Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8711

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8711. 'Men of truth hating gain' means because the truths are pure, devoid of any worldly end in view. This is clear from the meaning of 'men of truth' as pure truths (the reason why 'men of truth' are pure truths is that 'men' means truths, 3134, 5502, and 'truth' means faith, 3121, so that 'men of truth' means the truths of faith, that is, pure truths); and from the meaning of 'hating gain' as detesting the convincing false impressions which falsity and evil create, since 'hating' means detesting and 'gain' falsity and evil that are able to convince people and draw them away from truth and goodness. In general 'gain' means all falsity arising from evil that perverts mental judgements; and since this happens to those with the world as their end in view, men 'hating gain' also means those devoid of any worldly end in view. The fact that 'gain' means all falsity arising from evil that perverts mental judgements and draws a person away from truth and goodness may become clear to anyone who stops to reflect. 'Gain' in this sense is mentioned quite a number of times in the Word, such as in Isaiah 33:15; 56:11; 57:17; Jeremiah 6:13; 8:10; 22:17; Ezekiel 22:27; 33:31; and David, Ps 119:36.


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