The Bible

 

Genesis 1:9

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9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3622

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3622. 'Like these of the daughters of the land' means because they are not from that ground, that is, from truths which the genuine Church knows. This is clear from the meaning of 'the daughters of the land' as Churches, for 'the daughters' means affections for good and truth, 2363, and 'the land' means the region where the Church is situated, and so means the Church itself, dealt with in 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 2928, 3355. 'The daughters of the land' accordingly means the goods and truths of the Church.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

Commentary

 

Say

  

As with many common verbs, the meaning of “to say” in the Bible is highly dependent on context. Who is speaking? Who is hearing? What is it about? Is it a command, a message, an apology, instruction? All these things enter into the meaning of “say.” In general, though, “saying” has to do with sharing truth at various levels -- from the most exalted power people can have to perceive the Lord's desires directly to the most basic of orders issued to people at their lowest.