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Ezequiel 16

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1 Y vino Palabra del SEÑOR a mí, diciendo:

2 Hijo de hombre, notifica a Jerusalén sus abominaciones,

3 Y di: Así dijo el Señor DIOS sobre Jerusalén: Tu habitación y tu raza fue de la tierra de Canaán; tu padre amorreo, y tu madre hetea.

4 En cuanto a tu nacimiento, el día que naciste no fue cortado tu ombligo, ni fuiste lavada con aguas para ablandarte, ni salada con sal, ni fuiste envuelta con fajas.

5 No hubo ojo que se compadeciese de ti, para hacerte algo de esto, teniendo de ti misericordia; sino que fuiste echada sobre la faz del campo, con menosprecio de tu vida, en el día que naciste.

6 Y yo pasé junto a ti, y te vi sucia en tus sangres, y te dije: En tus sangres vivirás; te dije: En tus sangres vivirás.

7 En millares, como la hierba del campo, te puse, y fuiste aumentada y engrandecida, y viniste a ser adornada grandemente; los pechos te crecieron, y tu pelo reverdeció; mas tú estabas desnuda y descubierta.

8 Y pasé yo junto a ti, y te miré, y he aquí que tu tiempo era tiempo de amores; y extendí mi manto sobre ti, y cubrí tus vergüenzas; y te di juramento, y entré en pacto contigo, dijo el Señor DIOS, y fuiste mía;

9 y te lavé con aguas, y lavé tus sangres de encima de ti, y te ungí con aceite;

10 y te vestí de bordado, y te calcé de tejón, y te ceñí de lino, y te vestí de seda.

11 Y te atavíe con ornamentos, y puse ajorcas en tus brazos, y collar a tu cuello;

12 y puse cerquillos sobre tus narices, y zarcillos en tus orejas, y diadema de hermosura en tu cabeza.

13 Y fuiste adornada de oro y de plata, y tu vestido fue lino, y seda, y bordado; comiste flor de harina de trigo, y miel, y aceite; y fuiste hermoseada en extremo, y has prosperado hasta reinar.

14 Y te salió renombre entre los gentiles a causa de tu hermosura; porque era perfecta, a causa de mi hermosura que yo puse sobre ti, dijo el Señor DIOS.

15 Mas confiaste en tu hermosura, y fornicaste a causa de tu renombre, y derramaste tus fornicaciones a cuantos pasaron; suya eras.

16 Y tomaste de tus vestidos, e hiciste altares de diversos colores, y fornicaste en ellos; cosa semejante no vendrá, ni será así .

17 Tomaste asimismo los vasos de tu hermosura de mi oro y de mi plata, que yo te había dado, y te hiciste imágenes de hombre, y fornicaste con ellas.

18 Y tomaste tus vestidos de diversos colores, y las cubriste; y mi aceite y mi perfume pusiste delante de ellas.

19 Mi pan también, que yo te había dado, la flor de la harina, y el aceite, y la miel, con que yo te mantuve, pusiste delante de ellas para olor suave; y fue así , dijo el Señor DIOS.

20 Además de esto, tomaste tus hijos y tus hijas que me habías engendrado, y los sacrificaste a ellas para consumación. ¿Es poco, esto de tus fornicaciones?

21 Y sacrificaste mis hijos, y los diste a ellas para que los hiciesen pasar por el fuego a ellas.

22 Y con todas tus abominaciones y tus fornicaciones, ¿no te has acordado de los días de tu mocedad, cuando estabas desnuda y descubierta? Envuelta en tus sangres estabas.

23 Y fue que después de toda tu maldad (¡ay, ay de ti! Dijo el Señor DIOS),

24 te edificaste alto, y te hiciste altar en todas las plazas;

25 en toda cabeza de camino edificaste tu altar, y tornaste abominable tu hermosura, y abriste tus piernas a cuantos pasaban, y multiplicaste tus fornicaciones.

26 Y fornicaste con los hijos de Egipto, tus vecinos, gruesos de carnes; y aumentaste tus fornicaciones para enojarme.

27 Por tanto, he aquí que yo extendí sobre ti mi mano, y disminuí tu libertad, y te entregué a la voluntad de las hijas de los filisteos que te aborrecen, las cuales se avergüenzan de tu camino tan deshonesto.

28 Fornicaste también con los hijos de Assur por no haberte saciado; y fornicaste con ellos, y tampoco te saciaste.

29 Multiplicaste asimismo tu fornicación en la tierra de Canaán y de los caldeos; ni tampoco con esto te saciaste.

30 ¡Cuán inconstante es tu corazón, dijo el Señor DIOS, habiendo hecho todas estas cosas, obras de una poderosa ramera,

31 edificando tus altares en cabeza de todo camino, y haciendo tus altares en todas las plazas! Y no fuiste semejante a ramera, menospreciando el salario,

32 sino como mujer adúltera, que en lugar de su marido recibe a ajenos.

33 A todas las rameras dan dones; mas tú diste tus dones a todos tus enamorados; y les diste presentes, para que entrasen a ti de todas partes por tus fornicaciones.

34 Y ha sido en ti al contrario de las mujeres en tus fornicaciones, ni nunca después de ti será así fornicado; porque en dar tú dones, y no ser dados dones a ti, ha sido al contrario.

35 Por tanto, ramera, oye palabra del SEÑOR:

36 Así dijo el Señor DIOS: Por cuanto han sido descubiertas tus vergüenzas, y tu confusión ha sido manifestada a tus enamorados en tus fornicaciones; y a los ídolos de tus abominaciones, y en la sangre de tus hijos, los cuales les diste;

37 por tanto, he aquí que yo junto todos tus enamorados con los cuales tomaste placer, y todos los que amaste, con todos los que aborreciste; y los reuniré contra ti alrededor, y les descubriré tu vergüenza, y verán toda tu desnudez.

38 Y yo te juzgaré por las leyes de las adúlteras, y de las que derraman sangre; y te daré en sangre de ira y de celo.

39 Y te entregaré en mano de ellos; y destruirán tu alto, y derribarán tus altares, y te harán desnudar de tus ropas, y se llevarán los vasos de tu gloria, y te dejarán desnuda y descubierta.

40 Y harán subir contra ti reunión de gente, y te apedrearán con piedras, y te atravesarán con sus espadas.

41 Y quemarán tus casas a fuego, y harán en ti juicios a ojos de muchas mujeres; y te haré cesar de ser ramera, ni tampoco darás más don.

42 Y haré reposar mi ira sobre ti, y se apartará de ti mi celo, y descansaré de enojarme más.

43 Por cuanto no te acordaste de los días de tu juventud, y me provocaste a ira en todo esto, por eso, he aquí yo también he tornado tu camino sobre tu cabeza, dijo el Señor DIOS; pues ni aun has pensado sobre todas tus abominaciones.

44 He aquí, que todo proverbista hará de ti proverbio, diciendo: Como la madre, tal su hija.

45 Hija de tu madre eres tú, que desechó a su marido y a sus hijos; y hermana de tus hermanas eres tú, que desecharon a sus maridos y a sus hijos; vuestra madre fue hetea, y vuestro padre el amorreo.

46 Y tu hermana mayor es Samaria con sus hijas, la cual habita a tu mano izquierda; y tu hermana la menor que tú es Sodoma con sus hijas, la cual habita a tu mano derecha.

47 Y aun no anduviste en sus caminos, ni hiciste según sus abominaciones; antes, como si esto fuera poco y muy poco, antes te corrompiste más que ellas en todos tus caminos.

48 Vivo yo, dijo el Señor DIOS, Sodoma tu hermana, con sus hijas, nunca hizo como hiciste tú y tus hijas.

49 He aquí que ésta fue la maldad de Sodoma tu hermana: soberbia, saciedad de pan, y abundancia de ociosidad tuvo ella y sus hijas; y no corroboró la mano del afligido y del menesteroso.

50 Y se llenaron de soberbia, e hicieron abominación delante de mí, y cuando lo vi las quité.

51 Y Samaria no cometió ni la mitad de tus pecados; porque tú multiplicaste tus abominaciones más que ellas, y has justificado a tus hermanas con todas tus abominaciones que hiciste.

52 Tú también, que juzgaste a tus hermanas, lleva tu vergüenza en tus pecados que hiciste, más abominables que los de ellas; más justas son que tú; avergüénzate, pues, tú también, y lleva tu confusión, pues que has justificado a tus hermanas.

53 Yo, pues, haré tornar sus cautivos, los cautivos de Sodoma y de sus hijas, y los cautivos de Samaria y de sus hijas, y los cautivos de tus cautiverios entre ellas,

54 para que tú lleves tu confusión, y te avergüences de todo lo que has hecho, siéndoles tú motivo de consuelo.

55 Y tus hermanas, Sodoma con sus hijas y Samaria con sus hijas, volverán a su primer estado; tú también y tus hijas volveréis a vuestro primer estado.

56 Sodoma, tu hermana, no fue nombrada en tu boca en el tiempo de tus soberbias,

57 antes que tu maldad se descubriese, como en el tiempo de la vergüenza de las hijas de Siria y de todas las hijas de los filisteos alrededor, que te menosprecian en contorno.

58 Tú has llevado tu lujuria y tus abominaciones, dijo el SEÑOR.

59 Porque así dijo el Señor DIOS: ¿Haré yo contigo como tú hiciste, que menospreciaste el juramento para invalidar el pacto?

60 Antes yo tendré memoria de mi pacto que concerté contigo en los días de tu juventud, y te confirmaré un pacto sempiterno.

61 Y te acordarás de tus caminos y te avergonzarás, cuando recibás a tus hermanas, las mayores que tú con las menores que tú, las cuales yo te daré por hijas, mas no por tu pacto.

62 Y confirmaré mi pacto contigo, y sabrás que yo soy el SEÑOR;

63 Para que te acuerdes, y te avergüences, y nunca más abras la boca a causa de tu vergüenza, cuando me aplacare para contigo de todo lo que hiciste, dijo el Señor DIOS.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #240

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240. But that naked signifies those who are without the understanding of truth because without the will of good, is evident also from those passages in the Word where the terms naked and nakedness are mentioned, which shall be adduced below. The reason why these terms have such a signification is that garments signify truths of the understanding. He who is without truths is also without good, for all spiritual good is procured by means of truths, and without them, or except by them, spiritual good cannot exist; spiritual good is charity. Naked and nakedness signify the deprivation of intelligence and love, thus of the understanding of good and of the will thereof; also for the reason that garments cover the body and the flesh, and by body and flesh is signified good, hence by garments are signified those things that cover good.

[2] There is the understanding of truth and the understanding of good; the understanding of truth is the understanding of those things that belong to faith, and the understanding of good is the understanding of those things that belong to love and charity. There is also the will of truth and the will of good; the will of truth pertains to those who, belong to the Lord's spiritual kingdom, but the will of good to those who belong to His celestial kingdom. The latter, because they are in love to the Lord and thence in mutual love, which with them is charity towards the neighbour, have truths inscribed on their hearts, and hence do them; and what proceeds from the heart is from the will of good; for the heart denotes the will of good; but those who are in love towards the neighbour, which love is charity, have not truths inscribed on their hearts, but on the memory, and thence on the intellectual mind, and that which thence proceeds from affection, is the will of truth. It is thus that the spiritual angels are distinguished from the celestial angels; the latter appear naked in heaven, but the former clothed.

The reason why the celestial angels appear naked is that they have no need of the memory in order to retain truths, nor of the understanding in order to comprehend them, because they have them inscribed on the heart, that is, on the love and will, and thence see them. And the reason why the spiritual angels appear clothed is that they have truths inscribed on the memory, and thence on the understanding, and truths thus inscribed correspond to garments, therefore they all appear clothed according to their intelligence. (That the angels are thus clothed, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 177-182.) From these considerations it is evident that naked signifies in one sense those who are in celestial good, and in the other, those who are not in good because not in truths.

[3] But these things may be better seen from those passages, in the Word where naked and nakedness are mentioned, such as the following. In Isaiah:

Jehovah said to the prophet, "Put off the sackcloth from upon thy loins, and put off thy shoe from upon thy foot. And he did so. Then Jehovah said, Like, as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years; so shall the king of Assyria lead the captivity of Egypt, and the crowd of Cush that is to be carried off, the boys and the old men, naked and unshod, and their buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt" (20:2-4).

No one can see what is stored up in these words concerning the church and heaven, unless he knows their spiritual sense; for in every detail of the Word something pertaining to heaven and the church is contained, because the Word is spiritual: it shall therefore be explained. By the prophet is here meant the doctrine of the church; by putting off sackcloth from upon his loins, or by making the loins naked, is meant to reveal filthy loves. By the usual sackcloth of the prophet are here meant the covering garments, and by the loins are signified those loves. By putting off the shoe from upon his foot, or unshoeing the soles of the foot, is signified to reveal the filthy things of nature. By the king of Assyria leading the captivity of Egypt, and the crowd of Cush that is to be carried off, is meant that the perverted Rational would confirm evils and falsities by scientifics (scientifica) and fallacies. By boys and old men are meant by all things, both in general and in particular. By naked and barefoot is meant that they are deprived of all truth and of all good. By their buttocks uncovered are meant the evils of self-love; by the nakedness of Egypt the falsities therefrom. It is therefore clear what is here treated of concerning the church and heaven, namely, that the perverted Rational, which denies God, and attributes all things to nature, confirms itself by scientifics and by fallacies, until it is deprived of all understanding of truth and will of good. (That by prophet in the Word is meant doctrine, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 2534, 7269; by the loins are signified the loves in each sense, n. 3021, 4280, 5059; by the feet are signified the natural things pertaining to man, and by the soles of the feet those which are in the ultimates, n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952; by shoes are signified the same things as to the covering of them, n. 1748, 2162, 6844; by the king of Assyria is signified the Rational in both senses, n. 119, 1186; by Egypt is signified the Scientific (scientificum) of the natural man, also, in both senses, good and evil, n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 5700, 5702, 6015, 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692, 7296, 9340, 9391; by Cush are signified the fallacies of the senses, n. 1163, 1164, 1166.)

[4] In Ezekiel:

"When I passed by thee, and saw thee, I covered thy nakedness, and I washed thee and clothed thee. But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot. Thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare. Thou hast committed fornication with the sons of Egypt and with the sons of Asshur. Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land unto Chaldea; wherefore thy nakedness is revealed by thy whoredoms; therefore they shall stone thee with stones, and shall cut thee in pieces with their swords. And they shall burn thine houses with fire" (16:6, and following verses).

Jerusalem is here treated of, by which is meant the church as to doctrine; and by these and many other expressions in the same chapter, the quality of the church in the beginning, and what it became when it declined from good and truth, is described. Its quality when established by the Lord, thus its quality in the beginning, is described by, "when I passed by thee, and saw thee, I covered thy nakedness, I washed thee and clothed thee." To cover nakedness signifies to remove the evils of the will and the falsities of the understanding; to wash signifies to purify from evils, and to clothe signifies to instruct in truths. But the quality of the church when it declined from good and from truth, is described in what follows. Thou didst trust in thy beauty, signifies intelligence from the proprium, and that the church was delighted with it. By committing whoredom is signified that thus it imbued falsities; by committing fornication with the sons of Egypt and with the sons of Asshur, are signified falsifications confirmed by scientifics and rational things therefrom. By multiplying fornication unto Chaldea, is signified even to the profanation of truth. Hence it is clear what is signified by wherefore thy nakedness is revealed by thy whoredoms; namely, that the church by falsities and falsifications would be deprived of all understanding of truth. By they shall stone thee with stones, is signified that the church would perish by falsities. By they shall cut thee in pieces with their swords, is signified that the church would perish altogether by the falsifications of truth. And by they shall burn thy houses with fire is signified that it would wholly perish by infernal loves: houses denote everything pertaining to man, and fire denotes infernal loves. From these considerations it is clear what pertaining to heaven and the church is contained in those words, and that this appears solely from the spiritual sense. (That washing signifies to purify from evils and falsities, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 3147, 10237, 10240, 10243; that to clothe signifies to instruct in truths, n. 1073, 2576, 5248, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216, 9952, 10536; that beauty signifies intelligence, n. 3080, 4985, 5199, in this case intelligence from the proprium. That to commit whoredom denotes to be imbued with falsities, see above, n. 141: that Egypt denotes the Scientific, and Asshur the Rational, may be seen just above. That Chaldea denotes the profanation of truth, Arcana Coelestia 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306, 1307, 1308, 1321, 1322, 1326: that to stone with stones signifies to perish by falsities, n. 5156, 7456, 8575, 8799: that sword signifies falsity fighting against truth and destroying it, n. 2799, 4499, 7102, hence to cut in pieces with swords denotes to perish altogether by falsifications of truth; that fire signifies infernal love, n. 1861, 5071, 6314, 6832, 7575, 10747; and that a house signifies the whole man, and the things pertaining to him, thus which pertain to his understanding and his will, n. 710, 2231, 2233, 2559, 3128, 3538, 4973, 5023, 6690, 7353, 7848, 7910, 7929, 9150; hence it is evident what is signified by they shall burn thy houses with fire.)

[5] In Hosea:

"Contend with your mother, that she may put away her whoredoms and her adulteries, lest peradventure I strip her naked and make her as a desert, as a land of dryness, and slay her with thirst; and her sons will I not pity, because they are the sons of whoredoms" (2:2-4).

The subject here treated of is also the church fallen into falsities and evils; the mother with whom they would contend signifies the church. Whoredoms and adulteries signify falsities and evils therefrom; to make her as a wilderness and set her as a land of dryness signifies the deprivation of good and of truth. To slay her with thirst signifies a total defect of truth; her sons signify all the falsities thereof, in general, therefore they are called sons of whoredoms. (That mother signifies the church, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 289, 2691, 2717, 3703, 4257, 5581, 8897; that desert signifies where there is no good because no truth, n. 2708, 4736, 7055; that a dry land signifies where there is no truth is, because water signifies the truth of faith, n. 2702, 3058, 5668, 8568, 10238; that to be slain with thirst, signifies to perish from defect of truth, n. 8568 at the end. That sons signify affections of truth, and truths in general, n. 2362, 3963, 6729, 6775, 6778, 9055; thus, in the opposite sense, affections of falsity and falsities in general. Hence it may be evident that by stripping her naked is signified, her being without good and truth.)

[6] In Lamentations:

"Jerusalem hath sinned a sin; therefore all that honoured her, despise her, because they have seen her nakedness" (1:8).

In Ezekiel:

Aholah, which is Samaria, committed whoredom with the Egyptians, and with the sons of Asshur; they uncovered her nakedness, her sons and her daughters have they taken, and at length they have slain her with the sword: "therefore will I give thee into the hand of those whom thou hast hated, that they may deal with thee from hatred, and take away all thy labour, and leave thee naked and bare, that the nakedness of thy whoredoms may be uncovered" (23:4, 8, 9, 10, 18, 28, 29).

The subject treated of in this chapter is Samaria, which is called Aholah, and Jerusalem, which is called Aholibah, the church being signified by both. By Samaria, where the sons of Israel were, is signified the church in which were no truths, but falsities, and by Jerusalem, the church where there were no goods, but evils. What is signified by committing whoredom with the Egyptians and with the sons of Asshur, and what by slaying her sons and daughters with the sword, was explained above; hence it is clear, that by leaving her naked and bare is signified to be without good and truth.

[7] In Isaiah:

"The Lord will make bald the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and Jehovah will make naked their buttocks" (3:17).

The daughters of Zion signify the celestial church and the things of that church, but, in this case, perverted. By the crown of the head, which shall be made bald, is signified intelligence of which it shall be deprived; and the buttocks, which shall be made naked, signify the love of evil and of falsity.

[8] In Nahum:

"Woe to the city of bloods, wholly in a lie, and full of rapine; because of the multitude of her whoredoms I will uncover thy skirts over thy faces, and will make nations see thy nakedness, and kingdoms thy lightness" (3:1, 4, 5).

The city of bloods signifies the doctrine of falsity which offers violence to the good of charity.

[9] In Habakkuk:

"Woe unto him that maketh his companion to drink, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakednesses. Drink thou also, that thy foreskin may be uncovered" (2:15, 16).

To make a companion drink, and make him drunken, signifies to impart falsities until he does not see truth: to look on their nakednesses, denotes to cause the falsities of the understanding and the evils of the will to appear. The foreskin which would be uncovered, denotes filthy loves. (That to drink denotes to be instructed in truths, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 3069, 3772, 4017, 4018, 8562, 9412; hence, in the opposite sense, it denotes to impart falsities; that to be made drunken denotes to become insane from falsities, thus not to see truths, n. 1072; that the foreskin signifies corporeal and terrestrial loves, n. 4462, 7045.) Hence it is evident what is signified by the fact that

Noah drank wine and was drunken, so that he lay naked in the midst of his tent, and that Ham laughed at the nakedness of his father, but that Shem and Japheth covered his nakedness, and turned away their faces that they might not see the nakedness of their father (Genesis 9:21-23).

(But these things may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia where they are treated of.)

[10] In Lamentations:

"The cup also shall pass over unto thee, O daughter of Edom: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt be naked" (4:21).

Here, by being drunken and naked are signified the same things as above. (But who in particular are signified by Edom may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 3322, 8314.)

In Isaiah:

Daughter of Babel and Chaldea, "sit upon the earth. Take the millstones, and grind meal; uncover thy hair, uncover thy thigh, pass over the rivers. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, and also thy shame shall be seen" (47:1-3).

By the daughter of Babylon and Chaldea are meant those who profane the goods and truths of the church. To grind meal signifies to falsify truths; to uncover the hair and the thigh signifies to be deprived of the understanding of truth, and the will of good; to pass over the rivers, and to uncover her nakedness have also a similar signification.

[11] Because nakedness signified the deprivation of the understanding of truth and of the will of good, it was therefore commanded that Aaron and his sons should not ascend by steps upon the altar, lest their nakedness should be uncovered thereon (Exodus 20:26). Also that

They should make for them breeches of linen to cover the flesh of their nakedness, and that they should be upon them when they entered the tent of the assembly, and when they came near to the altar, and that otherwise they should bear iniquity and die (Exodus 28:42, 43).

From these considerations it is clear what is signified by the words in the following verse of this chapter: "I counsel thee to buy of me white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." And also in the following words of this book of the Apocalypse: "Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame" (16:15).

[12] Moreover, by the naked, in the Word, are also meant those who are not in truths and thence not in good, because they are ignorant of truths, but yet desire them. This is the case with those who are within the church where those who teach are in falsities; also those who are out of the church, and have not the Word, and hence neither know truths nor anything concerning the Lord. These are described in the following passages. In Isaiah:

"This is the fast that I have chosen, to break bread with the hungry, and when thou seest the naked that thou cover him" (58:6, 7).

In Ezekiel:

"Let him give his bread to the hungry, and cover the naked with a garment" (18:7).

And in Matthew:

"I was naked, and ye clothed me" (25:36, 38).

To cover with a garment, and to clothe, signify to instruct in truths. (That garments denote truths, may be seen above, n. 195. That naked also signifies the good of innocence, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 165, 8375, 9960; and in the work, Heaven and Hell 179, 180, 280.)

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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Arcana Coelestia #6775

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6775. 'And the priest of Midian had seven daughters' means holy things belonging to that Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'a priest's daughters' as things that belong to the Church, for 'a daughter' means a Church, see 2362, 3963, 6729, and 'a priest' the good of love, 1728, 3670, 6148, so that 'a priest's daughters' means a Church so far as its good is concerned; from the meaning of 'Midian' as people who are guided by the truths that go with simple good, dealt with just above in 6773; and from the meaning of 'seven' as that which is holy, dealt with in 395, 433, 716, 881, 5265, 5268. Thus 'the priest of Midian had seven daughters' means holy things belonging to the Church among those who are guided by the truths that go with simple good. The people said to be governed by simple good are those who keep up the external practices of the Church and who in simplicity take the Word literally, each one believing it according to his own understanding. They also lead lives that accord with what they believe, and so are governed by good, depending on the nature of that good, which is determined by the truths that guide them. That good brings an internal dimension of the Church to these people, but because they are not guided by truths of a more internal kind, the good entering in becomes something general and accordingly vague, since spiritual light is unable to fall on particular aspects and thereby illuminate things distinctly. The kind of people spoken of here have heaven granted to them in the next life as determined by the nature of their good, which depends on their truths. People such as these are meant here by 'Midian'; but properly speaking they are those outside the Church who lead a good life in keeping with their type of religion.

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