9057. Blow for blow. That this signifies if anything of affection in the intellectual be extinguished or injured, is evident from the signification of “a blow,” as being the extinction or injuring of affection in the intellectual, that is, of the affection of truth. In the original tongue “blow” is expressed by a term which signifies the black and blue from a collection of blood or of bloody matter, and in the internal sense “blood” denotes the truth of faith from the good of love, and in the opposite sense, truth falsified and profaned (see n. 4735, 6978, 7317, 7326); consequently “blow for blow” denotes truth injured or extinguished. This is also signified by the “blows” (or “plagues”) in Revelation 9:20; 11:6; 15:1, 6, 8; (Revelation 15:8)16:21; 18:8; also in Jeremiah 30:12, 14, 17; 50:13; in Zechariah 14:12-15; in David, Psalms 38:5; and in Luke 10:30-35, in the parable of him that fell among thieves, who inflicted blows on him and left him half dead; and it is said that a Samaritan “bound up his blows,” pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn.

[2] He who understands the internal sense of the Word is able to know why it was said by the Lord that the Samaritan “bound up the blows, poured in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast.” For by “the Samaritan” in the internal sense is meant one who is in the affection of truth, by “binding up the blows” is signified the healing of this affection when injured, by “pouring in oil and wine” is signified the good of love and the good of faith, and by “setting him on his own beast” is signified uplifting him by virtue of his own intellectual. Thus by these words is described charity toward the neighbor; naturally for man in the world, and spiritually for the angels in heaven; naturally in the sense of the letter, and spiritually in the internal sense. The reason why a “Samaritan” denotes one who is in the affection of truth, is that “Samaritan” in the Word signifies this affection (that “oil” denotes the good of love, see n. 886, 3728, 4582; also that “wine” denotes the good of faith, n. 1798, 6377; and that “a beast of burden” denotes the intellectual, n. 2761, 2762, 2781, 3217, 5321, 5741, 6125, 6401, 6534, 7024, 8146, 8148). In this manner spoke the Lord; but few apprehend this, for they believe that such things were said merely for the sake of giving the parable the connection of a narrative; but in this case they would not be words from the Divine. All words from the Divine have within them such things as belong to the Lord, heaven, and the church, and this is the case in every jot (see above, n. 9049).

6534. And horsemen. That this signifies intellectual things, is evident from the signification of “horsemen,” as being things that belong to the intellect, for by a “horse” is signified the intellectual (see n. 2760-2762, 3217, 5321, 6125). That “horsemen” denote things that belong to the intellect or understanding, may be seen further from the following passages:

Jehovah alone did lead him; He made him ride upon the high places of the earth (Deuteronomy 32:12-13);

speaking of the Ancient Church; “to make him ride upon the high places of the earth” denotes to endow with higher understanding.

[2] In David:

In thine honor mount up, and ride upon the Word of truth, and of gentleness, and of righteousness, and thy right hand shall teach thee wonderful things (Psalms 45:4),

speaking of the Lord; “riding upon the Word of truth” denotes being in the very understanding of truth. Again:

Sing to God, praise ye His name; extol Him that rideth upon the clouds by His name Jah (Psalms 68:4);

this also is said of the Lord; the “clouds” denote the literal sense of the Word (see the preface to Genesis 18, n. 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343 at the end); “to ride upon them” is to be in the internal sense, where truth is in its intelligence and wisdom.

[3] In Zechariah:

In that day I will smite every horse with amazement, and his rider with madness, and I will open Mine eye upon the house of Judah; but will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness (Zech. 12:4); where “horse” denotes the intellectual; and “rider,” the intellect. Who does not see that “horse” here does not mean horse, nor “rider” rider; but that something is signified which can be smitten with amazement and madness, also with blindness? That this pertains to the understanding is obvious.

[4] That by “horses” and “horsemen” are signified intellectual things, and in the opposite sense reasonings and falsities thence derived, may be seen in John:

I saw and behold a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow, and there was given unto him a crown, and he went forth conquering. And there went forth another horse that was red, and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another, and there was given unto him a great sword. I saw and behold a black horse, and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand. And I saw and behold a pale horse, and him that sat upon it, whose name was Death (Revelation 6:2-8).

That here the “horses” and “they that sat upon them” signify such things as belong to the understanding of truth, and in the opposite sense such things as belong to falsity, is evident from all the details. The “white horse and he that sat thereon” denotes the understanding of truth from the Word. That “he who sat upon the white horse” is the Lord as to the Word, is said in plain words (Revelation 19:11, 13, 16). The “red horse and he that sat thereon” denotes reasonings from the cupidities of evil, whereby violence is done to truths from the Word; the “black horse and he that sat thereon” denotes the intellectual of truth extinguished; and the “pale horse and he that sat upon it” denotes the consequent damnation.

[5] In the opposite sense “horses” and “horsemen” denote the intellect perverted; and the consequent falsities, as in Ezekiel:

Oholah committed whoredom under Me, and she doted on her lovers, governors and leaders, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses. Her sister Oholibah loved the sons of Asshur, governors and leaders, her neighbors, clothed in perfect attire, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men (Ezekiel 23:5-6, 12);

“Oholah” denotes the perverted spiritual church, which is “Samaria;” and “Oholibah” the perverted celestial church, which is “Jerusalem;” for the Israelites who were of Samaria represented the spiritual church, but the Jews who were of Jerusalem represented the celestial church. The “Assyrians” and “sons of Asshur” denote reasoning against the truths of faith (n. 1186); “horsemen riding on horses” denotes the understanding perverted, whence come falsities.

[6] And in Habakkuk:

I stir up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation, that goeth into the breadth of the earth, to inherit habitations not their own; their horses are swifter than leopards, and are sharper than the evening wolves, that their horsemen may spread themselves, whence their horsemen come from far (Hab. 1:6, 8).

The “Chaldeans” denote those who are in falsities, but in externals appear to be in truths, thus the profanation of truth, and “Babylon” the profanation of good (n. 1182, 1368). “Going into the breadth of the earth” denotes to destroy truths. (That the “breadth of the earth” is truth may be seen above, n. 3433, 3434, 4482.) Hence it is evident that the “horsemen who spread themselves and come from far” denotes the things that belong to perverted understanding, thus falsities.