The Bible

 

Genesis 1

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1 In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the earth --

2 the earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness [is] on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters,

3 and God saith, `Let light be;' and light is.

4 And God seeth the light that [it is] good, and God separateth between the light and the darkness,

5 and God calleth to the light `Day,' and to the darkness He hath called `Night;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- Day one.

6 And God saith, `Let an expanse be in the midst of the waters, and let it be separating between waters and waters.'

7 And God maketh the expanse, and it separateth between the waters which [are] under the expanse, and the waters which [are] above the expanse: and it is so.

8 And God calleth to the expanse `Heavens;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day second.

9 And God saith, `Let the waters under the heavens be collected unto one place, and let the dry land be seen:' and it is so.

10 And God calleth to the dry land `Earth,' and to the collection of the waters He hath called `Seas;' and God seeth that [it is] good.

11 And God saith, `Let the earth yield tender grass, herb sowing seed, fruit-tree (whose seed [is] in itself) making fruit after its kind, on the earth:' and it is so.

12 And the earth bringeth forth tender grass, herb sowing seed after its kind, and tree making fruit (whose seed [is] in itself) after its kind; and God seeth that [it is] good;

13 and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day third.

14 And God saith, `Let luminaries be in the expanse of the heavens, to make a separation between the day and the night, then they have been for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years,

15 and they have been for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth:' and it is so.

16 And God maketh the two great luminaries, the great luminary for the rule of the day, and the small luminary -- and the stars -- for the rule of the night;

17 and God giveth them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth,

18 and to rule over day and over night, and to make a separation between the light and the darkness; and God seeth that [it is] good;

19 and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day fourth.

20 And God saith, `Let the waters teem with the teeming living creature, and fowl let fly on the earth on the face of the expanse of the heavens.'

21 And God prepareth the great monsters, and every living creature that is creeping, which the waters have teemed with, after their kind, and every fowl with wing, after its kind, and God seeth that [it is] good.

22 And God blesseth them, saying, `Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and the fowl let multiply in the earth:'

23 and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day fifth.

24 And God saith, `Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind:' and it is so.

25 And God maketh the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, and God seeth that [it is] good.

26 And God saith, `Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that is creeping on the earth.'

27 And God prepareth the man in His image; in the image of God He prepared him, a male and a female He prepared them.

28 And God blesseth them, and God saith to them, `Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over every living thing that is creeping upon the earth.'

29 And God saith, `Lo, I have given to you every herb sowing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which [is] the fruit of a tree sowing seed, to you it is for food;

30 and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to every creeping thing on the earth, in which [is] breath of life, every green herb [is] for food:' and it is so.

31 And God seeth all that He hath done, and lo, very good; and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day the sixth.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #10238

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10238. And thou shalt put waters therein. That this signifies the truths of faith, through which there is purification in the natural, is evident from the signification of “waters,” as being the truths of faith (see n. 28, 739, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 8568, 9323); and from the signification of the “laver,” as being the natural (of which above, n. 10235). He who does not know that “waters” signify the truths of faith, will fail to comprehend many passages in the Word; as what is signified by the statement that “unless a man is born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). They who by “water” in this passage understand nothing but water, believe that the water of baptism is that by which man is regenerated; when yet the water contributes nothing to regeneration; but the truth of faith and the good of love; for water merely washes away the uncleanness of the body, and by no means the evils of the heart.

[2] He who does not know that “waters” signify the truths of faith, cannot know what baptism signifies; for he believes that this external rite saves man, when yet this external thing effects nothing; but the internal thing that is signified, which is regeneration by means of the truths of faith. For they who are of the church are distinguished by baptism from all others in the whole world, because they can be regenerated by means of the truths of faith, but not those who are outside the church, seeing that within the church is the Word, in which are the truths of faith.

[3] He who does not know that “waters” signify the truths of faith, cannot know what is meant by “the waters that were above the expanse, and the waters that were under the expanse” (Genesis 1:6-10), when yet by “the waters above the expanse” are signified the truths of faith in the internal man; and by “the waters under the expanse,” the truths of faith in the external man; for the subject treated of in that chapter is the new creation of the man of the Most Ancient Church, thus his regeneration.

[4] He who does not know that “waters” signify the truths of faith, cannot know either what is signified by “waters” in Johns:

Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life (John 4:13).

The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst. I will open rivers on the hillsides, and I will set fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of waters, and the dry land springs of waters (Isaiah 41:17-18).

They shall not thirst, He shall cause the waters to flow out of the rock for them; and He shall cleave the rock that the waters flow out (Isaiah 48:20-21).

And very frequently elsewhere. But see what has been previously said and shown on this subject; as, That purification from evils and falsities is effected by means of the truths of faith (n. 2799, 5954, 7044, 7918, 9089, 10229): As also regeneration (see the places ci ted in n. 9959) That “baptism” signifies regeneration by means of the truths of faith (n. 4255, 5120, 9089): That purification is effected in the natural (n. 3147, 9572): And also regeneration (see the places cited in n. 9325 at the end).

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9643

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9643. And thou shalt make forty bases of silver. That this signifies full support by means of truth, is evident from the signification of “forty,” as being what is full (see n. 9437); from the signification of “bases,” as being support, for bases support; and from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (n. 1551, 2954, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 7999). The reason why the bases were of “silver,” and the planks were overlaid with “gold,” was that by the “planks” is signified good, and by the “bases” truth, and good has power and thus support through truth (that good has power through truth, see n. 6344, 6423, 9327, 9410; also that “gold” signifies good, and “silver” truth, n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 8932, 9490, 9510). That good has power through truth, is because truth is the form of good, and good has quality thereby; for where there is quality, there is form. In this way good has that whereby it can work on other things in this or in that manner. From this it is that good has ability, but not determined to anything except by means of truth. Ability determined is actual power, consequently is supporting power.

[2] Moreover, the bases correspond to the feet and soles of the feet in man; and in general to the bones which support all the fleshy part of the body; and by “the feet” and “the bones” in like manner is signified the truth which supports; and by “the fleshy part” in the body is signified the good which supports itself by means of truth. (That all things in nature bear relation to the human form, and have a signification in accordance with their relation to it, see n. 9496; also that “flesh” signifies good, n. 3813, 6968, 7850, 9127; that “the feet” denote what is natural, thus truth in power from good, n. 5327, 5328; that “the body” signifies good, n. 6135; and “the bones,” truth supporting, n. 3812 at the end, 8005)

[3] It is for this reason also that a “foundation,” which is a common base, denotes the truth of faith, and faith itself, as can be seen from the passages in the Word where a “foundation” is spoken of; as in Isaiah:

Do ye not know? Do ye not hear? Do ye not understand the foundations of the earth? (Isaiah 40:21).

He who does not know what is signified by a “foundation,” and what by “the earth,” has no other idea than that the lowest parts of the earth are here meant by “the foundations of the earth,” although he may perceive, if he pays attention, that something else is meant; for what would it be to know, to hear, and to understand the foundations of the earth ? From this it can be seen that by “the foundations of the earth” are signified such things as belong to the church. That “the earth” in the Word denotes the church, is very evident from the passages in the Word where “the earth” is mentioned (see what has been cited above, n. 9325); and that its “foundations” denote the truths of faith, for these truths serve the church for foundations, as can also be seen further from the following passages.

In David:

They acknowledge not, neither do they understand; they walk in darkness; all the foundations of the earth totter (Psalms 82:5).

That the foundations of the earth do not “totter,” but the truths of the church with those who do not know, who do not understand, and who walk in darkness, is clear. Again:

The earth was shaken and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains were agitated, and were shaken (Psalms 18:7); where “mountains” denote the goods of love (n. 795, 4210, 6435, 8327), and their “foundations,” the truths of faith. And in Isaiah:

The cataracts from on high have been opened, and the foundations of the earth have quaked (Isaiah 24:18);

As a “foundation” denotes the truth of faith, and a “city,” the doctrine of it, therefore in the Word “the foundations of the city” is said when the truth of doctrine is meant; as in David:

The channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the city 1 were uncovered, by the rebuke of Jehovah (Psalms 18:15).

(That a “city” denotes the doctrine of truth, see n. 402, 2449, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493).

[4] From this it can be seen what is signified by “the foundations of the city of the holy Jerusalem” in John:

The wall of the city of the holy Jerusalem had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The foundations of the wall were adorned with every precious stone (Revelation 21:14-20).

He who does not know what is signified by “the holy Jerusalem,” what by a “city,” what by a “wall,” what by a “foundation,” and what by “the twelve apostles,” can see nothing of the secret here hidden; when yet by “the holy Jerusalem” is meant the New Church of the Lord which will succeed this of ours; by “the city” is meant doctrine; by a “wall,” the truth protecting and defending; by “the foundations,” the truths of faith; and by “the twelve apostles,” all the goods of love and truths of faith in the complex. From this it can be seen why it is said that there will be “twelve foundations,” and that they will be “adorned with every precious stone; for a “precious stone” denotes the truth of faith from the good of love (n. 114, 3858, 6640, 9476); and “the twelve apostles” denote all things of love and faith in the complex (n. 3488, 3858, 6397).

[5] From this it is evident what is here signified by “foundations” in Isaiah:

Behold, I set thy stones with antimony, 2 and lay thy foundations with sapphires (Isaiah 54:11); where “sapphires” denote interior truths (n. 9407). In the same:

Jehovah shall smite Asshur with a rod. Then shall be every passing of the rod of the foundation, upon which Jehovah shall cause him to rest (Isaiah 30:31-32);

“the rod of the foundation” denotes the power of truth (that a “rod” denotes power, see n. 4013, 4015, 4876, 4936, 6947, 7011, 7026). And in Jeremiah:

They shall not take from thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone of foundations (Jeremiah 51:26); where “a stone of foundations” denotes the truths of faith.

[6] In Job:

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare if thou knowest intelligence; who hath appointed the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Upon what were its bases? or who laid the cornerstone thereof? when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God sounded (Job 38:4-7)?

He who does not know what is signified in the internal sense by “the earth,” by “the measures thereof,” and by “the bases,” also what by a “cornerstone,” “morning stars,” and “the sons of God,” sees nothing of the secret therein, believing that it is the earth which is meant, and also its foundation, measures, bases, and corner stone; and knowing not at all what is signified by “the morning stars singing,” and by “the sons of God sounding.” But he will come out of darkness into light as soon as he knows that “the earth” denotes the church; that its “foundations” denote the truth of faith; its “measures,” states of good and truth; its “bases,” the supporting truths themselves; “the cornerstone,” the power of truth; “the morning stars,” the knowledges of good and truth derived from good; and “the sons of God,” truths Divine. The latter are said “to sound” when they come into existence, and the former “to sing” when they arise.

Footnotes:

1. Here urbis, city; but in n. 8286 and 9818, orbis, world.

2. In n. 1298, “carbuncle.”

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