Spiritual Meaning of

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 Nurse

The signification of a woman, a nurse, is the insinuation of good (AC 4563), for by the milk which the nurse gently introduces is signified the good of truth, or what is the same, the celestial spiritual (AC 2184); and the signification of the Hebrew women, is the things of the church (AC 6675, 6684). That a nurse denotes the insinuation of good, is plain also in Isaiah:

They shall bring thy sons in their bosom, and thy daughters shall be carried upon the shoulder. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers (Isa. 49:22, 23);

kings shall be thy nursing fathers denotes the insinuation of truth, which is of intelligence; queens, nursing mothers, denotes the insinuation of good, which is of wisdom.

Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all are gathered together, they come to thee; thy sons come from far, and thy daughters are carried by nurses at the side (Isa. 60:4);

sons who come from far denote truths with the Gentiles, which being far off from the truth of the church, are said to come from far; daughters that are carried by nurses at the side denote the goods which are continually being insinuated; for daughters are goods, and nurses they who insinuate.

from AC 6740

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Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. www.BibleMeanings.info