The Bible

 

Genesis 2:7

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7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #12

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12. The sixth state is when he utters truths and performs good deeds from faith and consequently from love. What he brings forth at this point are called a living creature and a beast. And because at this point he starts to act from faith and also simultaneously from love, he becomes a spiritual man, who is called an image. The spiritual life of that man finds its delight in, and is sustained by, the things which are associated with cognitions of faith and with charitable acts, which are called his food; and his natural life finds its delight in, and is sustained by, those which belong to the body and the senses. The latter give rise to conflict until love rules and he becomes a celestial man.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3052

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3052. 'To the city of Nahor' means kindred matters of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'a city' as doctrine, dealt with in 402, 2449, and from the representation of 'Nahor' as that which is kindred; for Nahor was Abram's brother, from whom Bethuel descended, and from him Rebekah. Facts and matters of doctrine are distinct and separate from each other in that matters of doctrine are formed out of facts. Matters of doctrine look to a use and are acquired through reflecting on facts. They are called kindred here because of their derivation from things that are Divine.

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