9219. 'For I am merciful' means that such help comes wholly from Him, out of mercy. This is clear from the meaning of 'being merciful', since it refers to the Lord, as the truth that help comes wholly from Him. The reason why out of mercy is meant is that everything done by the Lord is an act of mercy. The Lord in His Essential Being (Esse) is Divine Love; and love, when it is shown towards those in a state of wretchedness, is called mercy. Thus His Love as it is shown to the whole human race is called mercy; for the human race is set fast in a state of misery, since the human self or proprium is nothing but evil, 210, 215, 874-876, 987, 1581, 5660, 5786, 8480.

873. Verse 9 And the dove found no rest for the sole of its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were over the face' of the whole earth. And he put out his hand, and took hold of it, and brought it in to himself into the ark.

'The dove found no rest for the sole of its foot' means that no good and truth of faith at all had as yet been able to take root. 'It returned to him to the ark' means good and truth appearing to be the good and truth of faith with him. 'For the waters were over the face ¹ of the earth' means that falsities were still there to overflowing. 'He put out his hand' means his own power. 'And he took hold of it, and brought it in to himself into the ark' means that self was the source of the good he did and of the truth he thought.

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