And the shepherds of Gerar disputed with the shepherds of Isaac, saying, We have the waters: and he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. And they digged another well, and they disputed also over it, and he called the name thereof Sitnah. The servants of Isaac digged in the valley, and they found there a well of living waters, signifies the Word as to the literal sense, in which is the internal sense: and the shepherds of Gerar disputed with the shepherds of Isaac, signifies that they who taught, did not see any such thing therein, because opposite things appear: saying, We have the waters, signifies they are in the truth: and he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him, signifies denial on account of those things, also on account of other things, as being contrary to them, and on account of several things besides: and they digged another well, and they disputed also over it, signifies the internal sense of the Word, whether there be such a sense: and he called the name thereof Sitnah, signifies their quality.

3424. "The servants of Isaac digged in the valley, and they found there a well of living waters" that hereby is signified the Word as to the literal sense, in which is the internal sense, appears from the signification of digging in a valley, as denoting to inquire lower according to truths where they are; for to dig is to inquire, and a valley is what is below, see n. 1723, 3417; and from the signification of a well of living waters, as denoting the Word in which are Truths Divine, thus denoting the Word as to the literal sense in which is the internal sense. That the Word is called a fountain, and indeed a fountain of living waters, is well known; the ground and reason why the Word is also called a well, is, because the sense of the letter is respectively such, and because the Word in respect to the spiritual is not a fountain but a well, see n. 2702, 3096; inasmuch as a valley denotes what is below, or, what is the same thing, somewhat more external, and the fountain was found in a valley, and the literal sense is the lower or more external sense of the Word, therefore it is the literal sense which is understood; but whereas in the literal sense is contained the internal sense, that is, the heavenly and Divine sense, therefore the waters thereof are said to be living, as is said also of the waters which went forth under the threshold of the new house, in Ezechiel, where it is written, "And it shall come to pass, every soul a wild beast which creepeth, to whichsoever the river there comes, liveth; and there shall be exceeding much fish, because those waters come thither and are healed, and every thing liveth whither the river cometh," xlvii. 9; where the river is the Word; the waters which cause every thing to live, are the Divine Truths contained in the Word; fish are scientifics, see n. 40, 991. That the Word of the Lord is such, as to give life to

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him that thirsteth, that is, to him that desires life, and that it is a fountain whose waters are living, the Lord also teaches in John, in these words, speaking to the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well," If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst ask of him, and he would give thee living water; whoso drinketh of the .water which I shall give him, shall never thirst, but the water which I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up unto eternal life," iv. 10, 14. The ground and reason why the Word is living or alive, and thus gives life, is, because in a supreme sense the Lord is therein treated of, and in the inmost sense His kingdom, in which the Lord is all; and this being the case, there is in the Word essential life, which flows into the minds of those who read it under a holy influence; hence it is that the Lord declares Himself, as to the Word which is from Himself, to be a fountain of water springing up unto eternal life, see also n. 2702. That the Word of the Lord is also called a well, as it is called a fountain, appears from these words in Moses, "Israel sung a song; Rise up, O well, answer ye to it; the well, the princes digged, the chiefs of the people digged out for a lawgiver with their staves," Numb. xxi. 17, 18; these words were spoken at the place Beer, that is, at the place of the well; that by well in this passage is signified the Word of the ancient Church, spoken of above, n. 2897, appears evident from what is there said; princes are primary truths, see n. 1482, 2089; the chiefs of the people are inferior truths, such as are those contained in the literal sense, see n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295; that lawgiver is the Lord, is manifest: staves denote the powers which they possessed.

3425, "The shepherds of Gerar disputed with the shepherds of Isaac❞—that hereby is signified that they who taught did not see any such thing therein, because opposite things appear, is manifest from the signification of disputing, when the internal sense of the Word is treated of, as denoting to deny it to be such, by thus saying, that they do not see it; and from the signification of shepherds, as denoting those who teach, see n. 343; and from the signification of Gerar, as denoting faith, see n. 1209, 2501, 3365, 3384. Thus the shepherds of the valley of Gerar are those who acknowledge only the literal sense of the Word: the reason why they see no such thing in the Word, viz. no interior sense, is, because opposite things appear, viz. the things which are in the literal sense; nevertheless they are not opposite, although they appear opposite, inasmuch as they altogether correspond; the reason why they appear opposite, is, because they, who thus see the Word, are in an opposite principle. The case in this respect is like that of a man, who is in an opposite principle in himself, that is, whose external or natural man is altogether at disagreement with his internal or

spiritual man. Such a person sees the things which are of the internal or spiritual man as it were opposite to himself, when yet he himself, as to the external or natural man, is in the opposite, and if he was not in the opposite, but his external or natural man yielded obedience to the internal or spiritual man, they would entirely correspond. As for example, he who is in an opposite principle, believes that riches are to be absolutely renounced, and all pleasures of the body and of the world, consequently the delights of life, in order to his receiving eternal life, such delights being supposed opposite to spiritual life; whereas they are not opposite in themselves, but correspond: for they are means conducive to an end, which end is, that the internal or spiritual man may enjoy them for the exercises of charity, and moreover may live content in a healthful body. The ends regarded are what alone cause either contrariety between the internal and external man, or correspondence. Contrariety has place, when the riches, pleasures, and delights here spoken of become ends, for in this case, spiritual and celestial things, which appertain to the internal man, are despised and ridiculed, yea, are rejected; whereas correspondence has place, when those things are not made ends, but become means conducive to superior ends, viz. to such things as regard a life after death, consequently which regard the kingdom of heaven and the Lord Himself. In this case, corporeal and worldly things appear to man as scarce any thing respectively; and when he thinks of such things, he values them only as means conducive to ends. Hence it is manifest, that those things which appear opposite, are not opposite in themselves; and that the reason of their appearing so is, because they who judge of them are in an opposite principle. They who are not in an opposite principle, act, and speak, and acquire riches, and also enjoy pleasures, in like manner as they who are in an opposite principle, insomuch that they can scarce be distinguished by their external appearance; the reason is, because what alone distinguishes them is the end regarded, or, what is the same thing, the ruling love, for the ruling love is the end regarded. But although they appear similar in their external form, or as to the body, yet they are altogether dissimilar in their internal form, or as to the spirit; where there is correspondence, that is, where the external man corresponds to the internal, the spirit of the man is fair and beautiful, such as heavenly love is in its form; but where there is opposition, that is, where the external man is opposite to the internal, howsoever there may be a resemblance of the other as to what is external, yet the spirit in this case is dark and deformed, such as is self-love and the love of the world, that is, such as is contempt and hatred of others in its form. The case is similar in respect to very many passages in the Word, viz. that the things of the literal sense appear oppo

site to what is contained in the internal sense, when yet they are by no means opposite, but correspond entirely; as for ex ample, it is frequently said in the Word, that Jehovah or the Lord is angry, is wroth, causes vastation, and casts into hell, when yet He is never angry, and still less does He cast any one into hell; the former is according to the sense of the letter, but the latter is according to the internal sense; these appear opposite, but the reason is, because man is in an opposite principle. The case in this respect is like that of the Lord's appearing as a sun to the angels in heaven, and thereby as a kind of vernal warmth, and a light as at day-dawn, whereas to the infernals he appears altogether as somewhat opake, and thereby as winter. like cold, and as midnight darkness; consequently to the angels He appears in love and charity, but to the infernals in hatred and enmity; thus to the latter according to the sense of the letter, as being angry, being wroth, being the cause of vastation and casting into hell; but to the former according to the internal sense, as in no wise being angry and wroth, and still less as causing vastation and casting into hell. Since therefore in the Word those things are treated of which are contrary to the Divine [principle], they cannot otherwise be exhibited than according to appearance; it is also the Divine [principle] which the wicked change into what is diabolical, and which thus operates; wherefore also in proportion as they approach to the Divine [principle], in the same proportion they cast themselves into infernal torments. The case is the same with the Lord's words in the prayer, "Lead us not into temptation;" it is ac cording to the sense of the letter that He leads into temptation, but the internal sense is, that He leads no one into temptation, as is well known, see n. 1875; the same is true in respect to other things as expressed in the literal sense of the Word.

3426. Saying, We have waters"-that hereby is signified that they are in the truth, or that they have truths, appears from the signification of waters, as denoting knowledges, and also truths, see n. 28, 680, 739, 2702, 3058.

342. "And he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him"-that hereby is signified denial on account of those things, also on account of other things, as being contrary to them, and on account of several things besides, appears from this consideration, that the names, which were given of old, were significative of the thing or state, see n. 3422; hence they were enabled to recollect several particulars concerning such thing or state, especially respecting the quality thereof; in the present case, a name was given to the well from the circumstance of the shepherds of Gerar disputing with the shepherds of Isaac: that to dispute or contend signifies also to deny, may be seen n. 3425. .Hence the name Esek, which in the original tongue signifies contention or dispute, and is de

rived from an expression nearly related thereto, which signifies oppression and injury; and whereas by well in this passage is signified the Word as to the literal sense, in which is the internal sense, therefore by Esek, or contention, is signified a denial of the internal sense of the Word; the causes of denial are also contained in the same expression, which causes, it is evident, are grounded in what was said above, n. 3425, viz. that the literal and spiritual senses of the Word appear opposite to each other. With respect to the internal sense of the Word, the case is this: they who are principled merely in the science of knowledges, and are called Philistines, and they who are principled merely in the doctrinals of faith, and are called the valley of Gerar, being not principled in any charity towards their neighbour, cannot possibly do otherwise than deny the internal sense of the Word, inasmuch as the Word in its internal sense treats of nothing else but love to the Lord, and love towards our neighbour; wherefore the Lord says, that on these two commandments hang the law and the prophets, that is, the whole Word, Matt. xxii. 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40: how far such persons deny the internal sense of the Word, was also given me to see from the state of such in another life, for when it is only mentioned in their presence, that there is an internal sense of the Word, which does not appear in the literal sense, and that it treats of love to the Lord and charity towards our neighbour, there is instantly perceivable not only a denial on the part of such spirits, but also an aversion, yea, a loathing thereby excited: this is the primary cause of denial; another cause is, that they altogether invert the Word, setting that above which is beneath, or, what is the same thing, setting that before (or in front) which is behind (or in the rear); for they establish it as a principle that faith is the essential of the Church, and that the things appertaining to love to the Lord and charity towards our neighbour, are the fruits of faith; when yet the real case is this, if love to the Lord be compared to the tree of life in the paradise of Eden, charity and its works are the fruits thence derived, whereas faith and all things appertaining thereto are merely leaves; since therefore they so invert the Word, as to deduce the origin of fruits not from the tree but from the leaves, it is not to be wondered at that they deny the internal sense of the Word, and acknowledge only its literal sense, for from the literal sense any doctrinal tenet, even the most heretical, may be confirmed, as is well known. Moreover, they who are merely in doctrinals of faith, but not in the good of life, must needs be in persuasive faith, that is, in preconceived principles, false as well as true, consequently they must be more stupid than others, for so far as any one is in persuasive faith, so far he is stupid; but so far as any one is in the good of life, that is, in love to the Lord and charity towards his neighbour,