Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 21:33
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AC 2721. Verse 33. And he planted a grove in Beer-sheba; and he called there on the name of the God of eternity. "He planted a grove in Beer-sheba," signifies doctrine with its knowledges and its quality; "and he called on the name of the God of eternity," signifies worship from it.

AC 2722. He planted a grove in Beer-sheba. That this signifies doctrine thence with its knowledges and its quality, is evident from the signification of a "grove," and from the signification of "Beer-sheba." As regards groves:--In the Ancient Church holy worship was performed on mountains and in groves; on mountains, because mountains signified the celestial things of worship; and in groves, because groves signified its spiritual things. So long as that church, namely, the Ancient, was in its simplicity, their worship at that time on mountains and in groves was holy, for the reason that celestial things, which are those of love and charity, were represented by things high and lofty, such as mountains and hills; and spiritual things, which are therefrom, by things fruitful and leafy, such as gardens and groves; but after representatives and significatives began to be made idolatrous, by the worship of external things without internal, that holy worship became profane; and they were therefore forbidden to worship on mountains and in groves.

(n. 1449-1455); and also from the signification of a "mountain," as being the celestial of love (n. 795, 796, 1430). That they also held holy worship in groves is evident from what is stated in this verse: "Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the God of eternity;" and also from the signification of a "garden," as being intelligence (n. 100, 108, 1588); and of "trees," as being perceptions (n. 103, 2163). That this was forbidden is evident from the following passages. In Moses:--

In the same:--

and they were commanded to burn the groves of the nations with fire (Deut. 12:3).

[3] And as the Jews and Israelites, among whom the representative ritual of the Ancient Church was introduced, were solely in externals, and at heart were nothing but idolaters, neither knowing nor wishing to know what anything internal was, nor the life after death, nor even that the Messiah‘s kingdom was a heavenly one, therefore whenever they were in freedom they held profane worship on mountains and hills, and also in groves and forests; and likewise in place of mountains and hills they made for themselves high places, and in place of groves carved representations of a grove, as is evident from many passages in the Word. As in the book of Judges:--

In the book of Kings:--

And in another place:--

And again:--

And again:--

from which it is manifest that they also made for themselves carved images of a grove. That these were destroyed by king Josiah may be seen in the same book:--

That king Hezekiah also demolished such things may be seen in the same book:--

[4] That the brazen serpent was holy in the time of Moses is evident; but when the external was worshiped it became profane, and was broken in pieces, for the same reason that worship on mountains and in groves was forbidden. These things are still more evident in the Prophets. In Isaiah:--

In the same:--

In Micah:--

In Ezekiel:--

[5] From all this it is now manifest from what origin idolatrous worship came, namely, the worship of objects that were representative and significative. The most ancient people who were before the flood saw in each and everything--in mountains, hills, plains, and valleys, gardens, groves, and forests, rivers and waters, fields and plantations, trees and animals of every kind, and the luminaries of heaven--something representative and significative of the Lord’s kingdom; but they never dwelt with their eyes, still less with their minds, on these objects; but these things served them as means for thinking about the celestial and spiritual things in the Lord‘s kingdom; and this to such a degree that there was nothing at all in universal nature that did not serve them as such means. The real fact is that everything in nature is representative, which is an arcanum at this day and scarcely believed by anyone. But after the celestial which is of love to the Lord had perished, the human race was then no longer in that state--namely, that from objects as means they could see the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord’s kingdom.

[6] Yet the ancients after the flood knew, from traditions, and from collections made by certain persons, that these things had such a signification; and as they were significative they esteemed them holy. Hence came the representative worship of the Ancient Church; which church, being spiritual, was not in the perception that a thing was so, but was in the knowledge of the fact; for it was relatively in obscurity (n. 2715). Nevertheless they did not worship outward things, but by means of outward things they called to mind inward things; and hence when they were in those representatives and significatives, they were in holiness of worship. They were able to be so because they were in spiritual love, that is, in charity, which they made an essential of worship; and therefore holiness from the Lord could flow into their worship. But when the state of the human race had become so changed and perverted that they removed themselves from the good of charity, and thus no longer believed that there was any heavenly kingdom, or any life after death, but that men were in a similar condition with animals, save only that they could think (as is also believed at this day), then the holy representative worship was turned into idolatry, and the outward things were worshiped. Hence with many Gentiles at that time, and also with the Jews and Israelites, the worship was not representative, but was a worship of the representatives and significatives; that is, of the outward things without the inward.

[7] As regards groves in particular, among the ancients they were of various signification, and indeed according to the kinds of trees in them. Groves of olive-trees signified the celestial things of worship; groves of vines signified the spiritual things of worship; but groves of fig-trees, cedars, fir-trees, poplars, and oaks, signified various things relating to what is celestial and spiritual. In the passage before us mention is made simply of a grove or plantation of trees; and this signifies the things of reason that were adjoined to doctrine and its knowledges; for trees in general signify perceptions (n. 103, 2163), but when they are predicated of the spiritual church they signify knowledges, for the reason that the man of the spiritual church has no other perceptions than those which come through knowledges from doctrine or the Word; for these become of his faith, and thus of conscience, from which he has perception.

AC 2723. But in regard to Beer-sheeba--"Beer-sheba" signifies the state and quality of the doctrine, namely, that it is Divine and to which what is of human reason is adjoined-as is evident from the series of things treated of from (verse 22) to this verse (n. 2613, 2614); and also from the signification of the word itself in the original language, which is "the well of the oath," and "of seven." That a "well" is the doctrine of faith may be seen above (n. 2702, 2720); that an "oath" is conjunction (n. 2720); and that a "covenant made by an oath," has the same meaning (n. 1996, 2003, 2021, 2037); and that "seven" denotes what is holy and thus Divine (n. 395, 433, 716, 881); from all which it is evident that "Beer-sheba" signifies doctrine which is in itself Divine together with things of human reason or appearances adjoined.

[2] That the name Beer-sheba comes from all this is manifest from Abraham‘s words:--

In like manner from Isaac’s words in chapter 26:--It came to pass on that day that Isaac‘s servants came and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water; and he called it Shibah (an "oath" and "seven"); therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day (verses 32, 33). There also wells are spoken of about which there was contention with Abimelech, and a covenant with him is treated of and by "Beer-sheba" are signified the things of human reason again adjoined to the doctrine of faith; and because they are again adjoined, and the doctrine thus became adapted to human comprehension, it is called a "city". That a "city" signifies doctrine in its complex see (n. 402, 2268, 2450, 2451). Moreover Beer-sheba is mentioned with a similar signification as to the internal sense in other places (Gen 22:19; 26:22, 23; 28:10; 46:1, 5; Josh. 15:28; 19:1, 2; 1 Sam. 8:2; 1 Kings 19:3); and also in the opposite sense, (Amos 5:5; 8:13, 14).

[3] The extension of the celestial and spiritual things belonging to doctrine is signified in the internal sense, where the extent of the land of Canaan is described by the expression "from Dan even to Beer-sheba;" for by the land of Canaan is signified the Lord’s kingdom, and also His church, consequently the celestial and spiritual things of doctrine; as in the book of Judges:--

In the book of Samuel:--

And again:--

And again:--

And again:--

And again:--

In the book of Kings:--

AC 2724. And called there on the name of the God of eternity. That this signifies worship therefrom, is evident from the signification of calling upon the name of God," as being worship (n. 440). They who were of the Ancient Church did not by a name understand the name, but all the quality (n. 144, 145, 440, 768, 1754, 1896, 2009); and thus by the " name of God" all that in one complex by which God was worshiped, consequently everything of love and faith; but when the internal of worship perished, and only the external remained, they then began to understand by the name of God nothing else than the name, so much so that they worshiped the name itself, feeling no care about the love and the faith from which they worshiped. On this account the nations began to distinguish themselves by the names of their gods; and the Jews and Israelites set themselves up above the rest, because they worshiped Jehovah, placing the essential of worship in uttering the name and invoking it, when in truth the worship of a name only is no worship, and may also be found among the worst of men, who thereby profane the more.

[2] But as by the "name of God" everything of worship is signified, that is, everything of love and faith from which He is worshiped, it is therefore evident what is meant by "hallowed be Thy Name," in the Lord‘s Prayer (Matt. 6:9) also by what the Lord said:--

Besides very many passages in the Old Testament, in which by the "name" of Jehovah and of God the name is not meant, but everything of love and faith from which is worship.

[3] But they who worship a name only, without love and faith, are thus spoken of in Matthew:--

When as before said the men of the church became external, from being internal, and began to place worship in a name alone, they then no longer acknowledged one God, but many. For it was a common thing for the ancients to add something to the name of Jehovah, and thereby call to mind some benefit or attribute of His, as in the passage before us, "he called upon the name of the God of eternity;" and in chapter 22, "Abraham called the name of that place, Jehovah-jireh," that is, "Jehovah shall see" (Genesis 22:14). "Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi," that is, "Jehovah my banner" (Exod. 17:15); "Gideon built an altar there unto Jehovah, and called it Jehovah-shalom" that is, "Jehovah of peace" (Judges 6:24); besides other places. From this it came to pass that they who placed worship in a name only, acknowledged so many gods; and also that among the Gentiles, especially in Greece and at Rome, so many gods were acknowledged and worshiped whereas the Ancient Church, from which the epithets emanated, never worshiped but one God, reverenced under so many names, because by the "name" they understood the quality.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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