LEVITICUS 19
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Leviticus Chapter 19

Summary of the Spiritual Sense

1. Instruction is given that man must conjoin good and truth in himself; reverence and love them; confirm himself in true worship; refrain from selfish and worldly love which is idolatry; love good as manifested in truth; worship in freedom; appropriate good; reject evil in the process of Judgement; and especially avoid profanation then, because this would be to confirm himself in evil, vers. 1-8.
2. In the period of Judgement good and truth are to be devoted to the Lord in works of charity without any selfish motive, vers. 9-10.
3. Various prohibitions involving important spiritual obligations, vers. 11-18.
4. Concerning the illegitimate conjunction of good affections with evil in the course of regeneration, but not from deliberate wickedness; and concerning the remedy and its result, vers. 19-22.
5. On the appropriation of good in the perfect state; its relative imperfection; its full realization; and its abundant increase by the implantation of remains, vers. 23-25.
6. Concerning various prohibitions and duties which the truly spiritual man ought by no means to neglect, vers. 26-37.

1.  This is evident, because by Jehovah is denoted the Divine Being as to His love, 2001; by speaking is denoted influx, 2951; by Moses is represented Divine Truth, or the Word, 7010; and by saying is denoted perception, 1791, 1822.

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2.  Speaking to all the congregation of the children of Israel and saying to them, " I am the Lord your God," denotes that every man of the Spiritual Church is to be instructed, so that he understands, that he must conjoin good and truth in himself because they are united in the Lord, 7010, 3654, 10355, 1791; 2146, 2001.

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3.  By fearing every man his mother and his father is denoted that the spiritual man must reverence and love Divine Truth and Divine Good from the Lord, 8897; by keeping the Sabbath is denoted to establish their conjunction by regeneration, 8889; and by "I am they Lord your God" is denoted that only in this way is the true worship of the Lord confirmed and established, 7192.

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4.  To turn to idols denotes to turn from the Lord and devote himself to falsities and evils springing from worldly love, 1205; making molten gods denotes to do the same with regard to selfish love, 8869; and "I am the Lord your God" denotes the worship of the Lord only by loving good as manifested in truth, 2001.

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5.  Offering a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord in order that it may be accepted denotes worship from freedom which regards Divine Good, and therefore is not from selfish good, 10097, 2001, 9506.

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6.  The sacrifice being eaten on the same day that it is offered, and on the morrow, denotes that the good of such worship may be appropriated in its prime and continually, 2187, 7887, 3998, 8788; and what was left on the third day being burnt with fire denotes that no affection partaking of selfish "love and worldly love in such worship is to be appropriated, but rejected, in the process of Judgement through victory in temptations, 8480-3, 10115, 900.

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7.  It being eaten on the third day denotes appropriation during Judgement, 2187, 900; its being then an abomination denotes profane worship, 6052; and its not being accepted denotes that such profane worship cannot be accepted, 9506.

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8.  Every one that eats it bearing his iniquity denotes that all who do this establish themselves in evil, 99653; profaning the holy thing of the Lord denotes mixing evil with good, 2187, 6052; and being cut off from his people denotes being vastated of all truths, 5302, 1259.

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9.  By the harvest is denoted the realization of good in the Judgement, 9295; not wholly reaping the corners of your field denoted not appropriating it to selfish purposes, in its ultimate expression with fullness and power, internally, 10669, 3310, 6188, 9494; and by not gathering the gleaning of the harvest is denoted that neither is that good to be contaminated by selfish motives externally, 9273, 9146.

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10.  Not gleaning the vineyard denotes that as with spiritual good, so with spiritual truth; it is not to be ascribed to self, 9139, 10669; not gathering the fallen fruit of the vineyard denotes that the good thence resulting which is holy charity, when it is fully realized externally, is not to be so contaminated, 9273, 1071, 10669; and leaving-them for the poor and the stranger denotes that, on the contrary, these things are to be devoted to the Lord in works of charity and of faith from charity without any selfish motive, 4955, 10669; while by " I am the Lord your God " is denoted that thus man is to be confirmed and established in good and truth and their conjunction, 2146, 2001, 7192.

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11.  Not stealing denotes that it is against Divine order to ascribe to self what belongs" to the Lord, 8906; not dealing falsely denotes not being in falsity and at the same time in truth; and not lying one to another denotes not being in evil and at the same time in good, 683.

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12.  Not swearing by the Lord's name falsely, so as to profane the name of God, denotes that it is not lawful for the spiritual man who knows or understands the truth to confirm himself against it by hypocrisy, for this is the profanation of truth, which teaches that the Lord is essentially Divine Good, 8882, 2001, 2842; and "I am the Lord" denotes irrevocable confirmation, 7192.

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13.  To oppress the neighbour denotes to violate charity, 9196; to rob him denotes to deprive him of the truths of his faith, 8906; a hired servant denotes one who does good for the sake of reward, 8002; and wages not abiding until the morning denotes that he ought not to confirm himself in such a state, because although it may be of use previous to regeneration and in the obscurity of the natural life, it must be rejected when heavenly good is realized, since by not withholding the wages is denoted allowing the preparatory state to continue, 3816; the state of doing good for the sake of reward is a merely natural state, 3816, night denotes the obscurity of that state, 9787, and morning denotes the state when heavenly good is realized, 9787.

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14.  Not cursing the deaf denotes not being averted from those who are deficient in the perception of good, 93973; not putting a stumbling block before the blind denotes not averting oneself from those who are deficient in the understanding of truth, 2383; fearing your God denotes exercising love and charity towards such, 2826; and " I am the Lord" denotes that, by such a course, the spiritual man establishes himself more strongly in good, 2001, 7192.

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15.  Doing no unrighteousness in judgement denotes that he is, indeed, to avoid all injustice by acting according to good by means of truth, 2258; not respecting the person of the poor denotes not doing good without discretion, 3820; not honouring the person of the mighty denotes not promoting the truth by the exercise of great intellectual powers alone, 8315; and judging the neighbour in righteousness denotes to act with charity and truth conjointly in the support of all good, 2258.

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16.  Going up and down as a tale-bearer denotes violating charity and truth by first assuming friendliness to others, and then descending into the meanness of exposing their errors, 4815, 2967, because talebearing, or slandering, is like making merchandise with the knowledge we have concerning others from evil motives, and the Hebrew word not only means tale-bearing, but is under a verb which means to travel as a merchant; among your people denotes among those who are in a state of truth leading to good, 5312; standing against the blood of your neighbour denotes corrupting the spiritual life of those in good by perverting the reception of the interior truth they need for conjunction with their good, 2425, 9127, 4926; and "I am the Lord" denotes confirmation that their good is from the Lord, 7192.

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17.  Not hating your brother in your heart denotes not being inwardly averted from good, 3488, 2360, 7542; surely rebuking your neighbour denotes not hesitating to condemn what is wrong from the love of what is true, 4700, 2425; and not bearing sin because of him denotes not to excuse evil from natural kindness when recognized in a brother, since "bearing sin" in this case denotes doing wrong by not rebuking, 9937, and "because of him" evidently denotes from a feeling of merely natural kindness or charity without regard to the truth, 2425.

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18.  By not taking vengeance is denoted not returning evil for evil, 8223; not bearing a grudge against the children of your people denotes not opposing the opinions of others, whether truths or falsities, from a selfish impulse, 1259, 489, 8223; loving your neighbour as yourself denotes acting in all things from charity, 2425; and "I am the Lord" denotes that the Lord is essential love and charity, 2001.

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19.  By keeping the Lord's statutes is denoted to observe all the laws of Divine Order in external things, 8357; by not letting your cattle gender with a diverse kind is denoted not profaning the good of charity either natural or spiritual by mingling evil therewith, or, in other words, by illegitimate conjunction, 5913, 6126, 9182; by not sowing a field with two kinds of seed is denoted not profaning the truth by admixture with falsities, or by being in the state of good and the state of truth leading to good at the same time, 9274; and by not putting on a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together is denoted not being outwardly of a double character by professing true doctrine and false at the same time, 2576¹⁵, 9274.

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20.  Lying carnally with a woman that is a bondmaid denotes conjoining the good affections of the spiritual man with the imperfect affections of the natural man, 6348, 3654, 8890; betrothed to a husband denotes in the course of regeneration, 8996; not at all redeemed denotes not as yet delivered from evils, 6279; freedom not given her denotes evidently not able to act from freedom entirely, 892; they shall be punished, or "there shall be inquisition," denotes suffering the consequences of such errors, 696, 2242; not being put to death denotes not condemned absolutely, 5605; and because she was not free denotes since he has been under the influence of impulse, and has not acted from deliberate choice in spiritual freedom, 892.

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21.  Bringing his guilt offering to the Lord to the door of the tent of meeting, even a ram for a guilt offering, denotes that such a person must worship the Lord with a view of removing his evil and error by acknowledging that all good is from Him through the heavens, whence there is conjunction with Him by the good of innocence in the internal man, 3400, 2356, 3540³, 10042.

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22.  The priest making atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and his being forgiven, denotes that on account of good the external man shall be reconciled with the internal through repentance, when he has sinned through weakness and yet sincerely acknowledges the Lord; and thus evil will be remitted by the Lord, 9946, 10042, 868.

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23.  Coming into the land denotes the realization of the heavenly life of good through repentance, 3705; planting there all manner of trees for food denotes truth exercised from good in various ways for the uses of life, 8326; counting the fruit thereof as their uncircumcision denotes the acknowledgement that even man's best actions are relatively impure, 2039⁶; the fruit being three years as uncircumcised denotes that not only during regeneration, but even in heaven itself, good is continually from the Lord, 2788, 2039⁶; and its not being eaten denotes that it cannot be appropriated from selfish love, 2187, 2039⁶.

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24.  All the fruit being holy in the fourth year for giving praise to the Lord denotes that nevertheless in the state of the full conjunction of good and truth, when the selfish life is quiescent, good is truly realized, and from the heart ascribed to the Lord, 10136, 2146, 8042, 3880⁴.

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25.  Eating of the fruit thereof in the fifth year denotes that remains will then be fully implanted in the external man by the appropriation of good, 5291, 6156, 2187, 8326; yielding the increase thereof denotes in order that good may be abundantly increased, 4981; and " I am the Lord " denotes that the Lord is fully acknowledged, and that man is more strongly confirmed in love to Him, 2001, 7192.

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26.  By not eating anything with the blood is denoted that neither will the spiritual man profane good by mixing evil with it, 10033; and by not using enchantments, nor practising augury, is denoted not profaning truth internally or externally by making falsity appear as truth or evil as good, 7297, 683.

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27.  Not rounding the corners of your heads, nor marring the corners of the beard, denotes that it is unlawful to corrupt good with evil internally or truth with falsity externally, 3301, 5247³.

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28.  Not making any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor printing any marks upon you, denotes that neither shall the spiritual man imagine that by outward mortification he can remove evil, or by external worship only promote permanent good, when yet there is no holiness internally, 9056, 9386, 81, 272; and " I am the Lord " denotes that all true worship is by genuine good from the Lord, 2001.

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29.  Not profaning your daughter to make her a harlot, lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land be full of wickedness, denotes that the affection for truth is not to be profaned by falsification, lest such falsifications increase and abound, and evil is confirmed thereby, 489, 6348, 2905.

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30.  Keeping the Lord's sabbaths and reverencing His sanctuary denotes that, on the contrary, the state of heavenly good is to be perpetual, and the state of heavenly truth to be always holy, 8887, 3210; and "I am the Lord" denotes because the Lord is holiness itself, 2001, 2190.

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31.  Not turning to them that have familiar spirits, nor to wizards, denotes not endeavouring to promote good by the perversion of order, either through making evil look like good or falsity like truth, 7297, 9188; not seeking them out, nor being defiled with them, denotes that evil spirits who inject such thoughts are to be resisted, as they must produce impurity, 5610, 10130; and "I am the Lord your God" denotes that the conjunction of good and truth is to be confirmed by man, 2001, 7192.

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32.  Rising up before the hoary head, and honouring the face of an old man, denotes to acknowledge and reverence Divine wisdom in those with whom it is matured, and the intelligence of him who is advanced in the regenerate life, 6524-5; fearing God denotes reverencing Divine wisdom itself, 2001, 3718-9; and "I am the Lord" denotes establishment in Divine Good, 2001. 268

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33.  Not doing a stranger wrong that sojourns in the land denotes taking particular care with regard to those who require instruction, and not neglecting to promote their good, 7908.

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34.  The stranger and sojourner being as the native denotes that those who need instruction are to be esteemed like those who are in good, 7908, 3705; loving the sojourner as yourself denotes that charity is to be exercised towards them, 2425; "you were strangers in the land of Egypt" denotes that every one at first is under the bondage of the merely natural man, and needs instruction, 5406, 4749; and "I am the Lord your God " denotes that both good and truth from the Lord are necessary for the perfection of man, 2001.

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35.  Not doing any unrighteousness in judgement in measure in weight or in measure denotes that strict justice is in the exercise of charity by and according to truths, as regards internal, interior and external things, 5755, 8357, 3104.

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36.  "Just balances, just weights, a just ephah and a just hin shall you have," denotes that the spiritual man must practise equity and justice internally, land justice and equity externally, 3116, 3104, 10136; and "I am the Lord your God which brought you out of the land of Egypt" denotes that for this purpose the Lord redeemed mankind, 8864-6.

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37.  Observing all the Lord's statutes, and all his judgements, and doing them, denotes that therefore also man must be entirely holy outwardly, inwardly, and in every action, 8357, 5755; and " I am the Lord" denotes that this can only be effected by the acknowledgement of the Lord as essentially DIVINE GOOD, 2001.

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By reading over the summary at the beginning of this chapter, it will be seen that, within the first eight verses, some things are mentioned that frequently recur in the course of the series of the internal sense, and that this may often seem like unnecessary repetition. There cannot be, however, any such repetitions in the Word of the Lord, and on this account wherever there seem to be such we may depend upon it that there is a presentation of these things in some new light and in some new connections which it is important to notice. Observe, for example, that nine distinct points are named in those verses, and that each follows that which precedes in such a manner as to show, in the spiritual sense, the order and perfection of the series.

But the most interesting thing in this section is certainly what is said about the peace offering. For, taking these things as they stand, and thinking only of the literal sense, it is impossible to discover any very satisfactory reason for the directions given. It is easy to see that perhaps some sanitary conditions were involved, but this does not explain the severity of the sentence of excommunication pronounced against the offender. According to the inner sense, however, this is seen, and more things besides. For the first and second days denote the states in which man is preparing for his Judgement, and the third day denotes the state of that Judgement; the peace offering signifies the state of freedom in which man is, for worship and appropriation, during his probationary state; but in the process of Judgement, which consists in bringing the external man into perfect harmony with the internal, this state of freedom is not the same as it was before. Then it was the free determination between good and evil, as well as the freedom of affection or love, but now it is the freedom of the established ruling love only (HH 480). Now we should mark this well, for it shows us why the peace offering remaining on the third day was to be burnt with fire. It is because the ruling love of good rejects all selfish love in the Judgement, while the ruling love of evil adopts it, and is bound to take the consequences, as the series describes; for fire corresponds to both loves, and we see how the Word in its internal sense confirms the statement of the angels. It is the ruling love that decides in the course of Judgement. The lesson for us all is here obvious. If we would go to heaven we must work while it is called today, for the night comes in which no man who has not already done so can work out his salvation. For notice how the internal sense puts it. There is a perpetual peace offering in heaven for the good, but none at all for the wicked who have not chosen heaven. Compare the spiritual teaching of vers. 6 and 8, and observe well that of vers. 9 and 10, noting particularly the connection, and that the mention of the harvest, of the field and of the vineyard together show that the subject of the Judgement is continued in order to demonstrate how charity and faith now prevail with the good, and how the external will and understanding come into harmony with the internal.

We next observe that the moral teaching which now follows is very important in the literal sense, and hence that the internal sense of the Word sometimes seems to descend, and manifest itself more particularly in this way; and yet the perfect distinction between the two senses is still maintained. For example, it is not the same thing to ascribe to ourselves what belongs to the Lord, and to steal; and yet it is clear that a man who deliberately steals, and persists in doing so, practically claims his life as his own, and denies his responsibility to the Lord; while, on the other hand, he who truly acknowledges the Lord will not steal or lie, or deliberately do any of the other things here forbidden. And we discern that it is, as it were, a shorter way to a good life to establish ourselves in good and true principles of action, than to keep the commandments either because we fear the consequences of not doing so, or because they are the Divine laws which it is our own interest to obey. For by so doing we cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside may be clean also (Matt 23:26). But still spiritually, as well as literally, internal cleansing and external cleansing are distinctly necessary, although it is only in the spiritual sense that internal purity is the cause of that which is external. And again, it is interesting to notice a point in connection with retaining the wages of a hired servant all night until the morning. For we see that, literally, not much harm, and in some cases no harm at all, would be done to the servant by paying him his wages in the morning after he had earned them. But, spiritually, to allow the wages of a hired servant to abide with us is to continue to do useful things, more for the sake of the reward than for the sake of being useful. This, of course, may be allowed as a preparatory state; but it is clear that when a person realizes the love of being useful for its own sake, he will not any longer work for the reward, although he may still carefully see that he gets it, because he knows that this enables him, from his love of use, to provide for himself the means of performing other uses which, in a lower degree, are quite as necessary as the essential use of his life. For when we come to look into it, no one can be in the love of use as a ruling principle and in the love of reward as a ruling principle at the same time; and if he is in the love of use, therefore, which love is like the morning when the sun rises, he cannot continue to be in the love of reward, which is, comparatively, like the darkness of night. But we must omit further comment on these moral-spiritual laws, and consider what follows concerning illegitimate conjunctions.

For notwithstanding what has been shown just above, while man is in the course of regeneration the lower and preparatory states will almost unavoidably have some influence, while the higher states will yet be predominant; and it is this which causes illegitimate conjunctions, the tendency to which is certainly to be repressed. And hence we are not to allow our good affections, natural or spiritual, to be contaminated with evil, which is to let our cattle gender with a diverse kind. And what is true of the affections applies also to the intellectual powers internal and external. If we have adopted principles of truth, or have sown the seed of the Word in the ground of the honest and good heart, we must not also cultivate falsities; for we cannot realize a higher state and at the same time remain in the lower, nor equally believe in a true doctrine and a false one, or mingle the appearances of truth in which we have formerly been with the genuine truths of our more advanced life.

Now we may all feel and see the great value of this teaching, and how necessary it is that we should make a practical use of it. But still, how imperfect are we, and how liable to do the very things, as we journey through life, which our higher feelings and our better judgement condemn. And this is shown by the illegitimate conjunction with the betrothed handmaid. For she very clearly signifies the imperfect natural affections, which ought to serve the spiritual affections as a servant does her mistress; and what is said about her is really quite interesting when considered spiritually. She is betrothed to a husband, that is, these natural affections of ours are not only subdued and kept in check by mere force or authority, but they are in a state of advancing towards the heavenly marriage, while yet at the same time they are not in the genuine freedom of good or in full deliverance from evil; and it is on this account that the spiritual man is decidedly wrong in contaminating himself unlawfully, or in conjoining his life with the yet imperfect natural life. Now this is a true picture of what we all are apt to do in the course of our religious experience. Changing the figure for a moment, we, in fact, tamper with the enemy, and are captivated with the delights he makes us believe to be allowable (Num 25:1-3). However, the better nature asserts itself. We are degraded, but we are not lost. We repent and worship the Lord, and the superior good triumphs, as we see from what follows, on which we need not comment further, as the sacrifice of the ram, and the consequent atonement, are familiar as to their spiritual meaning.

But in regard to the rest of this chapter, we have only space to trace the connections, and show briefly why things succeed one another without apparently any reason, literally, for the arrangement. After we have been in temptation, as just described, our state is elevated, and we have a more correct and specific perception of what our heavenly state will be. And, strange to say, we learn that its first realization is not to be exactly what, perhaps, we have been anticipating. I once heard a clergyman preaching a sermon concerning his lately departed son. He first described his state when dying, and how the youth, as the last moments approached, when he could no longer speak, drew with his hand a circle round his head, to indicate a crown of glory in store for himself; and the father, as he mentioned this in his discourse to the congregation, suddenly exclaimed, "My poor dear boy is in heaven! " And possibly the conception was as if he had passed immediately to a state of angelic perfection. But we see in this part of our lesson that even entrance into heaven will, in the beginning, be attended with a certain sense of our own imperfection, and of how much we are short of good, as we now think of it. But this is only a state preparatory to our full conjunction with the Lord, and the complete appropriation of remains, denoted respectively by the fourth and fifth year. Again, we notice that three or four things follow, the reason for which does not outwardly appear. But it is seen in the internal sense, and only the general truth that the commission of evils of many kinds will not occur in heaven is manifest, or may be inferred, from the literal sense. But notice the series, and it will be seen that three successive degrees of profanation are mentioned respectively as to will and understanding, resulting in the deliberate falsification of the truth so that evil is in danger of being confirmed. These are things, however, that cannot take place in heaven. On the contrary, the eternal Sabbath is there, where truth is conjoined with good, and the Lord alone is worshiped. But, indeed, all this is said of the inmost degree of man's life. And then we observe that something similar is said of the middle degree in vers. 31-32, followed by a very clear reference to the ultimate degree even to the end of the chapter; while what is said of each degree is appropriately concluded by the solemn affirmation and confirmation, " I am the Lord."

For in heaven all the degrees of angelic life are most accurately distinguished, not only in general, but particularly; and, moreover, all these degrees are in their fullness in the ultimate, as is shown by the contents of vers. 36-37 very emphatically. Let us remember, therefore, that our life in this world is what prepares us for the heavenly life, and that consequently this series is also adapted to describe, in a lower degree, the states of the true church on earth.

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