3441. For the sake of Abraham my servant. That this signifies from the Lord’s Divine Human is evident from the representation of Abraham, as being the Lord’s Divine, and also the Divine Human (n. 2833, 2836, 3251); and from the signification of “my servant,” when predicated of the Lord, as being the Divine Human; not that the Divine Human is a servant, because this also is Jehovah (n. 1736, 2156, 2329, 2921, 3023, 3035), but because the Lord by this serves the human race; for by this man is saved, inasmuch as unless the Lord had united the Human to the Divine, so that man might be enabled with his mind to look upon and adore the Human of the Lord and thus have access to the Divine, he could not possibly have been saved. The conjunction of man with the Divine itself which is called the “Father” is through the Divine Human which is called the “Son”; thus through the Lord, by whom the spiritual man understands the Human, but the celestial man the Divine Itself. Hence it is evident why the Divine Human is called a “servant,” namely, because it serves the Divine, in order that man may have access thereto, and because it serves mankind for their salvation.

[2] This then is what is signified by “Abraham my servant” as also in David:

Remember his marvelous works that He hath done, his wonders and the judgments of His mouth, O ye seed of Abraham His servant, ye sons of Jacob, His chosen ones. He sent Moses His servant, Aaron whom He hath chosen. He remembered the word of His holiness with Abraham His servant (Psalms 105:5-6, 26, (Psalms 105:26)42); where by “Abraham his servant” is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human. In like manner also the Lord as to the Divine Human is meant in the supreme sense by “Israel his servant,” by “Jacob his servant,” and by “David his servant”; by Israel his servant, in Isaiah:

Thou Israel my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend; thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the wings thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art My servant, I have chosen thee (Isaiah 41:8-9); where “Israel my servant” in the supreme sense is the Lord in respect to the internal things of the spiritual church; and “Jacob” as to the external things of this church. Again:

He said unto me, Thou art My servant Israel, in whom I will be glorified. It is a light thing that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved of Israel; and I have given thee for a light of the Gentiles, that thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth (Isaiah 49:3, 6); where “Israel, in whom I will be glorified,” manifestly represents the Lord’s Divine Human. That he is called “servant” from serving is manifest, for it is said, “that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved of Israel.”

[3] That the Lord as to his Divine Human is meant also by “Jacob my servant” is evident in the following passage from Isaiah:

I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, for Jacob My servant’s sake, and Israel My chosen (Isaiah 45:3-4); where by “Jacob My servant, and Israel My chosen” is meant the Lord, “Jacob My servant” having respect to the external things of the church, and “Israel My chosen” to the internal things of the church.

[4] The same is also signified by “David my servant” in Ezekiel:

I will gather the sons of Israel from every side. My servant David shall be king over them; there shall be to them all one shepherd. They shall dwell upon the land which I have given unto Jacob My servant, and they shall dwell therein, they and their sons and their sons’ sons even forever; and David My servant shall be their prince forever (Ezekiel 37:21, 24-25).

“David My servant” plainly denotes the Lord’s Divine Human (n. 1888), and this from Divine truth, which is signified by “king,” and here by “David” (n. 1728, 2015, 3009). That truth itself also is relatively a servant, may be seen above (n. 3409); and because it is so, the Lord Himself calls Himself one that serveth” or “ministereth,” in Mark:

Whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister; and whosoever would be first among you shall be servant of all. For the Son of man also came not to be ministered unto, but to minister (Mark 10:43-45; Matthew 20:26-28).

And in Luke:

Which is the greater, he that reclineth at meat, or he that ministereth? Is not he that reclineth at meat? But I am in the midst of you as he that ministereth (Luke 22:27).

1888. That the sense of the letter of the Word is representative of Divine arcana, and that it is the receptacle and thus the repository of the Lord’s celestial and spiritual things, may be illustrated by two examples: first, that by “David” is not meant David, but the Lord; second, that the names signify nothing but actual things, and therefore it must be the same with all the rest of the Word. Concerning David it is said in Ezekiel:

My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall dwell upon the land, they and their sons and their sons’ sons, even to eternity; and David my servant shall be their prince to eternity (Ezekiel 37:24-25).

And in Hosea:

The sons of Israel shall return, and shall seek Jehovah their God, and David their king (Hos. 3:5).

These things were written by the prophets after the time of David, and yet it is plainly said that he shall be their king and prince, from which all may see that in the internal sense it is the Lord who is meant by “David.” And the case is the same in all other passages, even those which are historical, where David is named.

[2] That the names of kingdoms, regions, cities, and men, signify actual things, may be clearly seen in the Prophets. Take merely this example in Isaiah:

Thus said the Lord, Jehovih Zebaoth, O My people, thou inhabitant of Zion, be not afraid of Asshur; he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff upon thee in the way of Egypt. Jehovah of Armies shall stir up a scourge for him according to the plague of Midian at the rock of Horeb; and as His rod was upon the sea, so shall He lift it up in the way of Egypt. He shall come against Aiath, He shall pass over to Migron, at Michmash shall He command His arms; they ¹ shall pass over Mabarah; Geba ¹ is a lodging-place for us; Ramah ¹ shall tremble; Gibeah of Saul shall flee; cry aloud with thy voice, O daughter of Gallim; hearken, O Laish; O thou poor Anathoth; Madmenah shall wander; the inhabitants of Gebim shall gather themselves together; as yet there is a day for a stand at Nob; the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem, shall shake her hand; He shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a magnificent one (Isaiah 10:24, 26-34).

[3] Here there is almost nothing but names, from which no sense would appear unless all the names signified actual things; and if the mind were to abide in the names, this would never be acknowledged to be the Word of the Lord. But who will believe that in the internal sense they all contain arcana of heaven? and that by them is described the state of those who are endeavoring to enter into the mysteries of faith by reasonings from memory-knowledges? Some special thing belonging to that state are described by each name; and that the meaning is that these reasonings are dispersed by the Lord by means of the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith. That the reasoning here treated of is signified by “Asshur,” may be clearly seen from what has been already shown concerning Asshur (n. 119, 1186); also that memory-knowledges are signified by “Egypt” (n. 1164, 1165, 1462); which see and examine. The case is the same with all other names, and also with all the several words.

脚注:

1164. That by “Cush” or “Ethiopia” are signified the interior knowledges of the Word, by which such men confirm false principles, may be seen in Jeremiah:

Egypt riseth up like a stream, whose waters toss themselves like the rivers, and he hath said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof. Go up ye horses, and rage ye chariots; and let the mighty men go forth, Cush and Put that handle the shield (Jeremiah 46:8-9).

“Egypt” here denotes those who believe nothing unless they apprehend it from memory-knowledges, whereby everything becomes involved in doubt, denial, and falsity, which is to “go up, cover the earth, and destroy the city.” “Cush” here denotes more universal and more interior knowledges of the Word, whereby men confirm received principles of falsity. “Put” denotes knowledges from the literal sense of the Word which are according to the appearances of the senses.

[2] In Ezekiel:

A sword shall come upon Egypt, and there shall be grief in Cush, when the slain shall fall in Egypt; and they shall take her multitude, and her foundations shall be destroyed. Cush, and Put, and Lud, and all Ereb and Cub, and the sons of the land of the covenant shall fall with them by the sword (Ezekiel 30:4-5).

No one could at all know what these things mean except from the internal sense; and if the names did not signify actual things [res], there would be scarcely any sense. But here by “Egypt” are signified memory-knowledges, whereby men desire to enter into the mysteries of faith. “Cush and Put” are called “the foundations thereof” because they signify knowledges from the Word.

[3] In the same:

In that day shall messengers go forth from before Me in ships, to make confident Cush afraid; and there shall be grief upon them, as in the day of Egypt (Ezekiel 30:9).

“Cush” denotes those knowledges from the Word that confirm falsities which are hatched from memory-knowledges. In the same:

I will make the land of Egypt into wastes, a waste of desolation, from the tower of Seveneh, even unto the border of Cush (Ezekiel 29:10).

Here “Egypt” denotes memory-knowledges; and “Cush” the knowledges of the interior things of the Word, which are the boundaries as far as memory-knowledges go.

[4] In Isaiah:

The king of Assyria shall lead the captivity of Egypt and the captivity of Cush, boys and old men, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt; and they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope, and of Egypt their glory (Isaiah 20:4-5).

“Cush” here denotes knowledges from the Word, whereby falsities acquired through memory-knowledges are confirmed; “Asshur” is reasoning which leads men “captive.”

In Nahum:

Cush and Egypt were her strength, and there was no end; Put and Lubim were thy helpers (Nahum 3:9).

This is said of the church vastated, and here in like manner “Egypt” denotes memory-knowledges, and “Cush” knowledges.

[5] “Cush and Egypt” here denote simply knowledges and memory-knowledges, which are truths, useful to those who are in the faith of charity; thus they are here used in a good sense.

In Isaiah:

Thus said Jehovah, The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Cush, and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall pass over unto thee, and they shall be thine; they shall go after thee in fetters, they shall pass over and shall bow down unto thee; they shall pray unto thee; God is in thee only, and there is no other God besides (Isaiah 45:14).

“The labor of Egypt” denotes memory-knowledge; and “the merchandise of Cush and of the Sabeans,” knowledges of spiritual things which are serviceable to those who acknowledge the Lord; for all memory-knowledge and knowledge are for them.

[6] In Daniel:

The king of the north shall have dominion over the hidden stores of gold and silver, and over all the desirable things of Egypt; and the Lubim (Put) and Cushim shall be at thy steps (Daniel 11:43).

“Put and Cush” here denote knowledges from the Word; and “Egypt,” memory-knowledges.

In Zephaniah:

From the crossing of the rivers of Cush, My worshipers (Zephaniah 3:10),

denoting those who are without knowledges, that is, the Gentiles.

In David:

Great ones shall come out of Egypt; Cush shall hasten his hands unto God (Psalms 68:31).

“Egypt” here denotes memory-knowledges and “Cush” knowledges.

[7] In the same:

I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon as among them that know Me; behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Cush; this one was born there (in the city of God) (Psalms 87:4).

“Cush” denotes knowledges from the Word; and therefore it is said that he “was born in the city of God.” It is because “Cush” signifies the interior knowledges of the Word and the intelligence thence derived, that it is said that the second river that went forth from the garden of Eden “encompassed the whole land of Cush” (concerning which see n. 117).