9257. When thou shalt see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden. That this signifies falsity not agreeing with the good of the church, by reason of which they are about to perish, is evident from the signification of “an ass,” as being memory-truth, and therefore in the opposite sense, memory-falsity (see n. 2781, 5492, 5741, 8078); from the signification of “him that hateth thee,” when said of falsity, as being what is contrary to the good of the church, thus what does not agree with it; for in the spiritual sense “hatred” denotes the aversion and variance that exist between truths and falsities, and also between goods and evils (n. 3605, 4681, 4684); and from the signification of “lying under a burden,” as being to perish. From this it is evident that by “the ass of him that hateth thee” is signified falsity not agreeing with the good of the church, by reason of which they are about to perish.

4681. And they hated him, and could not speak for peace unto him. That this signifies contempt and aversion-contempt for the Divine truth which is represented by Joseph, and aversion for it-is evident from the signification of “hating,” as being to hold in contempt, for “hatred” in the internal sense does not signify hatred such as men have who hate, for the signification of the word grows milder as it rises into heaven, because in heaven they do not know what hatred is, and therefore contempt is what is signified; and from the signification of “not being able to speak for peace unto him,” as being to be averse to. For to “speak for peace” means to wish anyone well, inasmuch as by “peace” the ancients understood in the supreme sense the Lord Himself, in the internal sense His kingdom and life therein, or salvation, but in the external sense safety or health in the world. The contrary of this is not to be able to speak for peace to anyone, that is, not to wish him well, thus to be averse to, here to Divine truth.