43. Verse 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas; and let birds be multiplied upon the earth.

Everything that has life in it from the Lord is fruitful and multiplies without limit. This does not happen during a person's lifetime, but in the next life it does so to an astonishing extent. In the Word 'to be fruitful' has reference to matters of love, while 'to multiply' has reference to matters of faith. The fruit of love contains the seed by which it multiplies itself to so great an extent. The Lord' s blessing also means, in the Word, fruitfulness and multiplication, for they are the outcome of that blessing.

Verse 23 And there was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day.

117. The land of Cush, which is Ethiopia, also abounded in gold, precious stones, and spices. These, as has been stated, mean good, truth, and pleasing things produced from these, such as those that belong to cognitions of love and faith. This becomes clear from the places quoted already in 113 - Isaiah 60:6; Matthew 2:1, 11; Psalms 72:15. That Cush or Ethiopia, and Sheba too, when used in the Word, have a similar meaning is clear in the Prophets, as in Zephaniah, where also the rivers of Cush are mentioned.

In the morning He will bring His judgement to light. For at that time I will turn to the peoples with a clear language that they may all call on the name of Jehovah, that they may serve Him with one accord. ¹ From the crossing-point of the rivers of Cush My worshippers will bring My offering. Zephaniah 3:5, 9-10.

And in Daniel, when the king of the north and the king of the south are the subject,

He will have dominion over the secret hoards of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt. And the Libyans and the Ethiopians will follow at his feet. Daniel 11:43.

Here 'Egypt' stands for facts and 'the Ethiopians' for cognitions.

[2] In Ezekiel,

The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they were your and in every precious stone, and gold. Ezekiel 27:22.

These [traders] in the same way mean cognitions of faith. In David, when the Lord is the subject, and so the celestial man also,

In his days the righteous man will flourish, and much peace, until the moon will be no more. The kings of Tarshish and the isles will render their tribute; the kings of Sheba and Seba will bring their gift. Psalms 72:7, 10.

The whole context of this Psalm shows plainly that these words mean things on the celestial side of faith. Similar things were meant by the Queen of Sheba who came to Solomon and posed hard questions, and who brought him spices, gold, and precious stones, 1 Kings 10:1-3. For everything that appears in the historical sections of the Word, no less than in the Prophets, means, represents, and embodies arcana.

Footnotes: