Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 3604

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

3604. Verses 41-45 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are approaching, and I will kill Jacob my brother. And the words of Esau her elder son were pointed out to Rebekah, and she sent and summoned Jacob her younger son, and said to him, Behold, Esau your brother is consoling himself concerning you [by planning] to kill you. And now, my son, hearken to my voice, and arise, flee to Laban my brother, to Haran. And stay with him for a few days until your brother's wrath turns back, until your brother's anger turns back from you, and he forgets what you have done to him, and I send and fetch you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?

'Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him' means that natural good found the conjunction with truth - inverted as regards order - repugnant. 'And Esau said in his heart' means thought. 'The days of mourning for my father are approaching, and I will kill Jacob my brother' means an inversion, and the removal from truth of the life from itself. 'And the words of Esau her elder son were pointed out to Rebekah' means the Lord's perception coming from Divine Truth concerning the inclination of natural good at that time. 'And she sent and summoned Jacob her younger son, and said to him' means a state in which the affection for truth discerned from an influx coming by way of Divine truth.... 'Behold, Esau your brother is consoling himself concerning you [by planning] to kill you' means, the intention to invert the state and to remove from truth the life from itself. 'And now, my son, hearken to my voice, and arise' means a continuance. 'Flee to Laban my brother, to Haran' means in the direction of the affection for external or bodily good. 'And stay with him for a few days' means in that which was subsequent. 'Until your brother's wrath turns back' means until the state changes. 'Until your brother's anger turns back from you' means the subsequent stage of the state with natural good. 'And he forgets what you have done to him' means the condition that resulted from the delay. 'And I send and fetch you from there' means that at that point the end in view has been reached. 'Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?' means that otherwise there would be no conjunction.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church