The Bible

 

Genesis 9:18

Study

       

18 And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.

Commentary

 

The Meaning of Noah and the Flood

By OffTheLeftEye Staff

Is the Noah’s Ark story in the book of Genesis really about God destroying creation? A spiritual Bible interpretation of the story reveals its true meaning.

In this video, host Curtis Childs guides us through the revelations about the Old Testament parable that eighteenth-century philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg had during his spiritual experiences. Swedenborg’s perspectives transcend literal interpretations to provide a hopeful lesson about salvation. While it may seem like the Bible story is about God destroying creation, Swedenborg’s spiritual perspectives suggest that it symbolizes God’s still-ongoing efforts to save us from self-destruction.

Play Video
This video is a product of the Swedenborg Foundation. Follow these links for further information and other videos: www.youtube.com/user/offTheLeftEye and www.swedenborg.com

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3620

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

3620. 'I loathe my life on account of the daughters of Heth' means a connection with natural truth from some other source. This is clear from the meaning of 'loathing one's life' as no connection, that is to say, of the truth of the natural with the truth of the rational - for when these two are not connected to each other it seems to the rational as though its own life were no life, as may be seen from what has been stated above in 3493; and from the meaning of 'the daughters of Heth' as affections for truth from a non-genuine source, in this case affections for natural truth, since Rebekah said this to Jacob who, as shown above, represents natural truth. For 'the daughters' means affections, see 2362, and 'Heth' or Hittite truth from a non-genuine source, 3470. From these meanings it is clear that 'I loathe my life on account of the daughters of Heth' means that there should not be any connection with the natural through truth which does not come from a genuine source, thus that no connection with natural truth from some other source should exist. The connection with natural truth is dealt with later on where Jacob's stay with Laban is the subject - that is to say, when truths from a common stem have been joined on to it. Since the truths which 'the daughters of Heth' represent did not come from that common stem no connection of them with natural truth was possible, because they were dissimilar and did not accord with it. Actually the spiritual Church among gentiles, 2913, 2956, is represented by 'the sons of Heth', but as the Word does not exist in that Church the Word is not the source of its truths.

  
/ 10837  
  

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