Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 24:26-27
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AC 3117. Verses 26, 27. And the man bent himself and bowed himself down to Jehovah; and he said, Blessed be Jehovah the God of my lord Abraham, who hath not forsaken His mercy and His truth from my lord; I being in the way, Jehovah hath led me to the house of my lord‘s brethren. "The man bent himself, and bowed himself down to Jehovah," signifies gladness and joy; "and he said, blessed be Jehovah the God of my lord Abraham," signifies here as before, from the Divine Itself and the Divine Human; "who hath not forsaken His mercy," signifies a perception of the influx of love; "and His truth from my lord," signifies the influx of charity therefrom; "I being in the way," signifies in a state of the conjunction of truth with good in the rational; "Jehovah hath led me to the house of my lord’s brethren," signifies to the good of truth.

AC 3118. The man bent himself, and bowed himself to Jehovah. That this signifies gladness and joy, is evident from the signification of "bending himself," and of "bowing himself down," as denoting to be glad and to rejoice. Bending and bowing down are gestures of humiliation, that is, they are humiliation in act, whether in a state of grief or in a state of joy--in a state of grief when that which is wished for does not come to pass, but in a state of joy when it does come to pass; as in this case, that Rebekah, according to the vow of his heart, gave him to drink out of her pitcher, and made his camels drink also. That "bowing down" is a gesture of joy also, see (n. 2927, 2950). The term gladness is used, and also "joy," for the reason that in the Word "gladness" is predicated of truth, and "joy" of good. Moreover gladness is of the countenance, but joy of the heart; or what is the same, gladness is of spiritual affection or of truth, but joy is of celestial affection or of good; thus gladness is in a degree less than joy, as bending is likewise less than bowing down; which is also evident from the fact that the man of the spiritual church merely bends himself before the Lord, and invokes grace; whereas the man of the celestial church bows himself down before the Lord and implores mercy (n. 598, 981, 2423). Both terms are used by reason of the marriage of truth and good in every single thing of the Word (n. 683, 793, 801, 2516, 2712).

AC 3119. And he said, Blessed be Jehovah the God of my lord Abraham. That this signifies from the Divine Itself and the Divine Human, is evident from what was said above (n. 3061), where the same words occur, except that the word "blessed" is here added. "Blessed be Jehovah" was a form of thanksgiving, thus also of joy and gladness, when wished-for events took place. What the ancients meant by "blessing Jehovah," see (n. 1096, 1422).

AC 3120. Who hath not forsaken His mercy. That this signifies a perception of the influx of love, is evident from the signification of "mercy," as being love (n. 1735, 3063, 3073). That "who hath not forsaken His mercy" signifies a perception of the influx of love, is because these are words of acknowledgment and confession; and all acknowledgment and confession are from the perception of influx.

AC 3121. And His truth from my lord. That this signifies an influx of charity therefrom, is evident from the signification of "truth," as being charity. "Truth" in its proper sense signifies the same as "faith," and in the Hebrew language faith is expressed by a like word; so that what is called "truth" in the Word of the Old Testament is in various places called "faith" in the Word of the New Testament; and for this reason also it has been so often said in the foregoing pages that truth is of faith and good is of love. And yet that in the internal sense faith is nothing else than charity, may be seen from what has been said and shown above in many places--as that there is no faith except by love (n. 30-38): That no faith is possible except where there is charity (n. 654, 724, 1162, 1176, 2261): That faith is the faith of charity (n. 1608, 2049, 2116, 2343, 2349, 2419): That charity makes the church, not faith separate from charity (n. 809, 916, 1798, 1799, 1834, 1844, 2190, 2228, 2442). From all this it is evident that in the internal sense truth or faith is the same as charity; for all faith is from charity; the faith which is not from charity not being faith; or what is the same, in the internal sense all truth is good; for all truth is from good, and the truth which is not from good is not truth, truth being nothing else than the form of good (n. 3049); its birth is from no other source, and its life is from no other.

AC 3122. Moreover in regard to this truth by which is signified charity, the case is this: The most ancient people, who were celestial, by mercy and truth from the Lord understood nothing else than the reception of the influx of love to the Lord, and of the derivative charity toward the neighbor. But the ancients, who were spiritual, by the mercy and truth from the Lord with themselves, understood charity and faith; the reason of which is, that the celestial never thought concerning those things which are of faith or truth, but concerning those which are of love or good, as may be seen from what has been said above concerning the celestial man (n. 202, 337, 2669, 2715). Moreover celestial men when being reformed and regenerated were introduced into love to the Lord through charity toward the neighbor. It is evident therefore that by "mercy from the Lord" nothing else is signified than a perception of the influx of love to Him; and by "truth," a derivative influx of charity toward the neighbor.

[2] But it is otherwise with the spiritual; these think concerning the things of faith; and when being reformed and regenerated they are introduced by means of the things of faith into charity toward the neighbor. And therefore when the spiritual are treated of, by "mercy from the Lord" is meant an influx of charity toward the neighbor; and by "truth" is meant an influx of faith. But still this faith, when the spiritual man has been regenerated, becomes charity; for be then acts from charity; insomuch that one who does not act from charity is not regenerate, but he who acts from charity is regenerate; and in this case he is not solicitous about the things of faith or truth, for he lives from the good of faith, and no longer from its truth; for truth has so conjoined itself with good that it no longer appears, except merely as the form of charity.

[3] From what has been said we can see what the most ancient people, and what the ancients, understood by "mercy and truth," so frequently mentioned in the Word. As in David:--

Again:--

Again:--

Again:--

Again:--

Again:--

In Micah:--

where "Jacob" denotes the Lord’s external man, and "Abraham" the internal, as to the Human. In Hosea:--

"No truth" denotes no reception of the influx of charity; "no mercy," no reception of the influx of love; "no knowledge of God," no reception of the influx of the truth of faith.

AC 3123. I being in the way. That this signifies in a state of the conjunction of truth with good in the rational, is evident from the signification of a "way," as being truth (n. 627, 2333). That "in the way" here denotes the conjunction of truth with good in the rational, is because this is the subject treated of in this chapter (n. 3012, 3013); for one is said to be "in the way" when he is making progress toward the place to which he intends to go.

AC 3124. Jehovah hath led me to the house of my lords brethren. That this signifies to the good of truth, is evident from the signification of the "house of the brethren," of which was Rebekah, as being the good from which is the truth. That the "house of the brethren" is good, here the good from which is the truth, is evident from the signification of a "house," as being good (n. 2233, 2234, 2559); and of "brethren," as being the origin of that good from which is the truth represented by Rebekah.

AC 3125. The foregoing verses treat of the exploration of the truth which was to be conjoined with good in the rational, in regard to innocence, to charity, and to origin. For inasmuch as the Lord, by His own proper power, made His rational Divine in respect to truth as well as in respect to good, He therefore explored the truth which He conjoined with good. But with men, truth is never conjoined with good by their own power, but by the power of the Lord; which may be seen from the fact that all good and truth flow in from the Lord, and that all reformation and regeneration are from the Lord, and that man does not know one whit of how he is regenerated. At the present day he does not even know that he is regenerated by truth and good, still less that truth is initiated and conjoined with good, and that this is effected as by exploration, that is, most exactly. These two verses treat of perception in regard to the quality of truth, and whence it was; and at the same time of joy because of it. Therefore in what now follows the initiation is treated of.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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