THE EXPLANATION of Isaiah Chapter 37

(Note: Rev. Smithson's translation of the Isaiah text is appended below the explanation)

1. AND it came to pass, that when the king Hezekiah heard it, he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of Jehovah.

2. And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah, the son of Amoz, the prophet.

VERSES 1, 2. This was done because by the "king of Assyria" is here signified the rational principle perverted, or the rational principle which perverts the Truths and Goods of the church, and destroys them by falsities; all "the words of Tartan [Rabshakeh], the captain of the king of Assyria, involving such things: and because the church was seen to be in imminent danger of desolation and devastation, therefore, to testify mourning and grief on account thereof, "they rent their clothes, and covered themselves with sackcloth." From this and from other passages, (see 2 Samuel 3:31; Daniel 9:3; Jonah 3:5, 6, 8) it is evident that grief was represented in the Jewish and Israelitish church by "the putting on of sackcloth"; and this because grief of mind and sorrow of heart, which are interior things, were at that time represented by external things, which, on account of their correspondence with spiritual things, were thus significative. That a representative of grief by "the putting on of sackcloth", signified specifically grief on account of the desolation of Truth and of the devastation of Good in the church, and, in particular, repentance and then grief of heart on account of evils might be proved from many passages. Apocalypse Explained 637. See above, Chapter 3:18-25; 15:3; 22:12, the Exposition.

3. And they said unto him, Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, and of rebuke, and of contumely: for the sons are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

4. Perhaps Jehovah your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom his lord the king of Assyria has sent to blaspheme the living God, and will reprove the words which Jehovah your God has heard: and do you offer up prayer for the remnant which is found.

5. And the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

Verse 3. That Truths from the Word may be heard and known, and yet reformation not be effected thereby, is signified by the "sons are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth", to "bring forth" signifies to make Truths fruitful by doing them, whence comes reformation. That this was a grief of heart and of mind, and disgraceful to the church, is signified by "a day of distress, and of rebuke, and of contumely." Apocalypse Explained 721.

6. And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall you say to your lord, Thus says Jehovah, Be not afraid because of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.

Verses 6, 7, 37, 38. Because the rational mind is that which both acknowledges and denies the Divine [Being], and when it denies, it seizes upon everything false in the place of Truth, and thus perishes; wherefore this representative existed, namely, that "the king of Assyria, because he blasphemed Jehovah, was slain with the sword by his own sons, in the house of Nisroch his god", as we read in Isaiah 37:37, 38. Apocalypse Explained 131.

Verses 6, 17, 23, 24. Thus says Jehovah, Be not afraid because of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me, etc.

- From these words it is evident that "blasphemy" is predicated of false speaking against God, for by the "king of Assyria", who then was Sennacherib, is signified the rational principle, but perverted, which speaks against Divine Truth, and treats it opprobriously, and perverts it by falsities, which also is to falsify it, The falsities which he spake against Divine Truth are signified by the things mentioned in verses 10, 11, 12, 13, 24, 25; all of which were not only blasphemies against God, but also falsifications of Divine Truth. Apocalypse Explained 778.

The "blasphemies" which they spake were against God, and against the king and Jerusalem, thus against Divine Truth, as is more clearly evident from the internal sense; hence, from grief, they "tore their garments." Arcana Coelestia 4763.

To "blaspheme" and "blasphemy" signifies to deny the Divinity of the Lord, as the Socinians do, and to deny the Word; for they who deny the Divinity of the Lord cannot enter into heaven, for the Divine of the Lord is the all in all of heaven; and he who denies the Word, denies all things of religion. Apocalypse Revealed 571.

7. Behold, I will infuse a spirit into him; and he shall hear a report, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

8. And Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah: for he heard that he had departed from Lachish.

Verse 7. The term "spirit" has various significations in the Word. Since the life of man varies according to his state, therefore by the term "spirit" is also signified the peculiar affection of his life. As:

1) a life of wisdom; as "Bezaleel was filled with the spirit of wisdom"; etc. (Exodus 31:3; see also Deuteronomy 34:9; Dan. 5:12)

2) the excitement of life; as "Jehovah has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes." (Jeremiah 51:11) "Behold, I will infuse [or give] a spirit into the king of Assyria, and he shall hear a report", etc. (Isaiah 37:7)

The term "spirit" also signifies

3) liberty of life. (Ezekiel 1:20)

4) Life in fear, pain, and. anger. (Ezekiel 21:7; Psalm 143:4, 7; Daniel 7:15; Genesis 41:8)

5) a life of various evil affections; as "the spirit of whoredoms has caused them to err." (Hosea 4:12; 5:4) "The spirit of jealousy", etc. (Numbers 4:14)

6) infernal life; as "I will cause the unclean spririt to pass out of the land." (Zechariah 13:2)

7) The term "spirit" further signifies the infernal spirits themselves, by whom mankind are troubled, as in Matthew 8:16, and in many other passages. Doctrine of the Lord 48.

9. And he heard concerning Tirhakah, king of Cush, saying, He is come forth to make war with you. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

10. Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah, king of Judah, saying, Let not your God, in whom you confide, deceive you, saying, That Jerusalem shall not: be given up into the hand of the king of Assyria.

11. Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly; and shalt you be delivered?

Verse 9. King of Ethiopia, or Cush. - See above, Chapter 18:1, 2, the Exposition.

To make war with you. - As to the "wars" mentioned in the Word, see Chapter 7:1, the Exposition.

12. Have the gods of the nations delivered those which my fathers have destroyed? Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph; and the sons of Eden which were in Telassar?

13. Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Henah, and of Ivah?

Verses 12, 13. See the Exposition of Isaiah Chapter 36:19.

14. And Hezekiah received the letters from the hand of the messengers, and read them; and he went up to the house of Jehovah: and Hezekiah spread them before the face of Jehovah.

15. And Hezekiah prayed to Jehovah, saying,

Verses 14, 15 And Hezekiah spread the letters before the face of Jehovah, and prayed, etc. - [To "spread the letters full of blasphemy before Jehovah in the temple", was an act which, by correspondence, signifies the acknowledgement and confession, before the Lord, of the evils to which the church is exposed; and it also shows, on the part of the church, full confidence in Him as the only Protector and Saviour against the evils which would destroy it. It may here be observed that this act of "showing the blasphemous letters to Jehovah is the direct opposite to that of "showing to the messengers from Babylon all the precious things, silver, gold, spices, etc. in his dominion"; (see Chapter 39:2) which act signified the exposure of all the Truths, Goods, and Sanctities of the Word and of the church to the influence of Babylon, which is that of adulteration and profanation. (See Chapters 13 and 14, the Exposition.) For which act of Hezekiah the prophet Isaiah was sent to declare that "everything of the church would be taken captive to Babylon", that is, would be adulterated and profaned.]

And Hezekiah prayed, etc.

- As to the true nature of "prayer" see Chapter 1:11-19; 18:7, the Exposition.

16. O Jehovah of Hosts, You God of Israel, who art seated on the Cherubim! You art the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth! You have made the heavens and the earth!

17. Incline, O Jehovah, Thine ear, and hear; open, O Jehovah, Thine eyes, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to blaspheme the living God.

18. In truth, O Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their lands;

Verse 16. The Lord is "seated or dwells on the Cherubim " as to the state of Providence, lest any one should be let in to the holy things of love and of faith except he is prepared by the Lord. That the Cherubim were upon the curtains of the Tabernacle, upon the Veil, upon the walls, of the temple, and upon the doors there, was to signify the Lord's guardian care, lest the Holy Divine should be approached but by the good of love. There were also Cherubim on the Ark, to signify that the Lord Himself cannot be approached but by that good. On this account also it was that the Cherubim were made of solid gold, and in the Temple at Jerusalem of olive-wood, or wood of oil; for by "gold" and by "oil" is signified the good of love. Arcana Coelestia 3384. See also 9509.

19. And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were not gods, but the work of the hands of man, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.

20. And now, O Jehovah, our God, save us from his hand; that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone art Jehovah!

21. Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus says Jehovah the God of Israel, Whereas you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib, king of Assyria:

Verse 19. By "the gods of the kings of Assyria" are here signified reasonings from falsities and evils, which agree with the proprium of man, wherefore they are also called "the work of the hands of man, wood and stone", or idols of wood and of stone, which signify the evils and falsities of religion and of doctrine originating in the proprium, Apocalypse Explained 686.

22. This is the word which Jehovah has spoken concerning him: The virgin, daughter of Zion, despises you, she laughs at you; the daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head at you.

23. Whom have you blasphemed and reviled; and against whom, have you exalted your voice? and have lifted up thine eyes on high? Even against the Holy One of Israel.

Verse 22. There are two affections which constitute the church, - one, or the affection of Good, constitutes the celestial church, and is called in the Word "the virgin, the daughter of Zion, and the other, or the affection of Truth, constitutes the spiritual church, and is called in the Word "the daughter of Jerusalem." Arcana Coelestia 2362. See the Exposition of Isaiah Chapter 16:2.

24. By the hand of your servants have you blasphemed the Lord, and have said, By the multitude of my chariots will I ascend the height of the mountains, the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir-trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his fruitful field.

Verse 24: By these words, in the internal sense, is described the haughtiness of those who, by ratiocinations from falsities, are desirous to destroy the Goods and Truths of the church. The "king of Assyria" is the rational Principle perverted; "the multitude of his chariots" signifies ratiocinations from falsities of doctrine. To ascend the height of the mountains, the sides of Lebanon", and to "cut down the tall cedars and the choice fir-trees thereof", signifies the endeavour to destroy the Goods and Truths of the church, as well internal as external; the mountains denote the Goods of the church, the "sides of Lebanon" where the Goods are conjoined with Truths; "Lebanon" denoting the spiritual church, the "cedars" the Internal Truths thereof, which are from Good, and the "fir-trees" the external Truths thereof, also from Good. Such is the signification of these words in the spiritual sense in which they are understood in heaven. Apocalypse Explained 405. See also 654.

25. I have digged, and I have drunk waters; and I have dried up with the sole of my steps all the streams of Egypt.

Verse 25. The "king of Assyria", or the rational principle perverted, destroying all the knowledges and apperceptions of Truth, is signified by "drying up with the sole of his steps all the streams of Egypt." The reason why the "streams of Egypt" signify the knowledges and apperceptions of Truth is, because "Egypt" is the natural man as to scientifics, knowledges, and apperceptions which belong to the natural man, as intelligence does to the spiritual man. Apocalypse Explained 518. See Chapter 19, the Exposition.

26. Hast you not heard, from of old, that I have done it? and, from the days of antiquity, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that you should be to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

Verse 26. These words refer to the antediluvian time denoted by "of old" and "the days of antiquity." Arcana Coelestia 274.

To "lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps", as said of the king of Assyria, is to destroy, by false reasonings, the truths and doctrinals of the church and of the Word. See the Exposition of Isaiah Chapter 23:13.

27. Therefore were their inhabitants of small strength; they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb; the grass of the house-top; and as the corn blasted before it is grown up.

28. But your sitting down, and your going out, and your coming in, and your rage against Me I have known:

Verse 27. "Inhabitants of small strength [or, literally, short in hand]", signifies of no power. Arcana Coelestia 878.

As the grass of the field, - as the corn blasted, etc. - See Chapter 15:6, Exposition.

Verse 28. It was a common form of speech among the ancients to say that they knew the "entering in" and the "going. out" of a person, to indicate that they knew all, the state of his life; and as this form of speech derived its origin from correspondences in the other life, wherefore, in the Word, similar things are said and. signified thereby, as in Samuel:

"Achish called David, and said unto him, You have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the camp has been good in my eyes; for I have not found evil in you." (1 Samuel 29:6) "His going out and his entering in being good in his eyes", signifies that all the state of his life had been well pleasing to him.

Again,

"You know Abner, that he came to persuade you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you doest. (2 Samuel 3:25)

To know his "going out" and his "coming in" is to know all the thoughts and acts of his life; wherefore it is said, "that he might know all that you doest."

Again,

"Your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your rage against Me I have known"; (Isaiah 37:28),

speaking of Sennacherib the king of Assyria. To know his "going out" and his " coming in", is to know all things of his counsel. Arcana Coelestia 9927.

29. Because your rage against Me, and your insolence, is come up into Mine ears, therefore will I put My hook into your nose, and My bridle into your lips; and I will turn you back by the way in which you earnest.

Verse 29. These things are said concerning the "king of Assyria", by whom is signified ratiocination from falsities; for, in the good sense, by "Assyria" is signified the rational principle.

Because that king then besieged Jerusalem, and blasphemed God, it was said to him that "a hook should be put into his nose", whereby is signified that stupidity and foolishness should possess him; for the "nose" signifies perception, and the "hook" the extracting thereof, properly, immersion into the corporeal sensual principle, which, when separated from the rational, is stupid.

It is likewise said that "a bridle should be put into his lips", whereby is signified "insanity as to the understanding of Truth; for the "lips" signify thought from the understanding, and the "bridle" the retraction thereof.

To "turn him back by the way in which he came", signifies into the falsities by which he was about to perish; wherefore his "army", by which those falsities were signified, perished by a great slaughter. Apocalypse Explained 923.

30. And this shall be a sign unto you: Eat this year that which springs up of itself; and the second year, that which grows up of its own accord: and in the third year, sow you, and reap; and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.

Verse 30. This was said to Hezekiah the king, when Sennacherib, king of Assyria, made war against him, and spake proudly of himself, and contumeliously of God and of Israel, wherefore also one hundred and eighty-five thousand were smitten in the camp, and himself was slain by his sons.

The reason why this was done, was, because by "Assyria" is signified the rational [principle], and the same by the "king of Assyria", and by "Judea" the celestial [principle] of the church, and the spiritual [principle] by the "king" thereof; but, in this case, by the "king of Assyria" is signified the rational [principle] perverted, which, by false reasonings, destroys all the celestial and spiritual things of the church, which are the Goods and Truths thereof; and inasmuch as by "Judea" and by the "king" thereof is signified the celestial and spiritual principle of the church, which should be from the Lord when He came into the world, therefore such things are said, by which is described the regeneration of those who should be of that church.

Wherefore by "the sign, that they should eat in the first year that which springs up of itself [or spontaneously]", is signified celestial Good which shall be implanted in them from the Lord; by "that which grows up of its own accord in the second year", is signified the Truth of that Good which shall thence be derived; by "sowing, reaping, planting vineyards, and eating the fruit thereof", are signified all the Goods and Truths which thence flow forth; by "sowing and reaping" is signified the implantation of Good and the reception thereof; by "planting vineyards", the implantation of Truth and the reception thereof; and by "eating the fruits of them", the fruition of Goods, and satisfaction thence derived, appertaining to the regenerate man.

These things are called a "sign", because they are testifications concerning the celestial church with those who are understood in the spiritual sense by "Judah", whose regeneration is effected from the Lord by the implantation of celestial Good, afterwards by the implantation of spiritual Good, which, in its essence, is the Truth of celestial Good; and lastly, by multiplication and fructification in the natural man. Apocalypse Explained 700.

31. And again shall the escaped, the remnant of the house of Judah, strike root downwards, and bear fruit upwards.

32. For from Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant; and the escaped from Mount Zion: the zeal of Jehovah of Hosts shall do this.

33. Therefore thus says Jehovah concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not enter into this city; nor shall he shoot an arrow into it; nor shall he come before it with a shield; nor shall he cast up a mound against it.

34. By the way in which he came, by the same shall he return; and into this city shall he not come, says Jehovah.

Verses 31, 32. Again shall the escaped, the remnant of the house of Judah, strike root downwards, and bear fruit upwards, etc. - As to the meaning of the "remnant" and the "escaped", see Chapter 1:9; 4:2, 3, the Exposition.

[The "remnant of the house of Judah" is said to "strike root downwards", to denote that truths from a celestial origin will then be implanted in the natural man; and to "bear fruits upwards", that goods of life will be of a celestial and spiritual origin, or from the "internal man.]

35. And I will defend this city to save it, for Mine own sake, and for the sake of David My servant.

Verse 35. These words are said of the Assyrians, in whose camp one hundred and eighty-five thousand were slain. "David" stands for the Lord, who was to come, and who, as to His Humanity, is called a "Servant." That " David", in the Word, signifies the Lord, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 1880.

Whilst the Lord was in a state of humiliation, when He had with Him the infirm Human, He worshipped Jehovah as another separate from Himself, and indeed as a Servant, for the Human is respectively nothing else; wherefore, in the Word, a "servant" is predicated of that Human, as in Isaiah 37:35; 42:1, 19. Arcana Coelestia 2159.

36. And the angel of Jehovah went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

Verse 36. A "camp" and an "encampment" signify, in a good sense, heaven. The reason is, because an " army" signifies Truths and Goods, which are arranged by the Lord according to heavenly order. Hence arrangement according to order is the encampinq of an army, and the heavenly order itself, which is heaven, is the "camp." This "camp", or this order, is such that it cannot possibly be broken into by hell, although hell is in a continual endeavour to break into it. Hence it is that "the camp of God", in Genesis 32:2, signifies heaven, This essential order is what was represented by the "encampments" of the sons of Israel in the wilderness, thus heaven itself was represented. The dwelling together therein, according to the tribes, was called a "camp"; the "tabernacle" which was in the midst, and about which they encamped, represented the Lord Himself. As many expressions in the Word have an opposite sense, so also has a "camp", and according to such sense it signifies evils and falsities, consequently hell, as in David:

"Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear." [Psalm 27:3)

Neither is anything else but hell meant by "the camp of Assyria, in which the angel of Jehovah smote a hundred and eighty and five thousand; (Isaiah 37:36)

In like manner also by "the camp of the Egyptians." (Exodus 14:20, 28) Arcana Coelestia 4236.

[The destruction of the Assyrian army was effected by the opening of a hell, and by a powerful influx thence proceeding, which corresponded to the evil and the false signified by the opposition of "the Assyrian army", and its determination to destroy "Jerusalem", which represented heaven and the church. A similar thing is described in the Revelation 20:9:

"Gog and Magog went up on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and, fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them." 'But this happened in the world of spirits, whereas the destruction of the Assyrian army took place in the natural world, on account of the representatives which then prevailed In the representative or typical church of the Jews. In the one case it is said that "an angel from Jehovah effected the destruction of the Assyrian army", and in the other that a fire from God out of heaven devoured the enemies of the camp of the saints and the beloved city." But that the destruction was effected either by "the angel of Jehovah" or by " fire from God out of heaven" is an appearance; the real truth is, that they were destroyed by their own evils and falsities, (Apocalypse Revealed 863) which, at the period of Judgment, are brought out, and which then overwhelm the wicked with perdition. The Lord never comes to destroy, but to save, and when the good are separated from the wicked, the latter are left to their own evil states and sink down into their respective hells.]

37. Then Sennacherib, king of Assyria, decamped, and departed, and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

38. And it came to pass, that as he was bowing himself down in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, smote him with the sword; and they escaped, into the land of Ararat: and Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.

Verses 37, 38. That "Nineveh" signifies what is false, or false doctrines arising from the fallacies of the senses, and from the obscurity of the understanding not illustrated, and from ignorance, is evident from Jonah, who was sent to Nineveh, which city was pardoned because they were of such a quality. In Isaiah things both historical and prophetical are mentioned, which involve and represent such arcana in like manner as all other historical things mentioned in the Word. In Isaiah we read respecting the king of Assyria, that "he dwelt at Nineveh, and that when he was bowing himself down in the house of Nisroch his god, he was slain by his sons with the sword." (Isaiah 37:37, 38)

Although these things are historical, they are nevertheless prophetical, involving and representing similar arcana. By "Nineveh" here is signified external worship in which are falsities, and as this worship was idolatrous, "he was slain by his sons with the sword." His "sons" are falsities, and the "sword" is the punishment of the false. Arcana Coelestia 1188.

---

Isaiah Chapter 37

1. AND it came to pass, that when the king Hezekiah heard it, he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of Jehovah.

2. And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah, the son of Amoz, the prophet.

3. And they said unto him, Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, and of rebuke, and of contumely: for the sons are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

4. Perhaps Jehovah your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom his lord the king of Assyria has sent to blaspheme the living God, and will reprove the words which Jehovah your God has heard: and do you offer up prayer for the remnant which is found.

5. And the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

6. And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall you say to your lord, Thus says Jehovah, Be not afraid because of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.

7. Behold, I will infuse a spirit into him; and he shall hear a report, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

8. And Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah: for he heard that he had departed from Lachish.

9. And he heard concerning Tirhakah, king of Cush, saying, He is come forth to make war with you. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

10. Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah, king of Judah, saying, Let not your God, in whom you confide, deceive you, saying, That Jerusalem shall not: be given up into the hand of the king of Assyria.

11. Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly; and shalt you be delivered?

12. Have the gods of the nations delivered those which my fathers have destroyed? Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph; and the sons of Eden which were in Telassar?

13. Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Henah, and of Ivah?

14. And Hezekiah received the letters from the hand of the messengers, and read them; and he went up to the house of Jehovah: and Hezekiah spread them before the face of Jehovah.

15. And Hezekiah prayed to Jehovah, saying,

16. O Jehovah of Hosts, You God of Israel, who art seated on the Cherubim! You art the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth! You have made the heavens and the earth!

17. Incline, O Jehovah, Thine ear, and hear; open, O Jehovah, Thine eyes, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to blaspheme the living God.

18. In truth, O Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their lands;

19. And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were not gods, but the work of the hands of man, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.

20. And now, O Jehovah, our God, save us from his hand; that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone art Jehovah!

21. Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus says Jehovah the God of Israel, Whereas you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib, king of Assyria:

22. This is the word which Jehovah has spoken concerning him: The virgin, daughter of Zion, despises you, she laughs at you; the daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head at you.

23. Whom have you blasphemed and reviled; and against whom, have you exalted your voice? and have lifted up thine eyes on high? Even against the Holy One of Israel.

24. By the hand of your servants have you blasphemed, the Lord, and have said, By the multitude of my chariots will I ascend the height of the mountains, the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir-trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his fruitful field.

25. I have digged, and I have drunk waters; and I have dried up with the sole of my steps all the streams of Egypt.

26. Hast you not heard, from of old, that I have done it? and, from the days of antiquity, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that you should be to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

27. Therefore were their inhabitants of small strength; they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb; the grass of the house-top; and as the corn blasted before it is grown up.

28. But your sitting down, and your going out, and your coming in, and your rage against Me I have known:

29. Because your rage against Me, and your insolence, is come up into Mine ears, therefore will I put My hook into your nose, and My bridle into your lips; and I will turn you back by the way in which you earnest.

30. And this shall be a sign unto you: Eat this year that which springs up of itself; and the second year, that which grows up of its own accord: and in the third year, sow you, and reap; and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.

31. And again shall the escaped, the remnant of the house of Judah, strike root downwards, and bear fruit upwards.

32. For from Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant; and the escaped from Mount Zion: the zeal of Jehovah of Hosts shall do this.

33. Therefore thus says Jehovah concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not enter into this city; nor shall he shoot an arrow into it; nor shall he come before it with a shield; nor shall he cast up a mound against it.

34. By the way in which he came, by the same shall he return; and into this city shall he not come, says Jehovah.

35. And I will defend this city to save it, for Mine own sake, and for the sake of David My servant.

36. And the angel of Jehovah went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

37. Then Sennacherib, king of Assyria, decamped, and departed, and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

38. And it came to pass, that as he was bowing himself down in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, smote him with the sword; and they escaped, into the land of Ararat: and Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.

448. Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand sealed, signifies the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the second heaven. This is evident from the representation and consequent signification of "Joseph" and his tribe, as being the spiritual of the Lord's kingdom and church; here "Joseph" signifies the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the second heaven, because "Joseph" signifies the spiritual kingdom of the Lord, and this kingdom constitutes the second heaven. For there are two kingdoms of which heaven consists, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom; the celestial kingdom consisting of those who are in the third or inmost heaven, and the spiritual kingdom of those who are in the second or middle heaven. The conjunction with the Lord of those who are in this heaven is signified by "Joseph," because "Joseph" signifies this heaven and because this fourth class of the tribes treats of the conjunction with the Lord of all who are in the heavens and who come into the heavens, and this conjunction is signified by "the tribe of Zebulun," the first tribe of this class; for the first tribe of each class and series indicates the subject treated of in what follows, and the tribes that follow continue the same subject in general; here, therefore, conjunction. This is why "the tribe of Zebulun" signifies the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the third heaven, "the tribe of Joseph" the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the second heaven, and "the tribe of Benjamin" the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the first heaven.

[2] That "Joseph" in the Word represented and thence signifies the Lord in relation to the Divine spiritual, and in a relative sense the spiritual kingdom, can be seen from all that is related and told of him in the Word, both in the histories and prophecies. In the historical Word it is said of Joseph:

That he dreamed a dream that eleven sheaves came round about his sheaf, and bowed themselves down to it; also that the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed themselves down to him (Genesis 37:4-11).

This means in the nearest sense that his brethren and parents were to come into Egypt and there do homage to him as the lord of the land; but in the spiritual sense it signifies that the church which was represented by Jacob and his sons would submit itself to the Lord; for "Joseph," as was said, represents the Lord in relation to the Divine spiritual, and in a relative sense the Lord's spiritual kingdom in heaven and on earth. The Lord's spiritual kingdom on earth is the spiritual church; this church is what is meant in the internal sense by Jacob and his sons when they were in Egypt.

[3] Afterwards by "Joseph" the establishment of a church that was to be represented by the sons of Israel is described; and this also is why Joseph was carried down into Egypt, and obtained dominion over the whole land, and invited thither his father and brethren, and supported them; and so long as he was lord of the land, the land of Egypt represented the spiritual church in the natural, and Jacob and his sons the spiritual church; but the representation of the spiritual church in the natural by Egypt was ended when Moses was born and he began to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. (These things, as they are many and various, are explained in the Arcana Coelestia.)

[4] The representation of the Lord in relation to the Divine spiritual, and thence the representation of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, is contained in these words in Moses (which may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia, n. 5306-5329):

And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Shall we find one like this man, in whom the spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as, God hath made thee to know all this, there is no one so intelligent and wise as thou; thou shalt be over my house, and upon thy mouth shall all my people kiss; only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from upon his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen, and put a necklace of gold upon his neck; and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had, and they cried out before him, Bow the knee; and he set him over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, besides thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt (Gen. 41:38-44).

[5] Since it is said that "Joseph" in the highest sense represents the Lord in relation to the Divine spiritual, it shall first be told what is meant by the Lord's Divine spiritual. Heaven is divided into two kingdoms, one of which is called the celestial kingdom, and the other the spiritual kingdom. The Divine Itself proceeding from the Lord makes heaven, and the Divine proceeding from the Lord is Divine good united to Divine truth. All those in heaven who receive more of Divine good than of Divine truth constitute the Lord's celestial kingdom, while all who receive more of Divine truth than of Divine good constitute the Lord's spiritual kingdom; therefore the Divine of the Lord that is received by the angels in the Lord's celestial kingdom is called the Divine celestial, and the Divine of the Lord that is received by the angels in the Lord's spiritual kingdom is called the Divine spiritual. But it is to be known that the Divine proceeding from the Lord is so called from its reception, and that there are not two Divines, a celestial and a spiritual proceeding; for the Divine good, which from reception is called the Divine celestial, and the Divine truth, which from reception is called the Divine spiritual, proceed so united as to be not two but one. (These things may be seen more fully explained in the work on Heaven and Hell 20-28 where The Two Kingdoms into which the Three Heavens are Divided are treated of; also n. 13, 133, 139, which treat of the Divine proceeding, which is the Divine good united to Divine truth, and that they are two only in the recipients.)

[6] That the Lord in relation to the Divine spiritual and thence the spiritual kingdom is signified by "Joseph" can be seen also from the following passages. In the blessing of the sons of Israel by their father:

The son of a fruitful one is Joseph, the son of a fruitful one by a fountain; the daughters (she walketh upon a wall), and they shall embitter him and shall shoot at him, the archers shall hate him; and he shall sit in the strength of his bow, and the arms of his hands shall be strengthened by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob; thence is he the shepherd, the stone of Israel; from the God of thy father, and He shall help thee; and with Shaddai, and He shall bless thee with blessings of heaven from above, with the blessings of the deep that lieth below, with blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of thy father shall prevail over the blessings of my progenitors, even to the desire of the hills of an age; they shall be for the head of Joseph, and for the crown of the head of the Nazirite of his brethren (Genesis 49:22-26).

"The son of a fruitful one is Joseph" signifies the Lord's spiritual kingdom and spiritual church, and in the highest sense the Lord in relation to the Divine spiritual; "the son of a fruitful one by a fountain" signifies the fructification by truths from the Word, the "son of a fruitful one" meaning the fructification by truths, and "fountain" the Word; "the daughters (she walketh upon a wall)" signifies to combat by truths that are from good against the falsities that are from evil, a "wall" meaning truth defending; "they shall embitter him" signifies resistance by falsities; "and shall shoot at him" signifies that they will fight from falsities; "and the archers shall hate him" signifies with every hostility from the falsities of doctrine; "darts" and "arrows," and thence "the throwers of darts" and "archers," signifying combat from truths against the falsities of doctrine, but here from the falsities of doctrine against truths; "and he shall sit in the strength of his bow" signifies to be kept safe by the truths of doctrine combating against falsities, "bow" meaning doctrine; "and the arms of his hands shall be strengthened" signifies the potency of the powers of combating; "by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob" signifies by the omnipotence of the Lord's Divine Human; "thence is he the shepherd, the stone of Israel," signifies that all spiritual good and truth in the kingdom is therefrom; "from the God of thy father" signifies that he was the God of the Ancient Church; "and with Shaddai" signifies the Lord as Benefactor after temptations; "and He shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven from above" signifies with goods and truths from within; "with blessings of the deep that lieth below" signifies with the knowledges of truth and good and with corroborating knowledges [scientifica] from without; "with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb" signifies the spiritual affections of these and conjunction; "the blessings of thy father shall prevail above the blessings of my progenitors" signifies that the church that is signified by "Joseph" is from spiritual truth and good; "even to the desire of the hills of an age" signifies from mutual celestial love; "they shall be for the head of Joseph" signifies these things in respect to interiors; "and for the crown of the head of the Nazirite of his brethren" signifies also in respect to exteriors. (For further explanation of this seeArcana Coelestia 6416-6438.)

[7] In the blessing of the sons of Israel by Moses:

Of Joseph he said, Blessed of Jehovah be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that lieth beneath, and for the precious things of the increase of the sun, and for the precious things of the produce of the months, and for the firstfruits of the mountains of the east, and for the precious things of the hills of an age, and for the precious things of the earth and of the fullness thereof; and the good pleasure of him that dwelleth in the bush; they shall come to the head of Joseph, and to the crown of the head of the Nazirite of his brethren (Deuteronomy 33:13-16).

This describes the Lord's spiritual church with those who are in the doctrine of truth from the Word, and in a life in accordance with it, "the land of Joseph" signifying that church; "to be blessed for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that lieth beneath," signifies from Divine truths from the Word in the spiritual man, and from the influx of the spiritual man into the natural; "the precious things of heaven" meaning Divine spiritual truths or truths in the spiritual man; "dew" signifying influx therefrom, and "the deep lying beneath" signifying the natural man in which are the knowledges of truth and good for perception, and confirming knowledges [scientifica]; "for the precious things of the increase of the sun, and for the precious things of the produce of the months," signifies from the truths flowing forth from the Lord's celestial kingdom, and from the truths flowing forth from the Lord's spiritual kingdom; "the precious things of the sun" meaning truths from the celestial kingdom; "the precious things of the months" truths from the spiritual kingdom, and "increase" and "produce" the things that flow forth; "for the firstfruits of the mountains of the east and for the precious things of the hills of an age," signifies genuine truths such as were in the Most Ancient Church, and such as were in the Ancient Church, "the mountains of the east" signify the Most Ancient Church which was in love to the Lord; that church is described by "the mountains of the east" because "mountain" signifies love, and the "east" the Lord; "the hills of an age" signify the Ancient Church, which was in charity towards the neighbor; that church is described by "the hills of an age" because "hills" signify charity towards the neighbor. (That such is the signification of "mountains" and "hills," see above, n.405.) "And for the precious things of the earth and of the fullness thereof" signifies the external spiritual church, which is with those who live according to the knowledges of truth and good; the "earth" meaning that church, and "fullness" the knowledges in the external man; "and the good pleasure of him that dwelleth in the bush," signifies the Lord in respect to the Divine spiritual, that all these things are from Him; "they shall come to the head of Joseph, and to the crown of the head of the Nazirite of his brethren" signifies in respect both to interiors and to exteriors (as above).

[8] In Zechariah:

And I will make the house of Judah mighty, and I will save the house of Joseph; and they shall be as the mighty Ephraim, and their heart shall be glad as if with wine (Zechariah 10:6, 7).

"The house of Judah" here means the church that is in love to the Lord, which is called the celestial church; and "Joseph" means the church that is in the good of charity and in the truths of faith, which is called the spiritual church; because the truths of that church have power from good, it is said, "they shall be as the mighty Ephraim," for "Ephraim" signifies truth from good in the natural man, which truth has power; the joy of such from truths is signified by "their heart shall be glad as if with wine," "wine" signifying truth from good.

[9] In Ezekiel:

Jehovah said, Son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions; then take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and of all the house of Israel; and then join them for thee one to another into one stick, that the two may be one in thy ¹ hand. I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and of the tribes of Israel his companions, and I will add them upon the stick of Judah, and will make them into one stick, and they shall be one in My hand. And I will make them into one nation in the land, in the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be for a king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore at all (Ezekiel 37:16-22).

Here, too, "Judah" signifies the celestial church which is in the good of love, and "Joseph" and "Ephraim" signify the spiritual church which is in the good of charity and in the truths of faith. That these two churches will be one church with the Lord, as good and truth are one, is meant by "I will make them into one stick, and they shall be one in My hand. And I will make them into one nation in the land; and one king shall be for a king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore." (But this also may be seen explained above, n. 433.)

[10] In David:

O God, Thou hast with Thine arm redeemed Thy people, the sons of Jacob and of Joseph (Psalms 77:15).

"The sons of Jacob and of Joseph" mean those who are in the good of life according to their religious principles; for "Jacob" means in the Word the external church which is with those who are in the good of life; and "Joseph" here means Manasseh and Ephraim, for it is said "Thou hast redeemed the sons of Joseph," by whom those are meant who are in good and truth in respect to the external man, thus in respect to life. (That Manasseh and Ephraim, the "sons of Joseph," have this signification, see above, n. 440.) "To redeem them with His arm," signifies to save them by omnipotence, for those who had been such were saved by the Lord through His coming into the world, and could not have been saved otherwise.

[11] In Obadiah:

In Mount Zion there shall be escape, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall be heir to their inheritances; and the house of Jacob shall become a fire and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, that they may kindle them and devour them, that there be no residue of the house of Esau (verses 17, 18).

"Esau and his house" mean those who believe themselves to be intelligent and wise not from the Lord but from self; for in the eighth verse of this chapter it is said "I will destroy the wise out of Edom, and the intelligent out of the mount of Esau," [Obadiah 1:8], meaning those who from the letter of the Word have confirmed themselves in such things as favor their own loves. "The house of Jacob and the house of Joseph" mean such as are in the good of life according to the truths of doctrine, "the house of Jacob" meaning those who are in the good of life, and "the house of Joseph" those who are in the truths of doctrine; "Mount Zion," where there will be escape and holiness, signifies love to the Lord, from whom is salvation and from whom is Divine truth; "the house of Jacob shall be heir to the inheritances of the house and mountain of Esau," and "the house of Jacob shall be to him a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame," signifies that in place of those meant by "Esau" those will succeed who are in the good of life according to the truths of doctrine. In the spiritual world this so occurs, that those who have been in pride from self-intelligence, and have confirmed themselves from the Word in such things as favor the loves of self and the world, occupy certain tracts and mountains, and make for themselves a semblance of heaven, believing that heaven belongs to them more than to others; but when the time has been fulfilled they are cast out of their places, and those succeed them who are in the good of life according to the truths of doctrine from the Lord. (See respecting this in the small work on The Last Judgment.) This makes clear what is signified in the internal sense by "the house of Jacob shall be heir to their inheritances, and shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble."

[12] In Amos:

Who play upon the psaltery, and devise for themselves instruments of music like David; who drink out of bowls of wine, and anoint themselves with the firstfruits of the oils, but are not grieved over the breach of Joseph (Amos 6:5, 6).

This treats of those who counterfeit good affections in externals, and bring together for confirmation many things from the Word, and yet are interiorly evil. To counterfeit good affections in externals is signified by "playing upon the psaltery, devising for themselves instruments of music, and anointing themselves with the firstfruits of the oils;" to bring forth many things from the Word for the sake of appearance is signified by "drinking out of bowls of wine;" that they have no regard for the truths of doctrine of the church, even though the church should perish by falsities, is signified by "they are not grieved over the breach of Joseph," "Joseph" meaning the spiritual church, which is with those who are in the truths of doctrine.

[13] In David:

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that sittest upon the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh stir up Thy might, and come for salvation to us (Psalms 80:1, 2).

Here, too, "Joseph" signifies the spiritual church, which is with those who are in truths from good, that is, in the truths of doctrine also as to life. What "Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh," here mean may be seen above n. 440.

[14] In Amos:

Thus said Jehovah unto the house of Israel, Seek ye Me, and ye shall live; lest He fall like fire upon ² the house of Joseph, and He shall devour and there shall be none to quench. Hate evil, and love good, and place judgment in the gate; it may be that Jehovah the God of Hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph (Amos 5:4, 6, 15).

"The house of Israel" signifies the spiritual church, and "the house of Joseph" that church in respect to the truths of doctrine. That truths of doctrine will perish unless they are in the affection of truth and good and a life according to them, is meant by "lest He fall like fire upon the house of Joseph;" and "Jehovah will be gracious to his remnant" means that He will preserve with them the remaining truths of doctrine, provided they live according to the goods and truths from the Word, which is meant by "hate evil and love good, and place judgment in the gate."

[15] In David:

Lift up a psalm, and strike the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. Sound with the trumpet in the new moon, in the fixed time at the day of our feast. For this was a statute of Israel. He appointed a testimony for Joseph, in His going out against the land of Egypt; I heard a lip that I knew not (Psalms 81:2-5).

To "lift up a psalm, to strike the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery," signifies confession from spiritual and celestial truths and the delights of the affection of truth and good (See above, n. 323, 326); "sound with the trumpet in the new moon, in the fixed time for the day of our feast," signifies worship from the delight of these affections; "for this was a statute for Israel, and He appointed a testimony for Joseph," signifies that these things were for the new church instituted among the sons of Israel which was in the truths of doctrine; "in His going out against the land of Egypt; I heard a lip that I knew not" signifies when the old church was destroyed, which had come to be in falsities of doctrine, "a lip that I knew not" signifying falsities of doctrine; for "Egypt," when Joseph was lord there, represented the church that is in the cognitions of truth and good, and in confirming knowledges (scientiae); but when the sons of Israel began to be hated and ill-treated, "Egypt" represented the church destroyed, in which are mere falsities, for it is said that:

There arose a new king over the Egyptians who knew not Joseph (Exodus 1:8);

and consequently the Egyptians with Pharaoh, who pursued the sons of Israel, were drowned in the Red Sea.

[16] That "Joseph" means in the highest sense the Lord in respect to the Divine spiritual, is evident also in David:

Joseph was sold for a servant; his foot they hurt with a fetter, his soul came into the iron; until the time that his word came, and the saying of Jehovah explored him. Then the king sent and loosed him; the ruler of the nations let him go free. He set him as a lord to his house and ruler over all his possessions, to bind his princes according to his will, and that he might instruct his elders. Then Israel came into Egypt, and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham (Psalms 105:17-23).

How the Lord was received when He came into the world, and how He was tempted and then became Lord of heaven and earth, and subjugated the hells, reduced the heavens to order and established the church is described by the story of Joseph; how He was received and tempted is described by "he was sold for a servant, his foot they hurt with a fetter, and his soul came into iron;" "he was sold for a servant" signifying that the Lord was held in low esteem; "his foot they hurt with a fetter" signifying that He was as it were bound and in prison because there was no longer any natural good; "his soul came into the iron" signifying that it was so because there was no longer any natural truth but only falsity. The Lord's conquering the hells through Divine truth from ³ His Divine is described by "until the time that his word came, and the saying of Jehovah explored him;" "his word" signifying Divine truth, and "the saying of Jehovah" Divine good from which is Divine truth. That the Lord thus acquired power over all things of heaven and earth for His Human from His Divine is described by "the king sent and loosed him, the ruler of the nations let him go free; he set him as a lord to his house, and ruler over all his possession;" the "king who sent," and the "ruler of the nations who let him go free," signifying Divine truth and Divine good which were in Him and from Him, "king" Divine truth, and "ruler" Divine good; for the Lord is called "King" in the Word from Divine truth, and "Lord" and "Ruler" from Divine good.

The "house over which he was set" signifies heaven and the church in respect to good, and "possession" heaven and the church in respect to truth. This has a similar signification as the words of the Lord Himself, that all things of the Father are His and all His are the Father's; and that all power over heaven and earth was given to Him (John 17:10; Matthew 28:18). That the Lord from His Divine withholds the heavens from falsities and keeps them in truths, and thus gives them intelligence and wisdom, is described by "he bound the princes according to his will, and that he might instruct his elders," "princes" signifying those who are in truths, and "elders" those who are in intelligence and wisdom. That the Lord then established the church on the earth is meant by "then Israel came into Egypt;" "Israel" signifying the church, for the establishment of the church by the Lord was represented by the sons of Israel coming into Egypt, as also by the Lord's being carried into Egypt when He was an infant (Matthew 2:14, 15; Hosea 11:1). That all things of the church then perished is meant by "Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham;" "Jacob" signifying the church with all who are in the good of life, and "the land of Ham" signifying the church destroyed.

[17] Here and elsewhere in the Word "Israel and Jacob" do not mean the sons of Israel and the posterity of Jacob, but all those with whom is the church, wherever they were and wherever they are; as "Judah" in the Word does not mean the Jewish nation, but the church consisting of such as are in love to the Lord (of which above, n. 433). For with the sons of Israel or the posterity of Jacob there was no church, but the church was merely represented; therefore they signify all who are of the church, and this not only in the prophecies of the Word but also in its histories, as has been shown in what precedes. So, too, "Joseph" and his tribe do not mean Joseph and his tribe, but in the highest sense the Lord in respect to the Divine spiritual, and thence in a relative sense the Lord's spiritual kingdom in the heavens and on the earths, likewise the things that constitute that kingdom, which are the truths of doctrine.

[18] In Ezekiel there is a description of a new spiritual church to be established by the Lord, and this church with its doctrine is meant by "the new city, the new temple, and the new earth," therefore it is said:

This is the border unto which ye shall inherit the land, according to the twelve tribes of Israel, to Joseph cords [portions] (Ezekiel 47:13).

"Joseph" signifies the spiritual church, and "cords" signify conjunction, and preaching from that tribe to the rest, and from the rest to it; and "the twelve tribes of Israel" signify all things of that church.

Footnotes: