9340. 'And I will set your boundary from the Sea Suph even to the Sea of the Philistines' means the full range of truths from factual ones to interior truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'setting the boundary from one place to another', when it refers to spiritual truths, as the full range; from the meaning of 'the Sea Suph' as truths on the levels of the senses and of factual knowledge, which are the lowest levels of the human mind (the Sea Suph was the final boundary of the land of Egypt, and 'Egypt' means factual knowledge in both senses, that is, true factual knowledge and false, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 2588, 4749, 4964, 4966, 5700, 6004, 6015, 6125, 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692, 6750, 7779 (end), 7926, 8146, 8148; in this instance true factual knowledge is meant since the subject is the full range of spiritual matters of faith among the children of Israel, who represented the spiritual Church, 4286, 4598, 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223, 8805); and from the meaning of 'the Sea of the Philistines' as interior truths of faith. The reason why these truths are meant by 'the Sea of the Philistines' is that the sea where Tyre and Sidon lay was the boundary of the land of Philistia, and 'Tyre and Sidon' means cognitions or knowledge of truth and good, 1201, while 'the land of Philistia' means the knowledge of interior matters of faith, 1197, 2504, 2726, 3463.

[2] Since 'the land of Canaan' represented the Lord's kingdom, which is heaven and the Church, all places in the land therefore meant such things as form part of the Lord's kingdom, or heaven and the Church, which things are called celestial and spiritual, and are connected with the good of love to the Lord and the truths of faith in Him. For this reason the seas and rivers which were boundaries meant the final limits there, and therefore 'from sea to sea' or 'from river to river' meant the full range of those things, as may be seen in 1585, 1866, 4116, 4240, 6516. From all this it becomes clear that 'the boundary from the Sea Suph even to the Sea of the Philistines' means the range of spiritual things, which are matters of truth, from external ones to internal, thus truths ranging from factual ones to interior truths of faith. But the range of celestial things, which are aspects of the good of love, is described next by the words 'from the wilderness even to the River'. The fact that places belonging to the land of Canaan, including seas and rivers, mean such things in the Word, has been shown in explanations everywhere.

[3] What the full range of truths from factual ones to interior truths of faith is must be stated briefly. Truths which exist in the external man are called factual ones, but truths which exist in the internal man are called interior truths of faith. Factual truths reside in a person's memory, and when they are brought out from there they pass into the person's immediate awareness. But interior truths of faith are truths of life itself which are inscribed on the internal man, but few of which show up in the memory. These however are matters which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken of more fully elsewhere. Factual truths and interior truths of faith were meant in Genesis 1:6-7 by the waters under the expanse and the waters above the expanse, 24; for the first chapter of Genesis deals in the internal sense with the new creation or the regeneration of a member of the celestial Church.

[4] The reason why 'Philistia', which also bordered on the land of Canaan as far as Tyre and Sidon, meant the interior truths of faith was that there also the representative Ancient Church had existed, as is evident from the remnants of Divine worship among them which are alluded to in historical sections and prophetical parts of the Word in which the Philistines and the land of Philistia are the subject, such as - in the prophetical parts - Jeremiah 25:20; Jeremiah 47:1-end; Ezekiel 16:27, 57; 25:15-16; Amos 1:8; Zephaniah 2:5; Zechariah 9:6; Psalms 56:1; ¹ 60:8; 83:7; 108:9. The situation with the Philistines was the same as it was with all the nations in the land of Canaan, in that they represented the Church's forms of good and its truths, and also evils and falsities. When the representative Ancient Church existed among them they represented celestial things which were aspects of good and spiritual things which were matters of truth. But when they fell away from true representative worship they began to represent devilish things which were aspects of evil and hellish things which were matters of falsity. This is the reason why 'Philistia', like all the other nations belonging to the land of Canaan in the Word, means either forms of good and truths, or else evils and falsities.

[5] The fact that interior truths of faith are meant by 'the Philistines' is clear in David,

Glorious things are to be spoken in you, O city of God. I will mention Rahab and Babel among those who know Me; also Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia. The latter was born here. ² Psalms 87:3-4.

'The city of God' means teachings presenting the truth of faith that are drawn from the Word, 402, 2268, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493, 5297; 'Tyre' means cognitions or knowledge of truth and good, 1201, and so does 'Ethiopia', 116, 117. From this it is evident that 'Philistia' means knowledge of the truths of faith.

[6] In Amos,

Are you not like the children of the Ethiopians to Me, O children of Israel? Did I not cause Israel to come up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? Amos 9:7.

This refers to the corruption and destruction of the Church after it had been established. 'The children of the Ethiopians' here are those in possession of cognitions of goodness and truth, which they use to substantiate evils and falsities, 1163, 1164. 'The children of Israel from the land of Egypt' are those who had been brought to spiritual truths and forms of good by means of factual truths, 'the children of Israel' being people in possession of spiritual truths and forms of good, thus in the abstract sense spiritual truths and forms of good, see 5414, 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833, 5879, 5951, 7957, 8234, and 'the land of Egypt' being factual truth, as shown above. The same is meant by 'the Philistines from Caphtor' and by 'the Syrians from Kir', to whom they are therefore likened. 'The Philistines from Caphtor' are people who had been brought to interior truths by means of exterior ones, but who perverted them and used them to substantiate falsities and evils, 1197, 1198, 3412, 3413, 3762, 8093, 8096, 8099, 8313, whereas 'the Syrians from Kir' are those who were in possession of cognitions of goodness and truth, which they likewise perverted, 1232, 1234, 3051, 3249, 3664, 3680, 4112.

[7] In Jeremiah,

... because of the day that is coming to lay waste all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that is left, for Jehovah is laying waste the Philistines, the remnants of the island of Caphtor. Jeremiah 47:4.

The subject in Jeremiah 47 is the laying waste of the Church's truths of faith, interior truths of faith being meant by 'the Philistines' and exterior truths by 'the remnants of the island of Caphtor'.

[8] In Joel,

What have you to do with Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the borders of Philistia? Swiftly I will return your recompense upon your own head, inasmuch as you have taken My silver and My gold, and My good and desirable treasures you have carried into your temples. Joel 3:4-5.

'All the borders of Philistia' stands for all the interior and the exterior truths of faith; 'carrying silver and gold, and good and desirable treasures into their temples' stands for perverting truths and forms of good, and profaning them by putting them together with evils and falsities. For the meaning of 'silver and gold' as truths and forms of good, see 1551, 2954, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 8932.

[9] In Obadiah,

At that time those in the south will be the heirs of the mountain of Esau, and of the plain of the Philistines, and they will become the heirs of the field of Ephraim; but Benjamin [will be the heir] of Gilead. Obad. verse 19.

This refers to the establishment of the Church; but spiritual things are implied by the names. 'Those in the south' are people who dwell in the light of truth, 1458, 3195, 3708, 5672, 5962; 'the mountain of Esau' is the good of love, 3300, 3322, 3494, 3504, 3576; 'the plain of the Philistines' is the truth of faith, 'the plain' being also that which constitutes matters of doctrine about faith, 2418; 'Ephraim' is the Church's power of understanding, 3969, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267; 'Benjamin' is the Church's spiritual-celestial truth, 3969, 4592, 5686, 5689, 6440; and 'Gilead' is the corresponding exterior good, 4117, 4124, 4747.

[10] In Isaiah,

He will gather the outcasts of Israel, and will assemble the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. They will fly down onto the shoulder of the Philistines towards the sea, together they will plunder the sons of the east. Isaiah 11:12, 14.

Here 'Israel' and 'Judah' are not used to mean Israel and Judah; rather, 'Israel' means those who are governed by the good of faith, and 'Judah' those who are governed by the good of love. 'Flying down onto the shoulder of the Philistines' stands for receiving and taking into possession interior truths of faith; and 'plundering the sons of the east' stands for receiving and taking into possession interior forms of the good of faith, for 'the sons of the east' are people who are governed by forms of the good of faith and with whom cognitions or knowledge of good exists, 3249. 3762. For the meaning of 'plundering' as receiving and taking into possession, see what has been shown in 6914, 6917, regarding the plundering of the Egyptians by the children of Israel.

[11] Since 'the land of Philistia' meant knowledge of the interior truths of faith, and since Abraham and Isaac represented the Lord, and the sojourning of these two in places meant instruction received by the Lord in the truths and forms of the good of faith and love, which belong to God's wisdom, therefore - to provide a figurative representation of this - Abraham was commanded to sojourn in Philistia, Genesis 20:1-end, and so too was Isaac, Genesis 26:1-24. Therefore also Abimelech king of the Philistines made a covenant with Abraham, Genesis 21:22-end, and also with Isaac, Genesis 26:26-end. Regarding all this, see the explanations to those chapters.

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279. And the second animal like a calf. That this signifies the appearance in ultimates of the Divine good as to defence is evident from the signification of a calf, or young bullock, as being the good of the natural man, and specifically his good of innocence and charity; and because it denotes this good, it also denotes the good of the ultimate heaven, for this heaven is spiritual-natural (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell. n. 29-31). And because this good is in the ultimate heaven, therefore it is a guard, or defence, to prevent the higher heavens from being approached except by the good of love and of charity; this is why one cherub was like a calf. That this appearance was in ultimates, may be seen just above (n. 278). The reason why a calf or young bullock signifies the good of the natural man, is that those animals which belonged to the herd signified the affections of good and truth in the external or natural man, and those which belonged to the flock signified the affections of good and truth in the internal or spiritual man. Those animals which belong to the flock are lambs, she-goats, sheep, rams, and he-goats; and those which belong to the herd are oxen, calves, young bullocks.

[2] That young bullocks and calves signify the good of the natural man is evident from the passages of the Word where they are mentioned. And first from the description of the feet of the cherubim, in Ezekiel:

"Their right foot and the soles of their feet, as it were the soles of a calf's foot, and they were shining, as the colour of polished brass" (1:7).

The reason their right foot was thus seen was that the cherubim represented the Divine guardianship of the Lord, and the feet and soles of the feet represented the same in ultimates, or in the spiritual-natural heaven and in the natural world. For by the feet is signified in general the Natural; by the right foot is signified the Natural as to good; by the sole of the foot the ultimates therein, and similarly polished brass signifies good in the Natural. It is therefore evident that good in the Natural is signified by a calf, and that here is the ultimate good which guards and defends lest the heavens should be approached except by the good of love and of charity. (That the feet signify the Natural may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952, 5327, 5328; that that which is on the right signifies good from which is truth, n. 9604, 9736, 10061: hence the right foot signifies the Natural as to good. That the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, and hoofs, signify the ultimates in the Natural, may be seen, n. 4938, 7729; and that polished brass signifies natural good, may be seen above, n. 70).

[3] In Hosea:

"Return ye to Jehovah; say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and accept good, and we will render the bullocks of our lips" (14:2).

What is meant by rendering the bullocks of the lips, no one can know unless he understands what bullocks, and what the lips signify. That confession and thanksgiving from a good heart is here denoted, is evident; but it is thus expressed because bullocks signify external good, and the lips signify doctrine; hence by rendering the bullocks of the lips, is signified to confess and give thanks from the goods of doctrine. (That the lips signify doctrine, may be seen,Arcana Coelestia 1286, 1288.)

[4] In Amos:

"Ye draw the habitation of violence; they lie upon beds of ivory, and eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall" (6:3, 4).

The subject here treated of is those who possess in abundance the knowledges of good and truth, and yet lead an evil life. To eat the lambs out of the flock signifies to drink in the knowledges of internal good or of the spiritual man; and to eat the calves out of the midst of the stall signifies to drink in the knowledges of external goods or of the natural man; and to draw the habitation of violence is to live a life contrary to charity.

[5] In Malachi:

"But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise and healing in his wings; that ye may go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall" (4:2).

The sun of righteousness which shall arise to them that fear the name of Jehovah, signifies the good of love; and healing in his wings, signifies the truth of faith; hence, to go forth, and to grow up as calves of the stall, signifies an increase of all good; fatted, and also fat, signifying good.

[6] In Luke:

The father said to his servants concerning the prodigal son who returned penitent in heart, "Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet; and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat and be merry" (15:22, 23).

He who understands only the sense of the letter might suppose that this passage contains nothing deeper than appears in that sense, when nevertheless every particular involves something heavenly; as that they should put on the returning prodigal the best robe, that they should put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet, that they should bring forth the fatted calf, that they should kill it, and eat and be merry. By the prodigal son are meant those who are prodigal of spiritual riches, which are knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good; by his return to his father, and his confession that he was not worthy to be called his son, are signified penitence of heart and humiliation. By the best, or chief (primarium) robe being put on him, are signified general and primary truths; by a ring upon the hand is signified the conjunction of truth and good in the internal or spiritual man; by shoes upon the feet is signified the same in the external or natural man; and by both these, regeneration. By the fatted calf is signified the good of love and of charity; and by their eating and being merry are signified association and heavenly joy.

[7] In Jeremiah:

"I will give the men who have transgressed my covenant, who have not established the words of my covenant which they made before me, the covenant of the calf which they cut into two pieces that they might pass between the parts thereof, the princes of Judah and the princes of Jerusalem, the royal ministers and priests, and all the people of the land, passing between the parts of the calf, I will even give them into the hands of their enemies, that their carcass may be for food to the bird of the heavens" (34:18-20).

What is meant by the covenant of the calf, and by passing between the parts thereof, no one can know unless he knows what is signified by covenant, what by calf, what by its being cut into two parts; also, what is meant by the princes of Judah and of Jerusalem, by the royal ministers, the priests, and the people of the land. That there is some heavenly arcanum herein is evident. Nevertheless it can be understood, when it is known that a covenant denotes conjunction; a calf, good; a calf cut into two parts, the good proceeding from the Lord on one part, and the good received by man on the other, whence there is conjunction; and that the princes of Judah and of Jerusalem, the royal ministers, the priests, and the people of the land, denote the goods and truths which pertain to the church; and that to pass between the parts denotes to conjoin. When these things are known the internal sense of the passage may be known, which is, that there was no conjunction by the goods and truths of the church with that nation, but disjunction.

[8] Similar things are involved in the covenant of the calf with Abram, concerning which it is thus written in Genesis:

Jehovah said to Abram, "Take to thee a calf of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto himself all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each part one against another; and the birds divided he not. And when the fowls came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. And in that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram" (15:9-12, 18).

The horror of great darkness which fell upon Abram signified the state of the Jewish nation, which was in the greatest darkness as to the truths and goods of the church; this state of that nation is what is described in the Prophet by the covenant ratified by dividing the calf into two parts, between which they passed. Because by a calf is signified the good of the natural man and its truth, which is scientific truth (scientificum); and since the natural man and the scientific thereof is signified by Egypt, therefore Egypt in the Word is called a she-calf, and also a he-calf; therefore, also, after they applied the scientifics (scientifica) of the church to magical and idolatrous purposes they turned the calf into an idol. This is why the sons of Israel made to themselves a calf in the wilderness, and worshipped it, and also why they had a calf in Samaria.

[9] That Egypt is thus designated is evident in Jeremiah:

"A very fair she-calf is Egypt; destruction cometh out of the north, and her mercenaries in the midst of her as calves of the stall" (46:20, 21).

(Concerning the calf which the sons of Israel made to themselves in the wilderness, see Exodus 32; and concerning the calf of Samaria, 1 Kings 12:25-32).

Again, in Hosea:

"They have made a king, but not by me; they have made princes, and I knew it not; of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that it may be cut off. Thy calf, O Samaria, hath forsaken thee. For from Israel was it also; the workman made it, not God; the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces" (8:4-6).

The subject here treated of is the corrupt explanation of the Word, the sense of the letter of which is turned to favour their own loves and the principles of religion thence conceived. To make a king but not by Jehovah, and to make princes and I have not known, signifies doctrinals from man's own intelligence, which are essentially falsities, but which they make to appear as truths. For a king signifies truth, and, in an opposite sense, falsity; princes signify primary truths, and, in the opposite sense, falsities which are called principles of religion. To make idols of their silver and gold signifies their perversion of the truths and goods of the church, and worshipping them as holy, although, being derived from their own intelligence, they are destitute of life. Silver denotes the truth, and gold the good, which are from the Lord. Idols signify worship from doctrine which is from man's own intelligence; "the workman made it, and not God," signifies, that it is from man's proprium and not from the Divine; to be broken in pieces, signifies to be dissipated; hence it is evident what is signified by the calf of Samaria. Because calves signified the good of the natural man, therefore also calves were sacrificed, concerning which see Exodus 29:11, 12 and following verses; Leviticus 4:3, 13 and following verses; 8:15 and following verses; 9:2; 16:3; 23:18; Numbers 8:8 and following verses; 15:24; 28:19, 20; Judg. 6:25-29; 1 Sam. 1:25; 16:2; 1 Kings 18:23-26, 33. For all the animals which were sacrificed signified various classes of the goods of the church.