519# 启8:11.“这星名叫苦艾”表示与邪恶之虚假混杂的真理。这从“名”、“星”和“苦艾”的含义清楚可知：“名”是指状态是什么样，事物是什么样，或说一个状态的品质、一个事物的品质(参看AE 148节)；“星”，即此处“好像一盏灯的烧着的大星”是指被自我之爱歪曲的圣言真理；“苦艾”是指与邪恶之虚假混杂的真理。“苦艾”因它的苦味而具有这种含义，苦味源于与对立的不甜混杂的甜味；因此，像苦艾和苦胆那样的苦味在灵义上表示与虚假，也就是真理的对立面，即邪恶之虚假混杂的真理。因为品味和尝味表示对知道并变得智慧的情感，因此美味的东西表示智慧的快乐和愉悦；美食因味美而表示智慧的真理。这一切来自对应(参看《属天的奥秘》，3502, 3536, 3589, 4791–4805节)。“苦艾”和“苦胆”因其苦味而表示与邪恶之虚假混杂的真理，这一点从本节经文接下来的话也明显看出来；因为经上说：“因水变苦，就有许多人死于这些水。”这句话表示通过被歪曲的真理，所有这些人在属灵生命上都灭亡了；因为真理构成人的属灵生命，而邪恶之虚假则消灭它；当真理与邪恶之虚假混杂时，它们就不再是真理，而是被歪曲的真理；被歪曲的真理就是虚假本身。
犹太民族就有这些虚假；但在正直的外邦人当中，它们是另一种虚假；在福音书中，这些虚假由“醋”来表示，而前者由调和了没药的“苦胆和酒”来表示：
他们来到一个地方，叫各各他，拿苦胆调和的醋给耶稣喝；祂尝了，不肯喝。当祂被钉在十字架上时，其中有一个人跑去，拿海绵蘸满了醋，绑在芦苇秆上给祂喝。(马太福音27:33–34, 48; 马可福音15:23, 36)
约翰福音：
这事以后，耶稣知道各样的事已经成了，为使经文应验，就说，我渴了。有一个器皿盛满了醋，放在那里；他们就拿海绵蘸满了醋，绑在牛膝草上，送到祂嘴边。耶稣受了那醋，说，成了！(约翰福音19:28–30)
福音书所记载的关于主受难的每一种情况，在灵义上都表示那时教会在主和圣言方面的状态。事实上，主就是圣言，因为祂是神性真理；犹太人怎样对待圣言或神性真理，就怎样对待主(对此，参看AE 64, 195节)。他们拿“苦胆调和的醋”(这醋也被称为“没药调和的酒”)给主，表示在犹太民族那里，来自圣言的神性真理的品质，即：它与邪恶之虚假混杂在一起，因而完全被歪曲和玷污了，所以祂不会喝它。但后来“他们就拿海绵蘸满了醋，绑在牛膝草上”，表示在正直的外邦人中的那种虚假，这种虚假是来自对真理的无知的虚假，其中有某种良善和有用的东西；主接受这种虚假，所以祂喝了这醋；他们绑在其上的“牛膝草”表示对虚假的洁净；主说“我渴了”表示神性属灵的渴，就是对教会中的神性真理和良善的渴，人类凭神性真理和良善得救。关于在犹太民族当中的邪恶之虚假是何品质，以及在正直的外邦人当中的无知的虚假是何品质，可参看《新耶路撒冷及其属天教义》(21节)。
在诗篇，“苦胆”和“醋”具有相同的含义：
他们给我苦胆当食物；我渴了，他们给我醋喝。愿他们的筵席在他们面前变为网罗；愿他们的赏赐是陷阱。愿他们眼目昏暗，无法看见；求你使他们的腰常常战抖。(诗篇69:21–23)
这些话论及主，所以此处“苦胆”、“醋”、“渴”与前面的具有相同的含义。在他们面前为网罗的“筵席”(即桌子)表示在来自圣言的一切教义真理方面误入歧途或犯错，因为“筵席”(即桌子)是指一切属灵食物，属灵食物是指来自圣言的教义的一切。将要昏暗，使他们无法看见的“眼目”表示对真理的理解；将要战抖的“腰”表示对良善的意愿，以及它与对真理的理解的婚姻；圣言其它部分中的“腰”具有相同的含义。
耶利米哀歌：
他用苦楚充满我，使我饱饮苦艾。所以我说，我的胜利消失了，我从耶和华所得的盼望也没有了。求你记念我的痛苦和哀叹，就是苦艾和苦胆或毒菜。(耶利米哀歌3:15, 18–19)
这段经文也论及主。“他用苦楚充满我，使我饱饮苦艾”表示主在教会只找到那时存在于犹太人当中的虚假和被歪曲的真理，“苦艾”表示与真理，因而与被歪曲之物混杂的邪恶之虚假；“我的胜利消失了，我从耶和华所得的盼望也没有了。求你记念我的痛苦和哀叹，就是苦艾和苦胆或毒菜”表示主与地狱的争战，以及祂对将犹太民族带回到对真理的接受和承认中的绝望。因为处于邪恶之虚假，却又处于来自圣言字义的真理的灵人在被征服，并投入地狱之前，会作出更长时间的抵抗。原因在于，他们通过真理与天堂联系；在他们被扔下去之前，这种联系和由此产生的结合必须被打破并除去；这涉及对胜利的绝望，就是主在十字架上所经受的那种绝望，那时祂说“我渴了”，他们就给祂醋喝。
耶利米书：
耶和华我们的神将我们剪除，又将苦胆水给我们喝。(耶利米书8:14)
同一先知书：
看哪，我必将苦艾给这百姓吃，又用苦胆水给他们喝；我要把他们分散在列族中；我要打发剑追杀他们，直到将他们灭尽。(耶利米书9:15–16)
又：
看哪，我必使他们吃苦艾，喝苦胆水；因伪善从耶路撒冷的先知那里出来进入全地。(耶利米书23:15)
这些话也论及犹太民族，犹太民族以上千种方式败坏圣言，歪曲它的真理，玷污它的良善。“苦艾”表示虚假之邪恶，“喝苦胆水”表示邪恶之虚假，两者都与圣言的真理和良善混杂。“耶和华必将苦艾给这百姓吃，又用苦胆水给他们喝”表示他们凭自己从内心处于邪恶和来自邪恶的虚假；邪恶和虚假被归于耶和华，也就是主，如在别处的许多经文中；然而，它们属于人自己；其原因已在前面各处说明。从耶路撒冷的先知那里出来的“伪善”表示虚假与真理的这种混杂，因为他们在讲述真理的同时，却又在教导虚假。他们从圣言说话时，就说真理，从他们自己和自己的教义教导时，却又教导虚假。“我要把他们分散在列族中；我要打发剑追杀他们”表示他们被虚假之邪恶和邪恶之虚假毁灭；“分散在列族中”表示被虚假之邪恶毁灭，“打发剑追杀他们”表示被邪恶之虚假毁灭。“民族”表示邪恶(参看AE 175b, 331b节)；“剑”表示真理与虚假的争战，并虚假与真理的争战，以及它的毁灭(也可参看AE 131b, 367节)。
阿摩司书：
看哪，耶和华用裂口击破大房，用裂缝击破小屋。马岂能在岩石上奔跑？人岂能在那里用牛耕种呢？你们却使公平变为苦胆，使公义的果子变为苦艾。(阿摩司书6:11–12)
同一先知书：
他们使公平变为苦艾，将公义丢弃于地。(阿摩司书5:7)
“耶和华用裂口击破大房，用裂缝击破小屋”表示在有学问的人当中对真理的大量败坏和歪曲，以及在没有学问的人当中，一些败坏和歪曲，“大房”表示一个有学问的人，“小屋”表示一个没有学问的人；“裂口”表示被虚假摧毁的真理，“裂缝”也是，只是程度小一些。“马岂能在岩石上奔跑？人岂能在那里用牛耕种呢”表示对真理的理解和对良善的意愿在有邪恶之虚假的地方是不可能的，或说哪里有邪恶之虚假，哪里就没有对真理的理解和对良善的意愿；“奔跑的马”表示对真理的理解，“用牛耕种”表示对良善的意愿。“你们却使公平变为苦胆，使公义的果子变为苦艾”表示这是因为，他们歪曲了圣言的真理，玷污了圣言的良善，“公平”表示圣言的真理，“公义的果子”表示圣言的良善。
519b.摩西在他的歌中清楚声明，被称为以色列人和犹太人的雅各子孙就具有这种品质；其中，经上以这些话描述了他们：
他们的葡萄树出自所多玛的葡萄树，来自蛾摩拉的田园；他们的葡萄是苦胆葡萄，全挂都是苦的。他们的酒是龙的毒液，是虺蛇残忍的苦胆。(申命记32:32–33)
“葡萄树”表示教会，经上之所以说这葡萄树“出自所多玛的葡萄树，来自蛾摩拉的田园”，是因为“所多玛”表示源于自我之爱的邪恶，“蛾摩拉”表示这些邪恶的一切虚假；“葡萄”表示教会的良善，“挂”表示教会的真理。“他们的葡萄是苦胆葡萄，全挂都是苦的”表示他们拥有的是与真理混杂的最坏的那种邪恶和虚假，而不是教会的良善；“酒”表示信之真理和良善；“他们的酒是龙的毒液，是虺蛇残忍的苦胆”表示对他们来说，这信之真理和良善都是外在的，其中有来自内层的邪恶。雅各的子孙就具有这种性质和品质，尽管他们当中有一个教会(可参看《新耶路撒冷及其属天教义》，248节)。
“苦胆”和“苦艾”表示与良善和真理混杂的邪恶和虚假，这一点从摩西五经中的这些话进一步明显看出来：
惟恐你们当中，或男或女，或宗族或支派，今日心里从耶和华我们的神那里回头看，去侍奉那些民族的神明；又怕你们当中有根长出苦胆和苦艾来。(申命记29:18)
此处“苦胆”和“苦艾”也表示良善和真理与邪恶和虚假的混杂；当从心里拜别神，只嘴上拜耶和华时，这种情况就会发生；那时，外在听起来像良善，看起来像真理，而内在却是邪恶和虚假；当内层是邪恶和虚假，外层是良善和真理时，这两者就有一种混杂，那时良善会变成苦胆，真理会变成苦艾。当人从心里恨恶邻舍，否认教会的真理，而表面上又表现出对邻之仁，信奉教会的真理时，情况也一样；那时他里面有“有根长出苦胆和苦艾来”，因为他让邪恶和虚假从内层进入，并将它们与他外在所表现的良善和真理混在一起。
约伯记：
他口中以恶为甘甜，把恶藏在舌头底下；他虽顾惜不放弃，含在口里，他的饼在肚里却要翻转，在他中间成为虺蛇的苦胆；他吞了财宝，还要吐出；神要把它们从他腹中掏出来。他必吸饮虺蛇的毒液，毒蛇的舌头必杀他。(约伯记20:12–16)
这是对伪善的描述，人出于伪善说神圣的话，伪装良善的情感，内心却否认和亵渎。“他把恶藏在舌头底下，含在口里”描述了他的里面或内层。“他的饼在肚里却要翻转，在他中间成为虺蛇的苦胆”表示因此，良善被邪恶污染，并被逐出；“饼”表示爱之良善，“肚里”是指从内部或内层，“虺蛇的苦胆”表示与邪恶混杂的良善。“他吞了财宝，还要吐出；神要把它们从他腹中掏出来”表示真理也被虚假逐出；这虚假由“虺蛇的毒液”来表示。
要知道，当邪恶与虚假在人的灵里，而良善与真理在他身体的行为与言语中时，良善与邪恶，并良善之真理与邪恶之虚假就混在一起。但在人灵里的东西，也就是内层，会进入属于身体的东西，或外层起作用；因为它流入看似良善与真理的外层，使它像苦胆和苦艾那样苦，尽管在人面前似乎是甜的。由于人的嘴口和言语上的良善与真理具有这种品质，所以当人死后成为一个灵时，良善就与邪恶分离，虚假则与真理分离，良善与真理被夺走，因此人的灵完全变成自己的邪恶和虚假。但必须知道，良善与邪恶，并真理与虚假的这种混杂不是对良善与真理的亵渎；只有那些一开始在内心和信仰上接受真理和良善，后来在内心和信仰上又否认它们的人才会犯亵渎罪。
519. And the name of the star is called Wormwood. - That this signifies truth mingled with the falsity of evil, is evident from the signification of name, as denoting the quality of a state, and the quality of a thing; see above (n. 148); and from the signification of a star, here, of the great star burning as it were a lamp, as denoting the truth of the Word falsified by proprium-love; and from the signification of wormwood, as denoting truth mingled with the falsity of evil. Wormwood has this signification from its bitterness, and bitterness arises from the mixing of that which is sweet with that which is not sweet and opposite. Bitterness, therefore, such as that of wormwood and gall, denotes, in the spiritual sense, truth mingled with falsity which is the opposite of truth, and is the falsity of evil. For relish and taste signify the affection of knowing and becoming wise, hence that which is savoury signifies what is delightful and pleasant belonging to wisdom; and delicacies, because they are savoury, signify the truth of wisdom. That this is from correspondence, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 3502, 3536, 3589, 4791-4805). That wormwood, and also gall, from their bitterness, signify truth mingled with the falsity of evil, is evident also from that which follows in this verse; for it is said that "many men died of the waters because they were made bitter." This signifies that all such perished as to spiritual life, by means of truths falsified. For truths make the spiritual life of man, but falsities of evil extinguish it; and when truths are mingled with falsities of evil they are no longer truths, but truths falsified; and truths falsified are in themselves falsities. There were falsities of such a kind with the Jewish nation, while the falsities which existed amongst the upright Gentiles, were of another kind; the latter falsities are signified by vinegar, but the former, by gall and wine mingled with myrrh, in the Evangelists.
[2] And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, They gave Jesus vinegar to drink mingled with gall; but he would not drink. When they had crucified Him, "one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink" (Matthew 27 [64, 195). Their giving to the Lord vinegar mingled with gall, which was also called wine mingled with myrrh, signified the quality of the Divine Truth from the Word with the Jewish nation, namely, that it was mingled with the falsity of evil, and thus altogether falsified and adulterated, therefore He would not drink it. But their afterwards giving to the Lord vinegar in a sponge, and placing hyssop about it, signified the quality of falsity among the upright Gentiles, which was falsity arising from ignorance of the truth, in which there was something good and useful; as this falsity is accepted by the Lord, He therefore drank that [which corresponded to it]. The hyssop which they placed about it, signified the purification thereof; the Lord's saying, "I thirst," signified Divine spiritual thirst, which is of Divine Truth and Good in the church, by which mankind are saved. Concerning the quality of the falsity of evil with the Jewish nation and that of the falsity of ignorance with the upright Gentiles, in which was good, see the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 21).
[3] The same is signified by gall and vinegar in David:
"They gave me gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Let their table become a snare before them; and let their reward be a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake" (Psalm 69:21-23).
This is said concerning the Lord, and gall, vinegar, and thirst have a signification similar to that explained above. By their table becoming a snare before them, is signified error in regard to every truth of doctrine from the Word, for a table denotes all spiritual food, and spiritual food signifies every thing of doctrine from the Word. Their eyes being darkened that they should not see, signifies understanding of truth; their loins being made to shake, signifies the will of good, and its marriage, union with the understanding of truth; the same is also signified by loins in other parts of the Word.
[4] So in Lamentations:
"He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunk with wormwood; therefore I said, My victory hath perished, and my hope from Jehovah; Remember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall" (3:15, 18, 19).
This passage also treats of the Lord. That the Lord found nothing but falsities and falsified truths in the church, which was at that time with the Jews, is signified by, "He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunk with wormwood." Wormwood denotes the falsity of evil mingled with truths, thus that which is falsified. The combat of the Lord with the hells, and His despair that the Jewish nation would ever be brought to receive and acknowledge truths, is signified by, my victory hath perished, and my hope from Jehovah; Remember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. For spirits who are in the falsities of evil and yet in truths from the sense of the letter of the Word, make a somewhat long resistance before they are subdued, and cast down into hell. The reason of this is, that by means of truths they have communication with heaven, and this communication and resulting conjunction must be broken off, and taken away, before they are cast down; this involves despair concerning victory, such as the Lord suffered upon the cross, when He said, "I thirst," and they gave Him vinegar.
[5] In Jeremiah:
"Jehovah God hath cut us off, and given us water of gall to drink" (175:14, 331); and that sword signifies the combat of truth against falsity, and, the combat of falsity against truth, and its destruction, may also be seen above (n. 131, 367).
[6] So in Amos:
"Behold, Jehovah will smite the great house with sprinklings, and the little house with breaches. Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plough there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of justice into wormwood" (6:11, 12).
And in the same:
"They have turned judgment to wormwood, and thrust down justice to the earth" (5:7).
Jehovah will smite the great house with sprinklings, and the little house with breaches, signifies much perversion and falsification of truth among the learned, and some with the unlearned, a great house signifying a learned man, and a little house, an unlearned man; sprinklings denote truths destroyed by falsities, and breaches, the same, but in a less degree. That there is no understanding of truth, and will of good where the falsity of evil is, is signified by, "Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plough there with oxen?" Horses running denote the understanding of truth, and ploughing with oxen denotes the will of good. That this is the result of their falsifying the truths and adulterating the goods of the Word, is signified by the words, "for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of justice into wormwood;" judgment signifying the truth of the Word, and the fruit of justice the good thereof.
[7] That the sons of Jacob, who were called Israelites and Jews were of such a character, is plainly declared by Moses in his song, in which they are thus described:
"Of their vine the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter; their wine (vinum) is the venom of dragons, and the cruel gall of asps" (Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248).
[8] That gall and wormwood signify evil and falsity mingled with good and truth, is still further evident from these words in Moses:
"Lest there should be among you, man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart looketh back this day from Jehovah our God, to go and serve the gods of the nations; lest there be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood" (Deuteronomy 29:18).
Here also, gall and wormwood signify the mingling of good and truth with evil and falsity, which is the case when other gods are worshipped with the heart, and Jehovah only with the lips; for then the external sounds like good, and appears like truth, but the internal is evil and falsity. And when the interiors are evils and falsities, and the exteriors goods and truths, then both are mingled together with the result that the good becomes gall, and the truth becomes wormwood. Similarly when man in his heart hates his neighbour, and denies the truths of the church, and yet outwardly shows charity towards his neighbour, and professes the truths of the church, then there is in him a root producing gall and wormwood, for the evils and falsities from the interior enter, and mingle with the goods and truths which he manifests in externals.
[9] So in Job:
"Though evil be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue; though he spare it, and forsake it not, but keep it still within his mouth; his bread in his bowels shall be changed, it is the gall of asps in the midst of him. He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again; God shall cast them out of his belly. He shall [suck] the venom of asps, the viper's tongue shall slay him" (20:12-16).
This is a description of the hypocrisy from which a man speaks things holy, and pretends to have good affections while inwardly he denies and blasphemes. His interior quality is described by his hiding evil under his tongue, and keeping it within his mouth; that consequently good is infected with evil, and cast out, is signified by "yet his bread in his bowels shall be changed, and the gall of asps in the midst of him," bread denoting the good of love, and in his bowels denoting interiorly, and the gall of asps, good mingled with evil. That similarly truth is cast out by falsity, is signified by he hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again; God shall cast them out of his belly. This falsity is meant by the gall of asps.
[10] It must be observed, that good and evil, and the truth of good and the falsity of evil are mingled together, when evil and falsity are in man's spirit, but good and truth in his bodily actions and speech. For that which is in man's spirit, that is, what is interior, acts into that which is of the body, or exterior; for it inflows and causes the exterior, which appears to be good and true, to be bitter like gall and wormwood, although apparently sweet before men. And because the good and truth of man's mouth and speech are of such a quality, therefore after death, when he becomes a spirit, the good is separated from the evil, and the falsity from truth, and good and truth being thus taken away, man's spirit becomes entirely his own evil and falsity. But it must be observed, that the mingling of good and evil, and of truth and falsity, is not the profanation of good and truth, for only those who have first received truth and good in their heart and faith, and afterwards in heart and faith deny them, are guilty of profanation.
519. Verse 11. And the name of the star is called Wormwood, signifies truth mixed with the falsity of evil. This is evident from the signification of "name," as meaning what the state is, and what the thing is (See above, n. 148); from the signification of "star," here "a great star burning as a lamp," as being the truth of the Word falsified by self-love; and from the signification of "wormwood," as being truth mixed with the falsity of evil. This is signified by "wormwood" because of its bitterness, and bitterness springs from what is sweet mixed with the opposite unsweet; therefore "bitterness" like that of wormwood and gall means in the spiritual sense truth mixed with the falsity that is the opposite of truth, which is the falsity of evil; for savor and taste signify the affection of knowing and of becoming wise, therefore what is savory signifies the delightfulness and pleasantness of wisdom; and "delicacies," because they are savory, signify the truths of wisdom. (That this is from correspondence see Arcana Coelestia 3502, 3536, 3589, 4791-4805.) That "wormwood" and "gall" from their bitterness, signify truth mixed with the falsity of evil is evident also from what follows in this verse; for it is said that "many men died of the waters because they were made bitter," which signifies that through truths falsified all such perished in respect to spiritual life; for truths are what make the spiritual life, while falsities of evil extinguish it; and when truths are mixed with falsities of evil they are no longer true but falsified; and truths falsified are in themselves falsities.
[2] Such falsities were with the Jewish nation; but among the upright Gentiles they were falsities of another kind; these falsities are signified by the "vinegar," but the former by "the gall and wine mingled with myrrh," in the Gospels:
When they were come unto a place called Golgotha, they gave Jesus vinegar mingled with gall; but when He had tasted He would not drink. When He had been crucified, one of them running and taking a sponge and filling it with vinegar, and putting it on a reed gave Him to drink (64, 195). Their giving to the Lord "vinegar mingled with gall," which was also called "wine mingled with myrrh," signified the quality of the Divine truth from the Word with the Jewish nation, namely, that it was mingled with the falsity of evil, and thus altogether falsified and adulterated, therefore He would not drink it. But that afterwards "they gave the Lord vinegar in a sponge and placed it upon hyssop" signified the kind of falsity there was among the upright Gentiles, which was falsity from ignorance of the truth, in which there was something good and useful; because this falsity is accepted by the Lord He drank this vinegar; the "hyssop" upon which they placed it signifies the purification of the falsity; that the Lord said "I thirst," signifies Divine spiritual thirst, which is for Divine truth and good in the church, by which the human race is saved. (Respecting the falsity of evil, what it was with the Jewish nation, and the falsity of ignorance in which there is good, what this was with the upright Gentiles, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 21.)
[3] "Gall" and "vinegar" have a like signification in David:
They gave me gall for My food; and in my thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink. Let their table before them become a snare; and for retributions let there be a lure. Let their eyes be darkened that they see not; and make their loins continually to falter (Psalms 69:21-23).
Here "gall," "vinegar," and "thirst," have a similar signification as above, since this is said of the Lord; the "table that shall be to them for a snare," signifies going astray in respect to every truth of doctrine from the Word, for "table" has reference to all spiritual food, and spiritual food is everything of doctrine from the Word; the "eyes that will be darkened that they see not," signify the understanding of truth; the "loins that will be made to falter," signify the will of good, and its marriage with the understanding of truth; "loins" have the same signification in other parts of the Word.
[4] In Lamentations:
He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. Therefore I said, My victory hath perished, and my hope from Jehovah. Remember my misery and my lament, the wormwood and the hemlock (Lamentations 3:15, 18, 19).
This, too, is said of the Lord. That the Lord found nothing but falsities and falsified truths in the church that then existed among the Jews is signified by "He hath filled me with bitterness, and hath made me drunken with wormwood," "wormwood" meaning the falsity of evil mixed with truths, thus what is falsified; the Lord's combat with the hells, and His hopelessness of ever bringing back the Jewish nation to a reception and acknowledgment of truths is signified by "My victory hath perished, and my hope from Jehovah; remember my misery and my lament, the wormwood and the hemlock;" for the spirits who are in the falsities of evil and yet in truths from the sense of the letter of the Word make longer resistance before they are subjugated and cast down into hell, and for the reason that through truths they have communication with heaven, and this communication and consequent conjunction must be broken and removed before they are cast down; this involves despair as to victory, such as the Lord experienced upon the cross when He said "I thirst," and they gave Him vinegar.
[5] In Jeremiah:
Jehovah our God hath cut us off and hath given us waters of gall to drink (175, 331; and that "sword" signifies the combat of truth against falsity, and the combat of falsity against truth, and its destruction, see also above, n. 131, 367.)
[6] In Amos:
Behold, Jehovah will smite the great house with gaps and the little house with clefts. Shall horses run upon the rock? Shall one plow with oxen? For ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood (Amos 6:11, 12).
In the same:
They turn judgment into wormwood, and thrust down righteousness to the earth (Amos 5:7).
"Jehovah will smite the great house with gaps, and the little house with clefts," signifies much perversion and falsification of truth with the learned, and some with the unlearned, a "great house" signifying a learned man, and a "little house" an unlearned man; "gaps" signify truths destroyed by falsities, and "clefts" the same, but in a less degree; that the understanding of truth and the will of good are not possible where there is the falsity of evil, is signified by "Shall horses run upon the rock? Shall one plow with oxen?;" "horses running" meaning the understanding of truth, and "plowing with oxen" the will of good. That this is because truths were falsified and the goods of the Word were adulterated is signified by, "For ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood," "judgment" signifying the truth of the Word, and "the fruit of righteousness" its good.
[7] That the quality of the sons of Jacob, who were called Israelites and Jews, was such, is plainly declared by Moses in his song, in which they are described in these words:
Their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, they have clusters of bitterness. Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel gall of asps (The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248.)
[8] That "gall" and "wormwood" signify evil and falsity mingled with good and truth, is further evident from these words in Moses:
Lest there be among you man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart looketh back this day from with Jehovah our God, to go to serve the gods of the nations; lest there be among you a root bearing gall and wormwood (Deuteronomy 29:18).
Here, too, "gall" and "wormwood" signify the mingling of good and truth with evil and falsity, which is done when other gods are worshiped with the heart, and Jehovah only with the lips; then the external sounds like good and appears like truth, but the internal is evil and falsity; and when the interiors are evils and falsities, and the exteriors are goods and truths, there is a mingling of the two, and then the good becomes gall, and the truth becomes wormwood. It is similar when man in his heart hates the neighbor and denies the truths of the church, and yet outwardly avows charity towards the neighbor and professes the truths of the church; there is then in him "a root bearing gall and wormwood," for he lets in evils and falsities from the interior, and mixes them with the goods and truths that he displays in the externals.
[9] In Job:
Though evil shall have been sweet in his mouth, though he shall have hidden it under his tongue; though he shall have spared it and not forsaken it but shall keep it within his mouth, his bread in his bowels shall be changed, it shall be the gall of asps in the midst of him; he hath swallowed riches and he shall vomit them up again, God shall cast them out of his belly. He shall suck the poison of asps, the viper's tongue shall slay him (Job 20:12-16).
Thus is described the hypocrisy from which man speaks things holy and stimulates good affections, while inwardly he denies and blasphemes. What is within is described by "he hides evil under his tongue, and keeps it within his mouth." That consequently good is infected with evil and is cast out, is signified by "his bread in his bowels shall be changed, it shall be the gall of asps in the midst;" "bread" meaning the good of love, "in the bowels" is inwardly, and "the gall of asps" means good mingled with evil. That truth also is cast out by falsity is signified by "he hath swallowed riches and he shall vomit them up again, God shall cast them out of his belly;" this falsity is meant by "the poison of asps."
[10] It is to be known that good and evil, and the truth of good and the falsity of evil, are mingled when evil and falsity are in man's spirit while good and truth are in the deeds and speech of his body. But what is in the spirit of man, that is, what is interior, acts into that which belongs to the body or what is exterior; for it flows in and causes the exterior, which appears to be good and true, nevertheless to be bitter like gall and wormwood, although before men it seems to be sweet. And because the good and truth of their mouth and speech are such, therefore when man after death becomes a spirit the good is separated from the evil and the falsity from the truth, and good and truth are taken away, and thus the spirit becomes his own evil and falsity. But it must be known that this mingling of good and evil and of truth and falsity is not the profanation of good and truth; profanation occurs only with those who have first received truth and good in heart and faith, and afterwards in heart and faith deny them.
519. [Vers. 11.] "Et nomen stellae dicitur absinthium." - Quod significet verum mixtum falso mali, constat ex significatione "nominis", quod sit quale status et quale rei (de qua supra, n. 148); ex significatione "stellae", hic "stellae magnae ardentis quasi lampas", quod sit verum Verbi falsificatum ex amore proprio; et ex significatione "absinthii", quod sit verum mixtum falso mali.
Quod "absinthium id significet, est ex amaritudine ejus, et amaritudo existit ex dulci mixto indulci opposito; inde in spirituali sensu "amaritudo", qualis est absinthii et fellis, est verum mixtum falso quod oppositum est vero, quod est falsum mali: "sapor" enim et "gustus" significat affectionem sciendi et sapiendi; inde "sapidum" significat jucundum et amoenum sapientiae, et "cupediae", quia sapidae, vera quae sapientiae. (Quod hoc sit ex correspondentia, videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus n. 3502, 3536, 3589, 4791-4805.) Quod "absinthium" et quoque "fel" ex amaritudine significent verum mixtum falso mali, constat etiam a sequentibus hujus versus; dicitur enim quod "multi homines mortui sint ex aquis, quia amarae factae sunt"; per quae significatur quod per vera falsificata omnes qui tales quoad vitam spiritualem perierint; vera enim faciunt vitam spiritualem, falsa mali autem exstinguunt illam; et vera quando miscentur falsis mali, non amplius sunt vera, sed falsificata, et vera falsificata in se sunt falsa.
[2] Talia falsa fuerunt apud gentem Judaicam; at falsa quae fuerunt apud gentes probas, alius generis falsa fuerunt; haec falsa significantur per "acetum", illa autem per "fel" et "myrrhatum vinum" apud Evangelistas,
"Venientes in locum qui dicitur Golgotha, .... dederunt" Jesu "acetum cum felle mixtum; sed gustans non voluit bibere." .... Cum crucifigebatur, "currens unus et accipiens spongiam, et implens aceto, et ponens circa calamum, potavit Ipsum" (Matth. 27 [33,] 34, 48; Marcus 15:23, 36);
"Posthac sciens Jesus quod omnia jam consummata essent, ut impleretur Scriptura, dicit, Sitio; et vas erat positum aceto plenum, et impleverunt spongiam, et hyssopo circumposuerunt, et applicuerunt Ipsius ori; et cum accepisset acetum, dixit, Consummatum est" (Johannes 19:28, 29):
omnia et singula quae apud Evangelistas memorantur de passione Domini, in sensu spirituali significant statum ecclesiae tunc respective ad Dominum et ad Verbum; Dominus enim erat Verbum, quia Divinum Verum, et Judaei sicut Verbum seu Divinum Verum ita Dominum tractaverunt (de qua re videatur supra, n. 64, 195). Quod dederint Domino "acetum felle mixtum", quod etiam vocatur "myrrhatum vinum", significabat quale Divini Veri ex Verbo erat apud gentem Judaicam, nempe commixtum falso mali, et sic prorsus falsificatum et adulteratum; quare id non voluit bibere: quod autem postea dederint Domino acetum in spongia, et circumposuerint hyssopo, significabat falsum quale erat apud gentes probas, quod erat falsum ex ignorantia veri, in quo erat bonum et utile; hoc falsum, quia acceptatur a Domino, ideo id bibit: per "hyssopum" quem circumposuerunt, significatur purificatio ejus. Quod Dominus dixerit, "Sitio", significat sitim Divinam spiritualem, quae est Divini Veri et Boni in ecclesia, per quod generis humani salus. (De falso mali, quale fuit apud gentem Judaicam, et de falso ignorantiae in quo bonum, quale apud gentes probas, videatur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 21.)
[3] Simile significatur per "fel" et "acetum" apud Davidem,
"Dederunt in cibum meum fel, et in siti mea potarunt Me aceto: fiat mensa eorum coram illis in laqueum, et pro retributionibus tendicula; obscurentur oculi eorum ut non videant, et lumbos eorum jugiter concute" (Psalms 69:22, 23 [B.A. 21, 22]):
hic per "fel", per "acetum", et per "sitim", similia quae supra significantur, quoniam dicta sunt de Domino: per "mensam" quae erit illis in laqueum, significatur aberratio quoad omne verum doctrinae ex Verbo; "mensa" enim dicitur pro omni cibo spirituali, et cibus spiritualis significat omne doctrinae ex Verbo: per "oculos" qui obscurabuntur ut non videant significatur intellectus veri; per "lumbos" qui concutientur significatur voluntas boni, et conjugium ejus cum intellectu veri; hoc per "lumbos" etiam alibi in Verbo significatur.
[4] In Threnis,
"Satiavit me amaritudinibus, inebriavit me absinthio;.... ideo dixi, Periit victoria mea, et spes mea a Jehovah; memento miseriae meae et ploratus mei, absinthii et cicutae" (3:15, 18, 19):
haec quoque de Domino; quod Dominus non aliud in ecclesia, quae tunc erat apud Judaeos, invenerit quam falsa et falsificata vera, significatur per quod "satiaverint Ipsum amaritudinibus, et inebriaverint absinthio"; "absinthium" est falsum mali mixtum veris, ita falsificatum: pugna Domini cum infernis, et desperatio quod gens Judaica usquam redigi posset ad recipienda et agnoscenda vera, significatur per "Periit victoria mea, spes mea a Jehovah; memento miseriae meae et ploratus mei, absinthii et cicutae": spiritus enim qui in falsis mali sunt, et usque in veris ex sensu litterae Verbi, diutius resistunt antequam subjugantur et in infernum dejiciuntur; causa est, quia per vera communicationem habent cum caelo, quae communicatio et inde conjunctio prius disrumpenda et auferenda est antequam dejiciuntur; hoc involvit desperatio de victoria, qualis etiam fuit Domino in cruce, quando dixit, "Sitio", et dederunt Ipsi acetum.
[5] Apud Jeremiam,
"Jehovah Deus excidit nos, et potavit nos aquis fellis" (8:1415, 16]);
apud eundem,
"Ecce Ego cibans eos absinthio, et potabo eos aquis fellis, quia a prophetis Hierosolymae exivit hypocrisis in universam terram" (23:15):
haec quoque dicta sunt de gente Judaica, quae mille modis pervertit Verbum, verum ejus falsificavit, et bonum ejus adulteravit: per "absinthium" significatur malum falsi, et per "aquas fellis" falsum mali, utrumque mixtum cum veris et bonis Verbi: quod in malis et inde falsis fuerint ex se et ex suo corde, significatur per quod "Jehovah cibet eos absinthio et potet aquis fellis"; tribuitur enim Jehovae, hoc est, Domino, malum et falsum, quae tamen sunt ipsius hominis, ut pluries alibi, ex causis de quibus saepius supra: per "hypocrisin quae exivit ex prophetis Hierosolymae" significatur commixtio talis falsi et veri, quia locuti sunt vera, et docuerunt falsa; locuti vera dum ex Verbo, et docuerunt falsa dum ex se et sua doctrina: destructio eorum per mala falsi et per falsa mali, significatur per "Dispergam eos inter gentes, et mittam post eos gladium"; "dispergere inter gentes" significat destruere per mala falsi, et "mittere gladium post eos" significat destruere per falsa mali.
(Quod "gentes" signficent mala, videatur supra, n. 175 [d] 331 [b] ; et quod "gladius" significet pugnam veri contra falsum, et pugnam falsi contra verum, et destructionem ejus, etiam supra, n. 131 [b] , 367.)
[6] Apud Amos,
"Ecce Jehovah.... percutiet domum magnam aspersionibus, et domum parvam rupturis: num current in petra equi? num arabit bobus? cum 1
convertistis in fel judicium, et fructum justitiae in absinthium" ( 2
quod "Jehovah percutiet domum magnam aspersionibus, et domum parvam rupturis", significat perversionem et falsificationem veri multam apud eruditos, et aliquam apud ineruditos; "domus magna" significat hominem eruditum, et "domus parva" hominem ineruditum, "aspersiones" significant vera destructa per falsa, et "rupturae" similiter sed in minore gradu: quod non detur intellectus veri et voluntas boni ubi falsum mali, significatur per "Num current in petra equi? num arabit bobus?" Per "equos currentes" significatur intellectus veri, et per "boves arantes" voluntas boni. Quod id sit quia falsificaverunt vera et adulteraverunt bona Verbi, significatur per "cum convertistis in fel judicium, et fructum justitiae in absinthium"; "judicium" significat verum Verbi, et "fructus justitiae" bonum ejus.
[7] Quod tales fuerint filii Jacobi, qui dicti Israelitae et Judaei, declarat manifeste Moses in Cantico, in quo describuntur his verbis,
"De vite Sodomae vitis eorum, et de agris Gomorrhae: uvae ejus uvae fellis, botri amaritudinum illis, venenum draconum vinum eorum, et fel aspidum crudele" (Deuteronomius 32:32, 33):
per "vitem" significatur ecclesia; quae dicitur quod sit "ex vite Sodomae, et ex agris Gomorrhae", quia per "Sodomam" significantur omnia mala scaturientia ex amore sui, et per "Gomorrham" omnia falSa malorum istorum; per "uvas" significantur bona ecclesiae, et per "botros" vera ecclesiae: quod pro bonis ecclesiae sint illis pessima mala et falsa commixta veris, significatur per quod "uvae ejus uvae fellis, et botri amaritudinum illis"; per "vinum" significatur verum et bonum fidei; quod hoc sit externum in quo malum ab interiori, significatur per "venenum draconum vinum eorum, et fel aspidum crudele." (Quod tales fuerint filii Jacobi, tametsi apud illos ecclesia fuit, videatur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae n. 248.)
[8] Quod "fel" et "absinthium" significent malum et falsum commixta bono et vero, constat adhuc ex his apud Mosen,
"Ne sit inter vos vir aut femina, aut familia aut tribus, cujus cor respicit hodie a cum Jehovah Deo nostro, abeundo ad serviendum diis gentium, ne sit inter vos radix proferens fel et absinthium" (Deuteronomius 29:17[18]):
hic quoque per "fel" et "absinthium" significatur commixtio boni et veri cum malo et falso, quod fit quando alii dii corde coluntur ac Jehovah solum ore; tunc externum sonat sicut bonum et apparet sicut verum, sed internum est malum et falsum; et cum interiora sunt mala et falsa, et exteriora bona et vera, tunc commixtio est utrorumque, et tunc bonum fit fel et verum fit absinthium: similiter cum homo corde odit proximum et negat vera ecclesiae, et tamen extrinsecus testatur charitatem erga proximum, et profitetur vera ecclesiae; tunc est in eo radix proferens fel et absinthium, nam mala et falsa ab interiori immittit et immiscet bonis et veris quae profert in externis.
[9] Apud Hiobum,
"Si dulce fuerit in ore ejus malum, absconderit sub lingua sua; pepercerit ei, et non reliquerit id, sed continebit id intra palatum suum; panis ejus in visceribus mutabitur, fel aspidum in medio ejus, opes absorpsit et evomet eas, e ventre illius expellet eas Deus; venenum aspidum [suget] , occidet eum lingua viperae" (20:12-16):
describitur ita hypocrisis, ex qua homo loquitur sancta et simulat affectiones bonas, et tamen intus negat et blasphemat: qualis intus est, describitur per quod "abscondat malum sub lingua, et contineat intra palatum": quod inde bonum infectetur malo ac ejiciatur, significatur per quod "panis ejus in visceribus ejus mutabitur, et fel aspidum in medio"; "panis" est bonum amoris, "in visceribus" est interius, "fel aspidum" est bonum malo commixtum: quod similiter verum ejiciatur per falsum, significatur per quod "opes absorpsit, et evomet eas, e ventre ejus expellet eas Deus": hoc falsum intelligitur per "venenum aspidum."
[10] Sciendum est quod bonum et malum, ac verum boni et falsum mali, commisceantur, quando malum et falsum sunt in spiritu hominis at bonum et verum in ejus corporis factis et loquela: sed quod in hominis spiritu est, hoc est, quod interius est, hoc agit in id quod corporis est, seu quod exterius; influit enim, et facit ut exterius, quod apparet ut bonum et verum, usque sit instar fellis et instar absinthii amarum, tametsi ut dulce sistitur coram homine. Et quia tale est bonum et verum oris et loquelae illorum, ideo post mortem, quando homo fit spiritus, separatur bonum a malo, et falsum a vero, et auferuntur bonum et verum, et sic fit spiritus suum malum et falsum. At sciendum est quod commixtio boni et mali, ac veri et falsi, non sit profanatio boni et veri; profanatio est solum apud illos qui primum receperunt corde et fide verum et bonum, ac postea illa corde et fide negant.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.