Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 58

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58. Verse 30 And to every wild animal of the earth and to every bird of the air,a and to everything creeping over the earth in which there is a living soul [I give] every plant for food; and it was so. The natural food of this same [spiritual man] is being described here. His natural level is here meant by 'wild animal of the earth' and by 'bird of the air, to which 'the edible and green plantb has been given for food'. Both kinds of food, natural and spiritual, are referred to in David as follows,

Jehovah causes the grass to grow for the beast, and the plant for man's service, that he may bring forth bread from the earth. Ps 104:14.
Here 'beast' stands for both wild animals of the earth and birds of the air,a both being mentioned in verses 11, 12 of that Psalm.

Notes

a lit. bird of the heavens (or the skies)
b See 996:3 -


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