Arcana Coelestia #8278
8278. 'The depths have covered them' means that falsities resulting from evil desires have overwhelmed them. This is clear from the meaning of 'the depths' as falsities which exist as a result of evil desires. In the Word 'depths' is used to mean waters and large amounts of waters in deep places, 'waters' in the good sense meaning truths and in the contrary sense falsities, 739, 790, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, and deep places' meaning the hells. So it is that 'depths' means falsities resulting from evil desires, as well as meaning the hells. The fact that 'depths' is used in the Word to mean waters in deep places and to mean large amounts of waters is clear in Ezekiel,
The waters caused the cedar to grow, the depth made it high, so that it went with its rivers around the place of its planting, and he sent out his lines of water to all the trees of the field. Ezekiel 31:4.
In David,
He split the rocks in the wilderness, and caused them to drink the great depths. He brought streams out of the rock and caused waters to descend as streams. Psalms 78:15-16.
In Moses,
... a good land, a land of rivers of water, springs, and depths gushing out of valley and mountain. Deuteronomy 8:7.
In these places 'depths' stands for waters in large amounts; and waters in large amounts or 'depths' stands for the truths of faith in abundance. 'Causing them to drink great depths from the rock' stands for the truths of faith never failing, for 'rock' is faith derived from the Lord, thus the Lord in respect of faith. 'Depths gushing out of valley and mountain' stands for the truths of faith coming out of love. This also explains why the blessings of Joseph included the blessings of the deep Lying beneath, Genesis 49:25; Deuteronomy 33:13
[2] The fact that 'the depths' 1 means falsities resulting from evil desires as well as meaning the hells is clear in Isaiah,
Awake as in the days of antiquity, the generations of long ago. Do You not dry up the sea, the waters of the great deep, and make the deep places of the sea a road, in order that the redeemed may go across? Isaiah 51:9-11.
In the same prophet,
... Jehovah who divided the waters before them, who led them through the depths; as a horse in the wilderness they did not stumble. Isaiah 63:12-14.
In Ezekiel,
Thus said the Lord Jehovih, When I make you a city laid desolate, like the cities that are not inhabited, when I shall cause the deep to come up against you, and many waters have covered you ... Ezekiel 26:19.
In John,
I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth. To him was given the key of the pit of the abyss; and he opened the pit of the abyss. Revelation 9:1-2, 11.
In the same author,
The beast that comes up from the abyss will make 2 war with them. Revelation 11:7.
Yet again in the same author,
The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will come up out of the abyss and go away to perdition. Revelation 17:8.
In these places 'the depths', 'the deep', or 'the abyss' stands for the hells, and so also for the falsities resulting from evil desires, since these desires exist in the hells and constitute them.
[3] Since these things are meant by 'the depths', temptations are also meant by them, for temptations are brought about by falsities and evils which the hells have introduced. This further meaning occurs in Jonah,
The waters surrounded me, even to [my] soul, the deep closed around me. Jonah 2:5. In David,
Deep is calling to deep at the noise of Your waterspouts; all Your breakers and Your waves have passed over me. Psalms 42:7.
You who have shown me many severe troubles, 3 turn back and revive me, and cause me to turn back and come up from the depths of the earth. Psalms 71:20.
Footnotes:
1. In the quotations that follow the same Latin word is rendered variously - the depths, the deep, or the abyss.
2. Reading faciet (will make), which Swedenborg has in his rough draft and also in another place where he quotes this verse, for fecit (has made)
3. literally, many and evil distresses
Isaiah 64
1
Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence,
2
as when fire kindles the brushwood, [and] the fire causes the waters to boil; to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!
3
When you did awesome things which we didn't look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
4
For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.
5
You meet him who rejoices and works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned. We have been in sin for a long time; and shall we be saved?
6
For we have all become as one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is as a polluted garment: and we all fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7
There is none who calls on your name, who stirs up himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have consumed us by means of our iniquities.
8
But now, Yahweh, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and we all are the work of your hand.
9
Don't be furious, Yahweh, neither remember iniquity forever: see, look, we beg you, we are all your people.
10
Your holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
11
Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant places are laid waste.
12
Will you refrain yourself for these things, Yahweh? Will you hold your peace, and afflict us very severely?
