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.

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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.

518. And it fell upon the third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of the waters, signifies that consequently all understanding of truth perished and thereby the doctrine of the church. This is evident from the signification of "falling" from heaven, as being, in reference to stars, to perish (of which presently); also from the signification of "the third part," as being everything (of which above, n. 506, here all, because it is said of the understanding of truth and of doctrine, which are signified by "rivers" and "fountains of waters;" also from the signification of "rivers," as being the understanding of truth (of which presently); and from the signification of "fountains of waters," as being the Word and doctrine from the Word, thus "fountains" mean the truths of the Word and doctrinals (of which above, n. 483).

[2] When "to fall" is predicated of stars, which mean the knowledges of truth and good from the Word (as above), it signifies to perish, because when Divine truth in the spiritual world falls out of heaven to the earth there, where the evil are, it is turned into falsity, and when Divine truth becomes falsity it perishes. This is signified also by:

The stars shall fall from heaven (Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:25);

namely, that in the last time of the church the knowledges of truth and good will perish. That when Divine truth in the spiritual world falls out of heaven to the earth there, where the evil are, it is changed into falsity and thus perishes, may be seen above (n. 413, 418, 419, 489); for Divine truth is changed into falsity of the same character as the evil belonging to those into whom it flows. This becomes evident from the following experience: It has been granted me to observe carefully how Divine truth was changed into falsity while it was passing down deep into hell, and it was perceived that it was changed successively as it flowed down, at length even into what was most false.

[3] "Rivers" signify the understanding of truth, likewise intelligence, because "waters" signify truths, and the understanding is the receptacle and complex of truths, as a river is of waters, and because thought from the understanding, which is intelligence, is like a stream of truth. From the same origin, namely, from the signification of "waters" as being truths, a "fountain" signifies the Word and the doctrine of truth, and "pools," "lakes," and "seas," signify the knowledges of truth in the complex. That "waters" signify truths, and "living waters" truths from the Lord, may be seen above (n. 71, 483); and also in the following passages in this article.

[4] That "rivers" and "streams" signify the understanding of truth and intelligence can be seen from the Word where "rivers" and "streams" are mentioned. Thus in Isaiah:

Then shall the lame leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing; for waters shall break out in the wilderness, and brooks in the plain of the desert (Isaiah 35:6).

This is said of the Lord, also of the reformation of the Gentiles, and of the establishment of the church among them. "The lame who shall leap as a hart" signifies one who is not in genuine good because he is not in the knowledges of truth and good; "the tongue of the dumb which shall sing" signifies confession of the Lord by those who are in ignorance of the truth; "waters shall break out in the wilderness" signifies that there shall be truths where there were none before; "and brooks in the plain of the desert" signifies that there shall be intelligence where there was none before, "wilderness" meaning where there is no truth, and "plain of the desert" where there is no intelligence; "waters" mean truths, and "brooks" intelligence.

[5] In the same:

I will open rivers on the heights, and fountains will I place in the midst of the valleys, I will make the wilderness into a pool of waters, and the dry land into springs of waters (Isaiah 41:18).

This is said of the salvation of the Gentiles by the Lord; "to open rivers on the heights" means to bestow interior intelligence; and "to place fountains in the midst of valleys" means to instruct the external man in truths. (The rest may be seen explained in n. 483.)

[6] In the same:

Behold I am doing a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even place a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild beast of the field shall honor Me, the dragons and the daughters of the owl; because I will give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen (Isaiah 43:19, 20).

This treats of the Lord and of a new church to be established by Him, which is meant by "Behold I am doing a new thing; now it shall spring forth;" "to place a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert" signifies that there shall be truth and the understanding of truth where there were none before, "way" meaning truth leading to heaven, and "rivers" understanding; "to give drink to the people" signifies to instruct those who desire it; "the wild beast of the field, the dragons, and the daughters of the owl" signify those who know truths and goods merely from memory, and do not understand and perceive them; these speak about truth with no idea of truth, depending solely upon others.

[7] In the same:

I will pour out waters upon him that is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground; I will pour out My spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring (Isaiah 44:3).

"To pour out waters upon him that is thirsty" signifies to instruct in truths those who are in the affection of truth; "to pour streams upon the dry land" signifies to give intelligence to those who are in a desire for truth from good; the like is signified by "pouring out the spirit and the blessing;" for God's "spirit" signifies Divine truth, and "blessing" its multiplication and fructification, thus intelligence. Who does not see that here and above, waters and streams, wilderness and desert, are not meant, but such things as pertain to the church? Therefore it is here added, "I will pour out My spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring."

[8] In Moses:

For Jehovah leadeth thee to a land of brooks of water, of fountains, of depths flowing forth in valley and mountain (Deuteronomy 8:7).

The land of Canaan, to which Jehovah was to lead them, signifies the church, therefore "brooks of water, fountains, and depths flowing forth in valley and mountain," signify such things as belong to the church; "brooks of water" signifying the understanding of truth, "fountains" doctrinals from the Word, and "depths flowing forth in valley and mountain" the knowledges of truth and good in the natural and in the spiritual man.

[9] In Isaiah:

Look upon Zion and Jerusalem, where the glorious Jehovah will be with us a place of rivers, of streams, of breadth of spaces; no ship of oar shall go therein, and no magnificent ship shall pass through it (Isaiah 33:20, 21).

Here, too, "a place of rivers and streams" signifies wisdom and intelligence (the signification of the rest is explained above, n. 514.

[10] In Joel:

In that day the mountains shall drop down must, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the watercourses of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall go forth out of the house of Jehovah and shall water the brook of Shittim (Joel 3:18).

(This also has been explained above, n. 433, 483.) "The fountain that shall go forth out of the house of Jehovah" signifies the truth of doctrine out of heaven from the Lord; and "the brook of Shittim that it shall water," signifies the illustration of the understanding.

[11] In Ezekiel:

The waters issued out from under the threshold of the house of God towards the east. The man led me and brought me back upon the bank of the river. When I returned, behold upon the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. He said, Every living soul that creepeth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live; whence there are exceeding many fish, because these waters come thither and are healed, that everything may live whither the river cometh. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, cometh up every tree for food, whose leaf falleth not, neither is the fruit thereof consumed; it is renewed in its months, because its waters flow out of the sanctuary (Ezekiel 47:1-12).

This, too, has been explained above (n. 422, 513), which makes evident that "the waters flowing out of the house of God towards the east" signify Divine truth proceeding from the Lord and flowing in with those who are in the good of love; and that "the river, upon the bank of which was every tree for food, and by the waters of which every soul that creepeth lived, whence there were many fish," signifies intelligence from the reception of Divine truth, from which all things with man, his affections and perceptions, as well as his cognitions and knowledges and the thoughts therefrom acquire spiritual life.

[12] In Jeremiah:

Blessed is the man that trusteth in Jehovah; He shall be like a tree planted by the waters and that sendeth forth his roots by the stream, and he shall not see when the heat shall come, his leaf shall be green (Jeremiah 17:7, 8).

"The tree planted by the waters" means a man with whom there are truths from the Lord; "he sendeth forth his roots by the stream" means the extension of intelligence from the spiritual man into the natural. (The rest may be seen explained above, n. 481.)

Where trees and gardens are treated of in the Word, waters and rivers to water them are also mentioned, for the reason that "trees" signify perceptions and knowledges, and "waters" and "rivers" truths and understanding therefrom; for without the understanding of truths man is like a garden where there is no water, whose trees wither away.

[13] As in Moses:

As the valleys are they planted, as gardens by the river, as lign-aloes – three times which Jehovah hath planted, and as cedar-trees beside the waters (Numbers 24:6).

This is said of the sons of Israel, by whom the church is signified which was then to be planted. This church is compared to valleys which are planted, and to a garden by the river, because "valleys" signify the intelligence of the natural man, and a "garden" the intelligence of the spiritual man, and it is compared to lign-aloes – three times and cedar-trees, because "lign-aloes – three times" signify the things of the natural man, and "cedar-trees" the things of the rational man; since these all live from the influx of Divine truth from the Lord they are said to be planted "by the river and beside the waters," which signifies Divine truth flowing in, from which is intelligence.

[14] As "the garden in Eden" or "paradise" means the wisdom and intelligence that the most ancient people had who lived before the flood, so where their wisdom is described, the influx of Divine truth, and of intelligence thence, is also described in these words:

A river went forth from Eden to water the garden, and from thence it was parted and was in four heads (Genesis 2:10, et seq.). "A river from Eden" signifies wisdom from love, which is Eden; "to water the garden" means to bestow intelligence; intelligence is described by the four rivers there treated of. (This may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia 107-121.)

[15] In Ezekiel:

Asshur, a cedar in Lebanon. The waters made it grow, the abyss made it high, so that with its rivers it went round about its plant, and sent out its conduits unto all the trees of the field (Ezekiel 31:3, 4).

"Asshur" signifies the rational man, or the rational of man, likewise "the cedar in Lebanon;" and because the genuine rational is perfected by the knowledges of truth and good it is said that "the waters made it grow, and the abyss made it high," "waters" meaning truths, and "the abyss" the knowledges of truth in the natural man; the increase of intelligence is signified by "with its rivers it went round about its plant;" and the multiplication of the knowledges of truth by "it sent out its conduits unto all the trees of the field."

[16] In David:

Thou hast caused a vine to go forth out of Egypt. Thou hast sent out its boughs unto the sea, and its shoots unto the river (Psalms 80:8, 11).

"A vine out of Egypt" means the sons of Israel, who are called a "vine" because they represented the spiritual church, which is what "vine" signifies in the Word; their tarrying in Egypt represented their first initiation into the things of the church, for "Egypt" signified the knowledges [scientifica] subservient to the things of the church when, therefore, "the vine" signifies the church, and "Egypt" the knowledge serving it, it is evident what is signified in the spiritual sense by "Thou hast caused a vine to go forth out of Egypt." The extension of the intelligence of the church even to things known and things rational is signified by "Thou hast sent out its boughs unto the sea, and its shoots unto the river;" "to send out boughs and shoots" meaning multiplication and extension, the "sea" knowledge []scientificum]; and the "river," which here is the Euphrates, the rational. The extension of the church and the multiplication of its truths and of intelligence therefrom are described by the extension of the land of Canaan to the Sea Suph, to the sea of the Philistines, and to the river Euphrates.

[17] In Moses:

And I will set thy border from the Sea Suph even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness even to the river (Exodus 23:31).

"The borders of the land of Canaan" signify the ultimates of the church, which are true knowledges [scientifica vera], cognitions of truth and good from the Word, and things rational. "The Sea Suph" signifies true knowledge; "the sea of the Philistines," where Tyre and Sidon were, signifies the knowledges of truth and good from the sense of the letter of the Word; and "the river Euphrates" signifies the rational; for knowledges [scientifica] serve the cognitions of truth and good from the Word, and both these serve the rational, and the rational serves intelligence, which is given by means of spiritual truths joined to spiritual good.

[18] The like that is here said of the church and its extension is said of the Lord's power over all things of heaven and the church, in David:

I will set his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers (Psalms 89:25).

This is said of David, by whom is here meant the Lord; the Lord's power, even to the ultimates of heaven and the church, thus over the whole heaven, and over everything of the church, is signified by "setting the hand in the sea, and the right hand in the rivers," "hand" and "right hand" signify power, and the "sea" and "rivers" the ultimates of heaven and the church. The ultimates of heaven are seas and rivers, as has been several times said above. These were represented by the two seas and by the two rivers that formed the boundaries of the land of Canaan. The two seas were the sea of Egypt and the sea of the Philistines, where were Tyre and Sidon; and the two rivers were the Euphrates and the Jordan. But the Jordan was the boundary between the interior land of Canaan and the exterior; in the exterior were the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh. Likewise in Zechariah:

His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth (Zechariah 9:10).

This, too, is said of the Lord, and has a like meaning; His dominion even to the ultimates of heaven and the church means over all things of heaven and the church, for the ultimates are the boundaries.

[19] In David:

Thy throne is established from then; Thou art from everlasting. The rivers have lifted up, O Jehovah, the rivers have lifted up their voice; the rivers have lifted up their roaring. More than the voices of many glorious waters, more than the waves of the sea, Jehovah is glorious (Psalms 93:2-4).

This, too, is said of the Lord; His dominion from eternity to eternity over heaven and earth is signified by "Thy throne is established from then; Thou art from everlasting." The glorification of the Lord because of His coming and because of the consequent salvation of mankind is signified by "the rivers have lifted up their voice (and their roaring);" for "rivers," here three times mentioned, signify all things of man's intelligence, both in the internal and in the external man. Divine truth from the Lord, through which there is power and through which there is salvation, is signified by "more than the voices of many glorious waters, more than the waves of the sea," "waters" meaning truths, and "the voices of many glorious waters" Divine truths.

[20] The glorification and celebration of the Lord from joy of heart are thus described elsewhere in David:

Let the sea and the fullness thereof give forth a sound, the world and they that dwell therein. Let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains sing aloud together (Psalms 98:7, 8).

The glorification of the Lord by the universal heaven is signified by these words. The glorification from its ultimates is signified by "Let the sea and the fullness thereof give forth a sound;" the glorification from the whole heaven is signified by "let the world and they that dwell therein give forth a sound," "the world" signifying the universal heaven in respect to its truths, and "they that dwell therein" signifying the universal heaven in respect to its goods; for "inhabitants" signify in the Word those who are in the goods of heaven and the church, and thus the goods of such. The glorification of the Lord by the truths of intelligence and by the goods of love, is signified by "let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing aloud together," "rivers" meaning the truths of intelligence, and "mountains" the goods of love.

[21] Divine truth from the Lord, the reception of which is the source of intelligence, is signified by "the waters from the rock in Horeb" (Exodus 17:6), thus spoken of in David:

He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and made them to drink out of the great abysses, and He brought flowing waters out of the rock, and made the waters to run down like rivers. He smote the rock, so that the waters gushed out and the brooks overflowed (Psalms 78:15, 16, 20).

And again:

He opened the rock that the waters might flow; the rivers ran in the dry places (Psalms 105:41).

The "rock" here means the Lord; and the "waters that flowed out therefrom" mean Divine truth from Him; and the "rivers" signify intelligence and wisdom therefrom; "to drink of the great abysses" signifies to imbibe and perceive the arcana of wisdom.

[22] In John:

Jesus said, If anyone thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. He that cometh unto Me, as the Scripture saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This saith He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him were to receive (John 7:37-39).

"To come to the Lord and drink" signifies to receive from Him the truths of doctrine and belief therein; that spiritual intelligence is therefrom is signified by "out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water," "living water" being Divine truth which is from the Lord alone, "rivers" the things belonging to intelligence, and the "belly" thought from memory, for to this the belly corresponds; and as "rivers of living water" signify intelligence through Divine truth from the Lord it is added, "this saith He of the spirit which they that believe on Him were to receive," "the spirit that they were to receive from the Lord," meaning Divine truth and intelligence therefrom; so, too, the Lord called the spirit that they received "the spirit of truth" (John 14:16-18; 16:7-15).

[23] In David:

Jehovah hath founded the world upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers (Psalms 24:2).

The "world" signifies heaven and the church in the whole complex, the "seas" signify cognitions and knowledges which are the ultimates of the church, and in particular, the cognitions of truth and good, such as are in the sense of the letter of the Word; "rivers" signify introduction through knowledges into heavenly intelligence. This makes clear the meaning of these words in the spiritual sense, namely, that the interior things of heaven and the church, which are called celestial and spiritual, are founded upon the cognitions of truth and good which are in the sense of the letter of the Word rationally understood. It is said, "He hath founded the world upon the seas and established it upon the rivers," because there are seas and rivers in the boundaries of heaven, represented by the Sea Suph, the sea of the Philistines, the river Euphrates, and the river Jordan, which were the boundaries of the land of Canaan; and because what is ultimate means in the Word what is lowest, it is said that Jehovah "founded" and "established" upon these. Evidently the earth is not founded upon seas and rivers.

[24] In the same:

The Lord at thy right hand hath stricken through kings in the day of His anger, He hath judged among the nations, He hath filled with dead bodies, He hath stricken through the head over many a land. He drinketh out of the brook in the way; therefore shall He exalt the head (Psalms 110:5-7).

This is said of the Lord, and of His combat against falsities and evils from the hells, and of their subjugation. "Kings" mean falsities from hell, and "nations" evils therefrom. The Lord's Divine power is meant by "the Lord at the right hand;" "He hath stricken through them in the day of His anger, He hath judged among the nations, and He hath filled with dead bodies," signifies the subjugation and destruction of evils and falsities from the hells; "the head that He hath stricken through in many a land," means the love of self, which is the source of all evils and falsities; "to strike through in many a land" signifies total destruction and damnation; "the brook out of which the head drinketh," and because of which "it shall be exalted," signifies the Word in the letter, "to drink out of it" meaning to learn something from it, and "to lift up the head" meaning to resist for a time; for all those who are in falsities from evil cannot be cast down into hell until the things that they know from the Word are taken away from them, since all things of the Word communicate with heaven, by which communication they exalt the head; but when these are taken away they are cast down into hell. This is the meaning of these words, which no one can see except by means of the spiritual sense and a knowledge of the quality of the Word.

[25] In Habakkuk:

Was Jehovah displeased with the rivers? Was Thine anger against the rivers? Was Thy wrath against the sea? Because Thou ridest upon Thy horses, Thy chariots are salvation (Habakkuk 3:8).

This is a supplication that the church may be guarded and not perish; the "rivers" and the "sea" signify all things of the church, because they are its ultimates (as above); "to ride upon horses," in reference to Jehovah, that is, the Lord, signifies the Divine wisdom which is in the Word; and "chariots" signify doctrinals therefrom.

[26] In David:

We will not fear when the earth shall be changed, and when the mountains shall be moved from ¹ the heart of the seas; the waters thereof shall be in tumult, shall be made turbid, the mountains shall quake in the pride thereof. There is a river the streams whereof shall make glad the holy city of God, the dwelling places of the Most High; God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved (Psalms 46:2-5).

This involves in the spiritual sense, that although the church and all things thereof perish, still the Word and the Divine truth it contains shall not perish; for the "earth" signifies the church; "mountains" signify the goods of love; "waters" truths; and "to be changed," "to be moved," "to be in tumult" "to be made turbid" and "to quake" signify the states of these when they perish, and falsities and evils enter in their place, consequently the states of the church when it is vastated in respect to goods and desolated in respect to truths (See above, n. 304, 405, where this is more completely explained). That the Word or Divine truth for the church is not to perish is signified by "There is a river the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God; she shall not be changed;" "river" signifying here the like as "fountain," namely, the Word, because "streams" are predicated of it, by which are signified truths; the "city of God" signifies the church in respect to doctrine; "to make glad" signifies influx and reception from joy of heart, and "not to be changed" signifies not to perish in any respect.

[27] In Isaiah:

Then the waters shall fail in ² the sea, and the river shall dry up and become dry, and the rivers shall recede; the rivers of Egypt shall be minished and dried up, the reed and flag shall wither; the paper reeds by the stream near the mouth of the stream, and all seed of the stream shall become dry, be driven away, and be no more (Isaiah 19:5-7).

This is said of Egypt, which signifies the knowing faculty [scientificum] of the natural man, and its "stream" the cognition and apperception of truth, and in the contrary sense the apperception of falsity; that these are to perish is signified by "the stream shall dry up and become dry;" that thus there would be no longer truths, not even natural and sensual truths, which are the lowest, is signified by "the reed and flag shall wither, the paper reeds by the stream, and all the seed of the stream shall become dry, be driven away, and be no more."

[28] In the same:

I have digged and have drunk waters; and with the sole of my steps have I dried up all the streams of Egypt (Isaiah 37:25).

These are the words of Senacherib, the king of Assyria, by whom the perverted rational destroying all knowledge and apperception of truth is signified; this is signified by his "drying up with the sole of his steps all the streams of Egypt." The "streams of Egypt" signify knowledges and apperceptions of truth, because "Egypt" signifies the natural man in respect to knowledges (scientifica), and cognition and apperception belong to the natural man, as intelligence does to the spiritual man.

[29] In Ezekiel:

They shall draw out their swords against Egypt, to fill the land with the slain. Then will I make the rivers dry land, and will sell the land into the hand of evil ones; and I will make the land waste, and the fullness thereof, by the hand of strangers (Ezekiel 30:11, 12).

"Egypt" signifies the knowing faculty [scientificum] of the natural man serving the intelligence of the rational and spiritual man. The destruction of true knowledges [scientifica] by falsities is signified by "They shall draw out their swords against Egypt," "swords" signifying falsities destroying truths; the "slain" signify those who are destroyed by falsities; "to make the rivers dry land" signifies that there shall no longer be any cognition or apperception of truth; "to sell the land into the hand of evil ones and to make it waste by the hand of strangers," signifies to destroy by evils and by falsities, "strangers" signifying falsities.

[30] In Zechariah:

All the depths of the river shall be dried up, and the pride of Assyria shall be cast down, and the staff of Egypt shall depart away (Zechariah 10:11).

"All the depths of the river (namely, the Euphrates) shall be dried up" signifies that all the acute reasonings from self-intelligence shall perish; the "pride of Assyria" signifies the self-intelligence of the perverted rational; "the staff of Egypt shall depart away" signifies that the knowledges [scientifica] that serve such reasonings shall be of no avail.

[31] In Isaiah:

I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herb; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools (Isaiah 42:15).

"I will lay waste mountains and hills" signifies that the goods of love and charity will perish; "and dry up all their herb" signifies that the truths that are from those goods will perish; "I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools," signifies that intelligence and knowledge of truth will perish.

[32] In the same:

Behold, at My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers into a wilderness; their fish shall rot because there is no water, and shall die (Isaiah 50:2).

(See above, n. 342), where this is explained.)

In Nahum:

He rebuketh the sea and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers (Nahum 1:4).

In David:

Jehovah maketh rivers into a wilderness, and water springs into dry ground (Psalms 107:33).

In Job:

A man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? The waters depart from the sea, and the river drieth up and becometh dry (Job14:10, 11).

[33] It has been shown thus far that "rivers" signify the understanding of truth and intelligence. In the contrary sense "rivers" signify the understanding of falsity and reasoning from self-intelligence which is in favor of falsities and opposes truths, as is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah:

He shall send ambassadors by the sea to a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled (1 Isaiah 18:2).

"Rivers" here signify the falsities of self-intelligence that destroy. (What the rest signifies see explained above, n. 304, 331.) In the same:

When thou shalt pass through the waters I will be with thee; and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee (Isaiah 43:2).

"To pass through waters and through rivers and not be overflowed" signifies that falsities and reasonings from falsities against truths shall not corrupt.

[34] In Jeremiah:

Behold waters rising up out of the north, which like ³ an overflowing stream shall overflow the land and its fullness (Jeremiah 47:2).

"Waters out of the north" signify the falsities of doctrine from self-intelligence; these are compared to "a stream overflowing the land," because a "stream" signifies reasoning from falsities, the "land" the church, and "its overflow by a stream" its destruction by falsities.

[35] In David:

Unless Jehovah were for us when man rises up against us, then the waters had overflowed us, the river had gone over our soul; then the waters of the proud had gone over our soul (Psalms 124:2, 4, 5).

The "waters of the proud" here mentioned, signify falsities favoring the love of self and confirming it, also the falsities of doctrine from self-intelligence; the "river" signifies reasoning from falsities against truths; this makes clear what is meant by "Unless Jehovah were for us, when man rises up against us," namely, when man from himself, from self-love, and from self-intelligence, rises up and endeavors to destroy the truths of the church; for this treats of Israel, by whom the church is signified; the "waters that had overflowed them," and the "rivers that had gone over their soul," signify falsities and reasonings from falsities, and the consequent destruction of the spiritual life that man has through truths and through a life according to them; "waters" signify falsities, "rivers" reasonings from them, and "overflowing and going over the soul" signifies the destruction of spiritual life.

[36] In Isaiah:

Behold, the Lord will make to go up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory; and he shall go up over all his channels, and shall go over all his banks; and he shall go through Judah, and shall overflow (Isaiah 8:7, 8).

"Assyria" and its king signify in the Word the rational, here the rational perverted; so "his river" which was the Euphrates, means reasoning, and "the waters of the river" mean falsities confirmed by reasonings; these therefore are signified by "the waters of the river, strong and many," which are called "strong" from cupidity, and "many" from falsity; the abundance of falsities from evil destroying the truths of the good of the church is signified by "the waters of the river shall go up over all his channels, and over all his banks," also "he shall go through Judah, and shall overflow," "Judah" signifying the church where the Word is.

[37] In Jeremiah:

What hast thou to do with the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? Or what hast thou to do with the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? (Jeremiah 2:18).

The "waters of Sihor," or of Egypt, signify false knowledges, or knowledges confirming falsities, and "the waters of the river" signify false reasonings from these, thus such as are from self-intelligence; that such falsities and reasonings must not be imbibed is what these words signify.

[38] In the same:

Towards the north, by the bank of the river Euphrates, have they stumbled and fallen. Who is this that cometh up like a stream, whose waters are tossed like the streams? Egypt cometh up like a stream, and his waters are tossed like streams; for he saith, I will come up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and those that dwell in it (Jeremiah 46:6-8).

This signifies the destruction of the church and of its truths by false reasonings from confirming knowledges [scientifica]; the "north" signifies those in whom and from whom there is falsity, the "river Euphrates" false reasonings, "Egypt" confirming knowledges, the "waters that are tossed" falsities themselves, and "to come up, to cover the earth, to destroy the city and those that dwell in it," signifies the destruction of the church and of its doctrine, the "earth" meaning the church, the "city" doctrine of truth, and "those that dwell in it" its goods. Like things are signified by the Nile, "the river of Egypt," and by the Euphrates, "the river of Assyria," elsewhere in the Word (as in Isaiah 7:18, 19; 11:15, 16; Ezekiel 29:3-5, 10; 31:15; 32:2; Psalms 74:14, 15; 78:44; Exodus 7:17-21); also by "the rivers of Babylon" (Psalms 137:1). As all spiritual temptations come through falsities that break into the thoughts and infest the interior mind, thus through reasonings from falsities, so temptations are signified by the inundations of waters and by the irruptions of rivers and torrents. As in Jonah:

Thou hadst cast me into the depths, even into the heart of the seas; and the river was round about me; all Thy waves and Thy billows passed over me (Jonah 2:3).

In David:

The cords of death compassed me, and the brooks of Belial terrified me (Psalms 18:4).

In Matthew:

And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; yet it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock (Matthew 7:25, 27).

In Luke:

When a flood arose, the stream dashed against that house and could not shake it; for it had been founded upon a rock (Luke 6:48, 49).

Footnotes: