1030. 'From all that are going out of the ark' means members of the Church, and 'even every wild animal of the earth' people outside of the Church. This becomes clear from the train of thought in the internal sense. For direct reference to everything that went out of the ark being every living soul among birds, beasts, and wild animals of the earth' precedes the statement repeated here, 'from all those going out of the ark, even every wild animal of the earth'. 'Wild animal of the earth' is accordingly referred to a second time, which would be mere repetition if at this point it was not used to mean something different. And in addition to this, that which comes next - 'and I will establish My covenant with you - is also a statement that has appeared already. From this it is clear that 'those going out of the ark' means people who have been regenerated, that is, members of the Church, and 'wild animal of the earth' all people throughout the world who are outside of the Church.

[2] Except when used to mean a living creature, 'wild animal of the earth' in the Word means things of a more inferior kind which to a greater or less extent are of an untamed nature, their exact meaning depending on the things to which they refer. When referring to the things that are within man, 'wild animal of the earth' means the lower things that belong to the external man and to the body, such as those just mentioned in this verse, and so things of a more inferior kind. When it refers to an entire community, which is called a composite man, or composite person, 'wild animal of the earth' means people who do not belong to the Church because they are more inferior. And the meaning may be different again depending on the subject to which it refers, as in Hosea,

I will make for them a covenant on that day with the wild animals of the field, and with the birds of the air, ¹ and with the creeping things of the earth. Hosea 2:18.

In Isaiah,

Wild animals of the field will honour Me, for I have given them water in the desert. Isaiah 43:20.

In Ezekiel,

In its branches all the birds of the air ¹ made their nests, and under its branches every wild animal of the field gave birth, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations. Ezekiel 31:6.

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