Spiritual Meaning of
Spiritual Meaning of |
|
Back to Words index | Back to Body words index |
As most things in the Word have also an opposite sense, so also have the right and the left, and in this sense the right signifies the evil from which is falsity, and the left the falsity through which is evil, as in Zechariah:--
Woe to the worthless shepherd that deserteth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm withering shall wither, and his right eye darkening shall be darkened (Zech. 11:17);
here arm denotes the power of truth applied to confirm evil, of which power, as it is worthless, it is said that withering it shall wither; and the right eye denotes the memory-knowledge of good applied to confirm falsity, of which knowledge, as it is worthless, it is said that darkening it shall be darkened; a shepherd denotes one who teaches truths, and by means of these leads to good (AC 343, 3795, 6044); hence a worthless shepherd denotes one who teaches and leads to evil; arm denotes the power of truth from good (AC 4931-4937, 7205); but the arm of a worthless shepherd denotes no power; the eye denotes the understanding and perception of truth (AC 4403-4421, 4523-4534, 9051); but the right eye of a worthless shepherd denotes the memory-knowledge of good without the understanding and perception of it, because it is applied to falsity; thick darkness denotes the falsity that is from evil (AC 7711).
[5] Matthew:--
Jesus said, If thy right eye hath caused thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. And if thy right hand hath caused thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee; it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into Gehenna (Matt. 5:29, 30);
where the right eye denotes the understanding and faith of falsity from evil, and the right hand, the falsity itself from evil. Everyone is able to know that by eye is not here meant the eye, nor by right hand the right hand; and that the eye that causeth to stumble is not to be plucked out, nor the hand that causeth to stumble to be cut off; for from this there would be nothing of salvation for man. In John:--
The beast gave all a mark on their right had or on their foreheads (Rev. 13:16);
where the right hand denotes falsity from evil, and the forehead the love of evil from which is falsity. That the forehead denotes heavenly love, and hence in the opposite sense infernal love, (AC 9936).
from AC 10061
Back to Words index, Back to Body words index
| Author: E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). | Design: I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. | www.BibleMeanings.info |