Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 35:16-20
[2] In these verses the subject treated of is the advancement of the Lord’s Divine toward interior things, for when the Lord made His Human Divine He advanced in a like order to that in which He makes man new by regeneration, namely, from what is external to interior things, thus from the truth which is in the ultimate of order to a good which is interior, and is called spiritual good, and from this to celestial good. But these things cannot fall into the understanding of anyone unless it is known what the external man and the internal man are, and that the former is distinct from the latter, although while man is living in the body they appear as one; also unless it is known that the natural constitutes the external man, and the rational the internal; and further, unless it is known what the spiritual is and what the celestial.
[3] These things have indeed already been occasionally unfolded, nevertheless they who have previously had no idea about them in consequence of having no desire to know the things of eternal life, find it impossible to have any such idea. Such people say, "What is the internal man? Is it possible that it can be distinct from the external? What is the natural, and the rational? Are they not one? Moreover, What is the spiritual, and the celestial? Is not this a new distinction? We have heard of the spiritual, but that the celestial is something else we have not heard." The case however is thus: They who have not previously acquired any idea on these subjects, for the reason that the cares of the world and of the body have possession of‘ all their thought and take away all desire of knowing anything else; or because they deem it sufficient to know their doctrinal tenets as they are commonly known, and that it is of no consequence to have any further thought about the matter, saying, "We see the world, but the other life we do not see, perhaps it exists and perhaps not" much persons put away all these subjects, for even at the first look they at heart reject them.
[4] Nevertheless as they are such things as are contained in the internal sense of the Word, and these cannot be explained without adequate terms, and we have no terms more adequate for expressing exterior things than the term natural, for interior things than the term rational, for those things which are of truth the term spiritual, and those which are of good the term celestial, it is absolutely necessary to make use of these terms, for without terms adapted to the subject nothing can be described. In order therefore that those who desire to know may receive some idea of what the spiritual of the celestial is which Benjamin represents and which "Bethlehem" signifies, I will briefly explain it. In the supreme sense the subject that has been treated of is the glorification of the Lord’s natural, and in the relative sense the regeneration of man as to his natural. That Jacob represented the man of the church as to his external, and Israel as to his internal, thus Jacob as to his exterior natural, and Israel as to his interior natural, has been shown above (n. 4286); for the spiritual man is from the natural, and the celestial man is from the rational. It has also been shown that the Lord‘s glorification advanced from external things to more interior things, in like manner as the regeneration of man advances, and that for the sake of this representation Jacob was called "Israel."
[5] But a further advance toward more interior things is now treated of, namely, toward the rational, for as just said, the rational constitutes the internal man. The intermediate between the internal of the natural and the external of the rational is what is meant by the spiritual of the celestial, which is signified by "Ephrath" and "Bethlehem," and is represented by Benjamin. This intermediate derives somewhat from the internal of the natural which is "Israel," and from the external of the rational which is "Joseph;" for that which is intermediate derives something from each extreme, otherwise it could not serve as an intermediate. In order that anyone from being spiritual may become celestial, he must needs advance through this intermediate, for to climb up to higher things without an intermediate is not possible.
[6] And therefore the nature of the advance through this intermediate is here described by Jacob’s coming to Ephrath, and by Rachel‘s bringing forth Benjamin there. Hence it is evident that by their journeying from Bethel, and by there being yet a tract of land to come to Ephrath, is signified what is continuous of the advancement of the Lord’s Divine from the Divine natural to the spiritual of the celestial which is signified by "Ephrath" and "Bethlehem," and is represented by Benjamin. The spiritual of the celestial is the intermediate that is spoken of, being called "spiritual" from the spiritual man, which viewed in itself is the interior of the natural man, and "celestial" from the celestial man, which viewed in itself is the rational man. "Joseph" is the exterior rational man, and therefore the celestial of the spiritual from the rational is predicated of him.
. And Rachel brought forth, and suffered hard things in her bringing forth. That this signifies the temptations of interior truth, is evident from the signification of "bringing forth," as being the coming forth of the spiritual things which are of truth and of the celestial things which are of good, for in the internal sense "to bring forth" denotes the things of the spiritual birth (n. 1145, 1255, 2584, 3860, 3868, 3905, 3915, 3919, 4070); from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819); and from the signification of "suffering hard things," as being to undergo temptations, for when "to suffer hard things" is predicated of truths and goods, or of spiritual things and celestial things, it cannot mean anything else, because no one can attain to these except by means of temptations, for then interior goods and truths fight with the evils and falsities from what is hereditary and what is actual, the man being kept by the Lord from within in goods and truths, and being assaulted by the evils and falsities which burst forth from what is hereditary, and which are present from what is actual, that is, by the spirits and genii who are in these evils and falsities and are with the man. Hence come temptations, whereby not only are evils and falsities, when overcome, cast out and removed, but also goods and truths are confirmed. These are the things which are signified by Rachel‘s bringing forth, and by her suffering hard things in her bringing forth. . And it came to pass in her suffering hard things in her bringing forth. That this signifies after temptations, is evident from what was said just above (n. 4586), and thus without further explication. . That the midwife said unto her, Fear not. That this signifies perception from the natural, is evident from the signification of "saying" in the historicals of the Word as being perception (n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509); and from the signification of a "midwife," as being the natural. The reason why "midwife" here denotes the natural is that when interior temptations are being undergone, that is, when the interior man is undergoing temptations, the natural is then like a midwife; for unless the natural affords aid, it is impossible for any birth of interior truth to take place; for when interior truths are born, it is the natural which receives them into its bosom, because it affords the opportunity for them to work their way out. It is always the case with the things of spiritual birth, that their reception must be wholly in the natural; and this is the reason why when a man is being regenerated, the natural is first prepared to receive; and in so far as this is made receptive, so far interior truths and goods can be brought forth and multiplied. This is also the reason why if during the bodily life the natural man has not been prepared to receive the truths and goods of faith, he cannot receive them in the other life, consequently cannot be saved. This is what is meant by the common saying that as the tree falls, so it lies; or as man dies, such he will be. For man has with him in the other life all his natural memory, or that of his external man, although not there permitted to use it, (n. 2469-2494), so that it is there as a foundation plane, into which interior truths and goods fall; and if this plane is not receptacle of the goods and truths which flow in from within, these interior goods and truths are either extinguished, or perverted, or rejected. From all this it is evident that the natural is like a midwife.[2] That in so far as the natural is a recipient when the interior man brings forth, it is like a midwife, may be seen also from the internal sense of the things related of the mid-wives who contrary to the command of Pharaoh saved alive the sons of the Hebrew women, of which we read in Moses:
The king of Egypt said to the midwives of the Hebrew women, and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools, if it be a son, then ye shall kill him, but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt spake to them, but saved the male children alive. And the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this word, and have saved the male children alive? And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women, for they are lively, and have brought forth ere the midwife come unto them. And God did well to the midwives, and the people were multiplied, and became very numerous. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that He made them houses (Exod. 1:15-21);
by the daughters and sons the Hebrew women brought forth, are represented the goods and truths of a new church; by the midwives, the natural in so far as it is a recipient of goods and truths; by the king of Egypt, memory-knowledge in general (n. 1164, 1165, 1186), which extinguishes truths when it enters into the things of faith by an inverted way, believing nothing except what the senses and memory-knowledge dictate. That the "midwives" here are receptions of truth in the natural, will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be confirmed when the contents of that chapter come to be unfolded.
. For this also is to thee a son. That this signifies spiritual truth, may be seen from the signification of a "son," as being truth (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373); here spiritual truth, because the "son" here is Benjamin, by whom is represented the spiritual of the celestial. . And it came to pass as her soul was in departing that she was about to die. That this signifies a state of temptations, is evident from the signification of the "soul going forth and dying," as being the utmost of temptation, which exists when the old man is dying and the new man is receiving life. That this is the signification is manifest from what precedes, in that her "suffering hard things in bringing forth" denotes the temptation of interior truth (n. 4586, 4587); and from what follows at (verse 19), that "Rachel died." . And she called his name Benoni. That this signifies the quality of this state, is evident from the signification of "calling a name," as being quality, as often shown above. The state here described in the internal sense is a state of temptations, the quality of which is what is signified by "Benoni," for in the original language "Benoni" means "the son of my sorrow" or "mourning." In ancient times names significative of the state were given to infants, (n. 1946, 2643, 3422, 4298). . And his father called him Benjamin. That this signifies the quality of the spiritual of the celestial, is evident from the representation of Benjamin, as being the spiritual of the celestial. What this is was explained above (n. 4585), namely, that it is the intermediate which exists between the spiritual and the celestial, or between the spiritual man and the celestial man. In the original language "Benjamin" means "the son of the right hand;" and by a "son of the right hand" is signified spiritual truth which is from celestial good and the consequent power, for good has power by means of truth (n. 3563). A "son" is truth (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373), and the "hand" is power (n. 878, 3091, 3563); hence the "right hand" is the highest power. Hence it is evident what is signified by "sitting at the right hand of God," namely, a state of power by virtue of the truth which is from good (n. 3387), which when predicated of the Lord is omnipotence, and also the Divine truth which proceeds from the Lord‘s Divine good (Ps. 110:1; Matt. 22:44; 26:63, 64; Mark 14:61, 62; 16:19; Luke 22:69); and whereas it denotes Divine power that is, omnipotent is therefore said, "at the right hand of the power" (or virtue) "of God."[2] It is manifest from this what in the genuine sense is signified by "Benjamin," namely, the spiritual truth which is from the celestial good which is "Joseph." Both together therefore are that intermediate which as before said is between the spiritual man and the celestial man (n. 4585). But this good and this truth are distinct from the celestial which is represented by "Judah," and the spiritual which is represented by "Israel," of which the former is higher or more interior, and the latter is lower or more external, for as before said they are an intermediate. But no one can have an idea of the good which is represented by Joseph, and of the truth which is represented by Benjamin, except the man who is enlightened by the light of heaven. The angels have a clear idea of them, because all the ideas of their thought are from the light of heaven which is from the Lord, in which they see and perceive illimitable things which man cannot possibly comprehend, still less utter. As an illustration take the following.
[3] All men whatever are born natural, with the power of becoming either celestial or spiritual; but the Lord alone was born spiritual celestial, and for this reason He was born at Bethlehem, where is the boundary of the land of Benjamin, for by "Bethlehem" is signified the spiritual of the celestial, and by Benjamin is represented the spiritual of the celestial. The reason why the Lord alone was born spiritual celestial, is that the Divine was in Him. These things cannot possibly he comprehended by anyone who is not in the light of heaven; for he who is in the light of the world, and has his perception therefrom, scarcely knows what truth is and what good is, still less what it is to ascend through degrees to the interior things of truth and good; thus he is in complete ignorance of those innumerable things of truth and good in every degree which are manifest before the angels as in noonday light. Hence it is evident of what nature is the wisdom of angels relatively to that of men.
[4] There are six names which frequently occur in the prophets where the church is treated of, namely, "Judah," "Joseph," "Benjamin," "Ephraim," "Israel," and "Jacob." He who does not know what of the good and truth of the church is meant by each one of these in the internal sense, cannot possibly know anything of the Divine arcana of the Word there. Nor can he know what of the church is meant, unless he knows what the celestial is which is "Judah," what the celestial of the spiritual is which is "Joseph," what the spiritual of the celestial is which is "Benjamin," what the intellectual of the church is which is "Ephraim," what the internal spiritual is which is "Israel," and what the external spiritual is which is "Jacob."
[5] As regards Benjamin specifically, as he represents the spiritual of the celestial, and Joseph the celestial of the spiritual, and thus both together the intermediate between the celestial and the spiritual man, and as they are consequently most closely conjoined, therefore also their conjunction is described in the history of Joseph as follows:--
Joseph told his brethren that they must bring their youngest brother, Lest they should die (Gen. 42:20).
When they returned with Benjamin, and Joseph saw Benjamin his brother, he said, Is this your youngest brother? And be said, God be gracious unto thee, my son And Joseph made haste, for his bowels did yearn toward his brother; and he sought where to weep, and he therefore entered into his chamber, and wept there (Gen. 43:29, 30)
He multiplied Benjamin’s portion five-fold above the portions of them all (Gen. 43:34)
After be had made himself known to his brethren, be fell upon his brother Benjamin‘s necks and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his necks (Gen. 45:14).
He gave changes of garments to them all, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of garments (Gen. 45:22).
[6] From all this it is evident that Joseph and Benjamin were most closely conjoined, not because they were of one mother, but because by them is represented the spiritual conjunction which exists between the good which is "Joseph" and the truth which is "Benjamin," and because both are intermediate between the celestial and the spiritual man. For this reason Joseph could not be conjoined with his brethren, nor with his father, except by means of Benjamin, for without an intermediate no conjunction is possible, and this was the reason why Joseph did not reveal himself sooner.
[7] Moreover by "Benjamin" in other parts of the Word, especially the prophetic, is signified the spiritual truth which is of the church, as in the prophecy of Moses concerning the sons of Israel:--
To Benjamin he said, The beloved of Jehovah, He shall dwell confidently upon him, covering upon him all the day, and He shall dwell between his shoulders (Deut. 33:12);
"the beloved of Jehovah" is spiritual truth which is from celestial good; it is said of this good that it "dwells confidently" with that truth, "covers it the whole day," and also "dwells between its shoulders," for in the internal sense the "shoulders" denote all power (n. 1085), and good has all its power by means of truth (n. 3563).
[8] In Jeremiah:--
Flee ye sons of Benjamin out of the midst of Jerusalem, and sounding sound with the trumpet, and take up a prophecy upon the house of the vineyard; for evil looks forth from the north, and a great shattering (Jer. 6:1);
"the sons of Benjamin" denote spiritual truth from the celestial; "Jerusalem" denotes the spiritual church; the "house of the vineyard," or "Bethhaccherem," the same; the "evil out of the north," man’s sensuous and the derivative memory-knowledge. Again:--
It shall come to pass if ye hallow the sabbath day they shall enter in from the cities of Judah, and from the circuits of Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountain, and from the south, offering burnt-offering and sacrifice, and meat-offering, and frankincense, and offering thanksgiving, unto the house of Jehovah (Jer. 17:24, 26).
[9] And again elsewhere:--
In the cities of the mountain, in the cities of the plain, in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the circuits of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks yet pass over beside the hands of him that numbereth them (Jer. 33:13);
here also the "land of Benjamin" denotes the spiritual truth of the church; for all the things of the church, from the first degree to the last, are signified by the "cities of Judah," the "circuits of Jerusalem," the "land of Benjamin," the "plain," the "mountain," and the "south."
[10] In Hosea:--
Sound ye with the horn in Gibeah, with the trumpet in Ramah, shout ye Bethaven, after thee Benjamin, Ephraim shall become solitudes in the day of rebuke (Hosea 5:8, 9);
"Gibeah," "Ramah," and "Bethaven" denote the things of that spiritual truth from the celestial which is "Benjamin," for Gibeah was in Benjamin (Judges 19:14), and Ramah also (Josh. 18:25), and likewise Bethaven (Josh. 18:12); "to sound with the horn and with the trumpet," and "to shout," denote to announce that the intellectual of the church, which is "Ephraim," is made desolate.
[11] In Obadiah:--
The house of Jacob shall become a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, the house of Esau for stubble; and they of the south shall inherit the mountain of Esau, and those who are in the plain the Philistines and they shall inherit the field of Ephraim, and the field of Samaria; and Benjamin, Gilead (Obadiah 1:18, 19);
that names signify things is very evident here, as in other places, for unless it is known what is signified by the "house of Jacob," the "house of Joseph," the "house of Esau," the "mountain of Esau," the "Philistines," the "field of Ephraim," the "field of Samaria," "Benjamin," and "Gilead," and moreover what by "them of the south," by a "house," a "plain," a "mountain," and a "field," nothing here can possibly be comprehended; nor were the things done that are here historically related. But the man who knows what each expression involves, will find heavenly arcana therein. Here also "Benjamin" is the spiritual from the celestial.
[12] In like manner these words in Zechariah:--
Jehovah shall be king upon the whole earth; in that day there shall be one Jehovah, and His name one; the whole earth shall encompass as a plain from Gibeah even to Rimmon, and she shall dwell under herself thence from Benjamin‘s gate even unto the place of the first gate, even unto the gate of the corners, and from the tower of Hananeel even unto the king’s wine-presses (Zech. 14:9, 10).
So in David:--
Give ear O Shepherd, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock, Thou that sittest upon the cherubim before Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up Thy power, and come to save us (Ps. 80:1, 2).
So in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak:--
Jehovah shall rule for me among the mighty; out of Ephraim whose root is in Amalek, after thee Benjamin in thy peoples, out of Machir shall come down lawgivers, and out of Zebulun they that draw the scepter of the scribe (Judges 5:13, 14).
[13] In John:--
I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed out of every tribe of Israel; of the tribe of Zebulun were sealed twelve thousand, if the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand (Rev. 7:4, 8);
where by the "tribes of Israel" are signified those who are in goods and truths, and therefore in the Lord‘s kingdom; for "tribes" and "twelve," or what is the same "twelve thousand," are all things of love and faith, or all things of good and truth (n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913, 3926, 3939, 4060). These things are here distributed into four classes, the last of which is the twelve thousand sealed of Zebulun, and of Joseph, and of Benjamin, because by the tribe of Zebulun is signified the heavenly marriage (n. 3960, 3961), in which is heaven, thus in which are all things; "Joseph" here is the celestial of the spiritual, or the good of truth; and "Benjamin" is the truth of this good, or the spiritual of the celestial. This is the conjugial in heaven, and therefore these are named last.
[14] As Benjamin represented the spiritual of the celestial in the church, or the truth of good, which is the intermediate between celestial good and spiritual truth, therefore Jerusalem fell as an inheritance to the sons of Benjamin; for before Zion was built there, "Jerusalem" signified the church in general. Jerusalem fell to Benjamin (Joshua 18:28; Judges 1:21).
. And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath. That this signifies the end of the former affection of interior truth, is evident from the signification of "dying," as being to cease to be such (n. 494), thus the end; from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of interior truth (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819); from the signification of "to be buried," as being the rejection of a former state, and the resuscitation of a new one (n. 2916, 2917, 3256); and from the signification of "Ephrath," as being the spiritual of the celestial in a former state (n. 4585). From all this it is evident that by Rachel’s dying and being buried in the way to Ephrath is signified the end of the former state of the affection of interior truth and the resuscitation of a new state which is "Bethlehem," the explication of which follows.[2] In the genuine sense by Rachel‘s dying and being buried in the way to Ephrath is signified that which is hereditary, in that by means of temptations it was expelled forever, and which was the human affection of interior truth, which the Divine affection expelled. It was for this reason that this son was called by his mother "Benoni," or " son of Sorrow," but by his father "Benjamin," or "son of the right hand." In the human affection from the mother there is a heredity in which is evil, but in the Divine affection there is nothing but good; for in the human affection there is the glory of self and of the world as an end for the sake of self; but in the Divine affection there is an end for the sake of self that it may be from self to save the human race, according to the Lord’s words in John:--
I pray for those whom Thou hast given Me, for all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine, but I am glorified in them that they all may be one, as Thou Father art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us. The glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them, that they may be one as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me (John 17:9, 10, 21-23).
[2] The reason why the Lord was born there and not elsewhere, is that He alone was born a spiritual celestial man, but all others natural, with the capacity or ability to become either celestial or spiritual by regeneration from the Lord. The reason why the Lord was born a spiritual celestial man was that He might make His Human Divine, and this according to order from the lowest degree to the highest, and might thus dispose into order all things in the heavens and in the hells. For the spiritual celestial is intermediate between the natural or external man and the rational or internal man (n. 4585, 4592), thus below it was the natural or external, and above it was the rational or internal.
[3] He who cannot apprehend these things, cannot possibly comprehend, by any revelation whatever, why the Lord was born at Bethlehem. For from the most ancient time "Ephrath" signified the spiritual of the celestial, and therefore afterwards "Bethlehem" had the same signification. This then is the reason why the following is said in David:--
He sware to Jehovah, he vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, If I shall come into the tent of my house, if I shall go upon the couch of my bed, if I shall give sleep to mine eyes, slumber to mine eyelids, until I find a place for Jehovah, habitations for the Mighty One of Jacob; lo we heard of Him in Ephrata, we found Him in the fields of the forest; we will go into His habitations, we will bow ourselves at His footstool (Ps. 132:2-7);
that these things were said of the Lord is very evident; " we heard of Him," and "we found Him," are expressed in the original language at the end of the words by the letter h taken from the name Jehovah.
[4] And in Micah:--
Thou Bethlehem Ephrata, it is little that thou be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto Me who shall be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from the days of eternity (Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:6).
From these prophecies it was known to the Jewish people that the Messiah or Christ would be born at Bethlehem, as is evident in Matthew:--
Herod, gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, inquired of them where the Christ (the Messiah) should be born; and they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea (Matthew 2:4, 5).
And in John:--
The Jews said, Doth not the Scripture say that the Christ (Messiah) should come of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the city where David was? (John 7:42).
And that He was born there may be seen in (Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7). For this reason also, and because He was from David, the Lord is called a "rod out of the stock of Jesse," and the "root of Jesse" (Isa. 11:1, 10); for Jesse, David‘s father, was a Bethlehemite; and David was born at Bethlehem and was anointed king there (1 Sam. 16:1-14; 17:12) Hence Bethlehem was called "the city of David" (Luke 2:4, 11; John 7:42). By David is especially represented the Lord as to His royalty or the Divine truth (n. 1888).
. And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave. That this signifies the holy of the spiritual truth that would rise again there, is evident from the signification of a "pillar," as being the holy of truth (n. 4580), here of spiritual truth from the celestial, because this is the truth treated of; and from the signification of a "grave," as being resurrection (n. 2916, 2917, 3256). . This is the pillar of Rachel’s grave even to this day. That this signifies the state of the holy forever, is evident from the signification of a "pillar," as being the holy of truth; and from the signification of a "grave," as being resurrection; and from the signification of "even to this day," as being forever (n. 2838, 3998). GENESIS 35:16-20 previous - next - text - summary - Genesis - Full Page
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