1
神记念挪亚和挪亚方舟里的一切走兽牲畜。神叫风吹地，水势渐落。
9
但遍地上都是水，鸽子找不着落脚之地，就回到方舟挪亚那里，挪亚伸手把鸽子接进方舟来。
11
到了晚上，鸽子回到他那里，嘴里叼着一个新拧下来的橄榄叶子，挪亚就知道地上的水退了。
13
到挪亚六百零一岁，正月初一日，地上的水都乾了。挪亚撤去方舟的盖观看，便见地面上乾了。
17
在你那里凡有血肉的活物，就是飞鸟、牲畜，和一切爬在地上的昆虫，都要带出来，叫他在地上多多滋生，大大兴旺。
19
一切走兽、昆虫、飞鸟，和地上所有的动物，各从其类，也都出了方舟。
20
挪亚为耶和华筑了一座坛，拿各类洁净的牲畜、飞鸟献在坛上为燔祭。
876. 'It returned to him to the ark' means good and truth appearing to be the good and truth of faith [with him]. This is clear from what has been stated already and also from what follows. 'Returning to the ark' does not in the internal sense mean being set free. 'Being sent out of the ark and not returning' is what has that meaning, as is clear from what follows, where it is said that he sent out the dove and it came back to him no more, verse 12; that he was commanded to leave the ark, verses 15-16; and that he went out, verse 18. While he was inside the ark, which means his state prior to regeneration, he was in captivity or prison, hemmed in on every side by evils and falsities, which are 'the flood-waters'. Consequently 'it returned to him to the ark' means that good and truth meant by the dove came back to him again. Any good at all which a person supposes that he does from himself comes back to him, for it has self in view. He does it either to be seen by the eyes of the world, or by those of the angels, or he does it to merit heaven, or to be the greatest in heaven. Such considerations occupy his proprium and every one of his ideas, though to outward appearance they look like the good and truth of faith. The good and truth of faith are inwardly good and true from what is inmost, that is, all good and truth of faith flow in from the Lord by way of what is inmost in man. But when they flow from the proprium or from merit-seeking the interiors are filthy while the exteriors appear clean. They are like a diseased prostitute with a beautiful face; or like a black-skinned person, or more appropriately an Egyptian mummy, dressed in white.
