Arcana Coelestia #1286
1286. That 'lip' means doctrine is clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,
The seraphim kept calling out, Holy, Holy, Holy is Jehovah Zebaoth. The prophet said, Woe is me! I am cut off; for 1 I am a man with unclean lips, and am dwelling in the midst of a people with unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah Zebaoth. Then flew one of the seraphim to me He touched my mouth and said, Behold, this has touched upon your lips, and your iniquity goes away, and your sin is atoned for. Isaiah 6:3, 5-7.
'Lips' stands for man's interior things, and so for internal worship from which adoration springs. This is what the prophet's experience represented. Anyone may see that his lips being touched in this way, his iniquity going away, and his sin being atoned for, was a representation of interior things meant by 'the lips', which are those of charity and its doctrine.
[2] In the same prophet,
Jehovah will smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath 2 of His lips will He slay the wicked. Isaiah 11:4.
The internal sense of this does not mean that Jehovah smites with the rod of His mouth and slays the wicked with the breath 2 of His lips, but that the wicked does so to himself. 'The breath of His lips' is doctrine, which with a wicked person is false. In the same prophet,
I create the fruit of the lips - peace, peace to the far and to the near, and I will heal him. Isaiah 57:19.
'Fruit of the lips' stands for doctrine.
[3] In Ezekiel,
Son of man, go, get you to the house of Israel and speak My words to them. You have not been sent to people of foreign speech and a hard language 3 but to the house of Israel, not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language 3 whose words you do not hear. Surely if I sent you to such they would listen to you? And the house of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to Me; for the whole house of Israel are hardened in the forehead and hard in heart. Ezekiel 3:4-7.
'Foreign speech' 4 refers to gentiles who, though subject to falsity taught by doctrine, nevertheless possess charity. These people are spoken of therefore as 'listening', whereas those who do not possess charity are called 'hardened in the forehead and hard in heart'.
[4] In Zephaniah,
I will turn to the people with a clear lip that all of them may call on the name of Jehovah to serve Him with one shoulder. Zephaniah 3:9.
'Clear lip' plainly stands for doctrine. In Malachi,
The law of truth was in His mouth, and perversity was not found on His lips. For the lips of the priest will keep knowledge, and they will seek the law from his mouth, for he is the angel 5 of Jehovah Zebaoth. Malachi 2:6-7.
This refers to Levi who represents the Lord. 'Lips' stands for doctrine deriving from charity.
In David, Those who say With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us. Psalms 12:4.
'Lips' stands for falsities. In the same author,
My soul will be satisfied with fat and fatness, and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips. 6 Psalms 63:5.
In Isaiah,
On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak with the lip of Canaan, and swear to Jehovah Zebaoth. Isaiah 19:18.
'Lip' stands for doctrine.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin (qui) means who, but it is clear from the Hebrew that for or because (quia) is intended.
2. or the spirit
3. literally,. deep in lip, and heavy in tongue
4. literally, Deep in lip
5. or the messenger
6. literally, lips of songs
Ezekiel 1
1
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], on the fifth of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
2
On the fifth of the month, (it was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,)
3
the word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Jehovah was there upon him.
4
And I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the look of glowing brass, out of the midst of the fire.
5
Also out of the midst thereof, the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
6
And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
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And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled as the look of burnished brass.
8
And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings:
9
their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
10
And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.
11
And their faces and their wings were parted above; two [wings] of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
12
And they went every one straight forward: whither the Spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.
13
And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, as the appearance of torches: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright; and out of the fire went forth lightning.
14
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15
And I looked at the living creatures, and behold, one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, toward their four faces.
16
The appearance of the wheels and their work was as the look of a chrysolite; and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
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When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not when they went.
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As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and they four had their rims full of eyes round about.
19
And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20
Whithersoever the Spirit was to go, they went, thither would [their] spirit go; and the wheels were lifted up along with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21
When those went, they went; and when those stood, they stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up along with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22
And there was the likeness of an expanse over the heads of the living creature, as the look of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
23
And under the expanse were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side their bodies.
24
And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, a tumultuous noise, as the noise of a host: when they stood, they let down their wings;
25
and there was a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood, they let down their wings.
26
And above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
27
And I saw as the look of glowing brass, as the appearance of fire, within it round about; from the appearance of his loins and upward, and from the appearance of his loins and downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
28
As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I saw, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.
