Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 4584

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

4584. Verses 16-20. And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was still a tract of land to come to Ephrath; and Rachel brought forth, and suffered hard things in her bringing forth. And it came to pass in her suffering hard things in her bringing forth that the midwife said unto her, Fear not, for this also is to thee a son. And it came to pass as her soul was going forth, that she was about to die; and she called his name Benoni; and his father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, this is Bethlehem. And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave; this is the pillar of Rachel's grave even to this day. "And they journeyed from Bethel, and there was still a tract of land to come to Ephrath," signifies that now was the spiritual of the celestial ("Joseph" is the celestial of the spiritual); "and Rachel brought forth, and suffered hard things in her bringing forth," signifies the temptations of interior truth; "and it came to pass in her suffering hard things in her bringing forth," signifies after temptations; "that the midwife said unto her, Fear not," signifies perception from the natural; "for this also is to thee a son," signifies spiritual truth; "and it came to pass as her soul was in departing that she was about to die," signifies a state of temptations; "and she called his name Benoni," signifies the quality of this state; "and his father called him Benjamin," signifies the quality of the spiritual of the celestial; "and Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath," signifies the end of the former affection of interior truth; "this is Bethlehem," signifies in place thereof the resurrection of a new spiritual of the celestial; "and Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave," signifies the holy of the spiritual truth that would rise again there; "this is the pillar of Rachel's grave even to this day," signifies the state of the holy forever.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church