9024. 'And when men quarrel' means contention among them regarding truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'quarrelling' as contending, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'men' as those who have intelligence and are guided by truths, and in the abstract sense intellectual concepts, and truths, dealt with in 3134, 9007. Consequently 'quarrelling by men' means contention regarding truths that takes place among those belonging to the Church, and in the abstract sense such contention taking place within oneself. For in the spiritual sense 'quarrelling' is contention regarding such things as are the concern of the Church, therefore regarding matters of faith. Nothing other than this is meant in the Word by 'quarrelling', because the Word is spiritual and deals with spiritual matters, that is, with those which have to do with the Lord, His kingdom in heaven, and His kingdom on earth, which is the Church. The fact that 'quarrelling' in the Word means contention regarding truths, and in general contention in support of truths against falsities, as well as defence against and deliverance from falsities, is evident from the following places:

[2] In Jeremiah,

A clamour is coming even to the end of the earth, because Jehovah's quarrel is against the nations. Judgement will come in with all flesh; He will hand the wicked over to the sword. Behold, evil will go out from nation to nation, and a great tempest will be raised up from the sides of the earth. Jeremiah 25:31-32.

In these prophetic statements a perverted state of the Church is described. 'A clamour' is contention in support of falsities against truths and in support of evils against forms of good, 'the earth' being the Church. 'Jehovah's quarrel is against the nations' is contention by the Lord in support of truths against falsities, and in support of forms of good against evils, thus also defence, 'the nations' being falsities and evils. 'The sword' is falsity engaged in conflict and conquering, 'a great tempest' is falsity reigning, and 'the sides of the earth' are the place where falsities arising from evil burst out.

[3] In the same prophet,

Jehovah will act for them in their quarrel ¹ , that He may give rest to the land. Jeremiah 50:34.

'Acting for them in their quarrel' stands for defending truths against falsities and delivering, 'the land' standing for the Church, which has 'rest' when it is governed by good and consequently guided by truths. In the same prophet,

O Lord, You have acted for my soul in its quarrels, ² You have delivered my life. Lamentations 3:58.

'Acting for the soul in its quarrels' stands for defending and delivering from falsities. In David,

Act for me in my a, quarrel ³ and redeem me; give me life according to Your word. Psalms 119:154.

Here also 'acting in the quarrel' stands for delivering from falsities. In Micah,

Quarrel with the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Micah 6:1.

'Quarrelling with the mountains' stands for contending and defending against the haughty, and also against the evils of self-love. 'The hills which will hear the voice' are the humble and those who have charity. In Isaiah,

I will not quarrel eternally, nor will I be angry forever. Isaiah 57:16.

'Quarrelling' stands for contending against falsities. In Hosea, Jehovah has a quarrel wit Judah. Hosea 12:2

Here the meaning is similar. There are other places in addition to these.

Footnotes:

2336. That 'the street' means truth becomes clear from many places in the Word, as in John where the New Jerusalem is referred to,

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate was one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. Revelation 21:21.

[2] 'The New Jerusalem' is the Lord's kingdom which because it is being described as regards good and truth is described by walls, gates, and streets. By the last of these -'the streets' - are meant all avenues of truth which lead to good, that is, all those of faith which lead to love and charity. And because truths in this way become part of good, and so are made transparent from good, it is said that 'the street was pure gold, like transparent glass'. In the same book,

Out of the middle of the street of it, and of the river, on this side and on that, was the tree of life bearing twelve fruits. Revelation 22:2.

This also refers to the New Jerusalem or the Lord's kingdom. 'The middle of the street' is the truth of faith, by means of which good comes and which after that stems from good. 'The twelve fruits' are those called the fruits of faith, for 'twelve' means all things of faith, as shown in 577, 2089, 2129, 2130.

[3] In Daniel,

Know and perceive that from the going forth of the Word to restore and to build Jerusalem until the Messiah, the Leader, there will be seven weeks - and sixty-two weeks; and it will be restored and built with street and moat. Daniel 9:25.

This refers to the Coming of the Lord, 'it will be restored with street and moat' meaning that there will be truth and good at that time. The fact that Jerusalem was not restored and built at that time is well known; and that it is not to be restored and built anew anyone may also know provided he does not fix his ideas on a worldly kingdom but on a heavenly kingdom meant in the internal sense by Jerusalem.

[4] In Luke,

The householder said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind. Luke 14:21.

People who confine themselves to the sense of the letter gain nothing more from this verse than the idea that the servant was to go everywhere, and that this is what is meant by 'streets and lanes', and that he was to fetch in everybody, and that this is what is meant by 'the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind'. But each and all of these words, being the Lord's, embody arcana within them. The command that he should go out into the streets and lanes means that he was to search everywhere for some genuine truth, that is, for truth which shines out of good, or through which good shines. The command that he should bring in the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, means that such people were to be brought in as had in the Ancient Church been called the poor, maimed, lame, or blind - that is, he was to bring in those who were such as regards faith but who had led good lives, and who for this reason ought to be taught about the Lord's kingdom - thus to bring in gentiles who were as yet uninformed.

[5] Because 'streets' meant truths it was a representative custom among the Jews to teach in the streets, as is evident from Matthew 6:2, 5, and Luke 13:26-27. Wherever 'streets' are mentioned in the Prophets they mean in the internal sense either truths or things contrary to truths, as in Isaiah,

Judgement is cast away backwards, and justice stands afar off, for truth has stumbled in the street, and uprightness cannot come in. Isaiah 59:14.

In the same prophet,

Your sons fainted and lay at the head of every street. Isaiah 51:20.

In Jeremiah,

Death has come up into our windows, it has entered our palaces, cutting off the small child from the street and the young men from the lanes. Jeremiah 9:21.

[6] In Ezekiel,

By means of the hoofs of his horses Nebuchadnezzar will trample all your streets. Ezekiel 26:11.

This refers to Tyre, which means cognitions of truth, 1201. 'The hoofs of the horses' are facts which pervert the truth. In Nahum,

In the streets the chariots rage; they rush about in the lanes. Nahum 2:4.

'Chariots' stands for the doctrine of truth, which is said 'to rage in the streets' when falsity has replaced truth. In Zechariah,

Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem. And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in the streets. Zechariah 8:4-5.

This refers to affections for truth, and consequent forms of joy and gladness. There are other places besides these, such as Isaiah 24:11; Jeremiah 5:1; 7:34; 49:26; Lamentations 2:11, 19; 4:8, 14; Zephaniah 3:6.