Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 30:14-16
[2] That "wheat" denotes the things of love and charity, may also be seen from the following passages. In Moses:--
Jehovah maketh him to ride on the high places of the earth, and feedeth him with the increase of the fields, and maketh him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; butter of the herd and milk of the flock, with the fat of lambs and of rams, the sons of Bashan, and of he-goats, with the fat of the kidneys of wheat, and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape (Deut. 32:13, 14)
here in the internal sense the subject treated of is the Ancient Church and its state when it was set up; and all the things of love and charity and all the things of faith that were in it, are described by significatives. The "fat of the kidneys of wheat" is the celestial of love and charity; and as "fat" or " fatness" signifies the celestial (n. 353), and "wheat," love, they are frequently joined together in the Word, as also in David:--
O that My people were obedient to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways. He should feed them with the fat of wheat, and with honey out of the rock would I satisfy thee (Ps. 81:13, 16).
And again in the same:--
Jehovah, He maketh thy border peace, and filleth thee with the fat of wheat (Ps. 147:14).
[3] That "wheat" is love and charity, may be seen in Jeremiah:--
Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard, they have trodden down the portion of My field, they have made the portion of My field a wilderness of solitude. Wasters are come upon all the hills in the wilderness for the sword of Jehovah devoureth from one end of the land even to the other end of the land no flesh hath peace. They have sown wheat, and have reaped thorns (Jer. 12:10, 12, 13);
"vineyard" and "field" denote the church; the "wilderness of solitude," its vastation; the " sword that devoureth," the vastation of truth; "no peace," no good that affects; sowing wheat," the goods of love and charity; " reaping thorns," the evils and falsities of the love of self and of the world. A "vineyard" is the spiritual church, (n. 1069); and a "field" is the church as to good, (n. 2971); a "wilderness" is vastation, (n. 1927, 2708); a "devouring sword" is the vastation of truth, (n. 2799); and "peace" is good that affects, (n. 3780).
[4] In Joel:--
The field is wasted, the ground mourneth, for the corn is wasted, the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth, the husbandmen were ashamed, the vine-dressers have howled, for the wheat and for the barley for the harvest of the field is perished. Gird yourselves and lament, ye priests; howl, ye ministers of the altar (Joel 1:10, 11, 13).
Everyone sees that the state of the vastated church is that which is here described; thus that "field" and "ground" are the church; the "corn" its good, and the "new wine" its truth (n. 3580); and that the "wheat" is celestial love, and the "barley" spiritual love; and as the state of the church is treated of, it is said, "gird yourselves and lament, ye priests howl, ye ministers of the altar."
[5] In Ezekiel, the Spirit of Jehovah said to the prophet:--
Take unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them into one vessel, and make thee bread thereof. With the ordure of man‘s dung shalt thou make a cake before their eyes. Thus shall the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean (Ezek. 4:9, 12, 13);
where the profanation of good and truth is treated of; the "wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt" denote the kinds of good and its derivative truth; the "bread" or "cake" made thereof with the ordure of human dung," denotes the profanation of all of them.
[6] In John:--
I saw and behold a black horse; and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand. And I heard a voice from the midst of the four living creatures, saying, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny and hurt thou not the oil and the wine (Rev. 6:5, 6);
where the vastation of good and truth is treated of; a "measure of wheat for a penny" denoting the scarcity of love; and "three measures of barley for a penny," the scarcity of charity.
[7] In Ezekiel:--
Judah and the land of Israel were thy merchants with wheat of Minnith, and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balsam, they made thy tradings (Ezek. 27:17);
where the subject is Tyre, by which are signified the knowledges of good and truth; the goods of love and charity and their happinesses are the "wheat of Minnith, and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balsam;" "Judah" is the celestial church, and the "land of Israel," the spiritual church, from which those things are; "tradings" are acquisitions.
[8] In Moses:--
A land of wheat and barley, a land of vine and fig-tree and pomegranate, a land of olive, of oil, and of honey (Deut. 8:8);
describing the land of Canaan, which in the internal sense is the Lord’s kingdom (n. 1413, 1437, 1585, 1607, 3038, 3705). The goods of love and charity are signified by the "wheat and barley;" and the goods of faith by the " vine and the fig-tree."
[9] In Matthew:--
Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His threshing floor and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12).
John the Baptist thus speaks of the Lord; the "wheat" denotes the good of love and charity; the "chaff," that in which there is nothing of good. In the same:--
Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into My barn (Matthew 13:30);
the "tares" denote evils and falsities and the " wheat," goods. They are comparisons, but the comparisons in the Word are all made by means of significatives.
. and found dudaim in the field. That this signifies the things of conjugial love in the truth and good of charity and love, is evident from the signification of " dudaim," as being the things that belong to conjugial love; and from the signification of the "field," as being the church, and consequently the truth of faith and good of charity, because these make the church (n. 368, 2971, 3196, 3310, 3500, 3508, 3766). What the "dudaim" were, the translators do not know. They suppose them to have been fruits or flowers, to which they give names according to their several opinions. But of what kind they were it does not concern us to know, but merely the fact that among the ancients who were of the church, all fruits and flowers were significative; for they knew that universal nature is a theater representative of the Lord‘s kingdom (n. 3483); and that all the things in its three kingdoms are representative; and that each thing represents some specific thing in the spiritual world, and therefore also each fruit and flower. That by the "dudaim" there is signified the conjugial of good and truth, may be seen from the series of things here in the internal sense; as well as from the derivation of that word in the original language; for it is derived from the word dudaim, which means loves and conjunction by means of them. That "dudaim" comes from this, and that it signifies that which is conjugial is evident from the following words:--In the morning we will arise to the vineyards we will see whether the vine hath blossomed and hath put forth the grape, whether the pomegranates have put forth flowers there I will give thee my loves (dudim) the dudaim have given forth a scent (Song of Solomon 7:12, 13).
All this shows what is signified by the "dudaim."
[2] As regards the book in which this passage is found, and which is called The Song, it is not among those called "Moses and the Prophets," because it has not the internal sense; but it was written in the ancient style, and is full of significatives collected from the books of the Ancient Church, and of many things which in the Ancient Church signified celestial and spiritual love, and especially conjugial love. That this is the nature of that book is also evident from the fact that in its literal sense are many things not decorous, which is not the case with the books called "Moses and the Prophets;" but as within it there have been collected together such things as are significative of celestial and of conjugial love, it appears as if it possessed a certain mystic meaning.
[3] From this signification of the "dudaim" we can now see that by "Reuben found them in the field" there is signified the conjugial that is in the truth and good of love and charity; that is to say, that which can be conjoined. For in the spiritual sense the conjugial principle is nothing else than that truth which can be conjoined with good, and that good which can be conjoined with truth. From this also comes all conjugial love (n. 2728, 2729, 3132); and therefore genuine conjugial love is not possible except with those who are in good and truth, and thus are together in the heavenly marriage.
. And brought them unto Leah his mother. That this signifies application to the affection of external truth, is evident from the signification of "bringing," as here being application; and from the representation of Leah, as being the affection of external truth (n. 3793, 3819). . And Rachel said to Leah. That this signifies the perception of the affection of interior truth, and a longing for it, is evident from the signification of "saying," as being to perceive (n. 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509); and from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819). That the signification is the affection of and the longing for this truth, is also evident from what presently follows; for Rachel says, "Give me I pray of thy son’s dudaim." . Give me I pray of thy son‘s dudaim. That this signifies the affection of and longing for the things of conjugial love, with which it might be mutually and alternately conjoined, is evident from the signification of the "dudaim," as being the things of conjugial love (n. 3942). That the signification is affection and longing, is also evident (n. 3944). Conjugial love is conjunction mutually and alternately, (n. 2731). . And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my man? That this signifies that there is a conjugial longing, is evident from the signification of "taking a man" who is also another’s (as here Jacob, who was also Leah‘s), as involving mutual love between them. Hence it is that by these words, "Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my man?" there is signified conjugial longing. . And wouldest thou take also my son’s dudaim? That this signifies that thus would be withdrawn the conjugial of natural good with external truth, is evident from the signification of "taking," as being here to withdraw; from the signification of the "dudaim," as being what is conjugial (n. 3942); and from the signification of a "son," as being truth, (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147); here, external truth, because it is Leah who says it; and that" Leah" is external truth has been shown above. . And Rachel said, Therefore he shall be with thee tonight for thy son‘s dudaim. That this signifies consent that it should be conjoined, is evident without explication. . And Jacob came from the field in the evening. That this signifies the good of truth in a state of good, but in obscurity such as belongs to the natural, is evident from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of truth of the natural (n. 3669, 3677, 3775, 3829); from the signification of a "field," as being the church as to good (n. 2971), and thus good; and from the signification of the "evening," as being obscurity (n. 3056, 3833). . And Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come to me. That this signifies a longing on the part of the affection of external truth, to be conjoined therewith, is evident from the representation of Leah, as being the affection of external truth, as shown above. That the signification is a longing to be conjoined, is evident without explication. . For hiring I have hired thee with my son’s dudaim. That this signifies that it was thus promised from forethought is evident from the signification of "hiring to hire" as being that which is promised; as is also evident from what goes before. That it is from foresight, is because all the conjunction of truth with good, and of good with truth, in man, is effected from foresight; that is, from the Lord‘s Providence. For the subject here treated of is the conjunction of good with truth, and of truth with good, and thus the good that is appropriated to man. For good is not good in man until it has been conjoined with truth. And as all good comes from the Lord, that is, all the appropriation of good through its conjunction with truth, it is therefore here said, from foresight." The Lord’s Providence is especially concerned with this conjunction. By means of it man becomes man, and is distinguished from the brute animals; and he becomes man in so far as he receives of it; that is, in so far as he permits the Lord to effect it. This therefore is the good that is with man; and no other good that is spiritual and that remains to eternity, is possible.[2] Moreover the goods of the external man, which so long as the man lives in the world are the delights of life, are good only in so far as they pace inwardly of this good. For example, the good of riches. In so far as riches have spiritual good within them, that is, in so far as they have as their end the good of the neighbor, the good of our country or the public good, and the good of the church, so far they are good. But they who conclude that the spiritual good of which we are speaking is not possible in a condition of worldly opulence, and who therefore persuade themselves that to make room for heaven they must divest themselves of such things, are much mistaken. For if they renounce their wealth, or deprive themselves of it, they can then do good to no one, nor can themselves live in the world except in misery and thus can no longer have as their end the good of the neighbor, and the good of their country, nor even the good of the church, but themselves only, that they may be saved, add become greater than others in the heavens. Moreover when they divest themselves of worldly goods, they expose themselves to contempt, because they make themselves of low estimation in the sight of others, and consequently useless for performing services and discharging duties. But when they have the good of others as their end, they then have also as an end, or as means, a state of being in the capability of effecting this end.
[3] The case herein is precisely as it is with the nutrition of a man, which has as its end that he may have a sound mind in a sound body. If a man deprives his body of its nourishment, he deprives himself also of the condition needed for his end; and therefore he who is a spiritual man does not despise nourishment, nor even its pleasures; and yet he does not hold them as his end, but only as a means that is of service to his end. From this as an example we can judge of all other things.
. And he lay with her that night. That this signifies conjunction, is evident without explication. The reason why the foregoing matters have been unfolded in the internal sense merely as to the significations of the words, is that they are of such a nature that they cannot be comprehended unless they are set forth in one series. For the subject treated of is the conjunction of truth with good and of good with truth, which conjunction is the conjugial as understood in the spiritual sense; that is, the conjunction which makes the heavenly marriage with man and in the church. The arcana of this heavenly marriage are described in the above verses, and are there revealed as follows. As before shown the heavenly marriage is that of good with truth and of truth with good, yet is not between good and truth of one and the same degree, but between good and truth of a lower and of a higher degree, that is, not between the good of the external man and the truth of the same, but between the good of the external man and the truth of the internal; or what is the same, not between the good of the natural man and its truth, but between the good of the natural man and the truth of the spiritual man. This conjunction is that which makes the marriage.[2] It is the same in the internal or spiritual man; the heavenly marriage there is not between the good and the truth in that man; but between the good of the spiritual man and the truth of the celestial man; for the celestial man is relatively in a higher degree. Nor is there a heavenly marriage between the good and the truth in the celestial man; but between the good of the celestial man and the truth Divine which proceeds from the Lord. From this it is also evident that the Divine marriage itself of the Lord is not between the good Divine and the truth Divine in His Divine Human, but between the good of the Divine Human and the Divine Itself, that is, between the Son and the Father; for the good of the Lord‘s Divine Human is that which is called in the Word the " Son of God," and the Divine Itself is called the "Father."
[3] These are the arcana contained in the internal sense in what is said concerning the dudaim. Everyone can see that there must be some arcanum therein, for to relate that Reuben found dudaim in the field, and that Rachel longed for them, and in return for them promised that their man should be with Leah; and that Leah went to meet Jacob when he came from the field in the evening, and said that she had hired him with the dudaim, these things would be too trivial to make any part of the history in the Word, unless there was something Divine hidden within them. But what Divine thing is meant no one can know unless he knows what is signified by the sons of Jacob and by the tribes named from them and unless he also knows the series of the subject in the internal sense; and moreover unless he knows what the heavenly marriage is, for this is what is treated of, namely, that it is the conjunction of the good in the external man with the affection of truth in the internal man.
[4] But in order to the better understanding of this arcanum, I may illustrate it further. The truths of the external man are the memory-knowledges and doctrinal things that the man first learned from his parents, and also from his teachers, then from books, and finally by his own study. The good of the external man is the pleasure and delight that he perceives in these things. The memory-knowledges, which are truths, and the delights, which are good, are conjoined together but they do not make in him the heavenly marriage, for with those who are in the love of self and of the world, and thence in evil and falsity, the memory-knowledges, and even the doctrinal things, are conjoined with delights but it is with the delights of these loves, for with these even truths can be conjoined. And yet such persons are out of the heavenly marriage. But when the pleasure or the delight that is the good of the external or natural man is from spiritual love, that is, from love toward the neighbor, toward our country or the state, toward the church and the Lord’s kingdom, and still more when it is from celestial love, which is love to the Lord; and when these flow in from the internal or spiritual man into the delight of the external or natural man and make it; then this conjunction with the memory-knowledges and doctrinal things of the external or natural man constitutes with him the heavenly marriage. This is not possible with the evil, but only with the good, that is, with those who have these things as their end. But see how the case is with the influx of the internal or spiritual man into the external or natural man, (n. 3286, 3288, 3314, 3321).
[5] As soon as these things have become known, it is possible to know what is signified by each of the things that have been explained above in regard merely to the internal sense of the words as that Reuben (who is the truth of faith, which is the first of regeneration) found dudaim; that he brought them to his mother Leah (who is the affection of external truth); that Rachel (who is the affection of interior truth) longed for them, and that they were given her; that Leah therefore lay with her man Jacob (who is the good of truth in the natural man) also, in what follows, that there were born to Jacob by Leah the sons Issachar and Zebulun, by whom are signified and represented the things of conjugial love, and thus of the heavenly marriage; and then that Joseph was born, by whom is signified and represented the Lord‘s spiritual kingdom, which is the marriage itself that is treated of.
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