Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 49:20
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AC 6407. Verse 20. From Asher his bread is fat, and he shall yield the delights of a king. "From Asher,‘ signifies the blessedness of the affections; "his bread is fat," signifies delight from good; "and he shall yield the delights of a king," signifies pleasantness from truth.

AC 6408. From Asher. That this signifies the blessedness of the affections, namely, of the celestial affections which are of love to the Lord and of charity toward the neighbor, is evident from the representation of Asher, as being the happiness of eternal life, and the blessedness of the affections (n. 3938, 3939). Moreover Asher was so called from "blessedness." This blessedness cannot be easily described, because it is internal, and seldom shows itself with anyone in the very body, thus seldom to the sense. For during his life in the body, man has a distinct sensation of what takes place in his body, but a very obscure one of what takes place in his spirit, because while man is in the body worldly cares act as a hindrance, and where these cares exist the blessedness of the affections cannot flow so far as into the bodily sense unless natural and sensuous things have been reduced to agreement with inward ones, and even then only obscurely, as a tranquillity from contentment of mind; but after departure from this life it manifests itself, and is perceived as something blessed and happy, and then it affects both the interiors and the exteriors. In a word, the blessedness of the celestial affections is that of the soul or spirit itself, flowing in by an internal way, and penetrating toward the body, where it is received so far as the delights of natural and sensuous loves do not stand’ in the way.

[2] Not a whit of this blessedness is possible with those who are in the delight of the love of self and of the world, for these loves are totally opposite; and therefore they who are in these loves cannot at all comprehend that there is any blessedness except that of being exalted to dignities, being worshiped as deities, abounding in riches, and possessing greater wealth than others. If they are told that the delight from these loves is external, and perishes with the body, and that what remains in the mind is turned after death into sadness and gloom, such as prevail in the hells; and that there is an internal delight which is the satisfaction and happiness enjoyed by those who are in heaven; these things they do not at all comprehend, because the external reigns with them and the internal is closed. From all this it may be known what is meant by the blessedness of the affections which is signified by "Asher."

AC 6409. His bread is fat. That this signifies delight from good, is evident from the signification of "fat," as being delight; for by "fatness" is signified what is celestial, or the good of love (n. 353, 5943); but when the word "fat" is used, and is joined to "bread," which signifies the good of love, then by "fat" is signified the delight of this love. That "bread" signifies the good of love may be seen above, (n. 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976, 5915).

AC 6410. And he shall yield the delights of a king. That this signifies pleasantness from truth, is evident from the signification of "delights," as being what is pleasant; and from the signification of a "king," as being truth (n. 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148); thus "to yield the delights of a king" denotes what is pleasant from truth. Mention is made of both "delight from good" and "pleasantness from truth" on account of the heavenly marriage in everything of the Word (n. 6343). The delight from good and the pleasantness from truth which cause blessedness in heaven, do not consist in idleness, but in activity; for in idleness delight and pleasantness become undelight and unpleasantness; but in activity delight and pleasantness are permanent and constantly uplift, and cause blessedness. With those who are in heaven, activity consists in the performance of uses (which to them is delight from good), and in relishing truths with the end of uses (which to them is pleasantness from truth).

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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