Arcana Coelestia#4287
4287. 'For as a prince you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed' means repeated victories in conflicts over truths and goods. This is clear from the meaning of 'contending as a prince' as overcoming in conflicts, in this case conflicts that accompany temptations since these are the subject at present; and from the meaning of 'with God and with men' as conflicts over truths and goods, to be dealt with below.
[2] The subject in the highest sense being the Lord, it is He who is meant in that sense by 'one contending as a prince with God and with men', for by His own power He suffered all temptations and through them overcame the hells. Indeed He allowed into Himself all the hells in their order, and even the angels, as will be explained later on. In so doing he brought into order everything in the heavens and in the hells, and at length glorified Himself, that is, made the Human within Him Divine.
[3] From this it is evident that in the highest sense the Lord is meant by Jacob and Israel, as shown immediately above in 4286. Not only has He Himself 'contended as a prince', that is, has suffered all the conflicts brought about by temptations and has overcome in them, but also He suffers them in every individual human being. But see what has been stated many times already on these matters in the following references,
The Lord suffered the severest temptations, greater than anybody else has done, 1663, 1668, 1787, 2776, 2786, 2795, 2816.
Unlike any others the Lord fought out of Divine love, 1690, 1691 (end), 1789, 1812, 1813, 1820.
The Lord fought against hereditary evil from the mother, so that at length He was not her son; even so, no evil of His own doing was attached to Him, 1444, 1573, 2025, 2574, 2649, 3318 (end).
Through the conflicts brought about by temptations and through repeated victories the Lord arranged all things into the form which heaven possesses, 1928.
And through repeated victories in conflicts brought about by temptations He united the Divine Essence to the Human Essence, 1616, 1737, 1813, 1921, 2025, 2026, 2500, 2523, 2632, 2776.
The Lord suffers the temptations that take place in man, subduing evil and the hells, 987, 1661, 1692 (end).
[4] The arcanum that 'contending with God and with men' means being tempted over truths and over goods is one that is not open to view in the letter. It is clear to anyone, and will also be evident from the explanation given below, that it was not God with whom Jacob contended, for it cannot be said of anyone that he contends with God and prevails. But the internal sense teaches what 'God' and 'men' mean here - that 'God' means truth, and 'men' good. The reason for this is that 'God' in the internal sense means truth, and therefore whenever truth is dealt with the name God is used, 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, whereas the term 'man' is used to mean good. And 'man' means good because the Lord is the only Man and anyone else is called such by virtue of Him, 49, 288, 565, 1894. A further reason is that by virtue of Him heaven is man and is called the Grand Man, 684, 1276, 3624-3649, 3741-3750. And this also was why the Most Ancient Church which was governed by celestial good was referred to as Man, 478.
[5] Therefore whenever good is dealt with in the Word, 'man' (homo) means good, as in Isaiah,
I will make the male person (vir homo) more rare than gold, and man (homo) than the gold of Ophir. Isaiah 13:12.
In the same prophet,
The inhabitants of the land will be scorched and few male persons (vir homo) left. Isaiah 24:6.
'Male persons' stands for spiritual good or the good of truth. 'Man' stands for good. In the same prophet, The highways have been laid waste, the wayfarer has ceased. He has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities, he has no regard for the male person (vir homo). Isaiah 33:8.
In Jeremiah,
I looked to the earth, and behold, that which is void and empty, and towards the heavens, and they had no light I looked, and behold, there was no man; and all the birds of the air had flown away. Jeremiah 4:23, 25.
In the same prophet, behold, the days are coming, said Jehovah, in which I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. Jeremiah 31:27.
In Ezekiel,
Your merchants [traded] in the souls of men and vessels of bronze, giving these for your merchandise. Ezekiel 27:13.
In the same prophet, You, O my flock, the flock of My pasture, you are men; I am your God. Ezekiel 34:31.
In the same prophet, They will be cities laid waste, filled with the flock of mankind. Ezekiel 36:38.
In these places 'man' (homo) stands for people who are governed by good, and so stands for good, since good is what causes anyone to be 'man'. Truth however which is grounded in good is referred to in the Word as 'a male person' (vir homo) and also as 'the son of man'.
Genesis第25章
1
Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah.
2
She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
3
Jokshan became the father of Sheba, and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.
4
The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
5
Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac,
6
but to the sons of Abraham's concubines, Abraham gave gifts. He sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east country.
7
These are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years.
8
Abraham gave up the spirit, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
9
Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre,
10
the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth. Abraham was buried there with Sarah, his wife.
11
It happened after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac, his son. Isaac lived by Beer Lahai Roi.
12
Now this is the history of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore to Abraham.
13
These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to the order of their birth: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
15
Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
16
These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments: twelve princes, according to their nations.
17
These are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred thirty-seven years. He gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people.
18
They lived from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He lived opposite all his relatives.
19
This is the history of the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham became the father of Isaac.
20
Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife.
21
Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife, because she was barren. Yahweh was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22
The children struggled together within her. She said, "If it be so, why do I live?" She went to inquire of Yahweh.
23
Yahweh said to her, "Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger."
24
When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25
The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau.
26
After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
27
The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.
28
Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob.
29
Jacob boiled stew. Esau came in from the field, and he was famished.
30
Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am famished." Therefore his name was called Edom.
31
Jacob said, "First, sell me your birthright."
32
Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?"
33
Jacob said, "Swear to me first." He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob.
34
Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.
