Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 3411

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

3411. Verses 15-17 And all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped them up and filled them up with dust. And Abimelech said to Isaac, Go away from being with us, for you are much mightier than we are. And Isaac went away from there, and camped in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there.

'All the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped them up' means that people who possessed knowledge of cognitions did not wish to know interior truths that came from the Divine and so effaced them. 'And filled them up with dust' means by means of earthly things. 'And Abimelech said to Isaac' means the Lord's perception regarding that doctrine. 'Go away from being with us, for you are much mightier than we are' means that they would not be able to tolerate those things because of their Divine content. 'And Isaac went away from there' means that the Lord abandoned interior matters of doctrine. 'And camped in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there' means that He did so for lower rational concepts, that is, He abandoned interior appearances for exterior ones.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church