Arcana Coelestia #2709
2709. 'And was an archer' means the member of the spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'darts, arrows, or shafts' as truth, and from the meaning of 'a bow' as doctrine, dealt with above in 2686. The member of the spiritual Church was in former times called 'an archer' because such a member uses truths to defend himself, and discusses truths, unlike the member of the celestial Church who is protected by good and does not discuss truths, see above in 2708. The truths which the member of the spiritual Church uses to defend himself and which he discusses are derived from the doctrine he acknowledges.
[2] The fact that the spiritual man was in former times called 'an archer' and 'a bowman', and that doctrine was called a bow and a quiver, and the truths of doctrine, or rather matters of doctrine, were called arrows, darts, and shafts, is further clear in David,
The children of Ephraim who were armed (they were archers) turned back on the day of battle. Psalms 78:9.
'Ephraim' stands for the intellectual side of the Church. In the Book of Judges,
You who ride white she-asses, you who sit on Middin, 1 and you who walk along the way, may you ponder. From the voice of the bowmen among those drawing water, there they will discuss the righteous acts of Jehovah, the righteous acts of His village in Israel. Judges 5:10-11.
In Isaiah.
Jehovah called me from the womb, from my mother's body 2 He made mention of my name and set my mouth like a sharp sword. In the shadow of His hand He hid me and turned me into a polished arrow; in His quiver He hid me, and He said to me, You are My servant Israel, for I will be glorified in you. Isaiah 49:1-3.
'Israel' stands for the spiritual Church.
[3] In David,
Like arrows in the hand of a powerful man so are the children of the days of one's youth. Blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them. Psalms 127:4-5.
'A quiver' stands for the doctrine of good and truth. In Habakkuk,
The sun, the moon, stood still in their place. At the light of Your arrows they will go, at the flash of Your glittering spear. Habakkuk 3:11.
In the reference to Joash king of Israel who at Elisha's command shot the arrow from the bow through the window, with Elisha saying as he shot it, Jehovah's arrow of salvation, Jehovah's arrow of salvation against the Syrian, 2 Kings 13:16-18, arcana to do with the doctrine of good and truth are meant.
[4] Since most things in the Word also possess a contrary sense, darts, arrows, shafts, bows, and archers accordingly possess such. In that contrary sense they mean falsities, doctrine that teaches what is false, and those who are under the influence of falsity, as in Moses,
The son of a fruitful one is Joseph, the son of a fruitful one beside a spring, O daughters, 3 he trails over the wall; and they bitterly grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him did the archers. Genesis 49:22-23.
In Jeremiah,
They shot with their tongue, their bow is a bow of lies and not used for truth. Their tongue is a shaft extended; it speaks deceit. Jeremiah 9:3, 8.
In David,
They sharpened their tongue like a sword, they aimed their shaft, a bitter word, to shoot in secret places at the upright; they will shoot suddenly and will not fear him. They will make strong for themselves an evil matter; they will tell of laying snares secretly. Psalms 64:3-5.
In the same author,
Behold, the evil bend the bow, they make ready their shaft upon the string, to shoot in thick darkness itself at the upright in heart. Psalms 11:2.
In the same author,
His truth is a shield and buckler; you will not be afraid of the terror of the night, of the shaft that flies by day. Psalms 91:4-5.
Fusnotat:
1. A Hebrew word, the meaning of which is uncertain.
2. literally, viscera
3. The Latin means beside the daughters' spring, but the Hebrew appears to mean beside a spring, O daughters, which Swedenborg has in the chapter explaining Genesis 49.
Genesis 49
1
Jacob called to his sons, and said: "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come.
2
Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father.
3
"Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.
4
Boiling over as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father's bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch.
5
"Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence.
6
My soul, don't come into their council. My glory, don't be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.
7
Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
8
"Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons will bow down before you.
9
Judah is a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up?
10
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.
11
Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey's colt to the choice vine; he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.
12
His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk.
13
"Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon.
14
"Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.
15
He saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it was pleasant. He bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a servant doing forced labor.
16
"Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
17
Dan will be a serpent in the way, an adder in the path, That bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward.
18
I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh.
19
"A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel.
20
"Asher's food will be rich. He will yield royal dainties.
21
"Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns.
22
"Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.
23
The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecute him:
24
But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),
25
even by the God of your father, who will help you; by the Almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.
26
The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of your ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.
27
"Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the spoil."
28
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his blessing.
29
He instructed them, and said to them, "I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
30
in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place.
31
There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah:
32
the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth."
33
When Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.
