Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 4494

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4494. Verses 25-29. And it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that the two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, brothers of Dinah, took each his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew every male. And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son at the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went forth. The sons of Jacob came upon those who were pierced, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. Their flocks, and their herds, and their asses, and whatever was in the city, and whatever was in the field, they took; and all their wealth, and all their babe, and their women, they took captive and made a prey of, and all that was in the house. "And it came to pass on the third day," signifies what is continuous even to the end; "when they were in pain," signifies cupidities; "that the two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi," signifies faith and love; "brothers of Dinah," signifies the truths and goods of that church; "took each his sword," signifies falsity and evil; "and came upon the city boldly, and slew every male," signifies that they extirpated the truths of doctrine of the Church among the Ancients; "and they slew Hamor and Shechem his son at the edge of the sword," signifies the church itself; "and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went forth," signifies that they took away the affection of truth; "the sons of Jacob came upon those who were pierced, and plundered the city," signifies that all that posterity destroyed the doctrine; "because they had defiled their sister," signifies that they had befouled the truth of faith; "their flocks and their herds," signifies that they destroyed rational and natural good; "and their asses," signifies the truths thence derived; "and whatever was in the city, and whatever was in the field, they took," signifies all the truth and good of the church; "and all their wealth," signifies all the matters of knowledge they had acquired; "and all their babe," signifies all the innocence; "and their women," signifies the charity; "they took captive and made a prey of," signifies that they stripped them and perverted them; "and all that was in the house," signifies everything of the church.


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