Spiritual Meaning of Stink

Spiritual Meaning of

Stink

As odor denotes all that which is grateful to the Lord, so stink denotes that which is ungrateful to the Lord, consequently stink denotes aversion, and also abomination. moreover stink actually corresponds to the aversion and abomination which are of falsity and evil. As stink denotes that which belongs to aversion, it is used in the Word to denote aversion, as in Samuel:--

Israel had become stinking with the Philistines (1 Sam. 13:4)

Achish says of David, that he had made himself utterly stinking in his people, in Israel (1 Sam. 27:12).

When the sons of Ammon saw that they had become stinking with David (2 Sam. 10:6).

Ahithophel said unto Absalom, That all Israel may hear that thou hast become stinking with thy father (2 Sam. 16:21).

In these passages stinking denotes aversion. In Isaiah:--

Let the pierced of the nations be cast out, and the stink of their carcasses go up, and the mountains melt with blood (Isa. 34:3);

where stink denotes evil that is abominable. In like manner in (Amos 4:10; Ps. 38:5, 6).

[3] That in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants denotes in the perception of all those who are in falsities, is evident from the signification of eyes, as being perception (AC 4339); and from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who are in falsities (AC 6651, 6679, 6683, 7107, 7110, 7126, 7142). That their odor is said to stink in their eyes is because all who are in falsities and evils feel aversion for goods, and truths stink to them.

from AC 7161

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Author: E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design: I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.