9231. 'You shall throw it to the dogs' means that these things are unclean. This is clear from the meaning of 'dogs' as those who render the good of faith unclean by means of falsifications. For all beasts in the Word mean the affections and inclinations such as exist with a human being; gentle and useful beasts mean good affections and inclinations, but fierce and useless ones mean bad affections and inclinations. The reason why such things are meant by beasts is that the external or natural man is endowed with affections and inclinations similar to those that beasts possess, and also with similar appetites and similar senses. But the difference is that the human being has within himself what is called the internal man. And the internal man is so distinct and separate from the external that it can see things that arise in the external, rule them, and control them. The internal man can also be raised to heaven, even up to the Lord, and so be joined to Him in thought and affection, consequently in faith and love. Furthermore the internal man is so distinct and separate that it is parted from the external after death and lives on for evermore. These characteristics mark the human being off from beasts. But they are not seen by people who look at things on merely the natural level and the level of the senses; for their internal man is closed towards heaven. They draw no distinction therefore between the human being and a beast other than this, that the human being has the ability to speak; and even this is considered to be of little importance by those seeing things on merely the level of the senses.

[2] The reason why 'dogs' means those who render the good of faith unclean by means of falsifications is that dogs eat unclean things, and also yap and bite people. This also explains why nations outside the Church who were steeped in falsities arising from evil were called dogs by the Jews and considered to be utterly worthless. The fact that they were called 'dogs' is evident from the Lord's words addressed to the woman who was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician, whose daughter was troubled grievously by a demon,

It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs. But she said, To be sure, Lord, but even the dogs eat from the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Matthew 15:26-27; Mark 7:26-28.

Here it is self-evident that those outside the Church are meant by 'the dogs', and those within the Church by 'the children'.

[3] Similarly in Luke,

There was a certain rich man (homo) who was clothed in purple and fine linen and indulged himself splendidly every day. But there was a poor one whose name was Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be filled with the crumbs falling from the rich one's table. Furthermore the dogs came and licked his sores. Luke 16:19-21.

'The rich one clothed in purple and fine linen' means those within the Church, 'the purple and fine linen' with which he was clothed being cognitions or knowledge of goodness and truth that come from the Word. 'A poor one' means those within the Church with whom there is little good because they have no knowledge of truth, but who nevertheless have had a desire to receive instruction, 9209. He was referred to as Lazarus after the Lazarus whom the Lord raised from the dead, about whom it says that the Lord loved him, John 11:1-3, 36; that he was His friend, John 11:11; and that he sat at the table with the Lord, John 12:2. 'His wish to be filled with the crumbs falling from the rich one's table' meant his desire to learn a few truths from those within the Church possessing them in abundance. 'The dogs that licked his sores' are those outside the Church who are governed by good, though not the authentic good of faith; 'licking the sores' is curing them as best they can.

[4] In John,

Outside are dogs, sorcerers, and fornicators. Revelation 22:15.

'Dogs, sorcerers, and fornicators' stands for those who falsify the good and truth of faith. They are said 'to be outside' when they are outside heaven or the Church. The fact that good which has been falsified, and so made unclean, is meant by 'the dogs' is also evident in Matthew,

Do not give what is holy to the dogs; do not cast your pearls before swine. Matthew 7:6.

In Moses,

You shall not bring a harlot's reward, or the price of a dog, into Jehovah's house for any vowed offering, because both are an abomination to your God. Deuteronomy 23:18.

'A harlot's reward' stands for falsified truths of faith, 'the price of a dog' for falsified forms of the good of faith. For the meaning of 'whoredom' as falsification of the truth of faith, see 2466, 2729, 4865, 8904.

[5] In David,

Dogs have surrounded me, the assembly of the wicked has encompassed me, piercing my hands and my feet. Deliver my soul from the sword, my only one from the power ¹ of the dog. Psalms 22:16, 20.

'Dogs' here stands for those who destroy forms of the good of faith, who are therefore called 'the assembly of the wicked'. 'Delivering one's soul from the sword' means rescuing it from falsity that lays waste the truth of faith, 'the sword' being the falsity that lays waste the truth of faith, see 2799, 4499, 6353, 7102, 8294, and 'soul' the life of faith, 9050. From this it is also evident that 'delivering my only soul from the power of the dog' means rescuing it from falsity that lays waste the good of faith. When it was said that people were to be dragged and eaten by dogs, 1 Kings 14:11; 16:4; 21:23-24; 2 Kings 9:10, 36; Jeremiah 15:3, the meaning was that they would be destroyed by unclean things. When people compared themselves to dead dogs, 1 Samuel 24:14; 2 Samuel 3:8; 9:8; 16:9, the meaning was that they would be considered utterly worthless ones who were to be cast out. What more is meant by 'dogs', see 7784.

Imibhalo yaphansi:

795. 'All the high mountains beneath the whole sky were covered' means that all goods stemming from charity were done away with. This is clear from the meaning of 'mountains' among the most ancient people. Among them 'mountains' meant the Lord, for they conducted their worship of Him on mountains because these were the loftiest parts of the earth. Consequently 'mountains' meant heavenly things which they also called 'the most high', and accordingly love and charity, and so the goods that stem from love and charity, which are heavenly things. In the contrary sense also, the people who are haughty are called 'mountains' in the Word, and so mountains also mean self-love. The Most Ancient Church also is meant in the Word by 'mountains' from the fact that mountains rose up above the earth and were nearer so to speak to heaven, where things have their origins.

[2] That 'mountains' means the Lord, and all heavenly things deriving from Him, that is, goods that stem from love and charity, is clear from the following places in the Word. These show what 'mountains' means in particular, for every single detail takes its meaning from the matter to which it applies. In David,

The mountains will bring peace, and the hills, in righteousness. Psalms 72:3.

'Mountains' stands for love to the Lord, 'hills' for love towards the neighbour, such as existed with the Most Ancient Church, which, since it was of such a nature, is also meant in the Word by 'mountains' and therefore 'hills'. In Ezekiel,

On My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel, said the Lord Jehovih, there all the house of Israel, all of them that are in the land, will serve Me. Ezekiel 20:40.

Here 'holy mountain' stands for love to the Lord, 'mountain height of Israel' for charity towards the neighbour. In Isaiah,

It will be in the latter days that the mountain of the house Jehovah will be established on the top of the mountains, and raised above the hills. Isaiah 2:2.

This stands for the Lord and consequently for everything heavenly.

[3] In the same prophet,

Jehovah Zebaoth will make for all peoples on this mountain a feast of fat things, and He will swallow up on this mountain the face ¹ of the covering. Isaiah 25:6-7.

'Mountain' stands for the Lord and consequently for everything heavenly. In the same prophet,

It will be that on every high mountain, and on every lofty hill, there will be brooks, streams of water. Isaiah 30:25.

'Mountains' stands for goods that stem from love, 'hills' for goods that stem from charity, such goods being the source of truths of faith, which are 'brooks and streams of water'. In the same prophet,

You will have a song as in the night when a feast is hallowed, and joy of heart as when one goes with a flute to come to the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel. Isaiah 30:29.

'Mountain of Jehovah' stands for the Lord with reference to goods that stem from love, 'Rock of Israel' for the Lord with reference to goods that stem from charity.

[4] In the same prophet,

Jehovah Zebaoth will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. Isaiah 31:4.

Here and in many other places 'Mount Zion' stands for the Lord and consequently for everything celestial, which is love, and 'hill' for what is celestial but lower, which is charity.

In the same prophet,

Get you up on to the high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings. Isaiah 40:9.

'Getting up on to the high mountain and declaring good tidings' is worshipping the Lord from love and charity, which are inmost things, and are therefore also called most high. That which is inmost is referred to as the most high. In the same prophet,

Let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Isaiah 42:11.

'Inhabitants of the rock' stands for those who abide in charity, 'shouting from the top of the mountains' for worshipping the Lord from love. In the same prophet,

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of Him who is bringing good tidings, causing peace to be heard, bringing good tidings of good, causing salvation to be heard. Isaiah 52:7

'Bringing good tidings on the mountains' in like manner stands for preaching about the Lord from doctrine concerning love and charity, and for worshipping from these. In the same prophet,

The mountains and the hills will resound before you with song, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12.

This stands for worshipping the Lord from love and charity, which are 'the mountains and the hills', and from faith deriving from these, which is 'the trees of the field'.

[5] In the same prophet,

I will set all My mountains as a way, and My pathways will be raised up. Isaiah 49:11.

'Mountains' stands for love and charity, 'way' and 'pathway' for the truths of faith deriving from these, which are said to be 'raised up' when they stem from love and charity, which are inmost. In the same prophet,

He who trusts in Me will take possession in the land, and will inherit My holy mountain. Isaiah 57:13.

This stands for the Lord's kingdom where there is nothing other than love and charity. In the same prophet,

I will bring forth seed from Jacob, and from Judah the heir of My mountains, and My chosen ones will possess it. Isaiah 65:9.

'Mountains' stands for the Lord's kingdom and for celestial goods, and 'Judah' for the celestial Church. In the same prophet,

Thus said the High and Lofty One inhabiting eternity, whose name is the Holy One. I dwell as the High and Holy One Isaiah 57:15.

Here 'high' stands for holy. Consequently 'mountains', on account of their height above the earth, meant the Lord, and holy heavenly things that are His. This also is why it was from Mount Sinai that the Lord proclaimed the Law. Love and charity are also what the Lord means by 'mountains' when, in reference to the close of the age, He says that those who were then in Judaea were to flee to the mountains, Matthew 24:16; Luke 21:21; Mark 13:14. Here 'Judaea' stands for the vastated Church.

Imibhalo yaphansi: