Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 18:17
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AC 2223. Verse 17. And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do? "And Jehovah said," signifies perception; " Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do?" signifies that nothing ought to be hidden before the Lord.

AC 2224. Jehovah said. That this signifies perception, is evident from the signification of "saying," as being to perceive (n. 1898, 1919, 2080). Here, as it is Jehovah who "said," the meaning is that the Lord perceived from the Divine.

AC 2225. Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do? That this signifies that nothing ought to be hidden before the Lord, is evident from the representation of Abraham, as being the Lord in that state (as already explained several times in this chapter). That the rest of the words signify that nothing ought to be hidden, is evident. In this case the sense of the letter is similar to the internal sense, as occasionally elsewhere, especially where the essentials of faith are treated of, which, being necessary to salvation, are stated in the letter such as they are in the internal sense; as for example in Moses:--

Jehovah our God is one Jehovah; and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strengths; and these words shall be upon thy heart (Deut. 6:4-6).

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Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. www.BibleMeanings.info