Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 34:18-24
[2] This signification of the expression "a land broad in spaces" must excite wonder in one who is not aware that there is something spiritual in the Word other than what appears In the literal sense, but that nevertheless such is the case may be seen from the passages in the Word where "breadth" is mentioned; as in Isaiah:--
Assyria shall go through Judah; he shall inundate and pass through; he shall reach even to the neck, and the extensions of his wings shall be the fullness of the breadth of the land (Isa. 8:8).
In David:--
O Jehovah Thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy, Thou hast made my feet to stand in breadth (Ps. 31:8).
In the same:--
Out of straitness I called upon Jah; He answered me in breadth (Ps. 118:5).
In Habakkuk:--
I raise up the Chaldeans, a bitter and swift nation that walks in the breadths of the land (Habakkuk 1:6);
where by "breadths" nothing else is signified than the truth of the church.
[3] The reason why "breadth" has this signification is that in the spiritual world, or in heaven, the Lord is the center of all things, for He is the sun there. They who are in a state of good are interior in proportion to the quality and quantity of the good in which they are, and therefore "height" is predicated of good. They who are in a like degree of good are also in a like degree of truth, and therefore are as it were at a like distance, or, so to speak, in the same circumference, and hence "breadth" is predicated of truths; and therefore when a man is reading the Word this is what the angels who are with him understand by "breadth." In those historicals of the Word where the ark, the altar, the temple, and the spaces outside the cities are treated of, by the dimensions of these in respect to lengths, breadths, and heights, are perceived the states of good and truth. The case is similar where the new earth, the new Jerusalem, and the new temple are treated of in Ezekiel xl. to xlvii, by which are signified heaven and a new church, as may be seen from every particular. So also in John, where it is said of the new Jerusalem that it will be foursquare, and its length as great as its breadth (Rev. 21:16).
[4] Things which in the spiritual world are interior are described in the Word by things that are higher, and things which are exterior by things that are lower (n. 2148); for while a man is in this world he cannot apprehend interior and exterior things in any other way, because he is in space and time, and the things of space and time have entered the ideas of his thought, and have tinctured most of these; from which it is evident that terms relating to measure, which are limitations of space, such as heights, lengths, and breadths, are in the spiritual sense those which determine the states of the affections of good and the affections of truth.
. Let us take their daughters to us for women, and let us give our daughters to them. That this signifies conjunction, is evident from the explication given above (n. 4466), where similar words occur. . Nevertheless in this will the men consent to us to dwell with us. That this signifies that they would agree in respect to the life, is evident from the signification of "consenting," as being to agree; and from the signification of "dwelling," as being life (n. 4451, 4452). . To be for one people. That this signifies in respect to the doctrine, is evident from the signification of "people," as being doctrine (n. 4468). . In every male being circumcised to us even as they are circumcised. That this signifies provided they would be initiated thereby into their representatives and significatives in respect to externals alone, is evident from the signification of "to be circumcised," as being an external representative, a sign that they were of the church, here of the religiosity in which were the descendants of Jacob (n. 4462). And because these men accepted their religiosity, which consisted in externals alone (n. 4281, 4293, 4307), it is therefore said, "even as they are circumcised." Hence it is evident that the words above quoted signify initiation by the means in question into the Jewish representatives and significatives in respect to externals alone. What these words further enfold within them will appear from what follows. . Their acquisition, and their purchase. That this signifies their truths, is evident from the signification of "acquisition" and of "purchase," as being truths, but these terms are distinguished from each other in this way: "acquisition," when it means small cattle, denotes the good of truth, for this is the signification of "small cattle," and the good of truth is truth in will and act (n. 4337, 4353, 4390); whereas "purchase," elsewhere called "purchase of silver," denotes truth. The former, or good of truth, is called celestial truth; but the latter is called spiritual truth (n. 2048). The former, or celestial truth, is the truth which has become of the life; but the latter, or spiritual truth, is the truth which is of doctrine. . And all their beast. That this signifies their goods, is evident from the signification of "beast," as being goods (n. 45, 46, 142, 143, 246, 714, 715, 1823, 2179, 2180, 2781, 3218, 3519). . Will they not be ours? That this signifies that these were alike and of one form, is evident from the series, which is to the effect that the goods and truths of the Most Ancient Church still in part remaining among Hamor and Shechem and their families, would agree with the goods and truths of the Ancient Church among the descendants of Jacob; for the rituals instituted among the descendants of Jacob were merely external things that represented and signified the internal things of the Most Ancient Church. Hence by "will they not be ours," or belong to them, is signified that they were alike and of one form.[2] To illustrate this by an example. The altar on which they sacrificed was the chief representative of the Lord (n. 921, 2777, 2811); and therefore it was a fundamental of worship in the Ancient Church called "Hebrew;" consequently all things in general and in particular of which the altar was constructed were representative--its dimensions, height, breadth, and length, its stones, its net-work of brass, its horns, also the fire that was to be kept perpetually burning on it, besides the sacrifices and burnt-offerings. What these represented were the truths and goods which are of the Lord and from the Lord, and these were the internal things of worship, which being represented in that external, were alike and of one form with the truths and goods of the Most Ancient Church. The dimensions, namely, the height, breadth, and length, signified in general good, truth, and the holy thence derived (n. 650, 1613, 3433, 3434, 4482); the stones specifically signified lower truths (n. 1298, 3720); the brass of which the net-work around the altar was made signified natural good (n. 425, 1551); the horns signified the power of truth from good (n. 2832); the fire upon the altar signified love (n. 934); the sacrifices and burnt-offerings signified celestial and spiritual things according to their various species (n. 922, 1823, 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830, 3519). Hence it is evident that internal things were contained within these external ones, and that in respect to the internal things the two churches were alike; and the case is the same in regard to all the other rituals.
[3] But the men of the Most Ancient Church cared not for these external things, because they were internal men, and the Lord flowed in with them by an internal way, and taught them what is good. The varieties and differences of good were to them truths, and hence they knew what each and all things in the world represented in the Lord’s kingdom; for the whole world, or universal nature, is a theater representative of the Lord‘s kingdom (n. 2758, 3483). But the men of the Ancient Church were not internal but external men; and therefore the Lord could not flow in with them by an internal, but by an external way, to teach them what is good, and this first by such things as were representative and significative (whence arose the representative church), and afterwards by the doctrinal things of good and truth which were represented and signified (whence arose the Christian Church). In respect to its internal form the Christian Church is essentially the same as the representative church; but the representatives and significatives of this church were abrogated after the Lord came into the world, because all and each of them represented Him and consequently the things of His kingdom, for these are from Him, and are so to speak Himself.
[4] But the difference between the Most Ancient Church and the Christian Church is like that between the light of the sun by day, and the light of the moon and stars by night; for to see goods by the internal or prior way is like seeing in the day by the light of the sun; but to see by the external or posterior way is like seeing in the night by the light of the moon or the stars. Nearly the same was the difference between the Most Ancient Church and the Ancient Church, except that the men of the Christian Church were able to be In fuller light if they would have acknowledged internal things, or would have believed and done the truths and goods which the Lord taught. The good itself is the same in both, but the difference consists in seeing it in clearness or In obscurity. They who see it in clearness, see innumerable arcana, almost as do the angels in heaven, and are also affected by what they see; but they who see it in obscurity, see scarcely anything free from doubt, and the things they see are mingled with the shades of night (that is, with falsities) and cannot inwardly affect anyone. Now as the good is the same in both churches, consequently also the truth, by the words, "will they not be ours" is signified that the goods and truths were alike and of one form; for as before said Hamor and Shechem were of the remains of the Most Ancient Church, and the posterity of Jacob was of the Ancient Church that was called "Hebrew," but only In its externals. But that Hamor and Shechem his son committed an enormous sin in receiving circumcision will be seen in what follows (n. 4493).
. Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us. That this signifies if we condescend, and that so they would consociate their life; is evident from the signification of "consenting," as being to condescend; and from the signification of "dwelling with us," as being to live together or consociate their life (n. 4467). . And they listened to Hamor and to Shechem his son. That this signifies consent, is evident without explication . All that went out of the gate of his city. That this signifies that they would recede from the doctrine of the Church among the Ancients, is evident from the signification of "going out," as here being to recede; and from the signification of the "gate of a city," as being doctrine (n. 2943, 4477), here the doctrine of the Church among the Ancients, because it was the gate of "his city," that is, of Shechem, for by Shechem is represented the truth of the Church among the Ancients (n. 4454). As before said, by the Church among the Ancients is meant that which was from the Most Ancient Church. How the case herein is will appear from what now follows. . And they circumcised every male, all that went out of the gate of his city. That this signifies accession to external things, is evident from the signification of "circumcising every male," as being to be initiated thereby into the representatives and significatives of the descendants of Jacob in respect to the external alone (n. 4486); and from the signification of "going out of the gate of the city," as being to recede from the doctrine of the Church among the Ancients, concerning which just above (n. 4492). And because recession from their own doctrine and accession to externals are both signified, it is therefore twice said, "all that went out of the gate of his city." But it is not at the same time said also, as elsewhere, "they that go into it," because by "going in" is signified accession to doctrine, and recession from externals, whereas here the contrary is signified.[2] It is necessary to say how the case herein is. The men of the Most Ancient Church, of the remains of which were Hamor and Shechem with their families, were of a totally different genius and native quality from the men of the Ancient Church; for the men of the Most Ancient Church had a will in which there was soundness, but not so the men of the Ancient Church. Therefore with the men of the Most Ancient Church the Lord could inflow through the will, thus by an internal way; but not so with the men of the Ancient Church, in whom the will had been destroyed; but with these He inflowed into the understanding, thus not by an internal way, but by an external way, as before said (n. 4489). To inflow through the will is to inflow through the good of love, for all good is of the will part; but to inflow through the understanding is to inflow through the truth of faith, for all truth is of the intellectual part. When the Lord regenerated the men of the Ancient Church He formed a new will in their intellectual part. Goods and truths were implanted in the will part of the men of the Most Ancient Church, (n. 895, 927), but in the intellectual part of the men of the Ancient Church, (n. 863, 875, 895, 927, 2124, 2256, 4328). A new will is formed in the intellectual part, (n. 928, 1023, 1043, 1044, 4328). There is a parallelism between the Lord and the good that is with man, but not between the Lord and the truth with man, (n. 1831, 1832, 2718, 3514). Hence the men of the Ancient Church were in comparative obscurity, (n. 2708, 2715, 2935, 2937, 3246, 3833). From all this it is evident that the men of the Most Ancient Church were of a totally different genius and native quality from the men of the Ancient Church.
[3] It was for this reason that the men of the Most Ancient Church were internal men and had no externals of worship, and that the men of the Ancient Church were external men and had externals of worship; for the former saw external things through internal ones as in the light of the sun by day, and the latter saw internal things through external ones as in the light of the moon and stars by night. Therefore also in heaven the Lord appears to the former as a sun, but to the latter as a moon (n. 1521, 1529-1531, 2441, 2495, 4060). In these explications the former are they who are called "celestial," but the latter "spiritual."
[4] To illustrate the difference let us take an example: If a man of the Most Ancient Church had read the historic or prophetic Word, he would have seen its internal sense without any previous instruction or explication, and this so fully that the celestial and spiritual things of this sense would have at once occurred to him, and scarcely anything in the sense of the letter; thus the internal sense would have been in clearness to him, but the sense of the letter in obscurity. He would be like one who hears another speaking and gets the meaning without attending to the words. But if a man of the Ancient Church had read the Word he could not have seen its internal sense without previous instruction or explication; thus the internal sense would have been in obscurity to him, but the sense of the letter in clearness. He would be like one who hears another speaking and is intent upon the words while not attending to the meaning, which is thus lost to him. But when a man of the Jewish Church reads the Word, he apprehends nothing beyond the sense of the letter, he is not aware that there is any internal sense, and also denies it; and at the present day the case is the same with a man of the Christian Church.
[5] All this shows what was the difference between those represented by Hamor and Shechem (who being of the remains of the Most Ancient Church were in internals and not in externals), and those signified by the sons of Jacob (who were in externals and not in internals); and it shows further that Hamor and Shechem could not accede to externals and accept those among the sons of Jacob without their internals being closed; thus causing their eternal destruction.
[6] This is the secret reason why Hamor and Shechem with their families were slain, which otherwise would not have been permitted. But this does not exculpate the sons of Jacob from having committed an enormous crime. They knew nothing of this secret reason, and it was not the end they had in view. Everyone is judged according to his end or intention, and that their intention was fraudulent is plainly stated in the (verse 13); and when any such crime is permitted by the Lord, it is evil men and their infernal instigators who are the authors of it. Nevertheless all the evil which the evil intend and do to the good is turned by the Lord into good, as in the present instance, in that Hamor and Shechem with their families were saved.
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