883. 'The dove returned to him at evening time' means that these started to show themselves a little; and 'evening time' is similar to pre-morning twilight. This in like manner becomes clear from that has been stated already at verse 8, and also from the fact that here it is called 'evening time'. Concerning 'evening', see what has been stated in Genesis 1, where six times the statement is made 'there was evening and there was morning'. 'Evening' is a word that has to do with regeneration and indeed with that state when a person is still in near-darkness, or when there is still only a tiny quantity of light showing itself to him. Morning itself is described in verse 13 below by 'he removed the roof from the ark and saw out'. Because 'evening' meant the pre-morning twilight, mention of the evening is made so many times in the Jewish Church. This also is why sabbaths and festivals began from evening onwards, and why Aaron was commanded to light the sacred lamp 'in the evening', Exodus 27:21.

2253. 'Will You also destroy and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous persons who are in the midst of it?' means intercession made from love that they should not perish. This is clear from the meaning of 'fifty', also of 'righteous', as well as of 'the midst of it', that is, of the city, dealt with above in 2252. All these expressions together imply intercession made from love, and that those persons should not perish. Regarding this intercession, see above in 2250. That it is made from love is also evident. With the Lord, when He was in the world, no other life was present than the life of love towards the whole human race, which He passionately desired to save eternally. That life is wholly celestial life, by which He united Himself to the Divine, and the Divine to Himself - for Being (Esse) itself, or Jehovah, is nothing else than mercy, which is the manifestation of love towards the whole human race - and that life was the life of pure love, which life cannot possibly exist with any human being. People who do not know what life is, and that the nature of the life is determined by that of the love, do not comprehend this. From this it is evident that in the measure anyone loves the neighbour he draws on the life that is the Lord's.