750# “他们至死也不爱惜自己的灵魂”表示为了这些真理忍受试探，与天堂的生活相比，视世上的生活毫不重要的信徒。这从“不爱惜灵魂”和“至死”的含义清楚可知：“不爱惜灵魂”是指与天堂的生活相比，视世上的生活毫不重要(对此，我们很快就会谈到)；“至死”是指忍受试探。因为那些处于试探的争战之人认为，与天堂的生活相比，世上的生活毫不重要，因而与灵魂的生命相比，身体的死亡毫不重要，这从那些殉道的人明显看出来。原因在于，他们知道，与天上的生活，就是永生相比，仅持续数年的世上的生活什么都不是；事实上，人在世上一生的时间与持续到永恒的天上生活之间没有任何比率关系。你若能，就想一想，十万年与永恒之间是否有任何可比性，你会发现没有任何可比性。这些和其它许多想法从天上流入那些忍受属灵试探的人中间，所以他们至死不爱惜自己的灵魂或生命，也就是他们在世上的生活。
何谓“灵魂或生命”，这在世上鲜为人知，因为关于灵魂在身体中的位置，灵魂的本质，以及它进入身体的流注和在身体里面的运作，学者们发明了许多理论，并由此得出灵魂不朽的概念。人们由此开始相信，灵魂是某种有思维的东西，本质上是空灵的，当与身体分离时，就没有了它在世上所拥有的那种运动或感觉器官，直到它再次与身体结合，他们说，在最后审判时，这种结合就会发生。由于关于人的灵魂，学术界已经接受了如此不合适的观念，所以从圣言来说明何谓灵魂是十分重要的。一般来说，灵魂是指人，尤指人的生命；由于每个人都有三个生命层级，所以灵魂也有如此多的层级。但由于人的整个生命都居于其被称为意愿和理解力的两个官能中，这些因此在圣言中有时被称为复数形式的“生命”，还由于灵魂是指生命，所以可推知，既有意愿的灵魂，也有理解力的灵魂，意愿的灵魂是属于爱的情感，理解力的灵魂是由此而来的思维。但在圣言中，严格来说，“灵魂”是指人的理解力的生命，也就是思维，“心”是指意愿的生命，也就是情感。由于肺呼吸对应于理解力的生命，也就是思维，心跳对应于意愿的生命，也就是情感，所以在最低的属世意义上，灵魂是指呼吸的生命；因此，经上论到那些快要死的人，就说他们放弃灵魂或灵，还说，他们不再有任何生气，或嘴口的气息感觉不到了。这就是圣言中“灵魂”的含义，这一点可从提到它的经文明显看出来。
750b.(1)一般来说，“灵魂”表示人，这一点从以下经文明显看出来。摩西五经：
亚伯兰带上他们在哈兰所得的一切灵魂；他们都出来往迦南地去。(创世记12:5)
创世记：
所多玛王对亚伯兰说，把灵魂给我，财物你自己拿去吧。(创世记14:21)
又：
从利亚所生儿女的一切灵魂共有三十三个。(创世记46:15)
又：
约瑟的儿子有两个灵魂；雅各家来到埃及的一切灵魂共有七十个。(创世记46:27)
利未记：
凡吃尸体，或被撕裂者的灵魂，必不洁净到晚上。(利未记17:15)
申命记：
在这些人民的城中，你不可存留任何活的灵魂。(申命记20:16)
又：
如果有人从他弟兄中拐带了一个灵魂，从他谋利。(申命记24:7)
利未记：
吃脂肪和血的灵魂必被剪除。(利未记7:27)
创世记：
不受割礼的灵魂必从他民中剪除。(创世记17:14)
以及别处。在这些经文中，经上用“灵魂”取代人。
750c.(2)“灵魂”尤表身体的生命，这一点从这些经文清楚看出来。路加福音：
富人自己思想，我要对我的灵魂说，你有大量积存多年的财物；只管安逸地吃喝快乐吧。神却对他说，愚蠢的人哪，今夜他们必要你的灵魂。(路加福音12:19, 20)
摩西五经：
拉结的灵魂要走的时候，就给他起名叫便俄尼。(创世记35:18)
出埃及记：
寻索你灵魂的人都死了。(出埃及记4:19)
以及别处，如耶利米书：
寻索你灵魂的人手下。(耶利米书19:7, 9; 34:21)
又：
归降迦勒底人的必存活，他的灵魂给他作掠物。(耶利米书21:9)
又：
我使你的灵魂为猎物。(耶利米书45:5)
以赛亚书：
这岂是我所拣选的禁食，为人用以刻苦自己灵魂的日子吗？(以赛亚书58:5)
创世记：
论到约瑟，流便对他的弟兄说，我们不可在灵魂上击杀他。(创世记37:21)
申命记：
要以灵魂偿灵魂，以眼还眼，以牙还牙。(申命记19:21)
又：
你不可拿磨或磨石作当头，因为他拿灵魂作当头。(申命记24:6)
士师记：
参孙说，让我的灵魂与非利士人同死吧！(士师记16:30)
列王纪：
耶洗别对以利亚说，她要使他的灵魂像他们当中一人的灵魂一样；以利亚就为他的灵魂逃走了。(列王纪上19:2, 3)
约翰福音：
彼得说，我要为你放弃我的灵魂；耶稣回答，你要为我放弃你的灵魂吗？我实在告诉你，鸡叫以先，你要三次否认我。(约翰福音13:37, 38)
在这些经文中，经上用“灵魂”来表示身体的生命。在福音书中，主以同样的方式论到祂身体的生命：
正如人子来，不是要受事奉，乃是要事奉人，并且要交出自己的灵魂，为多人作赎价。(马太福音20:28; 马可福音10:45)
以赛亚书：
看哪，我爱你，所以我拿人代替你，使万民替换你的灵魂。(以赛亚书43:4)
约翰福音：
耶稣说，人为朋友放弃自己的灵魂，没有爱比这个大的。(约翰福音15:13)
又：
耶稣说，我是好牧人；好牧人为羊放弃自己的灵魂。我放弃自己的灵魂，我会再取回来；没有人夺去我的灵魂，是我自己放弃的；我有权枘放弃，也有权柄再取回。(约翰福音10:11, 12, 15, 17, 18)
750d.(3)“灵魂”表示人之灵的生命，这生命被称为他的属灵生命，这一点从以下经文明显看出来。福音书：
耶稣说，那能杀身体不能杀灵魂的，不要怕他们；倒要怕那能把灵魂和身体都灭在地狱里的。(马太福音10:28; 路加福音12:4, 5)
马太福音：
凡想得着灵魂的，将要丧失它，凡为耶稣丧失灵魂的，将要得着它。(马太福音10:39; 马太福音17:33)
约翰福音：
爱惜自己灵魂的，就丧失它；那恨恶自己在这世上的灵魂的，要保全它到永生。(约翰福音12:25)
马太福音：
耶稣说，凡要跟从祂的，就让他否认自己，拿起他的十字架来跟从祂。因为凡要救自己灵魂的，必丧失它；凡为祂丧失灵魂的，必得着它。人若赚得全世界，却丧失自己的灵魂，有什么益处呢？人还能拿什么作为足以赎回自己灵魂的价值呢？(马太福音16:24–26; 马可福音8:35–37; 路加福音9:24, 25)
路加福音：
耶稣，我来不是要灭灵魂，乃是要拯救。(路加福音9:56)
又：
马利亚对伊利莎白说，我的灵魂尊主为大。(路加福音1:46)
马太福音：
论到婴孩耶稣，西面对马利亚说，剑也必刺透你自己的灵魂，为叫许多人心中的想法显露出来。(路加福音2:35)
又：
耶稣论到末期说，你们凭你们的坚忍，就拥有自己的灵魂。(路加福音21:19)
以及别处，如以赛亚书：
根基必被打碎，所有从灵魂的池子中获利的人。(以赛亚书19:10)
耶利米哀歌：
因为旷野的剑，我们冒着灵魂的危险才得粮食。(耶利米哀歌5:9)
耶利米书：
他们挖坑害我的灵魂。(耶利米书18:20)
又：
他们的灵魂必像浇灌的园子。(耶利米书31:12)
又：
我要浇灌疲乏的灵魂，我要充满一切悲伤的灵魂。(耶利米书31:25)
以西结书：
那些在我手的一切关节之下缝靠枕，给各样身材的头作头巾，以猎取灵魂的人有祸了。难道你们要猎取我百姓的灵魂，为了自己使灵魂存活吗？你们在我民中亵渎我，杀死不该死的灵魂，使不该活的灵魂活着。(以西结书13:18, 19)
又：
看哪，所有灵魂都是我的，父的灵魂怎样，子的灵魂也怎样，他们都是我的；犯罪的灵魂必死亡。(以西结书18:4,20)
以赛亚书：
我因灵魂的苦楚，就要走了。(以赛亚书38:15)
约拿书：
诸水环绕我，甚至直到灵魂。(约拿书2:5)
诗篇：
众水已经淹到灵魂；我陷在深淤泥中。(诗篇69:1, 2)
又：
他们用脚镣伤我的脚，我的灵魂来到大地。(诗篇105:18)
又：
求你引领我的灵魂出离监牢。(诗篇142:7)
又：
你救我的灵魂脱离死亡。(诗篇56:13)
又：
要救他们的灵魂脱离死亡，并使他们在饥荒中存活。(诗篇33:19)
又：
求你不要把我交给敌人的灵魂。(诗篇27:12; 41:2)
又：
我以禁食刻苦我的灵魂；不容他们心里说，阿哈，遂他的灵魂了。(诗篇35:13, 25)
又：
你必不将我的灵魂撇在地狱，也不叫你的圣者见朽坏。(诗篇16:10)
又：
敬畏耶和华的人，耶和华必教导他当选择的道路；他的灵魂必美好过夜。(诗篇25:12, 13)
又：
就是手洁心纯，不向虚妄高举灵魂的人。(诗篇24:4)
又：
祂要拯救贫穷人的灵魂，祂要救赎他们的灵魂脱离欺诈和强暴。(诗篇72:13, 14)
又：
我的灵魂啊，你要祝福耶和华。(诗篇103:1, 22)
又：
愿每个灵魂都赞美耶。(诗篇150:6)
又：
他们为灵魂求食物。(诗篇78:18)
创世记：
耶和华将生命的气息吹进人的鼻孔，人就成了一个活的灵魂。(创世记2:7)
在这些经文中，经上用“灵魂”来表示人之灵的生命，这生命被称为他的属灵生命。
750e.(4)由于人有两种生命官能，即理解力的官能和意愿的官能，这两种官能构成人的属灵生命，所以从前面引用的一些经文，以及下面的经文可以明显看出，“灵魂”表示被称为人的理解力之生命的官能。如摩西五经：
你要全心、全灵魂、全力爱耶和华你的神。(申命记6:5; 10:12; 11:13; 26:16)
耶稣说，你们要全心、全灵魂、全心智爱主你的神。(马太福音22:37; 马可福音12:30, 33; 马太福音10:27)
“全心、全灵魂爱耶和华你的神”表示用全部的意愿和全部的理解力，以及全部的爱和全部的信，因为“心”表示爱和意愿，“灵魂”表示信和理解力。“心”表示爱和意愿这两者，因为人的爱是出于他的意愿；“灵魂”表示信和理解力这两者，因为信是出于理解力。这就是“心和灵魂”的含义，因为人的心脏对应于属于其意愿的爱之良善，肺脏的灵魂或呼吸对应于属于人的理解力的信之真理。“全力和全心智”表示胜过一切事物。
以西结书：
当耶和华发怒的日子，他们的银子、金子不能救他们；他们不能使他们的灵魂满足，也不能充满他们的肚腹。(以西结书7:19)
此处“灵魂”也表示对真理的理解，当教会没有真理时，经上就说它没有被满足，“肚腹”表示对良善的意愿，当教会没有良善时，经上就说它没有被充满。由于出于对应关系，“银子”表示真理，在反面意义上表示虚假，“金子”表示良善，在反面意义上表示邪恶，所以经上说：“当耶和华发怒的日子，他们的银子、金子不能救他们。”“银子和金子”表示不是真理的东西和不是良善的东西，也表示虚假和邪恶的东西，“发怒的日子”表示审判的日子。
以赛亚书：
以色列的光必成为火，祂的圣者必成为火焰，它必将他森林和迦密或肥田的荣耀焚烧灭尽，从灵魂到肉体都烧尽。(以赛亚书10:17, 18)
必成为火和火焰的“以色列的光”和“祂的圣者”表示最后审判方面的主；“火和火焰”表示那些处于邪恶之虚假的人的毁灭；火和火焰必焚烧和灭尽的“森林和迦密或肥田的荣耀”表示教会的真理和真理之良善，它们因变成虚假和虚假之邪恶而将被摧毁；“从灵魂到肉体”表示甚至从它的理解力直到它的意愿，“灵魂”表示对真理的理解，“肉体”表示对良善的意愿。
同一先知书：
愚顽人必说愚顽话，使饥饿者的灵魂空虚，使口渴者的喝的断绝。(以赛亚书32:6)
此处灵魂同样表示对良善和真理的理解方面的人，“饥饿者的灵魂”表示对良善的理解，“口渴者的喝的”表示对真理的理解。“愚顽人必说愚顽话，使灵魂空虚，使它断绝”表示一个处于邪恶之虚假的人将努力剥夺一个处于来自良善的真理之人的这真理。
又：
又像饥饿的人作梦在吃，他醒来时，灵魂仍旧空空；或像口渴的人作梦在喝，醒来时，看哪，他仍旧发昏，他的灵魂仍有欲望；与锡安山打仗的所有民族的群众也必如此。(以赛亚书29:8)
这些话论及那些处于来自邪恶的虚假，然而又认为它们是来自良善的真理之人；“与锡安山打仗的所有民族的群众”表示来自邪恶的虚假与教会的良善争战；“群众”论及真理，“民族”表示邪恶，“锡安山”表示爱之良善方面的教会。“又像饥饿的人作梦在吃，他醒来时，灵魂仍旧空空”表示相信邪恶是良善，然而它们是虚假之邪恶；“饥饿的人作梦在吃”表示对良善的错误观点和信念；“作梦”表示错误的观点和信念，“饥饿，在吃”表示可以说是对将给予滋养的良善的渴望；“他醒来时”表示当发现什么是良善时；“灵魂仍旧空空”表示没有对良善的理解。类似的事论到真理，它们由“口渴的人作梦在喝，醒来时，看哪，他仍旧发昏，他的灵魂仍有欲望”来表示；“口渴，作梦在喝”表示一种观点和信念，认为它是真理；“醒来时，看哪，他仍旧发昏，他的灵魂仍有欲望”表示但它不是真理，而是虚假；“灵魂”在此表示对虚假的信念，因为真理没有被理解。事实上，邪恶和虚假，就像良善和真理一样，当只属于思维时，属于信和理解力。因为一个人能如此思考，以至于理解，从而相信邪恶是良善，虚假是真理。所有处于教义的虚假，只相信老师和书本，却不想想所教导的东西是不是虚假和邪恶，而是相信它们是真理和良善，因为它们能被证明的人都是这样，殊不知，虚假和邪恶跟真理和良善一样，也能被证明。
又：
你若向饥饿的人掏出灵魂，使困苦的灵魂得满足，你的光必在黑暗中升起，你的幽暗必变成正午。(以赛亚书58:10)
“向饥饿的人掏出灵魂，使困苦的灵魂得满足”表示教导一个渴望它的人什么是良善、什么是真理；“饥饿的人”表示一个渴望良善的人，“困苦的人”表示一个渴望真理的人，“掏出灵魂”表示教导良善和真理，也就是出于理解、教义和信仰(来教导)。“你的光必在黑暗中升起，你的幽暗必变成正午”表示对那些处于无知，却仍渴望它们的人来说，必有对真理和良善的理解赐下；“黑暗”和“幽暗”表示对真理和良善的无知，而“光”和“正午”表示对良善和真理的理解。
耶利米哀歌：
所有的人民都在唉哼，寻求饼，他们交出可爱之物，换取食物，以恢复灵魂。那恢复我灵魂的安慰者离我甚远；我的众子变得荒凉，因为仇敌得了胜。我的祭司和长老在城中绝气，因为他们为自己寻求食物，以恢复他们的灵魂。(耶利米哀歌1:11, 16, 19)
这些话论及一个不再有任何教义的真理和良善的教会，渴望这些的教会之人因此缺乏它们；“所有的人民都在唉哼，寻求饼，他们交出可爱之物，换取食物，以恢复灵魂”表示教义中的良善和真理的缺乏，为滋养信仰和理解的生命而对它们的渴望；他们的“唉哼”表示缺乏；“寻求饼”表示对良善的渴望；“交出可爱之物，换取食物”表示对真理的渴望；“恢复他们的灵魂”表示对信仰和理解的滋养；“那恢复我灵魂的安慰者离我甚远；我的众子变得荒凉，因为仇敌得了胜”表示没有对信仰和理解的滋养，因为由于生活的邪恶，不再有任何真理，“变得荒凉的众子”表示不再有任何真理，“得了胜的仇敌”表示来自地狱的邪恶，因而生活的邪恶。“我的祭司和长老在城中绝气”表示不再有教导良善和真理的任何人；“祭司”表示那些教导良善的人，“长老”表示那些教导真理的人，“城”表示教义，“绝气”表示这些不复存在。“因为他们为自己寻求食物，以恢复他们的灵魂”表示他们没有属灵的滋养。
耶利米哀歌：
他们像一个被刺伤的人在城里街上昏厥的时候，他们的灵魂倾倒在母亲怀里的时候，对母亲说，谷、酒在哪里呢？(耶利米哀歌2:12)
这些话的含义类似于前段经文的，即：教会因缺乏教义中的良善和真理而如此荒凉，以至于其中的属灵生命昏厥并灭亡。“母亲”表示教会的真理；他们对母亲说“谷、酒在哪里呢”表示教义的良善及其真理现在在哪里呢？“他们的灵魂倾倒在母亲怀里”表示由于真理的缺乏所产生的荒凉，属灵生命昏厥并灭亡。由于“灵魂”表示对良善和真理的信仰和理解的生命，也就是人的属灵生命，所以经上说：“他们像被刺伤的人在城里街上昏厥的时候。”“一个被刺伤的人”表示一个因虚假而灭亡的人，“城里的街道”表示教义的真理。
约拿书：
我的灵魂在我身上发昏时。(约拿书2:7)
这句话论述了试探；“他的灵魂在他身上发昏”表示真理在信仰和理解上发昏(或停止)。诗篇：
我的眼睛，我的灵魂和肚腹，因忧愁而荒废。(诗篇31:9)
又：
我们的灵魂伏于尘土，我们的肚腹紧贴大地。(诗篇44:25)
这些话也描述了试探的状态。“眼睛”表示理解，“灵魂”表示对真理的相信和理解，“肚腹”表示对良善的相信和理解。这就是“肚腹”的含义，因为肚腹接受食物，而“食物”和“饼”表示进行滋养的良善，在此表示理解和信仰。“因忧愁而荒废”、“灵魂伏于尘土”、“紧贴大地”表示这些在试探中的缺乏。
摩西五经：
他们说，现在我们的灵魂枯干了，除了这吗哪以外，在我们眼前什么都没有。(民数记11:6)
由于“吗哪”表示属灵的滋养，而被属灵滋养的，是信仰和理解，也就是人的聪明，还由于以色列人没有属世的滋养，却渴望它，所以他们说：“我们的灵魂枯干了，除了这吗哪以外，在我们眼前什么都没有。”“枯干的灵魂”表示当同时没有任何属世的滋养时，衰退的信仰和理解的生命；“除了这吗哪以外，在我们眼前什么都没有”表示除了属灵的滋养以外，什么都没有；由于他们厌恶这属灵的滋养，所以鹌鹑肉或selav(希伯来语的鹌鹑)被赐给他们，这些的肉表示属世的滋养。
撒母耳记上：
哈拿对以利说，我在耶和华面前倾吐我的灵魂。(撒母耳记上1:15)
“耶和华面前倾吐灵魂”表示表明她心智和内心的想法。福音书：
不要为你们的灵魂忧虑你们要吃什么，喝什么，为身体忧虑你们要穿什么；灵魂不胜于饮食吗？身体不胜于衣裳吗？(马太福音6:25; 路加福音12:22, 23)
尽管这些话是指着身体的生命说的，但它们仍表示诸如属于灵之生命的那类事物，因为圣言字义的一切都是属世的，却包含属灵的内义在里面；在这层意义上，“吃”、“喝”、“饮食”表示属灵的滋养，也就是对信仰的滋养，连同对理解的滋养，聪明由此而来；故经上说：“不要为你们的灵魂忧虑你们要吃什么，喝什么；灵魂不胜于饮食吗？”“喝”表示理智地、因而属灵地感知真理；“饮食”表示作为属灵营养之源头的良善和真理。“给身体穿衣”和“衣裳”表示覆盖爱与意愿之良善的真理；“衣裳”表示这真理，“身体”表示爱之良善，也就是意愿的良善。
诗篇：
我的灵魂哪，我躺卧在狮子中间，人子有火着起。(诗篇57:4)
此处“灵魂”也表示属灵的生命，也就是信仰的生命，因而理解的生命，因为理解是从真理中形成的，并由真理构成，信仰也一样。由于这就是“灵魂”的含义，并且此处论述的主题是真理的荒废，所以经上说：“我躺卧在狮子中间。”“狮子”表示摧毁教会真理的虚假；“人子”表示教义和教会的真理，当这些被肉体的爱占有，从而灭亡时，经上就说它们“有火着起”。摩西五经：
亚伯拉罕对赫人说，你们的灵魂若愿意让我埋葬我的死人。(创世记23:8)
“灵魂”在此表示出于真理的思维。不过，《属天的奥秘》(2930节)解释了这些话。
耶利米书：
爱你的人将憎恨你，他们要寻索你的灵魂。(耶利米书4:30)
“爱人”表示那些处于对邪恶的爱之人；“寻索灵魂”表示想通过邪恶之虚假来摧毁对真理的相信和理解。以西结书：
雅完人和土巴人用人的灵魂和铜器交易。(以西结书27:13)
这话论及推罗，推罗表示真理和良善的知识方面的教会；“交易”表示这些的获得和传播；“雅完人和土巴人”表示外在的代表性敬拜；“人的灵魂”表示属世人中的真理的知识(或科学)，“铜器”表示属世人中的良善的知识。启示录(18:13)中的“人的灵魂”也表示属世真理的知识；严格来说，“人的灵魂”是指奴隶或仆人，奴隶或仆人在灵义上也表示服务于属灵人的属世人的真知识或科学真理。
750f.(5)由于信之生命，以及人的理解力的生命都来自神性真理，所以“灵魂”也表示神性真理；这可从以下经文清楚看出来。耶利米书：
我必真实地将他们栽植于此地，在我的整颗心和整个灵魂中。(耶利米书32:41)
由于有两样事物从主发出，即神性良善和神性真理，还由于这些当被天堂天使和教会之人接受时，便构成他们里面的天堂生命，所以清楚可知“将他们栽植在整颗心和整个灵魂中”表示什么，即在祂的神性良善和在祂的神性真理中，因为“心”表示神性之爱的神性良善，“灵魂”表示神性真理。
同一先知书：
耶和华指着自己的灵魂起誓。(耶利米书51:14; 阿摩司书6:8)
当耶和华通过祂的神性真理来确认时，经上就说祂“指着自己的灵魂起誓”，因为“起誓”表示确认，“耶和华的灵魂”表示神性真理。诗篇：
耶和华试验义人；祂的灵魂恨恶恶人和喜爱强暴的人。(诗篇11:5)
此处“耶和华的灵魂”也表示神性真理，因为在圣言中，“强暴的人”表示一个向神性真理施暴的人；由于这是由邪恶之虚假造成的，所以这由“恶人和喜爱强暴的人”来表示。
以赛亚书：
我所拣选、我的灵魂所喜悦的，我已将我的灵赐于他身上。(以赛亚书42:1)
这话论及主，“耶和华所拣选的”是指祂；由于被赐于祂身上的“耶和华的灵”表示发出的神性，所以喜悦祂的“耶和华的灵魂”表示神性真理；因为就其世上的人身而言，主就在这神性里面。
耶利米书：
耶和华说，虽有摩西和撒母耳站在我面前，我的灵魂也不向着这人民。(耶利米书15:1)
“摩西和撒母耳”在代表性意义上表示圣言；由于圣言是神性真理，“人民”在此是指以色列人，而以色列人没有不被歪曲和玷污的神性真理，所以经上说：“我的灵魂也不向着这人民。”
同一先知书：
我的灵魂岂不复仇呢？(耶利米书5:9, 29)
此处“耶和华的灵魂”同样表示神性真理；当主从这神性真理施行审判时，经上就说：“祂的灵魂复仇。”“要施行审判的人子”具有相同的含义；“人子”表示神性真理方面的主。又：
耶路撒冷啊，当受管教，免得我的灵魂与你疏远，免得我使你荒废。(耶利米书6:8)
“耶路撒冷”表示教义方面的教会；“受管教”表示接受纪律；“免得我的灵魂与你疏远”表示免得神性真理离开他们；“荒废”表示免得教会在一切真理上荒凉。
以赛亚书：
赐灵魂给地上的人民，又赐灵给行在其上之人的耶和华。(以赛亚书42:5)
耶和华赐给地上人民的“灵魂”表示来自主、赐给那些将属于祂的教会之人的神性真理；耶和华将赐给行在地上之人的“灵”表示遵照神性真理的生活；“行”表示生活。
750g.(6)由于当论及主时，“灵魂”表示神性真理，所以它表示来自真理的属灵生命。摩西五经：
一切肉体的灵魂都是血。(利未记17:14)
由于人的终端生命，也就是他身体的生命，就在于血，所以经上说“一切肉体的灵魂，也就是其生命就是它的血”；但圣言的每个细节都有一个灵义在里面，就灵义而言，“血”表示取自圣言的教义之真理，因此这也由“肉体的灵魂”来表示。“血”表示取自圣言的教义之真理，也就是神性真理(可参看AE 328a–c, 329, 476节)。由于这就是血的含义，所以以色列人被禁止吃血；因此，燔祭和祭牲的血被洒在祭坛周围，成圣和圣职礼通过血来举行；以色列的神，也就是主，与百姓的约也是通过血来立的；主与当今教会所立的新约同样是这样立的。这就是为何主的血被称为“立约的血”，也就是与主结合的血；它被如此称呼，是因为进行结合的，是从主发出的神性真理。由此清楚可知，为何“血”被称为灵魂。
正是由于血的这种含义，自上古时代起，吃血是被禁止的，这可见于摩西五经：
凡活着的爬行物，都可作你们的食物，唯独带灵魂的肉，就是它的血，却不可吃。(创世记9:3, 4)
此处经上也说：“血是肉的灵魂。”吃血是被禁止的，因为吃血表示对真理的亵渎。利未记：
凡吃什么血的，我必向那吃血的人变脸，把那灵魂从人民中间剪除；因为肉体的灵魂在血中；因此，我把这血赐在祭坛上，为你们的灵魂赎罪，因为是血本身在为灵魂赎罪。(利未记17:10, 11)
由于“灵魂”和“血”一样，表示来自圣言的真理，也就是从主发出的神性真理，还由于对主的一切敬拜都是通过神性真理来进行的，所以经上说“因为肉体的灵魂在血中；因此，我把这血赐在祭坛上”，“把这血赐在祭坛上”表示出于神性真理的敬拜。由于脱离邪恶和虚假的一切拯救，也就是赎罪，都通过神性真理和照之的生活实现，所以经上说：“为你们的灵魂赎罪，因为是血本身在为灵魂赎罪。”
创世记：
我必追讨你们灵魂的血，我要在一切野兽的手上追讨它，尤其在人的手上和为弟兄之人的手上追讨人的灵魂。(创世记9:5)
此处“血”，以及“灵魂”都表示人的属灵生命，就是遵照神性真理的生活，这可从以下事实明显看出来：凡灭绝这生命的，都在永死中灭亡，因为这生命只能被一个处于地狱的邪恶和虚假之人灭绝。关于这一点，可参看《属天的奥秘》中的解释。
750h.(7)“活的灵魂”表示总体上的生命，这一点可从牲畜或走兽、鸟、爬行物和鱼被称为“活的灵魂”的经文清楚看出来。如以下经文：
神说，水要滋生爬行物，就是活的灵魂。神就造出大鲸鱼，和诸水滋生的各样爬行的活的灵魂。(创世记1:20, 21)
创世记：
神说，地要生出活的灵魂来，各从其类，牲畜和野兽。(创世记1:24)
又：
耶和华把田野的各样走兽和空中的各样飞鸟，带到那人面前，看他叫什么；那人怎样叫它，就是活的灵魂，那就是它的名字。(创世记2:19)
以西结书：
凡河所到之处，凡滋生的活的灵魂，都必存活；由此必有极多的鱼。(以西结书47:9)
启示录：
海里一切活的灵魂都死了。(启示录16:3)
所有动物在灵义上都表示属于属世人及其生命的事物；由于属世人的生命，也就是终端中的生命，表示整体上或整个范围内的生命，所以它们被称为活的灵魂。
由此可见，在圣言中，“灵魂”表示什么，即表示人的生命，无论属世的还是属灵的，因而表示他身体和灵的生命。由此明显看出，关于人的灵魂，首先由学者，然后通过学者由普通人所持有的以下观念何等扭曲，即：它是一种不可见的实体，在身体的某个部位，要么在大脑，要么在心脏或其它地方占有一席之地；当它通过死亡从人身上被释放时，它就没有了身体，也没有诸如属于身体的那种感官和运动能力或部位，但在最后审判之日，这些将添加到它上面；在此期间，它是某种在以太中飞舞的东西，要么住在某个地方，等待添加到它上面的部分，也就是身体。这就是现在世人对人的灵魂所持的观念；尽管在圣言中，“灵魂”没有这种含义，相反，它表示人的生命，这生命脱离了身体就无法存在，而是只能在身体中；因为身体是被称为灵魂的那生命的外在形式，对灵魂在两个世界，即世人所生活的自然界，以及灵人和天使所生活的灵界的意愿和快乐产生影响。由于从主发出的神性构成所有人的生命，所以“灵魂”在属天意义上表示这生命。由于发出的神性，无论它来到哪里，都形成主的形像，也就是如此形成天使和灵人，以至于他们可以照着接受成为人的形式，所以可知，死后活着的灵魂必是指人的灵，也就是具有一个灵魂和一个身体的人，即一个掌管身体的灵魂，一个灵魂在它所在的世上实现其意愿所凭借的身体。
750. And they loved not their life (anima), even unto death.- That this signifies the faithful who endured temptations because of those truths, and esteemed the life of the world as of no account in comparison with the life of heaven, is evident from the signification of, not to love the soul, as denoting to regard the life of the world as of no account in comparison with the life of heaven (concerning which we shall speak presently); and from the signification of, even unto death, as denoting to suffer temptations. For those who are in combats of temptations consider the life of the world as of no account in comparison with the life of heaven, consequently, they regard the death of the body as of no account in comparison with the life of the soul, as is evident from those who suffered martyrdom. The reason is, that they know that life in the world, which lasts only for a few years, is nothing compared with the life in heaven, which is eternal life; in fact, there is no comparison at all between the time of man's life in the world, and the life in heaven which will endure to eternity. Let any one consider, whether there can be any comparison between a hundred thousand years and eternity, and he will find that there cannot be. These and many other thoughts flow in from heaven with those who endure spiritual temptations, therefore they love not their life, that is, their life in the world, even unto death.
[2] What is meant by life (or soul = anima) is little known in the world, because the learned have invented many theories about the seat of the soul in the body, also about its essence, and its influx into and operation in the body, and from the notions drawn therefrom about its immortality. In consequence of this it has come to be a matter of belief that the soul is a cogitative something, ethereal in its essence, and that, when separated from the body, it has no organs of motion or of sense, as it had in the world [and will not have] until again united with the body, which they say will take place at the time of the Last Judgment. As, in consequence of this, such an inconsistent idea concerning the soul of man has been accepted in the learned world, it is of importance to make clear from the Word what is meant by the soul. By the soul (anima), in general, is meant man, and specifically, the life of man; and as in every man there are three degrees of life, there are also as many degrees of the soul. But because the entire life of man resides in these two faculties, which are called will and understanding - on which account they are sometimes in the Word called lives in the plural - and as the soul means the life, it follows that there is a soul of the will, and a soul of the understanding, and that the soul of the will is the affection which is of love, and the soul of the understanding is thought therefrom. But in the Word, soul correctly means the life of man's understanding, which is thought, and the heart means the life of the will, which is affection. And because the respiration of the lungs corresponds to the life of the understanding which is thought, and the pulsation of the heart corresponds to the life of the will which is affection, therefore the soul, in the lowest natural sense, means the life of respiration; consequently it is usual to say of those who are about to die, that they give up the soul or spirit, also that they have no longer any animation, or that no breathing from the mouth is sensibly perceived.
That such is the meaning of soul in the Word, is evident from the passages where it is mentioned.
[3] (I.) That soul (anima) in general signifies man, is clear from the following passages.
In Moses:
"Abram took every soul which they had gotten in Haran; and they departed into the land of Canaan" (Genesis 12:5).
"The king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the souls, and take the substance to thyself" (Genesis 14:21).
"All the souls of the sons and daughters of Leah were thirty and three" (Genesis 46:15).
"The sons of Joseph were two souls, every soul of the house of Jacob which came into Egypt, seventy" (Genesis 46:27).
"Every soul which hath eaten of a carcase, or of that which is torn, shall be unclean until the evening" (Leviticus 17:15).
"Of the cities of the people thou shalt not keep any soul alive" (Deuteronomy 20:16).
"If a man steal the soul of his brethren, and make gain thereof" (Deuteronomy 24:7).
"The soul that eateth fat and blood shall be cut off" (Leviticus 7:27).
"The soul that is not circumcised shall be cut off from his people" (Genesis 17:14); and elsewhere.
In these passages soul is used instead of man.
[4] (II.) That the soul specifically signifies the life of the body is clear from these passages.
In Luke:
The rich man thought with himself, "I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry; but God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night they shall require thy soul of thee" (12:19, 20).
In Moses:
"When the soul" of Rachel "was departing she called his name Benoni" (Genesis 35:18).
"All the men are dead which sought thy soul" (Exodus 4:19); and elsewhere.
"By the hand of them that seek thy soul" (Jeremiah 19:7, 9; 34:21).
"He who departeth to the Chaldeans shall live, and his soul shall be to him for spoil" (Jeremiah 21:9).
"I will give thy soul for a prey" (Jeremiah 45:5).
"Is this the fast which I choose; a day for a man to afflict his soul" (Isaiah 58:5).
Reuben said to his brethren concerning Joseph, "Let us not smite him in the soul" (Genesis 37:21).
"Soul for soul, eye for eye, tooth for tooth" (Deuteronomy 19:21).
"Thou shalt not take the mill or the upper mill stone for a pledge, for he receiveth the soul for a pledge" (Deuteronomy 24:6)
"Samson said, Let my soul die with the Philistines" (Judges 16:30).
Jezebel said to Elijah that tomorrow she would make his soul as the soul of one of them; and Elijah "departed for his soul" (1 Kings 19:2, 3).
Peter said, "I will lay down my soul for thee; Jesus answered, Wilt thou lay down thy soul for me? verily I say The cock shall not crow till thou hast denied me thrice" (John, 13:37, 38).
In these passages soul is used for the life of the body. The Lord spoke in a similar manner concerning the life of His body; "As the son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his soul a redemption for many" (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45).
So elsewhere,
"Behold, I love thee; therefore I will give a man for thee, and peoples for thy soul" (Isaiah 43:4).
Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his soul for his friends" (John 15:13).
Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd layeth down his soul for the sheep. I lay down my soul, and I will take it again; no man taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself; I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" (John 10:11, 12, 15, 17, 18).
[5] (III.) That "soul" signifies the life of man's spirit, which is called his spiritual life, is plain from the following passages.
In the Evangelists:
Jesus said, "Fear not them who can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell (gehenna)" (Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4, 5).
"Whosoever would find his soul shall lose it; and whosoever would lose his soul" for Jesus' sake, "shall find it" (Matthew 10:39; Luke 17:33).
"He that loveth his soul shall lose it; but he who hateth his soul in this world shall keep it unto the life eternal" (John 12:25).
Jesus said, "Whosoever would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. He that would save his soul shall lose it, but he that would lose his soul for my sake shall find it. What doth it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world, but lose his soul; or what shall a man give as a sufficient price for the redemption of his soul" (Matthew 16:24-26; Mark 8:34-37; Luke 9:24, 25).
Jesus said, "I have come not to destroy souls, but to save them" (Luke 9:56).
Mary said unto Elizabeth, "My soul doth magnify the Lord" (Luke 1:46).
"Simeon said unto Mary," concerning the infant Jesus, "A sword shall also pierce through thine own soul, that the thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed" (Luke 2:35).
Jesus said concerning the last times, "In patience possess ye your souls" (Luke 21:19):
and elsewhere
"The foundations shall be broken, all those making gain with pools of the soul" (Isaiah 19:10).
"With the peril of our souls we get our bread, because of the sword of the wilderness" (Lamentations 5:9).
"They have digged a pit for my soul" (Jeremiah 18:20).
"Their soul shall be as a watered garden" (Jeremiah 31:12).
"I will water the wearied soul, and every soul which grieveth I will fill" (Jeremiah 31:25).
"Woe to them that sew pillows under all the joints of mine hands, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls. Will ye hunt the souls of my people that ye may preserve your souls alive? Thou hast profaned me with my people, to slay the souls that ought not to die, and to keep alive the souls that ought not to live" (Ezekiel 13:18, 19).
"Behold, all souls are mine, as the soul of the father, so the soul of the son, they are mine; the soul that sinneth it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4, 20).
"I will go away for the bitterness of my soul" (Isaiah 38:15).
"The waters compassed me about even to the soul" (Jonah 2:5).
"The waters came even unto the soul; I was sunk in deep mire" (Psalm 69:1, 2).
"They hurt my foot with a fetter, my soul came to the earth" (Psalm 105:18).
"Bring my soul out of prison" (Psalm 142:7).
"Thou hast delivered my soul from death" (Psalm 56:13).
"To rescue their soul from death, and to make them alive in famine" (Psalm 33:19).
"Deliver me not up to the soul of my foes" (Psalm 27:12; 41:2).
"I afflicted my soul with fasting; let them not say in their heart, Ah, for his soul" (Psalm 35:13, 25).
"Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (in inferno), 1neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption" (Psalm 16:10).
"The man who feareth Jehovah, him shall he teach the way that he shall choose; his soul shall pass the night in good "(Psalm 25:12, 13).
"The clean in hands and the pure in heart, who doth not lift up his soul to vanity" (Psalm 24:4).
"He shall save the souls of the needy, he will redeem their soul from deceit and violence" (Psalm 72:13, 14).
"Bless Jehovah, O my soul" (Psalm 103:1, 22).
"Let every soul praise Jah" (Psalm 150:6).
"They will ask food for their soul" (Psalm 78:18).
"Jehovah breathed into man's nostrils the breath of lives, and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7).
In these passages "soul" is used for the life of man's spirit, which is called his spiritual life.
[6] (IV.) Since man has two faculties of life, namely, the faculty of understanding and the faculty of willing, and both these faculties constitute the spiritual life of man, it is evident from some of the passages quoted above, and also from the following, that "soul" signifies that faculty which is called the life of man's understanding.
As in Moses:
"Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength" (Deuteronomy 6:5; 10:12; 11:13; 26:16).
And in the Evangelists:
Jesus said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30, 33; Luke 10:27).
To love Jehovah God with all the heart and with all the soul, means with all the will and all the understanding, also with all the love and all the faith; for the heart signifies the love and the will, and the soul signifies faith and understanding. The heart signifies these two, namely, the love and the will, because a man's love is of his will; and the soul signifies these two, faith and understanding, because faith is of the understanding. This signification of heart and soul is derived from correspondence, because the heart of man corresponds to the good of love, which is of his will, and the breath (anima) of the lungs corresponds to the truth of faith, which belongs to man's understanding. With all the strength and with all the mind, signifies above all things.
[7] In Ezekiel:
"Their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the anger of Jehovah; they shall not satisfy their soul, neither shall they fill their bowels" (7:19).
Here also soul is put for the understanding of truth, which is said not to be satisfied when there is no truth in the church, and the bowels denote the will of good, which are said not to be filled when there is no good in the church. Because silver, from correspondence, signifies truth, and in the opposite sense falsity, and gold signifies good, and in the opposite sense evil, it is therefore said, "Their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the anger of Jehovah," the silver and gold there denoting what is not true and what is not good, also what is false and evil, and the day of anger denotes the day of judgment.
[8] In Isaiah:
"The light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame, which shall burn up and consume the glory of his forest and Carmel; it shall consume from the soul even to the flesh" (10:17, 18).
The light of Israel and His Holy One, which shall be for a fire and a flame, mean the Lord as to a last judgment; fire and flame signify the destruction of those who are in falsities of evil; by the glory of the forest and Carmel, which the fire and flame shall burn and consume, are signified truth and the good of truth pertaining to the church, which shall be destroyed because they have been turned into falsities and evils of falsity. From the soul even to the flesh, signifies even from its understanding to its will, soul denoting the understanding of truth, and flesh the will of good.
[9] In the same:
"The fool speaketh foolishness, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail" (32:6).
Here also the soul signifies man as to the understanding of good and truth, the soul of the hungry the understanding of good, and the drink of the thirsty the understanding of truth. That a man who is in falsities of evil will endeavour to deprive of that truth one who is in truth from good, is signified by "The fool speaketh foolishness, to make empty the soul," and to cause it to fail.
[10] In the same:
"It shall be as when a hungry man dreameth as if he were eating, but when he awaketh, his soul is empty; and when a thirsty man dreameth as if he were drinking, but when he awaketh, behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite; so shall be the multitude of all nations that fight against Mount Zion" (Isaiah 29:8).
These things are said of those who are in falsities from evil, and yet suppose them to be truths from good; the falsities of evil fighting against the goods of the church are signified by "the multitude of all nations fighting against Mount Zion"; multitude is used in reference to truths, nations signify evils, and Mount Zion signifies the church as to the good of love. The belief that evils are good, when yet they are evils of falsity, is signified by "It shall be as when a hungry man dreameth as if he were eating, but when he awaketh, his soul is empty"; a hungry man dreaming as if he were eating signifies an erroneous opinion and belief about good, to dream signifying such erroneous opinion and belief, and to be hungry and as if he were eating, signifying a kind of desire as it were for good that will give nourishment. But when he awaketh, signifies when it is discovered what good is; his soul is empty, signifies that there is no understanding of good. Similar things are said concerning truth, which are signified by "when a thirsty man dreameth as if he were drinking" but when he awaketh, behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite"; to be thirsty and as if he were drinking whilst he dreameth, signifying an opinion and belief that it is truth; but when he awaketh, behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite, signifies that still it is not truth but falsity, soul here signifying belief in falsity, because truth is not understood; for both evil and falsity as well as good and truth, pertain to faith and understanding when they are of the thought alone. For a man is able to so think as to understand and thus believe that evil is good, and falsity truth. Such are all those who are in falsities of doctrine, and have faith merely in their masters and books, and do not consider whether the things which are taught may not consist of falsities and evils, believing them to be truths and goods because they can be proved, not knowing that falsity and evil may be proved equally as truth and good.
[11] In the same:
"If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, thy light shall arise in darkness, and thy thick darkness shall be as the noon-day" (Isaiah 58:10).
To draw out the soul to the hungry, and to satisfy the afflicted soul, signifies to teach him who desires it what is good and what is true; the hungry signify those who desire good, and the afflicted those who desire truth, while to draw out the soul signifies to teach good and truth, that is from understanding, doctrine and faith. That to those who are in ignorance, and yet are in the desire for them, there shall be given the understanding of truth and good, is signified by "thy light shall arise in darkness, and thy thick darkness shall be as the noon-day," darkness and thick darkness denoting ignorance of truth and good, while the light and the noon-day denote the understanding of these.
[12] In Lamentations:
"All the people groan, they seek bread, they have given their desirable things for food to refresh the soul. He is far from me the comforter that refresheth my soul, my sons are become desolate, because the enemy hath prevailed. My priests and my elders expired in the city, because they sought food for themselves with which they might refresh their souls" (1:11, 16, 19).
This is said of a church where there is no longer any truth and good of doctrine, whence the men of the church who desire these are lacking. The deficiency of good and truth in doctrine, and a desire for them in order to nourish the life of faith and of the understanding, is signified by "All the people groan, they seek bread, they have given their desirable things for food to refresh the soul"; deficiency is signified by their groaning, the desire for good by seeking bread, the desire for truth by giving their desirable things for food, while the nourishment of faith and understanding is signified by refreshing the soul. That there is no nourishment of faith and understanding, because there are no longer any truths through evils of life, is signified by "He is far from me the comforter that refresheth my soul, my sons are become desolate, because the enemy hath prevailed," the sons being desolate signifying that there are no longer any truths, and the enemy that hath prevailed signifying evil from hell, thus evil of the life. That there are no longer any who teach good and truth is signified by "My priests and my elders expired in the city," priests signifying those who teach good, elders those who teach truths, and city doctrine, while to expire denotes that these no longer exist. That they have no spiritual nourishment is signified by "because they sought food for themselves with which they might refresh their souls."
[13] In Lamentations:
"They say to their mothers, Where is the corn and the wine? when they faint as one thrust through in the streets of the city, when their soul is poured out upon their mother's bosom" (2:12).
The signification of these words is similar to that of the preceding, namely, that such is the desolation of the church from the want of good and truth in doctrine, that spiritual life therein faints and perishes. Mothers signify the truths of the church; they say to them, Where is the corn and the wine? signifies, where is now the good of doctrine and its truth. Their soul is poured out upon their mother's bosom, signifies the fainting and perishing of spiritual life because of the desolation arising from deficiency of truths. Because the soul means the life of faith and of the understanding of good and truth, which is the spiritual life of man, it is said that they faint as one thrust through in the street of the city, one thrust through signifying those who perish through falsities, and the street of the city truth of doctrine.
[14] In Jonah:
"When my soul fainted upon me" (2:7).
This treats of temptations; and that his soul fainted upon him signifies that truth fainted (or ceased) in faith and understanding.
In David:
"Mine eye wasteth away with indignation, my soul and my belly" (Psalm 31:9).
In the same:
"My soul is bowed down to the dust, our belly cleaveth to the earth" (Psalm 44:25).
A state of temptations is also described by these words. The eye signifies the understanding, the soul, the belief in and understanding of truth, and the belly, the belief in and understanding of good. The reason why this is the signification of belly is, that the belly receives the food, and food and bread signify good that nourishes, here understanding and faith. The deficiency of these in temptation is signified by wasting away with indignation, bowing down to the dust, and cleaving to the earth.
[15] In Moses:
"They said, Now is our soul dried up, there is nothing but manna before our eyes" (Numbers 11:6).
Because manna signifies spiritual nourishment, and it is faith and understanding, that is, man's intelligence, which is spiritually nourished, and because the sons of Israel had no natural nourishment, and yet desired it, therefore they said, "Our soul is dried up, there is nothing but manna before our eyes." The soul dried up signifies the life of faith and of the understanding failing when there was at the same time no natural nourishment; there is nothing but manna before our eyes, signifies that there was only spiritual nourishment; and because they loathed this, the flesh of quails, or selav, 2was given to them, and the flesh of these signifies natural nourishment.
[16] And in the First Book of Samuel:
Hannah said unto, Eli, "I have poured out my soul before Jehovah" (1:15).
To pour out the soul before Jehovah signifies to declare the thoughts of her mind and heart.
In the Evangelists:
"Be ye not anxious for your soul what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, nor for your body what ye shall put on; is not the soul more than food, and the body more than raiment?" (Matthew 6:25; Luke 12:22, 23).
Although these words are spoken of the life of the body, they nevertheless signify such things as pertain to the life of the spirit, for all things of the sense of the letter of the Word, which is natural, contain within them an internal sense, which is spiritual. In this sense, eating, drinking, and food signify spiritual nourishment, which is the nourishment of faith, together with that of the understanding, from which comes intelligence in spiritual things; it is therefore said, "Be not anxious for your soul what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink; is not the soul more than food?" To eat denotes to perceive good intellectually and thus spiritually; to drink, to perceive truth intellectually and thus spiritually; and food denotes the good and truth which are the source of [spiritual] nourishment. By clothing the body and by raiment is signified truth investing the good of love and of the will, raiment signifying such truth, and the body the good of love which is the good of the will.
[17] In David:
"O my soul, I lie in the midst of lions, the sons of man are set on fire" (Arcana Coelestia 2930).
[18] In Jeremiah:
"Thy lovers will abhor thee, they will seek thy soul" (4:30).
Lovers mean those who are in the love of evil; to seek the soul signifies to desire to destroy belief in and the understanding of truth, by means of the falsities of evil.
In Ezekiel:
"Javan and Tubal traded with the soul of man and vessels of brass" (27:13).
This is said of Tyre, which signifies the church as to the knowledges of truth and good. Trading signifies the acquisition and communication of these; Javan and Tubal signify external representative worship, and the soul of man signifies knowledge (scientia) of truth in the natural man, and vessels of brass signify knowledge of good in the natural man; knowledge of natural truth (veri naturalis) is also signified by "souls of men" in the Apocalypse (18:13). The souls of men (animoe hominum) mean strictly slaves or servants, which also, in the spiritual sense, signify truths scientific (vera scientifica) of the natural man, that are serviceable to the spiritual.
[19] (V.) Since the life of faith, and also the life of man's understanding is from Divine Truth, therefore Divine Truth is also signified by soul, as is evident in the following passages:
In Jeremiah:
"I will plant them in this land in verity, in my whole heart and in my whole soul" (32:41).
As there are two things that proceed from the Lord, Divine Good and Divine Truth, and these, when received by the angels of heaven and the men of the church, make heavenly life in them, therefore it is evident what is signified by planting them in the whole heart and in the whole soul, namely, in His Divine Good and in His Divine Truth; for the heart signifies the Divine Good of the Divine Love, and the soul Divine Truth.
[20] In the same:
"Jehovah hath sworn by His soul" (51:14; Amos 6:8).
Jehovah is said to swear by His soul when He confirms by means of His Divine Truth, for to swear signifies to confirm, and the soul of Jehovah Divine Truth.
In David:
"Jehovah trieth the just; the wicked, and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth" (Psalm 11:5).
Here also the soul of Jehovah signifies Divine Truth, for the violent in the Word signifies one who does violence to Divine Truth; and because this is done by falsities of evil, therefore this is signified by the wicked and him that loveth violence.
[21] In Isaiah:
"My chosen in whom my soul is well pleased, I have put my Spirit upon him" (42:1).
This is said of the Lord, who is meant by the chosen of Jehovah; and as the Spirit of Jehovah, which was put upon Him, signifies the proceeding Divine, therefore the soul of Jehovah, which was well pleased in Him, signifies Divine Truth, for the Lord was in that Divine Truth as to His Human in the world.
In Jeremiah:
"Jehovah said, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, my soul [could] not [be] toward this people" (15:1).
Moses and Samuel, in the representative sense, signify the Word; and as the Word is Divine Truth, and the people there mentioned mean the sons of Israel, who had no Divine Truth but what was falsified and adulterated, it is said, "My soul could not be toward this people."
[22] In the same:
"Shall not my soul take vengeance" (5:9, 29).
Here also the soul of Jehovah means Divine Truth; and when from this the Lord executes judgment, it is said that His soul takes vengeance. The Son of man who is to execute judgment has a similar signification, the Son of man also denoting the Lord, as to Divine Truth.
In the same:
"Receive chastisement, O Jerusalem, lest my soul be alienated from thee, and I reduce thee to wasteness" (6:8):
Jerusalem signifies the church as to doctrine, to receive chastisement, signifies to receive discipline; lest my soul be alienated from thee, signifies lest Divine Truth should depart from them; and to reduce to wasteness, signifies lest the church should be desolated as to all truth.
[23] In Isaiah:
"Jehovah that giveth soul to the people upon the earth, and spirit to them that walk therein" (42:5).
The soul which Jehovah giveth to the people upon the earth, signifies Divine Truth from the Lord to those who will be of His church. The spirit which Jehovah will give to them that walk upon the earth, signifies life according to Divine Truth, to walk signifying to live.
[24] (VI.) Since soul (anima) in reference to the Lord signifies Divine Truth, therefore it signifies spiritual life from truth.
In Moses:
"The soul of all flesh is the blood" (328, 329, 476). Because this is the signification of blood, therefore the sons of Israel were forbidden to eat blood, and therefore the blood of the burnt-offerings and sacrifices was sprinkled about the altar; and sanctifications and also inaugurations were performed by blood, also the covenant of the God of Israel, that is, of the Lord with the people was entered into by blood. The case is also the same with the new covenant entered into by the Lord with the church at this day. This is why the blood of the Lord is called the blood of the covenant, that is, of conjunction with the Lord, and it is so called because it is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord that conjoins. From these things it is now clear why blood is called soul.
[25] Because of this signification of blood, it was forbidden, from the most ancient times, to eat blood, as is evident in Moses:
"Every creeping thing that liveth, to you it shall be for food, but the flesh with the soul thereof, the blood thereof, ye shall not eat" (Genesis 9:3, 4).
Here also it is said that the blood is the soul of the flesh, and it was forbidden to eat, because eating blood signified the profanation of truth.
In the same:
"Whosoever shall eat any blood, I will set my faces against the soul that eateth blood, that I may cut off that soul from the midst of its people; for the soul of the flesh is in the blood; therefore I have given it upon the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood itself that maketh atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:10, 11).
Because soul, like blood, signifies truth from the Word, which is Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, and as all worship of the Lord is performed by means of Divine Truth, it is therefore said, "For the soul of the flesh is in the blood, therefore have I given it upon the altar," to give the blood upon the altar signifying worship from Divine Truth. And since all liberation from evils and falsities, which is atonement (expiatio), is effected by means of Divine Truth and by a life according to it, it is therefore said, "to make atonement for your souls," for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul.
[26] In the same:
"Surely the blood of your souls will I require, at the hand of every wild beast will I require it, especially at the hand of man, at the hand of a man's brother will I require the soul of man" (Genesis 9:7).
That blood, and also soul, here mean the spiritual life of man, which is a life according to Divine Truth, is evident from this, that whoever extinguishes that life perishes in eternal death, for that life can be extinguished only by one who is in infernal evil and falsity. But this may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia.
[27] (VII). That living soul (anima vivens) signifies life in general is evident from passages where beasts, birds, reptiles, and fish are called living souls; as in the following:
"God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving thing, the living soul. God created the great sea monsters (ceti magni), and every living soul that creepeth, which the waters brought forth abundantly" (Genesis 1:20, 21).
"God said, Let the earth bring forth the living soul, after its kind, beast and wild beast" (Genesis 1:24).
"Jehovah brought unto the man every beast of the field, and every bird of the heavens, to see what he would call it; and whatsoever the man called it, the living soul, that was its name" (Genesis 2:19).
"Every living soul that swimmeth, whithersoever the rivers come, shall live; whence there shall be much fish" (Ezekiel 47:9).
And in the Apocalypse:
"Every living soul in the sea died" (16:3).
All animals, in the spiritual sense, signify things that belong to the natural man and its life; and as the life of the natural man, which is life in ultimates, signifies life in its whole extent, therefore they are called living souls.
[28] From these things it is now evident that soul (anima) in the Word signifies the life of man both natural and spiritual, thus the life both of his body and spirit. It may thus be seen how inconsistent is the idea concerning man's soul, entertained in the first place by the learned, and then by the common people, that it is a kind of indivisible entity having its seat in some part of the body, either in the brain, or in the heart, or elsewhere, and that when it is set free from man by death, it is destitute of a body, and possesses none of those powers of sense and motion that belong to the body, but that these will be added to it at the day of the Last Judgment. Then also, that in the meantime it is something or other flitting about in the ether, or dwelling in some place or other awaiting its accessory part, which is the body.
Such is the idea entertained in the world concerning man's soul, although nothing of the kind is meant in the Word by soul (anima), which there signifies the life of man, and this cannot exist apart from a body, but only in a body; for the body is the external form of that life which is called the soul, giving effect to its will and pleasure in both worlds, the natural, in which men live, and the spiritual, in which spirits and angels live. And as the proceeding Divine from the Lord constitutes the life of all, therefore this is signified by soul in the celestial sense. Because the proceeding Divine, wherever it comes, forms an image of the Lord, that is, so forms angels and spirits that they become human forms according to their receptivity, therefore it now follows that the soul that lives after death must mean man's spirit, which is a man with both a soul and body, with a soul which governs the body, and with a body by means of which it gives effect to its will in the world in which it is.
Footnotes:
1. Heb. Sheol.
2. The Hebrew word for quails.
750. And they loved not their soul, even unto death, signifies the faithful who have endured temptations for the sake of these truths, and who have regarded the life of the world as of no account in comparison with the life of heaven. This is evident from the signification of "not to love the soul," as being to regard the life of the world as of no account in comparison with the life of heaven (of which presently); and from the signification of "even unto death," as being to endure temptations; for those who are in the combats of temptation regard the life of the world as of no account in comparison with the life of heaven, and consequently regard the death of their body as of no account in comparison with the life of the soul, as is evident from those who suffered martyrdom. The reason is, that they know that life in the world, which is only for some years, is as nothing compared with the life in heaven, which is eternal life; yea, there is no ratio between the time of man's life in the world and the life in heaven that will continue to eternity. Think if you can whether there can be any ratio between a hundred thousand years and eternity, and you will find there is none. These with many other thoughts flow in from heaven with those who endure spiritual temptations, therefore "they love not their soul (that is, their life in the world), even unto death."
[2] What is meant by "soul" is but little known in the world, because scholars have put forth several theories about the seat of the soul in the body, as also about its essence, and its influx into and operation in the body, and from notions drawn therefrom, about its immortality. From this it has come to be believed that the soul is a cogitative something, in its essence ethereal, and when separated from the body has no organs of motion or sense as it had in the world, until it is again conjoined with the body, which they say will take place at the time of the Last Judgment. As so unsuitable an idea of the soul of man has been accepted in the learned world it is important to illustrate from the Word what is meant by the soul. In general, the soul means the man, and in particular the life of man; and as there are in every man three degrees of life, there are also as many degrees of the soul. But as the whole life of man resides in his two faculties that are called will and understanding, on which account these are sometimes in the Word called "lives," in the plural, and as the soul means the life, it follows that there is a soul of the will and a soul of the understanding, and that the soul of the will is affection, which is of love, and the soul of the understanding is thought therefrom. But in the Word, the "soul" means properly the life of man's understanding, which is thought, and the "heart" the life of the will, which is affection. And as the respiration of the lungs corresponds to the life of the understanding, which is thought, and the pulsation of the heart corresponds to the life of the will which is affection, so in the lowest natural sense the life of respiration is meant by "soul;" consequently the dying are said to give up the soul or spirit, also that they have no more animation, or that no breath from the mouth is perceived. That such is the meaning of "soul" in the Word can be seen from passages where it is mentioned.
[3] 1. That in general "soul" signifies man is evident from the following passages.
In Moses:
Abram took every soul that they had gotten in Haran; and they departed into the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:5).
The king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the souls, and take the substance to thyself (Genesis 14:21).
All the souls of the sons and daughters from Leah were thirty and three (Genesis 46:15).
The sons of Joseph were two souls; every soul of the house of Jacob which came into Egypt, seventy (Genesis 46:27).
Every soul which hath eaten of a carcass, or of that which is torn, shall be unclean until the even (Leviticus 17:15).
Of the cities of the peoples thou shalt not keep any soul alive (Deuteronomy 20:16).
If a man hath stolen a soul from his brethren and hath made gain of him (Deuteronomy 24:7).
The soul that eateth fat and blood shall be cut off (Leviticus 7:27).
The soul that is not circumcised shall be cut off from his people (Genesis 17:14);
and elsewhere. In these passages "soul" is used in place of man.
[4] 2. That in particular "soul" signifies the life of the body is evident from these passages.
In Luke:
The rich man thought with himself, I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many goods laid up for many years; rest, eat, drink and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou unwise one, this night they shall require thy soul of thee (Luke 12:19, 20).
In Moses:
When the soul of Rachel was departing, she called his name Benoni (Genesis 35:18).
All the men are dead who sought thy soul (Exodus 4:19).
And elsewhere:
By the hand of them that seek thy soul (Jeremiah 19:7, 9; 34:21).
He that falleth away to the Chaldeans shall live, and his soul shall be to him for a spoil (Jeremiah 21:9).
I will give thy soul for a prey (Jeremiah 45:5).
Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a man to afflict his soul? (Isaiah 58:5)
Reuben said to his brethren respecting Joseph, Let us not smite him in the soul (Genesis 37:21).
Soul for soul, eye for eye, tooth for tooth (Deuteronomy 19:21).
Thou 1shalt not take the mill or the millstone for a pledge, for he receiveth the soul for a pledge (Deuteronomy 24:6).
Samson said, Let my soul die with the Philistines (Judges 16:30).
Jezebel said to Elijah that tomorrow she would make his soul as the soul of one of them; and Elijah went away for his soul (1 Kings 19:2, 3).
Peter said, I will lay down my soul for Thee; Jesus answered, Wilt thou lay down thy soul for Me? Verily I say, the cock shall not crow till thou hast denied Me thrice (John 13:37, 38).
In these passages "soul" is used for the life of the body. Likewise the Lord said of the life of His body in the Gospels:
As the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His soul a redemption for many (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45).
So elsewhere:
Behold I love thee, therefore I will give a man for thee; and peoples for thy soul (Isaiah 43:4).
Jesus said, Greater love hath no one than this, that one lay down his soul for his friends (John 15:13).
Jesus said, I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd layeth down his soul for the sheep. I lay down My soul and I will take it again; no man taketh it away from Me, but I lay it down of Myself; I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again (John 10:11, 12, 15, 17, 18).
[5] 3. That "soul" signifies the life of man's spirit, which is called his spiritual life, is evident from the following passages. In the Gospels:
Jesus said, Fear not them that can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4, 5).
Whoever wisheth to find his soul shall lose it, and whoever would lose his soul for Jesus' sake shall find it (Matthew 10:39; Luke 17:33).
He that loveth his soul shall lose it; but he that hateth his soul in this world shall keep it unto the life eternal (John 12:25).
Jesus said, Whosoever will come after Him, 2let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Him. For he that will save his soul shall lose it, but he that would lose his soul for His sake shall find it. For what doth it profit a man if he should gain the whole world but should lose his soul? Or what 3shall a man give as a sufficient price for the redemption of his soul? (Matthew 16:24-26; Mark 8:35-37; Luke 9:24, 25)
Jesus said, I have come not to destroy souls but to save (Luke 9:56).
Mary said to Elizabeth, My soul doth magnify the Lord (Luke 1:46).
Simeon said unto Mary concerning the infant Jesus, And a sword shall also pierce through thine own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed (Luke 2:35).
Jesus said of the last times, In your patience possess ye your souls (Luke 21:19).
And elsewhere:
The foundations shall be broken, all that make gain from the pools of the soul (Isaiah 19:9, 10).
We get our bread with the peril of our souls, because of the sword of the desert (Lamentations 5:9).
They have digged 4a pit for my soul (Jeremiah 18:20).
Their soul shall be as a watered garden (Jeremiah 31:12).
I will water the wearied soul, and every soul that grieveth I will fill (Jeremiah 31:25).
Woe to them that sew pillows under all the joints of My hands, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls. Will ye hunt the souls of My people, that ye may make souls alive for yourselves? Thou hast profaned Me with My people, to slay the souls that should not die, and to make alive the souls that should not live (Ezekiel 13:18, 19).
Behold all souls are Mine, as the soul of the father so the soul of the son, they are Mine; the soul that sinneth it shall die (Ezekiel 18:4, 20).
I will go away for the bitterness of my soul (Isaiah 38:15).
The waters compassed me about even to the soul (Jonah 2:5).
The waters came even unto the soul; I was sunk in the deep mire (Psalms 69:1, 2).
They afflicted my foot 5with a fetter, my soul came to the earth 6(Psalms 105:18).
Bring my soul out of prison (Psalms 142:7).
Thou hast delivered my soul from death (Psalms 56:13).
To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine (Psalms 33:19).
Deliver me not up to the soul of my adversaries (Psalms 27:12; 41:2).
I afflicted my soul with fasting; let them not say in their heart, Ah, for his soul (Psalms 35:13, 25).
Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, nor wilt thou give thine Holy One to see corruption (Psalms 16:10).
The man who feareth Jehovah, him shall He teach in the way that He shall choose; his soul shall lodge in good (Psalms 25:12, 13).
The clean in hands and the pure in heart, who doth not lift up his soul unto vanity (Psalms 24:4).
He shall save the souls of the needy, He shall redeem their souls from deceit and violence (Psalms 72:13, 14).
Bless Jehovah, O my soul (Psalms 103:1, 22).
Let every soul praise Jah (Psalms 150:6).
They will ask food for their soul (Psalms 78:18).
Jehovah breathed into man's nostrils the breath of lives, and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7).
In these passages "soul" is used for the life of man's spirit, which is called his spiritual life.
[6] 4. Since man has two faculties of life, namely, a faculty to understand and a faculty to will, and these two faculties constitute the spiritual life of man, it can be seen from certain passages cited above, as also from the following, that "soul" signifies that faculty that is called the life of man's understanding.
As in Moses:
Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might (Deuteronomy 6:5; 10:12; 11:13; 26:16).
And in the Gospels:
Jesus said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30, 33; Luke 10:27).
"To love Jehovah God with all the heart and all the soul" means with all the will and all the understanding, also with all the love and all the faith, for "heart" signifies the love and the will, and "soul" signifies the faith and the understanding. "Heart" signifies these two, the love and the will, because a man's love is of his will; and "soul" signifies the two, namely, faith and understanding, because faith is of the understanding. This is the signification of "heart and soul" because the heart of man corresponds to the good of love that belongs to his will, and the soul [or breath] of the lungs corresponds to the truth of faith that belongs to man's understanding. "With all the might and with all the mind" signifies above all things.
[7] In Ezekiel:
Their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah's anger; they shall not satisfy their soul, neither fill their bowels (Ezekiel 7:19).
Here, too, "soul" stands for the understanding of truth, which is said "not to be satisfied" when there is no truth in the church, and "bowels" stand for the will of good, and are said "not to be filled" when there is no good in the church. Because "silver" from correspondence signifies truth, and in the contrary sense falsity, and "gold" signifies good, and in the contrary sense evil, it is said, "their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah's anger;" "silver and gold" meaning what is not true and what is not good, and also what is false and evil, and "day of anger" meaning the day of judgment.
[8] In Isaiah:
The light of Israel shall be for a fire, and His Holy One for a flame, and it shall burn and consume the glory of his forest and of Carmel, it shall consume from the soul even to the flesh (Isaiah 10:17, 18).
"The light of Israel," and "His Holy One," which shall be for a fire and a flame, mean the Lord in relation to the Last Judgment; "fire and flame" signify the destruction of those who are in the falsities of evil; "the glory of the forest and of Carmel that the fire and flame shall burn and consume" signifies the truth and the good of truth of the church, which shall be destroyed because they have been turned into falsities and the evils of falsity; "from the soul even to the flesh" signifies even from its understanding to its will, "soul" meaning the understanding of truth, and "flesh" the will of good.
[9] In the same:
The fool speaketh foolishness, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail (Isaiah 32:6).
Here, again, the soul signifies the man in respect to the understanding of good and truth, "the soul of the hungry" the understanding of good, and "drink for the soul of the thirsty" the understanding of truth. That a man who is in the falsities of evil will endeavor to deprive a man who is in truth from good of that truth is signified by "the fool speaketh foolishness, to make empty the soul, and to cause it to fail."
[10] In the same:
It shall be as when a hungry man dreameth as if he were eating, but when he awaketh his soul is empty; and when a thirsty man dreameth as if he were drinking, but when he awaketh behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite; so shall be the multitude of all nations that make war against Mount Zion (Isaiah 29:8).
This is said of those who are in falsities from evil and yet think them to be truths from good; the falsities from evil combating against the goods of the church are signified by "the multitude of all nations that make war against Mount Zion;" "multitude" is predicated of truths, "nations" signify evils, and "Mount Zion" signifies the church in respect to the good of love. Believing evils to be good when they are the evils of falsity is signified by "It shall be as when a hungry man dreameth as if he were eating, but when he awaketh his soul is empty;" "a hungry man dreaming as if he were eating" signifies an erroneous opinion and belief about good; "to dream" signifying an erroneous opinion and belief, and "to be hungry and as if he were eating" signifying as it were a desire for good that will give nourishment; "but when he awaketh" signifies when it is discovered what good is; "his soul is empty" signifies that there is no understanding of good. Like things are said of truth, which are signified by "when a thirsty man dreameth as if he were drinking, but when he awaketh behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite;" "to be thirsty and as if drinking while he dreams" signifies an opinion and belief that it is true; "but when he awaketh behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite," signifies that still it is not true but false; "soul" here signifying the belief in falsity from truth not being understood; for evil and falsity, like good and truth, pertain to faith and understanding when they are of the thought alone. For a man can think so as to understand and thus believe that evil is good, and that falsity is truth. Such are all those who are in the falsities of doctrine, and have faith merely in masters and books, and do not consider whether what they are taught is false and evil, believing it to be true and good because it can be confirmed, not knowing that falsity and evil can be confirmed just as well as truth and good.
[11] In the same:
If thou shalt draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul thy light shall arise in darkness, and thy thick darkness be as the noonday (Isaiah 58:10).
"To draw out the soul to the hungry and to satisfy the afflicted soul" signifies to teach one who desires it what is good and what is true; "the hungry" signifies one who desires good, and "the afflicted" one who desires truth, and "to draw out the soul" signifies to teach good and truth, that is, from the understanding, doctrine and faith. That to those who are in ignorance and yet have a desire there shall be given an understanding of truth and good, is signified by "thy light shall arise in darkness and thy thick darkness be as the noonday;" "darkness" and "thick darkness" meaning ignorance of truth and good, and "light" and "noonday" meaning the understanding of good and truth.
[12] In Lamentations:
All the people groan, they seek bread, they have given their desirable things for food, to restore the soul. The comforter who restoreth my soul is far from me; my sons are made waste because the enemy hath prevailed. My priests and my elders have expired in the city, for they sought food for themselves with which to restore their soul (Lamentations 1:11, 16, 19).
This is said of a church in which there is no longer any truth and good of doctrine, consequently the men of the church who desire these lack them; the lack of good and truth in doctrine, and the desire for them to nourish the life of faith and of the understanding is signified by "all the people groan, they seek bread, they have given their desirable things for food to restore the soul;" lack is signified by their "groaning;" desire for good by "seeking bread;" desire for truth by "giving their desirable things for food;" and the nourishment of the faith and understanding by "restoring their soul;" that there is no nourishment of faith and understanding because there are no longer any truths on account of the evils of life is signified by "the comforter who restoreth my soul is far from me, my sons are made waste because the enemy hath prevailed," "sons made waste" signifying that there are no longer any truths, and "the enemy that hath prevailed" signifying evil from hell, thus the evil of life. That there are no longer any that teach good and truth is signified by "my priests and my elders have expired in the city;" "priests" signifying those who teach good, and "elders" those who teach truths, and "city" doctrine, and "to expire" that these no longer exist. That they have no spiritual nourishment is signified by "for they sought food for themselves with which to restore their soul."
[13] In Lamentations:
They say to their mothers, Where is the corn and the wine? when they faint as one pierced in the broad ways of the city, when their soul is poured out upon their mother's bosom (Lamentations 2:12).
This has a similar signification as the preceding passage, namely, that the church is so desolated by the lack of good and truth in doctrine that spiritual life in it faints and perishes. "Mothers" signify the truths of the church; they say to them, "Where is the corn and the wine" signifies where is now the good of doctrine and its truth? "Their soul is poured out upon their mother's bosom" signifies the fainting and perishing of spiritual life because of the desolation from lack of truths. Because the "soul" means the life of faith and of the understanding of good and truth, which is the spiritual life of man, it is said "they faint as one pierced in the broad ways of the city;" "one pierced" signifying one who perishes by falsities, and "the broad ways of the city," truth of doctrine.
[14] In Jonah:
When my soul fainted upon me (Jon. Jonah 2:7).
This treats of temptations; and that "his soul fainted upon him" signifies that the truth fainted (or ceased) in the faith and understanding. In David:
Mine eye wasteth away with vexation, and my belly (Psalms 31:9).
In the same:
My 7soul is bowed down to the dust, our belly cleaveth to the earth (Psalms 44:25).
This also describes the state of temptations. The "eye" signifies the understanding, the "soul" the belief in truth and the understanding of truth, and the "belly" the belief in good and the understanding of good. This is the signification of "belly" because the belly receives food, and "food" and "bread" signify good that nourishes, here the understanding and faith. The lack of these in temptation is signified by "wasting away with vexation," and "bowing down to the dust," and "cleaving to the earth."
[15] In Moses:
They said, Now is our soul dried up, there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes (Numbers 11:6).
Because "manna" signifies spiritual nourishment, and it is the faith and understanding, or the intelligence of man, that is spiritually nourished, and because the sons of Israel had no natural nourishment, which yet they desired, so they said, "Our soul is dried up, there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes;" "the soul dried up" signifies the life of faith and of the understanding failing when there was not at the same time any natural nourishment; "there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes" signifies that there was nothing except spiritual nourishment; and because they loathed this, the flesh of quails, or selav, was given to them, and the flesh of these signifies natural nourishment.
[16] In the first book of Samuel:
Hannah said unto Eli, I have poured out my soul before Jehovah (1 Samuel 1:15).
"To pour out the soul before Jehovah" signifies to declare the thoughts of her mind and heart. In the Gospels:
Be ye not anxious for your soul what ye shall eat and what ye shall drink, nor for your body what ye shall put on; is not the soul more than nourishment, and the body more than the raiment? (Matthew 6:25; Luke 12:22, 23)
Although this is said of the life of the body, still it signifies such things as pertain to the life of the spirit, for all things of the sense of the letter of the Word, which is natural, contain within them an internal sense which is spiritual; in this sense "to eat," "to drink," and "food" signify spiritual nourishment, which is the nourishment of faith together with the nourishment of the understanding, from which comes intelligence in spiritual things; therefore it is said, "Be not ye anxious for your soul what ye shall eat and what ye shall drink; is not the soul more than nourishment?" "To eat" means to perceive good intellectually and thus spiritually; "to drink" means to perceive truth intellectually and thus spiritually; and "nourishment" means good and truth from which is nutrition. "To clothe the body" and "raiment" signify truth investing the good of love and of the will; "raiment" signifies such truth, and the "body" the good of love which is the good of the will.
[17] In David:
My soul, I lie in the midst of lions, the sons of man are set on fire (Arcana Coelestia 2930.)
[18] In Jeremiah:
Thy lovers will abhor thee, they will seek thy soul (Jeremiah 4:30).
"Lovers" mean those who are in the love of evil; "to seek the soul" signifies to wish to destroy the belief in truth and the understanding of truth by the falsities of evil. In Ezekiel:
Javan and Tubal traded with the soul of man and vessels of brass (Ezekiel 27:13).
This is said of Tyre, which signifies the church in respect to the knowledges of truth and good; "to trade" signifies the acquisition and communication of these; "Javan and Tubal" signify external representative worship; and "the soul of man" signifies the knowledge [scientia] of truth in the natural man, and "the vessels of brass" the knowledge of good in the natural man. The knowledge [scientia] of natural truth is signified also by "the souls of men" in Revelation 18:13; "the souls of men" mean properly slaves or servants, which also signify in the spiritual sense the true knowledges [vera scientifica] of the natural man that are serviceable to the spiritual.
[19] 5. Since the life of faith and also the life of man's understanding is from Divine truth, therefore Divine truth also is signified by "soul;" as can be seen from the following passages. In Jeremiah:
I will plant them in this land in verity, with My whole heart and with My whole soul (Jeremiah 32:41).
As there are two things that proceed from the Lord, Divine good and Divine truth, and as these, when received by the angels of heaven and the men of the church, constitute the heavenly life with them, so it is clear what is signified by "planting them with the whole heart and with the whole soul," namely, in His Divine good and in His Divine truth, for the "heart" signifies the Divine good of the Divine love, and the "soul" Divine truth.
[20] In the same:
Jehovah hath sworn by His soul (Jeremiah 51:14; Amos 6:8).
Jehovah is said "to swear by His soul" when He confirms by His Divine truth, for "to swear" signifies to confirm, and "the soul of Jehovah" Divine truth. In David:
Jehovah proveth the righteous; the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth (Psalms 11:5).
Here, also, "the soul of Jehovah" signifies Divine truth, for "the violent" in the Word signifies one who offers violence to Divine truth; and because this is done by the falsities of evil this is signified by the "wicked and him that loveth violence."
[21] In Isaiah:
My chosen in whom My soul is well pleased, I have given My spirit upon Him (Isaiah 42:1).
This is said of the Lord, who is meant by "the chosen of Jehovah;" and as "the spirit of Jehovah" that was given upon Him signifies the Divine proceeding, so "the soul of Jehovah" that was well pleased in Him signifies Divine truth; for the Lord was in that Divine in respect to His Human in the world. In Jeremiah:
Jehovah said, Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My soul would not be towards this people (Jeremiah 15:1).
"Moses and Samuel" in the representative sense signify the Word; and as the Word is Divine truth, and "people" mean here the sons of Israel, who had no Divine truth that was not falsified and adulterated, it is said, "My soul would not be towards this people."
[22] In the same:
Shall not My soul take vengeance? (Jeremiah 5:9, 29)
Here, again, "the soul of Jehovah" means Divine truth; when by this the Lord executes judgment it is said that "His soul takes vengeance." "The Son of man who is to execute judgment" has a similar signification; "the Son of man" meaning the Lord in relation to Divine truth. In the same:
Receive chastisement, O Jerusalem, lest my soul be torn away from thee, and I reduce thee to wasteness (Jeremiah 6:8).
"Jerusalem" signifies the church in respect to doctrine; "to receive chastisement" signifies to receive discipline; "lest my soul be torn away from thee" signifies lest Divine truth depart from them; and "to reduce to wasteness" signifies lest the church be desolated in respect to all truth.
[23] In Isaiah:
Jehovah that giveth soul to the people upon the earth, and spirit to them that walk therein (Isaiah 42:5).
"The soul that Jehovah gives to the people upon the earth" signifies Divine truth from the Lord to those who will be of His church; "the spirit that Jehovah will give to them that walk upon the earth" signifies life according to Divine truth; "to walk" signifying to live.
[24] 6. Since "soul," in reference to the Lord, signifies Divine truth, so it signifies spiritual life from truth. In Moses:
The soul of all flesh is the blood (328, 329, 476). Because this is the signification of blood, the sons of Israel were forbidden to eat blood; therefore the blood of the burnt-offerings and sacrifices was sprinkled about the altar, and by the blood sanctifications and also consecrations were effected; so likewise the covenant of the God of Israel, that is, of the Lord, with the people was entered into by blood; and furthermore, the Lord has entered into a new covenant with the church of this day. This is why the blood of the Lord is called "the blood of the covenant," that is, of conjunction with the Lord; and it is so called because it is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord that conjoins. From this it is clear why blood is called "soul."
[25] It was because of this signification of blood that from the most ancient time it was forbidden to eat blood, as can be seen in Moses:
Every creeping thing that liveth shall be for food to you, but the flesh with the soul thereof, the blood thereof, ye shall not eat (Genesis 9:3, 4).
Here, too, it is said that "the blood is the soul of the flesh;" and it was forbidden to eat it because eating blood signified the profanation of truth. In the same:
Whosoever shall eat any blood, I will set My faces against the soul that eateth blood that I may cut it off from the midst of his people; for the soul of the flesh is in the blood; therefore I have given it upon the altar to expiate for your souls, for it is the blood itself that expiateth for the soul (Leviticus 17:10, 11).
Because "soul," like "blood," signifies truth from the Word, which is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and because all worship of the Lord is performed by means of Divine truth, it is said, "for the soul of the flesh is in the blood, therefore I have given it upon the altar," "to give the blood upon the altar" signifying worship from Divine truth. And as all deliverance from evils and falsities, which is expiation, is effected by Divine truth and by a life according to it, it is said, "to expiate your souls, for it is the blood itself that expiateth for the soul."
[26] In the same:
Surely the blood of your souls will I require, at the hand of every wild beast will I require it, especially at the hand of man, at the hand of man his brother will I require the soul of man (Genesis 9:5).
Here "blood" and also "soul" mean the spiritual life of man, which is a life according to Divine truth, as can be seen from this, that whoever extinguishes that life perishes in eternal death, for that life is not extinguished but by one who is in infernal evil and falsity. (But this may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia.)
[27] 7. That "living soul" signifies life in general can be seen from passages where beasts, birds, creeping things, and fishes, are called "living souls." As in the following:
God said, Let the waters bring forth the creeping thing, the living soul. God created great whales, and every living soul that creepeth which the waters brought forth (Genesis 1:20, 21).
God said, Let the earth bring forth the living soul according to its kind, beast and wild beast (Genesis 1:24).
Jehovah brought unto the man every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens, to see what he would call it; and whatsoever the man called it, the living soul, that was its name (Genesis 2:19).
Every living soul that swimmeth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live; whence there is much fish (Ezekiel 47:9)
Every living soul died in the sea (Revelation 16:3).
In the spiritual sense all animals signify the things belonging to the natural man, and its life; and as the life of the natural man, which is life in ultimates, signifies life in the whole complex, so they are called "living souls."
[28] From this it can now be seen what "soul" signifies in the Word, namely, the life of man both natural and spiritual, thus the life both of his body and of his spirit. This also makes evident how perverted is the idea of the soul of man that is entertained, first by the learned, and from them by the common people, namely, that it is a sort of indivisible entity, having its seat in some part of the body, either in the brain or in the heart, or elsewhere; and that when it is loosed from man by death it is without a body and without such sensory and motor parts as belong to a body, but that these will be added to it at the day of the Last Judgment; also that in the meantime it is a something flitting in the ether, or is abiding in a somewhere, awaiting its additional part, which is the body. Such is now the world's idea of the soul of man; although in the Word "soul" has no such meaning, but means instead the life of man, which has no existence separate from the body, but only in the body; for the body is the external form of that life that is called the soul, giving effect to its will and pleasure in both worlds, the natural in which men live and the spiritual in which spirits and angels live. And as the Divine proceeding from the Lord constitutes the life of all, therefore that life is signified by "soul" in the celestial sense. Because the Divine proceeding, wherever it comes, forms an image of the Lord, thus it so forms angels and spirits that they may be human forms according to reception; thence it now follows that the soul that lives after death must mean the spirit of man, which is a man with both a soul and a body, a soul that rules over the body, and a body by which the soul effects its will in the world in which it is.
Footnotes:
1. The Hebrew has "he," as found in Arcana Coelestia 4335, 10303.
2. The Greek has "Me."
3. The Latin has "which."
4. The Latin has "foverunt" for "foderunt."
5. The Hebrew has "his foot," as also found in Arcana Coelestia 448.
6. The Hebrew has "into the Iron," as also found in 448.
7. The Hebrew has "our," as also found in 622.
750. "Et non dilexerunt animam suam usque ad mortem." - Quod significet fideles qui propter illa vera tentationes passi sunt, et vitam mundi prae vita caeli nihili fecerunt, constat ex significatione "non diligere animam", quod sit nihili facere vitam mundi prae vita caeli, de qua sequitur; et ex significatione "usque ad mortem", quod sit tentationes pati; nam qui in tentationum pugnis sunt, illi nihili faciunt vitam mundi prae vita caeli, consequenter nihili faciunt mortem corporis sui prae vita animae suae, ut constare potest ex martyriis: causa est, quia sciunt quod vita in mundo, quae est aliquot annorum, nihil sit respective ad vitam in caelo, quae est vita aeterna; immo ne quidem ratio datur inter tempora vitae hominum in mundo; et inter vitam in caelo in aeternum duraturam; cogitet qui potest num sit aliqua ratio inter centum millia annorum ac aeternum, et comperiet quod non sit. Talia cum multis aliis influunt e caelo apud illos qui tentationes spirituales patiuntur; quare "animam suam", hoc est, vitam in mundo, "non diligunt usque ad mortem."
[2] Quid per "animam" intelligitur, parum in orbe notum est, ex causa quia eruditi de sede animae in corpore plura hypothetice tradiderunt, tum etiam de ejus essentia, et quoque de ejus influxu et operatione in corpus; et ex ideis inde captis de ejus immortalitate: inde fluxit quod credatur quod anima sit aliquod cogitativum, in sua essentia aethereum, et quod separata a corpore sit absque motoriis et sensoriis, qualia in mundo, antequam iterum conjungitur corpori, quod tempore ultimi judicii futurum dicunt. Quia inde idea incongrua de anima hominis in erudito orbe capta est, interest ex Verbo illustrare quid per "animam" intelligitur. In genere per "animam" intelligitur homo, et in specie vita hominis; et quia in unoquovis homine sunt tres gradus vitae, ita quoque totidem animae gradus sunt. At quia omnis vita hominis residet in binis facultatibus ejus, quae vocantur voluntas et intellectus, quare aliquoties in Verbo dicuntur "vitae" in plurali; et quia per "animam" intelligitur vita, sequitur quod sit anima voluntatis et anima intellectus, et quod anima voluntatis sit affectio quae est amoris, et quod anima intellectus sit cogitatio inde. Proprie autem per "animam" in Verbo intelligitur vita intellectus hominis, quae est cogitatio, et per "cor" vita voluntatis quae est affectio. Et quia respiratio pulmonum correspondet vitae intellectus quae est cogitatio, et pulsus cordis correspondet vitae voluntatis quae est affectio, idea per "animam" in sensu naturali ultimo intelligitur vita respirationis; exinde venit quod de morituris dicatur quod animam suam aut spiritum suum emittant, tum quod non amplius animent, aut quod non ex ore sentiatur aliquis spiritus. Quod talia per "animam" in Verbo intelligantur, constare potest ex locis ibi, ubi nominatur.
[3] (1) Quod "anima" in genere significet hominem constat ex his sequentibus:
- Apud Mosen,
"Sumpsit Abramus.... omnem.... animam, quam nacti sunt in Charane, et abiverunt in terram Canaanem" (Gen. 12:5 1
);
"Rex Sodomae dixit ad Abramum, Da mihi animas, substantiam sume tibi" (Genesis 14:21);
"Omnes animae filiorum et filiarum" ex Lea, "triginta et tres" (Genesis 46:15);
"Filii Josephi.... animae duae; omnis anima domus Jacobi, quae venit in Aegyptum, septuaginta" (Genesis 46:27);
"Omnis anima quae comedit cadaver aut discerptum, immunda illa ad vesperam" (Leviticus 17:15);
"De urbibus populorum.... non vivificabis ullam animam" (Deuteronomius 20:16);
"Si furatus sit animam de fratribus suis, ...et quaestum fecerit" (Deutr. 24:7 2
).
Anima comedens adipem et sanguinem, exscindetur (Leviticus 7:27);
"Anima" quae non circumcidetur, "exscindetur e populis suis" ( 3
et alibi: in quibus locis "anima" dicitur pro homine.
[4] (2) Quod "anima" in specie significet vitam corporis, constat ex his:
- Apud Lucam,
Dives cogitabat apud se, "Dicam animae meae, Anima, habes multa bona reposita in annos multos; feriare, ede, bibe, et bono esto animo: sed dixit ei Deus, Insipiens, hac nocte animam tuam requirent a te" (12:19, 20);
apud Mosen,
"Cum exiret anima" Rachelis, .. "vocavit nomen ejus Benoni" (Gen. 4
);
"Mortui sunt omnes viri qui quaesiverunt animam tuam" (Exodus 4:19); [et alibi, ]
"Per manum quaerentium animam" tuam (Jeremias 19:7, 9; fff234:21);
"Qui desciverit ad Chaldaeos... vivet, et fiet illi anima in spolium" (Jeremias 21:9);
"Dabo animam tuam in praedam" (Jeremias 45:5);
"Num erit hoc jejunium quod eligam, dies quo affliget homo animam suam?" (Esaias 58:5);
Dixit Reuben ad fratres de Josepho, "Ne percutiamus illum anima" (Genesis 37:21);
"Anima pro anima, oculus pro oculo, dens pro dente" (Deuteronomius 19:21);
"Non 5
accipies molam aut molarem in pignus, nam animam ille recipit in pignus" (Deuteronomius 24:6);
"Dixit Schimson, Moriatur anima mea cum Philisthaeis" (Judicum 16:30);
Dixit Isabel ad Eliam quod cras ponet animam ejus sicut animam unius de illis; "et abivit" Elias "pro anima 6
sua" (1 Regnum 19:2, 3);
Petrus dixit, "Animam meam ponam pro Te; respondit.. Jesus, Animamne tuam pro Me pones? Amen dico, non canet gallus usque dum Me ter abnegaveris" (Johannes 13:37, 38):
in his locis dicitur anima pro vita corporis. Similiter Dominus dixit de sui corporis vita, apud Evangelistas,
"Sicut Filius hominis non venit ut Ipsi ministretur, sed ut ministret, et det animam suam redemptionem pro multis" (Matthaeus 20:28; Marcus 10:45): [sic alibi, ]
"Ecce Ego amo Te; ideo dabo hominem loco Tui, et populos pro anima tua" (Esaias 43:4);
Jesus dixit, "Majorem hac dilectionem nemo habet, ut quis animam suam ponat pro amicis suis" (Johannes 15:13);
Jesus dixit, "Ego sum Pastor bonus; Pastor bonus animam suam ponit pro ovibus. .... Ego pono animam meam, et rursus accipiam illam: nemo tollit illam a Me, sed Ego pono a Me Ipso; potestatem Ego habeo ponendi illam, et potestatem habeo rursus recipiendi illam" (Johannes 10:11, 12, 15, 17, 18).
[5] (3) Quod "anima" significet vitam spiritus hominis, quae vocatur vita spiritualis ejus, constat ex his:
- Apud Evangelistas,
Jesus dixit, "Ne timete ab illis qui occidere corpus possunt, animam.. occidere non possunt: timete.. potius Ipsum qui potest et corpus et animam perdere in gehenna" (Matthaeus 10:28; Luca 12:4, 5);
"Quisquis vult invenire animam suam, perdet illam; et quisquis perdiderit animam suam propter" Jesum, "inveniet illam" (Matthaeus 10:39; Luca 17:33);
"Qui amat animam suam perdet illam; sed qui odit animam suam in hoc mundo, in vitam aeternum servabit illam" (Johannes 12:25);
"Jesus dixit.., Quisquis vult post" Ipsum "venire, abneget semet, tollat crucem suam, et sequatur" Ipsum: "qui.. voluerit animam suam servare, perdet illam; qui vero perdiderit animam suam" Ipsius "causa, inveniet illam. Quid.. prodest homini, si totum mundum lucratus fuerit, animae autem jacturam fecerit? aut 7
quod dabit homo pretium sufficiens redemptionis animae suae" (Matthaeus 16:24, 25 [, 26] ; Marcus 8:35-37; Luca 9:24, 25);
Jesus dixit, Non veni "ad perdendum animas.., sed ad servandum" (Luca 9:56);
"Maria.. dixit" ad Elizabeth, "Magnificat anima mea Dominum" (Luca 1:46);
Simeon dixit ad Mariam de Infante Jesu. "Tuam.. quoque animam penetrabit romphaea, ut revelentur ex multis cordibus cogitationes" (Luca 2:35);
Jesus dixit de ultimis temporibus, "In patientia.. possidete animas vestras" (Luc. 21:19 8
): [et alibi, ]
" 9
Erunt fundamenta contusa, omnes facientes mercedem cum stagnis animae" (Esaias 19:9, 10):
"Cum periculo animarum nostrarum adducimus panem nostrum propter gladium deserti" (Threni 5:9);
" 10
foderunt.. foveam animae meae" (Jeremias 18:20);
"Fiet.. anima eorum sicut hortus irriguus" (Jerem 31:12);
"Irrigabo animam lassam, et omnem animam, quae dolet, implebo" (Jeremias 31:25);
"Vae consuentibus pulvillos subter omnes axillas manuum mearum, et facientibus pepla super caput omnis staturae, ad venandum animas; animas venamini populo meo, ut animas vobis vivificetis: profanasti.. Me apud populum meum... ad occidendum animas quae non mori debent, et ad vivificandum animas quae non vivere debent" (Ezechiel 13:18, 19);
"Ecce omnes animae meae sunt; sicut anima patris ita anima filii, meae sunt; anima quae peccaverit, illa morietur" (Ezechiel 18:4, 20);
"Abibo... prae amaritudine animae meae" (Esaias 38:15);
"Circumdederunt me aquae usque ad animam" (Jonas 2:6 [B.A. :5]);
"Venerunt aquae usque ad animam, submersus sum in luto profunditatis" (Psalms 69:2 [, 31, [2]);
" 11
Afflixerunt compede pedem meum, in terram venit anima mea" (Psalms 105:18);
"Educ e carcere animam meam" (Psalms 142:8 [B.A. Psalms 142bbccc[7]);
"Liberasti.. animam meam a morte" (Psalms 56:14 [B.A. Psalms 56bbccc[13]);
"Ad eripiendum a morte animam eorum, et ad vivificandum eos in fame" (Psalms 33:19);
"Ne tradas me in animam hostium meorum" (Psalms 27:12; Psalms 41:3[2]);
"Afflixi fame animam meam ne dicant in corde suo, Eia animae" ejus (Psalms 35:13, 25);
"Non relinques animam meam in inferno, nec dabis sanctum tuum ut videat corruptionem" (Psalms 16:10);
"Vir timens Jehovam, docebit eum viam quam eliget; anima ejus in bono pernoctabit" (Psalms 25:12, 13);
"Mundus manibus et purus corde, qui non effert ad vanitatem animam suam" (Psalms 24:4);
"Animas egenorum servabit, a dolo et violentia redimet animam eorum" (Psalms 72:13, 14);
"Benedic, anima mea, Jehovae" (Psalms 103:1, 22);
"Omnis anima laudet Jah" (Psalms 150:6);
"Petent cibum animae suae" (Psalms 78:18);
"Jehovah... inspiravit in nares" hominis "spiraculum vitarum, et factus est homo in animam viventem" (Genesis 2:7):
in his locis dicitur "anima" pro vita spiritus hominis, quae vita spiritualis ejus vocatur.
[6] (4) Quoniam binae vitae facultates homini sunt, nempe facultas intelligendi et facultas volendi, et utraque facultas facit vitam spiritualem hominis, constare potest ex quibusdam locis supra allatis, tum ex sequentibus, quod "anima" significet illam facultatem quae vocatur vita intellectus hominis:
- Ut apud Mosen,
"Amabis Jehovam Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, ex tota anima tua, et ex omnibus viribus tuis" (Deuteronomius 6:5; 10:12; 11:13; 36:16)
et apud Evangelistas,
"Jesus.. dixit.., Amabis Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, et ex tota anima tua, et ex tota mente tua" (Matth. 22 12
; Marc. 12 13
30-33; Luca 10:27):
per "amare Jehovam Deum toto corde et tota anima" intelligitur omni voluntate et omni intellectu, tum omni amore et omni fide; "cor" enim significat amorem et voluntatem, et "anima" significat fidem et intellectum; quod "cor" duo illa significet, nempe amorem et voluntatem, est quia amor hominis est voluntatis ejus; quod "anima" etiam significet duo, nempe fidem et intellectum, est quia fides est intellectus; quod "cor" et "anima" illa significent, est quia cor hominis correspondet bono amoris quod est voluntatis ejus, et anima pulmonum correspondet vero fidei quod est intellectus hominis: " [ex] omnibus viribus" et " [ex] tota mente" significat super omnia.
[7] Apud Ezechielem,
"Argentum eorum et aurum eorum non poterit eripere eos in die irae Jehovae, animam eorum non saturabunt, et viscera eorum non implebunt" (7:19):
hic quoque "anima" pro intellectu veri, quae "non saturari" dicitur, quando non verum in ecclesia; et "viscera" pro voluntate boni, quae "non impleri" dicuntur, quando non bonum in ecclesia: quoniam "argentum" ex correspondentia significat verum, et in opposito sensu falsum, ac "aurum" significat bonum, et in opposito sensu malum, ideo dicitur, "Argentum eorum et aurum eorum non poterit eripere eos in die irae Jehovae"; "argentum et aurum" est non verum et non bonum, et quoque falsum et malum; "dies irae" est dies judicii.
[8] Apud Esaiam,
"Erit Lux Israelis in ignem, et Sanctus ejus in flammam, quae accendet et comedet.... gloriam silvae ejus et Carmelum.., ab anima.. usque ad carnem consumet" (10:17, 18):
per "Lucem Israelis" et per "Sanctum ejus", qui erunt in ignem et flammam, intelligitur Dominus quoad ultimum judicium; per "ignem et flammam" significatur exitium illorum qui in falsis mali sunt: per "gloriam silvae et Carmelum", quae "ignis et flamma comedet et consumet", significatur ecclesiae verum ac bonum veri, quae, quia versa sunt in falsa et mala falsi, destruentur: "ab anima usque ad carnem" significat usque ab intellectu ejus et ad voluntatem ejus; "anima" est intellectus veri, et "caro" est voluntas boni.
[9] Apud eundem,
"Stultus stultitiam loquitur, .... ad evacuandum animam esurientis, et potum sitientis deficere faciet" (32:6):
hic etiam per "animam" significatur homo quoad intellectum boni et veri, per "animam esurientis", intellectus boni, et per "animam sitientis potum" intellectus veri; quod homo qui in falsis mali est, deprivare conetur illo hominem qui in vero ex bono est, significatur per quod "stultus stultitiam loquatur ad evacuandum et ad deficere faciendum animam."
[10] Apud eundem,
"Erit sicut cum somniat famelicus, quasi esset comedens, sed quando evigilat, jejuna est anima ejus; et quando somniat sitiens, quasi esset bibens, sed quando evigilat, ecce lassus, et anima ejus appetens; sic erit multitudo omnium gentium militantium contra montem Zionis" (29:8):
haec dicta sunt de illis qui in falsis ex malo sunt, et putant usque illa esse vera ex bono; falsa mali pugnantia contra bona ecclesiae, 14
significantur per "multitudinem omnium gentium militantium contra montem Zionis"; "multitudo" praedicatur de veris, "gentes" significant mala, et "mons Zionis" significat ecclesiam quoad bonum amoris: mala quae creduntur esse bona, cum tamen sunt mala falsi, significantur per "Erit sicut somnians famelicus, quasi esset comedens, sed quando evigilat, jejuna est anima ejus"; per "somniantem famelicum quasi comedentem" significatur opinio et fides erronea de bono, "somniare" significat opinionem et fidem erroneam, "famelicus et quasi comedens" significat quasi desiderium ad bonum quo nutriendus, "quando evigilat" 15
significat quando detegitur quid bonum, "jejuna anima" significat non intellectum boni: similia dicuntur de vero, quae significantur per "quando somniat sitiens, quasi esset bibens; sed quando evigilat, ecce lassus, et anima ejus appetens"; per "sitientem et quasi bibentem dum somniat" significatur opinio et fides sicut veri; "sed quando evigilat, ecce lassus, et anima ejus appetens", significat quod usque non verum sit sed falsum; per "animam" ibi significatur fides falsi ex non intellecto vero, nam malum et falsum, sicut bonum et verum, sunt fidei et intellectus, quando sunt solius cogitationis; nam homo potest cogitare, sicut intelligere et inde credere malum esse bonum, sicut falsum esse verum; tales sunt omnes illi qui in falsis doctrinae sunt, et solum fidem habent magistris et libris, nec cogitant num falsa ac mala sint, credentes esse vera et bona, quia confirmari possunt, non scientes quod falsum et malum aeque confirmari possint sicut verum et bonum.
[11] Apud eundem,
"Si exprompseris famelico animam tuam, et animam afflictam saturaveris, ..exorietur in tenebris lux tua, et caligo tua sicut meridies" ( 16
58:10):
"expromere famelico animam, et animam afflictam saturare, significat docere illum quid bonum et quid verum qui desiderat; per "famelicum" significatur desiderans bonum, et per "afflictum" desiderans verum, et per "expromere animam" significatur docere illa, ita ex intellectu, doctrina, ac fide; quod illis qui in ignorantia sunt, sed usque in desiderio, dabitur intellectus veri et boni, significatur per "Exorietur in tenebris lux tua, et caligo tua sicut meridies"; "tenebrae" et "caligo" sunt ignorantia veri et boni, "lux" et "meridies" sunt intellectus eorum.
[12] In Threnis,
"Omnis populus gementes, quaerentes panem, dederunt desiderabilia sua pro cibo, ad recreandum animam. .... Procul est a me consolans, recreans animam meam, facti sunt filii mei devastati, eo quod invaluerit hostis. .... Sacerdotes mei et seniores mei in urbe exspirarunt, quia quaesiverunt cibum sibi, quo recrearent animam suam" (1:11, 16, 19):
haec dicta sunt de ecclesia, in qua non verum et bonum doctrinae amplius, unde homines ejus desiderantes illa deficiunt: defectus boni et veri in doctrina, ac desiderium ad illa ad vitam fidei et intellectus nutriendam, significatur per "Omnis populus gementes, quaerentes panem dederunt desiderabilia pro cibo, ad recreandum animam"; defectus significatur per "gementes", desiderium ad bonum per "quaerentes panem", desiderium ad verum per "dare desiderabilia sua pro cibo", nutritio fidei et intellectus per "ad recreandum animam": quod non sit aliqua nutritio fidei et intellectus, quia non amplius sunt vera propter mala vitae, significatur per "Procul est a me consolans, recreans animam meam, facti sunt filii mei devastati, eo quod invaluerit hostis"; "filii devastati" significant vera non amplius, "hostis" qui invaluit significat malum ab inferno, ita malum vitae: quod non aliqui docentes bonum et verum sint amplius, significatur per quod "sacerdotes et seniores mei in urbe exspirarunt; "sacerdotes" significant docentes bonum, "seniores" docentes verum, "urbs" significat doctrinam, et "exspirare" quod non sint amplius: quod nec illis aliqua nutritio spiritualis, significatur per "quia quaesiverunt cibum sibi, quo recrearent animam suam."
[13] In Threnis,
"Matribus suis dicunt, Ubi frumentum et vinum? cum deficiunt sicut confossus in platea urbis, cum effunditur anima eorum super sinum matrum eorum" (2:12):
per haec similia significantur quae supra, nempe quod talis desolatio ecclesiae ex defectu boni et veri in doctrina sit, ut vita spiritualis ibi deficiat et pereat: per "matres" significantur vera ecclesiae; quod illis dicant, "Ubi frumentum et vinum?" significat, Ubi nunc bonum doctrinae ac verum ejus? Quod "super sinum matrum effundatur anima illorum", significat quod deficiat et pereat vita spiritualis propter desolationem ex defectu veritatum: quia per "animam" intelligitur vita fidei et intellectus boni et veri, quae est vita spiritualis hominis, dicitur quod "deficiant sicut confossus in platea urbis"; per "confossum" significatur qui perit per falsa, et per "plateam urbis" significatur verum doctrinae.
[7]):
agitur ibi de tentationibus, et per quod "deficeret super eum anima ejus", significatur quod deficeret verum fide et intellectu.
Apud Davidem,
"Contabuit prae indignitate oculus meus, [anima mea,] et venter meus" (Psalms 31:10 [B.A. 9]);
apud eundem,
"Incurvata.. est ad pulverem anima 17
mea, adhaesit terrae venter noster" (Psalms 44:26 [B.A. 25]):
status tentationum per haec quoque describitur: per "oculum" significatur intellectus, per "animam" fides et intellectus veri, per "ventrem" fides et intellectus boni; quod hoc per "ventrem" significetur, est quia venter recipit cibum, et per "cibum" et "panem" significatur bonum nutriens, hic intellectum et fidem: defectus eorum in tentatione, significatur per "contabescere prae indignitate", perque "incurvari ad pulverem", et "adhaerere terrae."
[15] Apud Mosen,
"Dixerunt, Nunc.. anima nostra arida est, non quicquam nisi quam ad mannam oculi nostri" (Numeri 11:6):
quoniam per "mannam" significatur nutritio spiritualis, etiam fides et intellectus seu intelligentia hominis est quae spiritualiter nutriuntur, et quia filiis Israelis non erat nutritio naturalis, quam tamen desiderabant, ideo dixerunt, "Anima nostra arida est, non quicquam nisi ad mannam oculi nostri"; per "animam aridam" significatur vita fidei et intellectus deficiens quando non simul nutritio naturalis; per "non quicquam nisi quod ad mannam oculi nostri" significatur quod solum sit nutritio spiritualis; et quia hanc fastidiverunt, data est illis caro "coturnicum" seu "selav", per quarum carnem significatur nutritio naturalis.
[16] In Libro Primo Samuelis,
Dixit Channah ad Eli, "Effudi animam meam coram Jehovah" (1:15);
per "effundere animam coram Jehovah" significatur expromere cogitationes animi et cordis sui.
Apud Evangelistas,
"Non solliciti sitis animae vestrae, quid esuri sitis, et quid bibituri, neque corpori, quid induturi; nonne anima plus est alimento, et corpus indumento?" (Matthaeus 6:25; Luca 12:22, 23):
haec tametsi de vita corporis dicta sunt, usque significant talia quae sunt vitae spiritus; nam omnia sensus litterae Verbi, qui naturalis est, continent in se sensum internum qui est spiritualis: in hoc sensu per "edere", "bibere", et per "alimentum" significatur nutritio spiritualis, quae est nutritio fidei et cum illa nutritio intellectus, unde intelligentia in spiritualibus; inde dicitur, "Ne solliciti sitis animae vestrae, quid esuri sitis et quid bibituri; nonne anima plus quam alimento?" "Edere" est intellectualiter ita spiritualiter percipere bonum, "bibere" est intellectualiter ita spiritualiter percipere verum, ac "alimentum" est bonum et verum ex quibus nutritio: per "induere corpus" et per "indumentum" significatur verum investiens bonum amoris et voluntatis; per "indumentum" significatur id verum, et per "corpus" significatur bonum amoris quod est bonum voluntatis.
[17] Apud Davidem,
"Anima mea in medio leonum cubo, inflammantur filii hominis" (Psalms 57:5 [B.A. 4]):
per "animam" etiam hic significatur vita spiritualis quae est vita fidei, ita quoque vita intellectus; nam intellectus formatur ex veris, et consistit ex illis, sicut etiam fides: quia haec per "animam" significantur, et agitur ibi de vastatione veri, ideo dicitur, "In medio leonum cubo"; per "leones" significantur falsa destruentia vera ecclesiae: etiam dicitur, "Inflammantur filii hominis"; per "filios hominis" significantur vera doctrinae et ecclesiae, quae cum ab amore corporeo occupantur, et sic pereunt, dicuntur "inflammari." Apud Mosen,
Abrahamus "locutus est cum" filiis Cheti, .. "Si est cum anima vestra, ut sepeliam mortuum meum" (Genesis 23:8):
"anima" significat ibi cogitationem ex vero. (Sed illa in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 2930, explicata sunt.)
[18] Apud Jeremiam,
"Abhorrebunt te amatores, animam tuam quaerent" (4:30):
per "amatores" intelliguntur qui in amore mali sunt; per "animam quaerere" significatur velle destruere fidem et intellectum veri per falsa mali.
Apud Ezechielem,
"Javan et Thubal, ...cum anima hominis et vasis aeris, dederunt negotiationem" (27:13):
haec de Tyro, per quam significatur ecclesia quoad cognitiones veri et boni; per "negotiationem" significatur comparatio et communicatio illarum; per "Javanem et Thubalem" significantur cultus externus repraesentativus, ac 18
per "animam hominis" significatur scientia veri in naturali homine, et per "vasa aeris" scientia boni in naturali homine. Scientia veri naturalis etiam significatur per "animas hominum", Apocalypsis 18:13; per "animas hominum" proprie intelliguntur mancipia seu servi, per quos etiam in sensu spirituali significantur vera scientifica naturalis hominis inservientia spirituali.
[19] (5) Quoniam vita fidei et quoque vita intellectus hominis est ex Divino Vero, quare etiam Divinum Verum per "animam" significatur, ut constare potest a sequentibus locis:
- Apud Jeremiam,
"Plantabo eos in terra hac, in veritate, in toto corde meo, et in tota anima mea" (32:41):
quia duo sunt quae procedunt a Domino, Divinum Bonum ac Divinum Verum, et haec recepta ab angelis caeli et ab hominibus ecclesiae faciunt vitam caelestem apud illos, inde constare potest quid significatur per "plantare eos in toto corde et in tota anima", nempe quod sit in Divino suo Bono et in Divino suo Vero; nam "cor" significat Divinum Bonum Divini Amoris, et "anima" Divinum Verum.
[20] Apud eundem,
"Juravit Jehovah.. per animam suam" (51:14; Amos 6:8):
Jehovah dicitur "jurare per animam suam" quando confirmat per Divinum suum Verum, "jurare" enim significat confirmare, et "anima Jehovae" Divinum Verum.
Apud Davidem,
"Jehovah justum probat, impium et amantem violentiam odit anima Ipsius" (Psalms 11:5):
per "animam Jehovae" hic quoque significatur Divinum Verum, nam per "violentum" in Verbo significatur qui violentiam infert Divino Vero; quod quia fit per falsum mali, ideo hoc significatur per "impium et amantem violentiam."
[21] Apud Esaiam,
"Electus meus, in quo beneplacitum habet anima mea; dedi spiritum meum super Illum" (42:1):
haec de Domino, qui intelligitur per "Electum Jehovae"; et quia per "spiritum Jehovae", qui super Illum datus est, significatur Divinum procedens, ideo per "animam Jehovae", quae beneplacitum habet in Ipso, significatur Divinum Verum; in hoc enim Divino fuit Dominus quoad Humanum suum in mundo.
Apud Jeremiam,
"Dixit Jehovah..., Si staret Moses et Samuel coram Me, non anima mea erga populum hunc" (15:1):
per "Mosen" et "Samuelem" in sensu repraesentativo significatur Verbum; et quia Verbum est Divinum Verum, et per "populum" ibi intelliguntur filii Israelis, apud quos non aliquod Divinum Verum nisi falsificatum et adulteratum erat, dicitur, "Non anima mea erga populum hunc."
[22] Apud eundem,
"Annon sumet ultionem anima mea?" (5:9, 29):
etiam hic per "animam Jehovae" intelligitur Divinum Verum; ex hoc quando Dominus judicium facit, dicitur quod "ultionem sumet anima Ipsius"; simile significatur per "Filium hominis" qui "judicium facturus est"; "Filius hominis" est quoque Dominus quoad Divinum Verum.
Apud eundem,
"Castigationem admitte, Hierosolyma, ne luxetur anima mea a te, ac redigam te in vastitatem" (6:8):
per "Hierosolymam" significatur ecclesia quoad doctrinam; per "castigationem admittere" significatur recipere disciplinam; per "ne luxetur anima mea a te" significatur ne recedat Divinum Verum ab illis; et per "redigere in vastitatem" significatur ne ecclesia desoletur quoad omne verum.
[23] Apud Esaiam,
Jehovah.... dans animam populo super terra, et spiritum ambulantibus in ea" (42:5):
per "animam", quam Jehovah dat populo super terra, significatur Divinum Verum a Domino illis qui ab ecclesia Ipsius erunt; per "spiritum" quem Jehovah dabit ambulantibus in terra, significatur vita secundum Divinum Verum; "ambulare" significat vivere.
[24] (6) Quoniam per "animam", ubi de Domino, significatur Divinum Verum, inde per "animam" etiam significatur vita spiritualis ex vero:
- Apud Mosen,
"Anima omnis carnis sanguis illa" (Leviticus 17:14):
quia ultima vita hominis, quae est vita corporis ejus, consistit in sanguine, ideo dicitur quod "anima omnis carnis", hoc est, vita ejus, "sit sanguis ejus": at quia in singulis Verbi est sensus spiritualis, et in eo sensu per "sanguinem" significatur verum doctrinae ex Verbo, ideo illud quoque per "animam carnis" significatur.
Quod "Sanguis" significet verum doctrinae ex Verbo, quod est Divinum Verum, videatur supra (n. 328 [a-c] , 329, 476). Quoniam "sanguis" illud significabat, ideo interdictum fuit filiis Israelis edere sanguinem, et ideo sanguis holocaustorum et sacrificiorum spargebatur circum altare, ac per sanguinem fiebant sanctificationes et quoque inaugurationes, tum etiam per sanguinem iniebatur foedus Dei Israelis, hoc est, Domini, cum populo: et quoque a Domino initum est foedus novum cum hodierna ecclesia; quare sanguis Domini vocatus est "sanguis foederis", hoc est, conjunctionis cum Domino, et hoc quia Divinum Verum procedens a Domino conjungit: ex his nunc patet cur sanguis dicitur "anima."
[25] Propter hanc "sanguinis" significationem est quod ab antiquissimo tempore vetitum fuerit edere sanguinem:
Ut constare potest apud Mosen,
"Omne repens quod vivum est, vobis esto in cibum attamen carnem cum anima ejus, sanguine ejus, non comedetis" (Gen. 9 [3,] 4):
hic quoque dicitur quod "sanguis sit anima carnis", quem comedere vetitum fuit, quia per "esum sanguinis" significabatur profanatio veri.
Apud eundem,
"Quisquis.... comederit ullum sanguinem, dabo facies meas contra animam comedentem sanguinem, ut exscindam eam e medio populi ejus: nam anima carnis in sanguine illa: ideo dedi.. eum super altare, ad expiandum animas vestras, eo quod sanguis ipse pro anima expiet" (Leviticus 17:10, 11):
quia "anima", sicut "sanguis", significat verum ex Verbo, quod eat Divinum Verum procedens a Domino, et quia omnis cultus Domini fit per Divinum Verum, ideo dicitur, "Quia anima carnis in sanguine est, ideo dedi eum super altare"; "dare sanguinem super altare" significat cultum ex Divino Vero: et quoniam omnis liberatio a malis et falsis, quae est expiatio, fit per Divinum Verum et per vitam secundum illud, ideo dicitur, "ad expiandum animas vestras, ex eo quod sanguis ipse pro anima expiet."
[26] Apud eundem,
"Maxime sanguinem ex animabus vestris quaeram, de manu omnis ferae quaeram illum, imprimis de manu hominis, de manu viri fratris ejus quaeram animam hominis" (Genesis 9:5):
quod hic per "sanguinem" et quoque per "animam" intelligatur vita spiritualis hominis, quae est vita secundum Divinum Verum, constare potest ex eo, quod qui illam vitam exstinguit, pereat morte aeterna; illam enim non alius exstinguit quam qui in malo et falso infernali est. (Sed haec videantur in Arcanis Caelestibus explicata.)
[27] (7) Quod per "animam viventem" significetur vita in communi, constare potest ex locis ubi bestiae, aves, reptilia et pisces vocantur "animae viventes:"
- Ut in sequentibus,
"Dixit Deus, Prorepere facient aquae reptile, animam viventem. .... Creavit Deus cetos magnos, et omnem animam viventem, reptantem, quam prorepere fecerunt aquae" (Genesis 1:20, 21);
"Dixit Deus, Producat terra animam viventem secundum speciem suam, bestiam... et feram" (Genesis 1:24);
"Adduxit" Jehovah "ad hominem omnem bestiam agri, et omnem avem caelorum, ad videndum, quid vocaret id; et quicquid vocabat id homo, animam viventem, id nomen ejus" (Genesis 2:19);
"Omnis anima vivens, quae natat, quocunque venerint fluvii, vivet; unde fit piscis multus" (Ezechiel 47:9);
"Omnis anima vivens mortua est in mari" (Apocalypsis 16:3):
per omnia "animalia" in sensu spirituali significantur illa quae naturalis hominis et ejus vitae sunt; et quia per vitam naturalis hominis, quae est vita in ultimis, significatur vita in omni complexu, inde est quod dicantur "animae viventes."
[28] Ex his nunc constare potest quid in Verbo significatur per "animam", quod nempe vita hominis, tam naturalis quam spiritualis ejus, ita tam corporis quam spiritus ejus. Inde videri potest quam perversa idea, primum ab eruditis, et inde a vulgo, de anima hominis capta sit; nempe, quod sit aliquod ens individuum residens in aliquo loco corporis, sive in cerebro, sive in corde, sive alibi; et quod per mortem solutum ab homine, absque corpore sit, et absque sensoriis et motoriis, qualia sunt corpori, et quod haec accessura illi die ultimi judicii; tum quod sit interea quoddam volitans in aethere, aut permanens in quodam ubi, exspectans accessorium suum, quod est corpus. Haec nunc est idea mundi de anima hominis; cum tamen per "animam" in Verbo nihil tale intelligitur, sed intelligitur vita hominis, quae nusquam datur separata a corpore, sed in corpore; nam corpus est forma externa illius vitae quae vocatur anima, efficiens ejus arbitria et nutus in utroque mundo, tam naturali in quo homines vivunt, quam spirituali in quo spiritus et angeli: et quia Divinum procedens a Domino facit vitam omnium, ideo illud per "animam" in caelesti sensu significatur. Quia Divinum procedens, ubicunque venit, format imaginem Domini, ita format angelos et spiritus, ut sint formae humanae secundum receptionem, inde nunc sequitur quod per animam viventem post mortem intelligendus sit ejus spiritus, qui homo est tam anima quam corpore, anima qua dominetur super corpus, et corpore quo anima sua arbitria in mundo, in quo est, efficiat.
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