737. 'Noah was a son of six hundred years' means his initial state of temptation. This is clear from the fact from here down to Eber in Chapter 11 nothing else is meant by numbers, years of age, or names than real things, as was the case also with the ages and names of all those mentioned in Chapter 5. Here 'six hundred years' means the initial state of temptation. This becomes clear from its prime factors which are ten and six multiplied again by ten. When the same factors are involved it makes no difference whether the number arrived at is large or small. As for ten, this has been shown already at 6:3 to mean remnants, while the meaning of six here as labour and conflict is clear from places throughout the Word. For the situation is this: What has gone before dealt with man's preparation for temptation, that is to say, he was supplied by the Lord with truths of the understanding and with goods of the will. These truths and goods are remnants, but they are not brought forth so as to be acknowledged until man is being regenerated. In the case of those who are being regenerated by means of temptations the remnants existing with any man are for the angels present with him. From these remnants they draw out those things with which they protect him against the evil spirits who activate falsities with him and in this way attack him. It is because remnants are meant by 'ten' and conflict by 'six' that six hundred years are spoken of, a number in which ten and six are the prime factors and which means a state of temptation.

[2] As regards conflict being the particular meaning of 'six', this is clear from Genesis 1, which describes the six days of man's regeneration prior to his becoming celestial. During those six days there was constant conflict, but on the seventh day came rest. Consequently there are six days of labour, and the seventh is the sabbath, a word which means rest. This also is why a Hebrew slave was to serve for six years and in the seventh was to go free, Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:12; Jeremiah 34:14, and why for six years they were to sow the land and gather in the produce, but in the seventh they were to leave it alone, Exodus 23:10-12. The same applied to a vineyard. It is also the reason why in the seventh year the land was to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to Jehovah, Leviticus 25:3-4. Because 'six' means labour and conflict it also means the dispersion of falsity, as in Ezekiel,

Behold, six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which looks towards the north, every man with a weapon of dispersion in his hand. Ezekiel 9:2.

And in the same prophet, against Gog,

I will cause you to turn about, and I will split you into six, and cause you to come up from the uttermost parts of the north. Ezekiel 39:2.

Here 'six' and 'splitting into six' stand for dispersion, 'the north' for falsities, and 'Gog' for people who seize on doctrinal matters based on things of an external nature with which they destroy internal worship. From Job,

He will deliver you in six troubles, and in a seventh no evil will touch you. Job 5:19.

This stands for the conflict that constitutes temptations.

[3] 'Six' occurs in other parts of the Word where it does not mean labour, conflict, or the dispersion of falsity, but the holiness of faith. In these instances it is related to twelve, which means faith and all things of faith in their entirety, and to three which means that which is holy. Consequently there is also a genuine derivative meaning to the number six, as in Ezekiel 40:5, where the man's measuring rod with which he measured the holy city of Israel was six cubits long; and in other places. The reason for this derivative is that in the conflict of temptation the holiness of faith is present, and also that six days of labour and conflict look forward to the holy seventh day.

8648. 'After he had sent her away' means a separation existing up to now in respect of the state of those belonging to the spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'sending away' as a separation. The reason why this is in respect of the state of those belonging to the spiritual Church is that in the first state of those who belong to the spiritual Church good is not apparent, only truth. The nature of all this may be seen from what has been shown previously about the two states of those belonging to the spiritual Church, that is to say, where it has been shown that in the first state actions spring from truth, not from good, but that in the second they do spring from good. In the first state, when actions spring from truth, not from good, good is seemingly absent; it is like a wife who has been sent away. But in the second state, when actions spring from good, good is present, and is like a wife joined to her husband (vir). These are the things that are meant in the internal sense by 'sending her away'.

[2] It should in addition be recognized that this is in respect of those who belong to the spiritual Church; for truth coming from the Lord is always joined to its own good. But in the first state, which exists before regeneration, good is not received, only truth, even though both flow in from the Lord by way of heaven. But in the second state, which exists after regeneration, good joined to truth is received. What is brought about by man is said to be something done by the Lord, for the reason that He appears to be the one bringing it about. The situation is the same with very many other things said of the Lord, such as when He is said to do ill, punish, and cast into hell; these things are said to be done by the Lord, because He appears to be the one who brings them about, when in fact everything bad that happens to a person is of human origin. Things like these said of the Lord in the Word are very many, but they are made clear to one who searches the Scriptures with an affection for truth and for the sake of leading a good life; for he is enlightened by the Lord.