, that there is no truth for it. These things are said concerning the mourning over all and every thing pertaining to the church as being vastated and destroyed, for each and all things of the church are signified by all the families that remain, by which are meant the tribes. That the twelve tribes signify all things of the church in the aggregate, may be seen above (n. 430, 431). Jerusalem signifies the church and its doctrine.

[11] Thus also in Matthew:

"Then shall two be in the field, the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill, and one shall be taken, and the other left" (24:40, 41).

The "two" (duo) mean men, and the "two" (duoe) mean women and by men are signified those who are in truths, and by women those who are in good from the affection for truth. Here also by men are signified those who are in falsities, and by women, those who are in evils from affection for falsity; for it is said that one shall be taken, and the other shall be left; that is, that those will be saved who are in truths from affection, and those will be condemned who are in evils from affection. Field signifies the church; to grind at the mill, signifies to procure for themselves truths of doctrine from the Word; while those who apply them to good are signified by those who shall be taken, and those who apply them to evil are signified by those who shall be left; but this passage is explained in theArcana Coelestia 4334, 4335).

[12] So in Moses:

"I will break for you the staff of your bread, that ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight; and ye shall eat and not be satisfied" (Leviticus 26:26).

These words in the spiritual sense, mean that truth from good, by which men are spiritually nourished, shall fail; for bread signifies every kind of spiritual food that is for the nourishment of the man of the church. Women signify those of the church who are in the affection for truth. By ten women baking bread in one oven, is signified, that they shall search for truth that may be conjoined to good, but shall only find a very little; for to bake signifies to prepare and conjoin so as to serve for the use of life. To deliver the bread by weight, signifies that it is rare; and to eat and not be satisfied, signifies, because truth from good is so scanty and rare, as scarcely to yield any spiritual nourishment for the soul.

[13] Again, in Moses:

"A woman shall not wear the raiment of a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment; for whosoever doeth so is abomination unto Jehovah thy God" (Deuteronomy 22:5).

Here a man (vir) and his raiment signify truth, and a woman and her garment the affection for truth. These are distinct in every man (homo), as understanding and will, or as thought which is of the understanding and affection which is of the will, and unless they were distinct, the sexes would be confounded, and no marriage would be effected, in which the man (vir) is the truth of the thought, and the woman the affection. That man and woman were both so created that they might be two and yet one, is evident from the book of Genesis, in which it is said concerning their creation, "So God created man (homo) into his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them" (Genesis 1:27; 5:2).

[14] And afterwards:

"The man said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; therefore she shall be called wife, because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis 2:23, 24; Mark 10:6-9).

Here, by man (homo) is meant the church in general and in particular. The church in particular is the man of the church, or the man in whom the church is. By God creating man into His own image, is signified into the image of heaven. For by God, or Elohim, in the plural, is signified the proceeding Divine which makes heaven; and the man who is a church, is a heaven in the least form, for he corresponds to all things of heaven; see Heaven and Hell 7-12, 51-58). By male is signified here, as above, the truth of the understanding, and by female, the good of the will. The wife said to be bone of the bones, and flesh of the flesh of the man (vir), signifies that good, which is the wife, is from the truth which is the man. Bone signifies truth before it is vivified, that is, conjoined to good, such as is the truth of the memory with man; and since all good is formed from truths, it is said, "because she was taken out of man." That a man (vir) shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, signifies that truth must be of good, and that hence both shall become one good; this is signified by their being one flesh, flesh signifying good, and also man (homo). The things now stated cannot enter into the understanding of man, with few exceptions, unless it be known that the subject treated of in the first two chapters of Genesis is the new creation, or regeneration of the men of the church. In the first chapter their regeneration is treated of, in the second chapter their intelligence and wisdom; and by male and female, or by man (vir) and wife, is meant, in the spiritual sense, the conjunction of truth and good, which is called the heavenly marriage. Into this marriage man comes when he is regenerated and becomes a church; and man is regenerated and becomes a church when he is in good and thence in truths, which is meant by the words "a man (vir) shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh." But a still clearer idea may be obtained, upon this subject, from what is said in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, concerning good and truth (n. 11-19); concerning the will and understanding (n. 28-33); concerning regeneration (n. 173-182); also concerning good from which truths are derived (n. 24).

[15] Since by man and woman is signified the conjunction of truth and good, therefore Moses, when he saw that the sons of Israel took to themselves the female captives of the Midianites their enemies, commanded that they should kill every woman that had known man (vir) by lying with him, but that they should keep alive the women that had not known [man] (Num. 30:16-18). These things were commanded because a woman (femina) not conjoined to a man signified the church as to the affection for truth, or for conjunction with truth; but a woman (mulier) conjoined to a Midianitish man, signified good adulterated. For the Midianites represented, and thence signified, the truth which is not truth because not from good, consequently falsity; and hence it was that the women were to be slain who had known man, and that those who had not known man were to be preserved alive. That the Midianitish women signified the defilement of good by falsities, and thence good adulterated and profaned, which is foul adultery, is evident from the circumstances related concerning the whoredom of the sons of Israel with the women of the Midianites (Numbers 25.).

[16] He who does not know that a woman signifies the spiritual affection for truth, and he who does not know that the evils and falsities which are present in every one are in the natural man, and not any in the spiritual man, cannot know the signification of that which is written concerning a female captive, in Moses:

"If thou seest in captivity a beautiful woman," from thine enemies, "and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldst have her to thy wife; thou shalt bring her into the midst of thy house, where she shall shave her head and pare her nails; then she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and bewail her father and her mother a month of days, afterwards thou shalt go in unto her, and know her, and she shall be thy wife" (Deuteronomy 21:11-13).

By a woman, is signified the church as to the spiritual affection for truth, or the spiritual affection for truth pertaining to the man of the church, but by a beautiful captive woman is signified the religion of the Gentiles in whom is the desire or affection for truth. By her being brought into the midst of the house, and there shaving her head, paring her nails, and afterwards putting the raiment of her captivity from off her, is signified being led into the interior or spiritual things of the church, and by means of them rejecting the evils and falsities of the natural and sensual man. The midst of the house signifies things interior, which are spiritual things; the hair of the head, that was to be shaved, signifies the falsities and evils of the natural man; the nails, that were to be pared, signify the falsities and evils of the sensual man; and the raiment of captivity signifies the falsity of the religion in which he who desires truth from affection is, as it were, held captive. The latter and the former things therefore he will reject, because they are in the natural and sensual man, as was said above. That she should bewail her father and mother a month of days, signifies that the evils and falsities of his religion should be buried in oblivion; that the man should afterwards go in unto her, and know her, and that she should be his wife, signifies that thus truth, which is the man (vir), should be conjoined with its affection, which is the wife (uxor).

No one can know why this statute was given, unless he understand, from the spiritual sense, what is signified by a woman taken captive from the enemy, what by the midst or inmost of the house, what by hair, nails, and the raiment of captivity, and unless he know something concerning the conjunction of truth and good, for on this conjunction are founded all the precepts in the Word concerning marriages. The church as to the affection for truth is also signified by the woman clothed with the sun, labouring to bring forth, before whom stood the dragon when she brought forth the man-child; and who afterwards fled into the wilderness (Rev. 12:1 to end). That the woman here signifies the church, and the man-child whom she brought forth, the doctrine of truth, will be seen in the explanation below.

[17] Since a woman signifies the church as to the affection for truth from good, or the affection for truth from good pertaining to the man of the church, also in the opposite sense a woman signifies the lust of falsity from evil; for most things in the Word have also opposite significations. This is also signified in the following passages, by woman and women.

Thus in Jeremiah:

"Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The sons gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes to the queen of the heavens, and to pour out drink-offerings unto other gods" (7:17, 18).

What these prophecies involve, cannot be known, unless it be known what is signified by the cities of Judah, the streets of Jerusalem, the sons, the fathers, and the women, also what is signified by gathering wood, by kindling a fire, by kneading the dough, and what by cakes, by the queen of the heavens, and by drink-offerings; but when the significations of such things are known, and substituted in their place, then the spiritual sense involved in these prophecies results. The cities of Judah signify the doctrinals of the church; the streets of Jerusalem, the truths thereof; in the present case, falsities; sons denote those who are in truths of doctrine, in this case, those who are in falsities, who are said to gather wood when they procure for themselves falsities from evils. Fathers denote those who are in the goods of the church, in this case, those who are in evils, who are said to kindle a fire when they approve and excite from the love of evil. Women denote the affections for truth from good, in this case, the disorderly desires of falsity from evil; they are said to knead the dough, when they fabricate doctrine from these and according to them. To make cakes to the queen of the heavens, signifies to worship infernal evils of every kind, to make cakes denoting to worship from evils, and the queen of the heavens, denoting all evils in the aggregate; for the queen of heavens signifies the same as the host of the heavens. To pour out drink-offerings unto other gods signifies to worship from falsities, other gods denoting infernal falsities; for God, in a good sense, signifies proceeding Divine Truth, but other gods signify infernal falsities, which are falsities from evil.

[18] In Isaiah:

"As for my people, their oppressors, little children, and women rule over them. O my people, thy leaders cause thee to err, and have blotted out the way of thy paths" (3:12).

Oppressors, little children, and women, signify those who violate, are ignorant of, and pervert, truths. Oppressors mean those who violate truths; little children, those who are ignorant of them, and women, the lusts which pervert them. Thy leaders who cause to err, signify those who teach; to blot out the way of their paths, signifies so that truth which leads is not known.

[19] Again, in the same prophet:

"When the harvest withereth, they who break in pieces, the women shall come, and set it on fire; for it is a people of no understanding" (27:11).

This is said concerning the vastated church. By the harvest withering, are signified the truths of good destroyed by evil loves; by the women who set it on fire, are signified the lusts of falsity, which altogether consume.

[20] So again:

"Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye confident sons (filii); in your ears perceive my speech, for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come" (32:9, 10).

By the women who are at ease, are meant the lusts of those who care not that the church is vastated. The confident sons signify the falsities of those who trust in [their] own intelligence; women and sons signify all those who are such in the church, whether men or women; by the vintage which shall fail, and by the gathering which shall not come, is signified, that the truth of the church shall be no more; for vintage and vine both signify the truth of the church, whence the meaning of "the gathering" thereof is evident.

[21] Again, in Ezekiel:

"A just man (vir), who hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled the wife of his companion, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman" (18:5, 6).

The man who has not eaten upon the mountains, is described as just, which signifies that his worship is not from infernal loves, for to sacrifice upon mountains and to eat of things sacrificed has this signification. Neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, signifies, that his worship is not from the falsities of doctrine, for idols signify those falsities, and the house of Israel signifies the perverted church where those falsities are. Neither hath defiled the wife of his companion, signifies, who does not adulterate the good of the church and of the Word. Neither hath come near to a menstruous woman, signifies, who does not defile truths by the lusts of falsity.

[22] So in Lamentations:

"The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children, so, that they became their food, in the breach of the daughter of my people" (4:10).

These words signify the destruction of the truth and good of doctrine from the Word by means of falsities, and the appropriation of those falsities, and the consequent vastation of the church. By the pitiful women are signified the affections for falsity as if it were truth. By their having sodden their children, is signified the destruction of the truths and goods of doctrine from the Word by falsities; by their being meat for them, is signified the appropriation of falsities; and by the breach of the daughter of my people, is signified the vastation of the church. Women also signify evil desires in the Apocalypse (14:4; 17:3); concerning which see the explanation below.