Arcana Coelestia #3623
3623. 'What would life hold for me?' means, and so there would not be any conjunction. This is clear from the meaning of 'life' as conjunction by means of truths and goods. For when it was not possible for any truth from a common stem or genuine source to be joined to natural truth, there could not be any alliance of the natural to the truth of the rational, in which case it seemed to the rational as though its own life were no life, 3493, 3620. This is why here 'what would life hold for me?' means, and so there would not be any conjunction. Here and in other places the word 'life' in the original language is plural, and the reason for this is that in man there are two powers of life. The first is called the understanding and is the receptacle of truth, the second is called the will and is the receptacle of good. These two forms or powers of life make one when the understanding is rooted in the will, or what amounts to the same, when truth is grounded in good. This explains why in Hebrew the noun 'life' is sometimes singular, sometimes plural. The plural form of that noun is used in all the following places, Jehovah God formed the man, dust from the ground; and He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7. Jehovah God caused to spring up out of the ground every tree desirable to the sight and good for food, and the tree of life in the middle of the garden. Genesis 2:9. Behold, I am bringing a flood of waters over the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the spirit of life. Genesis 6:17.
They went in to Noah into the ark, two by two from all flesh in which there is the spirit of life. Genesis 7:15 (in 780).
Everything which had the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils breathed its last. Genesis 7:12.
In David,
I believe [I am going] to see the goodness of Jehovah in the land of the living. Psalms 27:13.
In the same author,
Who is the man who desires life, who loves [many] days, that he may see good? Psalms 34:12
In the same author,
With You, O Jehovah, is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light. Psalms 36:9.
In Malachi,
My covenant with Levi was [a covenant] of life and peace. Malachi 2:5.
In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. Jeremiah 21:8.
In Moses,
To love Jehovah your God, to obey His voice, and to cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days, so that you may dwell in the land. Deuteronomy 30:20.
In the same author,
It is not an empty word from you; for it is your life, and through this word you will prolong your days in the land. Deuteronomy 32:47.
And in other places too the plural form of the noun 'life' is used in the original language because, as has been stated, there are two kinds of life which yet make one. It is similar with the word 'heavens' in the Hebrew language, in that the heavens are many and yet make one, or like the expression 'waters' above and below, in Genesis 1:7-9 , by which spiritual things in the rational and in the natural are meant which ought to be one through being joined together. As for the plural form of 'life', when this is used both the life of the will and that of the understanding are meant, and therefore both the life of good and that of truth are meant. For man's life consists in nothing else than good and truth which hold life from the Lord within them. Devoid of good and truth, and of the life which these hold within them, no one is human. For devoid of these no one would ever have been able to will or to think anything. Everything that a person wills originates in good or in that which is not good, and everything he thinks originates in truth or in that which is not truth. Consequently man possesses two kinds of life and these make one when his thinking flows from his willing, that is, when truth which is the truth of faith flows from good which is the good of love.
Matthew 10
1
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
2
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
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Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
4
Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
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These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
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But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
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And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
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Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
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Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
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Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
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And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
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And when ye come into an house, salute it.
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And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
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And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
15
Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
16
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
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But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
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And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
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But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
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For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
21
And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
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And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
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But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
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The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
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It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
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Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
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What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
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And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
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Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
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But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
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Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
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Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
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But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
34
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
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For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
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And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
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He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
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And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
40
He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
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He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
42
And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
