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1. BEHOLD, a King shall reign in justice, and Princes shall rule in judgment.
VERSE 1. That the Lord, as to Divine Truth, is represented in the Word by a " King," and as to Good by a " Priest," see above, Chap. i. 1, Exposition.
2. And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, as a covert from the inundation; as rivers of waters in a dry place; as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land:
Verse 2. [lt does not appear that Swedenborg has quoted this verse, but its spiritual meaning is clear from the correspondences. That Divine Truth from the Lord, in His Word, signified by "man," is the cause of all protection in temptations, and against all assaults from hell, is declared in these words, see above, Chap. iv. 6, Exposition.]
3. And the eyes of those that see shall not be dim; and the ears of those that hear shall hearken.
Verse 3. The eyes, the ears, &c.-See Chap, xxix. 18; xxxv. 4-6, Exposition.
4. And the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge; and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak elegant things.
5. The fool shall no longer be called liberal; and the covetous shall no more be called noble:
Verse 4. By the "rash" or "precipitate" are understood those who easily catch at, and believe the things that are said, and consequently falses also; concerning such it is said that "they shall understand knowledge," which means to receive truths. By the "stammerers" are understood those who with difficulty can apprehend the Truths of the church; that they shall confess them from affection is understood by "their tongue shall be ready or swift to speak;" "swiftness" being predicated of affection. A.E. 455.
6. For the fool will speak folly; and his heart will work iniquity: to practise hypocrisy, and to speak error against Jehovah; to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
7. As for the covetous, his instruments are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh judgment.
8. But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he be established.
Verse 6. He is called a " fool" who is in falses and evils from the love of self thus from his own intelligence; thefalses are understood by "the folly which he speaks," and evils by "the iniquity which his heart worketh." The evils which he speaks against Goods are understood by "the hypocrisy which he practises," and the falses which he speaks against Truths by "the error which he speaks against Jehovah." That it is for the purpose of persuading and thus of destroying those who desire Goods and Truths, is understood by "making empty the soul of the hungry," and by "causing the drink of the thirsty to fail;" the "hungry soul" are such as desire Goods, and the" thirsty desiring drink" are such as desire Truths. A" E. 386.
Here by the "soul" is signified man as to the understanding of Good and Truth; by "the soul of the hungry" the understanding of Good, and by "the drink of the thirsty" the understanding of Truth. That the man who is in falses of evil will endeavour to deprive thereof him who is in Truth from Good, is signified by "the fool speaking folly," by "making empty the soul of the hungry," and by "causing the drink of the thirsty to fail." A. E. 750.
Verses 6, 7. In this passage by the "poor" and "needy" are understood those who are destitute of the knowledges of Truth and Good, wherefore it is said that "the covetous deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh judgment;" the "lying words" denote falses, and to "speak judgment" denotes what is right. Inasmuch as such are treated of it is also said that "they practise hypocrisy, and speak error against Jehovah, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail;" to "practise hypocrisy" and to "speak error" denotes to commit evil from the false, and to speak what is false from evil; to "make empty the soul of the hungry" denotes to deprive those of the knowledges of Good who desire them and to "cause the drink of the thirsty to fail" is to deprive of the knowledges of Truth those who desire them. A. E. 238.
9. O ye women that are at ease, stand up, hear My voice! O ye confident daughters, give ear unto My speeeh!
10. Year upon year shall ye be disquieted, O ye confident ones: for the vintage hath failed, the gathering shall not come in.
11. Tremble, O ye women that are at ease; be ye troubled, O ye confident ones! strip ye, make yourselves bare; and gird [sackcloth] upon your loins.
12. They shall smite upon the breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
Verses 9, 10. By "the women who are at ease" are signified the cupidities of those who have no concern for the devastation of the church; by "confident daughters" are signified the cupidities of those who have confidence in self-derived intelligence; by "women " and "daughters" are signified all who are such in the church, whether they be men or women. By "the vintage which shall fail," and by "the gathering which shall not come," is signified that the Truth of the church shall be no more; for the same is denoted by "vintage" as by "vine;" namely, the Truth of the church, whence it is evident what is signified by the "gathering" thereof. A. E. 555.
By "confident daughters" are signified those in the church who love falses more than Truths. That with such persons Truths ate successively and in every state diminished, is signified by "their being disquieted year upon year." The entire devastation of Truth, even until nothing remains, is understood by "the vintage failing," or being consumed; and by "the gathering not coming in." A. E. 919.
Verses 9, 11, 12. "Daughters" are affections, as shewn in A. C. 2362, 3024. To "make bare or naked," is to be deprived of Truth, see n. 1073, 4958. To "gird themselves upon the loins," is to be in grief on account of Good which is lost. To "smite upon the breast;" is to be in grief on account of the Good of Truth being destroyed; and because these things are understood, it is further said, "for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine;" for a " field." is the church as to Good, thus the Good of the church, as may be seen, n. 2971; 3196; and the "vine" is the spiritual church, thus the Good of Truth, see n. 5113, 6375. A. C. 6432.
13. Over the land of My people the thorn and the brier shall come up; yea, over all houses of joy, over the exulting city.
14. For the palace is deserted, the multitude of the city is forsaken; the cliff and the watch-tower shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture for flocks:
Verses 13,14. "The thorn and the brier which shall come up over the land" signify the false and the evil. "The palace 'which shall be deserted" signifies where Good dwells; and "the multitude of the city which shall be forsaken" signifies where there are Truths, for a "city" signifies the doctrine of Truth. A. E. 804.
Verse 14. By these words is described the total devastation of the church, where there is no more any Good of life or Truth of doctrine; no one, however, can know what is involved therein except from the internal sense, and from the state of things in the spiritual world. The devastation of the whole church is understood by "The palace is deserted, the multitude of the city is forsaken;" a " palace" signifies the whole church as to Truths from Good; and a "desert" signifies where there is no Good in consequence of there being no Truth; whence the "palace" being deserted or a "desert," signifies the church devastated. The "multitude of the city" signifies all the Truths of doctrine; for a "city" denotes doctrine, and "multitude" is predicated of Truths, which are said to be "forsaken" when they are not. That "the cliff and the watch-tower shall be for dens for ever," signifies that the church shall no more exist with them, because there is nothing but evil of life and the false of doctrine, which are signified by "dens," because such persons dwell in dens, as was said above; (see Chap ii. 10, Exposition.) and inasmuch as such persons dwell in deep places in the spiritual world, and they are covered above by eminences or cliffs and beacons, so as to be hid from those who dwell upon the earths there, therefore it is, not only said that "the cliff and the watch-tower shall be for dens," but also that they should be "a joy of wild asses, and a pasture for flocks." In that world also there are many hells in deep places, altogether hid by earths, rocks, and hills above, or by eminences and beacons, where there is grass, as it were "a pasture for flocks;" whence it is that the hells are unknown to those who dwell there upon the earth. "A joy of wild asses" also signifies the affection or love of falses; and "the pasture for flocks," in this place, the nourishment of evils from falses; and by both is signified the devastation of Truth by falses. From these considerations it may be seen what is the nature of the arcana contained in this and similar passages. A. E. 410.
15. Till the spirit from on high be poured out upon us; and the wilderness, become a fruitful field; and the fruitful field be esteemed a forest.
16. And judgment shall dwell in the wilderness; and justice shall reside in the fruitful field.
Verses 15, 16. Treating of those who are in natural Good, and are being reformed, The influx out of heaven into them, is signified by "The spirit from on high shall be poured out upon you." That then Truth from a spiritual origin shall be implanted in them, is signified by "the wilderness shall become a fruitful field;" a "wilderness" denoting the natural man destitute of Truths, and the "fruitful field," or "land of corn," denoting the natural man fructified with Truths. That he has thence the science of the knowledges of Truth and Good, is signified by, "the fruitful field shall be esteemed a forest" "forest" being predicated of the natural man, as a "garden" is of the spiritual; wherefore by a "forest" is signified science, and by a "garden" intelligence. That what is right and just is thence in him, is signified by "Judgment shall dwell, in the wilderness, and justice shall reside in the fruitful field;" "judment" and "justice," in the spiritual sense, signify Truth and Good, but, in the natural sense, what is right and just. A.E. 730.
17. And the work of justice shall be peace; and the labour of justice quietness and security for ever:
18. And My people shall dwell in a habitation of peace, and in tents of securities, and in quiet resting places.
Verses 17, 18. Peace is said to be "the work of Jehovah," because it is from the Lord only, and everything which exists by virtue of peace from the Lord, with those who are in conjunction with Him, is called "the Work of Jehovah;" whence it is said- "The work of Jehovah is peace." "The labour of justice" signifies Good conjoined with Truth, wherein peace consists; for "labour," in the Word, is predicated of Truth, "justice" of Good, and "rest" of the peace derived from their conjunction; "security for ever" signifies that thus there will be no infestation or fear from evils and falses. Hence it is evident what is signified by its being said that "My people shall dwell in a habitation of peace, and in tents of securities, and in quiet resting places;" viz., that they may be in heaven where the Lord is, and thence in the Good of love and of worship, without infestation from the hells, and thus in the delights of Good and pleasantnesses of Truth. The "habitation of peace" denotes heaven where the Lord is; "tents of securities," the Goods of love and of worship, not infested by evils and falses, which are from hell; and "quiet resting places," the delights of Good and pleasantnesses of Truths. That "tents" signify the Goods of love and of worship, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia, n: 414, 1102, 2145. "Peace" is the happiness of the heart and the soul, arising from the conjunction of the Lord with heaven and the church, and this from the conjunction of what is Good and True with those who are there; hence there is no longer any combat of what is evil and false against what is Good and True, or no dissension or war in a spiritual sense. Hence it is peace in which all fructification of Good and all multiplication of Truth takes place, consequently all wisdom and intelligence. And because that peace is from the Lord alone, and from Him with the angels in heaven and with men in the church, therefore by "Peace," in the supreme sense, is understood the Lord, and, in a respective sense, Heaven and the Church, consequently Good conjoined with Truth in those who are there. A. E. 365.
In respect to "Peace" and the Lord as being "the Prince of Peace," see Chap. ix. 6, Exposition.
19. But the hail shall fall, and the forest be brought down; and the city shall be laid utterly low.
20. Blessed are ye who sow beside all waters, who send forth [thither] the foot of the ox and of the ass.
Verse 19. The hail shall fall.-See Chap. xxviii. 2, 22, Exposition.
Verse 20. Here by those "who sow beside all waters" are meant they who allow themselves to be instructed in spiritual things. That "waters" are spiritual things, thus the Intellectual things of Truth, may be seen in A. C. 680. "Who send forth the foot of the ox and of the ass," signifies natural things which are serviceable thereto. That the "ox" is the natural principle as to Good, see n. 2180, 2566; the "ass," is the natural principle as to Truth. A. C. 2781.
To "sow beside all waters," is to be instructed in whatsoever truths may be of use [to the spiritual life]. To "send forth the foot of the ox and of the ass," is to be instructed in external goods and truths. A. C. 9272.
That "waters" signify Truths, see above, Chap. xi. 9, Exposition.
Author: Emanuel Swedenborg [Compiled by J. H. Smithson 1860]
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