Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 19:31-36
[2] " The firstborn said unto the younger," signifies here as before the affections; the firstborn the affection of such good, the younger the affection of such falsity; "our father is old, and there is no man in the earth," signifies that it is no longer known what good is, and what truth is; "to come unto us," signifies with which they might be conjoined; "according to the way of all the earth," signifies according to doctrinal things; the "earth" is the church. "Come, let us make our father drink wine," signifies that they should imbue such good with falsities, which are the "wine;" "and let us lie with him," signifies that in this way they would be conjoined; "and let us quicken seed from our father," signifies that so there would be a newness of a sort of church.
[3] "And they made their father drink wine," signifies that they imbued such good with falsities; "that night," signifies when all things were in such obscurity; "and the firstborn went in," signifies the affection of such good; "and lay with her father," signifies that thus they were brought into accordance; "and he knew not when she lay down nor when she arose," signifies that such a general kind of good knew no otherwise than that it was so. "And it came to pass on the morrow," signifies afterwards "that the firstborn said unto the younger," signifies that the affection of such good persuaded the falsity; " Behold, I lay yesternight with my father," signifies that thus they were conjoined; "let us make him drink wine this night also," signifies here as before that they imbued such good with falsities when everything was in such obscurity;
[4] "and go thou in and lie with him," signifies that these things also should be conjoined; "and let us quicken seed from our father," signifies here as before that so there would be a newness of a sort of church. "And they made their father drink wine that night also," signifies that in that obscure state they imbued such good with falsities; "and the younger arose and lay with him," signifies that the affection of falsity did in like manner, so that falsities appeared as truths, and in this way they were conjoined; "and he knew not when she lay down nor when she arose," signifies that such general good knew no otherwise than that it was so. "And the two daughters of Lot conceived by their father," signifies that hence was the origin of such a religion as is signified by Noah and the son of Ammon.
. That the things now set forth are signified in the internal sense, can be confirmed, and indeed as to each word; but most of them have been confirmed before, and besides, they are such as do violence to our ideas and give offense to chaste ears. From the summary explication we can see that by the things in question there is described the origin of such a religion as is signified in the Word by "Moab" and the "son of Ammon." The nature of this religion will be told hereafter, where Moab and the son of Ammon are treated of. That it is adulterated good and falsified truth, is evident. The adulterations of good and the falsifications of truth are commonly described in the Word by "adulteries" and "whoredoms," and are also so called, the reason of which is based on the fact that good and truth form a marriage with each other (n. 1904, 2173); nay, incredible as it may appear to most, it is from this marriage as from its genuine origin that there comes the sanctity of marriages on earth, and also the laws of marriages given in the Word.[2] For the case is this: When celestial and spiritual things descend out of heaven into a lower sphere, they are there turned in the most perfect manner into some likeness of marriages, and this from the correspondence that exists between spiritual and natural things. But when they are perverted in the lower sphere, as is done where evil genii and evil spirits are present, the same are then turned into such things as belong to adulteries and whoredoms. Hence it is that contaminations of good and perversions of truth are described in the Word by adulteries and whoredoms, and are also so named, as is very evident from the following passages in Ezekiel:--Thou didst commit whoredom because of thy name, and pouredst out thy whoredoms on every one that passed by thou didst take of thy garments and madest for thee high’ places decked with divers colors, and didst commit whoredom upon them thou didst take the vessels of thy adornment of My gold and of My silver, which I had given thee, and madest for thee images of a male, and didst commit whoredom with them; thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto Me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them. Was there but little of thy whoredoms? thou hast committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt, thy neighbors, great of flesh and hast multiplied thy whoredom to provoke Me to anger; thou hast committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur, and hast committed whoredom with them, and wast not satisfied; and thou hast multiplied thy whoredom even unto the land of traffic, unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied there with (Ezekiel 16:15-17, 20, 26, 28, 29);
[3] where Jerusalem is treated of, by which is here signified the church perverted in respect to truths. Every one can see that all these things have quite different meanings. That something of the church that has been perverted is called "whoredom" is quite evident; the "garments" here mentioned denote the truths that are being perverted; the falsities thence derived, which are worshiped, are the "high places decked with divers colors," with which there was whoredom. "Garments" denote truths (n. 1073); and "high places" denote worship (n. 796). The "vessels of adornment of gold and silver which I had given," denote the knowledges of good and truth from the Word by which they confirm falsities; and when these appear as truths, they are called " images of a male" with which whoredom was committed. The "vessels of adornment of gold and silver," denote the knowledges of good and truth, which is evident from the signification of "gold," as being good (n. 113, 1551, 1552); and of "silver" as being truth (n. 1551, 2048); and the "images of a male" signify that they appear as truths (n. 2046). That the "sons and daughters" which they bore and sacrificed to them denote the truths and goods which they have perverted, is evident from the signification of "sons and daughters" (n. 489-491, 533, 2362). That to "commit whoredom with the sons of Egypt," denotes to pervert these truths and goods by means of memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of "Egypt," as being memory-knowledge (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462). That to "commit whoredom with the sons of Asshur," denotes to pervert them by reasonings, is evident from the signification of "Asshur," as being reasoning (n. 119, 1186). That to "multiply whoredom even unto the land of Chaldea," denotes to pervert them even to the profanation of truth, which is "Chaldea" (n. 1368). All this makes clear what is the nature of the internal sense of the Word in the very sense of the letter.
[4] In like manner elsewhere in the same Prophet:--Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredom in Egypt; they committed whoredom in their youth; Samaria is Oholah, Jerusalem is Oholibah. Oholah committed whoredom under Me, and she doted on her lovers, the Assyrians her neighbors, she bestowed her whoredoms upon them, the choice of all the sons of Asshur; she hath not forsaken her whoredoms from Egypt, for they lay with her in her youth. Oholibah corrupted her love more than she, and her whoredoms more than the whoredoms of her sister; she doted upon the sons of Asshur; she added to her whoredoms, and saw the images of the Chaldeans, she doted upon them at the view of her eyes; the sons of Babel came to her into the bed of loves (Ezek. 23:2-5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16). "Samaria" denotes the church which is in the affection of truth, and "Jerusalem" that which is in the affection of good; whose "whoredoms with the Egyptians," and "with the sons of Asshur," denote perversions of good and truth by means of memory-knowledges and reasonings, by which falsities are confirmed, as is evident from the signification of "Egypt" (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462); and of "Asshur" (n. 119, 1186). That this was done even to profane worship, which in respect to truth is "Chaldea" (n. 1368); and in respect to good is the "sons of Babel" (n. 1182, 1326).
[5] In Isaiah:--
And it shall come to pass at the end of seventy years that Jehovah will visit Tyre, and she shall return to her harlot hire, and shall commit whoredom with all the kingdoms of the earth (Isaiah 23:17).
It is the vaunting of what is false that is signified by the "harlot hire" and the "whoredom" of Tyre. That " Tyre" denotes the knowledges of truth may be seen above (n. 1201); and also that the "kingdoms" with which the whoredom was committed denote truths (n. 1672).
[6] In Jeremiah
Thou hast committed whoredom with many companions; and return again unto Me. Lift up thine eyes unto the hills, and see where hast thou not been debauched? Upon the ways hast thou sat for them as an Arab in the wilderness, and thou hast profaned the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness (Jeremiah 3:1, 2).
To "commit whoredoms" and to "profane the land with whoredoms" denote to pervert and falsify the truths of the church. That the "land" denotes the church see (n. 662, 1066, 1067).
[7] Again
By the voice of her whoredom she hath profaned the land, she hath committed adultery with stone and with wood (Jer. 3:9);
to "commit adultery with stone and with wood," denotes to pervert the truths and goods of external worship. That "stone" is such truth see (n. 643, 1298); and that "wood" is such good, (n. 643).
[8] Again:--
Because they have wrought folly in Israel, and have committed adultery with the wives of their fellows, and have spoken a word in My name that is false, which I commanded them not (Jer. 29:23);
to "commit adultery with the wives of their fellows," is to teach falsity as from them.
[9] Again:--
In the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing, in committing adultery and walking in falsehood (Jer. 23:14);
where to "commit adultery" regards good which is contaminated; and to "walk in falsehood" regards truth which is perverted. Again:--
I have seen thine abominations; thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the foulness of thy whoredom upon the hills in the field Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem, thou wilt not be made clean; how long shall it yet be? (Jer. 13:27).
[10] In Hosea:--
Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, have taken possession of the heart. My people inquireth of wood, and the staff thereof will declare it for the spirit of whoredom hath led them astray, and they have committed whoredom from under their God; they sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under the oak, the poplar, and the terebinth (robore), therefore your daughters commit whoredom, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery shall I not visit upon your daughters because they commit whoredom, and upon your daughters-in-law because they commit adultery? for they divide with whores, and sacrifice with prostitutes (Hosea 4:11-14).
What each of these things signifies in the internal sense can be seen from the signification of "wine," as being falsity; of "new wine," as being the evil thence derived; of the " wool that is inquired of," as being the good of the delight of some cupidity; of the "staff that will declare," as being the imaginary power of their understanding; also of the "mountains" and the "hills," as being the loves of self and of the world; of the "oak, the poplar, and the terebinth," as being so many gross perceptions thence derived in which they trust; of "daughters" and the "daughters-in-law," as being such affections; all of which show what is here signified by "whoredoms," "adulteries," and "harlots."
[11] In the same:--
O Israel, thou hast committed whoredom over thy God, thou hast loved harlot hire upon all the corn-floors (Hosea 9:1);
"harlot hire" denotes the vaunting of what is false. In Moses:--
Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they commit whoredom after their gods, and sacrifice unto their gods; and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifices, and thou take of his daughters for thy sons, and his daughters commit whoredom after their gods, and make thy sons commit whoredom after their gods (Exod. 34:15, 16).
In the same:--
I will cut off all that commit whoredom after him, committing whoredom after Molech, from the midst of their people; and the soul that turneth unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto the soothsayers, to commit whoredom after them, I will set My face against that soul, and will cut him off from the midst of his people (Lev. 20:5, 6).
In the same:--
Your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your whoredoms, until your bodies be consumed in the wilderness (Num. 14:33).
In the same:--
Remember all the precepts of Jehovah, and do them, that ye seek not after your own heart, and your own eyes, after which ye do commit whoredom (Num. 15:39).
[12] And still more plainly in John:--
An angel said, Come hither, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed whoredom, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom (Rev. 17:1, 2);
the "great harlot" denotes those who are in profane worship; the "many waters" upon which she sits, are knowledges (n. 28, 739); the "kings of the earth" who have committed whoredom with her, are the truths of the church (n. 1672, 2015, 2069); the "wine" with which they were made drunk, is falsity (n. 1071, 1072). Because "wine" and "drunkenness" signify these things, it is said of the daughters of Lot, that they made their father drink wine (verses 32, 33, 35).
[13] In the same:--
Babylon hath made all nations drink of the wine of the fury of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her (Rev. 18:3).
"Babylon" or "Babel" denotes a worship the externals of which appear holy, while the interiors are profane (n. 1182, 1295, 1326); the "nations that she makes to drink," are the goods which are being profaned (n. 1259, 1260, 1416, 1849); the "kings" who committed whoredom with her, are truths (n. 1672, 2015, 2069). In the same:--
The and just are the judgments of the Lord God, for He hath judged the great harlot, who corrupted the earth with her whoredom (Rev. 19:2);
where the "earth" denotes the church (n. 566, 662, 1066, 1068, 2117, 2118).
[14] As "whoredoms" signify such things, and "daughters" signify affections, it was therefore forbidden so severely that the daughter of a priest should commit whoredom; concerning which we read in Moses:--
The daughter of a priest, having begun to commit whoredom, she is profaning her father, she shall be burned with fire (Lev. 21:9).
It was also commanded that they should not bring the hire of a harlot into the house of Jehovah, because it is an abomination (Deut. 23:18). And for the same reason there was such an inquisitorial process concerning a wife whose husband had conceived a suspicion of adultery (Num. 5:12-31), in which instance each and all things have relation to the adulterations of good. Moreover in the Word many different kinds of adulteries and whoredoms are spoken of, and still more varieties. This kind which is here described by Lot‘s daughters lying with their father, is what is called "Moab" and the "son of Ammon," now to be explained.
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