THE EXPLANATION of Isaiah Chapter 2

(Note: Rev. Smithson's translation of the Isaiah text is appended below the explanation)

The Mountain of the Lord's House

1. THE Word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2. It shall come to pass in the last days; the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established all the head of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills: and all nations shall flow unto it.

VERSES 1-3. The Word of Jehovah upon Judah and Jerusalem; etc. - These words relate to the New Church to be established by the Lord; by the "mountain of Jehovah" which shall then be established "on the head of the mountains", is understood Zion; and by "Zion" is signified the celestial church, and love to the Lord, which is communicated to those who belong to that church. That this is the primary principle of the church, and that it shall increase and gain strength, is signified by its being "on the head of the mountains, and exalted above the hills." That they who are principled in the good of love shall acknowledge the Lord, and accede to the church, is signified by "all nations shall bow together to that mountain"; "nations" signifying those who are in celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord; and "peoples", those who are in spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour. Concerning these latter it is also said, "Many peoples shall go, and shall say, Come you, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah; to the house of the God of Jacob." That "nations" signify those who are in celestial good, and "peoples", those who are in spiritual good, see above, n. 331. Apocalypse Explained 433.

3. And many peoples shall go, and shall say, Come you, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah; to the house of the God of Jacob : and He will teach us of His ways; and we will walk in His paths: for from Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.

4. And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many peoples: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

5. O house of Jacob, come you, and let us walk in the light of Jehovah!

6. For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob: because they are filled from the East, and are soothsayers like the Philistines; and they abound in the children of strangers.

Verses 3-5. These things are spoken concerning the advent of the Lord, and show that they who will be of His New Church are to be instructed in truths, whereby they will be led to heaven. By the "mountain of Jehovah, and the house of the God of Jacob", is signified the church in which is love to the Lord and worship from that love; convocation to that church, and thereby to the Lord is signified by "many peoples going and saying, Come you, and let us go up to that mountain"; that they will be instructed in truths, by which they will be led, is signified by "He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths"; "ways" denoting truths, and "paths" the precepts of life. That they will be taught by the doctrine of the good of love, and by the doctrine of truth from that good, which is for the church out of heaven from the Lord, is signified by "out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem"; the "law out of Zion" denoting the doctrine of the good of love, and the "Word from Jerusalem." truth from that good. That then evils of life and falsities of doctrine. shall be dissipated, is signified by "He they shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many peoples"; "nations" denoting those who, are in evils, and' "peoples" those who are in falsities; thus, abstractedly, evils of life and falsities of doctrine; that then, by the consent of all, combats shall cease, is signified by "they shall beat their swords into, ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks"; "swords" and "spears" denoting falsities from evils combating against truths from good, and vice versa; "ploughshares" denote the goods of the church cultivated by truths, for a "field", which is tilled by the plough, denotes the church as to the good of life;"pruning-hooks denote truths of doctrine, by reason that "trees" in gardens signify perceptions and knowledges of truth; similar things are signified by "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more;"war" signifying combats in every complex. That they shall live a life of wisdom, is signified by "Come you, and let us walk in the light of Jehovah"; the "light of Jehovah" denoting the Divine Truth and to "walk in it", to live according thereto, thus in a life of wisdom. That "war" here signifies spiritual war, which is of falsities against truths and goods, and vice versa, and that "swords" and "spears", which are arms of war, signify such things as are used in spiritual combats, is evident, for the subject treated of is concerning the Lord, and concerning the church to be established by Him, also concerning the doctrine for that church; wherefore it is said - "He shall teach us concerning His ways, and we will walk in His paths"; likewise. - "Come you, and let us 'walk In the light of Jehovah!" Apocalypse Explained 734.

6. For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob: because they are filled from the East, and are soothsayers like the Philistines; and they abound in the children of strangers.

Verse 6. Because they are filled from the East. - That by the "east", or by the "east wind", are signified, in a bad sense, those things which are of lusts and phantasies, is evident from those passages in the Word where the "east" and the "east wind" are mentioned, as in David, "He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven, and by His power He brought in the south wind; He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and fowls of wing like as the sand of the sea." (Psalm 78:26, 27)

That by "flesh", which that wind brought, is signified concupiscences or lusts, and by "fowls of wing" phantasies thence derived, is evident from Moses. (Numbers 11:31-35)

Compare also other passages, as Ezekiel 17:10; 19:12; Hosea 12:1; 13:15; Psalm 48:7; Isaiah 2:6. Arcana Coelestia 5215.

The "sons of strangers" signify those who are out of the church, and do not acknowledge the Lord; also those who are in evils and the falsities of evil, and abstractedly they denote false principles adverse to the truths of the church. Arcana Coelestia 1012, 10287.

7. And his land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to his treasures; and his land is filled with horses, and there is no end to his chariots.

8. And his land is filled with idols; they bow themselves down each to the work of his hands, to that which his fingers have made.

8. And his land is filled with idols; they bow themselves down each to the work of his hands, to that which his fingers have made.

Verses 7, 8. His land is filled with silver and gold, horses and chariots, and idols. - [Signifies that in such a corrupt state of the church, and of the human mind, as is here described, there may be abundance of good and truth in appearance, and also of intelligence and of doctrinals, but only in the external man, not in the internal, still less from the Lord.]

Filled with idols, etc. - In the Word we often read of "sculptured and molten images" and "idols." Those who only understand the Word as to the letter, think that only idols are understood thereby. Idols, however; are not understood thereby, but false doctrines, such as are formed by man himself, when led to do so by some selfish or worldly love. The forrnation of these false dogmas, so that they may cohere together, and appear as true, is signified by a "graven image"; and their conjunction and application to the favour of the love or desires of the external man, so that evils may appear as goods, is signified by a "molten image." This will be evident from consulting the following passages: - Isaiah 2:20; 30:22; 40:19, 20; 44:9-14. Arcana Coelestia 10406.

9. Therefore shall the [mean] man be bowed down, and the [mighty] man shall be humbled; and You will not forgive them.

10. Enter into the rock, and hide yourself in the dust, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of His majesty.

11. The eyes of man's loftiness shall be humbled; the height of men shall bow down; and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day.

Verses 10-21. Enter into the rock, and hide yourself in the dust, from before the terror of Jehovah, etc. - What is meant by all these things cannot possibly be understood except from the internal sense, and from a knowledge of the appearance of things in the spiritual world; for without the internal sense, who could know what is signified by "the day of Jehovah being upon the cedars of Lebanon, and the oaks of Bashan, upon the mountains and hills, upon the tower and wall, and upon the ships of Tarshish, and the images of desire"; and what is meant by "[casting the idols of his silver and gold, which each made for himself to worship], to moles and to bats"; and without a knowledge of the appearance of things in the spiritual world, who could know what is meant by "entering into the rock, and hiding themselves in the dust", "entering into the caverns of rocks, and into holes of the dust", likewise" into the caves of the rocks, and the clefts of the craggy rocks"; but, from the internal sense, it is known that by all these things is described the state of those who are in the love of self and of the world, and thence in evils and falsities at the time of the Last Judgment.

It is therefore said that "the day of Jehovah shall be upon every one that is magnificent and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up and low", [humilem, see note]; the "day of Jehovah" denoting the Last Judgment; "every one magnificent and lofty", those who are in the love of self and the world; and the "lifted up and low", those who are in the love of self-derived intelligence. This is further described by "the day: of Jehovah being upon all cedars high and exalted, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, and upon all lofty mountains and high hills, upon every high tower and fortified wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and images of desire." By the "cedars of Lebanon and the oaks of Bashan" is signified the pride of self-derived intelligence, - interior pride by the "cedars of Lebanon", and exterior pride by the "oaks of Bashan;": by the "mountains and hills" are signified the loves of self and of the world; and the evils and falsities thence derived, as was shown above, n. 405; by the "tower and wall" are signified falsities of doctrine confirmed; by the "ships of Tarshish and images of desire" are signified the knowledges and perceptions of the falsities from evils. Their worship from evils and falsities is signified by "the idols which they made for themselves to bow down to", and by "the moles and the bats"; worship grounded in such things as are from self-derived intelligence is signified by "the idols they made for themselves to bow down to; and the evils and falsities of doctrine in which their worship is grounded, are slgnIfied by "the moles and the bats", because the sight of these animals is in darkness, and they shun the light. Judgment upon them is described by "They shall enter into the caverns of rocks, and into the holes of the dust", likewise "into the caves of the rocks, and into the clefts of the craggy rocks"; and by "entering into the caverns of rocks and holes of the dust", is signified the damnation of those who are in evils and falsities originating in the love of self and of the world, and in the pride of self-derived intelligence, for the hells of such appear as "caverns in rocks", and the entrances to them as the "caves of rocks, and clefts of craggy rocks." "rocks and craggy rocks" [petrae et rupesJ also signify the falsities of faith and of doctrine, and "dust" signifies what is cursed or damned. Apocalypse Explained 410.

12. For the day of Jehovah of Hosts is upon everyone magnificent and lofty, and upon everyone that is exalted; and he shall be humbled ;

13. And upon all the cedars of- Lebanon, the high and the exalted; and upon all the oaks of Bashan ;

14. And upon all the lofty mountains, and upon all the high hills;

Verses 12-17. - By the "day of Jehovah" is understood the advent of the Lord, when the Last Judgment was accomplished by Him; that this was accomplished by the Lord, when He was in the world, may be seen in the work on the Last Judgment 46. In this passage, those within the church upon whom Judgment was executed, are recounted; by the "cedars of Lebanon, high and exalted" are signified those who boast themselves from self-derived intelligence; and by the "oaks of Bashan, "those who boast from science; for "cedars", in the Word, are predicated of the rational man, and "oaks", of the natural man; and intelligence belongs to the rational man, and science to the natural man.

By "the high tower and the fortified wall" are signified confirmed principles of the false, consequently all those who are in them. By the "Ships of Tarshish", and by the "images' of desire, are signified the false doctrinals favouring the delights of earthly loves. The destruction of conceit originating in self-derived intelligence and in scence, is understood by "the loftiness of man [homo] shall bow down, and the height of men [vir] shall be humbled"; that all intelligence and science is from the Lord, is signified by "Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day." It is supposed that science is from man, but science, so far as it serves for the attainment of intelligence in which is the perception of truth, is from the Lord alone. Apocalypse Explained 514.

It is to be observed that all who are in the love of self, especially who are in the love of ruling, when they come into the spiritual world, are extremely desirous of elevating themselves into high places, this being implanted or inherent in that love; hence also to "be of a high and e!ated mind", and to "aspire after high things", are expressions used in common discourse, The real cause why there is such a desire or lust in the love of ruling is, because they who are principled therein, wish to make themselves gods, and God is in the highest. That "mountains" and "hills" signify those loves and the evils thereof, is evident from its being said that "the day of Jehovah Zebaoth shall be upon every one that is magnificent and lofty, and upon all the lofty mountains, and upon all the high hills:" to what purpose else could it be said that "the day of Jehovah should be upon mountains and hills"? Apocalypse Explained 405.

15. And upon every high tower, and upon every fortified wall;

16. And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all images of desire.

17. And the loftiness of man shall bow down, and the height of men shall be humbled: and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day.

18. And the idols shall utterly pass away, [as in smoke].

Verse 15. That a "tower" here also denotes the worship of self, appears from the signification of a tower; the worship of self consisting in a man's exalting himself above others, so as to be worshipped; therefore self-love, which is haughtiness and pride, is called "height", "loftiness", and "exaltation", and is described by all those things which are high, as in Isaiah 2:11-18. The reason why self-love in worship, or the worship of self, is called a "tower", is, because a "city" signifies doctrine, and formerly cities were fortified with towers, in which were guards; towers also were built in the boundaries or confines of a country, wherefore they were called "towers of the guards, or watchmen." Moreover, when the church of the Lord is compared to a "vineyard", the things appertaining to worship and to the preservatIon thereof, are compared to a "wine-press and to a tower [in a good sense] in a vineyard", as appears from Isaiah 5:1, 2; Matthew 21:23; Mark 12:1. Arcana Coelestia 1306.

[As to the further meaning of a "tower", see below, Chapter Isaiah 5:2, the Exposition.]

19. And they shall go into the caverns of rocks, and into holes of the dust, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory? His majesty, when He arises to shake terribly the earth.

Verse 19: The reason why to "hide themselves in the caverns of rocks", etc., signifies to be in evils, and in the faIses of evil, is, because they who in the sight of the world have pretended to be in the good of love, and yet were in evil, after death hide themselves in dens and caverns; and they who have pretended that they were in the truths of faith, and yet were in the falsities of evils, hide themselves in rocks in the mountains.; the entrances appear like holes in the earth, and fissures in mountains, into which they crawl like serpents, and hide themselves there. That such places are inhabited by them, I have frequently seen. Hence it is that by "dens" or "caves", are signified the evils in such, and by "holes and fissures", or "clefts", the falsities of evil. In the .followIng passage:Isaiah 2:19, 21; 7:19; 32:14; Jeremiah 16:16, 17; 49:16. Apocalypse Revealed 338.

20. In that day shall a man cast the idols of his silver, and the idols of his gold, which they have made each for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;

21. To go into caves of the rocks, and into clefts of the craggy rocks, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake terribly the earth.

22. Cease you from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for of what account is he to be made?

Verse 20. By "idols", in the Word, are signified false [principles] of worship, and therefore to worship idols, signifies worship grounded in falsities; and by "adoring idols of gold, of silver, of brass, of stone, and of wood", is signified worship grounded in falsities of all kinds, and taken collectively, worship grounded in mere falsities; moreover, the materials of which idols were made, their forms, and their garments, among the ancients, represented falsities of religion, in which their worship was grounded. "Idols of gold" signified falsities concerning things divine; "idols of silver", falsities concerning things spiritual; "idols of brass", falsities concerning charity; "idols of stone", falsities concerning faith; and "idols of wood", falsities concerning good works. In all these falsities they are principled who do not do the work of repentance, that is, shun evils as sins against God. "Graven images" and "molten images", which were idols, have this signification, in a spiritual sense, in the following passages:

"Every man is become foolish from science; every founder is made ashamed by the graven image: for his molten image is a lie, neither is there breath in them; they are vanity, the work of errors; in the time of their visitation they shall perish." Jeremiah 10:14, 15; 51:17, 18. (See also Jeremiah 10:3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10) Apocalypse Revealed 459.

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Isaiah Chapter 2

1. THE Word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2. It shall come to pass in the last days; the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established all the head of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills: and all nations shall flow unto it.

3. And many peoples shall go, and shall say, Come you, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah; to the house of the God of Jacob : and He will teach us of His ways; and we will walk in His paths: for from Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.

4. And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many peoples: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

5. O house of Jacob, come you, and let us walk in the light of Jehovah!

6. For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob: because they are filled from the East, and are soothsayers like the Philistines; and they abound in the children of strangers.

7. And his land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to his treasures; and his land is filled with horses, and there is no end to his chariots.

8. And his land is filled with idols; they bow themselves down each to the work of his hands, to that which his fingers have made.

8. And his land is filled with idols; they bow themselves down each to the work of his hands, to that which his fingers have made.

9. Therefore shall the [mean] man be bowed down, and the [mighty] man shall be humbled; and You will not forgive them.

10. Enter into the rock, and hide yourself in the dust, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of His majesty.

11. The eyes of man's loftiness shall be humbled; the height of men shall bow down; and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day.

12. For the day of Jehovah of Hosts is upon everyone magnificent and lofty, and upon everyone that is exalted; and he shall be humbled ;

13. And upon all the cedars of- Lebanon, the high and the exalted; and upon all the oaks of Bashan ;

14. And upon all the lofty mountains, and upon all the high hills;

15. And upon every high tower, and upon every fortified wall;

16. And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all images of desire.

17. And the loftiness of man shall bow down, and the height of men shall be humbled: and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day.

18. And the idols shall utterly pass away, [as in smoke].

19. And they shall go into the caverns of rocks, and into holes of the dust, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory? His majesty, when He arises to shake terribly the earth.

20. In that day shall a man cast the idols of his silver, and the idols of his gold, which they have made each for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;

21. To go into caves of the rocks, and into clefts of the craggy rocks, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake terribly the earth.

22. Cease you from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for of what account is he to be made?

10406. 'And fashioned it with a chisel' means a product of their own intelligence. This is clear from the meaning of 'fashioning with a chisel', when an idol is the subject, as producing false teachings by the use of one's own intelligence, which happens when the literal sense of the Word is used in support of self-love and love of the world. When these rule a person he does not have any enlightenment from heaven. Instead his own intelligence is what he draws on for all the ideas he acquires; and these he substantiates by means of the literal sense of the Word, which he falsifies by using it in a wrong way and interpreting it in a perverted manner. And after this he favours those ideas because he is the author of them.

[2] Various places throughout the Word contain references to graven images and molded images. People who take the Word entirely literally suppose that no more than idols should be understood by them in those places. Not idols however should be understood but false matters of doctrine upheld by the Church, such as are fashioned by a person himself when guided by some love of his own. Falsities when fashioned in such a way that they may hang together and look like truths are meant by 'a graven image'; and falsities when fused together in support of external kinds of love in such a way that evils look like forms of good are meant by 'a molded image'. And since 'the golden calf' is used to mean both types of falsities it says here that Aaron fashioned it with a chisel, by which the fashioning of falsities to look like truths should be understood; then immediately after it says that he made the gold into a calf of molded [metal], and in verse 24 that he threw it into the fire and the calf came out, by which the fusing together of falsities in support of external kinds of love in order that evils may look like forms of good should be understood. This is also what every matter of doctrine is like that is forged by a person and not by the Lord. Matters of doctrine are forged by the person when that person has his own glory and gain as the end in view; but they are forged by the Lord when the good of the neighbour and the good of the Lord's kingdom are regarded as the end in view.

[3] These kinds of things are meant by 'graven images' and 'molded images' in the following places: In Isaiah,

You will judge unclean the covering of the graven images of your silver, and the clothing of the molded image of your gold. Isaiah 30:22.

'The covering of the graven images of silver' means the appearance presented by falsities, as though they were truths, and 'the clothing of the molded image of gold' means the appearance presented by evils, as though they were forms of good; for 'the covering' and 'the clothing' mean the outward appearances with which they are endued or coated over. 'Silver' means truth, and 'gold' good, and this is why 'the graven images' are said to be 'of silver' and 'the molded image' to be 'of gold'. For the meaning of 'silver' as truth and of 'gold' as good, see 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9874, 9881.

[4] In the same prophet,

The craftsman casts a graven image, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts silver chains for it. He seeks for himself a skilled ¹ craftsman to make ready a graven image which is immovable. Isaiah 40:19-20.

This describes a fashioning of falsities so that they may hang together and look as though they were truths. 'A graven image' means such falsity, 'the craftsman' means the person who fashions it by the use of self-intelligence, 'a goldsmith overlays it with gold' means when he makes it to look like what is good, 'casts silver chains for it' means by making it all hang together, 'which is immovable' means which cannot therefore be weakened and destroyed.

[5] In the same prophet,

Makers of the graven image, [all are] vanity; and their most desirable things are profitless. Who has fashioned a god, and cast a molded image, that it may not profit him? All his companions will be ashamed, and the workmen themselves. He fashions the iron with tongs, and works it with the coals, and forms it with sharp hammers; so he makes it with his strong arm ² . He fashions wood, stretches out a cord, and marks it off with a ruler. He makes it into its angles, and marks it out with a ring, and makes it into the form of a man (vir), according to the beauty of a human being, to dwell in the house. Isaiah 44:9-14.

This too describes how false teachings are fashioned so that they may hang together and look like truths and forms of good. Every detail here serves to describe how this is brought about by a person using self-intelligence under the guidance of his own wishes, desire, and love. The truth of this may be seen by those who know that all things in the Word have an inner meaning by means of which they must be understood in a spiritual way. Why else should such a description of fashioning a graven image be given? To the end that it may look like truth and good is the meaning when it says that 'he makes it in the form of a man, according to the beauty of a human being'; for in the internal sense 'a man' means truth and 'a human being' the good of that truth.

[6] In Jeremiah,

Every person has been made stupid by knowledge; every metal-caster has been filled with shame by his graven image, for his molded image is a lie; and there is no spirit in those things. Jeremiah 10:14; 51:17.

Here 'graven image' means that which is the product of self-intelligence, and 'molded image' that which accords with the person's love. This meaning is plainly evident, for it says that a person has been made stupid by knowledge, and every metal-caster has been filled with shame by his graven image, and that his molded image is a lie, 'knowledge' here being self-intelligence, and 'a lie' the falsity of evil; and since those objects have nothing of God within them it says that there is no spirit in those things.

[7] In the same prophet,

O sword against its horses and against its chariots, against its treasures, in order that they may be looted! A drought on its waters, in order that they may dry up! For it is the land of graven images. Jeremiah 50:37-38.

'The land of graven images' means a Church in which falsities reign. This too is perfectly clear from the details of these verses when understood in the spiritual sense. Without that sense what would a sword against horses, against chariots, against treasures, and a drought on waters be but words or sounds that have no spirit within them? But from those details when understood in the internal sense it is evident that these verses describe the destruction of the Church's truths and so the subsequent reign of falsities there, meant by 'the land of graven images'. For 'sword' means falsity engaged in conflict with and destroying truths, 'horses' an enlightened power of understanding, 'chariots' matters of doctrine, 'treasures' cognitions or knowledge of truth and good, 'waters on which there is a drought' the non-existence of truths any longer, and 'the land' the Church.

'Sword' means truth engaged in conflict against falsity, and in the contrary sense falsity engaged in conflict against truths and destroying them, see 2799, 6353, 7102, 8294.

'Horses' means an enlightened power of understanding, 2760-2762, 3217, 6534.

'Chariots' means matters of doctrine, 5321, 8146, 8148, 8215.

'Treasures' means cognitions of truth and good, 10227.

'Waters' means truths, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 8137, 8138, 8568, 9323, 10238.

'The land' means the Church, see in the places referred to in 9325.

From all this it is evident what 'a drought on the waters, that they may dry up' and what 'the land of graven images' mean.

[8] In Habakkuk,

What profit is a graven image since its image-maker has graven it, and a molded image and a teacher of lies, since the image-maker trusts in the thing he himself has made? Habakkuk 2:18.

From these words too it is evident that 'a graven image' and 'a molded image' are not used to mean a graven image and a molded image but falsity that is being made up and the evil to which the falsity lends support; for it speaks of 'the image-maker' and 'a teacher of lies'.

[9] 'Graven image' and 'molded image' have similar meanings in the following places: In Isaiah,

Babel has fallen, and all the graven images of her gods he has broken ³ to the earth. Isaiah 21:9.

In the same prophet,

They will be greatly ashamed, those trusting in a graven image, saying to a molded image, You are our gods. Isaiah 42:17.

In the same prophet,

I told you, and caused you to hear, lest you should say, My idol has done this; my graven image and my molded image has commanded these things. Isaiah 48:5.

In Hosea,

They have called themselves, and gone from their presence ⁴ . They sacrificed to the baals, and burned incense to graven images. Hosea 11:2.

In Micah,

All the graven images of Samaria will be pounded to pieces, and all her pay as a prostitute will be burned with fire; and all her idols I will make a waste. Micah 1:7.

[10] Since falsities and evils upheld by religious teaching, which are meant by 'graven images and molded images', are forged by a person's self-intelligence under the guidance of his love, the Word also calls them 'the work of human hands', 'the work of the hands of a craftsman', and 'the work of the hands of a workman', as in the following places: In Hosea,

Now they sin more and more, they make for themselves a molded image from their silver, idols by their own intelligence, completely the work of craftsmen. Hosea 13:2.

In Moses,

Cursed is the man who makes a graven or a molded image, an abomination to Jehovah, the work of the hands of the craftsman. Deuteronomy 27:15.

In David,

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. Psalms 115:4; 135:15.

In Jeremiah,

They burned incense to other gods, and bowed down to the works of their own hands. Jeremiah 1:16.

In the same prophet,

The children of Israel provoked Me to anger through the work of their hands. Jeremiah 32:30; 44:8.

And in the same prophet,

One cuts out wood from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman using an axe. They decorate it with silver and gold; they make it firm with pegs and hammers. Jeremiah 10:3-4.

[11] 'The work of the hands' means that which is a product of the human proprium or self, thus that which is a product of a person's own understanding and a product of his own will; and those things are a product of the self - of both that understanding and that will - that exist as a result of self-love. And this is the origin of all falsities in the Church. Because all falsities are the product of the human self, and 'the work of the hands' means that which originates there, it was forbidden to move an iron tool, axe, or chisel over the stones ⁵ from which an altar and also the temple were built, as is evident in Moses,

If you make for Me an altar of stones, you shall not build it with hewn ones; for if you move your chisel over it you will profane it. Exodus 20:25.

Also in another place,

If you build an altar of stones to Jehovah you shall not move an iron tool over them. Deuteronomy 27:5.

And in the first Book of Kings,

The house was built of whole stone, as it had been brought [there]; for not a hammer or axe, [nor] any tool of iron, was heard in the house while it was being built. 1 Kings 6:7.

These places have been introduced to enable people to know what they should understand by Aaron's fashioning the gold with a chisel and making a calf of molded [metal] out of it.

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