J 

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YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

ALBERT H CHILDS
YALE '61
MEMORIAL COLLECTION

fi.

X /VJ

IfOTES 0^ THE PSALMS

NOTES 0^ THE PSALMS
CHIEFLY EXPLANATOEY OF THEIE
SPIEITUAL SENSE.

WITH A NEW TRANSLATION EROM THE HEBREW.

BY THE

REY. 0. PRESCOTT HILLER,
MINISTER OF THE KEW .TEEUSALEM OHUECH, CROSS STREET, HATTON GARDEN,
LONDON.

VOLUME I.
PSALMS I— LXXVIL

LONDON :
JAMES SPEIES, 36 BLOOMSBUEY STEEET.
BOSTON, U.S.: H. H. & T. W. CARTER, 25 BROMFIELD STREET.
NEW YORK: ,J. R. PUTNAM, 20 COOPER UNION.
1869.

Elite rril, necordiiiy fo Aet of Coiujrcs^, in the year ISuP, by
0. PRESCOTT HILLER,
III the Clerk's Office of the UistricL Court of Ma^sacliasetta

PREFACE.

The Psalms constitute, as it were, the heart of the Divine Word.
We read that " Divine Truth is exhibited in image as a Man ;
and suice the Word is Divine Truth, this, also, before the Lord,
is in image as a Diviae Man."* If this be so, then, surely, the
Psalms form the heart of that Man. While some parts of the
Divine Word are historical, some prophetic, and some didactic,
the Psalms address themselves to the feelings, the affections.
They soothe, comfort, support in affliction, cheer in adversity,
and point us to the Lord. They set forth the Divine character,
His wisdom, goodness, unfailing tenderness, and perfect provi
dence : they assure us of His loving-kindness and Parental care,
and that He wiH be with us through life and in death and to
eternity. They speak also so warmly and glowingly, that they
cheer, elevate, and strengthen us. They, as it were, pray for us,
or teach us how to pray. " Now, also," they say, " when I am
old and grey-headed, 0 God, forsake me not." — " 0 God, who is
like unto thee : thou who hast shown me great and sore troubles,
wilt quicken me again, and wilt bring me up again from the
depths of the earth." -f- At times, they are expressive of sadness
and sorrow: they mourn, and lament, and grieve; and thus
speak out sympathizingly the language of our own sorrowing
hearts. Hence are they resorted to by aU the pious, especially
in time of trouble. And indeed, in all states, whether of sorrow
or joy, of prosperity or adversity, the Christian finds something
* Apoealy]3se Explained, n. 617. + l.xxi. 18-20.

vi PREFACE.
in them to support or delight him. And when it is considered
that these words of prayer or praise are put into our mouths, as
it were, by the Lord Himself, and that they all communicate
with heaven, it must be felt how wonderful, how precious is
this Book.
For these reasons, the Psalms are more read, probably, than
any other part of Scripture. Yet, being written in the language
of Correspondence, like the whole Divine Word, many expres
sions and passages are enigmatical and difficult to be understood.
Sometimes, in the very midst of soothing and cheering utterances,
phrases and sentences occur, which make the reader ask, " What
does this mean?"
On this account, explanatory Notes are greatly needed ; and
to meet this want is the object of the present work. In this, we
may not have perfectly succeeded, for it is a more difficult task
than would be imagined by one who had never attempted it.
But we have striven, in aU cases, not to leave the reader without
some guide. Wherever passages from Swedenborg could be
found, bearing upon the point, we have sought to adduce them ;
and where there were none, we have given our own opinion of
the meaning of the passage, formed after careful study and
reflection, and an attentive examination of the law of Correspon
dence. But v/e have been careful, in all instances, to distinguish
what is only our own opinion from what is of Divine authority.
In order to effect this, we have thought it the best course to
give the explanations in original Notes, embodying at the same
time, wherever it was possible, quotations from Swedenborg, with
the proper references.
For very many of these Extracts, we have been indebted to
the excellent work of Mr. Clowes on the Psalms ; which, though
formed on a different plan, has yet been of great service in the
Church. It was of no small advantage to have been jDreceded,
in a work like this, by one so well acquainted with the Writings,
and who has so carefully collected the passages that bear upon
the Psalms. Yet we have been careful, in most instances, to

PREFACE. vii
refer to the original Latin of Swedenborg, in order to verify the
quotations, and many new Extracts have been adduced.
In regard to the translation, it may be justly said that it is
entirely new. I have sought neither to follow nor to avoid the
Old Translation, but to be independent of it. It was felt that the
time was come, when, if ever, we should have a new translation
of the Di\ine Word. We are entering upon a new and distinct
Dispensation, in which "all things are to be made new" — and
when could there be a more suitable time for the long wished-
for new translation of the Scriptures ? Every word, therefore,
has been translated directly from the Hebrew. Other transla
tions have, indeed, been consulted, but only for the purpose of
getting the opinions of different scholars in regard to some diffi
cult word or phrase. For this purpose, I have generaUy had
before me several different translations. First, the Latin one of
Schmidius (Hebrew and Latin, 1740), the very edition used by
Swedenborg, and which he has generally followed. Secondly,
that of Hengstenberg, with his ample commentary. Tliis v/riter
I have found useful, chiefly for giving, in addition to his own
rendering, the opinions of various German and other translators
in regard to disputed points. The translation of Dr. Noyes, of
Cambridge, United States, has been useful in the way of affording
suggestions. Bishop Horsley's I have occasionally consulted,
though really I have found it but of little value in cases of diffi
culty; for in almost all such cases, he proposes to escape by
altering the text — showing, by his example, what would have
become of the sacred Text, if the Jews had not been, under
Providence, the immovable preservers of it. I have also con
sulted the translation of French and Skinner, of Cambridge
University, and some others. My course has generally been (in
order to avoid any bias) to translate the word or passage myself
iirst, directly from the Hebrew, and then to compare what I had
done with other translations, and select what seemed to me the
best.

viii PREFACE.
It win be seen that I have not followed the antique style of
the Common Version, as in the use of loveth for loves, mine for
my, &c. ; but have used the English of our own day. It would
be almost as absurd to translate the Scriptures now in the obso
lete style of two centuries ago, as it would have been for King
James's translators to have used the English of Chaucer. This
modern style in the Bible may at first strike the ear as harsh,
but custom will soon make it familiar, and then it will be found,
especiaUy to the young, far more agreeable than the antiquated
style of the common version.
The text, it wUl be further seen, is not broken up into verses
(for there are no verses in the original), but is divided into
paragraphs according to the sense. The numbering of the verses,
however, as it stands in the common Bible, is retained in the
margin, for the sake of reference.
The text is arranged in Unes, after the manner of blank
verse. This course has been adopted by most modern translators,
and is altogether proper as presenting the appearance of poetry,
which the Psalms reaUy are. For though they have neither
rhyme nor any regular measm-e, yet the spirit in which they are
written is thoroughly poetical ; and not only that, but the com
position has, in general, a certain orderly arrangement, termed
parallelism, in which the one member of a sentence answers to the
other with great precision : which arrangement is best exhibited
to the eye by the form of verse. The Jews regarded as poetry
the Books of Job, Psalms, and Proverbs, though many other
parts of Scripture are poetical both in spirit and style.
There is one important particular, in which I have foUowed
the common Version — and that upon New Church grounds : it
is in the use of the term Loed instead of the Hebrew Jehovah.
It is known that the Jews durst not pronounce the name Je
hovah, but, in reading the Scriptures, substituted for it Adonai,
which means Lord or Master. When, then, the first Greek
translation, caUed the Septuagint, was made, about 285 e.g.,
which was done by Alexandrian Jews, the name Jehovah was

PREFACE. ix
not used, but in the place of it everywhere Kurios (Lord). This
course was imitated in the Latin Vulgate, and has been foUowed
in most translations made since, the EngUsh among them. But
though this was done by those translators probably from mere
imitation, it has always seemed to me providential that it was
done. How much nearer to us is the term Loed than Jehovah 1
In the Psalms, especiaUy, we feel this. Who can say " Jehovah
is my shepherd" (Psalm xxui.), with the same warmth as " The
Lord is my shepherd ?" And there is a reason for this — a sound
theological reason. Jehovah is the name of the abstract essential
Divinity, whom no one can see or approach even in thought.
But the Lord is the name of the Divinity clothed with Humanity,
who is an accessible God, one whom we can approach, and whom
also we can feel near to us. We have, too, I conceive. Divine
authority for substituting the name Lord for Jehovah. It is so
substituted in the New Testament itself, in translations or quota
tions made from the Old. Thus in Deuteronomy (vi. 4, 5) we
read (according to the Hebrew) " Jehovah your God is one Je
hovah ; and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with aU thy heart
and with aU thy souL" But this, quoted in Mark (xii. 29, 30)
reads thus (according to the Greek), " The Lord your God is one
Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart
and with aU thy soul." Now as the Gospels are word for word
Divine, we have here Divine authority for translating the term
which stood as Jehovah under the Old Covenant or Dispensa
tion, into the term Loed under the New. Swedenborg himself
caUs attention to this fact, and gives it as his reason for using
the term Loed in the place of Jehovah (see the True Christian
Religion, n. 81).
In order, however, to distinguish the term Loed, when used
for Jehovah, from the ordinary term Lord {Adonai), — the former,
as in the Old Version, is always printed in smaU capitals. It
may be added, that the term Jehovah is retained occasionaUy,
when emphatic, or necessary to the sense.
Some words, also, wiU be found, as in the common Version,

X PREFACE.
printed in ItaUcs. These are such as do not exist in the original,
but which, nevertheless, seemed necessary to express the fuU
sense in EngUsh. By their being put in Italics, the EngUsh
reader is placed, in a manner, on the same ground as the reader
of the original, and may judge for himself whether the words
Italicized are superfluous.
In some few cases, the translation in the Notes will be found
to differ slightly from that in the text. This occurs in quota
tions from Swedenborg, it having been thought better, in such
cases, to give Swedenborg's own translation, than to substitute
ours for it. This has not, however, been done in aU cases of
quotation, as it would have tended to produce confusion.
To one who reads the Notes continuously, there may appear
some needless repetitions, — certain expressions, as the terms
" God and Lord," and others, being repeatedly explained. But
it is to be remembered, that the Psalms, being independent com
positions, are not expected to be read continuously, and it was
therefore necessary that the explanation of each should be com
plete in itself
A few Critical Annotations have been appended to the volume,
containing explanations in relation to the Uteral sense or the
Hebrew Text. It was thought better to throw them into this
separate form, in order not to encumber the Notes with Hebrew
characters, or other matter uninteUigible or uninteresting to the
general reader.
With these remarks, the present Work is sent forth to the
Church. It has, doubtless, defects, but the author is conscious
of having labored upon it long and faithfuUy and con amore,
and he trusts that it wiU be useful to many minds.

January 1, 1869.

EXPLANATION OF ABBEEVIATIONS IN THE TITLES
OF SWEDENBOEG'S WOEKS QUOTED.
A. C. Arcana Ccelestia.
Ap. Ex. Apocalypse Explained.
A. R. or Ap. Rev. Apocalypse Revealed.
D. P. Treatise on Divine Providence.
D. L. & W. Treatise on the Divine Love and Wisdom.
H. H. Treatise concerning Heaven and Hell.
H. D. Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem.
C. L. Treatise on C'onjugial Love.
D. L. Doctrine of tlie Lord.
L. J. Treatise on the Last Judgment.
L. J. Gontin. Continuation of the preceding.
S. S. Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture.
B. Ex. Brief Exposition of the Doctrine of the New Cliurch.
T. C. R. True Christian Religion.

IN'OTES OlS THE PSALMS.

PSALM I.
SUMMAKT OE THE IKTEENAL SENSE.*
ITiat the man who does not live ill, is regenerated hy the Word
of the Lord, verses 1 to 3 ; hut that he ivho lives ill, perishes at the
d'^y of judgment, 4, 5 ; because the Lord knows every one, 6.
1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked.
Nor stands in the way of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of scoffers ;

Vehse 1. — Blessed. Blessedness
is heavenly felicity. It is an inter
nal delight, ilowing from the Lord
into the soul : those only, therefore,
can receive it, whose minds are in a
state of conjunction with the Lord.
Those are conjoined to the Lord, who
look to Him, and live according to
His commandments by shunning all
evils as sins against Him. As evil
passions and desires are thus removed
from the heart, the Lord and heaven
come and take up their ahode there ;
and, with them, blessedness. This,
therefore, is why it is here said, that
the man is blessed, "who walks not
in the counsel of the wicked," &c.,
" but whose delight is in the law of
the Lord ;" that is, who shuns evils
as sius, and holds fast to the Diviae
Word. " To be blessed is to be en

riched with spiritual and celestial
good ; and man is enriched with that
goodjwhen his affections and thoughts
are disposed by the Lord into spiritual
and celestial order, thus into an image
and likeness of Divine order : the re
generation of man is nothing else."
(A. C. 3017.)
Walk, stand, sit. Attitudes and
actions of the body represent and
correspond to states of the mind.
To walk has reference to the life, as
when we speak of a man's "walk
and conversation ;" to stand is re
presentative of the thought or purpose
of the mind, which precedes action,
as one stands or rises when about to
act ; while to sit is expressive of a
settled or' permanent state of the
mind, and therefore has reference to
the general affection or love, the na-

' The headings of the Psalms are taken from Sweclenhorg's work, entitled, Summary
Exposition of the Internal Sense of the Prophets and Psalms.
A

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[I-

2 But whose deUght is in the law of the Loed,
And on his law he meditates day and night.

ture of which determines the essen
tial character of the man : wherefore
the Lord is said to sit ("the Lord
sitteth King for ever," Psalm xxix.
10) as expressive of the essential and
changeless nature of His Divine love.
Sitting, therefore, has reference to
the wiU, standing to the thought, or
purpose of the mind, walking to
action or the life. " In the spiritual
world all things that relate to the
motion and rest of man, signify such
things as relate to the life of man,
because they thence proceed. Walk
ings and journeyings have reference
to man's motion, and hence they
signify progression of life, or pro
gression of the thought grounded in
the intention of the will. But stand
ings and sittings have reference to
man's rest, and hence they signify
the esse of life from which it exists."
(Ap. Ex. 687.)
The terms wicked, sinners, and
scoffers, have corresponding distinc
tive significations ; wickedness hav
ing reference more particularly to
evil of life, sinning to confirmed evil
of purpose, whUe scoffing describes
the state of such as are impious at
heart, despising all things spiritual
and Diviae. Analogous to these, are
the terms counsel, way, and seat:
counsel having reference to action, or
to the thoughts and plans immedi
ately connected with action ; way to
the general evil course, which is the
effect of confirmed purpose in the
mind ; while seat describes the settled
state of the heart or vMl.
Verse 2.— The Law. By "the
Law," in the most limited sense of
the term, is meant the Decalogue ;
in a wider sense, the Statutes given

by Moses to the children of Israel,
called " the Law of Moses : '' but in
the widest sense, the whole Word, or
Sacred Scriptures. (T. C. R. 288.)
Day and night. By day and night
are signified, in a spiritual sense, the
alternations of state, through which
the mind of every regenerating man
passes ; day denoting a state of men
tal clearness and illustration, — night
a state of comparative obscurity, and
dullness of perception in spiritual
things. The same is signified by
"night and day" in the passage in
Mark (iv. 26, 27) ; " so is the king
dom of God, as if a man should cast
seed into the ground, and should
sleep and rise night and day, and
the seed should spring and grow up,
he knows not how." The process of
regeneration is here described : "seed"
is the truth of the Word ; sleeping
and rising, night and day, signify
alternations of state. By meditating
on the law day and night is signified
a habitual attention tb the Divine
Word, with the effort to obey its
teachings, in all states of mind.
" The case with faith," says the Doc
trine of the new Church, " is this :
he who receives and has it, is con
tinually in the remembrance of the
Lord, and this even when he is think
ing and speaking on other subjects,
and also when he is discharging his
public, or private, or domestic duties,
and although he is not aware that he
then remembers the Lord ; for the
remembrance of the Lord, by those
who are in faith, is as something uni
versally reigning in the mind, and
what thus reigns universally is not
observed, unless while the thought is
fixed upon it. Hence it may be seen

I-]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

3 And he shall be Uke a tree planted by streams of waters,
Which shaU yield its fruit in its season :
His leaf, also, shall not wither :
And whatsoever he does shaU prosper.
4 Not so the wicked :
For they are as chaff which the wind carries away.
5 Thus, the wicked shaU not stand in the judgment.
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

what is meant by the obligation to
be contiauaUy thinking of the Lord,
of salvation, and of the life after
dea,th. All do this, who are ia faith
from charity ; hence it is, that they do
not think ill of their neighbor, and
that they have justice and equity in
everything of speech, of thought, and
of action." (A. C. 5130.)
Verse 3. — He shall he as a tree.
Man is often compared, in Scripture,
to a' tree ; by the fruit of which, in
such case, is signified the good of
love and charity, and by its leaf,
truth. Thus in the Apocalypse
(xxii. 2) ; "In the midst of the street
of it, and on each side of the river,
was there the tree of life, which bare
twelve fruits, and yielded its fruit
every month : and the leaves of the
tree were for the healing of the na
tions." The leaves of the tree are
said to be for the heaKng of the na
tions, because Divine truths are the
means of spiritual healing, purifica
tion, and regeneration. (A. C. 885.)
It is said that the tree "shall yield
its fruit in its season," by which is
signified, that the man who looks to
the Lord, shall receive increase of
goodness and love from Him accord
ing as he advances to higher states
of truth, the terms season and month
signifying states of truth. By " his
leaf shall not fade," or "shall be
green" (Jeremiah xvii. 7, 8) is signi

fied that truth with him shall be
filled with life from good ; for good
ness or love is the life of truth in
the mind. (A. R. 935. Ap. Ex.
481.) Verse 4. — For they are as cJiaff.
The wicked are compared to chaff,
because wheat, being the substance
of bread, denotes thegood of love and
charity which nourishes the soul, —
whereas chaff, or the husk without
the kernel, denotes that which is de
prived of all good. (See A. C. 3941.)
It is written in Matthew (iii. 12),
speaking of the Lord, " His fan is
in His hand, and He will thoroughly
purge His floor, and gather His wheat
into the gamer, but He will burn up
the chaff with unquenchable fire :"
where by wheat are plainly signified
the good, and by chaff the wicked.
By the '' wind," by which the chaff
is " carried away," is represented the
powerful influx of Divine Truth,
which at the Judgment, separates
the wicked from the good, as wind
separates the chaff from the wheat.
(A. R. 343.)
Verse 5. — It is said that the wicked
shall not stand in the judgment, be
cause the Judgment, as j ust remarked,
is the effect of the influx and opera
tion of Divine Truth, before which
the wicked cannot stand, because,
having lived in opposition to it, their
spirits are bent in a contrary direo

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[II.

6 For the Loed knows the way of the righteous ;
But the way of the wicked shaU perish.

tion, and consequently its influx
causes them torment : whence they
flee from it, as from torture, " calling
npon the mountains and rocks to
fall upon them and hide them from
the face of Him that sitteth on the
throne'' (Rev. vi. 16). It is said,
also, that sinners shall not stand in
the assembly of the righteous, signify
ing that those who have been in con-
fijmed purpose of evil, sinners (see
note on verse 1) cannot, after death,
endure the society or presence of the
good, that is, cannot dwell in heaven.
Verse 6. — The Lord knows the way
of ihe righteous. The Lord is said to
know the good, meaning that He is
present and conjoined with them,
and they with Him, — ^that He knows
them as children and friends. Thus
He says, in John (x. 14), " I ara the
good Shepherd, and know my sheep,
and am known of mine." But the
wicked He is said not to know : thus

in Matthew (vii. 23), " Then wiU I
profess unto them, I never knew
you ; depart from me all ye that
work iniquity." " The Lord indeed
knows all in the universe, but not
as a father his sons, except those
who are in the good of love and
charity." (A. 0. 6806.) The way of
the righteous. It is said that the
Lord knows the way of the righteous.
Way, in the spiritual sense, signifies
truth, because truth is the way to
good. The way of the righteous,
then, means their state of truth de
rived from good. This the Lord
knows ; that is, acknowledges and
accepts. But way in the opposite
sense, signifies falsity : hence the
" way of the wicked" denotes their
state of falsity derived from evil.
Itis said that this shall "perish;"
that is, falsity is powerless and comes
to nought, and brings those who fol
low it to destruction.

PSALM IT.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
That those who ought to he in the truths and goods of the Cliurch,
are against the Lord, verses 1, 2 ; hut men should separate tliem-
oelves from them, because they are nothing before the Lord, 3, 4 ;
and will he destroyed, 5 ; that the Lord will put on the Human,
and restore the Church, 6 to 8 ; and that He will disperse thefalses
of evil, 9 ; therefore that men should acknowledge and worship the
Divine Human ofthe Lord, lest they perish, 10 to 12.
1 Wliy do the nations make a tumult.
And the peoples meditate a vain thing ?
Verse 1. — Thenations — the peoples. Scriptures; and by nations in the
The terms, nations and people (or spiritual sense, are signified those
s) often occur together in the who are in good, and by peoples

IL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

2 The kings of the earth set themselves.
And the rulers consult together.
Against Jehovah, and against his Anointed.

those who are in truth ; or, abstractly
from persons, goods and truths them
selves ; or, what ia the same, by
nation the celestial principle, and
by people the spiritual. " In the
Word," says the Doctrine of the
Church, "an accurate distinction is
made between ^eqpfc and nation: by
people are signified truths, and by
nation, goods. The children of Is
rael, before they sought for a king,
were a nation, and represented good
or the celestial principle ; but after
they desired and received a king,
they became a people, and did not
represent good or the celestial prin
ciple, bijt' truth or the spiritual ;
which was the reason why it was
imputed to them as a fault (1 Sam.
viii. 7)." (A. C. 1416.) " The signi
fication of nation, as denoting the
celestial principle of love, and the
good thence derived, had its origin
in a perceptive idea of the men of
the Most Ancient Church. They
lived divided into houses, families,
and nations ; and thus they had a
perception of the kingdom of the
Lord, and hence, of the celestial prin
ciple itself. Prom that perception,
the term nation came to be signifi
cative." (A. C. 1672.) In the oppo
site sense, however (for most terms,
in Scripture, have an opposite or had
sense, as when applied to the evil), by
nations and peoples are signified evils
and/afees, and those who are in them.
Such is the signification here.
'Why do ihe nations make a tumult ?
&c. This Psalm treats, in the spiritual
sense, of the coining of the Lord, of
the general judgment executed by
Him, and lastly, of His kingdom and

dominion over all things. By the na
tions making a tumult and i'he peoples
meditating a vain thing, is described
the excited state of those who are in
evUs and falses, both in the Church
on earth and in the world of spirits,
when the judgment approaches.
Verse 2. — The kings of the earth —
and the rulers. By the term king, in
the spiritual sense, is signified truth;
for it is truth by which all spiritual
power is exercised : hence the pro
verb, " knowledge is power." From
His attribute of Diviae Truth, the
Lord is called King. ,(See John xviii
37.) So, when it is said in the Apo
calypse, " He hath made us kings
and priests," and " they shall reign
for ever and ever" (i 6 ; xxii. 5), it
is meant, that the good shall be for
ever in possession of truth and wis
dom. (See A. C. 2015.) In the
opposite sense, by kings are signified
falses, and those who are in them.
This is the signification of the term
here. By earth, in Scripture, is signi
fied the Church. (See note to Psalm
xxiv. i. 1.) Hence by kings of the
earth are signified those of the Church
who are in falses, while by rulers are
signified such as are in evils.
Set themselves against Jehovah, &o.
By the kings of the earth and the
rulers setting themselves and con
sulting together against Jehovah and
against His Anointed, is signified the
opposition of those of the Church
who are ia falses and evils (or, ab
stractly, of falses and evils them
selves) against Divine Good and
Truth, and thus agaiust the Lord.
By Jehovah is signified the Lord, as
to the Essential Divinity, which is

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[IL

3 We wUl break their bands.
And cast off from us their cords.
4 He who sits in the heaven wiU laugh at them.
The Lord wiU have them in derision.
5 Then wiU he speak to them tn his anger.
And in his wrath he will terrify them.

Divine Good; whUebyHis Anoiated
(that is, the Messiah or the Christ,
both which terms signify the Anoint
ed) is signified the Lord as to the
Divine Humanity, or Divine Truth.
Verse 3. — We will break their
bands, &c. These words declare the
purpose and duty of the good to se
parate themselves from the evil who
are in the corrupted Church (see
the Summary of the Internal Sense).
To break their bands, and cast off their
cords, signifies to throw off the con
taminating influence of their evils
and falses.
Verse 4. — He who sits in the
heaven will laugh at them, &c. By
this is signified the utter impotence
of the evil before the Lord. It is
said, " will laugh at them," not that
the Lord, who is Love and Mercy it
self, is capable of any feeling like that
of scorn or derision, wluch would be
as unworthy of His majesty as of His
goodness ; but it is so expressed in
the letter, to represent graphically to
the natural mind, the utter powerless-
ness of the vdcked, and, on the other
handjthe Almighty power of theLord
in protecting the good against them,
and, to that end, in keeping them
under restraint and in subjection.
He who sits in the heavens. The
Lord is often said, in the Word, to
be in the heavens, although in truth
He is far above them, where, as a
Spiritual Sun, He is the source of
their light and heat. Thus in Psaka

viii. 1, it is said, " Thou hast set thy
glory above the heavens." So in
Ephesians (iv. 10) it is affirmed by
the Apostle, that the Lord Jesus
" ascended up far above all heavens,
that he might fill all things." It
is true, indeed, that the Lord, by
His Holy Spirit, is present in the
heavens, and is their life and soul ;
nay, in essential truth, He is Him
self there, as He is everywhere
present in good and truth ; for all
spaces and distances in the spiritual
world are only appearances, derived
from differences of state. (See D.
P. 162.) The Lord is said to sit,
because the attitude of sittiug is
expressive of permanency, or fixed
ness of state, and has reference, in
particular, to the will-priaciple :
thus it is expressive of the unchange-
ableness of the Divine love. (See
note on Psalm i. 1.)
Tlie Lord. The term Lord (He
brew, Adonai) describes God in His
attribute ot power, or omnipotence, —
as a ruler, a master ; hence it ex
presses His character as Divine Truth,
by which all ruling and govemment
iscarriedon. The term "Lord" when
printed in common letters, stands for
Adonai ; but when in capitals (thus,
Lord), it stands for Jehovah.
Verse 5. — Then will he speak to
them in his anger, &o. Anger and
wrath are often ascribed to the Lord
in the letter of the Word ; but in
truth there can be nothing of anger

IL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

He will say, " I have anointed my king
Over Zion, my holy mountain."
I wUl declare a decree :
Jehovah hath said to me,
Thou art my Son : to-day have I begotten thee.

in the Divine nature, for He is Love
and Goodness itself, and, as the Scrip
ture teaches, "is kind even to the
unthankful and to the evU" (Luke
vi. 35). Moreover, He is declared to
be unchangeable ; but to pass from a
state of love to one of anger, would
be to change. The terms anger,
wrath, fury, and all similar expres
sions, when used in reference to the
Lord, simply imply His opposition to
what is evil and false, because they
are contrary to Divine order, and
because they occasion misery to man,
whereas the Lord ardently desires to
see and to make man happy, in time
and to eternity. (See U. T. 56.)
The term anger expresses the Lord's
opposition to what is false, while the
stronger term wrath (literally burn
ing) describes His aversion to evil.
Speaking to ihem in His anger, and
terrifying ihem in His wrath, signifies
the Lord's restraint of the wicked by
the power of Divine Truth and
Divine Good ; speaking having re
ference to Truth, and terrifying to
Good. For to the evil Divine Love
appears as a burning and destroying
fire, the presence of which they can
not for an instant endure. Thus do
the wicked turn all things into their
opposites, and so bring punishment
aud torment on themselves.
Verse 6. — J have anointed m/y
Ki/ng .over Zion, &c. By King, here,
is signified the Humanity of the
Lord as to Divine Truth. (See
above, note on ver. 2.) Anointed
signifies filled with Divine Love ;

for the holy oil of anointing, with
which not only kings were anointed,
but also the vessels of the altar and
all the instruments used in the Jew
ish worship, represented Di-sdne and
celestial love, from which all true
worship must proceed. As kings,
in the Jewish Church, represented
truth, their being anointed repre
sented that truth must be joined
with good, or it is harsh and tyran
nical. So the Lord, being called
Christ or Messiah, that is, the
Anointed, signified that in Hiai Di
vine Truth was united with Divine
Good or Love. (See A. B. 779.)
By Zion is signified the Church,
and also Heaven. It is called " my
holy mountain," or the " mountain of
my holiness," because mountain signi
fies an elevated state of love, and
the term holiness has reference to
truth. Hence by the Lord's being
anointed king over Zion, is signified
His omnipotence, even as to the
Humanity, and his dominion over all
things of heaven and of the Church :
as He said after His resurrection, "All
power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth" (Matthew xxviii. 18).
Verse 7. — "Twill declare a decree ;
signifies an arcanum of Providence
and of the Diviae will. Jehovah hath
said to me, Thou art my Son: to-day
have I begotten thee, signifies, the Lord
as to the Humanity, conceived and
afterwards bom from the Divine
Itself, that is, from Jehovah : to-day
signifies what was ordaiued from
eternity, and has respect thence to

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

PI-

8 Ask of me, and I wiU give the nations for thy inheritance.
And the ends of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron :
As a potter's vessel, shalt thou dash them to pieces.
10 Now therefore, 0 ye kings, understand :
Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Verse 9. — Thou shalt break them
with a rod of iron, &c. This refers

the conjunction and union between
the Divine and the Human, which
was effected in time." {Ap. Ex.
684.) It is said to-day, " because in
the Divine there is no time, but a
presence of all things which have
been and shall be." {Ap. Rev. 4.)
To-day have I begotten thee. " Here
no Son from eternity is meant, but a
Son that was to be born in the world ;
for the passage contains a prophecy
conceming the coming of the Lord,
and therefore it is called a decree.
To-day signifies in time, and not
from eternity." {Doct. L. 19.)
Verse 8. — Ash of me, and I will
give the nations for thine inheritance,
&c. By the nations are signified the
good, and specifically the celestial.
(See note above, on verse 1.) As
the earth signifies the Church, by ihe
ends of ihe earth are signified those
who are remote from the truths and
goods of the Church, not having the
Word, and thence being in ignorance
— the Gentiles. (See Ap. Ex. 304.)
Here, hy the ends of the earth, are
signified all those in the Church, and
also in the neavens, who are in the
inferior degrees of good and truth.
Thus by the nations, and the ends of
the earth, together, are signified all
ia every degree of goodness and
truth, from the highest to the lowest
— ^who are all to be the Lord's, that
is, to receive life and salvation from
His Divine Humanity. The term
inheritance has reference to good, —
possession to truth. (A. C. 2658.)

to the Lord's subjugation of the
hells, while in His Humanity in the
world. A rod of iron signifies the
power of natural truth derived from
spiritual. A rod or staff is the em
blem ot power, and iron corresponds
to natural truth. (See A. C. 4876.)
The same is signified by iron in the
passage of Isaiah (Ix. 17), "Eor iron
I will bring silver ;" that is, the
Lord when He came iuto the world
to establish the Christian Church,
would then, instead of natural truth,
give spiritual truth, the latter being
signified by silver. By the " rod of
iron," here, is signified the omnipo
tence of Divine Truth in the Lord's
Divine Natural principle. The glori
fied Humanity, or, which is the same,
the Divine Natural Principle, was
the instrument which Jehovah or
the Essential Divine took to Him
self, in order to reach and subdue
the hells, and thus effect the redemp
tion of manldnd. To " break them"
(literally, to grindiliem to powder),Ag-
nifies the destruction or removal of
evils, while to dash them in pieces as a
potter's vessel has reference to the
dispersion of falses, — a potter's vessel
signifying falses, framed or devised
from man's self-derived intelligence.
(A. R. 48, 49.) See the correspond
ing passage in Rev. ii. 27.
Verse 10. — And now, U ye kings,
understand, &c. By kings, in the
spiritual sense, are signified those

IL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

11 Serve the Loed with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
Lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way.

who are ia truth, or in the love of
truth (see note above on ver. 2) ; and
hj judges ofthe earth, those who are
in good (A. C. 2781) ; for wherever
these coupled terms occur in the
Divine Word, the one always has
reference to truth, the other to good :
this is in consequence of the imion
or marriage which everywhere exists
in the Divine Word, between Good
ness and Truth. By the earth is
signified the Cliurch. In this verse,
those in the Church, who are desir
ous of attaining truth and goodness,
are admonished to attend to and
obey the important precepts, con
tained in the verses that follow.
Verse 11. — Serve the Lord with
fear, &c. 'hyfear is meant reverence,
or holy fear, and it describes a state
of mind in which obedience to truth
prevails, which state is also expressed
by the term serve ; while to rejoice or
exult with trembling, expresses the
interior and transporting delight of
heavenly and celestial joy, such as is
attendant upon a state of goodness
and love to the Lord.
Verse 12. — Kiss the Son. To
kiss, signifies conjunction by love ;
and, when used in reference to the
Lord, it signifies worehip from the
heart. (See A. C. 3594.) By the
Son is signified the Divine Hu
manity. The Father, that is, the
Essential Divinity, or Jehovah, took
to Himself Humanity ia the world
through the Virgin Mary ; which
Humanity, as being derived from
the Essential Divinity, is called the
Son. The purpose of Jehovah's as

suming Humanity was two-fold ;
first, as the means of redeeming
mankind from the Powers of Hell ;
and secondly, in order to present to
man a distinct and mentally visible
Object of worship ; for of the Essen
tial Divine, man with his finite
mind can form no idea ; but of the
Divine Human he can form an idea.
The Humanity thus assumed was
glorified or made Divine by the
Lord, while in the world ; that is,
everything of infirmity derived from
the mother, was extirpated from it,
and at last all materiality also ; and
in their place the pure Diviae from
within was brought down into the
himianity, constituting thus a Di
vine HoMANiTT. And thus glori
fied, the Lord ascended to and
" above the heavens, whence He fills
all things" (Ephesians iv. 10).
This Glorified Humanity is the Son,
whom we are commanded to kiss;
that is, our minds must be conjoined
by faith and love with the Lord
Jesus in His Divine Humanity, for
this is the proper Object of worship.
Lest he be angry, &c. As shown
above (see note on verse 5), there is
in truth no anger in the Lord, since
He is Love itself. But He is said
to be angry with the wicked, because
their evil state of mind is opposed
to His Divine wUl in regard to them ;
for He de,sires to make all men
happy, and none can be happy but
in a state of goodness. When, con
sequently, He seeks to check and
restrain them in their evil courses,
He appears to them to be in a state

10

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[IL

For his anger wUl soon kindle.

of wrath and anger. The letter of
Scripture; therefore, which is ex
pressed in accordance with man's
ideas, describes Him as angry. It
is here said, " Kiss the Son, lest He
be angry, and ye perish in the way ; "
by which is signified that unless
man looks to and worships the Lord
in His Divine Humanity (the Son),
he cannot be delivered from his
evils, and thus he remains in a state
of opposition to the Lord and heaven,
which is signified by " perishing in
the way." The reason is, that Jesus,
br the Lord in His Divine Humanity,
is the Saviour : to Him therefore
man must look, if he would be
saved from his sins. " lam the door,"
says the Lord, " by me if any
man enter in, he shall be saved."
(John X. 9.) To "perish in the
way," signifies to perish eternally in
falses derived from evil : for way, in
a good sense, signifies truth, but in
the opposite sense, falsity. They,
who do not look to Him, who is the
Light of the world (John vui. 12),
must remaia in spiritual darkness,
which is falsity. It is added, " for
his anger wUl soon kindle." Soon
here signifies certainly. For soon or
quickly, in the spiritual sense, signi
fies certainly; as in the Revelation
(xxii. 12), " Behold, I come quickly : "
yet the Lord's Second Coming did
not take place for more than seven
teen centuries. So, the Lord did
not come the first time into the
world, for more than a thousand
years after this Psalm was written.
In the spiritual sense, no reference
is made to time and space, which
belong solely to nature ; but in their
stead the idea of state is presented.
Quickness and haste, in time, corres

pond to certainty and completeness,
in state. (See A. R. 4, and A. C.
5284.) The words, " for his anger
will soon kindle," signifies the Last
Judgment, and the certain condem
nation of the evil.
Blessed are all that put their trust
in Him. To be blessed is to be
enriched with all spiritual and celes
tial good, and consequent felicity.
Into such a state will all those come,
who put their trust in the Lord, and
keep His commandments.
The follovdng is a connected out
line of the spiritual sense of this
Psalm : — " The subject here treated
of is the Coming of the Lord ; then
the Last Judgment executed by Him ;
and afterwards his kingdom over all
things of the world. The spiritual
things which he concealed in every
expression, are these : The nations
make a tumult, and the peoples medi
tate a vain thing, signifies, the state
of the Church of the former heaven,
as being to pass away ; the nations
are they who are in evils, and the
people they who are in falsities.
Tlie kings of the earth have set them
selves together, and the rulers have con
sulted together, against Jehovah, and
against his Anointed, signifies, the
falsities of the Church and its evils,
as being altogether opposed to Di
vine Good and Diviae Truth, and
thus to the Lord. The kiags of
the earth are the falsities of the
Church, and the rulers are its evUs ;
and Jehovah is the Lord as to the
Divinity Itself, thus as to Divine
Good, and His Anointed is the Lord
as to the Divine Humanity, thus as
to Divine Truth. I have anointed
my king upon Zion, the mountain of
my holiness, signifies, the Humanity

III.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

11

Blessed are aU those that put their trust in him.

of the Lord as to Divine Truth pro
ceeding from the Divine Good of
His Divine Love, and hence His
kingdom over aU things of heaven
and of the Church : Zion and the
mountain of holiness, are heaven and
the Church, consequently, all things
of heaven and of the Church. Twill
declare a decree, signifies, an arcanum
of providence and of the Divine
will. Jehovah said unto me, thou art
my Son, to-day have T begotten thee,
. signifies, the Lord as the Anointed,
the Messiah, the Christ, and King,
thus as to His Humanity, conceived
and afterwards bom from the Di
vinity Itself, or Jehovah : to-day
signifies, what was ordained from
eternity, and has respect thence to
the conjunction and union effected
in time. Ask of me, and I will give
thee ihe nations for thine inheritance,

and the ends of ihe earth for thy pos
session, signifies, His kingdom and
dominion over all things belonging
to heaven and to the Church, which
wUl be His. Kiss the Son, signifies,
conjunction with the Lord by Love ;
to kiss, signifies, conjunction grounded
in love. Lest ye he angry, und ye
perish in the way, signifies, lest evils
invade you, and ye be condemned :
for to be angry, when predicated
of the Lord, signifies, the turning
away of men from him, thus their
anger, and not the Lord's ; and evils
are what turn themselves away, and
thence are angry. For his anger will
shortly kindle, signitiea, the last judg
ment, and the casting down of the
evil into hell. Blessed are all they
that put their trust in him, signifies,
salvation by love and faith in the
Lord." (Ap. Ex. 684.)

PSALM III.
SUMMAEY OE THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Concerning the Lord, when he was in temptations, and subju
gated ihe hells, being then in a state of humiliation, in which he
prayed to the Father.
A Psalm of David, when he fled before Absalom, his son.
fioations prevail in the Church, then
Divine Truth is as it were driven
away ; which was represented by
King David's fleeing from before Ab
salom. (See 2 Samuel ch. xv.-xviii.)
But besides representing the Lord as
to Divine Truth abstractly, David
also represented the Lord Himself
who was to come into the world ;
and all David's wars and trials re
presented the Lord's temptations and

Title. — A Psalm of David, &c.
By King David was represented the
Lord, as to Diviae Tmth, — a king
representing truth. (See note on
Psalm ii 2.) By Absalom, hia
son, who rebelled against him, were
represented such as are in the know
ledge of tmth from the Word (and
therefore called sons), but who
through evU of heart pervert and
falsify that truth. When such falsi-

12

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[III.

1 0 Loed, how are my enemies multiplied !
Many are those that rise up against me :
2 Many are those that say to my soul,
" There is no help for him in God." Selah.
3 But thou, 0 Loed, art a shield to me,
My glory, and the lifter up of my head.

combats with the hells. Conse
quently, not only in this Psalm, but
throughout the Psalms, wherever
David is spoken of in the letter, it is
the Lord who is referred to in the
internal sense ; and also the mem
bers of His Church, who must "fol
low him in the regeneration."
Verse '1. — How are my enemies
multiplied, &c. By enemies and by
those that rise up against, are signi
fied evils and falses from the hells,
which assault goods and truths in
man, and cause temptation. (A. C.
10,481.) The same are signified by
enemies, wherever mentioned in the
Psalms, — namely, evils and falses,
and the spirits of darkness from
whom they flow : these are truly
man's greatest enemies, for they seek
to destroy his immortal part, the
soul, — and with it, his eternal happi
ness. The many enemies here spoken
of, signify all the hells, which are
innumerable, and by all of which
the Lord was assaulted.
Verse 2. — Many iluit say to my
soul, &c. In temptation, the thought
is insinuated into the mind by evil
spirits, that God cannot or will not
bring help — that we are abandoned,
— that we shall never see light or
peace again. Hence comes a feeling
of despair, which is the depth or
lowest point of the temptation. In
this state was the Lord, when He
cried out upon the cross, " My God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken
me ?" (See A. C. 1787.)

Selah. This term, which occurs
about seventy times in the Psalms,
and thrice ia the prophet Habakkuk,
is generally considered to be a musi
cal direction ; some deriving it from
a root, signifying to elevate, intimat
ing that at this place the voices of
the singers were to be raisiid to a
higher key or a louder tone ; others,
from a root signifying to rest or
pause, implying that at these places
there was to be a pause in the sing
ing. In either case, however, as the
term is a part of the Divine Word,
it must have an internal sense. If
it be derived from the root to ele
vate, it would signify an increased
elevation of affection or thought
towards the Lord, and would per
haps be equivalent in a manner to
Hallelujah (Praise to the Lord) !
But as the word occurs frequently
after expressions of affliction or
temptation (as in the present in
stance), as well as after those of joy
and praise, — this can hardly be the
meaning: it is more probably derived
from the root to rest or pause, and
then would express the idea of medi
tation, solemnity, or, in general,
emphasis. Verse Z.~But thou, 0 Lord,
art a shield to me, &o. It is darkest
just before day : after the state of
despair, presently comes consolation.
The cloud beguis to pass off, light
breaks through, and soon the Lord,
the Sun of righteousness, is beheld
shining -svith increased brightness in

IIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

13

With my voice I cried to the Loed,
And he answered me from his holy mountain.
I lay down and slept :
I awoke ; for the Loed sustained me.
I wUl not be afraid of the myriads of people,
That set themselves around against me.

Selah.

the mental heavens. This happy
change of state is expressed in this
verse, and throughout the remainder
of the Psalm. By a shield is signi
fied a defence against evils and falses.
The Lord is our defence in time of
temptation ; He will not suffer us to
be too sorely tempted nor overcome,
if we trust in Him. My glory signi
fies my Light or Illumiuator : glory
denotes the brightness and splendor
of Diviae truth ; for in heaven truth
shines and is resplendent. (A. E.
629.) Tlie lifter up of my head sig
nifies that the Lord elevates the
affections ; for the head denotes wis
dom derived from love. (H. H. 96.)
Thus, then, by the Lord's beiug " a
shield, glory, and the lifter up of the
head," is signified, that the Lord
both defends agaiast evils and falses,
and inspires truth and good.
Verse 4. — With my voice T cried
to the Lord, &c. To " cry with the
voice," is to cry or appeal earnestly,
for when the feeling is strong, the
voice is loud. " A voice crying, and
the voice of a cry, are common forms
of expressions in the Word, and are
applied to every case where there is
any noise, disturbance, or anything
that infests and is troublesome."
(A. C. 375.) By his holy mountain is
signified heaven (Ap. Ex. 314) ; the
term mountain having reference to
its state of love, and holy to truth.
The same is signified by mountains
in Psalm cxxi. 1 . " I will lift up
my eyes unto the mountains whence

cometh my help," that is, to heaven ;
for the Psalm continues, " my help
cometh from the Lord, who made
heaven and earth."
Verse 5. — " T lay down and slept,"
denotes a state of tranquillity and
security under a sense of the Divine
protection. (A. C. 3696.) I awoke
denotes a change of state. For man,
in the course of his regeneration, is
continually passing through changes
of state, being alternately in states of
combat and of peace, temptation
and rest. These alternations are
described in the foUowing passage of
Mark (iv. 26, 27) ; " So is the king
dom of God, as if a man should cast
seed into the ground, and should
sleep and rise, night and day ;" where,
by sleeping and rising, are signified
changes of state. For the Lord sus
tained me signifies that in all states,
whether of tranquillity or of trial, the
Lord is the support of those who
trust in Him.
Verse 6. — By the myriads of peo-
,ple are signified tempters, spiritual
foes, who stir up man's evils and
falses, and who assault and seek to
destroy the goods and truths which
he has from the Lord. The term
myriads is used not only to signify
in general that such tempters are
innumerable, but specifically, be
cause the number myriad or ten
thousand has reference in the spi
ritual sense to tmths or, oppositely,
to false.?, as has also the term people.
(See note on Psalm ii. 1.) Thus the

14

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[IIL

7 Arise, 0 Loed : save me, 0 my God :
For thou wUt smite aU my enemies on the jaw-bone :
Thou wUt break the teeth of the wicked.
8 To the Loed belongs salvation :
Thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

class of tempters, here referred to,
are particularly such as iasinuate
falses into the mind, causing mental
darkness and distress. But the spi
ritual man will not he afraid, for he
knows that the Lord is Almighty,
and will not suffer him to be tempted
beyond his strength, but, as the
Apostle tenderly says, " he will with
the temptation also make a way to
escape, that he may be able to bear
it." (1 Cor. X. 13.)
Verse 7. — Arise 0 Lord; save
me, 0 my God. The terms Lord (or
Jehovah) and God express distinct
attributes in the Divine Being r Je
hovah, which is derived from the
Hebrew verb To Be, signifies essen
tial Being, the Divine Essence, which
is Love : whereas God, derived from
a root signifying power, might, is
expressive of Divine Truth, for by
means of tmth all spiritual power is
exercised. Jehovah, thus, signifies
the Divine Being in His attribute of
Love, or Goodness. God signifies
the same, in His attribute of Wisdom,
or Truth. (A. C. 3910.) Hence the
expression, " Arise, O Jehovah," sig
nifies elevation of the mind by Love ;
whUe, " Save. me, 0 my God," signi
fies protection of the soul by the
power of Truth.
Thou wilt smite all my enemies on
ihe jaio-bone ; thou wilt break ihe teeth
of the wicked. All the parts con
nected with the mouth, as the throat,
the mouth itself, the lips, the jaw

bones, and the teeth, signify such
things as have relation to the per
ception and understanding of truth,
because they correspond to them.
(Ap. Ex. 556.) By the jaw-bone, is
signified the perception and under
standing of interior tmth, and by
the teeth the understanding of ex
terior truth ; or what is the same, by
the jaw-bone is signified an interior
perception and understanding of
tmth, and by the teeth an external
understanding or mere knowledge of
it. But in the opposite sense, by
the jaw-bone are signified interior or
deep falsities, such as are entertained
by those who are opposed to the
goods and truths of the Church ;
while by the teeth are signified ex
terior falsities, such as are derived
from the fallacies of sense. Col
lision or combat between such falsi
ties is what is meant by the " gnash
ing of teeth." Hence the words,
" thou wilt smite all my enemies on
the jaw-bone ; thou wilt break the
teeth of the wicked," signify that the
Lord will destroy interior and ex
terior falsities, and cast down tha
evil tempters who infuse them into
the mind.
Verse 8. — The Psalm concludes
with an expression of grateful trust
— the reward of temptation patiently
endured. " The Blessing of Jehovah
is upon his people, signifies the
influx and reception of good and
truth." (Ap. Ex. 340.)

IV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

15

PSALM IV.

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Concerning the Lord when in great temptations, verses 1, 2 ;
that men shmdd fear Him because He has protection from the
Father, 3 ; an exhortation to repentance, 4 to 8.
To the Leader on the Stringed Instruments : a Psalm of David.
1 Answer me, when I cry, 0 God of my righteousness :
Thou hast enlarged me when I was in straits.
Be gTacious to me, and hear my prayer.

Title. — To the Leader of the music
on ihe stringed Instruments (neginoth).
The word neginoth, derived from
nagan, to strike the strings, is a gene
ral term for striaged instrimients, as
nechiloth, in the Title of the follow
ing Psalm, is for wind instruments.
" Many kinds of musical insti'uments
were used in the sacred worship of
the Jewish people, some of which
referred to the affections of celestial
good, and some to the affections of
spiritual good, and to the joys thence
derived, which were thus as it were
proclaimed. Stringed instruments
had reference to the affections of
spiritual good, and uiind instruments
to the affections of celestial good ; to
which also were added singing and
songs, by which was expressed the
accordance of things with the sounds
of the affections. Of this nature were
all the Psalms of David ; whence
they were called psalms (from the
Latin psallere, to play), and also
songs." (Ap. Ex. 326.) Hence, the
direction in the titles of the Psalms,
" To the Leader (or, as sometimes
rendered, the chief musician) on
neginoth," or, "nechiloth," &o., was
an indication in what manner the

psalm was to be played, whether on
stringed or on wuid instruments.
Thus, in the spiritual sense, is indi
cated the character of the psalm, as
to whether it be of the spiritual, or of
the celestial class — that is, whether
it refer more particularly to the af
fection of truth, or to the affection of
good. Inasmuch as instruments of
every kind signified by correspon
dence the delights and pleasantnesses
of spiritual and celestial afl'ections,
hence, also, there was an inscription
on many of the Psahns indicating
how they were to be played ; as
upon Neginoth, upon Necliiloth,
upon the Octave Shegaion, Gittith,
Muthlabben, Sheminith, Shoshan-
nim, Maohalath." (A. C. 8337.) To
the Leader, (See 1 Chron. xvi. 4-7.)
Verse 1. — Answer me. " The ex
pression to ansiver frequently occurs
in the Word ; and when referring to
the Lord, it signifies influx, inspira
tion, perception, and instruction, as
also compassion and help." (Ap. Ex.
471.) 0 God of my righteousness;
that is, 0 God, source of my right
eousness ; or, it might be translated,
0 my righteous God, Tliou hast enlarged
me when T was in straits. As the

16

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[IV.

2 0 ye sons of man, how long shaU my glory be held in
contempt ?
How long wiU ye love vanity and seek falsehood ? Selah.
3 But know that the Loed wiU set apart the holy one for him
self:
The Loed wUl hear when I cry to him.

term broad or large has reference to
a state of truth (see A. C. 4482), so
by the opposite term strait or narrow,
is signified a state of oppression of
mind under falsities, doubts, dark
ness, as is common in temptation.
Verse 2. — Ye sons of man. By
the phrase son of man, is signified, in
a good sense. Divine Truth (A. R.
910) ; thus the prophet Ezekiel, for
instance, is very frequently addressed
as " Son of mau," for the prophets,
as being the mediums through whom
the Divine Truth of the Word, was
taught or revealed, represented that
Truth itself. So, the Lord Himself
is called Son of Man in His charac
ter of the Word or Divine Truth.
But in the opposite sense, as in the
present instance, by sons of man, are
signified those who have perverted
Divine truth, and are imbued with
falsities ; thus, such as assault truth
in the mind, and cause temptation
and distress. How long shall my
glory he held in contempt ? By glory
in the Word, is signified Divine
truth, and its brightness and splen
dor; thus in Isaiah (Ix. 1), "Arise,
shine, for thy light is come, and the
glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee : "
where, by the glory of Jehovah is
signified the light of Diraie Truth
shining upon the Church and upon
the minds of men. So it is said that
the Lord, at His second Advent, shall
come " with power and great glory,"
where by glory is signified the bright
ness of Divine Truth contained in the

spiritual sense of the Word. Similar
is the signification of glory through
out the Scriptures. The ground of
this signification is, that in Heaven
truth is light, and consequently all
there are in light and splendor in
proportion to the degree of truth
which they possess, in understanding
and Ufe. (See A. R. 629.) It is
said here, how long shall my glory he
held in contempt, that is, how long
shall Divine truth be despised by
you 1 — for the address is made to the
son.s of man, that is, to those who, as
before explained, are Confirmed in,
and love, falsities. Hence it follows
hoio long will ye love vanity and seek
falsehood ? vanity signifying falsity in
doctrine or religion, — and falsehood
(or a lie, as it ndght be rendered) sig
nifying falsity in action or life, or,
what is the same, a state of opposi
tion to truth of the Divine command
ments. (See A. C. 9248.)
Selah. See note on Psalm iii. 2.
Verse 3. — But know ye that the
Lord (or Jehovah) loill set apart the
holy one for Himself. By Jehovah's
setting apart (or, as it inight be ren
dered, making great) the holy one for
Himself, is signified His glorifying
or making Divine, of the humanity
of the Lord, and uniting it to Him
self. The Lord is called holy in his
character of Divine Truth. (See A.
B. 666.) The humanity of the Lord,
while in the world was Divine
Truth (A. D. 303), and, as such, was
subject to the combats of tempta-

IV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

17

4 Tremble ye, and sin not :
Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.
Selah.

tion ; but when fully glorified, that
is, when Divine Truth became com
pletely united to Divine Good (or the
Father) the Lord rose above all temp
tation, being now Jehovah Himself
in a Human Form.
Verse 4. — Tremble and sin not.
In this verse and the one following,
is described a state of repentance. To
tremble (literally, to he moved) signifies
a state of humiliation of heart before
the Lord, — a state of holy fear, in
which man acknowledges his own
weakness and sinfulness. Sin not
signifies to cease from doing evil, to
resist temptation, not to yield to sin-
fol inclinations, — in a word, to refrain
from whatever is forbidden by the
Divine commandments, for repent
ance, to be effective, must be actual;
sorrow for sin is not sufficient, — it
must be followed by resistance to sin.
Commune with your own heart. These
words enjoin the duty of self-exami
nation. Man is to look into his own
heart, to examine his own will and
inclinations, to discover what is his
ruling love, — ^for that is the index to
his true state. If Ms ruling love be
the love of self or of the world, — if
his main end be wealth or pleasure
or worldly eminence and distinction,
and he find himself earnestly pur
suing this end to the disregard of his
neighbor's good, and in opposition
to the Divine commandments — ^then
he is tuming his back on heaven, and
rushing downwards. But if his fore
mast desire be to become a good
man, and an angel of heaven here
after, — ^if his earnest purpose be to
become regenerate, and he be strugg
ling for this object, though in the

midst of weakness and through seK-
combats and temptations, — ^then,
truly, is he pressing forwards to the
accomplishment of the true end of
his being.
Upon your bed. That is, by the
light of doctrine. Self-examination
is to be made under the guidance of
tme doctrine. There must, plainly,
be some standard of right and truth,
to which man's principles and incli
nations must be brought, in order to
form a correct judgment of them.
That standard is true doctrine de
rived from the revealed Word :
" Thy Word," says the Psalmist, " is
a lamp to my feet, and a light to
my path" (cxix. 105). Without that
great light we should wander we
know not whither, and be lost : with
it for a guide, we may, if we will,
reach heaven. Bed, in the spiritual
sense, signifies doctrine, because as
the body rests upon its bed, so does
the mind on its doctrine. (See A.
R. 137.) That the term bed has a
spiritual sense, is plain from the fol-
lovidng passage in Isaiah (xxviii. 20) :
" For the bed is shorter than one can
stretch himself on it ; and the
covering narrower than he can wrap
himself in it ; " in these words, a
declining state of the Church is
spoken of, when the knowledge of
tme doctrine is nearly lost, and the
mind has no sufficient resting-place.
And he still. This seems to express
a state of humble acquiescence in
the Divine will, — a state of submis
sion, in which man, conscious of his
own weakness and tendency to evil,
does not desire to act from himseK,
but is wiUiug to be led by the Lord.

18

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[IV.

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the Loed.
Many are there that say, " Who vdU show us good V
Lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us, 0 Loed.
Thou hast put gladness into my heart.
More tha,n at the time when their corn and their wine are
multipUed.

Verse 5. — Offer the sacrifices (liter
ally, sacrifice the sacrifices) of right
eousness, &c. " Cease to do evil :
leam to do well," saith the Lord.
There are two distinct stages in the
process of regeneration : the first is,
to refrain from evil : the second, to
do good. The former of these is
described in the preceding verse
("tremble and sin not"), — ^the latter
in this. When man refrains from
sin, in act and in thought, then the
evil inclination is removed by the
Lord, and in its place there is given a
disposition to good, more and more :
hence he begins to take delight in the
faithful performance of duties, and
also in acts of kindness to his neigh
bor. Thus he offers the sacrifices of
righteousness. For the Jewish sacri
fices represented worship ; and hence
"sacrifices of righteousness" signify
worship from a righteous heart, that
is, from a. heart purified from evils
and fiUed with good from the Lord.
" The sacrifices of God" says the
Psalmist, " are a broken spirit ; a
broken and a contrite heart, 0 God,
thou wilt not despise." (See Psahn
li. 17, 19.) And trust in the Lord.
In proportion as the heart becomes
purified from evils, and receptive of
good, trust in the Lord increases ; for
it descends from heaven in the new
good, just as the manna came down
to the Israelites in the morning dews.
(See A. C. 8455.)
Verses 6, 7, 8. — Many are there

that say. Who will show us good ? &c.,
to the end. " In these words is de
scribed the peace enjoyed by those
who are in conjunction with the
Lord, by the reception of Divine
Good and Divine Truth from Him ;
and it is taught that peace is the
principle, in and from which is
heavenly j oy. Divine good is under
stood by the words, 'Who will show
us good ?" and Divine Truth by the
words. Lift up thou upon us the light
of thy countenance. The light of the
Lord's countenance is the Divine
light proceeding from Him as the
Sun in the angelic heaven, which
light is in its essence Divine Truth.
The heavenly joy thence derived is
meant by putting gladness in the heart.
The multiplication of good and
truth is meant by their corn and new
wine being multiplied, corn signifying
good, and new wiiu, truth. Since
peace exists in and from these, there
fore it is said, / will at the same time
lie down aiid sleep in peace, for thou,
0 Lord, causest me to dwell in safety.
By peace is signified the internal
delight of heaven, and by security
the external delight ; and by lying
down and sleeping, as also by dwelling,
is signified living." (Ap. Ex. 365.)
The language, Many there are ihat
say ,TFhowillshowus good? — describes
the state of gloom and sadness
infused into the mind by tempters,
who strive to work up the spirit
to despair by exciting doubts of the

v.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

19

8 I wiU both Ue down and sleep in peace :
For thou alone, 0 Loed, causest me to dweU in safety.

Divine goodness, inspiring the evO.
thought, "Is there any such thing
as happiness? Is there anything
worth living for V But the answer
to the tempter is given from the
Lord — " Yes ! in the Lord there is
peace and infinite joy — at the Kght
of His countenance all things dark
and sad vanish." There is some
thing worth living for, namely, the
glory and bHss of heaven, which will
certainly come, if we endure patiently
to the end : " Let us not be weary in
weU-doing," says the Apostle, " for in

due season we shall reap, if we faint
not." (GaL vi. 9.) More ihan at
the time, &c. That is, I have more
joy in conjunction with Thee, than
the worldly ones have in the height
of their prosperity : com and new
wine signify good and truth ; but
here, they signify only apparent
good and truth, or what to the evil
appears as good and true. (This
seems to be the meaning of the pas
sage.) J will lie down and sleep. See note
on Psahn IIL, ver. 5.

PSALM V.

SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
A prayer of the Lord to the Father, that He would assist, verses
1 to 3, 7, 8, 11, 12 ; against the evil, falsifiers and hypocrites, 4: to
6, 9, 10. To the Leader upon the Flutes : a Psalm of David.
1 Give ear to my words, 0 Loed :
Attend to my cry.
2 Hearken to the voice of my suppUcation, my King and my
God;
For to thee wUl I pray.

Title. — To the Leader upon the
Flutes. The term nechiloth, here
rendered " flutes," is derived from a
root signifying to bore or perforate,
and signifies wind instruments — such,
at least, as were made of wood, as
the pipe and flute. It stands in
contradistinction to neginoth, which
signifies stringed instrwments. String
ed instruments were representative

of the affection of truth, while wind
instruments represented the affection
of good. — A Psalm of David. See
note on the Title of Psalm III.
Verses 1 and 2. — 0 Lord {Je
hovah). — My King and my God. The
term Jehovah is used in reference to
the Divine Love : the terms King and
God, in reference to the Divine Wis
dom or Truth. For the name Je-

20

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[V.

3 0 Loed, in the morning thou wUt hearken to my voice :
In the morning I wUl set myself in order for thee, and wiU
watch.
4 For thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness :
Evil shaU not dwell with thee.
5 The proud shaU not stand before thine eyes :
Thou hatest aU the doers of iniquity.

hovah is derived from a root signify
ing, To Be ; and the Divine Essence
or Essential Being is Love : but the
terms God and also King, are expres
sive of the Divine power, and there
fore have reference to Truth, by
means of which all spiritual power
is exercised. (See A. C. 3910.) "Je
hovah is a name most holy, and
belongs only to the Church ; whereas
God is not so, since every nation had
gods, and therefore the name God
is not so holy. It was not allowed
any one to name the name Jehovah,
but those who had a knowledge of the
true faith ; whereas, every one might
name the name of God." (A. C. 624.)
Verse 3. — In ihe mm-ning thou
wilt hearken to my voice, &c. " In
the Word frequent mention is made
of morning, and it has various sig
nifications according to the series in
the internal sense. In the supreme
sense, it signifies the Lord, and like
wise His coming : iu the internal
sense, it signifies His kingdom and
Church, and its state of peace. It
also signifies the first state of a new
church, and likewise a state of love ;
also a state of illustration, conse
quently of intelligence and wisdom ;
and likewise a state of conjunction
of good and truth, which has place
when the internal man is conjoined
to the external. The reason why
morning has such various significa
tions, is, because in the supreme sense
it signifies the Lord's Divine Hu

manity ; hence, also, all things which
proceed from Him, for the Lord is
in those things which proceed from
Him, so that He Himself is there."
(Ap. Ex. 179.) In the present in
stance, by morning is plainly signi
fied the new state of love and light
in the mind, which succeeds the dark
ness or night of temptation. " In the
morning," says the Psalmist, " Thou
wilt hearken to my voice." The
Lord at all times hearkens to a sin
cere prayer ; and, indeed, as the
Doctrine of the Church teaches. He
is even nearer to us in states of deep
temptation than at other times, in
teriorly upholding us. Yet He does
not appear to hearken to us, till our
petition is granted, and relief comes,
— till the night of temptation passes
away, and the morning-light of a
new state breaks in. It is added,
" In the morning I wiU. set myself
in order for thee, and will watch."
We are taught, that after states of
deep temptation, the thoughts and
affections of the mind are arranged
in a new order, more nearly resem
bling heaven, and more capable of
conjunction with the Lord. Thus
man becomes more heavenly-minded,
more spiritually wakeful, — which is
signified by " watching."
Verses 4, 5.— Evil shall not dwell
with thee: this is expressed abstractly,
according to the spiritual style, which
looks at principles, rather than per
sons. The meaning is, the evil or

v.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

21

6 Thou wUt destroy those that speak lies :
A man of blood and deceit the Loed abhors.
7 But I, in the abundance of thy mercy, wUl go into thy house:
In thy fear, I wUl bow down towards thy holy temple.
8 0 Loed, lead me in thy righteousness, because of those that
Ue in wait for me :
Make straight thy way before me.
9 For there is no sincerity in their mouth :

the wicked cannot abide the Divine
presence. As it is more plainly ex
pressed in the next verse. The proud
shall not stand before thine eyes : that
is, those who are in self-love, and
hence in pride, cannot bear the light
of Divine Truth. The eije signifies
the mental eye or inteUect ; hence, by
the Lord's eyes is signified His Divine
intellect, wisdom, or truth. Tliou
hatest all the doers of iniquity. The
Lord hates no one, for He is love
itself. But the Lord is said to hate
the doers of iniquity in the same
sense in which He is said to be angry
with the wicked every day: the true
meaning of which is, that the wicked
are in a state of perpetual hostility
to the Lord. Thus the terms hate
and anger describe their state rather
than His. But it appears to the
wicked as if the Lord hated and
were angry with them : and hence
in the letter of Scripture, it is so
expressed. Verse 6. — A man of hlood (liter
ally, bloods) and of deceit the Lord
abhors. By a man of bloods and of
deceit are signified those who are in
falses from evil ; wherefore it is
said, " Thou wilt destroy those that
speak lies ;" Hes, in the Word, signi
fying falses. Blood, in the spiritual
sense, signifies Divine truth ; as
where it is said by the Lord, " Un-'
less ye eat the flesh of the Son of

Man and drink his blood, ye have no
life in you." (Jolm vi. 53.) To
" eat the flesh and drink the blood
of the Son of Man," is to receive and
appropriate good and truth from the
Lord, which is spiritual life. But
in the opposite or bad sense, blood
signifies violence offered to truth,
thatisits/ct&i/icaiioji; also, to "shed
innocent blood" (as in Isaiah lix. 7),
signifies to destroy the good of love
and charity : hence, when the term
is expressed, as here, in the plural,
bloods, it signifies violence offered
both to tmth and good by falses and
evils. (Ap. Ex. 329.)
Verse 7. — JVill go into thy house
— vjill bow down towards thy temple,
&c. To go into the Lord's house,
signifies to enter into a state of good ;
while, to how down towards the temple,
has reference to a state of truth and
of worship from truth : for house, in
the Word, has reference to good —
temple, to truth. (A. C. 3720.)
Verse 8. — 0 Lord, lead me in thy
righteousness, &o. This is a prayer
to the Lord to keep us in a state of
goodness and purity, defending us
from seducing tempters, signified by
those that lie in wait for me; while
make straight thy way before me, is a
prayer that the understanding may
be enlightened to see the truth, —
the term way signifying truth.
Vehse 9. — For there is no sincerity

22

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[V-

Their interiors are lusts :
Their throat is an open sepulchre :
They speak smoothly with their tongue.
10 Convict them, 0 God:
Let them faU by their own counsels :
In the multitude of their transgressions cast them down ;
For they have rebeUed against thee.
11 But aU that trust in thee, shaU be glad :
They shaU ever shout for joy, and thou wUt protect them ;
And those that love thy name, shaU exult in thee.
12 For thou, 0 Loed, wUt bless the righteous :
With favor wUt thou encompass him, as with a shield.

m their mouth, &c. " In their mouth
signifies what is exterior ; their in
ward part signifies what is interior :
that their interior is hell, is signified
by their throat being an open sepulchre;
and that their exterior is hypocritical
and apparently sane, is signified by
their speaking smoothly with their
tongue." (Ap. Ex. 659.) "The throat
an open sepulchre, is predicated of
evil, — the tongue speaking smooth
things, of the false." (A. C. 3527.)
Verse 10. — Convict them, 0 God,
&c. This is a prayer to the Lord,
that the evil may be judged, — that
hypocritical tempters may have their
evils brought out and made manifest,
that so they may sink down to their
own place, where they will be no more
able to disturb the good. The phrase,
" 0 God," is used, because the term
God has reference to Divine Truth,
by which evil is exposed and judged.

Verse 11. — But all that trust in
thee, shall be glad, &o. These words
describe the happiness of the good,
who put their trust in the Lord.
Three different and ascending de
grees of joy, appear to be expressed
by the different terms, be glad, shout
for joy, and exult (or leap for joy),
corresponding to the natural, spirit
ual, and celestial degrees of goodness.
To " love the Lord's name," signifies,
in the supreme sense, to worship
His Divine Humanity. (See IT. T.
299.) Verse 12. — With favor, wilt thou
encompass him, as with a shield.
"Favor (Literally, good pleasure)
denotes the Divine love, from which
the Lord defends all : His protection
from love is signified by encompass
ing them as with a shield." (Ap.
Ex. 295.)

VL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

23

PSALM VI.
SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
A prayer of the Lord to the Father, when he was in the last
state of temptation, tohich state is despair, verses 1 to 7 ; and that
being aided, he repressed the hells, 8 to 10.
To the Leader on the Stringed Instruments : iu the bass : a Psalm of
David.
1 0 Loed, rebuke me not in thy anger :
Chastise me not in thy wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, 0 Loed, for I languish :
Heal me, 0 Loed, for my bones tremble.

Title. — Stringed instruments. See
note on the title of Psahn IV.
In the bass. The word here rend
ered bass {Sheminith) signifies pro
perly an eighth or octave ; and it is
understood to refer to the grave
or bass notes in music, sung by
the male voice ; for the teim is
used in contradistinction to Alamoth
{maidens), that is, the treble, or part
proper to the female voice, which is
an octave higher. (See 1 Chronicles
XV. 20, 21, wli"re harps on the She
minith, probably mean instruments
of a bass or low tone ; and psalteries
on Alamoth, instruments of a high
tone.) In the internal sense, this
direction to the Leader to play on the
bass or low notes, seems intended to
indicate the depressed or sad strain
of the sentiment of the Psalm.
Verse 1. — Rebuke me not in thy
anger, &c. For the true signification
of the terms anger and wrath, when
predicated of the Divine Being, see
the notes on Psalm ii. 5, 12. In
states of temptation, the Lord seems

not only to be absent from us, but,
as it were, opposed to, and angry
with, us. Such thoughts are in
sinuated by tempters ; they consti
tute, indeed, a part of the tempta
tion. This is the meaning of the
Psalmist's words, " O Lord, rebulsie
me not — chastise me not," &c. But,
in truth, the Lord chastises no one ;
neither is He ever absent or ever
angry; nor does He lead any one
into temptation. On the contrary.
He is ever present, supporting us in
the temptations induced by infernal
spirits ; and if we wiU hold fast to
Him, He will bring us safely through,
into a state of light and peace, — as
is shown in the last three verses of
this Psalm.
Verse 2. — Be gracious to me, 0
Lord. To be gracious is to give re
lief ; for " to give grace in tempta
tion is to comfort and relieve by
hope." (A. C. 5043.)
For my bones tremble. In the spi
ritual sense, by bones are signified
truths, or doctrinals, which sus-

24

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[VI.

My soul, also, is exceedingly disturbed :
And thou, 0 Loed — how long ?
Eeturn, 0 Loed ; deliver my soul ;
Save me for thy mercy's sake.
For in death there is no remembrance of thee :
In heU who shaU praise thee ?

tain the mind, as bones do the
body. (A. C. 8005.) By the bones
trembling, then, is described the ef
fect of a temptation, in which tmths
in the mind, being assailed by falsi
ties and doubts, lose their firmness
and begin to waver. This is often
the case in spiritual temptation.
That the term hones is to be under
stood in this spiritual sense, is evi
dent from Psalm li. 8 : " Make me
to hear joy and gladness, that the
bones which thou hast broken, may
rejoice ;" where plainly bones can be
imderstood only in the spiritual
sense. Verse 3. — And thou, 0 Lord, —
how long ? that is, how long wUt
thou be absent from me 1 how long
shall I be deprived of the comfort of
thy presence, the " light of thy
countenance?". That such is the
meaning, is evident from the words
that follow ¦ " Return, 0 Lord."
Verse 4. — For thy mercy's sake.
Literally on account of, or because of
thy mercy: that is, in consideration
of, or, in accordance with, the mercy
or tenderness, which constitutes thy
Divine nature.
Verse 5. — For in death there is no
remembrance of thee : in hell who shall
praise thee. The term here trans
lated hell {Sheol) is derived from a
root signifying hollow, cavernous, and
thus aptly describes the hells, which
are, as it were, vast subterranean
caverns, beneath the world of spirits.
The English term hell, from the Ger

man li'dlle, has etymologically pre
cisely the same signification, hollow,
cavernous. That Sheol does not, as
sometimes maintained, answer to the
Greek hades, or place of departed
spirits, — or,in other words, the world
of spirits, into which both good and
bad first enter after death — ^is evident
from the context : " In sheol who
shall praise thee?" where, plainly,
the reference is to those altogether
evil, as the lost in hell.
In the spiritual sense, by the
terms death and liell, when used to
gether, are signified evil and its ac
companying falsity. For evil is
spiritual death ; and hell is the shadow
of death, that is, the darkness of
mind, which always attends evil of
heart. Hence, in the Apocalypse
(vi. 8) it is said that on the pale
horse sat Death, and Hell followed
with him. By the pale horse is
signified the understanding of the
Word destroyed, dead, through in
fidelity and denial : Death sitting on
Ifini is the evil, in which such a mind
is ; and Hell following is its attendant
falsity. So, in another place of the
Apocalypse (xx. 14), it is said, " death
and hell were cast into the lake of
fire ;" where by death is signified
those who are in evil, distiactively ;
and by hell, those who are ia the
false, — or, as termed by th^i New
Church Doctrine, devils and s%tans :
the "lake of fire" signifies, tho state
of falsity derived from evU. (See
" Ap. Rev.," n. 870.)

VL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

25

G I am weary with my groaning :
All night do I make my bed to swim :
I drench my couch with my tears.
7 My eye is wasted with grief:
It is grown old because of aU my enemies.
8 Depart from me, aU ye doers of iniquity.
For the Loed has heard the voice of my weeping.
9 The Loed has heard my suppUcation :
The Loed wUl accept my prayer.
10 AU my enemies shaU be confounded and exceedingly dis
turbed :
They shaU turn back — they shaU be confounded in a moment.

Verse 6. — J drench my couch with
my tears. " By tears from the eyes
is signified grief of mind on account
of falses ; for by the eye is signified
the understanding of truth, and
hence tears signify grief on account
of not understanding truth, hence on
account of falses. ¦> The like also is
signified by tears in Isaiah (xxv. 8) :
' He will swallow up death for ever,
and the Lord Jehovah will wipe
away tears from off all faces ;' by
which is signified that the Lord, by
His coming, will remove evils and
falses with those who live from Him,
so that they shaU have no grief of
mind on account of those evils and
falses : death signifies evU, because
from evil is spiritual death, and tears
are spoken of the false." (Ap. Ex.
484.) From this it will be seen, that
the shedding of tears described in
this and the following verses, signi
fies a state of deep temptation,
through the disturbing influence of
false thoughts infused into the mind
by infernal spirits. In the spiritual
sense, bed signifies doctrine (see note
on Psalm iv. 4) : hence the bed

being inundated with tears, signifies
that the doctrine of truth in the mind
is overwhelmed vidth falses, as is the
case in temptation. The two terms
bed and couch have reference, respec
tively, to the doctrine of truth and
the doctrine of good ; that is, the
doctrine that teaches principles, and
the doctrine that teaches the way of
life : both are confused and disturbed,
in the mind, by false thoughts in
fused by tempters.
Verse 7. — My eye is wasted with
grief, &c. The eye, as remarked in
the preceding note, signifies the un-
derstandiug, which is the eye of the
mind. Its being "wasted" and
"grown old" signifies a disturbance
and seeming loss of the perception
of truths by the darkening influence
of falses.
Verse 8. — From the tone of this
and the remaining verses, we per
ceive that the dawn is breaking, and
the temptation begmning to pass
away : the powers of evil are cast
down, and the Lord comes with new
light, love, and peace into the soul.

26

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[VIL

PSALM VIL
SUMMAEY OE THE INTEENAL SENSE.
A prayer of the Lord to tlie Fatiier, that He would assist
against the hells, verses 1, 2, 6 to 9, 10, 11, 17; because he is
righteous, OM-d there is no evil in him, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 ; lest the hells
should prevail, 5; Tmt they will be subdued, 12 to 16.
An Ode of David, which he sang to the Lord, on account of the words of
Cush the Benjamite.
1 0 Loed, my God, in thee do I put my trust :
Save me from aU my persecutors, and deUver me.
2 Lest he rend my soul, like a lion.
Tearing it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
Title. — Cush the Benjamite. There
is no account, in the Jewish history,
of any person of this name ; but
he is supposed to have been one
of David's enemies at the court of
Saul. In the spiritual sense, by the
tribe of Benjamin is signified the
spiritual of the celestial principle, or
truth derived from good : hence, in
the opposite or perverted sense, it
signifies the false derived from evU.
As David, here and throughout the
Psalms, represents the Lord, by " the
words of Cush the Benjamite," are
doubtless signified the infestations of
false and accusing spirits, by which
the Lord, while in his humanity,
was assailed.
Verse 1.— 0 Loed, my God, &c.
This is a prayer of the Lord to the
Father, that is, of the human to the
Divine, for strength in his combats
against the hells, by which he was
continually assaulted. When the
Lord was in his states of humiliation
and temptation, the human seemed
to be left to itself, and the Divine
appeared to be distant and absent
from him, — as when he cried, upon

the cross, " My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me?" Yet it
was but an appearance ; the Divine
was never absent nor distant, but
dwelt witiiin him, as he at other
times said, " My Father dwelleth in
me" (John xiv. 10) ; nay, the Diviae
or Jehovah was actually a part of
himself, constituting his soul or
inmost principle ; according to the
Lord's words, " I and the Father
are one." But in times of tempta
tion, the internal and external, or
the Divine and human principles,
seemed to be distinct and separated,
and thus the Lord addressed the
Father, as another Being, as in the
present instance. The Lord {Jehovah)
signifies the Divine as to love, — and
God, the Divine as to truth. (See
note on Psalm iii. 7.)
Verse 2. — Lest he rend my sold,
like a lion, tearing it im, pieces. " By
tearing in pieces, is signified destruc
tion by evils and falses ; the ground
of which signification is that in the
spiritual world, there is no other
teariag in pieces but that of good by
evUs and falses. The wild beasts,

VIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

27

3 0 Loed, my God, if I have done this —
If there be iniquity in my hands ;
4 If I have rendered evU to him that was at peace with me,
Or have despoiled him that without cause was my enemy ;
5 Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it :
Let him tread down my Ufe to the earth,
And lay my glory in the dust. Selah.
6 Arise, 0 Loed, in thy anger :
Lift up thyself against the fury of my oppressors ;
And awake for me to the judgment which thou hast ordained.
7 So shaU the congregation of the peoples surround thee ;
And for their sake return thou on high.

also, which tear in pieces, signify, in
the spiritiial sense, the evils of lusts,
and the falses thence derived, —
which, likewise, in the other life
are represented by wild beasts." (A.
C. 5828.) By a lion, is signified, in a
good sense, Divine tmth in its power ;
but in the opposite sense, it signifies
destructive falsity.
Verses 3, 4. — If I have done this,
¦ — if there he iniquity in my hands,
&c. These words are a declaration
of the Lord's righteousness and sin-
lessness. For though, in the hu
manity derived from the mother,
there was necessarily hereditary evil,
yet it was in no case aUowed to go
forth into actual evil or siu ; for the
Lord always overcame in aU tempta
tions. This is affirmed in His words
to the Jews, "Which of you con-
victeth me of sin V (John viii. 46.)
The expression, " If I have done
this," has reference probably to some
sia with which accusing spirits
charged biTin ; for it is the nature of
a certain class of tempters to stir up
the conscience falsely, and to make
us accuse ourselves of wrong which
we have not committed.
Verse 5. — Let the enemy pursue

my soul, &c. The meaning is, that
if he were guUty, then justly would
the evil retum upon liis own head ;
for sin is ever its own punishment.
" Tread down my life" signifies the
destruction of good, and "lay my
glory in the dust" signifies the des
olation of truth : for the " Ufe" of
the soul is love or good, and " glory"
signifies the brightness of truth.
Selah. See note on Psalm iu.,
verse 2.
Verse 6. — In thy anger. Anger,
here as everywhere, when predicated
of the Lord, signifies His Divine
love and zeal for the protection of
the good, which, to the wicked who
are thereby prevented from accom-
pUshiug their cruel pirrposes, appears
as wrath and violence. Awake for
me to the judgment which thou hast
ordained: that is, judge and cast
down the evU, that they may no
more injure the good.
Verse 7. — So shall the congregation
of the peoples surround thee, and for
their sake return thou on high. When
the wicked are cast dovm, then the
good are elevated into heaven, with
the Lord. " Retum thou on high,"
signifies the glorification of the hu-

28

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[VII.

8 The Loed wiU judge the peoples :
Judge me, 0 Loed, according to my righteousness,
And according to my integrity that is in me.
9 0 let the evil of the wicked come to an end ;
But estabUsh the righteous ;
For thou that triest hearts and reins art a righteous God.

10 My shield is in God,
Who saves the upright in heart.

manity, by which instrumentality
the faithful are saved.
Verse 8. — The Lord will judge the
peoples. The term "judge" is here
used in a good sense, signifying to
decree to everlasting life. The peo
ples signify distinctively the spiritual,
or those who are in faith from
charity. (See note on Psalm ii. 1.)
Judge me, 0 Jehovah, according fo
my righteousness, &c. These are the
words of the Lord in the humanity :
he alone could justly speak of his
own righteousness and integrity, for
in him alone was it self-derived.
Whatever of good may seem to be
possessed by man, is not his own,
but is the perpetual gift of the Lord ;
man of himseU is nothing ; as the
Lord said, " Without me ye can do
nothing" (John xv. 5). The phrase,
" my integrity that is in me,"
seems tautological : but this it can
not be : there are no unmeaning
repetitions in the Divine Word.
The expression in me (or, as more
exactly rendered, over or upon me),
has reference, perhaps, to the essen
tial Divine dwelling within the hu
manity, and here distinguished from
the humanity not yet glorified : " My
Father dweUeth in me" (John xiv.
10). Judge me means, " Give judg
ment for me : decide in my favor."
Verse 9. — " Thou that triest hearts
and reins." " By trying hearts

and reins, is signified, that the
Lord alone knows and explores ex
terior and interior principles, as the
things which belong to faith and
love. This is manifest from the sig
nification of trying, when appUed to
the Lord, as denoting that He alone
knows and explores ; and from the
signification of the reins, as denoting
the truths of faith and their purifica
tion from falsities ; and from the
signification of hearts, as denoting
the goods of love. The righteous
are those who love to do what is true
and good ; the tmths and goods of
these are purified by the Lord, which
is meant by his seeing and trying
the reins and hearts." (Ap. Ex. 167.)
Verse 10. — My shield is in God.
" That a shield signifies defence to
be confided in against evUs and fal
sities, is evident without explication.
But what is specificaUy signified by
a shield, may be known from the
Word, namely, that in respect to the
Lord, it signifies defence, and in re
spect to man, confidence in the Lord's
protection. As war signifies tempta
tions, so aU the arms used in war
signify some particular belonging to
temptation, and to defence against
evils and falsities, or against the dia-
boUcal crew who induce temptation,
and act the part of tempters. Where
fore each kind of weapon or armour
has a distinct signification pecuUar

VIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

29

11. God judges the righteous.
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
1 2 Unless he turn. He wUl whet his sword :
He has bent his bow, and pointed it :
13 He has also prepared for him instruments of death ;
He makes his arrows burning.
14 Behold, the wicked is in travaU with iniquity,
And conceives mischief,
And brings forth disappointment.

to itseU, whether it be a shield, a
buckler, a helmet, a spear, a lance, a
sword, a bow and arrows, or a breast
plate. The reason, why a shield, in
respect to the Lord, signifies defence
against evU and falsities, and in re
spect to man, confidence in the Lord,
is because it was a piece of armour
for the security of the breast ; and
by the breast is signified goodness
and tmth, — goodness by reason of
the heart being there, and truth, on
account of the lungs." (A. C. 1 788.)
By God, is signified the Lord as to
Divine Truth, by which aU spiritual
warfare is maintained.
Verse 11. — Godjudgestherighteous,
that is, gives judgment in their fa
vor, — defends and accepts them :
to judge is used here in the same
sense as in the 8th and 9th verses.
God is angry with the wicked every
day. That is. Divine Tmth {God)
stands ever opposed to wickedness
or evil, in aU its states and degrees :
for evil is that which is contrary to
Divine order : but Divine Truth is
Order itself.
Verses 12, 13. — Unless he turn.
He will whet his sword, &c. " It is
here attributed to God, that He is
angry with the wicked, that He
sharpens His sword, that He bends
and points His bow, that He pre
pares the instruments of death and

makes His arrows burning. But in
the spiritual sense, it is understood
that man does this to himself These
things are attributed to God in the
sense of the letter, because that sense
is natural and for the natural man,
who beUeves that God is thus to be
feared : and fear with him operates
the same as love does afterwards,
when he becomes spiritual. Hence
it is evident what is truly signified
by those words, namely, that the
wicked is angry at God, that he
sharpens the sword against himseU,
and bends and points his bow, that
he prepares for himseU the instru
ments of death, and makes his own
arrows burning. By his sharpening
the sword, is meant that he procures
to him,seU the falsity by which he
combats against tmth {svjord, in a
good sense, signifying truth combat
ing, — in the opposite sense, falsity
combating) ; hj'his bending and point
ing the how, is signified that from fal
sities he frames to himseU doctrine
against truths {how, in the spiritual
sense, signifying doctrine) ; and by
his preparing instrv/ments of death,
and making his arrows burning, is
signified, that from infemal love, he
makes for himseU principles of the
false, by which he destroys good and
its truths." (Ap. Ex. 357.)
Verse 14. — He is in travail with

30

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[VIL

15 He digs a pit, and hoUows it out;
But he shaU himself faU into the pit which he has made.
16 His mischief shaU return upon his own head.
And his violence shall descend upon the crown of his head.
17 1 wUl praise the Loed according to his righteousness.
And I wiU sing praise to the name of the Loed, Most High.

iniquity, and conceives mischief, and
brings forth disappointment (literaUy,
a lie). This pictures a mind filled
with iniquitous plans and designs,
which aU end at last in disappoint
ment and suffering, — as aU evU must.
EvU has Omnipotence opposed to it,
— ^how can it succeed ? It may seem
to prosper for a time, but in the end
its fall wUl be the greater : " there
is no peace, saith my God, to the
wicked." Verse 15. — He digs a pit, &c. By
a pit, in the spiritual sense, is signi
fied falsity. Thus in Zechariah (ix.
11) : " By the blood of thy covenant
I wUl send forth thy prisoners out of
the pit, wherein is no water." By
" a pit wherein is no water" is signi
fied the false principles in which
there is nothing of truth ; water sig
nifies tmth. So in Matthew (xv. 14) :
" If the blind lead the bUnd, both
shall faU into the pit ;" that is, into
falses. (See A. 0. 4728.) To " dig
a pit," then, signifies to frame falses
from evils : to " hoUow it out" or
deepen it, signifies, to confirm one's
seU in such falses.
Verse 16. — His mischief shall re
turn upon his own head, &c. By the
head, in a good sense, is signified
wisdom, and in the present case, the
understanding ; while by the crown
of the head, is signified the inmost
or essential priaoiple of wisdom,

which is love, and in the present
case, the will. Then, by " his mis
chief retuming upon his own head,
and his violence descending npon
the crown of his head," is signified
that the wicked, by their evUs and
falses, destroy both their understand
ing and wiU, and thus cast themselves
into the " second death," that is, into
a state of endless evil and wretched
ness. Verse 17. — I will praise the Lord,
&c. These are words of thanksgiv-
iug to the Lord, for His protection
and support. The Psalmist opens
with an earnest prayer for deUver-
ance : " O Lord, my God, in thee do
I put my trust ; save me from all
my persecutors," &c. He continues
through a course of mingled suppUca
tion and reflection, striving to satisfy
himseU that the Lord wiU defend
the good against the evU ; and closes
in a state of peaceful assurance that
the infemals wiU be cast down, and
the good be protected. This is the
usual course which the mind passes
through in temptation ; commencing
in anxiety and entreaty, struggling
through a course of reasoning to
assure itseU that the Lord does not
forget or disregard, and ending in a
grateful certainty that the Lord is
all-powerful, and wUl for ever keep
and defend those that trust in Him.

VIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

31

PSALM VIIL
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Celebration of the Father hy the Lord ; that He would consider
his innocence, and assist against the Jiells, verses 1, 2, 3, 9 ; the
Lord's state of humiliation described, 4, 5 ; his state of glorifica
tion described, 6, 7, 8.
To the Leader upon the Gittith : a PsaUn of David.
1 0 Loed, our Lord, how glorious is thy name in aU the earth ;
Wlio hast set thy majesty above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of infants and suckUngs hast thou ordained
strength,
Because of thy adversaries; to restrain the enemy and the
avenger.

Title. — Gittith. This word is
found in the titles of three Psalms,
namely, the eighth, eighty-first, and
eighty-fourth ; and is evidently the
name of a musical instrument. The
root of the word is gath, a wine
press ; and the instrument here
named is supposed to have been used
as an accompaniment to the singers
who trod out the grapes. To " tread
the wine-press," in Scripture, signi
fies, in the spiritual sense, to explore
or examine the nature of works in
the Church, — vine signUying the
Church, and grapes, the fruits or
works. (See Apoc. Rev. 651-2.) As
instruments of music sigrdfy affec
tions of various kinds (see note on
title to Psalm IV.), the Gittith would
seem to represent the affection of
exploring the nature of works in the
Church, — thus the affection of spuit-
ual good.
Verse 1. — 0 Lord {Jehovah), our
Lord, hovj glorious is thy name in all
the earth. By " name," in Scripture,

is signified quality or nature, inas
much as names were originally given
to express the quaUty or character of
the person named. By the " earth"
is signified the Chru?ch. The mean
ing is, that the Lord's Divine quaUty,
which is Love and Wisdom (the term
Jehovah signUying Love, and Lord,
Truth or Wisdom), is the object of
love and worship to the whole
Church. " Who hast set thy maj esty
above the heavens," signifies that
His Divinity fills not only the
Church, but heaven, and extends ia-
finitely above and beyond even the
heavens ! as it is declared, " even the
heaven of heavens cannot contaiu
thee" (1 Kings vui. 27).
Verse 2. — Out of the mouth o
infants and sucklings, &c. " Man, as
soon as he is bom, is introduced into a
state of innocence, in order that that
state may be a plane for aU his other
states, and may be the inmost of
them ; this .state is signified by a
suckling : he is next introduced into

32

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[VIII.

3 When I behold thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
The moon and the stars which thou hast ordained,
4 What is man, that thou shouldst be mindful of him ?
Or the son of man, that thou shouldst regard him ?

a state of celestial good, that is, of
love towards parents, which with
them is in the place of love to the
Lord, which state is signified by an
infant," (A. C. 3183.) Hence, in
the spiritual sense, by sucklings and
infants, are signified innocence and
celestial love, and aU such as are in
those principles, whether men or
angels. In the present case, by in
fants and sucklmgs seems to be
meant the Lord's celestial kingdom,
the angels of which are in essential
innocence. By the mouth of such is
signified truth ; for mouth signifies
doctrine, which is taught by the
mouth, and hence truth, which is
the essence of doctrine. Hence by
the " mouth of infants and suck
lings" is signified truth, derived from
celestial innocence ; and as aU spi
ritual power is in truth derived from
good, therefore it is said " thou hast
ordained strength," By the adver
saries, as also by the enemy and the
avenger, are signified the heUs, both
as to falses and evUs ; which are
restrained by the influx from the
Lord's celestial kingdom.
The connection of tliis verse with
the preceding, seems to be this. In
the first verse, the goodness and
greatness of Jehovah are described.
Then, in this verse. His celestial
kingdom or heaven is mentioned, as
being next, as it were, to Him, and
the instrument, through which, be
fore the incarnation, he restrained
and governed the heUs. For before
the Lord's incarnation, both men
and spirits were acted upon me

diately through the heavens ; but
siuce the incarnation and the glorifi
cation of His Humanity, the Lord
rules and orders aU things imme-
cUately from HimseU.
Verses 3, 4. — When I behold thy
heavens, &c. In the true sense, it is
not the visible heavens, the natural
firmament, that is here referred to,
for in that case the reflection would
not be a just one ; for in truth, man,
as a spiritual being, is higher and
greater than all the material orbs : —
these are created but to be his ser
vants and instruments. Vastness,
quantity is nothing ; it is quaUty, by
which all things are justly estimated ;
and in that view, one human soul is
nobler than all the stars of the fir
mament. The tme spiritual sense
of the passage seems to be this : —
When we consider the spiritual hea
vens, where angels dweU, or, speak
ing abstractly, the high states of
good and truth, love and wisdom and
consequent happiness, which the
good Creator has ordained, and of
which He has made man capable,
nay, wliich he once possessed, — how
faUen is man now ! mto how low a
state has he sunk ! Then it follows
in the succeeding verse, " Yet thou
wilt cause him to be a little less than
God," &c., that is, he is yet to be re
stored to his primitive state of purity.-
To " behold" or " see," signifies in
the spiritual sense, to perceive with
the understandUig. " Heavens — moon
and stars:" by "heavens" in this
comiection would be signified states
of love or good — for love is the

VIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

5 Yet thou wUt cause him to be a little less than God,
And wUt crown him with glory and honor.
6 Thou wUt give him dominion over the works of thy hands :
Thou wilt put all things under his feet :
7 Sheep and oxen, aU of them,
And, also the beasts of the field :

essential heavenly principle ; by
"moon" faith ; by "stars," the know
ledge of truth. Thus, the three
degrees of the heavenly state, love,
faith, and obedience to tmth, are
here impUed in the spiritual sense.
What is man, — and the son of man,
&c. The two expressions here used,
have reference, the former to the
will, and the latter to the under
standing ; for son in the spUitual
sense, signifies truth in the intellec
tual principle, which is derived from
(or, as it were, the son of) love in the
wiU. The meaning is, that man is
faUen, both as to the wUl and the
understanding,— that he is sunk both
in evU and falsity.
Verse 5. — Yet thou unit cause him
to be little less than God, &c. This
may refer to the regeneration of the
world, and the restoration of man
again to God's image and Ukeness,
in which he was originaUy created :
" glory and honor" signify the truth
and good, with which he wiU then be
gUted. But the whole passage has
reference in the supreme sense to
the Lord Jesus Christ. In this sense,
the words, " What is man and the
son of man," &c., describe the Lord's
state of humUiation while on earth ;
and the same is signified by his being
a little less than God, for, when glori
fied, he was fully God. But the latter
part of the verse, "with glory and
honor wilt thou crown hifa," as
also the verses that follow, describe
the Lord's state of Glorification, when

the humanity was made whoUy Di
vine, and to that Glorified Humanity
aU things became subject. (See Ap.
Ex. 288.)
Verse 6. — Tliou unit cause him to
rule over the works of thy hands, &c.
With man, in his state of regenera
tion, stiU more, with the Lord, in
his state of Glorification, all the in
ferior thoughts and affections are
brought under subjection, and are
arranged in theU proper places and
order. Thus man becomes a true
likeness of the Lord. — Under his feet.
By the feet, as being the lowest part
of the body, is sigmified in the spUit
ual sense, the lowest princijole of the
mind, which is the natural. In the
present case, it is the Lord's Divine
natural that is referred to, or the
ultimate of his Humanity. The
Humanity was whoUy glorified, even
to the feet, even to the Natural prin
ciple, and all made Divine and God.
Hence all created things are under
His feet, that is, subject to his glori
fied Humanity.
Verse 7. — Sheep and oxen, all of
them; and also the beasts of the field.
By animals, when mentioned in
Scripture, are signified the various
affections of man ; by the gentle
and harmless animals, good affec
tions, — and by the fierce animals,
evU affections. (A. 0. 45, 46.) In
the present instance, by sheep are
signified spiritual affections, such as
charity or love to the neighbour ;
hence the Lord's disciples are called

34

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[IX.

8 The bird of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
And whatsoever passes through the paths of the seas.
9 0 Loed, our Lord,
How glorious is thy name in aU the earth.

the " sheep of his flock : " by oxen
are signified good natiiral affections ;
and by " beasts of the field," the lowest
or sensual affections, such as are
nearest to the body. AU these are
good, when kept in their due order,
and in subjection to the Lord.
Verse 8. — The bird of the heavens,
and the fish of the sea, &c. As by
quadrupeds are signified in general
the affections of man, so by winged
animals, are signified the thoughts:
thus in Jeremiah (iv. 25) " I beheld
and lo there was no man, and aU the
birds of the heavens had fled ;" in
these words is described a state of

the Church, when no true wisdom,
nor thought of heavenly things was
left. By "bUd of the heavens,"
here, then, are signified things of
the understanding, especiaUy such
as are spiritual. By fishes are sig
nified scientiflcs, or knowledges in
the memory, which are natural It
is added, " and whatsoever passes
through the paths of the seas," to
signUy, in general, all things of the
natural mind, — seas signUying the
natural mind.
Verse 9. — 0 Lord, our Lord, &c.
The Psalm ends, as it begins, with
glorUying the Lord.

PSALM IX.
SUMMAEY OE THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Thanksgiving and joy of the Lord, that the evil are judged and
destroyed, verses 1 to 8, 19, 20 ; that tlie good are delivered, 9, 10 ;
and the thanksgiving of these, that the evil are overcome and cast
into hell, 15 to 17.

To the Leader of tlu music : in the treble : to the Son : a Psalm of David.

Title. — In the treble. To the Son.
There has been much difference of
opinion among scholars, as to the true
reading and interpretation of this
title. The words in the original are
al muih labhen. Some read muth
labben as a single word, and suppose
it to be the name of a musical instru
ment, the precise nature of which is
unknown. Others, perhaps with

more probabiUty, read al muih as
one word, and suppose it to be the
same with alamoth, found in the title
to the forty-sixth Psahn. The word
alamoth signifies maidens, and its use
here would seem to be a du-ection
that the PsaUn should be sung with
the fejjfiale voice, — that is, on a high
key, in the treble, in opposition to
sheminith or the bass (see note to

IX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

35

1 I will praise the Loed with my whole heart :
I will recount aU thy wondrous doings.
2 I wUl be glad and rejoice in thee :
I wUl sing praise to thy name, 0 Most High.
3 For my enemies are turned back :
They staggered and perished at thy presence.

title of Psalm VI.) : and this as ex
pressive of the grateful or exultiag
tone of the Psalm. — The remaining
word labben, " to the Son," or, as it
might be rendered, "of the Son,"
would imply that the Psalm refers
to the Lord Jesus.
Verses 1, 2. — These verses are
expressive of the Lord's joy and ex
ultation that the powers of darkness,
the tempters, the destroyers of men's
souls were cast down. The sole love
which actuated the Lord whUe in
the world, was the love of mankind,
and the desUe for theU salvation.
When, then, the evil spUits who
were striving to destroy men's souls,
and who, before the Lord came into
the world, had weU nigh accom-
pUshed their object, — were fiaaUy
cast down by the power of Jehovah,
or the Divine, in him, then the Lord
could not but rej oice with a fulness
of joy, corresponding to the intensity
of his love for man. This exulta
tion is expressed in these opening
verses, and, indeed, gives character
to the whole PsaUn.
To praise the Lord signifies a heart
felt acknowledgment of the Divine
goodness : whUe to recount his won
drous doings signifies a perception in
the understanding of His omniscience
and omnipotence. In Uke manner,
the terms to "be glad and rejoice"
have reference respectively to-deUght
in the understanding and in the will.
/ unll sing to thy name, 0 Most

High. " The singing of heaven"
says the Doctrine of the New Church,
" is nothing else than an affection of
the mind, which is emitted through
the mouth as a tune." (C. L. 155.)
Thus, then, to sing to the Lord's
name is expressive of affection for
the Lord's name. By name in the
spiritual sense, is signified quality
or character ; for names, originally,
were intended to describe the quality
of the person named. Hence by the
Lord's name is signified His Divine
quaUty or character, which is essen
tial Love. This character is expressed
by the phrase that foUows, "Most
High." For what is high Ui space
corresponds to what is elevated in
state, that is, to what is pure or per
fect. Now dismterested love is the
most exalted of aU quaUties : hence
the Lord is caUed most exalted or
Most High, because He is pure Love
itseU. Verse 3. — For my enemies are
turned back. These enemies are the
tempters, the powers of darkness, —
the great enemies of man, for they
wish to destroy him eternally. They
are such, as, when men in the world,
were murderers,- or guilty of other
crimes and suis, and now find delight
instrivingtomurdermen's souls. But
before the Lord, they are nothing :
" as wax melteth before the fire, so
shall the wicked perish at the pre
sence of God." We have but to call
upon the Lord, and hold fast to

36

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[IX.

4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause :
Thou didst sit on the throne, judging righteously.
5 Thou hast rebuked the nations :
Thou hast destroyed the wicked :
Thou hast blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6 As to the enemy, desolations are consummated forever :
And their cities thou hast plucked up :
The very memory of them has perished.

him, and he wiU put our enemies to
fiight, and deUver us. " CaU upon
the Lord in the day of trouble, and
he wiU deUver thee." (Psalm L 15.)
They staggered and perished at thy
presence. — The terms to stagger (or
totter) and to perish, describe the
effects produced on the wicked by
Diviae truth and Divine good, or
Divine Ught and heat, respectively.
The former. Divine Ught, — as it were,
bUnds them and causes them to
stagger ; while Divine heat or love, .
fiovdng in upon theU evU of heart,
as it were extinguishes it and causes
them to perish, for the love of evil
is to them the fUe of Ufe. Hence
they flee away, desiring to escape
from the Divine presence which tor
ments them ; they " caU upon the
mountains and rocks to fall upon
them, and hide them from the face
of Him that sitteth upon the tlirone."
(Rev. vi. 16.)
Verse 4. — For thou hast main
tained my right and my cause : thou
didst sit on tlie throne judging right
eously. This refers to the judgment
effected on the wicked, — the two
terms " right" and " cause" imply
ing the protection both of truth
and goodness, which results from
such judgment. The Lord, as a
judge, is said to sit on a throne —
not that he sits UtoraUy on a throne,
for he is as a Sun above the heavens
— but because a throne is the emblem

of Divine Truth and its power, by
which aU judgment is effected.
¦* Verse 5. — Tliou hast rebuked the
nations: thou hast destroyed the wicked.
By " the nations" here, are not meant
the inhabitants of the natural world,
but of the spiritual world ; — ^in the
present case, evU spirits, for the
Lord is said to have " rebuked"
them, that is, checked or restrained
them in their efforts to do hurt to
the good. By the wicked, are meant
infernal spirits, of a character stUl
more maUgnant, — such, probably, as
are termed in the Writiags of the
Church "evU genU," namely such
as belong to the perverted wiU-pria-
oiple, whereas nations, here, signify
such as are more in a false inteUectiial
principle, though stUl evU. Hence,
the stronger term " destroyed" is
used, in speaking of "the wicked,"
not as signUying theU annihUation
or the destruction of their existence,
for the Lord destroys nothing, — ^but
to denote that the lUe of theU wicked
love is — as it were — extinguished,
when they are prevented from doing
evil, which is their essential lUe and
delight. Hence it is added. Thou
hast blotted out their name for ever
and ever, theU name signUying their
evil quality or natm-e, which is said
to be " blotted out," when they are
no longer permitted to exercise it in
doing harm to the good.
Verse 6. — As to the enemy, desola-

IX]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

37

7 But the Loed shaU sit forever :
He hath set his throne for judgment.
8 And he wUl judge the world in righteousness :
He wiU administer judgment to the peoples in uprightness.
9 The Loed, also, vnU be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
tions are consummated forever, &c. By
the enemy are signified the same as
by the "nations" and the "wicked,"
namely, infemal spirits, the maUg
nant foes of mankind. By the wor]^
of Redemption, the Lord cast those
down, and now holds them iu check
and wiU do so forever, — which is sig
nified by theU " desolations" beiug
consummated forever.^And their cities
thou hast plucked up. By cities, in
the spiritual sense, are signified doc
trinals : as the city, New Jerusalem,
signifies the New Church as to doc
trine ; the waUs of the oity Jericho,
which feU down at the blowing of
the trumpets, represented the falses
of doctrine, which fall before tmths.
In the present case, then, " the cities"
which the Lord plucked up, signUy
falses of doctrine which the Lord
rooted out or extirpated, together
with the evUs, signified by enemy:
for falses and evUs cohere. — The me
mory of them has perished, denotes
the utter extinction of such falses,
so that are no longer ever remem
bered, which is the case when an
Old Dispensation with its corruptions
passes away, and a new one is estab
lished : as says the Lord, " Behold
I create new heavens and a new
earth ; and the former shall not be
remembered, nor come into mind."
(Isaiah Ixv. 17.)
Verse 7. — The Lord shall sit for
ever. To sit is representative of a
fixed and permanent state of mind,
as progressions signUy changes of

state. The Lord, for this reason, is
often described in Scripture as sitting,
to signUy the permanence and ixa-
changeableness of His Divine nature.
(See note on Psalm i. 1.) — He hath
set his throne, &c'. See note on verse
4, above.
Verse 8. — And he will judge the
world in righteousness, &c. " Since
by the world is meant the Church as
to good, and righteousness is predi
cated of good, therefore it is said,
The Lord will judge the world in right
eousness ; and as those are caUed
peoples who are in truths, and up
rightness is tmth, therefore it is
said, He shall pass judgment on the
peoples in uprightness." (Ap.Ex. 741.)
Verse 9. — And the Lord will be a
refuge for the distressed, &c. A refuge
[UteraUy a height], that is, a place of
refuge and security, a rock to fiee to,
when the biUows of adversity come
rolling up. " Come unto me," says
the Lord, "aU that are heavy laden,
and I wiU give you rest." (Matt. xi.
28.) In the dark night of tempta
tion, when " the floods come, and
the winds blow and beat upon the
house" of the mind, then, U that
house be bidlt on the rock, the
Rock of Ages — it wUl not fall — ^it
wiU stand secure. (See Matthew
vii 24, 25.) If we look to the Lord
and rest on him, we shall be sus
tained ; for he has " aU power in
heaven and earth ;" and, as said in
the next verse, he "forsakes not
those that seek hun."

38

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[IX.

10 And those that know thy name wUl trust in thee ;
For thou, 0 Loed, forsakest not those that seek thee.
11 . . . Sing to the Loed who dweUs in Zion :
Proclaim among the peoples his doings.
12 For, in searching out blood, he remembered them ;
He forgot not the cry of the afiiicted.
13 Be gracious to me, 0 Loed :
Behold how I am afflicted by those that hate me,
0 thou that liftest me up from the gates of death ;

Verse 10. — Those that know thy
namie. To know the Lord's name,
signifies to know his Divine quaUty
or character (for name in the spUitual
sense signifies quality). To know
his name, is to know and perceive
that He is Love and Wisdom, or
Goodness and Truth, itseU ; that he
is a tender Father, and most affec
tionate Friend, and that he is Al
mighty, as weU as AU-good ; thus,
that he is both willing and able to
support and protect aU those that
put theU trust in him. — But such
perception, it is to be added, can be
given only to those who are in good,
only to such as love the Lord and
strive to do his commandments : as
the Lord hunseU says, "I am the
good shepherd, and know my sheep,
and am known of mine." (John x.
14.) Verse 11. — Sing to the Lord who
dwells in Zion, &c. These are words
of rq' oicUig and thanksgiving, uttered
by the good after experiencing the
Lord's protection against the wicked,
and his support in time of trouble
and temptation : they are uttered by
the distressed, who have found re
fuge in the Lord, — those who, as said
in the preceding verse, know and put
theU trust in him, and who have
found truly that he " does not for

sake those that seek him." Who
dwells in Zion. By Zion is signified
the celestial church, and the celestial
heaven, as by Jerusalem is signified
distinctively the spiritual church and
heaven. The Lord is said to dwell
in Zion, because he is the most
closely conjoined with the celestial,
for they are principled in love to the
Lord. — Proclaim among the peoples
his doings. The term peoples is pre
dicated of those who are in truths
or the spiritual ; and is here distin
guished from Zion or the celestial
His doings signify the Lord's great
work of Redemption, and his per
petual support and protection.
Verse 12. — Searching out hlood
(UteraUy, bloods). To shed blood,
signifies in the spiritual sense, to do
violence to love and charity ; for
these constitute the Ufe of the soul,
and to injure them in any one is to
hurt or destroy his spiritual Ufe.
But this, evU spUits unceasingly en
deavour to do. The Lord's judgment
and casting down of such, and con
sequent deUverance of the good, is
signified by his searching out blood,
and forgetting not the cry of the afflict
ed. — Forthe signification of the term
bloods (in the plural), see note on
Psalm V. 6.
Veese 13.— 27ios6 ihat hate me

IX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

39

14 That I may recount aU thy praise in the gates of the daughter
of Zion —
That I may rejoice in thy salvation.
15 The nations have sunk into the pit which they made :
In the net which they hid, is their own foot caught.
16 The Lord is made known : he has executed judgment :
The wicked is ensnared in the work of his own hands.
Selah.

Higgaion.

that is, tempters, infemal spUits :
affliction, in the spiritual sense, sig
nifies deep temptation. — Thou, that
liftest me up from ihe gates of death.
By death is signified spiritual death,
or damnation, or, what is the same,
heU : hence, " gates of death" signUy
the same as the "gates of heU" in
Matthew xvi. 18. By the gates of
death or heU are meant the entrance
of infemal spirits and evU influxes
into the mind : for " with every
man," says the Doctrine of the
Church, "there are two gates, the
one opening towards heU, and the
other towards heaven." (A. C. 2851.)
The Lord commands them both : for
it is he that " hath the key of David,
that openeth and none shutteth, and
shutteth and none openeth." (Rev.
iU. 7.) He can close the gates of
heU, and open those of heaven, for
those that trust in him : it is he
that " Ufts us up from the gates of
death." Verse 14. — Gates of the daughter
of Zion. By Zion is signified the
church celestial The Church is
caUed daughter, and also bride and
wUe, in the Word, because woman
is a form of affection, as man is of
imderstanding ; and the essential
principle of the Church is affection,
love to the Lord and love to the
neighbor : hence it is spoken of
as female. Gates signUy entrance,

and especiaUy the truths by which
man is introduced into the Church.
(See Ap. Ex. 208.) Hence the
Psalmist is said to recownt the Lord's
praise in the gates, to denote that by
truths there is acknowledgment of
the Lord. It is added, and rejoice in
thy salvation, to express the joy of a
state of goodness and love, which is
a state of salvation.
Verse 15. — The nations have sunk,
&c. By the nations, here as above
(fifth verse), are signified the evU in
the spiritual world, tempters, in
femal spirits. By the pit are signi
fied falsities, and by net evUs, by
both of which they seek to entrap
and destroy men's souls. But evil
ever punishes itseU : in the falsities
and faUacies which they fabricate to
seduce others, they themselves be
come entangled, and by the evil
passions which they would inspUe
into others, they are themselves en
slaved. Verse 16. — TTie Lord is made
known : he hath executed judgment,
&c. " Made known," that is mani
fested. When a judgment is about
to be performed on the wicked in
the world of spirits, the Lord mani
fests himseU in an especial manner
in the heavens above them, whereby
the wicked are struck with terror,
and flee to theU infemal abode,?,
" calling on the mountains and rocks

40

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[IX.

17 The wicked shaU be turned back into hell, —
Yea, aU the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy shaU not always be forgotten ;
Nor shaU the expectation of the poor perish forever.
19 Arise, 0 Loed; let not man prevaU:
Let the nations be judged at thy presence.
20 Put fear into them, 0 Loed :

to faU upon them, and hide them
from the face of Him that sitteth on
the throne :" " mountains and rocks"
being representative of theU own
evils and falses in which, as it were,
they enwrap themselves from the
,Ught and love of the Lord, which
oppress and torture them, being op
posed to theU own evU nature. Thus
do they judge themselves. Such
evils and falses are meant by the
" work of theU own hands," in which
they are ensnared. (See the " Con
tinuation conceming the Last Judg
ment," n. 28.)
Higgaion. Selah. The word hig
gaion signifies properly a low mur
muring sound, as in Psalm xcU. 4,
" Upon the harp with a solemn
sound," where the term rendered " a
solemn sound" is the same, higgaion.
Hence, U the word be inserted here
as a musical dUection — as from its
want of connection with the rest of
the verse it is commonly considered
to be — it wiU be an instruction to
play on the instruments in a low,
solemn manner. But, in a secondary
sense, the word higgaion signifies
meditation, because persons in deep
meditation sometimes mutter or mur
mur to themselves. This, then, per
haps, wiUbethe spUitual signification
of the term here, — meditation on the
great truth just declared, that the
Lord in the end wUl execute a judg
ment, and the wicked wiU be en
snared in the work of theU own

hands, whUe the good wUl be pre
served. — For the signification of Se
lah, see note on Psalm iii. 2.
Verse 17. — The wicked shall be
turned baric into hell, &c. This refers
probably to those diaboUcal spUits,
who, as the Doctrine of the New
Church teaches, had issued from the
hells, and infested the world of spi
rits, before the Lord's Coining, and
who by the Lord's power were cast
back into theU infernal abodes.
(See U. T. 121, 123.) By the na
tions that forget God are signified such
as are in falses from evil, while by
the wicked are signified distinctively
those that are in evUs themselves :
this appears from the expression,
" that forget God,"— the term " God"
signUying distinctively Dmme Truth.
Verse 18. — The needy shall not
always be forgotten, &c. By the needy
are signified such as are in a state of
spiritual destitution, — who feel them
selves to be in evUs, and yet long to
be good. WhUe by the poor (in the
next clause), are signified such as are
destitute of tmths, and yet desUe to
be instructed. (See Ap. Rev. 95.)
These, it is declared, shaU not be
forgotten : the time of their reUef
is at hand. When a judgment is
effected, and the evU are cast down,
then the good are deUvered, in
stmcted, raised into heaven.
Verses 19, '2,0.— Arise, 0 Lord, let
not man prevail, &c. This is a
prayer that the evU may be judged

X.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

41

Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.

and cast down, and that thus the
good may be completely rescued
from theU power. Let not man pre
vail: by man, here, are not meant
men upon earth, but men in the
spiritual world, that is, spUits, —
in the present case, infemal spUits.
In the spiritual sense, by the term
man is signified intelUgence and
wisdom, for these constitute a tme
man. But in the opposite sense, —
in which the term is here nsed, — by
man is signified a perverse and car
nal mind, such as always accom
panies an evU heart ; thus, a state of
falsity, iustead of truth. Similar is
the sense of the term men (or, as it is
in the original, man) in the succeed-
iug verse : let the nations know that
they are hut TOem (or man) : that is,
let the evU know that they are also
in falses. The meaning is this :
When a judgment is accompUshed,

then the tme character of all is
brought out. Those who before,
though inwardly evil, yet possessed
a knowledge of truth acquired in
the world, and made use of it to
seduce the simple good, are now de
prived of that truth, and siak into
the state of falsity and mental dark
ness, which corresponds to theU evUs.
Tlien the nations know that they are
but mere, that is, the evU (signified
by nations) perceive that they are no
longer possessed of tmths, but are
altogether in falsities. Thus they
are rendered powerless : for truth is
power, and falsity is weakness. At
the Lord's presence, that is, by the
influx of Divine Tmth, which in the
spUitual world is Ught, the evU
are terrified, and plunge into heU
amongst their Uke, and thus do they
judge themselves.

PSALM X.

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

That the evil do evil to tlu good, and are hypocrites and deceit
ful, verses 1 to 11 : a prayer to the Father that retribution may
he rendered to them, and judgment executed upon them, 12 to 18.

1 Why, 0 Loed, dost thou
WUy dost thou hide thysi
Verse 1. — 'Why, 0 Lord, dost thou
stand far off? Why dost thou hide
thyself in times of trouble ? This is
the language of one ia deep tempta
tion ; — it is like the cry of the Lord
himseU upon the cross, " My God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken
me?" In times of temptation, it

stand far off?
•,lf in times of trouble 1
seems as it the Lord were absent
from us, — as it he had forgotten and
forsaken us. So the sun appears to
be absent or to hide his face, when a
thick cloud is over the earth : yet
the sun is still in his place and
shining ; but the cloud, which has
risen from the earth itself, hides

42

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[X.

Through the pride of the wicked, the poor is consumed :
They are taken iu the devices which they have conceived.
For the wicked boasts of his soul's desire,
And the extortioner blesses himself: he despises the Loed.
The wicked says in his pride, " He wiU not make inquiry :"
In aU his thoughts there is no God.
His ways are firm at aU times :

him from our sight. So, also, at
night, the smi appears to go down
and forsake the world : but it is the
earth itseU that turns from the sun.
In like manner, the Lord, in times
of temptation and spUitual "trou
ble," appears to hide his face and
" to stand far off" from us ; but it is
only an appearance. He, the Sun of
Righteousness, is forever beaming
with light and love, and is ever as
near to us as we wUl permit him to
be. Like the sun, he is unchange
able : it is the cloud rising from the
earth of our natural minds, that
hides him from our mental sight :
it is the falsity and evU of our own
unregenerate spirits, that intercept
his love and Ught, and spread a paU
of darkness over the soul. But if
we are patient and struggle on, and
stiU look up, the cloud of temptation
wUl by and by pass away, and the
sun of Divine Love wUl break out
again VTith new warmth and splendor.
Verse 2. — Tlirough the pride of the
loicked the poor is consumed (UteraUy,
is burned or inflamed). The mean
ing is, that the good or the meek,
signified by "the poor," are some
times permitted, in this world, to
suffer from the evil (though the
Lord turns this suffering to theU
purification). — Tliey are taken in the
devices which they have conceived.
From the connection the meaning
appears to be, that the poor are taken
in the devices of the wicked ; that is.

the wicked are sometimes allowed to
succeed, for a time, in their cunning
plans, and to overreach the good.
But in the end, as declared in PsaUn
ix. 15, they are caught in theU own
trap, and the good are deUvered.
Verse 3. — For the wicked boasts of
his soul's desire, and the extortioner
blesses himself, &c. This expresses
the complacency and exultation which
the evU feel, at their worldly suc
cesses and the seeming accomplish
ment of theU schemes. But tlieU
triumph wiU be short-Uved : their
pride is but a forerunner of theU faU.
Verse 4.— Tlie wicked, in his pride,
says. He will not make inquiry, &c.
In his pride — literaUy, in the height
of his nose, a phrase expressive of
haughtiness and contempt. The un
principled man, bent on the attain
ment of his unjust ends, strives to
deaden his conscience, and shut out
from his mUid the thought of an
overmUng Providence ; saying to
himseU, There is no God, or, U there
be. He takes no interest in these
Uttle affaUs. He is unmindful of
the Divme declaration that in the
Lord's sight nothing is smaU or un
important ; that the very hairs of
our heads are all numbered ; and
that for " every idle word," — much
more, for every evil deed, — man wUl
have to " give account."
Verse 5. — His ivays are firm at
all times, &c. This is expressive of
the stubborn perseverance of the

X.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

43

Thy judgments are high out of his sight :
As for aU his adversaries, he puffs at them.
6 He says in his heart, " I shall not be moved —
/, who to generation and generation shaU not be in evU."
7 His mouth is fuU of cursing and deceit and violence :
Under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
8 He sits in the lurking-places of viUages :
In secret places he kUls the innocent :
His eyes watch for the helpless.
9 He Ues in wait in a secret place Uke a Uon in his lair :

wicked in theU evil courses, and also
of the temporal prosperity or success,
which sometimes foUows such perse
vering pursuit ; for by the general
laws of order, the steady and earnest
pursuit of an object leads to success.
But U the end be an evU one, the
man is but buUding up a tower,
whence his faU wiU be the greater.
— Thy judgments are high out of his
sight (UteraUy, are high from before
him). Judgments sigmfy the laws of
Divine order, or Divine truths, ac
cording to which man ought to Uve,
and by which he wUl be judged.
(A. R. 668.) These the wicked man
has no regard for, pays no attention
to, — they are out of his mental sight,
they are not before his thoughts :
they are high and heavenly, while
aU his thoughts are low and worldly.
As for all his adversaries, he puffs at
them. With a violent hand, he
sweeps away aU obstacles ; he allows
nothing to stand in his path ; no
principle, no sense of right and
wrong, does he permit to impede his
course, — he puffs at — ridicules — all
such considerations.
Verse 6. — He says in his heart, I
shall not be moved, &c. He thinks
he shaU be always as prosperous as
now, — that he wiU never see evil
days. To generation and generation

signifies forever. (A. C. 6988.) The
worldly man, having no just prin
ciples to guide his irdnd, and hold
ing no belief in an overruling Pro
vidence who wiU reward the good
and punish the wicked, is without
foresight, — thinks according to the
feeling of the moment. Blinded by
the sunshine of present prosperity,
he does not see the distant clouds
that are gathering over his path.
Verse 7. — His mouth is full of
cursing, &c. The mouth and tongue
being organs of speech, and speech
being the expression of thought, by
mouth and tongue are signified, in
the internal sense, the thoughts.
(Ap. Ex. 455.) His mouth is full of
cursing and deceit (UteraUy deceits,
that is, deceptive words) and vio
lence, signUy, then, that his external
thought, together with the speech
thence derived, is loaded with im
precations and violent denunciations
against those who oppose his inclina
tions, and at the same time is fUled
with pretences {deceits) of kindness
and disinterestedne.ss to those whose
favor he wishes to secure ; whUe m
his inward thought (under his tongue)
he is brooding over evU purposes,
mischief and iniquity.
Verses 8, 9, 10. — He sits in the
lurking places of villages, &c. This

44

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[X.

He Ues in wait to catch the poor :
He catches the poor, drawing him into his net.
10 He crouches, he bows down:
And the helpless fall into his toUs.
11 He says in his heart, " God has forgotten :
He has hidden his face : he wUl never see.''
12 Arise, 0 Loed : 0 God, Uft up thy hand :
Forsret not the afiiicted.

is a fearful picture of the bestial
nature of wicked men, lurking Uke
void beasts for theU prey ; and
it proves the truth of the New
Church doctrine, that man's natural
mind, unregenerated, is actuaUy
bestial, and indeed fiercer and more
cruel than any wUd beast. In truth,
all the fierce and destructive anUnals
that exist, are but types of, and
derivations from, the perverted na
ture of man. By the innocent, the
wretched, the poor, are meant the
simple good, whom the wicked by
theU cunning and violence enfaap
and overpower. This is sometimes
permitted by the Lord in His provi
dence, for His own vdse ends : but
"the LordvTiU not leave them in his
hand : " He vdU tm-n it aU at last to
the eternal good of the innocent, and
wiU destroy the destroyer.
By the lurking places of villages,
are meant secret places in the neigh
borhood of country towns, in which
robbers, to whom the wicked in
general are here compared, lurk for
the passers-by. — In the internal
sense, by villages are signified the
externals of the church, because
they are remote from cities, which
signUy the internals or doctrine of
the Chm-ch. (A. C. 3270.) Conse
quently by the inhabitants of vU
lages, whom the wicked are here
described as lying in wait for, are

signified those who are in the ex
ternals or outskirts, as it were, of
the church, — those who are in ignor
ance of truth, and yet in simple
good. And by the robbers and
murderers, who Ue in wait for them,
are meant, the wicked rulers of the
church, who spUitually rob and
murder, by depriving the simple
good of what few tmths they did
possess, and also of theU good of Ufe,
by teaching them falses, and so lead
ing them astray. — This passage, hi
the internal sense, seems closely
aUied to what is taught in the para
ble of the good Samaritan (Luke x.
30, 37), where by the robbers who
beat and wounded the man going
down from Jerusalem to Jericho, are
signified the Scribes and Pharisees,
who taught falses, which gave birth
to evUs ; and also, in general, evil
spUits, who by infusing evils and
falses, seek to destroy the soul.
(See Ap. Ex. 444, 375.)
Verse 11. — He says in his heart,
God has forgotten, &c. The sense
here is similar to that Ui the 4tli
verse — the unbeUef of the wicked in
a Divine providence. It is repeated
in this place by way of contrast with
what foUows : " Arise, 0 Lord . for
get not," &c.
Verse 12. — Arise, 0 Lord {Jeho
vah)! 0 God, lift up thy hand, &c.
Here is a sublime change in the tone

X]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

4E

13 Wherefore does the wicked despise God,
And say in his heart, " Thou wUt not make inquiry ?"'
14 Thou seest it ; for thou beholdest suffering and wrong.
To put them in thy hand :
To thee the afflicted wUl commit himself:
Thou art the helper of the orphan.
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evU :
Search out his wickedness, tiU thou find no more.

of the Psalm. The triumphs of the
wicked, and the distress of the good
have been pictured at length, and so
long dwelt upon that the reader be
gan to feel as U the seeming were
the reaUty, — as U God had reaUy
forgotten his servants, and left them
to theU miseries. But now the veU,
as it were, is suddenlj' drawn aside,
and God's face beams out on the
world : his searching eye looks down :
the Judge appears. " Thou seest,"
cries the PsaUnist ; " Thou beholdest
suffering and wrong :" "Break thou
the arm of the wicked," &c.
The distinctive use of the terms
Jehovah and God is well shown in
this passage. " Arise, 0 Jehovah,"
is an appeal to the Lord's Divine
Love, to rise up in defence of the
good ; whUe the exclamation, " 0
God, lift up thy hand," is an appeal
to the Lord as Divine Truth and as
Judge and King, to exert his power
in theU behaU, — hand signifying
power. For the distinction between
the terms Jehovah and God, see note
on Psalm v. 1, 2.
Verse 13. — Why does the uyicked
despise God, &c. This is in allusion
to verses 3 and 4, where it is said,
that the " wicked despises the Lord,
and says in his pride that He wiU
make no inquUy." The question is
now asked, Why is he aUowed to do
so ? implying that he wiU no longer
do so with Unpmuty.

Y-s,ns^l4..— Thou seest it, &ca. This
is said by way of oj)position to the
thought of the wicked (expressed in
verse 11)," God wUl never see." The
answer of the inspUed Psalmist is.
The Lord does see — He has been ob
serving the wicked man though he
thought it not. And then, from this
specific declaration, he proceeds to
the general, "For thou beholdest
suffering and wrong," &c. The Lord
notes every tear of the afflicted,
hears every sigh of the oppressed,
and, as declared in the gospel, he
wUl " avenge his own elect, who day
and night cry unto him, though he
bear long with them." (Luke xviu.
7, 8) : the time of deUverance to the
good, and of retribution to the
wicked, wiU come at last.
To put them in thy hand, signifies
that the Lord has these wrongs under
his power, and wUl in due time right
them : hand signifies power. Thou
art tlie helper of the orphan. For
the signification of orphan, in the
spiritual sense, see below in the note
on verse 18.
Verse 15. — Break thou the arm of
ihe wicked, &c. Arm, Uke hand,
signifies power or stiength, since
strength is exercised through the
arm. Break the arm, of the wicked,
means, then, Destroy theU power,
so that they may not be able to do
any more mischief, — that they may
no longer hurt the good. And this

46

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[X.

16 ¦ The Lord is King for ever and ever :
The nations have perished out of his land.
17 Thou hast heard, 0 Loed, the desire ofthe poor:
Thou wUt confirm their heart :
Thou wUt incUne thine ear :
18 To judge the orphan and the oppressed ;
That the man of the earth may no more make afraid.

is what always takes place with the
wicked after death, if not in this
world. They are deprived of aU
truth, which, in the spiritual world,
especially, is an instrument of power,
and left to mere falsity and evU,
when they sink down to theU own.
It is said, the wicked and the evil, to
express theunionbetweenevU and fal
sity, — one of the terms having refer
ence to the evU, the other to the false.
Search out his wickedness, till thou
find no more (literally, find not).
That is, at the judgment, aU the
evU that man has done, spoken, or
thought, even to the minutest par
ticular, will be manifested and
brought out : as the Lord declared,
" For every idle word men shaU give
account in the day of judgment."
(Matt. xU. 36.)
Verse 16. — Tlie Lord is King for
ever, &c. That is, the Lord's king
dom shaU be estabUshed, and the
wicked shall be judged and cast
down, — ^which is meant by the na
tions perishing out of his land: the
land or earth signUying the church,
and the nations signUying the evU
(see note on PsaUn U. 1).
Verse 17. — Tliou hast heard, 0
Lord, the desire of the poor, &o.
When the fuU time has come, and
the evil are judged and cast down,
then the good wUl see that the Lord
did hear them, though he did not
seem to hear ; and their heart will be
confirmed, — by this sure proof of his

providence, theU love to him and
dependence upon him wiU be con-
fUmed, and they wiU no more dis
trust him, but wUl be assured that
he wiU always incline his ear to
theU petitions.
Verse 18. — The orphan and ihe
oppressed. By orphans, in Scripture,
are signified not merely those who
are naturaUy orphans, but those who
are spiritually such. The Lord is
the Father of aU ; hence by orphans
or the fatherless, are signified such as
are without the Lord, or are ignor
ant of him, and who yet are in
simple good, — such, for instance, as
many of the Gentiles. "By or
phans," says the Doctrine of the
Church, " are signified those who are
in a state of innocence and charity,
and desUe to know and do what is
good, but are not able." (A. C. 3703.)
By the oppressed, UteraUy, the 'broken,
are signified such as are bruised in
spirit, — those who are imdergoing
deep temptations ; — such, perhaps,
as have some knowledge of truths,
but have not as yet attained a state
of good, which yet they are striving
for. By ihe man of the earth are sig
nified not only men of the world,
wicked men, but also evU spirits,
tempters (see note on PsaUn ix. 19).
It is here declared, that the Lord
wiU judge between the good and the
evU, and wiU cast down the latter,
that the good may be distressed by
them no more.

XL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

47

PSALM XL

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Tlie Lord excites himself, that he w,ay fight against ihe evil
for the good, verses 1 to 5 ; that injustice the evil will perish, 6, 7.
To the Leader of the music : a Psalm of David.
1 In the Loed I put my trust :
How say ye to my soul, " Flee as a bird to your mountain."
2 For lo ! the -wicked bend their bow:
They set their arrow upon the string.
To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.

Verse 1. — The words, How say
ye to my soul ? seem to be spoken in
answer to tempters, who jeeringly
msUiuate, " Escape, U you can :
there is no good, no God to flee to."
Flee as a bird to your mountain
(or, as it might be translated. Flee,
bird, to your mountain). By a moun
tain, as being a natural elevation, is
signified what is spirituaUy elevated,
namely, a state of love. But in the
opposite sense, it signifies seU-love
and its evUs. Thus, the words "flee
to your mountain," seem to mean
"flee to your evils" — a suggestion
from the tempters to plunge into
evUs as the only deUverance from
anxiety and distress of mind. — Bird.
By birds, in the spiritual sense, are
signified thoughts, which as it were,
fly and soar in the mental atmos
phere. Then by the words, flee, bird,
to your mountain, seems to be meant,
" Let your thoughts be absorbed in
evils : let them flee to pleasures of
sense, or to pride and seU-love, as a
reUef." But the answer is, "In the
Lord I put my trust.
Or, the term mountain maybe taken
in a good sense ; as in Matt. xxiv.

16, " Let those in Judea flee to the
mountains," that is. Let those of the
Church take refuge in good affections.
Verse '2,.— For, lo! the wicked
bend the how, &c. " As war, in the
Word, signifies spiritual warfare, so
all weapons, as the sword, the spear,
the shield, arrows, and bow, signUy
such thiags as have relation to war
understood in a spiritual sense. By
" how, in particular, is signified the
doctrine of truth, or, in the opposite
sense, the doctrine of the false." (A.
C. 2686.) Here, "by the wicked
bending ihe how, is signified that they
frame doctrine ; by setting their arrow
upon the string is signified, that they
insert into it falses appearing as
truths ; to slioot in darkness at the
upright in heart, signifies, to deceive
those who are in truths derived from
good. A how, here, denotes the doc
trine of what is false ; the arrow
denotes the false itseU ; to shoot is to
deceive ; and darkness denotes ap
pearances : for they reason from ap
pearances in the world, and from
fallacies, and also by applying the
literal sense of the Word." (Ap.
E-x. 357.)

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XL

3 When the foundations aie destroyed.
What shaU the righteous do ?
4 The Loed is in his holy temple :
The Loed is in the heavens, his throne :
His eyes behold, his eyeUds prove the sons of man.

Verse 3. — When the foundations
are destroyed, what shall the righteous
do ? By foundations are signified
iUst principles of truth, correct doc
trines derived from the Word, on
which the church rests as on a firm
foundation. " The church is founded
upon doctrine ; for doctrine teaches
how we are to believe, and how we
are to Uve ; and doctrine is to be
dra-wn from no other source than
from the Word." (A.B. 902.) These
foundations are destroyed, when the
doctrine of the Church becomes cor
rupted by falses and faUacies, and,
especiaUy, by perversions of the true
meaning of the Word, through mis-
appUcations of its Uteral sense. Such
a state of the Church is here referred
to ; as may be seen in the previous
verse, where the wicked are de
scribed as bending the bow, and
shooting at the upright ; that is, as
already explained, framing false doc
trines, and so deceiving the good by
fallacies of sense, and by perversions
of the Word. — What shall the right
eous do 1 In such case, the good are
in danger of being led astray into
falses and thence into evUs, their
minds being confused between right
and wrong, in doubt about the tme
meaning of the Scriptures, and un
certain as to the real way of salvation.
Verse 4. — The Lord is in his holy
temple, &c. Nevertheless, the right-
teous wiU not be forsaken ; they
have a helper ; there is One, who
can and wiU protect them. The

Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord
is in the heavens, his throne : that is,
the Lord still rules over his church ;
the Lord stUl reigns in the heavens,
whence he sees and governs aU
things. By the temple is signified
the church, and the phrase holy has
reference to the Divine tmth in the
church, for holiness is predicated of
tmth. (See A. R. 173.) When the
" foundations are destroyed," that is
when true doctrine is altogether per
verted and the church is thus
brought to its end, then the Lord
comes and estabUshes a new church
or dispensation, in which he can
dweU with man : this is his holy
temple. He at the same time forms
a new heaven with which this new
Church is connected : this appears
to be alluded to in the words the
Lord is in the heavens, his throne.
The heavens are caUed his throne,
because Divine tmth there reigns ;
a throne being the emblem of ruling,
and aU ruling or government is ex
ercised by means of truth. (A. R.
14.) _
His eyes behold, his eyelids prove the
sons of man. By the eye, in the spi
ritual sense, is signified the under
standUig, which is the mental eye.
Hence, when predicated of the Lord,
it signifies his Diviae understanding
or Divine Wisdom, and hence, also,
his Divine providence, which is his
wisdom in exercise. (A. R. 48. —
Ap. Ex. 68.) That there are two
terms here, eyes and eye-lids (or eye-

XL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

49

5 The Loed proves the righteous ;
But the vidcked and Mm that loves violence his soul hates.

lashes, as it might be rendered), is
doubtless for the sake of that mar
riage or union of Divine good and
truth which exists in every part of
the Word; eyes, as being more in
terior, signUying, perhaps, the Di
vine wisdom and providence as to
good, and eye-lids the same as to
truth. This appears, also, from what
is affirmed of them respectively, the
eyes being spoken of simply as be
holding, that is viewing and guiding
from love, while the eye-Uds are men
tioned as proving (or trying), which
is an operation characteristic of
truth. Sons of man. The reason why the
expression sons of man so often occurs
in Scripture, instead of the simple
tei-m mankind, is on account of the
spiritual sense. This sense does not
regard persons, but principles; and
when speaking of men, it uses lan
guage such as is descriptive of their
minds. Now, the term son, in the
spiritual sense, signifies truth, and
man {Adam) sig. love or good: the
reason is, the Lord alone is Man,
and he is essential Love, and man is
so far truly such, as he is a likeness
of the Lord. (See A. C. 4287.)
Hence sons of man sig. tmths
derived from good, as daughters
of man signUy affections derived
from love: the characteristic of
the male being distinctively un
derstanding, and that of the female,
affection. Hence, the phrase sons of
man signifies tmths derived from
good, or, in other words, the under
standing as formed from the wiU.
And this constitutes the mind and
consequently the man. Hence the

phrase sons of man pictures not
merely men's persons, but theU
minds. Consequently, the declara
tion that the Lord's eyes and eye-Uds
behold and prove the sons of man,
signifies, in the internal sense, that
the Lord by His Divine wisdom
knows and tests the states of man's
mind, or his thoughts as derived from
his affections.
Verse 5. — The Lord proves ihe
righteous. In the letter, the Lord is
spoken of as proving men, that is,
putting theU qualities to the proof,
as U to see what is in them. But
this language is used only in accord
ance with man's natural ideas : it is
only the language of appearances.
The Lord is omniscient, and there
fore knows aU the states of man's
mind : he does not need, as another
man does, to try him, in order to
know what he is. But by the Lord's
tr3dng or proving men, especially the
righteous, is meant that by various
tryiug circumstances of Ufe, he per
mits theU qualities to be called out, —
the good ones, that they may be
strengthened by exercise, — ^the bad,
that they may be seen, resisted, and
thus removed.
But the wicked and him ihat loves
violence, his soul hates. " By the
soul of Jehovah is here signified
Divine Truth ; for by the violent, in
the Word is signified one who does
violence to Divine truth : and since
this is done by the false of evU,
therefore by ihe wicked, and him that
loves violence is signified the false
of evil [that is, falsity in the mind
derived from evU in the heart]."
Ap. Ex. 750.

50

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XI.

6 Upon the wicked he wUl rain snares, fire, and brimstone ;
And a burning wind shaU be the portion of their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous : he loves righteousness :
His face wUl behold the upright.

Verse 6. — He will rain upon tlie
wicked snares, fi/re and brimstone ; and
a burning wind shall be tlie portion of
their cup. " By these words is signi
fied, that the wicked wiU be de
stroyed by theU own evUs grounded
in falsity, and by their own falsities
grounded in evU, which wiU destroy
aU the truths of the church with
them. Snares, fire, and brimstone
sigrdfy evUs derived from falsity, and
falsities derived from evU ; and a
wind of storms [more correctly, per
haps, a bwrning wind] the portion of
their cup, signifies the destruction of
aU truth. [Wind signifies falsity;
and burning or fiery evU — falsity
from evU. Cup is used, as sigmfying
the same as wine, that is, truth.]
That it is not meant, that fire and
brimstone wiU [UteraUy] be rained on
the wicked, is evident, for it is said,
also, that it wUl rain snares." Ap. Ex.
758. " Snares, fire, and brimstone
signify seducing falses and evUs."
Ap. Ex. 960. "By brimstone, or
sulphur, is signified self-love, and by
fire the false thence derived." A.
G. 2466. "Rain, in the Word,
in a genuine sense, signifies blessing,
and hence, also, salvation ; but in an
onposite sense, cursing and also dam
nation" A. C. 2145. The Lord is

here spoken of as bringing these evUs
on the wicked, just as he is said, Ui
the letter of the Word, to be angry
and wrathful, whereas the Lord is
love itseU, and never inflicts evU on
any one, nor is ever wrathful : but
it is so expressed in the letter, be
cause to the evU such is the appear
ance. The real truth is, that the
wicked bring all theU evUs upon
themselves, by running counter to
the laws of Divine order, which are
estabUshed for the protection of the
good. See A. C. 2447. Thus, ia
the internal sense, by these words,
is signified that the Lord wiU pro
tect the good against the wicked.
Hence, it is added, in the next verse,
" For the Lord is righteous : he loves
righteousness." Verse 7. — His face will behold the
upright. By the Lord's face is sig
nified his Divine love (Ap. Ex. 340) ;
for the face or countenance is the
image of the affections. Hence, his
face heholdiTig the upright signifies
that the Lord wUl be conjoined to
them by love : as declared in John
(xiv. 21) : "He that hath my com
mandments and keepeth them, he
it is that loveth me ; — and I vdU
love hun, and wUl manUest myseU
to him."

XIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

51

PSALM XII

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
That there are no longer any who are good, but only hypocrites,
verses 1 to 4. That the Lord will to eternity protect the good
against the wicked, 5 to 8.
To the Leader in the bass : a Psalm of David.
1 Save, Lord, for the merciful cease, —
For the faithful faU from amo7ig the sons of man.
2 They speak falsehood, every man with his neighbor :
With a smooth Up, with a double heart, do they speak.
8 The Loed wUl cut off aU deceitful lips,
The tongue that speaks great things :

Title. — In the bass. See note to
title of PsaUn VI.
Verse 1. — The merciful cease, — the
faithful fail. The former of these
terms has reference to good, the
latter to truth: it is declared that
there is neither goodness nor truth,
love nor faith, left amongst men.
It is to be remembered that this re
fers not to David's time, but to the
Lord's : it is prophetic. — For the
phrase sons of man, see note on Psalm
xi. 4.
Verse 2. — Tliey speak falsehood,
&c. This is a sad picture of an age
of deceit and selfish cunning, and it
but too weU describes our own time —
that of the Lord's Second Coming :
"When the Son of man cometh," said
the Lord, " shaU he find faith on the
earth?" (Luke xviU. 8.) It is to be
hoped, however, that we are now in
the upward course. — A double heart,
UteraUy, a heart and a heart, that is,
two different hearts or affections, the
outwardly or seeming good, and the

inwardly evU. We may note a
simUar expression in Deut. xxv.
13, " Thou shalt not have in thy
bag divers weights," UteraUy a
weight and a weight, — ^two differing
weights. Verse 3. — The Lord ujill cut off,
&c. — Deceitful lips, UteraUy, smooth
lips. By lips, in the spiritual sense,
is signified doctrine. (A. C. 1286.)
By smooth or deceitful Ups, the doc
trine of what is false, putting on the
semblance of truth, and thus lead
ing astray. By the tongue speaking
great things, is signified the teaching
or affirming what is evU under the
appearance of good ; for the term
great, in Scripture, is predicated of
what is good, or, in the opposite
sense, of evU. (A. B. 582.) That
the Lord wiU cut off such, signifies
that those who thus hypocriticaUy
teach or utter what is false and evU,
under the appearance of truth and
good, wiU perish as to theU souls :
theU own evU wiU destroy them.

52

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XII

Those who say, " By our tongue wUl we preva.il :
Our Ups are our own : who is lord over us 1"
Because of the oppression of the poor,
Because of the groaning of the needy,
Now wUl I arise, saith the Loed :
I wUl set in safety him whom the wicked pu£' at.
The words of the Loed are pure words ;
As sUver refined in an earthen crucible, and purified
seven times.

Verse 4. — Those who say. With owr
tongue will we prevail, &c. Such as
have confidence in themselves and
theU own cunning to accomplish
theU evU ends. The tongue cor
responds to the affection of tmth
(A. C. 4791), but, in this case, to the
love of what is false. — Our lips are
our own (literaUy, are until us) : Lips,
here, signUy falses, by which they
seduce. (A. C. 1286.)— PF/io is Lord
over US'? They acknowledge no
power and no right superior to their
own wiU. Such persons, being con
firmed in seU-love and evU, cannot
but perish.
Verse. 5. — Poor — needy. By the
poor and the needy, so often men
tioned in the Psalms, as weU as in
other parts of Scripture, are signi
fied, not those who are naturaUy
destitute, but those who are spM-
tuaUy such. By riches, in the spUi
tual sense, are signified the knouy
ledges of truth, by which the mind
is enriched : hence, by the poor are
meant such as are in ignorance, such
as are destitute of knowledges of
truth, and yet desire them, — as the
well disposed GentUes, and also many
within the bounds of Christendom.
By needy, on the other hand, are
signified such as are destitute of
good, and yet long for it, — such as
are conscious of theU evUs of heart,

and yet hate them and wish to be
deUvered from them. (See A. R.
95.) Those who are in either of these
states, namely, ignorance of truth
or defect of good, cannot but be sub
ject to temptations and distresses of
mind, oftentimes severe : which are
signified by the oppression of the
poor, and the groaning of the needy.
But the hour at length arrives for
theU deUverance : now will I arise,
saith Jehovah. The Redeemer comes,
to "break theU yoke and let the op
pressed go free;" he comes to "open
the blind eyes, and to bring those
that sit in darkness out of the prison-
house" (Isaiah xlU. 7) ; to " hear the
groaning of the prisoner, to loose
those that are appointed to death"
(Psalm cu. 20). He casts down the
tempters, the spirits of darkness ; he
delivers those who trust in him,
from ignorance and from evU, and
gifts them vrith truth and good iu
stead ; and he places ihem., at length,
in safety from the wicked, in those
heavenly mansions which he went
before to prepare (John xiv. 2.)
Verse 6. — Silver, refined in an
earthen cmcible. The Lord's words
are compared to silver, because sUver,
in the internal sense, signifies spiri
tual truth. " For brass I vriU bring
gold, for iron I vriU bring silver,"

XIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

t)6

7 Thou, 0 Lord, wUt keep them :
Thou wUt preserve him from this generation forever.
8 The wicked walk round about,

says the Lord (Isaiah Ix. 17) ; that
is, in the place of merely natural
good (brass), he would give celestial
good (gold) ; and instead of natural
tmth (Uon) he would give spiritual
truth (sUver). This promise refers
to the estabUshment of the Chris
tian Dispensation, in which there
would be truth and good of a more
interior character than had existed
among the Jews. — Refined in an
earthen crucible (UteraUy, in a cru
cible of earth.) The spiritual corres
pondence of this may not at fUst
sight appear ; but the foUovdng pas
sage seems to throw Ught upon it.
" The faith of God enters into man
by a prior or interior way, that is
from the soul into the superior
regions of the understanding ; but
knowledges concerning God are re
ceived by a posterior or external
way, that is, from the revealed Word
of God by the understanding, through
the channels of the bodUy senses ;
and these influences meet in the nn-
derstanding as in a common centre,
where natural faith, which at first
is no more than a mere persuasion,
is changed into spiritual faith,
which is a real consent and acknow
ledgment. The human understand
ing is, as it were, the refining vessel,
wherein this change is wrought."
(T. C. R. 11.) By earth, in the spi
ritual sense, is signifled the earthly
or natural mind of man ; — as in the
petition, "Thy vdll be done, as in
heaven, so ia earth," that is, as in
the internal or spiritual mUid, so in
the external or natural mind. The
natural mind, as a crucible, receives

into itself the sUver in the ore, that
is, the truth of God's Word ia the
letter or crude state, in which ap
pearances are mixed with genuine
truths. The SpUit of the Lord
flowing in from above, meets the
knowledge thus received from with
out, and, as it were, refines it, sepa
rating the true from the apparent,
and presenting to the spiritual mind
the genuine sense. , Thus the mind
of man is the earthen crucible, in
which the sUver of the Lord's Words
is refined by the fire of the Spirit.
• — Seven times purified signifies fully
and perfectly pure, the number seven,
in Scripture, signUying what is full
and complete. (See Ap. Ex. 257.)
Verse 7. — Thou, 0 Lord, wilt keep
them, &o. Them evidently refers to
the poor and needy, mentioned in the
fifth verse. Thou wilt preserve him,
that is, each one of them, — expre.ssed
in the singular, as more emphatic
by individualizing. The terms keep
and preserve are used distinctively
to express the exercise of the Lord's
love and tmth : keeping having re
ference rather to the Lord's love,
wherewith he nourishes and sus
tains the soul, and preserving to the
power of his Divine truth, by which
he defends and protects it from its
spiritual foes. — From this generation,
that is, the wicked, whether men or
spirits. The term generation has
reference to the quality or character,
not to the natural race or descent :
in this sense, the Lord calls the
Jews " an evU and adulterous gene
ration." Verse 8. — The wicked walk round

54

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XIIL

When baseness exalts itself with the sons of man.

about, &c. That is, when corrup
tion increases amongst men, and
grows to a great height, evU spUits
throng around them on every side,
and enter into theU minds, and even
strive to take possession of their

bodies, as was the case in the Lord's
time. See Isaiah v. 14 : " There
fore heU hath enlarged herself, and
opened her mouth without "mea
sure."

PSALM XIIL

SHMMAEY OE THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Concerning the Lord's state of temptations, and concerning the
grievous insurrection of the infemals against him, verses 1 to 4 ;
that he is confident of victory, 5.
To the Leader of the music : a PsaUn of David.
1 How long, 0 Loed, wUt thou utterly forget me ?
How long wUt thou hide thy face from me 1
2 How long shaU I have anxieties in my soul,
And sorrow in my heart daUy ?
How long shaU my enemy rise against me ?

Verse 1. — How long, 0 Lord, wilt
thou utterly forget me, &c. To the
Lord, when on earth, during times
of temptation, the Divine appeared
to be absent, as when he cried out
npon the cross, " My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me." Yet
it was only an appearance ; the
Divine stiU was present with him,
and dwelt within him, nay, consti
tuted his very soul or inmost prin
ciple itseU. But, in these states of
humUiation, the Lord's region of
consciousness (so to speak) was
merely that of the humanity or
external mind derived from the
mother. That humanity was ap
parently left to itself, in order that
it inight, as of itseU, combat with

and overcome the heUs, and so unite
itseU to the Divinity within; for
the process of union between the
Divinity and the humanity in the
Lord was a mutual or reciprocal
one. (See T. C. R. 99.)— So, m
man's states of temptation, the Lord
appears to hide his face, and to be
absent, and to have forgotten us ;
whereas the real truth is, that he is
then more powerfully present than
at other times ; as affirmed by the
Doctrine of the Church, the Lord is
then " most present in man's inmost
principles, and supports him." (T.
C. R. 126.)
Verse 2. — Anxieties in my soul,
&c. When the term soul and heavt
occur together, by the former is

XIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

55

3 Look upon me, answer me, 0 Loed, my God :
EnUghten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death ;
4 Lest my enemy say, " I have prevaUed over him;"
Lest my persecutors exult when I am moved, i

signified the understanding, and by
the latter, the wiU. To have anxie
ties in ihe soul means to be tempted
as to the understandiag or thought,
by the infiux of disturbing falses ;
while to have sorrow in ihe heart
means to be tempted by the influx
of evUs from heU. Daily means
perpetuaUy. (A. C. 2838.)
How long shall my enemy rise
against me ? We ask ourselves, and
we inquUe of the Lord, how long is
the tempter to be aUowed to have
power over us ? How long must we
endure this state of distress ? And
the answer is, No longer than is ne
cessary for our purification, and for
our deUverance from the hidden evU
which is the cause of the tempta
tion, and the real ground for its per
mission. TUl that time, the Lord
cannot release us, for otherwise the
end in permitting the temptation
would not be accompUshed. (See
A. C. 8179.)
Verse 3. — Look upon me, answer
me, 0 Lord. That is, attend to me,
hear my prayer, give me deUverance
from this sad state. The Lord does
look and hear — he knows aU : but
he cannot grant deUverance as be
fore said, untU the full period of the
temptation is accomplished : were
he to do so, we could not be puri
fied, nor consequently fitted for
heaven. Let us remember that
"this light affiiction, which is but
for a moment, is working out for us
a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory" (2 Cor. iv. 17).
— 0 Lord, my God. The former title

has reference to the Divine Love,
the latter to the Divine Wisdom or
Truth. We appeal both to his love
and to his wisdom. His love longs
to deUver us, but his wisdom for
bids : and, in the Lord, love never
acts but in accordance vrith wis
dom. Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the
sleep of death — literally, lest I sleep
the death. By the eye, in the spiri
tual sense, is signified the under
standing : " Enlighten my under
standing — banish these shades of
death, which hang over me and
which wrap my mind in darkness."
Lest I sleep the death. A merely
natural state of miud, is caUed in
Scripture sleep, whUe a spiritual state
is caUed wakefulness or watching :
"Watch and pray," said the Lord,
" lest ye enter into temptation : the
spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is
weak" (Mark xUi. 35). Where to
"watch" signifies to be spiritual-
minded, to rise above the lusts
and desires of the "weak flesh."
" Sleep," says the Doctriue of the
Church, " signifies natural life with
out spiritual, siuce natural lUe com
pared with spiritual is as sleep com
pared with wakefulness." (Ap. Ex.
187.) Hence, the sleep of death sig
nifies a state of mere naturaUsm,
which is spiritual death.
Verse 4. — Lest my enemy say, &c.
— Lest my persecutors exult, when I
ami moved. When man faUs in
temptation, there is joy amongst evil
spirits, as, when he conquers, there
is joy amongst angels (Luke xv.

56

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XIV.

5 I trust in thy mercy :
My heart shaU rejoice in thy salvation:
I wUl sing to the Loed, for he has recompensed me.

10). For spirits of both kinds,
good and evU, are near ns, and per
ceive our states of thought and feel
ing. By enemy are signified parti
cularly such tempters as infuse evUs ;
and hj persecutors or adversaries such
as infuse falses.
Verse 5. — I will sing to the Lord,
for he has recompensed me. What a
change in the tone appears in this

verse ! AUeady the prayer begins
to be answered — the temptation is
passing ofi^ — the victory is gained.
When the temptation seems at its
deepest, and we are earnestly im
ploring help, the Lord has aUeady
put forth his hand, and the tempters
are taking flight. Then comes the
recompense, — the internal and eter
nal reward

PSALM XIY.

SUMMAEY OE THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Tliat there is no lon/jer any understanding of truth nor vnll of
good, verses 1 to 3 ; that they do not acknovdedge God, 4. 5 ; that
they are opposed to good and truth, 6 ; that tlie Lord will save those
who are of the Church, whence they will have joy from him, 7.
To the Leader of the music : a Psalm of David.
1 The impious man says in his heart, " There is no God."
They have become corrupt : they have done abominable
deeds :
There is no one that does good.
2 The Loed looked down from heaven upon the sons of man,
To see if there are any that understand, that seek God.

Verse 1. — The impious man says in
his heart, Tiiere is no God. From the
expression, in his heart, we learn that
real atheism comes from the heart,
rather than from the head. The fUe
of evU passions, burning in the heart,
sends up a black smoke of falsity
into the imderstanding, shutting out
the Ught of heaven, and obscuring
the Sun of Righteousness, the Lord ;

hence unbeUef and atheism. Every
wicked man is an atheist at heart.
They have corrupted, they have made
abominable, their doings. The term
corrupt has reference to dUe persua
sions of falsity ia the understandiag,
and abominable to fUthy lusts in the
wiU. (See A. C.»622.)
Verse 2.— Tlie Lord looked down
from heaven. TMs language is used

XIV]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

57

3 Every one has gone astray : they are all corrupt together :
There is none that does good, not even one.
4 Do not all the doers of iniquity know ?
Wlio devour my people as they eat bread: —
And caU not upon the Loed.

in accommodation to the ideas of
the natural man, who supposes
heaven to be UteraUy above, in
space. But the expressions above
and high signU'y in the tme or
spiritual sense, what is interior.
Hence God is caUed Most High, as
being inmost. — For the signification
of the phrase sons of man, see note
on Psalm xi 4.
Verse 3. — Tliey have all become
con-upt together, UteraUy, sour, or
imtrid, — a strong figure, to express
the complete perversion or corrup
tion of man's original nature, — ^his
utter departure from the order in
which he was created. Tiiere is none
that does good, not even one ; that is, by
natiire, or before regeneration. The
passage teaches the general truth,
that man's hereditary nature has
beccone entUely perverted and dis
ordered, fiUed with evU tendencies
and incUnations. Not that some
may not possess a naturaUy amiable
disposition, but underneath this
crust of seeming good, there is in
every heart the fire of self-love,
which is the root of aU evU, and
which is liable at any time to burst
forth. Such good, therefore, is not
Ulterior nor spiritual, and hence not
saving ; wherefore the Lord saj'."",
"Except a man be bom again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God"
(John in. 3). — This is the general
sense of the passage ; yet the parti
cular appUcation, here, is probably

to the depraved state of the Jew
ish Chm-ch, before the Lord's com
mg. Verse 4. — Do not all the doers of
iniquity know ? that is, Do not the
wicked perceive that they are pur
suing a course, which must at last
bring upon them misery and de-
stmction ? That this is the meaning,
is evident from the following verse.
Then shall they he in great fear, &c.
Devouring my people as they eat
bread. Says the Lord, "My meat is
to do the wUl of him that sent me"
(John iv. 34); and we sometimes
say of a benevolent man, that it is
his meat and drink to do good. This
manner of speaking is from corres
pondence. As food nourishes the
body, so, with the good, the exercise
of love and charity is nourishment
and refreshment to the soul. On
the other hand, doing evil is the de
Ught and, as it were, the nutriment
of the wicked, for the love of evil
constitutes their very lUe. Hence
the comparison, devouring my people
as they eat bread, or, as stiU more
strongly expressed when literaUy
translated from the Hebrew, devour
ing my people, they eat bread, the
word as being omitted : that is, to
devour the Lord's people, or to
tempt and persecute the good, is
actually theU meat and drink : for
it is evU spirits that are here re
ferred to, and their food is that of
the mind.

58

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XIV.

5 Then shaU they be in great fear :
For God is in the generation of the righteous.
6 Ye disappointed the counsel of the poor,
But the Lord is his refuge.
7 0 that out of Zion would come the salvation of Israel '
When the Lord shaU bring back the captivity of his people,
Jacob shaU rejoice, and Israel shaU be glad.

Vbbsb 5. — Then shall they be in
great fear, literaUy, they shall fea«' a
fear. Then, that is, when the time
of punishment comes. The evU are
often spoken of, in Scripture, as go
ing on for a time, in seeming pro
sperity and success, when suddenly
the storm bursts upon them- — The
reason of theU punishment is then
given : for God is in the generation of
the righteous : that is, when the temp
tation ofthe good has been aUowed to
go on long enough to effect its pur
pose, which is theU purification,
then the Lord arises for theU pro
tection ; he comes forth in His
might, overthrows theU enemies,
and sets the good in safety and
peace. — By generation, in the spirit
ual sense, is signified the regenera
tion, that is, the state of tmth and
good in the minds of the righteous :
it is in this that the Lord dweUs.
(See A. C. 6239.)
Verse 6. — Ye disappointed (Uter
aUy, put to shame) the counsel of the
poor, hut the Lord is his refuge. That
is, the vdcked were permitted seem
ingly to triumph over the good for a

time, but in the end it wiU be found
that theU trust in the Lord wiU be
amply rewarded.
Verse 7. — 0 that out of Zion would
come the salvation of Israel! &c. "By
Zion, here, are signified those who
are in the good of love from the
Lord. DeUverance from evUs by
the Lord, and salvation, is meant by
the words 0 that out of Zion would
come the salvation of Israel. By
bringing back the captivity of his
people, is meant deUverance from
falses and evils. By captivity, in
the Word, is signifled spUitual cap
tivity, that is, a state of depriva
tion of Divine tmths, both through
not understanding them in the Word,
and also by the destruction of them
through evUs and falses. By Jacob
shall rejoice, and Israel shall heglad,ia
meant joy on account of theU de
liverance, both with those who are
in the external church, and with
those who are in the internal : Jacob
signUying those of the external
church, and Israel those of the in
ternal ; and by both are meant the
GentUes." (Ap. Ex. 811.)

XV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

59

PSALM XY.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
That those who love their neighbor and God, will he of the
Lord's Church, verses 1 to 5.
A Psalm of David.
1 Loed, who shaU abide in thy tabernacle ?
Who shaU dweU in thy holy mountain ?
2 He who walks uprightly, and does righteousness,
And speaks the truth from his heart.
3 "Who slanders not with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his feUow,
Nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor.
4 In whose eyes a vUe person is contemned.
But he honors those that fear the Loed.
Who swears to his feUow, and changes not.

Verses 1, 2. — 0 Lord, who shall
abide in thy tabernacle, &c. " By
the tabernacle is here signified the
church as to the good of love, and
by the mountain of holiness, by which
is meant Jemsalem, is signified the
Churcli as to tmths of doctrine de
rived from that good : hence may
be known what is meant by abiding
in them. He uilio walks uprightly,
signifies one who is Ui good as to
Ufe, and in truths as to doctrine ;
wherefore it is said, who does right
eousness and speaks truth; for by
doing righteousness is signified to be
in good as to Ufe, and by speaking
truth is signified to be in tmths as
to doctrine." (Ap. Ex. 799.) " To
abide in the tabernacle ot Jehovah,
means in heaven, and in the good of
love there." (A. C. 10,545.) Speaks
truth from his heart [literaUy, "in
his heart:"] that is, from or in a state
of genuine love for truth.

Verse 3. — Who slanders not with
his tongue, &c. The mearung of this
passage, in the Uteral sense, is suffi
ciently obvious : he that does no
evil in word or deed, shall d weU with
the Lord after death. But, in the
abstract or spUitual sense, "bj fellow
and neighbor are signified truth and
good ; for it is these principles iu
the mind, that cause one to be a
fellow or companion, and a neigh
bor — that is, to be beloved. Hence,
not to do evU to one's fellow, and
not to take up a reproach agaiust
one's neighbor, signUy, to do no
thing contrary to tmth and good
ness ; nor even to speak or think
anything against them ; which is
meant by not slandering with the
tongue, for the tongue corresponds
to speech, and also to thought, whence
speech is derived.
Verse 4. — A vile person, literally,
a reprohate,a, rejected one, — such as are

60 NOTES ON THE PSALMS [XVL
5 Who does not give out his sUver on usury.

Nor takes a bribe against the innocent.
He who does thus, shaU not be moved forever.
cast out or separated from the Lord, oompense as an end, but to the good
tlirough theU impiety. — Who swears of the neighbor — Here, to give out
to his fellow and changes not. This one's silver on usury, is to teach tmth
rendering is supported by the Sep- for the sake of gain alone, thus to
tuagint, and some other versions; and do good for the sake of recompense."
though requiring a slight change in (A. C. 9210.) Silver signifies spi-
thc Hebrew points, to sustain it, is ritual truth : hence to give out
less forced than that of the common sUver on usury, signifies to teach
version, w/io sweareth to his own hurt, truth for mere gain. — In like man-
where the words his mon are not in ner, to take a bribe against the inno-
the original. The moral is the same ce7it, sigiufies to be willing, for the
in either case, teaching that the truly sake of gain, even to do injury to
upright man wUl keep his promises the good, or, in the abstract, to a
and engagements. good cause. For those who are mere
Verse 5. — " By a usurer is signi- lovers of gain are indifferent whether
fied one who does good for the sake they do good or harm, provided they
of gain. For a usurer lends money secure theU own selfish end. Shall
to another for the sake of the usury, not he moved forever. That is, shaU
and gives aid to another for the sake be protected against the heUs, and
of recompense ; whereas genuine be sustained in truth and good and
charity does not look to gain or re- peace forever in heaven.

PSALM XYI.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
The Lord's confidence in himself, verses 1, 2 ; for the deliver
ance of the good whom the evil infest, 3, 4 ; that the Divine is his,
and Divine power, 5 to 8 ; that his Humanity, being glorified, will
rise again, 9 to 11. A Writing of David.
1 Preserve me, 0 God,
For with thee do 1 take refuge.
2 0 my soul. Thou hast said to the Loed, " Thou art my Lord :
I have no good beside thee."
Title.— ^ writing of David. The but this appears its most probable
original term {michtam) has been signification.
variously rendered by translators; Verse 2. — Om/ysoul. These words

XVL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

61

3 The holy who are in the land, and the excellent,-
In them is aU my deUght.
4 Then- sorrows shaU be multipUed,
That hasten after another god :
I wiU not offer their Ubations of blood.
Nor wiU I take their names upon my Ups.

are not expressed in the original, but
both from the contest, and from the
fact that the verb, in the original, is
in the feminine form (which is
the gender of nephesh, the He
brew word for soul), it is evident
that it is the soul that is here
addressed. So, in the forty-second
and forty-thUd Psalms: "Why art
thou cast down, O my soul?"
&c. And there is a passage very
§UnUar to the present, in Lamen
tations iU. 24. "The Lord is
my portion, saith my soul." — Tliou
hast said to the Lord [Jehovah] thou
art my Lord." The term Lord {ad
onai) signifies properly master, ruler.
The soul here declares that the Lord
shaU be its only ruler and gover
nor : His laws shall be her laws :
His commandments shaU be her
guide : in contradistinction to those
mentioned in the fourth verse, who
hasten after another God, that is, who
obey some other law than the Divine
law, who aUow falses and evUs to
have donUnion over them, — and
whose sorrows, consequently, are mul
tiplied. — I have no good beside thee
(UteraUy, my good is not in addition
to thee, that is, is not from any other
source than thee.) The soul acknow
ledges its entire dependence on the
Lord for aU good, for all blessings.
The mind that is conjoined to the
Lord, is possessed of aU things ; for
it has Omnipotence for its support.
Omniscience for its guide, and Per

fect Love for its benefactor : there is
opened to it an inexhaustible Foun
tain of joys.
Verse 3. — The holy who are in
the land, &c. By the latid or earth,
in the spiritual sense, is signified the
Cliurch; for the land of Canaan
(which is to be understood where
no other is specified) represented
the church. The holy signifies
those who are in truth — that is, such
as are possessed of the knowledge
and love of tmth ; for the term holy
has reference always to truth. (See
A. R. 173.) WhUe by the excellent
(more accurately, the great or honor
able) are signified such as are in the
love of good. In a sense abstracted
from persons, by the holy in the land
and the excellent, in them is all my de
light, is signified the truths and
goods of the church, which are the
chief deUght of the spUitual man.
Verse 4. — Tlieir sorrows shall he
multiplied, that hasten after another
God — that is, who worship any other
God than Jehovah. The warning, in
the Uteral sense, is against the wor
ship of idols. But in the spiritual
sense, it is the idols of the heart
that are meant. He who prefers his
own wUl to the Divine wiU, who
gives himseU up to the indulgence
of some evil passion, some form of
the love of self and of the world,
and makes it the idol of his heart, —
such a one is preparing for hunseU
many sorrows, both here and here-

62

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XVI.

5 The Loed is my portion and my cup :
Thou upholdest my lot.
6 The Unes have faUen to me in pleasant ^?aces;
Yea, I have a goodly inheritance.

after. For he is violating those laws
of Divine order, and of his ovm soul,
which the Lord has estabUshed for
man's happiness.
I will not offer (UteraUy, I wiU
not pour out) tluir libations of blood.
" By libations of blood are signified
profanations of truth, for blood in
tins sense is violence offered to
charity, and profanation." (A. C.
4581.) A libation (from lihare, to
pour out) was an offering made, of
wine, blood, or other Uquid, which
was poured out upon the altar, or
upon the ground, or sometimes upon
a victUn offered in sacrifice. In the
IsraeUtish ritual service, the Uba-
tion was of wine, and, like the
wine used in the Holy Supper, it
represented an acknowledgment that
aU spiritual truth (signified by wine)
was from the Lord. The command
in regard to the Ubation of wine
may be found in Numbers xxvUi. 7.
In a good sense, hlood had a signifi
cation siniUar to that of loijie, namely,
Divine Truth, wluch was represented
by the blood sprinkled upon the
altar, and poured out at the foot of
the altar. In the same sense, also,
the Lord called the wine of the Last
Supper, his hlood. But when the
Jews feU into idolatry, their wor
ship was profanation : and in that
case the vine and blood, used as
libations, represented truth pro
faned. Nor will I take their names upon
my lips. — By the lips, in the spUi
tual sense, is signified doctrine, and
also worship from doctrine. (A. C.

1286.) By name is signified quality,
for names, originaUy, were given to
distinguish the quaUty or character
of the person named. Hence, not to
take their names upon the lips, signi
fies not to poUute doctrine with
falses and profanations of truth, such
as characterize idolaters. '
Verse 5. — The Lord is my portion
(UteraUy, the portion of my allot
ment) and my cup. That is, the Lord
is my sustaining good and truth: for
a cup and its contents, have always
reference to truth, and consequently,
the companion term, portion, must
refer to good. The meaning is, that
the Lord sustains us both as to wiU
and understanding : he is our very
Ufe. It is added, Tliou upholdest my
lot. Owr lot is the place aUotted to
us in the grand cUcle of hmnanity :
the place which we are created to
fUl, OUT proper sphere of uses, in
time and eternity. Every man is
created for some pecuUar form of use ;
and, if he is wiUing to be led by the
Lord, he wUl be brought at length
to his proper sphere of activity and
joy iu the heavens, and in that he
wUl be uplield and blessed by the
Lord for ever.
Verse 6. — The lines. By the lines
are meant the measuring lines, by
means of which a portion of ground
was marked off ; hence, they come
to signUy the portion itseU.— ffaw
fallen to me in pleasant places, yea,
I have a goodly inheritance. Place,
in the spiritual sense, is state, hence,
a pleasant place signifies a pleasant
state of mind, particularly in con-

XVL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

63

7 I wUl bless the Loed who counsels me :
By night, also, my reins correct me.
8 I set the Loed continuaUy before me :
Because he is at my right hand, I shaU not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices :
My flesh, also, shaU dweU iu safety.

sequence of the possession of truth :
ffhUe by the goodly [or delightful]
inheritance is signified happiness
from the possession of good. (See
A. C. 2658.) He who has the Lord
for his portion, has, indeed, a de-
Ughtful inheritance for time and
eternity : for he is conjoined to the
Source of aU blessing.
Verse 7. — By night also my reins
correct me. — " The reins [or kid
neys] signUy the tmths of faith and
purification of them from falsities ;
because the purification of the blood
is effected in the reins, — and by
hlood, in. the Word, is signified truth.
The Uke, also, is signifled by the
organ which purifies : aU purifica
tion from falses is effected by tmths.
Hence it is evident what is signified,
in the Word, by Jehovah or the
Lord " searching the heart and reins,"
namely, that he explores the goods
of love and tmths of faith, and sepa
rates them from evils and falsities. —
Such is the signification of reins in
the foUowing passage : " Jehovah of
hosts, the righteous judge, who tries
the reins and the heart," Jerem. xi.
20 ; also in David : " I wiU bless
Jehovah who counsels me ; by night,
also, my reins correct me;" where
night signifies man's state when
falsities arise : the coihbat of truths
with them at such times is signified
by "my reins correct me." (Ap. Ex.
167.) Verse 8. — Because he is at my
right hand, I shall not be moved.

Right hand signifies power, and,
when spoken of the Lord, Omnipo
tence. The Lord is at our right
hand, when, by trust in him, we
make him our Almighty protector :
then we cannot be moved — all the
powers of evU cannot hurt or dis
turb us.
Verse 9. — Therefore my heart is
glad, &c. By heart is signifled the
wiU or love, and by glory the un
derstanding or truth, the brightness
of which is caUed glory. "Where
the Lord says (in Matthew xxiv. 30)
that " the Son of man shall come
in the clouds of heaven with power
and great glory," by glory is signi
fied the brightness of the Divine
Truth, in which the Lord appears
at his Second Coming ; for that
coming is the opening of the in
ternal sense of the Word, in which
Divine Truth is manUested in its
brilUancy and power. — My flesh,
also, shall dwell in safety. By flesh,
here, in the supreme sense, is signi
fied the Lord's Humanity. " Flesh,
in the Word, has various significa
tions. It signifies man's proprium,
thus either his good or his evU.
But, in the supreme sense, it signi
fies the Divine Hmnan of the Lord,
specificaUy the Divine good of Di-
¦vdne love, which proceeds from
him." (Ap. Ex. 1082.) By the
words "my flesh, also, shall dwell
in safety," when spoken of the Lord,
appears to be signifled, that the
Lord's humanity would be raised

64

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XVI

10 For thou wUt not leave my soul to heU:
Thou wUt not give thy holy one to see the pit.
11 Thou wUt make known to me the path of Ufe :

above the evU and the false, that is,
would be entirely purified from
them and be glorified or made Divine,
and thus would not only dwell for
ever in Divine safety itseU, but
would be the source of safety and
salvation to all mankind. — In a
secondary sense, hj flesh is signified
good from the Lord with man, which
dweUs in safety, being under His
Divine protection.
Verse 10. — For thou wilt not leave
m,y soul to hell; thou wilt not give
thy holy one to see tlie pit. — Hell, here,
signifies evU, and pit the false. (See
A. C. 4728.)— These words, in the
suj)reme sense, are a prayer of the
Lord, in his humiliation, that the
humanity might not be suffered to
sink under its dire temptations from
the hells. Soul, here, must mean the
Lord's human soul, or external mind,
derived from the mother, which
alone was subject to temptation.
Verse 11. — Tliou wilt make known
to me the path of life (literally the path
of lives). The term lives signifies the
life of the wiU and the Ufe of the
understanding ; the former of which
is good, and the latter, truth. These
words, like the foregoing, have re
ference, in the supreme seiise, to the
Lord Jesus. The declaration or
prayer, Tliou wilt make known to me
the path of life, may be iUustrated by
the passage in John (v. 26), "As
the Father hath lUe in himseU, so
hath he given to the Son to have
life in himseU." The humanity,
glorified, was to become LUe itself
and the source of lUe to all : in ac
cordance with the Lord's words, " I

am the way, the truth, and the lUe"
(John xiv. 6). — In thy presence (liter
aUy, with thy face) is fulness of joys.
The face is the expression of the
affections : hence, when it is pre
dicated of the Divine Being, face
signifies the Divine love. (Ap. Ex.
412.) With thy face, then, signi
fies iu conjunction with the Divine
Love or the essential Divine. When
the Humanity should become per
fectly glorified and, thus completely
united to the Father in the Divine
Essential Love, then the Humanity
would be fUled mth fullness of joys,
that is Divine and infinite joy. At
thy right hand there are pleasures for
ever. By right hand is signified
power, and, in the Lord's case. Omni
potence. By Jesus sitting at the
right hand of God, is meant that
the Humanity glorified became the
omnipotent instrument which Jeho
vah took to himseU, whereby he
subdues the heUs, upholds the
heavens, and saves mankind. The
term pleasures is used here, seem
ingly, in reference to the Divine
Natural. There are named here
three degrees of deUghts : first, life,
which is Divine and essential love
and peace ; then joys, wluch is pre
dicated, probably, of the Divine
Celestial and Spiritual ; lastly, plea
sures or deUghts, which belong to
the natural. (See A. C. 994.) The
Hmnanity glorified is aU these, and
the source of all to men.
In the secondary sense which re
fers to man, by the words Thou wilt
make known to me the path of life, is
meant that the Lord, if we look to

XSTLl,]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

65

In thy presence there is fuUness of joys :
At thy right hand there are pleasures forever.

him, wiU show us the truth that
leads to good, path signUying truth,
and Ufe love or good {lives, here,
signify good in the wiU, and wis
dom in the understancUng) — in thy
presence is fullness of jdys, that from
conjunction with the Lord are de
rived all interior joys and blisses ; —
at thy right hand there are pleasures
forever, that in a state of good (for
right signifies good, and here the good
are described as at the Lord's right

hand ; see Matt. xxv. 34) there are
eternal deUghts. — These coacluding
words of the Psalm are exceedingly
comprehensive, cheeriag, and de-
Ughtful. They teach us, that it we
wUl but look to the Lord, and seek
to do his wUl, he vrill guide us
through Ufe, conjoin us to himseU
more and more closely, as we be
come more fuUy regenerated, and at
length wiU take us to heaven, and
bless us with joys everlasting.

PSALM XVIL

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
The Lord concerning the integrity of his life, verses 1 to 5 ;
from the Divine in himself, 6 ; by which he is sustained against
the evil who rise up against him, 6 to 10 ; and who wish to kM
him, 11, 12; by whovi, nevertheless, he cannot be hurt, 13; who
yet have the Word, 14; tliat he will be glorified, 15.
A Prayer of David.
1 Hear the right, 0 Loed : attend to my cry :
Give ear to my prayer, which proceeds not from deceitful Ups.
2 Let my judgment come forth from thy presence :
Let thine eyes behold what is upright.

Title. — The Psalm is entitled A
Prayer of David: but David, here as
throughout the Psalms, represents
the Lord. It is a prayer of the
Lord in his state of humUiation.
Verse 1. — Hear the right, 0 Lord,
(UteraUy hear righteousness.) That
is. Receive and attend to a request
that is just, — that has no evil or
wrong end ia view.

Verse 2. — Let my judgment come
forth from thy presence (literany,/TOm
thy face.) The /ace of Jehovah sig
nifies the Divine Love: Let thy
Divine Love decide for me and suc
cor me. — Let thine eyes behold what
is upright (literally, uprightness.)
The Eyes of Jehovah signUy the
Divine Wisdom: Let thy wisdom
perceive what is right and do it.

66

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XVIL

3 Thou hast proved my heart :
Thou hast visited me in the night :
Thou hast tried me : thou shalt find notliing :
I am purposed that my mouth shaU not transgress.
4 As for the doings of man,
By the word of thy Ups I have kept from the ways of the
transgressor.
5 Hold fast my goings in thy paths :
Let not my steps be moved.
6 I caU upon thee, for thou wUt answer me, 0 God :
IncUne thine ear to me : hear my words.
7 Show forth thy mercies, 0 thou, that by thy right hand
Savest those that trust in thee from those that rise up against
them.

Verse 3. — Tliou hast proved my
heart; thou hast visited me in ihe
night. In the night signifies in a dark
state of the soul, when it is clouded
by temptations. Even in this state,
he says. Thou hast visited (or ex-
qmined) me and found no evil intent.
The Lord, even in his dUest tempta
tions, never yielded to the sugges
tions of evil insinuated from the
hells, but overcame them aU and
cast them out. I am purposed that
my mouth shall not transgress : or, as
it might be rendered. My thought
oversteps not my mouth: that is,
there is no secret purpose of evU,
nothing which he is not willing to
declare. Verse 4. — As for the doings of
man, that is to say, contemplating
the evil courses of men — I have not
walked in their steps. By the word
of thy lips, &c,. Up signifies doctrine :
word is truth : hence, hy the word
of thy lips, signifies, by true doctrine
from the Lord. / have kept from the
ways of the transgressor. It is only
by learning and foUowing the doc

trines and teachings of the Lord in
his Word, that we can ever keep
ourselves from transgression : for
that Word was given, to be " a lamj)
to our feet, and a Ught to our path,"
— and he who walks by that Ught,
wiU be preserved from the pit and
the snare, from falsity and evU.
Verse 5. — Hold fast my goings,
&c. This is a prayer that we have
all need to offer. Of ourselves, we
have no strength : without the con
tinual support of the Lord, we faU.
The Doctrine of the New Church
teaches, that every man, yea, every
angel, is withheld from evU, only by
an exceedingly strong force from the
Lord. See A. C. 2406.
Verse 7. — Show forth thy mercies.
The Lord's mercy is the Lord's love
— the effect of which is a perpetual
effort to deliver man from evU and
unhappiness, and to bring him to all
good and happiness, and especiaUy
to accompUsh the salvation of his
soul, for this is the great end of his
being. — Right hand signifies omni
potence. — Those ihat rise up against

XVIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

67

8 Keep me as the pupil of the eye :
Hide me in the shadow of thy wings,
9 From the face of the wicked who oppress me.
From the enemies of my soul who encompass me.
10 They have enclosed themselves in their fat :
With their mouth they speak proudly.

ihem : mean aU enemies, but especi
aUy spUitual ones, tempters, the
enemies of the soul.
Verse 8. — Keep me as the pupil
(UteraUy, the pupil, daughter) of the
eye. The Hebrew word {ishon) here
rendered pupil, is a diminutive of
ish, a man, signUying properly a
little man, having aUusion to the di
minutive image of a person reflected
in another's eye. The word pupil,
in its etymological sense, has nearly
the same signification. What, now,
can be the spiritual sense of the
phrase? for this, like every other
expression in the Divine Word, must
have its internal sense. May it not
be as follows ? Eye signifies inteUi
gence and wisdom, and when pre
dicated of the Lord, Divine Wis
dom : man signifies truth, daughter
good : then, the little man, or pupil,
daughter of the eye, signifies truth
and good of the Divine wisdom, or
derived from the Divine wisdom :
it is these that make man a little
image of the Lord, who is the great
Prototype of humanity. Then, keep
me as the pupil, daughter of ihe eye,
would signUy "preserve me in the
truth and good of wisdom, thus in
thy image and Ukeness."
Hide me in the shadow of thy wings.
" By Wings are signified powers :
because by them bUds Uft them
selves up ; and moreover vrings with
bUds are in the place of arms with
men, and by arms are signified
powers. — ^Wings also signUy defen

ces." A. R. 245. " Wings, when
predicated of the Lord, sigrdfy the
Divine spUitual, which in its essence
is truth derived from gijpd. — Hence,
to cover under wings signifies to guard
by Divine Truth." Ap. Ex. 283.
— The term shadow is used, proba
bly, to describe a state of protection
from heat, that is, from the fUe of
evU ; in the same sense, in which it
is said in PsaUn cxxi 6, " The Lord
is thy shade upon thy right hand :
the sun shaU not smite thee by day,
nor the moon by night,"' — the term
sun here signUying evU, and moon
falsity. Verse 9. — Tlie wicked signify
evils, and the enem/ies of my soy^
falses ; as also the infemal spUits, "fc
who are in them. ^
Verse 10. — They have enclosed
themselves in their fat. " ^j fat and
fatness is signifled the good of love ;
for fat is the best part of flesh,
and is as oU, by which is signi
fied the good of love. Hence, as
all worship, which is truly such, is
from the good of love, it was ap
pointed that aU the fat in the sac
rifices should be burned upon the
altar, for by the sacrifices and bumt-
offerings was signified worship. — But
in the opposite sense, by the fat are
signified those who nauseate good,
and utterly despise and reject it."
Ap. Ex. 1159. Fat, then, here sig
nifies the opposite of good, namely
evU, in which the vricked enclose
s, as it were, or vreap them-

68

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XVIL

11 They now encompass us in our steps:
They set their eyes to bring us down to the earth.
12 He is Uke a Uon that is eager to tear in pieces,
And as a young Uon couching in secret places.
13 Arise, 0 Loed, disappoint him : cast him down :
DeUver my soul from the wicked by thy sword ;
14 From men, by thy hand, 0 Lord ; from men of the world.
Whose portion is in this life, and whose beUy thou fiUest with
thy treasure. [babes.
The sons are satisfied, and they leave their residue to their

selves up. — With their mouth ihey
speak proudly. As fat refers to the
evil of the wiU, so mouth refers to
falsity in the understanding ; for the
mouth, as being the organ of speech,
signifies the thought from which
speech proceeds. Speaking proudly,
signifies pride in the thought, which
generaUy attends evU in the heart.
Verse 11. — Tliey now encompass
our steps, — As we are taught by
revelation, and may observe in our
ovm daUy experience, evU spirits are
! every moment about us, striving to
lead us astray and draw us to de
struction ; and but for the ceaseless
pirotection of the Lord, they would
destroj' us, body and soul. — They set
their eyes to bring us down to the earth.
The eyes signUy the understanding,
the thoughts. Tliey set their eyes,
means they fix theU thoughts in
tently. To bring us down to the earth,
means, in a general sense to destroy
us ; but, particularly, by the earth
is signified the natural mind : they
endeavor to draw man down from
a state of spUitual elevation into
the indulgence of merely natural
thoughts and passions — knowing
that this is the smest way to destroy
the soul.
Verse 12. — He is like a lion, &o.
" Your adversary, the devil," says

the Apostle, " as a roaring Uon,
walketh about, seeking whom he
may devour." (1 Peter v. 8.) In
the present verse, we find evU spirits
spoken of in the singular, he, jnst as
in the above passage they are termed
the devil, that is, heU in the com
plex. EvU spirits are compared to
a lion, because a lion in a bad sense,
signifies destructive falsity and its
power (though in a good sense, it
signifies tmth and its power.) The
double expression, lion and young
lion, is used, because a Uon signifies
in particular such falsity as destroys
truth, whUe by a young Uon is sig
nified such falsity as tends to the
destruction of good. (See Ap. Ex.
714.) For young in a good sense,
impUes innocence, but, in a bad
sense, what is opposed to innocence.
Hence the young Uon is described as
couching in secret places, represent
ing that deadly species of evU, that
destroys by cunning and subtlety.
Verse 13. — By thy sword. A sword
signifies truth combating against
evU aud the false. (A. R. 836.)
Verse 14. — This passage is some
what obscure, and the connection of
its parts not very plain. We may,
however, arrive at an understanding
of its general sense, by the help of
the foUowing explication of a por-

XVIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

69

15 But I through righteousness, shaU behold thy face :
When I awake, I shaU be fiUed with thy likeness.

tion of it by our author : " Whose
belly thoufillest with thy treasure: the
sons are satisfied, and they leave their
residue to their babes. By treaswe
is signified the truth of the Word ;
by the belly, interior understanding ;
hence, by filling their belly with trea
sure, is signified to instruct theU
interior understanding in the truths
of the Word. That thence those
who are affected with truths, may
be fuUy instructed, is signified by the
sons being satisfied ; sons signify those
who are in the affection of truth :
and thdr babes signify nascent
troths." (Ap. Ex. 622.) The passage
seems to be divisible into two dis-
tiact parts, the former having refer
ence to the evU, who are neverthe
less possessed of the knowledge of
truth, and the latter to the good or
those who are in the genuine affec
tion of tmth. In the preceding
verse, it is said, " DeUver my soul
from the wicked ;" hence it is con
tinued, "From men of the world,
whose portion is in [this] Ufe, and
whose beUy thou fillest with thy
treasure:" that is, from men who,
though wicked and worldly, are
nevertheless acquainted vrith tmths
from the Word. Deliver me from
these, means, that such persons
are evU and condemned. That
nevertheless, by theU means, the
good or those in the genuine affection
of truth, may leam truths, is meant
by the sons being satisfied: and by
the residue being left to their babes,
that thus those just beginning to love
truths and goods (or such as are in in
nocence babes)may also be iustruoted.
Verse 15.— But I, through right
eousness, shall behold thy face. This

verse has special reference to the
Lord's glorification. Face signifies
love, the face being the image of the
affections : thy face, the Divine love.
To behold thy face, is to be brought,
as it were, into the immediate pre
sence of the Divine love, which
never happened to any but the
Lord's humanity : no other man can
" see God and live." In righteous
ness, signifies through his combats
with the hells, whereby the Lord
became Righteousness itseU. I shall
be fllled when I awake with thy like
ness. This describes the second,
stage or the completion of the con
junction of the human with the
Divine. When the Lord was in
the world, he made himself Divine
Truth, which is probably meant by
beholding Jehovah's Face; but when
he went out of tho world, that is,
when he " ascended to the Father,"
he became Divine Good or Love #
itseU, Jehovah even as to the Hu
man. 'When I awake, signifies the
Lord's ascension from the natural
state or state of humUiation in
which he was whUe in the world :
for the state of man in this Ufe is
compared to sleep, as being an ob
scure state. (SeeA. C. 5210.) Shallbe
filled vnth thy likeness, signifies a per
fect union of the Lord's Human with
the Divine, so that the Human be
came the very likeness of the Di
viae, but in the natural degree, — in
other words, the Divine Natural.
To this union the Lord was ever
looking and ever pressing while he
was in the world : at his ascension,
it was perfected, and He now reigns,
Jesus Jehovah, the one Lord and
God, forevermore.

70

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XVIIL

PSALM XVIII.

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
The confidence of the Lord from his Divine against tlie hells,
verses 1-3, 6 ; the Lord's combats with the hells, 4^6 ; that in his
zeal he subjugated and prostrated them, 7-14 ; that thus Divine
truth appears, 15 ; that from his Divine he prevailed over them,
16-19; that the Lord, had righteousness and integrity, 20-27,
30, 32 ; and Divine truth, 28, 29 ; that he is the only God, 31 ;
that he fights from his Divine, 32-36 ; and subjugates the hells,
37-40 ; that for them there is no savior, 41 ; wlierefore they will
be destroyed, 42, 45 ; then there will be a New Church which will
acknowledge and worship the Lord, 43, 44; celebration of the
Lord by that Church on account of redemption, 46-50.
To the Leader of the Music : a Psalm of David, the servant of Jehovah, who
spake to Jehovah the words of this song, in the day in which Jehovah
delivered bim from the hand of aU his enemies, and from the hand of
Saul.

This is one of the subUmest of the
Psalms : it is, in the internal sense,
a lofty description of the great work
of redemption, and ofthe Lord's com
bats with the heUs. What is there
in aU poetry so sublime as the pas
sage from the seventh to the fUteenth
verses, commencing with, "Then the
earth shook and trembled ? " God,
the Creator of poets, has HimseU
here uttered both the oldest and the
grandest poetry.
Title. — ^We may see plainly from
this title, that David represents the
Lord, and that what seems in the
letter to refer to David, is in truth
spoken of the Lord and his great
works. How inappUcable, for in
stance, to David, and any incidents
in his lU'e, is the grand description
in the seventh and foUowing verses !
Did God " shake the earth, and bow

the heavens and come down, and
ride upon the wings of the wind,"
all to the trifling end of rescuing
David out of tho hand of king
Saul ? But, in fact, David is men
tioned here, only as representing the
Lord Jesus. He is called the "serv
ant of Jehovah," as representing in
particular the Lord's humanity or
human nature, which was the ser
vant or instrument of the Divinity.
He is caUed servant, moreover (as
also king and a man of war), because
he represented the Lord as to Divine
Truth combating, and the term ser
vant is applied in Scripture to truth,
as being the servant or instrument
of good. (See A. R. 3). By " aU
his enemies" and " Saul," are signi
fled the hells, both as to evUs
and falses ; for Saul, as a king, re
presented in a good sense, Divine

XVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

71

1 And he said, I wiU love thee, 0 Loed, my strength :
2 The Loed ^s my rock, and my fortress, and my deUverer ;
My God is my rock, in whom I wUl trust :
My shield, the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
3 I vsdll caU upon the Loed, who is to be praised,
And I shaU be saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death encompassed me.
And the floods of vsdckedness terrified me.
5 The cords of heU surrounded nie.
The snares of death beset me.

truth, but, in an opposite sense, the
false. By " David, the servant of
Jehovah, speaking to Jehovah the
words of this song" is signified the
humanity of the Lord looking up to
the Divinity within him, and utter
ing thanksgivings and praises after
deUverance out of deep temptation,
signified by the " day in which he
was deUvered from the hand of his
enemies," &c. It is called a song to
express the deep o^eoiiore from i^hich
this was uttered, for singing corre
sponds to affection. (See A. C. 418).
Verse 1. — And he said, I will love
thee. This is a warm expression of
gratitude to the Lord, which the
spiritual man has often occasion to
utter, when he finds himseU rescued
from the billows of temptation and
distress. Verses 1,2. — The Lord,my strength.
The Lord is my rock, &c. " Rock and
strength, when appUed to Jehovah or
the Lord, signUy omnipotence ; for
tress and rock in which I trust, sig
nUy protection ; shield and horn of
safety signUy salvation thence.
Strength, fortress, and shield, in the
Word, are predicated of Divine Good ;
rock and horn, ot Divine Truth :
hence, by the above words, are sig
nified omnipotence, protection, and

salvation, which belong to Divine
Good by Divine Truth." Ap. Ex.
316. — The term rock is twice used in
this verse, but, in the original lan
guage, the terms are different, namely
sela and ttiur : the former having re
ference to Divine truth external, and
the latter to Divine tmth internal.
(See Ap. Ex. 619).— The last term
appUed to the Lord, in this yerse, is
my high place, or more UteraUy, my
height. The Lord is called high from
being internal and inmost ; and he
is a high place to us, when he Ufts us
up out of a low and external state,
in which temptations assail us, into
one of love and peace, and thus ele
vates us out of the reach of temptation.
Verses 4, 5. — Tlie cords of death
encompassed me, &c. " The cords and
snares of death which encompassed and
beset, signify temptations, which be
ing from heU, are called, also, the
cords of hell. These and the other
things in the whole of this Psalm
tieat of the Lord's combats and vic
tories." (D. L. 14.) Cords of death
signify evUs, and floods of wickedness
the falses thence derived ; while in
the foUovring verse, cords of hell sig
nify falses, and snares of deatii evUs
thence derived. For evUs produce
falses, and falses again lead to evils.

72

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XVIIL

6 In my distress I caUed upon the Lord,
And cried to my God :
He heard my voice from his temple,
And my cry came before him into his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled,
And the foundation's of the mountains were moved and
shaken,
Because he was wroth.
8 There went up a smoke from his nostrils ;
And fire out of his mouth devoured :
Coals were kindled by it.

When the terms deatii and hell are
used in connexion, the former sig
nifies evil, the latter, the false. (See
A. R. 870). Cords, as binding to
gether, signUy conjunction (Ap. Ex.
799) : hence cords of death and of
hell, evUs and falses, bound together
in a certain series and uUernal order.
Verse 6. — Galled upon the Lord —
cried to my God. The term Lord is
used in reference to the Divine Love,
and God in reference to Divine Truth.
Hence to call upon ihe Lord would
sigrdfy to appeal to the Lord's Love,
and to cry to God, to appeal to His
Divine Wisdom. A sUnilar dupU-
cism may be discerned in the re
mainder of the verse. Temple signi
fies heaven, and also the Church,
particularly as to the truth therein
(see Ap. Ex. 220) : hence He heard
my voice from his temple, signifies the
Lord's listening and answer from his
Divine Truth ; whUe the words my
cry came before him into his ears, sig
nifies his attention from Divine Love,
for the ears, when predicated of the
Lord, signUy His Divine will or love.
(See A. C. 3869).
Verse 7. — Then the earth shook
and trembled, &c. " The earth here
denotes the Church, which is said to

shake and tremble when it is perverted
through the falsification of truths ;
and in that case the foundations of
the mountains are said to he moved
and shaken, because the goods of
love, which are founded upon the
tmths of faith, vanish, — mountains
signUying the goods of love ; and
their foundations the truths of faith."
Ap. Ex. 304.
Verse 8. — Tiiere went up a smoke,
&c. "The state of an evU man,
when he is angry, is Uke smoke,
which, when fire is appUed to it, be
comes flame ; for the false of evU in
the inteUectual principle is as smoke,
and anger is as the flame of kindled
smoke. There is also a correspond
ence between them ; hence, in the
Word, smoke denotes the false, and
the flame of it, anger ; as ia David,
Tiiere went up a smoke out of his nose,
and fire out of his mouth : coals were
kindled by it:" A. 0. 9144.—" It is
not meant that sm.oke and devouring
fire ascended from Jehovah or the
Lord, because he has no anger ; but
it is so said, because the Lord appears
such to those who are in falsities and
veUs," for they view hUn from theU
own falses and evUs. Ap. Ex. 539.
— Coals. " Burning coals !AgnMjt\i&

XVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

73

9 And he bowed the heavens and came down ;
And thick darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly:
Yea, he flew upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his hidiag-place; hispavUion around him;
Darkness of waters, clouds of the skies.

pride of self-derived intelUgence."
Ap. Ex. 455.
Verse 9. — "By Jehovah bowing
the heavens and coming down, is sig
nified the visitation which precedes
the last judgment : by thick darkness
under his feet are signified the falses
of evU in lower principles." Ap.
Ex. 439. When a j udgment is about
to take place (which is in the spiritual
world), visitation precedes. " By
this is effected an exploration of the
quaUty of spirits, and also a separa
tion of the good from the evU. To
this end, the heavens are brought dovm
nearer, whereby the interiors of
those, upon whom the judgment is
about to be performed, are laid open.''
L.J. 61; L. J. Contin. 23.
Verse 10. — He rode upon a cherub,
and did fly, &c. " By Jehovah's
riding upon a cherub, is signified his
Divine providence ; and did fly signi
fies his omnipresence in the spiritual
world ; and lie was carried upon the
wings of the wind, signifies his omni
presence in the natural world : the
wings of the wind sigmfy things
spiritual, from which things natural
are derived." Ap. Ex. 282. A che
rub, or (plural) cherubim, in the Word,
signify the guarding providence of
the Lord, lest man, while in an evil
state, should enter into the mysteries
of faith, and thus profane them.
This was signified by the cherubim
that guarded the way to the tree of
Ufe (Gen. iii 24) and also by the
figure of cherubim set over the ark,

and wrought on the vaU of the tem
ple, and the curtains of the taber
nacle. (See A. C. 308.) " Because
it is the Divine Proceeding from the
Lord, which provides and guards,
therefore it is said conoernUig the
Lord, that he sits [or rides] upon the
cherubim, as in Psalm xviU. 10."
Ap. Ex. 277. To ride signifies to be
" elevated as to the intellectual prin
ciple" (A. C. 3190), the horse being
the emblem of the intellect : and
when predicated of the Lord, it sig
nifies " to give intelUgence and wis
dom, because, by a chariot is signi
fied the doctrine of truth, and by a
horse the understanding of it." Ap.
Ex. 355.
Verses 11, 12. — He made darkness
his hiding-place, &c. " The subject
here treated of is the coming and
presence of the Lord in the Word.
Darkness and clouds of the skies de
note the letter of the Word. That,
nevertheless, Divine Truth, such as
it is in the heavens, is vdthin that
sense, is signified by making darkness
his hiding-place; and that, at the
presence of the Lord, the internal
sense appears such as it is in heaven,
in its glory, is signified by His clouds
passing away from the brightness be
fore him." A. C. 9406.— The lite
ral sense of the Word is called dark,
in comparison with the spiritual
sense, because it is expressed in
great part according to appearances,
as when God is said to be angry, &c.,
whereas the internal sense shines

74

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XVIII.

12 From the brightness before him, his clouds passed away :
There were haU-sfowes and coals of fire.
13 The Loed thundered in the heavens.
And the Most High gave forth his voice :
There were hail-stowes and coals of fire.
14 He sent forth his arrows, and scattered them.
And he shot out Ughtnings, and dispersed them.
15 And the channels of the waters were seen,
And the foundations of the world were uncovered.
At thy rebuke, 0 Loed,
At the blast of the breath of thy nostrUs.

with the brightness of genuine truth.
The Uteral sense is caUed darkness of
waters, because waters signUy natu
ral or external truths : it is also
called clouds of ihe skies (or as in
Matthew xxiv. 30, clouds of heaven),
because the letter of the Word veUs
over the brightness of the internal
sense, as the clouds veU the Ught of
the heavens. — The darkness, that is,
the literal sense, is caUed his hiding-
place, his pamlion around him, be
cause the Lord often hides his real
character behind the literal sense of
His Word, the letter frequently de
scribing him as hard and wrathful,
whUe, in reality. He is essential
goodness and love. It is as with
dark clouds, in which the thunder
rolls and the lightning fiashes, whUe
behind or above them the heavens
are aU serene, and the sun is ever
shining. Verses 12, 13. — Hail and coals of
fire. " By hail and fire are signified
falses and evUs destructive of the
goods and truths of the Church.
The reason why it is said that these
are from Jehovah, is because Divine
truth descending from heaven is
tumed into infernal falses vrith the
evU ; from which change exist many
appearances, as that hail and fire

flow down, when yet these are not
out of heaven from the Lord, but
from those who are in the falses of
evU, who turn the influx of Divine
truth and good into the false of evU."
Ap. Ex. 503.
Verses 13, 14. — The Lord thun
dered in the heavens, &c. " Thun
ders are here expressed by thundering
out of heaven and by giving forth a
voice, and lightnings by arrows; and
by the latter and the former are
signifled Divine tmths, and by the
flash their Ught ; wMch tmths, as
they vivUy and enUghten the good,
so terrUy and blind the evU ; which
is understood by sending forth arrows
and scattering ihem and lightning and
discomfiting them, for the wicked
cannot endure Divine truths or any
Ught at all from heaven ; wherefore
at their presence they flee away."
Ap. Ex. 273.
Verse 15. — And ihe channels of
the waters were seen, &c. "That all
things of the church as to its truths
and its goods were utterly over
turned, is signifled by the channels
of the waters being seen, and by the
foundations of the world being un
covered, — ^the channels of the waters
denoting tmths, and the foundations
of ihe world goods ; to be seen and to

XVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

75

16 He reached from on high : he took me :
He drew me out of many waters.
17 He deUvered me from my strong enemy,
And from those that hated me ;
For they were stronger than I.
18 They attacked me in the day of calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
19 And he brought me forth into a broad place :
He deUvered me, for he deUghted in me.
20 The Loed rewarded me according to my righteousness.
According to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed
me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Loed,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For aU his judgments were before me,
And I did not put away his statutes from me.

he uncovered signifles to be utterly
overthrown. That this destruction
is from the hatred and fury of the
evU agaiast Divine things is what is
signified by at thy rebuke, 0 Lord, at
the blast of the 'breath of thy nostrils
piteraUy, of thy nose]. For there is
not any anger or rage in the Lord
against the evU, but of the evU
against the Lord ; yet, as this ap
pears to them, when they perish, as
from the Lord, therefore it is so ex
pressed according to the appearance."
Ap. Ex. 741. It may be observed
that, in a good sense, by the channels
of the waters being seen, is signified
the appearing of Diviae tmth after
falses and evils are removed ; for the
establishment of a New Church al
ways succeeds the destruction of a
former. See the comment on this
verse in the Summary Exposition
prefixed to the Psalm.
Verses 16, 17. — In these verses
is described the Lord's deUverance
from a state of deep temptation,

through which his Humanity passed,
in his combats with the heUs.
Many waters signUy falses of evU. —
Stronger than I, that is, than his hu
manity ; for before glorification, the
Lord's humanity was Uifirm like
that of other men. It was from his
Divine within him — here called He
or Jehovah, — that the Lord fought
against and overcome the heUs. See
Summary Exposition above.
Verses 18, 19. — " Day of calamity
denotes a weak state as to the faith
of tmth : Jehovah being a support,
signifies abiUty in such case. To
bringforihinto a broad place [literaUy,
into breadth] denotes into the tmths
which are of faith." A. C. 9028.
Broad, in the Word, has reference to
truth, — and length to good. See A.
R. 906. For he delighted in me. " I
do always," said the Lord, "those
things that please him" (John viU. 29).
Verse 21. — Tlie Lord — God: Di
vine Love, and Divine Truth.
Verse 22. — Judgments— statutes.

76

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XVIII.

23 I was also perfect with him,
And I kept myself from my perverseness.
24 Therefore has the Lord recompensed me according to my
righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.
25 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful :
With the upright man thou wUt show thyself upright.
26 With the pure thou wUt show thyseK pure :
And with the perverse thou wUt show thyself perverse.
27 For thou wUt save the afiUcted people :
But lofty looks thou wUt bring down.

"Judgments signUy Divine truths, ac
cording to which man ought to Uve."
(A. R. 668.) " Statutes signUy the
external things of the Word, such as
rituals, and those things which are
representative and significative ofthe
internal sense, are the laws of wor
ship." A. C. 3382. Ap. Ex. 946.
Ve^isb 23. — I was perfect with him,
kept myself from my perverseness.
Perverseness here, being spoken of the
Lord, signifies his hereditary nature,
derived from the mother, which was
infUm, like that of other men. The
word, here rendered perverseness, is
from a root signifying bent, distorted,
thus aptly describing the disordered
condition of the humanity he as
sumed. It was, in fact only through
such hereditary propensities, that he
could be tempted, as the Apostle
says, " in all lUce points like as we
are." But the Lord in no case
yielded to temptation, but always
overcame ; which is meant by the
words, I was perfect with him and
kept myself from my perverseness.
" Which of you," said the Lord, con-
victeth me of sin ?" (John viU. 46.)
Verse 24. — Tlie Lord hath recom-
me according to my righteous

ness, &o. How plain is it from these
words, that it is the Lord alone that
is here referred to : who but he can
use language like this ? For weak
and erring man thus to speak would
be sinful, both because he is con
tinually falling, and also because
what little "righteousness" he may
have, is not his own, but is the per
petual gUt of the Lord.
Verses 25, 26. — With themerciful
thou wilt show thyself merciful, &c.
These words teach, that the Lord
appears to every man according to
Ms own character and state of mind.
To the good, he appears good and
lovely : to the evil, he appears harsh
and vindictive. This arises not from
any change in the Lord, who is ever
the same ; but because every one
judges of others, from and according
to his own state of thought and feeling.
Verse 27. — For thou wilt save the
afiiicted people, &c. The afflicted, in
a spiritual sense, signUy such as have
undergone temptations, and are con
sequently humbled and made poor
in spirit. Such can be saved by
the Lord, because their hearts are
open to receive his love and good
ness ; whereas the lofty or proud,

XVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

11

28 For thou wUt cause my lamp to shine, 0 Loed ;
My God will enUghten my darkness.
29 For by thee wiU I rim upon a troop,
And by my God wiU I leap over a waU.
30 As to God, his way is perfect :
The word of the Loed is tried :
He is a shield to aU that trust in him.
31 For who is God, save the Loed ?
And who is a rock except our God ?
32 It is God, who girds me with strength.
And makes my way perfect ;

those who are fiUed with seU-love
and seU-conceit, have theU hearts
shut against the Lord, and so remain
in evU and perish.
Verse 28. — Thou wilt cause my
lamp to shine, "ictmp signifies iUu-
mination from the Lord." (A. R.
796.) God will enlighten my darkness,
signifies that the Lord by his di
vine truth wiU lift the mind out
of the state of temptation, during
which it is dark and clouded, into
the Ught of clear perception.
Verse 29. — By thee — more liter
aUy, in thee, — resting in the Diviae,
or conjoiaed to him. Run upon a
troop. Troop signifies a multitude,
— here, a multitude of evils or evU
spirits, with whom the Lord fought
in temptation. Leap over a wall.
WaU, in a good sense, signifies truth
protecting or defending, as a wall
does a city. But in the opposite
sense, as here, it signifies /a&es, over
which the Lord leaped, that is,
which he mastered — would not be
hemmed in by. It is said, " 'by my
God, — the term God signUying dii3-
tinctively Divine tmth, by means of
which falses are overcome.
Verse 30. — As to God, His way is
perfect. Way signifies doctrine (A.
C. 2531), for as a way is the means

to an end, so doctrine leads to good,
which is the end. Is perfect, means
that doctrine from the Lord is ab
solute truth, and a certain guide.
The term God is used as implying
Divine Tmth. — Tlie word (more U-
terally, the saying) of the Lord is
purified. To say, when predicated
of the Lord, signifies perception and
thought (A. C. 2619); is tried or
petrified, signifies, is purity itseU
(the Uteral rendering of the original
term, is sepa/rated,, cleansed ; see
PsaUn xU. 6) : that is, the thought
of the Lord is free from everythiag
but essential love, goodness, and the
desUe to bless his creatures. " I
know the thoughts that I think to
ward you, saith the Lord, thoughts
of peace and not of evil." (Jere
miah xxix. 11.)
Verse 31. — Wio is a rock besides
our God? Rock signifies Divine
Truth. (See note on ver. 2.)
Verse 32. — Girds me with strength.
" To gird one's self, signifies to know
and perceive tmths in Ught from
good." (A. C. 10,087.) Hence to
gird with strength, signifies to give
the understanding and perception of
truth, whence is power. — Perfect
way, is the pure doctrine of truth :
see note on ver. 30.

78

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

XVIIL]

33 Who makes my feet Uke the hinds.
And estabUshes me upon my high places ;
34 Who trains my hands to war.
So that a bow of brass is bent by my arms.
35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation.
And thy right hand upholds me,
And thy correction has enlarged me.
36 Thou hast made broad my steps under me.
So that my ancles falter not.
37 I wiU pursue my enemies and overtake them.
And wUl not turn back tUl they are consumed.

Verse. 33. — Who makes my feet
like tlie hinds. "By feet is signified
the natural principle of the mind."
" By the hind is signified natural
affection. The hind is an animal of
the forest, loving freedom more than
other animals ; in which property
the natural principle resembles it,
for this loves to be in the deUght of its
affections, consequently in freedom,
for freedom is what of the affections.
The natural affections are what are
signified by hinds in David: 'Je
hovah makes my feet Uke the hinds,
and places me .on my heights.'
That to make the feet as the hinds,
has such a signification, is manifest
from this, that to make the feet
nimble and active to run Uke hinds'
feet, is not anything spUitual. But
that something spUitual is involved
is evident from what immediately
foUows, that Jehovah places upon
heights, by which is signified spiri
tual affection, wlUch is above the
natural" A. C. 6413.
Verse 34. — " By traifinq the
hands to war, is not meant war
against enemies in the world, but
against enemies in heU, which is
carried on by combats of truth
against falses and evUs — spiritual
warfare. In like manner, a spUitual

bow is meant, which is the doctrine
of tmth ; a bow of brass, the doctrine
of the good of Ufe." Ap. Ex. 734.
Brass signUying natural or external
good, good in act (A. C. 425);
hence to bend a bow of brass, sigiufies
to exercise or practise the doctrine
of charity.
Verse 35. — Shield of thy salvation,
protection against evUs and falses.
Right hand signifies power, and when
spoken of the Lord, omnipotence.
Thy correction has enlarged me. The
end of correction or afiUction is to
purUy, and thus to prepare the heart
for the reception of more good and
truth. " Every branch that beareth
friut," says the Lord, " He purgeth,
that it may bring forth more fruit"
(John XV, 2). " Whom the Lord lov
eth, he chasteneth," says the Apostle.
Verse 36. — Tliou hast made broad
under me my steps, signifies to give a
firm foundation of truth ; for broad,
in the Word, corresponds to truth
(see above, on verse 19). And my
ancles falter not The ancles, like the
feet, correspond to the natural and
sensual part of the mind (Ap. Ex.
629) : hence the ancles not faltering
signifies that the natural mind is
supported. Verses 37, 38.— I will pursue my

XVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

79

38 I wiU smite them, and they shaU not be able to rise :
They shaU faU under my feet.
39 For thou hast girded me with strength for the battle :
Thou wUt bring down under me those that rise against me.
40 Thou hast given me the neck of my enemies,
And those that hate me wUl I cut off.
41 They wUl cry, but there wUl be none to save,—
To the Loed, but He wUl not answer them.
42 And I wUl crush them as dust before the wind :
As mire of the streets, will I pour them out.

enemies, &c. Let us consider who
these enemies are, of whom the Lord
speaks with this seeming fierceness.
They are the great enemies of man
kind, the spUits of darkness, the
powers of heU, — beings, who when
in the world, were robbers and mur
derers, and who, after their removal
from the world by death, stUl burned
to destroy men both in body and
soul. These were the wretches from
whose power the Lord had come
down to redeem us. It is not in
fierceness but in love that he speaks ;
not from any desUe to hurt even the
TOcked, U they would let man alone,
but from a burning zeal to save the
good, to save his cldldren, who look
to liim for protection.
Verse 39. — Tliou hast girded me
with strength (see note on verse 32).
Those that rise against me. It is to
be observed that the Lord or angels
never assault : it is evU spirits that
continuaUy assault man, and the
Lord and angels defend. See A. C.
5992. Verse 40. — Thou hast given me the
neck of my enemies. The term here
tianslated neck {ereph) signifies, pro
perly, the back of the neck, and is
often used simply to denote the back,
as opposed to the face : as in Jere
miah xxxU. 33, " They have tumed

to me the back (literaUy, neck) and
not the face." This is the use of the
term here : the meaning is, therefore,
not that "thou hast given me the
neck of prostrate enemies to tread
upon," but " thou hast caused them
to turn theU back to me," that is, to
fiee before me. — Those that hate me
will I cut off; that is, the Lord wiU
cut them off or separate them from
heaven and from himself : though,
in truth, it is the wicked that sepa
rate themselves from the Lord, by
the very act of hating him ; for
as love conjoins, so hatred dis
joins. Verse 41. — They will cry, but
there will he no helper, &c. Why
should there be help for the vricked
against the good ? Shall the mur
derer be aided against his victUn?
When the wicked are repulsed in
theU attempts to destroy the good,
and are themselves threatened vrith
destruction, then in theU alarm and
terror, they cry out for help. But
shaU the Lord answer them ? It is
to be remembered that "mercy to
the wicked is cruelty to the
good." Verse 42. — As dust before the wind.
Dust signifies what is condemned and
infemal (see A. R. 788.) JFind sig
nifies the spirit of the Lord or the

80

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XVIIL

43 Thou wilt deliver me from the contentions of the people.
Thou wUt set me for the head of the nations :
A people that I knew not, wUl serve me :
44 As soon as they hear they wUl hearken to me :
The sons of the stranger wUl submit to me.
45 The sons -of the stranger shaU fade away.
And shaU be frightened from their strongholds.

influx of Divine Truth, before which
the vricked are driven and scattered.
— As the mire of the streets. " By a
street is signified the truth of doc
trine, or, in the opposite sense, the
false of doctrine. The reason is, that
a way, in the spUitnal sense, signifies
truth leading to good, or, oppositely,
the false leadUig to evU : a street is
a way in a city ; and as by a city is
signified doctrine, hence a stoeet sig
nifies the true or the false of doc
trine. Mire of the streets signifies
falsity derived from the love of evU."
(Ap. Ex. 652.) Thus we observe, that
dust signifies what is infernal or evU,
and mire of the streets, the false : we
hence perceive the propriety of the
appUcation of these terms to the
vricked. Verse 43. — People — nations. In
the Word, the terms people and
nations are carefully distinguished,
people signUying such as are in
truth, and nations those that are
in good ; or people the spiritual,
and nations the celestial. (See note
on Psalm U. 1.) In the opposite
sense, by people are signified falses,
and by nations, evUs. Tliou wilt
deliver me from the contentions of the
people, then, has reference to the
removal of falses, and of the conten
tions and disputes occasioned by
them ia the church. Thou wilt set
me for the head of the nations, signi
fies that the Lord in his Divine
Hmnanity would be looked to and

worsH2Dped by those who are in
good, or the celestial. A people whom
I knew not shall serve me, has refer
ence to the spiritual, or such as are
in the deUght of truth, who, before
in darkness, shall now come to the
knowledge of the Lord, and be of his
kingdom. Both nations and people
here refer also, doubtless, to the
GentUes, who would be brought
iuto the Church.
Verse 44. — As soon as they hear,
they will hearken to me. This refers
to the good GentUes : as soon as
they come to the knowledge of the
truth, they vrill be ready to obey it.
Tlie sons of the stranger sliall submit
to me : even those who are in falses
from evUs, and thus internally
opposed to the Lord, shaU yet yield
a feigned obedience. As, among the
IsraeUtes, theU own people repre
sented such as are of the Church,
those who are in goods and truths,
so strangers or foreigners represented
such as are out of the Church, and
opposed to it, thus who are in falses
and evUs. The term sons is used as
denoting truths, or, in the opposite
sense, falses. It is said, " shall yield
a feigned obedience," because the
term here rendered submit, signifies
properly to lie, hence to feign or pre
tend. The reference probably is to
such as are in outward or formal
worship, though inwardly evil
Verse 45.— The sons of the stranger
shall fade away, &c. By the sons of

XVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

81

46 The Loed Uves, and blessed be my Eock,
And exalted be the God of my salvation.
47 He is the God that avenges me,
And subdues the peoples under me ;
48 Who delivers me from my enemies :
Yea, thou wUt Uft me up from those that rise up against me :
From the man of violence thou wUt deUver me.

the stranger, here again mentioned,
are probably meant, in distinction
from the former, such as are not only
inwardly evU, but outwardly so too ;
— such as wUl not yield even a
feigned obedience, wiU not put on
even the semblance of good, but Uve
in open opposition to the Lord and
his commandments. WhUe the for
mer class are tolerated for a time,
these, on the contrary, are cast down
at once ; just as in the world, they
who conduct themselves outwardly,
whatever may be theU real character,
are tolerated in society, whereas open
criminals are seized and confined. —
Frightened from, their strongholds
(UteraUy, close places). This seems
to refer to the judgment effected by
the Lord, in which the evU who had
established themselves in the world
of spirits, were cast down.
Verse 46. — The Lord lives, &Q,.
This and the remaining verses express
a "celebration of the Lord by the
Church, on account of redemption"
(see Summary). The Lord lives, has
reference to the Lord's' Divine love,
which is Ufe itself, and the source of
all Ufe to man, and which is etemaUy
active for man's good. Blessed be my
Rock. This refers to the Lord's
Divine Tmth, wliioh is the great
instrument ofhis Love, and by means
of which all blessing is conferred on
man. Exalted hy the God of my sal
vation : This is expressive of praise
to the Lord, who from His Divine

Love, by means of his Divine Truth,
becomes man's Redeemer and Sa
vior. The term my, here, and in the
remainder of the verses, may be con
sidered as the utterance of each
member of the Lord's Church, as weU
as of the whole Church coUectively.
Verse 47. — The God that avenges
me, &c. When the Lord is spoken of
as taking vengeance, we are ever
to keep in mind that it is so ex
pressed according to the appearance
only. In truth, the Lord is Love
itseU, and, as He declares in his
Word, " is kind even to the unthank
ful and the evU." But He provides
that evU shaU punish itseU, and so
be a check upon itseU, and this not
out of revenge, but for the protection
of the good. But when the wicked
suffer, it seems to them that the
punishment comes, not from theU
ovm evUs, bnt directly from the
Divine : and the letter of Scripture
is expressed according to this appear
ance. — Subdues the people under me.
Subdues the peoples, refers to the sub
jugation of falses and those who are
in them, whUe taking vengeance refers
to the casting down of evUs. It is
said (literaUy translated), " the God
that gives me vengeance," or avenges,
meaning that it is the Divine who
gives power to overcome evUs.
Verse 48. —Man of violence. " He
is called a man of violence, who from
a depraved intention, offers violence
to the truths of the Word, by per-

F

82

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XVIIL

49 Therefore wUl I give thanks to thee, 0 Loed, among the
nations,
And I wUl sing precises to thy name.
50 For he has wrought great salvation for his king,
And shown mercy to his anointed.
To David and to his seed forever.

verting them." Ap. Ex. 734. The
term man is used, as signUying truth,
or, in the opposite sense, falsity.
Thus, the man of violence signifies
sach as are in falses, whUe those that
rise against me refer to such as are
ia evUs ; enemies include both.
Verse 49. — Among the nations,
that is, among the good (see Note on
the 43d verse). To give thanks seems
to be expressive of acknowledgment
and worship from humiliation of
heart, whUe "to sing denotes glad
ness from the affection of tmth."
(Ap. Ex. 323.) — To thy name: Name
signifies quaUty or character ; for,
originaUy, names were given to ex
press the quality or character of the
person named. " It is necessary for
man to know the quality of faith
and love, which is the name of the
Lord, and then to love that quality ;
for the Lord cannot be loved, other
wise than according to his quaUty."
(Ap. Ex. 815.)
Verse 50. — Wrought great salva
tion for his king, &o. By king, in the
spUitual sense, is signified one who
is in truth, or, abstractly, truth itseU;
for it is truth that rules and has
power. Here by king, in the supreme
sense, is signified the Lord himself

as to Divine Tmth, — the Divine Hu
manity, which was " the Word made
flesh." In this sense, by vjorking
great salvation for his king (or, more
UteraUy rendered, making great the
salvations of his king) would seem to
be signified the fuU glorification of
the Humanity, by means of union
vrith the Father, the union of Divine
Truth vrith Divine Love. — And
shown mercy to his anointed. By his
anointed is signified the Humanity of
the Lord, as to Divine Good, in paral
lelism with king, which signifies the
Humanity as to Di-vdne Truth. (Ap.
Ex. 375.) For the oU of anointing
signified " the holy principle of good,
or the good of love." (A. C. 3728.)
By showing mercy (UteraUy, doing
mercy) seems to be signified the
tender love from which the Divine
glorified his Human, as a means of
saving mankind. By David is repre
sented here, as everywhere, the Lord ;
and by his seed, those of the church,
who should be born anew of him,
that is be regenerated by him, and
so become, spirituaUy, his ohUdren.
Forever, means, to eternity, in the
church on earth, and in his kUigdom
in the heavens.

XIX]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

83

PSALM XIX.

SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
That Divine truth shall go forth on all sides, verses 1-4 ; that
this will proceed from the Lord from tlie first principles to the last
of heaven and the Church, 5, 6 ; that that Divine truth perfects
man, because it is wisdom, 7—11 ; and not self-conceit, 12, 13 ; a/nd
thus is pure and accepted, 14.
To the Leader of the music; a Psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God :
And the expanse displays the work of his hands.

Title. — To ihe Leader. See Note
on the title to Psalm XI.
Verse 1. — The 'heavens declare the
glory of God. "When mention is
made in the Word of the heavens, also
of the heavens of heavens, in the
internal sense are meant the angeUc
heavens. This is from correspond
ence, and also from appearance. For
the ancients had no other idea of the
visible heaven, than that the heavenly
inhabitants dwelt there, and that the
stars were theU habitations : simUar
also, at this day, is the idea of the
simple, and especially of children.
Hence, likewise, it is customary to
look upward to heaven, when God
is worshiped : this also is from cor
respondence ; for in the other Ufe
there appears a heaven with stars,
yet not the heaven which appears to
men in the world, but it is [the an
gelic] heaven appearing according to
the state of the intelligence and wis
dom of spirits and angels. The stars
there denote the knowledges of good
and truth ; and the clouds, which
are sometimes beheld imder the hea
ven, are of various significations ac

cording to theU colors, translucence,
and motions : the blue of heaven
signifies truth transparentfrom good."
A. C. 9408.— lYw glory of God. " By
glory is signified the Divine truth
proceeding from the Lord, such as it
is in heaven. The reason is, be
cause the Divine tmth proceeding
from the Lord as a Sun is the light
in heaven, which gives sight to the
angels there, and at the same time,
intelUgence and vrisdom : from that
Divine light is all glory in heaven,
which is such as to exceed aU human
apprehension." A. C. 9429. The
term God is used, as significative dis
tinctively of Divine Tmth.
Tlie expanse displays the work of his
hands. By the expanse is also signi
fied heaven ; for the three heavens
are as " expanses one above another"
(see A. R. 260.)— T7i« work of his
hands. " All things which are done
by the Lord are called the work of
his hands, and in themselves are
goods and tmths." (A. R. 457.)
Thus the expanse, or heaven, is the
work of the Lord's hands, because
he alone forms the heavens, since all

84

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XIX.

Day unto day utters speech.
And night unto night shows knowledge.
There is no speech, no words.
In which their voice is not heard.
Their Une has gone forth into aU the earth.
And their words to the end of the world.
He has set in them a tabernacle for the sun :

the good and truth, which constitute
heaven, are from him. — The latter
clause of this verse has reference
more particularly to the good of hea
ven, and the former to its truth; for
throughout the Word there is the
marriage or union of good and truth ;
and wherever these couples or paral
lelisms occur, the one has always re
ference to truth and the other to
good. Verse 2. — Day unto day utters
speech, &c. Day and night, in the
Word, express the changes of state as
to the understanding, through which
the regenerating man passes, — day
signUying a state of brightness or U-
lustration, night a state of inteUectual
obscurity or shade. (See A. C. 935-
6.) Day also signifies the light of
the spUitual mind, and night that of
the natural mUid ; for the light of the
natural mind, compared with that
of the spUitual, is like the Ught of
the moon and stars compared vrith
that of the sun. (Ap. Ex. 401.) It is
said, the day utters speech, but the
night slioivs knowledge. Speech in the
spiritual sense, signifies thought, be
cause speech is the expression of
thought, and thus represents it ex
ternally. (A. C. 5000.) The term
here rendered utter, would be more
exactly and strongly translated pours
forth, or causes to gush forth. The
day, then, or a state of Ulumiuation
from the Lord, causes thought to

gush forth, fiUs the mind with
thoughts and perceptions. But the
night (that is, an obscure state) only
shows knowledge. Knowledge orscience
is predicated of the natural prmciple
of the mind : it describes what is
leamed from vrithout rather than
what is perceived from vrithin : hence
it is comparatively gross and exter
nal. — The phrases day unto day, and
night unto night, express the succes
sion of these states in the mind :
both are needed, and each in its place
is good ; both, also, are the effects of
the Divine Truth flowing from the
Lord, and thus both declare his wis
dom and goodness.
Verse 3. — There is no speech, no
words, in which their voice is not
heard. Speech signifies thought (see
above), and when contrasted with
words, it signifies interior thought,
and words, exterior thought ; for
words, in the internal sense signUy
truths of doctrine (A. C. 5075),
but speech, truth of perception (A.
C. 2965). Tlieir voice. The term
their, here, seems to refer to the glory
of Ood and the work of his hands, that
is, to Divine Truth and Divine Good.
They utter themselves in aU thought
internal and external {speech and
words) ; that is, man can think no
thing good or true but from the
Lord. Verse 4. — Their line has gone forth
into all the earth. Sec. By the earth

XIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

85

5 Which is as a bridegroom going forth from his canopy ;
And rejoices Ulce a strong man to run his course.
6 His going forth is from the end of the heavens,
And his circuit is to the ends of them..
And there is nothing hidden from his heat.
7 The law of the Loed is perfect, restoring the soul :
The testimony of the Loed is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The commandments of the Loed are right, rejoicing the heart :
The precept of the Loed is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Loed is clean, enduring forever :
The judgments of the Loed are truth, they are righteous
together.
and the world is signified the Church,
— earth, the Church as to truth, and
world, the Church as to good. (Ap.
Ex. 741.) Line, that is, a measuring
line, signifies Divine Truth, which,
flowing through the heavens, mea
sures or tests the quaUty of the
Church (see A. R. 486) : the Une
going forth into all the earth, signifies
Divine Tmth pervading the Church.
Words signUy tmths of doctrine,
which teach the good of Ufe. To the
end (or extremities) of the world, per
vading the Church to its ultimates
or lowest principles.
Verse 5. — He had set in them a
tabernacle for ihe sun. " By the sun,
here, is meant the Lord as to Divine
love, for in the good of his love he
dweUs in the heavens ; hence it is
said. He has set for the sun a taber
nacle in the heavens," tabernacle, here,
signUying the heaven of the Lord
from the good of love. Ap. Ex.
799. — Which is as a bridegroom.
The Lord as to Divine love is caUed
the Bridegroom — Heaven and the
Church, as to truth, being the Bride :
hence the marriage of the Lord vrith
Heaven and the Church is the union
of Good vrith Tmth. — Going forth
from his canopy. Canopy (literaUy

seems to refer to the hea
vens, which are the first receptacle
of the Divine efiiux, and vrith whom
the Lord is united in the heavenly
marriage, and which, being forms
of truth, cover or veU over the Divine
Good. After union with them, the
Divine efflux goes forth, descends, and
pervades the Church, the miads of
men. That this is the sense, ap
pears plain from the succeeding verse,
" his going forth is from the end of
the heavens." Rejoices like a strong
man to run his course, signifies the
power of the Divine love pervading
aU things, from first to last, and giv
ing Ufe to the universe. (See the
Summary of the Internal Sense).
Verse 6. — From the end ofthe hea
vens — to the ends of them, &c., signifies
that the Lord's love is the Ufe of the
heavens from inmosts to ultimates.
His heart signifies the warmth of Di
vine love.
Verses 7, 8, 9. — "In many places
mention is made of testimonies, and
at the same time of law, precepts,
command/ments, statutes, and judg
ments ; in those places, by testimonies
and commandments are signified such
things as teach Ufe, by law and pre
cepts such as teach doctrine, and by

86

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XIX.

10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much tried
gold:

statutes a,ni judgments such as teach
rituals." Ap. Ex. 392. The just
ness of these distinctions may be per
ceived, by observing the predicates
of the different terms. Thus, the
law is said to restore the soul, the
term soul, when used in connection
vrith heart, signUying distinctively
the understanding ; and law, truth
of doctrine, by which the understand
ing is instructed and corrected ;
whereas, the commandments are said
to rejoice the heart, commandments
signUying such things as teach the
good of Ufe, and so act upon the heart
or wUl. In Uke manner, the precept
of the Lord is called pure, enlighten
ing the eyes ; purity being descrip
tive of the truth of doctrine, and the
eyes signifying the mental eye or the
understanding, which is enUghtened
by it : on the other hand, the testi
mony of the Lord is called sure, and
is said to m.ake the simple wise, testi
mony being that which teaches up
rightness of lUe, and so enables man
to walk on surely and firmly in the
heavenly path, while it makes even
the simple-minded wise, by giving
them that interior light which flows
from love. — The fear of the Lord is
caUed clean ; fear of the Lord signify
ing acknowledgment of, dependence
upon, and obedience to Him ; and
clean .signUying free from the deflle-
ments of self-love ; and it is said to
endure for ever, because holy fear,
which in its essence is love, conjoins
man eternally to the Lord, who wiU
forever sustain him.
" The fear of Jehovah being clean de
notes love, and the judgments of Je
hovah being truth denotes faith ; right

eousness is predicated of the good of
love, and judgments of the teuth of
faitli ; and these are said to be right
eous together, when tmth is good,
or when faitli is charity. — The fear
of God signifies worship, — worship
either from fear, or from the good of
faith, or from the good of love ; wor
ship from fear, when the reference is
to the unregenerate, worship from
the good of faith, when to the spirit
ual regenerate, and worship from the
good of love when to the celestial re
generate." A. C. 2826.
Verses 9, 10. — The judgments of
Jehovah are truth ; they are righteous
together. More to he desired ihan gold,
and than much tried gold; sweeter,
also, than honey and the droppings of
honeycombs. " By judgments are sig
nified the tmths and goods of wor
ship ; wherefore it is said that ihe
judgments of Jehovah are truth, they
are righteous together ; righteous sig
nUying the good of Ufe and thence
of worship. And as good is also sig
nified by gold and tried gold, there
fore it is said that they are more de
sirable than gold and ihan much tried
gold ; gold denoting celestial good,
and tried gold spiritual good ; desir
able denotes what is of the affection
and love. Since the goods with
which man is affected are also
delightful, therefore it is said that
they are sweeter than honey and
the droppings of honeycombs; sweet
signifying what is deUghtful, honey
natural good, and the droppings of
honeycombs, natural truth." Ap. Ex.
619. It may be remarked that the
phrase above, "tried gold," is, in
the original, a single term signUyUig

XIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

87

Sweeter, also, than honey and the droppings of honey
combs.
11 By them, moreover, is thy servant enUghtened,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can note his errors ?
From such as are hidden absolve me.
13 Withhold also thy servant from pride :
Let it not have dominion over me :

tried, purified, thus denoting such
good as is obtained through spUitual
temptation. Verse 11. — By them, moreover, is
thy servant enlightened, and in keeping
them there is great [or much] reward.
The reference respectively to truth
and good in the two clauses of this
verse is very manUest. In the for
mer, it is said that the understand
ing is enlightened by a knowledge of
the Divine commandments, since
they teach man what to beUeve and
how to Uve ; this clause, therefore,
has reference to tmth in the under
standing. But the second refers to
good in the wiU ; for it speaks of
keeping the commandments, doing
them, whereby they pass from the
understanding into the wiU, from the
thought into the heart, from truth to
good. And it is in this, not in the
other, that the great reward is found;
for when the Divine commandments
are kept and lived, they bring the
wUl and thence the whole mind into
heavenly order, and then heaven
with its happiness flows in ; and this
is the great reward.
Verse 12.— Wlio can note his errors?
from such as are hidden absolve me.
The meaning seems to be this. Man's
errors and departures from the Une
of perfect right, are indeed number
less : none but the Omniscient can
discern them all But when we

have exanUned ourselves, and striven
as faitMully as we can to discover
our evUs, in order to resist them,
then the prayer is that the Lord
would absolve us from, that is, par
don or excuse us for, such as are in
our present state hidden from us.
For man is admitted to a perception
of his evils only graduaUy and little
by little ; were he to behold the
whole black mass at once, he would
fall into despaU. It is tme, indeed,
that, as the Doctrine of the New
Church teaches, evils cannot be re
moved tUl they are seen ; yet it is
also taught that the man who exa
mines himseU and discovers even
one evil and earnestly strives against
it, is in the effort and intention to
resist aU ; and this good intention
and purpose palUates, softens, and
thus in a manner excuses, those
which he does not yet discern.
Verse 13. — Withhold, also, thy
servant from pride, &c. (UteraUy,
from the proud — plural — that is, from
proud states of mind, or from evU
spUits who excite pride.) This is
the great prayer that needs to be of
fered ; for pride Unplies self-love,
and it is that which is the root and
the soul of aU evil. But when man
is vrithheld from self-love, and kept
in humility, then he is comparatively
guiltless or guUeless, because, though
he may often err and fall into evils

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XX.

Then shaU I be guUtless,
And shaU be free from much transgression.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart,
Be acceptable before thee, 0 Loed, my Eock and my Eedeemer !

both of thought and action, yet he
does not intend them, he does not
hold to them nor love them ; and
thus is free from much transgression,
for it is the wilful cherishing of evils
which constitutes the essence of sin.
Verse 14. — May the words of my
mouth, &c. "By the words of the
mouth is signified the understanding

of tmth, and by the meditation of
the heart the perception of good.
By Jehovah my Rock, the same is sig
nified, as by Jehovah God, namely,
the Lord as to Divine Good and Di
vine Truth ; and he is called Re
deemer from regeneration, which is
effected by means of Divine truth."
Ap. Ex. 411.

PSALM XX.

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
A celebration of the Lord because he sustains the church,
verses 1-5 ; that salvation is from him, 5, 7, 9 ; tlmt those are
saved who trust in him, and that those perish who trust in them
selves, 1, 8. To the Leader of the music : a Psalm of David.
1 The LoED will answer thee in the day of distress :
The name of the God of Jacob wUl lift thee up.
2 He wUl send thee help from the sanctuary :
Verse l.—Tlie name of the God of
Jacob. " Where the good of love is
treated of, in the Word, the Lord is
called the Lord; and when good in
act is treated of, he is called the God
of Jacob." Ap. Ex. 405. The rea
son is, Jacob represents the ultimate
or external church or principle of
the churcli ; that is, good and truth
in the ultimate or in action. More
over, iu regard to the Lord, Jacob
represents the Divine Natural. Name
signifies quality. Hence, ihe name

of the God of Jacob will lift thee up
(that is set thee on high, out of
danger) signifies that the Lord, in
the quality or by the means of his
Divine Natmal, that is, the Diviae
Humanity, wiU protect ; for it is
the Lord in his DivUie Humanity,
who defends man against the heUs
and from aU that can injm-e ; for in
his Divine Humanity he is omni
potent. Verse %—Send thee help from the
Sanctuary, &o. "Sanctuary here,

XX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

89

And from Zion he wiU sustain thee.
He wUl remember aU thy offerings,
And make fat thy burnt-offerings.
He wiU give to thee according to thy heart,
And wiU fulfil aU thy purpose.
We wUl rejoice in thy salvation,

denotes the heaven in which is the
truth of faith, and Zion, the heaven
in which is the good of love." A.
C. 8330. Zion, in the internal sense,
signifies the cele.stial church and
celestial heaven which is distin
guished by love ; whUe Jerusalem
signifies the SpUitual Church, or
that which is characterised by the
tmth of faith. Sanctuary has a
Uke signification with Jemsalem,
for the word signifies the lioly place,
and the term holy is always predi
cated of Divine tmth. (See Ap. Ex.
204.) — It is said that the Lord vriU
send help from these, because he
sends down his supporting and pro
tecting influences to man through
heaven ; for he makes the angels
man's, " ministering spirits."
Verse 3. — He will remember all
thy offerings, and make fat thy burnt-
offerings. " Burnt-offerings were the
principal things of worship in the
representative church ; and after
wards, also, sacrifices. Burnt-offer
ings and sacrifices denote aU wor
ship, — ^bumt-offeiings, worship from
love, — sacrifices, worship from faith
thence derived." A. 0. 923. Here,
in the place of sacrifices, the general
term offerings is used, signUying
worship from faith, as burnt-offerings
worship from love. — " To make fat
the burnt-offering signifies to render
worship good [that is, to fiU it vrith
goodness and love]. That fat de
notes the celestial principle or good,

is evident from many passages in the
Word ; and not only the fat which
is in animals, but also the fat which
is from other things, as butter and
oil ; and those things which partake
at aU of fat, so far as they partake,
so much of good they signUy, as
niUk, honey, gums. That fat was a
representative of celestial good, thus
of love which is from the Lord, is
evident from the burnt-offerings and
sacrifices, in that aU the fat was to be
burnt upon the altar, and that thence
was an odor of rest to Jehovah."
A. C. 5943.
Verse 4. — He will give to thee ac
cording to thy heart, &c. That is, so
far as the wish and the purpose are
legitimate and truly good ; in other
words, so far as man's wUl is in
agreement vrith the Divine wiU.
" He who is in faith from the Lord,
asks nothing but what is conducive
to the Lord's kingdom and to his
ovm salvation : other things do not
engage the affections of his wUl ; for
he says in his heart, why should I
ask for things which are not of such
use ? wherefore he cannot have any
faith of God or faith from the Lord,
in asking for anything but what is
given him from the Lord to ask :
indeed, it is impossible for the angels
to vdll anything else, thus to ask
anything else, since, in such case,
they cannot have faith that they
will receive." Ap. Ex. 815.
Verse 5. — In the name of our God

90

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XX.

And in the name of our God we will raise the standard :
The Loed wUl fulfil aU thy petitions.
6 Now I know that the Loed saves his anointed :
He wUl answer him from his holy heavens.
With the saving power of his right hand.
7 Some glory in chariots and some in horses :
But we wUl glory in the name of the Loed our God.
8 They are bowed down and fallen ;
But we are risen and stand upriglit.

will we raise the standard. A stand
ard being a military ensign, is used
as the emblem of the church mili
tant. (See A. C. 8624.) Every indi
vidual who is combating against his
spUitual foes, is such a church. To
raise the standard in the name of our
God, is to fight in the Lord's strength,
and from the power of Divine truth.
Verse 6. — Saves his anointed.
By the oil of anointing is signified the
holy principle of good, or the good of
love (A. C. 3728) : hence, in the spUit
ual sense, he is the Lord's anointed,
who is Ul the good of love from HUn.
All such are saved by the Lord, be
cause the very state of love is a pro
tection against evil, is heaven, is
salvation. — He will answer him from
his holy heavens, that is, he "wiU send
help through the heavens, which are
sanctified and strong through the
presence of his Divine truth there,
— for the term holy has reference to
truth. (A. R. 666.) With the sav-
ing power of his right hand. Saving
power, literally powers (plural), as
having reference, probably, to the
means or instruments of salvation,
which are numerous and various ;
the great instruments of salvation
are Divine tmths, which are inde
finite in number. His right hand
signifies Omnipotence. " These

words," says the Doctrine of tne
Church, " have relation to the Lord,
and to his victory over the hells,
and the consequent salvation of men :
combats and victories are meant by
Jehovah's answering his anointed
from the heaven of his holiness, through
the jMwers of salvation of his right
hand; and the salvation of the faith
ful thereby is meant by his sustain
ing us out of Zion (verse 2), and bj'
our singing in his scdvation (verse 5)."
(Ap. Ex. 850.)
Verse 7. — Some glory in chariots,
&c. In a good sense, by chariot is
signified the doctrine of truth, and
by horse the understanding of truth ;
but in the opposite sense, they sig
nify these perverted and filled vrith
falsities. Hence to glory m chariots
and horses signifies to depend upon
the falsities of seU-derived inteUi
gence (See Ap. Ex. 355). But to
glory in the name of the Lord our
God, is to trust in the Divine, and
to love goodness and truth.
Verse 8. — Tliey are bowed down
and fallen. Those who trust in
themselves fall into evils and falses
and perish. But we are risen and
stand upiright: but they who trust
in the Lord are elevated out of
theU natural unregenerate state, and
are sustained in truth and good.

XXL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

91

9 Save, Loed !
The King wUl hear us in the day when we caU !
Verse 9. — The King signifies the while we remain in a state of depen-
Lord as to Divine Tmth, which sup- dence on him, he vriU ever uphold
ports and protects. Day is state, us.

PSALM XXL
SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE,.
Concerning the Lord; that from his Divine he possesses ail
good and truth, thus honor and glory, verses 1-6 ; that he toill east
down all who are against him, at the day of judgment, 7-12;
that those who are with him will be made glad through his
power, 13. To the Leader of the music : a Psalm of David.
1 In thy strength, 0 LoED, the king rejoices :
And in thy salvation how greatly does he exult !
2 Thou hast given him the wish of his heart :
And the desire of his Ups thou hast not withheld. Selah !

Verse 1. — Tlie king. This refers
to the Lord in his Divine Humanity.
He is called a king, from Divine
truth, by which he rules and governs
all things. " That the Lord by a
king meant tmth, is evident from
his own words to Pilate : ' PUate
saith to him, Art thou a king, then?'
Jesus answered, ' Thou sayest, that
I am a king ; to this end was I
bom, and for this cause I came into
the world, that I might bear witness
to the truth. PUate says to him,
what is tmth ?' (John xvUi. 37, 38).
To bear vritness to the truth, means
that he himseU is Truth ; and be
cause from it he called himseU a
king, PUate said, ' What is tmth t
that is, tmth is a king.' " (A. R. 20.)
— In thy strength, 0 Lord, [Jehovah]
the king rejoices: this has reference

to the omnipotence by Divine truth,
commmiicated from the Divine to
the Human : Jesus said, "AU power
is given unto me in heaven and in
earth" (Matthew xxviii. 18), where
given signifies communicated to the
Human from the Essential Divine.
And in thy salvation how greatly does
he exult. Salvation, in the Lord's
case, signifies glorification, that is
making the Human Divine, which
was effected by fdling it vrith Di
vine love, so that it became, at
length. Divine Love itseU in a hu
man form or in ultimates. From
which Divine love, is derived Di
vine joy, which is signified by the
words, how greatly does he exult.
Verse 2. — The wish of his heart
has reference to the Lord's love, and
ilie desire of his lips to his thought

92

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXL

3 For thou meetest him with the blessings of goodness :
Thou settest on his head a crown of pure gold.
4 He asked Ufe of thee.
And thou hast given him length of days for ever and ever.
5 Great is his glory through thy salvation :
Beauty and honor hast thou laid upon him.
6 For thou wilt make him a blessing for ever :
Thou wUt cause him to rejoice with gladness before thy face.

from love, — for the lips, as the organ
of speech, correspond to thought,
which, produces speech. (See Ap.
Ex. 923.) This wish and thought of
the Lord have reference to the sal
vation of mankind, which was the
one object of his desire ; and this
wish and desUe were gratified, when
the Human, being glorified, was made
the instrument of man's salvation. —
Selah ! For the explanation of this
term, see Note on Psalm iU. 2.
Verse 3. — For thou meetest him
with the blessings of goodness, &c.
" By the King, here, is not meant
David, but the Lord who is called a
king from the Divine spiritual which
proceeds from his Divine Humanity ;
and since blessing signifies the ac
knowledgment, glorification, and
thanksgiving that all good and
tmth and thence heaven and eternal
happiness are from him, it is evi
dent what is signified by thou meet
est him with the blessings of goodness,
and by making him blessings for ever
(verse 6). The blessings of goodness
signUy tmths derived from good ; a
crown of pure gold, signUy the good
from which those truths are de
rived." Ap. Ex. 340.
Verse 4. — Length of Days. Day
signifies state, for times correspond
to states. Length signifies good, and
breadth truth (A. R. 906). Hence,
length of days signifies goodness of

states, or, what is the same, states of
good. For ever and ever signifies not
only eternaUy, but in the present
case, infinitely, for it is the Humanity
of the Lord which is treated of, and
which, when glorified, became fUled
with an infinity of goodness and love.
The same is meant by the words,
" He asked life of thee," Thee means
Jehovah or the Essential Divine
from which the Lord glorified his
Human : life, signifies Divine love,
which is essential Ufe. Divine love
or Ufe was gradually imparted to the
Human, till, at length, the Human
ity became Love and LUe itseU in
ultimates : as declared in John (v.
26). " As the Father hath Ufe in
himseU, so hath he given to the Son
to have Ufe in himseU."
Verse 5. — Great is his glory
through thy salvation. Salvation,
when the Lord is treated of signifies
glorification, hence it is said. Great
is his glory: Beauty and honor wilt
thou lay upon him. Beauty and honor
signUy DivUie Truth and Divine
Good. (See Ap. E.^c. 288.)
Verse 6. — Thou unit make him a
blessing [literally, blessings] for ever.
See Note on verse 3. To rejoice with
gladness before thy face. To rejoice
has reference to the delight of good
and gladness to the delight of truth.
Before thy face signifies when ia con
junction with the Divine love ; for

XXL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

93

7 For the king trusts in the Loed ;
And, through the mercy of the Most High, he shaU not be
moved.

8 Thy hand shaU reach aU thy enemies :
Thy right hand shall reach those that hate thee.
9 Thou wUt make them like a furnace of fire, at the time of thy
presence.
The Loed, in his anger, wUl swaUow them up, and the fire shaU
devour them.

the /ace, as being the expression of
the affections, signifies, love, and
when the Lord is treated of, Divine
love : and before [UteraUy mth] thy
face, signifies in conjunction with the
Diviae love. It is the Humanity
of the Lord that is here described,
and its state when glorified, that is,
when conjoined to the Essential Di
vine. Verse 7. — The King signifies the
Lord's Humanity as to Diviae Tmth.
(See Note on verse 1.) — Trusts in the
Lord {Jehovah), that is the Humanity
looks to the Essential Divine — Di
vine Truth to Divine Love. — Through
the mercy of the Most High, he shall
not be moved. What is high signifies
spirituaUy what is interior : hence
Most High signifies inmost (D. L. W.
103). God is called Most High, as
being the inmost, source, centre
of aU things, thus the Essential
Divine, or Divine Love. From this,
the Humanity, while on earth, was
sustained, — which is meant by shall
not he moved.
Verse 8. — Thy hand shall reach,
&c. By hand is siginfied power, —
here, the power of teuth, being dis
tinguished from right hand, which
signifies the power of good. Enemies
and those that hate thee, signUy, re
spectively, such as are in falses and

evils. By the Lord's hand reaching
them, is signified that by his Divine
power he reduced aU the heUs to
subjection. This and the following
verses treat of the judgment on the
vricked. Verse 9. — Thou wilt make ihem
like a furnace of fire, &c. Fire sig
nifies vrickedness ("vrickedness bum-
eth as a fire," Isaiah ix. 18), — the
raging passions which fiU the hearts
of the evU. It is said, Tliou wilt
make them like a furnace of fire. This
is spoken according to the appear
ance. To the evU it seems as if it
was the Lord who cast them into
hell, and tormented them : whereas
it is tlieU own evil that does it. At
the time of thy presence. The Lord
effects a judgment on the wicked
in the world of spirits, by a nearer
presence, that is, by letting in upon
them a stronger infiux through the
heavens (see L. J. Contin. 23),
whereby the interiors of the vricked
are disclosed, the inward fire of theU
evU bursting out. They then in rage
and terror seek to flee from this in
flux which torments them, being op
posite to theU own nature, and they
cast themselves into heU amongst
theU Uke. And thus are they swal
lowed up, and as it were devoured by
the fire of their own evUs. — It may

94

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXL

10 Their fruit wilt thou destroy from the earth,
And their seed from the sons of man.
11 For they intended evU against thee :
They meditated a wicked device, but could not execute it.
12 For thou wilt cause them to turn their backs :
Thou wUt set arrows on thy strings against their faces.

be observed that whUe fire signifies
evU, the term furnace, as also the
phrase swallowed up have reference
to falses, which always accompany
evUs. For " The casting into hell,"
says the Doctrine of the Church, "is
nothing else then a closing up by
mere falses derived from evU" (A. C.
8232). And thus the vricked are in
the caverns of hell, which may be
compared to a furnace (or an oven,
as it might be rendered), that is, a
covered place, in which theU ovrai
evUs torment them. Not that any
sensible fire affects them there, but
the inward flame of evil passions.
Verse lo. — Their fruit wilt thou
destroy from the earth. Fruits sig
nUy good works, but here, works of
faith vrithout charity, which, not be
ing interiorly good, perish. (See A.
C. 348.) Earth signifies the natural
mind, particularly as to the wUl-
principle ; for the external goods
{fruit) of the evU dwell only in the
natural mind. — And their seed from
the sons of man. Seed signifies Di
vine truths, which perish out of the
mind of the evU. (See Ap. Ex.
768.) Sons of man signUy the
thoughts of the understancUng. For
in a sense, abstracted from persons,
the term man signifies wisdom,
which properly constitutes man ;
hence sons of man things of the un
derstanding derived from wisdom,
which constitute intelligence in the
mind. (See Ap. Ex. 507.) But here,
the phrase sows of man sigiufies the

thoughts of the understanding of the
wicked, in which the seed of Divine
truth has perished through theU eril
of Ufe. — The meaning of the whole
verse is that with the evU, at the
judgment, all outward or seeming
goods and truths perish. The ex
pression Tliou wilt destroy, as in the
preceding verse, is spoken according
to the appearance : it is theU own
evUs that destroy them.
Verse 11. — For they intended evil
against thee, &c. "From earUest
chUdhood even to the last hour of
his lUe in the world, the Lord was
assaulted by all the heUs, which he
continuaUy combated, subjugated,
and conquered : and this solely out
of love towards the whole human
race. And since that love was not
human but Divine, and as aU temp
tation is intense in proportion to
the intensity of the love, it may
thence be seen how grievous were
his combats, and how great was the
ferocity with which the hells assaUed
him." A. C. 1600.
Verse 12. — Tliou wilt cause Hum
to turn their hacks ; UteraUy thou wilt
place them the shoulder. The shoulder,
like the arm, is the emblem of
strength or power ; hence, to place
their shoulder signifies probably to
resist or master theU power, — to
overcome them. AU power, more
over, is by truths, or by falses ap
pearing as tmths. Hence the shoul
der, here, refers probably to the
fallacies of the wicked which the

XXII.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

95

13 Arise, 0 Loed, in thy strength :
We wiU sing and praise thy might.

Lord overcame. — Thou wilt set arrows
upon thy strings. Arrows signUy
truths, as the bow (or here, strings)
signifies the doctrine of tmth. (See
A. R. 299.) By means of truths aU
spiritiial combat is maintained. —
Against their faces. The face signi
fies the affections, for it expresses
them. Hence their faces signify the

evU affections of the wicked, against
which the Lord fought.
Verse 13. — Arise, 0 Lord, m thy
strength, signifies to elevate or glorUy
the humanity, — which the Lord
effected by his own strength. (See
A. C. 2401.) To sing and praise thy
might, signifles worship from teuth
and good.

PSALM XXII.

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Concerning the state of the Lord's passion. A prayer to the
Father, that lie may not be deserted, verses 1-5, 8, 11 ; that he
is despised above all, 6, 7; that by conception he is His, 9, 10; that
they who are of the Cliurch where the Word is, condemned him to
death, 12—15; thctt they crucified him, 16, 17; that they divided
his garments, or dissipated the truths of his Word, 18; a prayer
that he may not he deserted, 19-21 ; that thence there will be a
Church, 22, 23, 25; tliat the Lord sustained, through the power of
his Divine, 24 ; that thereby there will be a Church, which will be
gathered from all quarters, and. which will worship him, 27-31.
To the Leader of Hie music: upon the hind of the dawn : a Psalm of David.

Title. — Upon the hind of the damn.
Various conjectures have been offered
by commentators as to the interpre
tation of this singular title. Some
have supposed it to be a dUection to
sing the Psalm to some tune, so
named. Others, vrith more proba-
bUity, have supposed it to be the
name of a musical instrument, used
in the morning service. In the in
terpretation of sunilar titles ia other
Psalms, as On Neginoth (striaged
iastrmnents) (PsaUn IV.), On Nechi

loth (wind instruments) (V.), it has
been stated that the different kinds
of musical instruments dUected to be
used, were indicative of the character
and spirit of the composition ; for
that musical compositions were re
presentative of the affections, stringed
instruments of spUitual affections,
and wind instruments of celestial
affections. To which class the in
strument here named belonged, we
have no information ; but a clue
may perhaps be obtained through a

06

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXII.

1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?
Why art thou so far from my help, from the words of my

roaring ?

 o •
2 0 my God, I caU in the day-time, but thou answerest not :
And in the night, and am never sUent.

knowledge of the spUitual significa
tion of the terms: and this wUl explain
also the object of the title as express
ing the character of the Psalm. By
a hind, or female deer, is signified
the affection of natural truth. In
Gen. xlix. 21 it is said, " Naphtali is
a hind let loose." NaphtaU signifies
the struggles or combats of tempta
tion ; and a hind, the affection of
natural truth, which is within those
struggles and sustains them. (See
A. G, 3928.) The dawn ormorning,
also, in the spUitual sense, signifies
the bright and peaceful state that
succeeds the darkness of temptation.
Now ill these two things is to be found
an epitome of this Psalm ; for we
have first presented a picture of the
deep combats of temptation, endured
by the Lord (NaphtaU and the
lUnd) ; and then towards the close —
from verse 22 — we see the temptation
passUig off, and the dawn of a
brighter state beaming out. Thus,
the expression, hind of the dawn,
seems to signify the temptations that
precede the morning of a new state.
Verse l.—My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me ? That this
Psalm was prophetically descriptive
of the Lord's sufferings on the cross,
is plain from these words — the very
ones uttered by the Lord in the
midst of those sufferings (see Matt.
xxvii. 46). The same fact is manUest
from verse 16th : " they pierced my
hands and my feet." In the Lord's
temptations, the Divine appeared to
be absent from him, and he seemed to

himself to be left whoUy to the in
firm humanity, — just as in our temp
tations the Lord appears al^sent from
us, and we seem to be abandoned to
our ovTn weakness. In both cases,
it is but an appearance : in our case,
it is permitted in order that we may
endure and combat as of ourselves ;
and in the Lord's case, in order that
the Humanity might overcome from
itseU, and so might become glorified
and Divine. In truth, as the Doc
trine of the Church teaches, in temp
tations the Lord is the most nearly
present vrith us, sustaining us ; and
in the Lord's temptations, the Divine,
which was writhin him, and was in
fact his soul — a part of himseU, — was
fuUy present and was about to unite
itself to the humanity, to be one with
it forever. Verse 2. — / call in the day-time —
and in the night, Day and night sig
nUy perpetuaUy (see A. R. 637). —
Am never silent, literally, there is no
silence to me. — But thou answerest
not. In times of temptafion, we cry
to the Lord ; and because we are not
deUvered, it seems as if our prayers
were unheard. But, the Lord hears
every word : He knows all we are
passUig through, and conld He act
from his love alone. He would de
liver us in a moment. But His
Divine -wisdom forbids : from that
He sees that it would not be good
for us to be delivered, until the
temptation has completed its ap
pointed work, and had its full purUy-
ing effect upon our spUits. He is.

XXII]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

97

Yet thou art holy,
DweUing amidst the praises of Israel.
In thee our fathers trusted ;
They trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
They cried to thee, and were deUvered ;
They trusted in thee, and were not put to shame.
But I am a worm and not a man ;
The scorn of man, and despised by the people.

Uke a vrise physician, who, though
sympathizing, does not dare to stay
his hand tiU the operation is com
pleted, which is to result in health
and enjoyment. The Lord weU
knows, that "this Ught affiiction,
which is but for a moment, is work
ing for us a far more exceeding aud
eternal weight of glory."
Verse 3. — Yet thou art holy. Holy
is expressive of the Divine Truth
(A. R. 666.) —Dwelling amidst ihe
praises (UteraUy, the Psalms) of Israel,
has reference to the Divine good,
which is the inmost of the worship
of the spUitual man, — which is sig
nified by dwelling amidst (or inhabit
ing) the praises of Israel.
Verses 4, 5. — In thee our fathers
trusted, &c. " Fathers, in the intemal
sense, denote those of the Ancient
and most Ancient Churches, who
were so caUed from the love of good
and truth in which they were, — from
the love of good, the most ancient
who were celestial men, and from
the love of truth, the ancient who
were spiritual men." A. C. 3703.
In general, by father is signified the
principle of good, and all such as are
in good : because the Lord, from His
Divine Good or Love, is the Father
of all
Verse 6. — But I am a worm and
not a man. By a worm, in the spiritual
sense, is signified the principle of the

false, " The false of evU is compared
to a worm, because their effects are
similar, each corroding and thereby
tormenting. There are two things
which make heU, the evil and the
false : the torment arising from the
false is compared to a worm, and the
torment from evU there is compared
to fire ; as in Mark (xi. 44), ' Their
worm shaU not die, and the fire shaU
not be quenched.'" A. C. 8481.—
Man (Hebrew, ish) signifies truth,
for truth is characteristic of the mas-
cuUne principle. Thus the exclama
tion, " lam a worm, and not a man,"
expresses the feelUig of the Lord,
whUe in his deep temptations, that
he was altogether in the false, and
had lost aU perception of truth. —
The scorn of man, and despised hy the
people. The Hebrew word for -man
here is different, adam, which, like
the Latin, hmno, signifies not man
mascuUne, but mankind, includiag
both sexes. Now, man, in this sense,
signifies not tmth but love, for love
is the essential principle of man, as
it is of God, of whom man was
created the likeness. Moreover, the
term adam is from a root signUying
red, which being the color of fire, is the
emblem of hve, the fUe of lUe. — The
term people, on the other hand,
signifies distinctively truth, and
such as are in truth, as in the phrase
nations and people (see note on Psalm

98

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXII

7 AU that see me, scoff at me :
They stretch out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 " He trusted in the Loed : let him rescue him ;
Let him deliver him, since he delights in him."
9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb :
Thou didst cause me to trust, while on my mother's breasts.
10 Upon thee was I cast from the womb :
From my mother's belly thou art my God.

ii 1). Hence, the words, The scorn
of man, and despised hy the people,
signUy, far removed from all love
and truth — which was the state
in which the Lord appeared to
himself to be, whUe enduring
temptation. Verses 7, 8. — All that see me,
scoff at me, &c. How exact a
description is here propheticaUy
given of what actually took place at
the Lord's crucifixion, a thousand
years after ! (See Matthew xxvU.
39 — 43.) Does it not manUest the
inflniteperfectnessof the Divine fore
sight, thus to prophesy the very
words which men would speak at
that distant day and hour? TriUy
it testifies that " His thoughts are
not 'as our thoughts," that "a
thousand years are" indeed " to Him
as one day," that to Him all the
future is as the present. — They
stretch out the lip, they shake the head.
As lip sigrdfies doctrine (A. C. 1284)
and also thought in the understand
ing (Ap. Ex. 923), hence to stretch out
the Up against the Lord sigiufies con
tempt of Divine Truth from falses ;
whereas to slialce the head signifies
more interior contempt and utter
rejection, from evUs.
Verses 9, 10. — Tliou art he that
took me out of Hie womb, &c. " In
these words, the spUitual regener

ation of man is described by such
things as belong to natural genera
tion from the mother. As a man, who
is becoming regenerated, is also con
ceived and, as it were, carried in the
womb and bom, and as regeneration
is effected by tmths from the good
of love, hence, by caixying in the
womb, in the spUitual sense, is signi
fied the doctrine of tmth from the
good of love. Hence, by the words,
Thou art he that took me out of the
womb, is .signified to be regenerated
from the Lord and made a man of
the Church ; thou didst cause me to
trust, from my mother's breasts, signi
fies to be led afterwards and spUit-
uaUy educated, the mother's breasts
sigmfying spUitual nourishment in
such things as are of the Church,
mother denoting the Church. By the
words, Upon thee was I cast from the
womb, is signified that the Lord
eftected aU things from the good of
love ; and by the words. From my
mother's belly thou art my God, is
signified that He effected aU hy
means of tmths ; for where the sub
ject is concerning the good of love,
the term womb is used, and where
it is concerning tmths from that
good, the term belly is used : hence,
also, it is said. Thou art my God, for
where the good of love is treated of,
the Lord is caUed Jehovah, and

XXII.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

99

11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near :
For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls encompass me :
The strong ones of Bashan surround me.
13 They open their mouths at me,
Like a tearing and roaring Uon.
14 I am poured out Uke water.
And aU my bones are sundered ;
My heart is Uke wax.
It is melted in the midst of my bowels.

where truths are teeated of. He is
caUed God." Ap. Ex. 710.
Verse 12. — Many bulls encompass
me. By cattle are signified the affec
tions of the natural mind ; by such
as are in a wUd and fierce state, as
wUd buUs, are signified the unres-
teained natural lusts, which are
fierce and violent (see A. C. 10,407).
The evU-minded Jews, who crowded
around the Lord at his crucifixion,
are here compared to wUd bulls,
because they were whoUy under
the dominion of natural lusts and
passions, which fiUed them vrith fury
against hiin. The expression, strong
ones of Bashan has a simUar signi
fication, viz., natural affections and
lusts. For Bashan was a country
beyond Jordan, thus signUying the
external or natural principle of the
mind, — as Canaan, or the land with
in Jordan, signified the spUitual
mind or the Church proper. (See
Ap. Ex. 163.) The phrase strong
ones, however, has reference more
particularly to the falses, derived
from lusts ; for as good has power by
truth, so evU exerts itseU through
the false. Thus bulls sigmfy vrild
natural lusts, and the strong ones of
Bashan the falses thence derived.
Verse 13. — By a lion, in a good
sense, is signified Divine truth in its

power ; but, in. a bad sense, as here,
destructive falsities. By the mouth
of a Uon, is signified reasonings from
falses, mouth signifying doctrine,
discourse. (See A. R. 574.) By
theU opening their mouths at him, is
impUed, in the internal sense, the
hatred of the Jews against the Lord
as the Word, and their destruction
of the Word vrith themselves by false
reasonings. By a tearing and roaring
Uon is signified the destructive false
Ul act, and the same in thought and
purpose. (See Ap. Ex. 278.)
Verse 14. — I am poured out like
water : all my hones are sundered, &c.
These words picture the utter sink
ing of spUit, the utter prostoation
and desolation of soul which the
Lord experienced in the humanity,
whUe undergoing the crucifixion,
when temptation was at its utmost
height, and evil men without and
infemal spUits within pressed upon
him, tiU he sunk even into despaU.
I am poured out like water, signifies
that his spUit was overwhelmed and,
as it were, swept away by a flood of
falses (water signUying truths, and,
in the opposite sense, falses). — AU
my bones are sundered, signifies that
aU truths seemed to have perished
with him ; for the hones correspond
to tmths, these sustaining the mind.

100

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXII.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaves to my jaws.
And thou bringest me to the dust of death.

as the former do the body. (See
A. C. 3812). My heart is like wax,
it is melted in the midst of my bowels,
signifies that all good with him
seemed also to have perished, the
heart denoting good or love.
"Bowels, in the Word, signUy love
and mercy, by reason that the bowels,
or inward parts belonging to genera
tion, especiaUy the mother's womb,
represent and thence signUy chaste
conjugal love, and love towards
infants thence derived. Hence, love
itseU or mercy itseU, and the Lord's
compassion towards mankind are
signified, in the intemal sense, by
bowels." A. C. 1803.— The heart is
here compared to wax melting. In
two other places in the Psalms (viz.,
IxvUi. 2 and xcvU. 5) we find a similar
comparison, and it is employed in
speaking of the evU, thus: "As
wax melts before the fire, so shall
the mcked perish at the presence
of God," &c. The correspondence
seems to be this. Honey signifies
the good or delight of the natural or
external mind, and honeycomb or
wax, the truth of that good. (See
note on Psalm xix. 10). But, in the
opposite sense, wax would signUy
the false derived from evU in the
natural man ; which cannot bear the
presence of the fire of Divine love.
The Lord, in his temptation, com
paring his heart to loax melting,
implies, then, that all good had
perished with him — that his love
was merely natural and evU, con
joined with the false thence derived
(for so it seemed to the humanity in
temptation). Melted in the midst of

my bowels, signifies unable to bear
the power of the Divine love —
bowels, as above explained, signUyiug
love and mercy.
Verse 15. — My strength is dried
up like a potsherd. By a potter's
vessel, that is, an earthen vessel, is
sigmfied falsity ; for vessels, in the
Word, in a good sense, signUy tmths,
these being receptacles of good ; hut,
in the opposite sense, they signUy
falsities. By a potsherd, that is, a
fragment of a pot or earthen vessel,
is signified mere useless falsity,
which contains no truth, as a pot
sherd can hold no water. (See Ap.
Ex. 177.) Now, aU spiritual strength
and power is by truths. Hence, the
Lord's saying that his strength is
dried up like a potsherd, signifies that
aU his power was goue, that he was
sunk among mere falses. — My tongue
cleaves to my jaws. By the tongue, as
the organ of speech, is signifled
thought, and thence the perception
of truth. (See Ap. Ex. 455.) By
the jaws, as being the external and
lower parts of the face, are signifled
corporeal sensual thought, such as
is from faUacies. (Ap. Ex. 923.)
Hence, by the tongue cleaving to ihe
jaws, would seem to be signified that
all perception of truth was lost, and
that the thought adhered to mere
faUacies. — And thou bringest me to
the dust of death. By dust, in the
Word, is signified what is condemned
or infernal. Thus, by the custom
of casting dust on the head was repre
sented that man of himseU is damned
or wholly in evU. (See A. R. 788).
Hence it is said the dust of death,

XXII.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

101

16 For dogs encompass me :
The assembly of the wicked enclose me :
They pierce my hands and my feet.
17 I number aU my bones :
They look, they stare at me.
18 They part my garments among them.

death signUying spiritual death or
damnation. Hence the Lord's ex
clamation that he was in the dust
of death, impUed that in the depths
of his temptation, he felt himseU as
condemned and lost, that is, without
good or tmth. The expression. Thou
bringest me, is spoken according to
the appearance, for it seems to man,
whUe in temptation and distress, as if
the Divine had brought him into
that state, and so it appeared to the
Lord in his humanity. But, in
truth, the Divine is ever striving to
draw man out of temptation and out
of distress of all kinds into heavenly
peace and joy.
Verse 16. — Dogs encompass me,
" Dogs denote such as render the good
of faith unclean by falsifications.
For aU beasts, in the Word, signUy
affections and inclinations such as
belong to man, the tame and useful
beasts good affections and inclina
tions, but the wUd and useless beasts
evil affections and incUnations. The
reason why dogs signUy such as
render the good of faith unclean by
falsifications, is, because dogs eat un
clean things, and also bark at and bite
men. That good falsified and thus
rendered unclean is signified by dogs,
is also evident from Matthew (vu. 6),
' Give not that which is holy to dogs,
neither cast your pearls before svrine.'
Dogs, in the present case, denote
such as destroy the goods of faith,
who on that account are called the
assembly ofthe wicked." A, 0. 9231

They pierce my hands and my feet.
How plainly is this a prophetic
description of the Lord's crucifixion,
showing thus that the whole Psalm
treats of the Lord and his tempta
tions and sufferings ! In these words,
however, there is also a spiritual
sense. All the circumstances at
tendant upon the Lord's crucifixion
were representative, and portrayed
the manner in which the Jewish
Church had treated the Divine
Word, even to its entUe falsification
and destruction in their own minds.
(See D. L. 16.) For the Lord was
the " Word made flesh," and conse
quently what they did to the Lord
represented what they had already
done to the Word. In ¦ particular,
their piercing the Lord represented
the destruction of His Divine truth
in the Word by falses. (A. R. 26.)
Hands and feet, being the ultimates
of the body, denote the ultimates of
the Word, or the Word in its letter,
which the Jews had falsified and
destroyed. The hands and feet,
moreover, being the extreme parts
of man, signUy the whole man (A.
C. 10,241) ; and thus by the Jews
piercing the Lord's hands and feet,
was represented that they had falsi
fied and adulterated the whole Word.
Verse 17, 18. — I number all my
bon£s. They part my garments among
them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
"These words relate to the Lord's
temptations as to Divine truths,
which constituted the Lord's pro-

102

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXII.

And cast lots upon my vesture.
19 But thou, 0 Loed, be not far off:
0 my Strength, haste to my help.
DeUver my soul from the sword.
My only one from the hand of the dog.
Save me from the mouth of the Uon :
And from the horns of the buffaloes answer me.

20

21

prium (or seUhood), and hence are
caUed my hones: and whereas bones
signify those truths, to number
which is to wish to dissipate them
by reasonings and falses ; therefore,
also, it immediately foUows, that
they divided his garments, and cast
lots upon his vesture, for garments
also denote truths, but of an exterior
kind." A. C. 3812.— The division of
the Lord's garments represented the
dissipation of the truths of faith by
the Jews. Garments denote teuths
in the external form, but a vesture
denotes truth in the internal form :
the former are such as are those in
the Uteral sense of the Word, but the
latter such as those in its spiritual
sense. The truths of the letter of
the Word the Jews falsified and de
stroyed with themselves, but not
those of the spUitual sense, because
they were unacquainted with it. Tliis
was represented by theU dividing
the garments, but not the vesture.
See A. G. 9093. D. L. 16.
Verse 19. — OLord — Divine Love :
my strength — Divine Truth.
Verse 20. — "Soul here signifies
the Ufe of faith. To deliver my soul
from the sword, signifles from the false
principle vastating the truth of faith,
for sviord signifies such falsity ; whUe,
to deliver my only one from the hand
of ihe dog, signifies from the false
principle vastating the good of faith ;
for dogs signUy those who render the
good of faith unclean by falsifica

tions." A. C. 9231. (See note, above,
on verse 16.) The expression my only
one is appUed to what is very dear
and precious : it has reference here,
evidently, to the life of love, as soul
to the Ufe of faith ; and is caUed
only one, perhaps, to express the
idea that the love is the one essen
tial principle, for it is the very lUe
of the mind. (See a corresponding
passage in Psalm xxxv. 17.) From
the hand of the dog, that is, from the
power of the dog, the hand being the
emblem of power.
Verse21. — Save ms from the mouth
of the lion, &c. " By the lion here is
signified the false violently destroy
ing truths; and by the horns of
the unicorns [buffaloes] are signified
Divine truths which prevail agaiast
falses." Ap. Ex. 316. " By hwns
are signified the power of tmth
grounded in good, and, in an oppo
site sense, the power of the false
grounded in evU. Divine truths are
here caUed the horns of unicorns [buf
faloes] on account of theU height."
A. C. 2832. The common trans
lation unicorn, borrowed from the
Septuagiat version, has no pro
priety, as unicorn means simply one-
horned, but the Hebrew term has no
such signification. What animal is
meant, is not quite certain ; but
probably it is the buffalo (fios hubalus)
or wild ox of India, one species of
which has horns remarkable for theU
size and length.

XXIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

103

22 I wiU declare thy name to my brethren :
In the midst of the congregation wUl I praise thee.
23 Ye that fear the Loed, praise him :
AU ye the seed of Jacob, honor him ;
And fear before him, aU the seed of Israel
24 For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the
afflicted.

Verse 22. — A remarkable change
is here observable in the tone of the
PsaUn. The prayers of the sufferer
seem to be suddenly answered ; the
horrors of the temptation have passed
off, and the succeeding state of con
solation, joy, and hope has come.
The great results of the Lord's en
durance of the last dUe temptation,
— ^that upon the cross — seem here to
be presented to his mind in prospect
— ^the redemption of mankind, the
pubUcation of the gospel to the
world, and the establishment of a
new Church upon the earth. I will
declare thy name to my brethren, sig
nifies to make known to those who
are in charity the true quality and
character of the Divine Being, as a
God of love ; for name, in the spirit
ual sense, signifies quaUty or char
acter, and brethren signifies such as
are in a state of love and charity.
The Lord calls them my brethren, as
being in a state of good derived from
Him. " Brethren are so called from
love, or, what is the same, from good.
And whereas the Lord is essential
good, and regards aU from good,
therefore he also caUs them brethren,
as in Matthew (xxv. 40), ' The king
shaU answer and say unto them. In
asmuch as ye did it unto one of the
least of these my brethren, ye did it
unto me.'" A. C. 'iZm.-" In ihe
midst of the congregation will I praise
thee.'' As by brethren are signified
those who are in the good, so by

congregation are signified distinctive
ly those who are in tmth. " By con
gregations, in the Word, are signified
the same as by people, namely, those
who are in spiritual tmths." Ap. Ex.
340. Here, then, by brethren are signi
fied the celestial, and by congregation
the spiritual, both of whom would
receive new Ufe in consequence of
the Lord's accomplishing the work of
redemption, and glorUying his Hu
manity. Verse 23. — In this verse are de
scribed the three classes or degrees
of the good, who would constitute
respectively the three heavens, then
about to be formed by the Lord,
namely, the celestial, the spiritual,
and the spUitual-natural. The ce
lestial are signified by those that fear
the Lord, the spiritual by the seed of
Israel, and the spiritual-natural by
the seed of Jacob. The first are said
to praise the Lord, as expressing a
state of fiill love and worship; the
second are described as fearing before
him, as expressive also of reverence
and worship, but more from the
principle of truth than love, for such
is the characteristic of the spiritual ;
whUe the third are spoken of as
honoring him, that is, acting from a
prinoijile of obedience, which distin
guishes those who are called spU-
itual-natural. Verse 24. — Nor did he hide his
face from him. " It is said in many
passages of the Word, that Jehovah,

104

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXIL

Nor did he hide his face from him ;
But when he cried to him, he heard.
25 Of thee shall my praise be in a great congregation :
I wUl pay my vows before those that fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied :
Those shall praise the LoED that seek him :
Your heart shall Uve forever.

that is, the Lord, conceals and hides
his face on account of iniquities
and sins, and he is entreated not to
conceal and hide, when yet he never
in any case does so ; for the Lord is
Divine love itseU and mercy itself,
and vrills the salvation of aU. But
when man from freedom chooses
evU, he then shuts the door against
himself, and thus does not admit the
good and truth which is from the
Lord ; wherefore the Lord, in such
case, appears as absent. From this
appearance it is said that Jehovah
conceals and hides his face, although
he does not." Ap. Ex. 412.
Verse 25. — Of thee (literaUy, From
with thee) shall my praise he. In a
great congregation. By congregation,
in the Word, are signified distinc
tively the spiritual. (See note on
verse 22.) Hence, by a great congre
gation (or, as more exactly rendered,
much congregation) are meant, evi
dently, all the spiritual, in all time,
who would be saved through the
Lord's coming and the glorification
of his Humanity; for it was more
especially for the sake of the spUit
ual that the Lord came. (See A. C.
2661.) — From with thee shall be my
praise. This is the exact rendering
of the original ; and the meaning
may be that from the conjunction
of the Human with the Divine,
through which the spUitual would
be saved, would arise that DivUie joy
of the Lord, expressed by the words

m.y praise (or, as it might be ren
dered, my song or psalm of praise).
— I will pay my vows, &c. " To
vow a vow, in the intemal sense,
denotes to wUl that the Lord may
provide ; for in vows there is a desUe
and longing that what is wUled may-
come to pass, thus that the Lord
may provide. Something also of
stipulation is implied, and at the
same time somewhat of a dpbt on
the part of man, which he engages
to discharge U he comes to pos^ss
the object of his wish." A. C. 3/^2.
" I will pay thee my vows, which, my
lips have uttered, and iny mouth
hath spoken, when I was in trouble^"
says the Psalmist (bcvi. 13, 14)..
Vows, in the Lord's case, would
seem to imply those fervent prayers,'
those Divine longings for the good
and salvation of men which filled
the heart of the Lord's Humanity,,
whUe in the midst of its suffermg^
and temptations : and now, that iM.
trials are over, and the humanity j
glorified, he joyfuUy |)aj/s those vows,!
by pouring on mankind the gUt of
salvation and the bUsses of heaven i
for ever and ever. ' " ,
Verse 26. — The afflicted shall eat;
and be satisfied. By the afiiicted are
signified the tempted — such as are
in distress of mind from evUs and
falses. For affliction, in the spiritual
sense, signifies temptation, particu
larly such as is suffered by the good
at the end of the Church, when falses

XXIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

105

27 AU the ends of the earth shaU remember and return to the
Loed,
And aU theNfanuUes of the nations shaU bow down before
thee ;
28 For the kingdom'^ is the Loed's,
And he is the ruler among the nations.
29 AU the fat of the earth shall eat and bow down;
All those shaU bend before him,
Who are now going down to the dust.
And he that oajinot keep his soul aUve.

knd consequent evUs are generaUy
prevalent. ' (See A. C. 1846.) Such
: was the case at the time of the Lord's
coming. But now, in consequence
of his redemption of mankind, and
estaMi|hment. of a new and spiritual ¦
church, the .good would be gUted
with new spiritual nourishment,
truth and- love ; the afflicted would
eat and be. satisfied. — Those sliall
praise the' "Lord that seek him. This
refers rather to the spiritual, or sach
as are in the affection of truth, for
the term seek has reference more
particularly to the understanding (A.
B.--429) ; whUe the words, your heart
shall live forever refers to the celes
tial, or those who are distinguished
by love : by their heart living for-
evej; is signified that their heart or
wiU should be fiUed with heavenly
Ipve, and its joy, which is "lite.
efemal." Verse 27. — All the ends of the
earth, &c. — The earth, here, signifies
the church proper, where the Word
is and i^he Lord is known ; this, it is
declared^ which had gone astray from
him into falses and evUs, shaU re
member (or consider) and retum to
him again. And then it is added,
that the knowledge and worship of
the Lord, should be extended among
the nations out of the Church, or

Gentiles, ivlio should bow down before
him. By the nations also are signi
fied the simple good everywhere,
who would now be instructed. It is
saifi fa/milies of the nations, because,
in early times, nations were com-
.. posed of famiUes, and both terms
signUy those who are in good (see
A. C. 1261).
Verse 28. — For the kingdom is ihe
Lord's, &c. Kingdom,'h.%'ie.,\ik.e. earth
in the precediug verse, signifles the
Church, in which is the knowledge
of the tmth, the terms kiiig and
kingdom, in the spiritual sense, hav
ing reference distinctively to truth
(see note on PsaUn xxi 1) ; whUe
nations here, as in the preceding
verse, sigrdfy the well - disposed
GentUes, and in general aU who are
in simple good, of whom the Lord is
also the ruler, for he leads and guides
them according to the light they
have. Verse 29. — All Hie fat ofthe earth
shall eat and bow down. " Hj fat is
signified the celestial principle itseU.
The celestial principle is all that
which is of love and charity ; which
things were represented by various
kinds of fat in sacrifices, as by the
fat over the Uver, by the fat upon
the kidneys, by the fat which cov-
.ered the intestines, all which were

106

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXIL

30 The seed shall serve him:
They shaU be numbered to the Lord for a generation.
31 They shaU come and shaU declare his righteousness
To a people that shaU be born,
For he has accompUshed it.
holy, and were offered as a burnt-
offering upon the altar. That fat
signifles things celestial and the
goods of charity, is evident also from
the prophets, as in JerenUah (xxxi.
14), ' I wiU satiate the soul of the
priests vrith fatness, and my people
shall be satisfied with my goodness.' "
A. C. 353. By all the fat of the earth,
then, here, are signified all those in
the church who are celestial men.
Shall eat and how down; that is, they
shall be spirituaUy nourished, filled
with love and charity, and then
shall bless the Lord for his goodness.
On the other hand, by those that
are going down to the dust and he that
cannot keep his soul alive are signified
the spiritual, who were about to
perish, and whom, especiaUy, the
Lord came to save. It is said, going
down to the dust, because dust, in the
spUitual sense, signifies what is in
fernal and damned (A. R. 788).
Dust, here, signifles evU into which
they were sinking ; and the words
cannot keep his soul alive, signify
that they are unable to extricate
theU minds from falses, — for soul
signifles distinctively the mind as
to truth (A. R. 681). AU these
shall bend before him, that is, shall be
saved, and shall worslUp the Lord
in his Divine Humanity. — Bend and
bow down express different degrees of
hnmiUation in worship : the spU
itual bend before the Lord, but the
celestial most humbly bow down (A.
C. 5682).

Verse 30. — Tlie seed
him: they shall be numbered to the
Lord for a generation. "This re
lates to the Lord ; by the seed which
shall serve him, are meant those who
are in the truths of doctrine from
the Word (for seed signifles the truths
of doctrine of the church) ; and
being numbered to ihe Lord for a gene
ration, is signified that they shaU be
his to eternity, — to he numbered sig
nifying to be placed in order and
arranged; and, in this case, to be
numbered to, or added to, thus to
be his." Ap. Ex. 768. It may
be remarked that the term trans
lated Lord, here, is not Jehovah, but
Adonai, wMoh signifies properly
master, thus describing the Lord in
his character of Diviae Truth ; and
this title is made use of, because the
seed are mentioned, or such as are in
truths of doctrine ; and these wor
ship the Lord rather in his charac
ter of Divine Truth, since the Lord
appears to aU according to their own
nature or state.
Verse 31. — To a people that shall
be horn, signifies to such as shaU be
regenerated ; for birth signifies, in
the spiritual sense, being born again
or regenerated. A simUar sense is
found in Psalm cu. 18, " The people
that shaU be created [that is, regene
rated] shall praise the LoiA."— For
he has accomplished it, that is, has
effected the great work of man's
redemption.

XXIII.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

107

PSALM XXIII.
SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Concerning the Lord, that he teaches and leads to the truths and
goods of heaven and the church, verses 1-3 ; hence that there is no
fear of the hells, because he guards, and gives good and truth in
abundance, 4, 5 ; in heaven with tlie Lord to eternity, 6.
A Psalm of David.
1 The Loed is my shepherd : I shaU not want.
2 He wUl cause me to lie down in grassy pastures:
He wiU lead me to tranc[uU waters.
3 He wUl restore my soul :
He wUl guide me in the paths of righteousness, for his
name's sake.

This is one of the sweetest of the
Psalms. It opens with a picture of
quiet beauty, green pastures and
tranquU waters, and it ends vrith a
promise of heaven. It is very short,
for there is not much to be said
when states of innocence and peace
are referred to : they are rather to
be felt than described. This sweet
Psalm should be committed to the
memory of every chUd, for it wUl be
a dwelling-place vrith him for celes
tial angels.
Verses 1, 2. — The Lord is my
shepherd, &c. "By these words, in
the intemal sense, is meant, that he
who tmsts in the Lord, wiU be led
into aU the goods and truths of hea
ven, and vriU be fiUed vrith theU
deUghts. By my shepherd is meant
the Lord ; by grassy pastures [Ute
raUy, pastures of tender grass] are
signified the knowledges of tmth and
good ; by tranquil waters ^UteraUy,

waters of rest] are signified the truths
of heaven thence derived ; by lying
down is signified a state of peace and
tranquUUty. Mention is made of
grassy pastures and tranquil waters, as
if they were comparisons, on account
of the Lord's being called a shepherd,
and a shepherd's fiock is led into
grassy pastures and to limpid waters ;
but stUl they are correspondences."
Ap. Ex. 375,' A. C. 3696.— "By f?rass
is signified scientifics, for as green
grass serves for food for animals, so
scientific truth serves for spUitual
nourishment to man. By scientific
tmth is meant everything scientific,
by which spiritual truth is con
firmed." Ap. Ex. 507.
Verse 3. — He vnll restore my soul
— literaUy, will bring back my soul,
that is, regenerate it. For his name's
sake — literally, because of, or on ac
count of, his name. By name, in the
spiritual sense, is signified quality or

108

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXIIL

4 Yea, when I walk in the vaUey 'of the shadow of death, I
wUl not fear evU ;
For thou wilt be with me ;
Thy rod and thy staff, they wUl comfort me.
6 Thou wUt spread a table before me, in the presence of my
enemies :
Thou wUt anoint my head with oU :
My cup shaU be fuU.
6 Surely goodness and mercy wUl follow me aU the days of mylife.

character: and by the Lord's name
his Divine quality or nature, which
is love and goodness : hence, in other
places it is said, " For thy mercy's
sake," " for thy righteousness' sake."
See Psalm xUv. 26 ; clxUi. 11. The
meaning of the verse is, that the
Lord wiU guide us in the paths of
righteousness, because he is love and
goodness, because that is his quality
or character. In the supreme sense,
however, by the Lord's name, is sig
nified the Divine humanity (U. T.
299) : in that sense, the meaning is,
that He wiU guide us by or through
his Divine Humanity, for that is the
great instrument of his Divine power.
Verses 4, 5. — " To walk in tlie val
ley of the shadow of death, signifies to
be in an obscure state of understand
ing, in which truths do not appear
in Ught ; thy rod and thy staff will
comfort me, signifies that Divine
truth spUitual, together vrith Divine
truth natural, wiU protect, because
they have power : a rod is Divine
Truth spiritual, and a staff Divine
truth natural, both together as to
the power of protecting — for to comr-
fort is to protect. And since a rod
and a staff signUy truth as to power,
therefore it foUows, Tliou wilt spread
a table before nw, thou wilt anoint
[literally, unit make fat] my head with
oil, m«/ cup shall be full, by which

words is signified spUitual nourish
ment by Divine truth ; for by spread
ing a table is signified to nourish
spUituaUy, by making fat the head
with oil, is signified by the good of
love, and by the cup being fuU is
signified the truth of doctrine from
the Word." Ap. Ex. 727.— By walk
ing in the valley of the shadow of
death, is evidently meant passing
through a state of temptation from
falses. Por the shadow of death sig
nifies falses from evil — death signUy
ing evU, which is spiritual death, and
its shadow the darkness or false
thence derived (see A. B. 110) : a
valley signifles a low and depressed
state of mind. — Tliou wilt spread a
table before me in presence of my
enemies. By enemies, here, are sig
nified spiritualf oes, tempters: spread
ing or preparing a table in their pre
sence, signifies that, even whUe we
are in the midst of temptation, and
our spUitual foes are thick about uis,
the Lord, in his goodness, is prepar
ing delightfiU states of love and Ught
for us to enter into, as soon as the
temptation is past.
Verse 6. — Surely goodness and
mercy, &c. " All the paths of the
Lord," says the Psalmist, " are mercy
and tmth unto such as keep his
covenant and his testimonies." PsaUn
xxv. 10. — / shall dwell in the house of

XXIY.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

109

And I shaU dweU in the house of the Loed for ever.

ihe Lord for ever (UteraUy, to length of
days). "Length, when appUed to
time, signifies what is perpetual and

eternal, as in the expression, length
of days, in Psaln xxiU. 6." A. C.
650. — The house of the Lord is heaven.

PSALM XXIV.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Concerning the Church, which is from the Lord by tlie Word,
verses 1-3 ; that those will be in it, who are not in falses and evils,
4-6 ; that they are about to receive the Lord, who has overcome
the hells, and glorified his humanity, 7-10.
A Psalm of David.
1 To the Loed belongs the earth, and its fulness :
The world, and those that dweU in it.
2 For he has founded it upon the seas.
And estabUshed it upon the rivers.

Verses 1, 2. — To ihe Lord belongs
ihe earth, &c. " By the earth, here,
is signified the church as to truth, its
fulness signifyUig aU truths in the
aggregate ; and by the world, the
church as to good, and by those that
dwell in it, aU goods in the aggre
gate." — " By seas are signified know
ledges and sciences, which are the
ultimates ofthe church ; specificaUy,
the knowledges of truth and good,
such as are in the Uteral sense of the
Word. By rivers is signified intro
duction hy those knowledges to hea
venly intelligence. Hence it may be
seen what is meant by the above
words, in the spiritual sense, namely,
that the interior things of heaven
and the church, which are caUed
celestial and spiritual, are founded
on the knowledges of truth and good,
rationally understood." — " That it is

not meant that Jehovah founded
the world upon the seas, and estab
Ushed it upon the rivers, who can
not see, for the world is not founded
on them." Ap. Ex. 741, 518 ; A. C.
6297. — " The reason why rivers sig
nUy the understanding of truth, and
also inteUigence, is, because waters
signUy truths, and the understand
ing is a receptacle and aggregate of
tmths, as a river is of waters, and
because thought from the under
standing, which is inteUigence, is as
a steeam of tnith. It is from the
same origin, namely, from the sig
nification of waters, as denoting
truths, that a fountain signifies the
Word and the doctrine of truth ; and
that pools, lakes, and seas signUy the
knowledges of truth in the aggregate."
Ap. Ex. 518.

110

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXIV.

Who shaU ascend into the mountain of the Loed ?
And who shaU stand in his holy place ?
He that has clean hands and a pure heart :
Who Ufts not up his soul to falsehood, nor swears to a
deceit.
He shall receive blessing from the Loed,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
This is the generation that look to him.
That seek thy face, 0 Jacob. Selah !

Verse 3. — Who shall ascend, &c.
By mountain is signified a celestial
state, that is, a state of love and char
ity (A. C. 695) ; and by holy place,
a spUitual state, or a state of truth,
for holy is precUcated of truth. (See
A. R. 193.) In the internal sense,
this verse is closely connected with
the preceding, though in the letter
this does not appear. For the two
former verses treat of the estabUsh
ment of the Chm'ch, and the Church
consists of love and truth, or of what
is celestial and spiritual, and in this
verse the question is asked who shaU
be a worthy member of the Church ?
that is, how shall man attain to states
of love and truth ?
Verse 4. — He that has clean hands
and a pure heart, that is, he who is
upright in actions and pure in inten
tions. — Who lifts not up his soul to
falsehood. By the soul, when men
tioned in connection with heart, is
signified the understancUng (see A. R.
681) ; hence, not to lift up Hie soul to
falsehood, means, not to confirm one's
self in falses, but to seek the truth (the
expression lift up is used probably
in the sense of elevation through
pride) ; whUe nor sioear to a deceit,
means, not to be guUty of any fraud
or deception in dealiug vrith one's
neighbor, stiU less, to sivear to it,
that is, to confirm the falsehood by

solemn asseveration. (That to swear
signifies confirmation, see Ap. Ex.
340). Verse 5. — He sliall receive blessing,
so " That by blessing, when spoken
of man, is understood nothiag else
than the reception of Divine good
and Divine truth, because in these
is heaven and eternal felicity, is en-
dent from many passages, as, for in
stance, in David : ' He that is clean
in hands and pure in heart shallreceive
blessing from before Jehovah, and right
eousness from the God of his salvation '
where by the cleant in hands are signi
fied such as are in truths from faith,
and by the pure in lieart those who
are in good from love. Of these it is
said, that they sliall receive blessing
from before Jehovah, by which is sig
nified the reception of Diviae truth,
and righteousness from the God of
salvation, by which is meant the
reception of Divine good." Ap. Ex.
340. Verse 6. — Tliis is the generation,
&c. " Generation, in the Word, sig
nifies such thUigs as are of faith and
charity, because no other generation
than that which is spiritual can be
understood in the internal sense."
A. C. 6239. Thus, generation, in
the spiritual sense, signifies regene
ration ; or, when appUed to persons,
the regenerate. This is the genera^

XXIV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

111

7 LU't up your heads, ye gates,
And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors,
And the King of glory wUl come in.
8 Who is this King of glory ?
The Loed strong and mighty, the Loed mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, ye gates,
And Uft yourselves up, ye everlasting doors.
And the King of glory wUl come in.

tion that seek him, means, " These
are the regenerate, who worship the
Lord." — 'Tliat seek thy face, 0 Jacob.
Jaoob represents the Lord's Divine
Natural (A. C. 4538), thus the Lord,
as to the Divine Humanity. The
face is the expression of the affections ;
hence, by the Lord's face is signified
Ms Divine love. (Ap.Ex. 340). To
seek his face is to desUe to receive
that love from the Lord. Of the
two plirases, hok to him, and seek his
face, the former has reference to truth
in the imderstanding, and the latter
to good in the wUl. — Selah. For
the signification of this term, see
note on Psalm iii. 2.
Verse 7. — Lift up your heads, &c.
" The everlasting doors beiug lifted
up, denotes the opening and eleva
tion of hearts to the Lord, who is the
King of Glory, and thus the giving of
communication, that he may flow in
^rith the good of charity and the
truth of faith : the Lord is caUedthe
King of Glory, from truth derived
from good." A. C. 8989. As the
doors here mentioned have reference
to the heart or wUl, so the gates,
which are outer doors, have relation
to the imderstanding, which is more
external than the wUl. Gates are
first named, because, ia the order of
regeneration, man is first to leam
truths from the Word, and from the
understanding so instmcted, to look

up to the Lord in faith and prayer.
Thus do the gates of the mind lift up
their heads. (It is said, " Uft up your
heads," because the luad corresponds
to inteUigence and vrisdom, wluch be
long to the understanding. Ap. Ex.
785). If man, at the same time, puts
into practice the truths he has learned,
then the Lord flows down vrith his
love, and himself opens the doors of
the heart; for this part is of the
Lord's doing, not man's, and hence
it is expressed in the passive, he ye
lifted up, ye everlasting doors. The
epithet everlasting or eternal is ap
pUed to the doors, probably to con
vey the idea that it is the state of
man's heart or will which determines
his eternal condition hereafter.
Verse 8. — The Lord strong and
mighty. The Lord is caUed strong
from Divine good, mighty from Di
vine truth, mighty in battle, that is,
in spUitual warfare, — in combat
with man's spiritual foes, the powers
of darkness. The Lord, the great
Redeemer, is ever flghting for man
against the enemies of his soul, and
it is on this ground that he is called
a " Man of War," and mighty in
battle. Verses 9, 10. — Lift up, &c. These
verses seem, at the first glance, but a
repetition of the preceding ones : but
a careful examination vrill show im
portant variations. In the first

112

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXV.

10 Who is he, this King of glory ?
The Loed of hosts, he is the king of glory.

Selah !

place, in addressing the doors, here,
the verb lift up is in the active, not
the passive, as before, — perhaps to
express the idea that in an advanced
stage of regeneration, man, from the
love already received into lUs heart,
can, as U of himself, look up to the
Lord with love and gratitude : stUl
it is the Lord who gives him the vriU
and power so to do. In the next
place, it is the Lord of hosts that is
named, not the Lord mighty in battle,
as m the former verse. The reason
seems to be this. The Lord first
enters the heart in the character of a
" Man of War," mighty in battle: his
first work is to subdue and cast out
evUs. But, the second time, he conies

as the Lord of hosts, that is, to intro
duce goods and tmths, which are the
heavenly hosts. Such is the order
of regeneration ; evils must fUst be
removed, by combats against them ;
and tHs combat man must carry on
as of himseU, yet looking to the Lord
for strength to do so. Then, in pro
portion as evUs are removed, the
Lord introduces good affections and
true thoughts, and forms the mind
gradually Uito a heaven, in which
he himself takes up his abode.
Thus does man, in spirit, become
conjoined to the Lord, and after
death vriU dwell with him in heaven
to eternity.

PSALM XXV.

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

The prayers of the Church to the Lord that ilxy may be 'pro
tected from the hells, verses 1-3 , that they may be instructed in
truths, 4r-& ; that from mercy their sins may be remitted, 7-11 ;
that thus they will have good cmd conjunction, 12-14; a pi-ay er of
ihe Church to tlie Lord, and in the supreme sense, of the Lwd to the
Father, that since He alone fights against the hells, He would assist,
15-20 ; that he has integrity, 21 ; and thus redemption, 22.
A PsaUn of David.
1 To thee, 0 Loed, do 1 lift up my soul.
2 0 my God, in thee do I trust !

Verse 2. — My enemies — that is,
spUitual foes, tempters — a prayer
for protection against the internals.
It is Divine truth, by which the

Lord defends us; and hence the
address, 0 my God, the term God
signifyiag the Lord as to Diviae
Tmth.

XXV]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

113

Let me not be put to shame :
Let not my enemies exult over me.
3 ISTo ! let none that wait on thee be put to shame :
Let those be put to shame who without cause plot se
cretly against me.
4 Cause me, to know thy ways, 0 Loed :
Teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me ;
For thou art the God of my salvation :
On thee do I wait aU the day.
6 Eemember, 0 Loed, thy mercies and thy kindnesses :
For they have been from of old.
7 Eemember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions :
According to thy mercy remember thou me, for thy good
ness' sake, 0 Loed.
8 Good and upright is the Loed ;
Therefore will he instruct sinners in the way.

Verse 3. — Who without cause plot
secretly. The reference is to evU
spUits, who without cause, that is,
vrithout provocation, and from the
pure love of doing evU, lay snares for
the soul.
Verse 4. — Ways — paths, "Ways
signUy truths [of doctrine] and patlis
precepts of Ufe." Ap. Ex. 734.
Verse 5. — Lead me (UteraUy,
cause me to go), and teach me. Lead me
has reference to the Ufe, and teach
me to the understanding. On thee
do I wait all the day, that is, always,
in every state. Without the Lord we
" can do nothing ; " in every state, whe
ther of joy or sorrow, labor or rest,
we are to look to and depend on Him.
. Verse 6. — Kindnesses. The term
Mercies is used in reference to the
celestial, and kindnesses in reference to
the spiritual — these two classes being
lUfferently receptive of the Divine

love (see A. C. 598). From of old
means, in the most Ancient and
the Ancient Churches, the former of
which was celestial, the latter spU
itual (see A. C. 488).
Verse 7. — Sins — transgressions.
"Sins denote evU from a depraved
wiU, transgressions evUs from a per
verse understanding." A. C. 9156.
According to thy mercy remember thou
me. " To remember, when spoken of
the Lord, signifies to have compas
sion, and thus to preserve or deUver,
through mercy." A. 0. 9849.
Vers.e 8. — Instruct sinners in the
way, that is, in the truth. (See above
on verse 4.) The meaning seems to
be, that the Lord, both from his
goodness and uprightness (or just
ness), takes care that aU have suffi
cient instruction in tmth for theU
salvation : those, therefore, who con
tinue in sin, do so against Ught.

H

114

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXV.

9 The meek he wUl lead in judgment,
And the meek he wiU teach his way
10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth,
To those that keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11 For thy name's sake, 0 Loed, pardon my iniquity,
For it is great.
12 Who is the man that fears the Loed ?
Him wiU He instruct in the way which he should choose.
13 His soul shaU abide in good.
And his seed shaU inherit the land.

Vehse 9. — Judgment — way. Way
signifies truth of doctrine for the
understanding, and judgment tmth
of conduct for the life ; "judgments
signUy Divine truths according to
which man should live." A. R. 668.
— Tlie meek, that is, those who look up
in humble dependence on the Lord,
vrill be both enUghtened in the un
derstanding of tmths, and dUected
as to the daily duties of life. The
Lord's providence wiU be with them
in the minutest concerns, and they
will feel his hand leadiiig them,
whether through the dark valleys
or over the bright mountains, stUl
onward and upward to heavem
Verse 10. — Covenant — testimonies.
" The Word is Divine Truth revealed
from the Lord ; and since by it the
Lord conjoins himself with the man
of the Church, therefore also it is
called the book of a covenant, because
covenant signifies conjunction." A. C.
9396.—" The precepts of the Deca
logue were caUed a testimony, be
cause they had relation to a cove
nant, thus to conjunction between
the Lord and man, which conjunc
tion cannot exist, unless man keeps
those precepts. Truths derived
from good are what testify of con
junction." AC. 4197. Hence truths
of Ufe are caUed testimonies, as being

witnesses ot the conjunction between
the Lord and man ; also, because
truth testifies ot itseU, or is its own
witness in the mind. (See A. R. 6.)
Verse 11. — For thy name's sake.
For the signification of this phrase,
see note on Psalm xxUi. 3. — My ini
quity ; more correctly, perhaps, my
perverseness, from a root signUying to
twist or distort. — Is great, literaUy, is
much. In the Lord's case, this can re
fer only to his hereclitary evUs, as
the Lord had no actual evU. To par
don means, here, to remove.
Verse 12. — Tliai fears the Lord,
" The fear of God, in the Word, sig
nifles worship, worship either from
fear, or from the good of faith, or
from the good of love ; worship from
fear vrith the unregenerate, worship
from the good of faith with the spir
itual regenerate, worship from the
good of love mth the celestial re
generate. In the above passage it is
the spiritual man and his worship
wluch are treated of, as is evident
from its being said. He will instruct
him in the way, for way signifles truth."
A. C. 2826. — Tlie vjay which he slwuld
choose; that is, which he ought to take,.
Verse 13. — His soul .shall abide in
good. Soul signifles the Ufe of faith
in the regenerate man (A. C. 1000),
thus his new wUl principle : this

XXV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

115

14 Communion with the Loed have those that fear him;
And he wUl make known to them his covenant.
15 My eyes are ever towards the Loed,
For he will draw my feet out of the net.
16 0 turn unto me, and be gracious to me.
For I am desolate and afflicted.
17 0 relieve the troubles of my heart.
And bring me out of my distresses.
18 Look upon my aflliction and my sorrow.
And take away aU my sins.

shall abide in good, that is, shaU be
continually iUled vrith goodness from
the Lord. — And his seed shall inherit
the land. By his seed is signified
faith from charity, or tmth derived
from good vrith hUn. (A. C. 3038.)
This shall inherit the land, that is,
shaU attain heaven ; by the land,
when mentioned in the Word, is sig
nified the land of Canaan, by which
was represented the Church and
heaven. That seed is not to be taken
in its natural sense is obvious ; no
man's chUdren are saved for his
goodness, any more than lost for
his wickedness. See Ezek. xvUi.
20, 24.
Verse 14. — Communion — cove
nant. Communion seems here to
signUy conjunction vrith the Lord
by love, and covenant conjunction
vrith the Lord by truth. As shown
above, in the note on verse 10, Di
vine truth or the Word is caUed a
covenant, as being the mecUum of
conjunction between God and man.
The meaniag of the whole verse
seems to be, that those who fear the
Lord, that is, who worship him and
do his commandments, have a heart-
communion vrith him, whence flows
a light into their understandings, by
which they are enabled to perceive

the truths of his Word, and are thus
doubly conjoined vrith him.
Verse 15. — For he will draw my
feet out of the net. " By a net, in
the spiritual sense, is signifled entice
ment and deception by the delights
of the love of seU and of the world,
and this by reasonings from the fal
lacies of the senses, which favor
those delights ; ensnarings and en-
teappings are from no other source.
And since a snare, a gin, a net sig
nify such things, they signUy, also,
the destruction of spiritual lUe and
perdition ; for the deUghts of those
loves are what destroy and lead to
perdition, since in those loves all
evUs originate." A. C. 9348. By
the feet as being the lowest part of
the body, is signified the lowest part
of the mind, or the natural and sen
sual mind (A. R. 510), which is the
part most liable to be led astray and
ensnared by evU loves. But those
lohose eyes are ever towards the Lord,
who continually look to him for pro
tection and support, vriU be deUv
ered from these dangers, and be
defended, and saved.
Verse 11.— Relieve the troubles of
my. heart — UteraUy, enlarge the strait-
nesses of my heart.
Verse 18. — Affliction refers to

il6 NOTES ON THE PSALMS [XXV.
19 Behold my enemies, for they are many;
And they hate me with violent hatred.
20 0 keep my soul, and deUver me :
Let me not be confounded, for I put my trust in thee.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I hope in thee.
22 Eedeeni Israel, 0 God, from aU his distresses.
distresses from falses, and sorrow dis- ness. Integrity has reference to good,
tress from evUs : talce away all my uprightness to truth.
sins, that is, remove my evUs. Verse 22. — Redeem Israel, 0 God,
Verse 19. — Enemies, here, as from, all his distresses. " To redeem
everywhere in the Psalms, mean Israel from his distresses signifies to
spUitual enemies, tempters. Against deUver those who are of the Church
the Lord, above aU, the hells had from falses, which cause distress."
the most violent hatred. Ap. Ex. 328. Israel signifies dis-
Verse 21. — Integrity — upright- tinctively the spUitual man.

PSALM XXVL
SUMMAEY OE THE INTEENAL SENSE.
That the Lord has integrity, purity, and innocence, verses 1-6,
11 ; that he has the Divine love of saving, 1, 8 ; that he is in com
bats with the malicious, 9, 10 ; that there is redemption when he
congu&rs, 11, 12. A Psalm of David.
1 Judge me, 0 Loed,
For 1 have walked in my integrity :
In the Loed, also, have I trusted :
I shaU not be shaken.
2 Prove me, 0 Loed, and try me :
Search my reins and my heart.
Verse 1.— Judge me ; that is, ex- Scripture declares, " In God's sight
amine me, explore me, see what my can no man Uving be justified"
real state is : as explained more (Psalm clxUi. 2). The Lord alone
fuUy in the next verse.— J'o?- 1 have was perfect in his integrity, and

in my integrity. This lan- vrithout sin ; as he said, "Which of
guage is appUcable to the Lord Jesus, you convicteth me of sin?" (John
and is suitable to bim alone : no viU. 46).
mere man can rightly use it : as the Verse 2.— Prove me — try me. To

XXVI.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

117

For thy mercy is before my eyes ;
And I have walked in thy truth.
I have not sat with men of falsehood,
Nor have I gone with dissemblers.
I hate the assembly of evU-doers,
]S"or wUl I sit with the wicked.
I wUl wash my hands in innocence.
And wUl cling to thy altar, 0 Loed.

prove has reference, probably, to
testing by love, and to try to testing
by tmth. — Search my reins and my
heart. " To search and to prove the
reins denotes to explore the truths of
faith, and to search and prove the
heart denotes to explore the goods of
love. By the reins [or kidneys] are
signified truths exploring, purifying,
and chastising : this signification is
grounded in theU function. That
by the reins is signified interior
truth and its exploration, is because
by the ureters and the bladder,
which go forth from the reins or
kidneys, is signified exterior truth
and its exploration." A. C. 10,032.
" By the Lord's searching hearts and
reins, is meant, that He explores the
goods of love and teuths of faith, and
separates them from evUs and falsi
ties. To search Hie heart is to purify
good by separating it from evU ;
and to prove ihe reins is to purify
tmth by separating it from the false.
That the reins signUy the truths of
faith, and purification of them from
falsities, is because the purification
of the blood is effected in the reins,
and by blood, in the Word, is sig
nifled truth, — and the like also is
signified by the organ which puri
fies : all purification from falsities is
effected by truths." Ap. Ex. 167.
Verse 3. — Thy mercy is before my
eyes. The Lord's love to man is
called mercy or pity, because directed

towards those who are in distress
and in need of help, as aU mankind,
in theU present faUen condition, are.
" The essence of mercy is love ; love
itseU becomes mercy, when any one
who is in need of helpis regarded from
love or charity : hence mercy is an
effect of love towards the needy and
miserable." A. C. 3063. Thy mercy
is before my eyes, signifies to per
ceive and to acknowledge the Divine
goodness, and to walk in thy truth,
signifies to Uve according to the
commandments or the laws of order,
which that mercy has laid down for
our guidance.
Verse 4. — Men of falsehood signUy
such as give themselves wp to falses,
and delight in opposing or denying
the truth, such as infidels ; whUe
dissemblers signUy the deceitful, such
as deUght in doing evU vrith cun
ning. Verse h.—Nor will I sit witli ihe
wicked. To sit signifies to dweU, to
remain, and has reference to the wUl
or love. See Ap. Ex. 687.
Verse 6. — I will wash my hands
in innocence. " To wash the hands in
innocence denotes to testUy one's seU to
be innocent and pure from evUs and
falses ; for the washing of the hands
was a testification of innocence."
Ap. Ex. 475. — Will cKng to thy altar,
0 Lord. Will cling to, — ^UteraUy,
vdll compass, or surround vrith the
arms. The altar, in the ancient

118

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXVI.

7 That I may proclaim, with the voice of thanksgiving.
And recount all thy wondrous doings.
8 0 Loed, I love the habitation of thy house,
And the dweUing-place of thy glory.
9 Draw not a.way my soul with sinners,
ISTor my life with men of blood :
10 In whose hand is mischief
And whose right hand is fuU of bribes.
11 But I wiU walk in my integrity :
Eedeem me and be gracious to me.

Churches, was representative of the
Lord and of worship. (A. C. 921.)
Hence to wash the hands in innocence,
and io cling to the altar, signifies to
refrain from evUs, and to hold fast
to the Lord.
Verse 7. — Tliy wondrous doings
(UteraUy, thy wonders), — not only in
our creation, but in our redemption
and regeneration.
Verse 8. — Tlie habitation of thy
house signifies heaven as to Divine
good, and ihe dwelling-place of thy
glory heaven as to Divrine truth : for
the terms habitation and house are
predicated of good (A. C. 3600, 3720),
md glory of truth. (A. C. 4809). To
love these is to " seek fUst the king
dom of God and his righteousness ;"
it is to strive for goodness and truth
as the chief of blessings : it is to
hope for heaven.
Verse 9.- — Sinners — men of blood.
Sinners denote such as are in evUs,
and men of blood (literaUy, bloods)
such as are in falses and in evUs
thence derived. For hlood, in a good
sense, signifies Divine truth, but, in
the opposite sense, truth falsified ;
and when the term is expressed, as
here, in the plural, it signifies vio
lence offered both to truth and good
(See Ap. Ex. 329). Soul and life
eignUy understanding and wiU ; for

the vriU is the love, and the love is
the mind's life; and when the term
smd is joined with heart, or, as here,
with life, the former signifies the un
derstanding, and the latter the wiU.
(See A. R. 681).
Verse 10. — Hand — right hand.
Hand denotes action, and right hand
intention. The hand is the emblem
of power, hence of exertion or action ;
but the right hand signifies UiteUec-
tual power (A.R. 605), hence thought
or intention. Mischief in their hand,
signifies that theU actions are eril ;
and theU right hand full of bribes,
signifies that theU thoughts are fuU
oi corrupt purposes, cunning con
trivances to effect evU.
Verse 11. — I will walk in my in
tegrity : this is the language of the
Lord in his humanity. — Redeem me —
be gracious to me. To redeem is to de
liver from evU ; to be gracious is to
gUt vrith good. EvU, in the Lord's
case, was only hereditary.
Verse 12. — My foot stands in an
even placCjOT (as it might be rendered)
in uprightness. By the foot, as being
the lowest part of the body, is signi
fied the lowest part of the mind, or
the natural mind. By the/oot stand
ing in uprightness, is signified the
naturalmind brought into an upright
and orderly state, that is, regener-

XXVII.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

119

12 My foot stands in an Q-ven place :

In the congregations I wiU bless the Loed.

ated. In regard to the Lord, it sig
nifies that his humanity should be
glorified. — In the congregations I will
bless Jehovah, denotes that in the

midst of the spUitual whom he had
saved, his heart would be fllled vrith
Divine love and joy. See note on
Psalm xxii. 22.

PSALM XXVIL
SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
The Lord's discourse vjith the Father — that he does not fear
the hells which fight against him, verses 1-3 ; concerning his union
with the Father, 4-10, 13, 14; that thus he will suhjugatethe hells,
11, 12. A Psalm of David.

The Loed is my Ught and my salvation : whom shaU I fear ?
The Loed is the strength of my Ufe : of whom shaU I be afraid?
When the wicked, my persecutors and my enemies.
Drew near against me to devour my flesh,
They staggered and feU.

This is a very -beautiful and com-
lorting Psalm. For though, in the
supreme sense, as stated in the above
summary, it refers to the Lord while
in his humanity on earth, yet, in the
secondary sense, it pictures the states
of the regenerating man, — ^his trust,
his hopes, his humble dependence on
the Lord. The first verse should be
laid up in the memory and the heart,
that it may be called up to the mind
for our support in time of trouble :
" The Lord is my Ught and my sal
vation : whom shall I fear 1 The
Lord is the strength of my lUe : of
whom shaU I be afraid 1" And the
last verse is very soothing and sus
taining, and vrill often need to be

repeated by the good soldier of the
cross in his march through the wU-
demess of this world : " Wait on the
Lord : be of good courage, and let
thy heart be strong : yea, wait on
the Lord."
Verse 1. — My light and my salva
tion, signifies the source of tmth and
good : — the strength (literally, for
tress) of my life, signifies a defence
against evil.
Verse 2. — To devour myfiesh, sig
nifies to destroy the affections of
good ; for flesh and blood, in the
spiritual sense, signUy good and
truth, and in the Lord's case, Divine
good and tmth : hence the Lord
" He that eats my flesh and

120

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXVIL

Though a host encamp against me, my heart shaU not fear :
Though war arise against me, stUl wUl I trust.
One thing have I asked of the Loed, that will I seek after ;
That I may dweU in the house of the Loed aU the days of my
Ufe,
To behold the pleasantness of the Loed, and to inquire in his'
temple.
For, in the day of evU he wUl hide me in his pavUion :
He wUl conceal me in the covering of his tabernacle :
He wUl set me up upon a rock.

drinks my blood, has eternal Ufe : "
to eat his flesh and cUink his blood,
is to receive from him Divine good
and truth, which are the Ufe of the
soul. So he says, " I am the living
bread that came down from heaven :
U any one eat of this bread, he shaU
Uve for ever ; and the bread that I
wUl give is my flesh, which I vriU
give for the Ufe of the world" (John
vi. 51, 54) : where, by his flesh,
which is the living bread, is signifled
the Divrine Good of his Divine Hu
manity, which is the Ufe of the
Church {the world). See Ap. Ex.
1082. — Tlie wicked, persecutors and
enemies, signUy infernal tempters
who seek to destroy aU man's love of
good {devour his flesh). Persecutors
signUy distinctively those who are
in the false, enemies those who are
in evU, and the wicked both.
Verse 3. — Though a host (UteraUy,
a camp) encamp against me. By a
host or camp, in a good sense, are sig
nifled goods and truths arranged in
heavenly order : hence by the Israel-
itish host, encamped in order, was
represented heaven. (See A. C.
4236). But in the opposite sense, as
here, by a host or camp are signified
evils and falses, and those who are
in them, tempters, who assault the
soul. — Tliough war arise against me.

The distinction between a camp and
war may be, that the former term
describes a preparatory stage — com
mencement of temptation, when a
cloud just begins to gather over the
mind : whUe the latter, war, pictures
the heat of the mental conflict.
— Still (literally, in this, that is, even
in this trying state) will I trust in the
Lord and his protection.
Verses 4, 5. — "Mention is here
made of the house ot Jehovah, of his
temple, tent [or pavilion], and taber
nacle : by the house of Jehovah is
signifled the Church which is in the
good of love to the Lord, by the
temple the Church which is in truths
from that good, by the tent [paviUon]
of Jehovah is signified Divine truth,
and by the tabernacle Divine good.
Hence it is evident, that to dwell in
the house of Jehovah all the days of
one's life is not meant to dwell in
Jehovah's house, but in the good of
love to the Lord ; and that to in
quire in Hie temple of Jehovah is to
inquUe after and leam the truths of
that good ; hence, also, by hiding in
his tent [pavilion] is signifled to keep
in Divine truth, and to protect from
falses, and to conceal in tlie covering
ofhis tabernacle is to keep in good,
and to protect from evUs : to set up
upon a rock is to instruct in interior

XXVIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

121

6 And now shaU my head be Ufted up above my enemies around me :
Therefore wUl I oifer in lus tabernacle joyful sacrifices;
I wiU sing and praise the Loed.
7 Hear my voice, 0 Loed, when I caU,
And be gracious to me, and answer me.
8 To thee, 0 my heart, he hath said, " Seek ye my face : "
Thy face, 0 Loed, I wUl seek.
9 Hide not thy face from me :
Put not thy servant away in anger.
Thou hast been my help :

tmths." Ap. Ex. 799.— To behold
the pleasantness of the Lord, and to
inquire in his temple. As to inquire
in his temple signifies to leam and
perceive Divine tmths (see above),
so to behold the Lord's pleasantness sig
nifies to perceive and understand the
Divine goodness. (See verse 13.)
Verse 6. — Now shall my head be
lifted up above my enemies. Enemies,
here, as everywhere in the PsaUns,
siguU'y spiritual foes, tempters. The
head being lifted up above them, sig
nifies deliverance from temptation,
and elevation into a state of peace
and joy. — Therefore will I offer in his
tabernacle joyful sacrifices (UteraUy,
sacrifices of shouting). By offering
sacrifices is signified to worship, for
sacrifices in the Jewish Church were
representative of worship (A. C. 922).
In the tabernacle signifies in a state of
good or love (see note on verses 4, 5).
I will sing and praise (UteraUy, play
to) the Lord. Shouting, singing, and
playing on musical instruments, re
presented joyful worship of the Lord
from various good affections, celes
tial, and spiritual (see A. 0. 420).
Verse 8. — To thee, 0 my heart, &c.
The original text of this passage is
somewhat obscure, and it has been
variously rendered by translators :

the general sense, however, is suffi
ciently obvious : the Lord says to
our hearts (that is, to us). Seek ye my
face. The face is the type of the
affections : hence, when predicated
of the Lord, it signifies his Divine
love : " the face of the Lord signifies
mercy, peace, and every good." (A. C.
222.) Hence, to seek his face, is to
look to the Lord, and trust in his
love. Verse 9. — Hide not thy face from
me. " Since the face of the Lord is
mercy, peace, and every good, it is
evident that he never looks at any
one but from mercy, and that he
never turns away his face from any
one ; but that it is man, when he is
in evU, who turns away his face, — as
declared by the Lord through Isaiah
(lix. 2), ' Your iniquities have sepa
rated between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face
from you.'" A. C. 223.— Pm« not
thy servant away in anger. — Leave
me not, neither forsake me. As shown
in the preceding extract, the Lord
never even looks at any one but
from mercy, nor ever turns away his
face from any, much less is he ever
angry, nor does he ever put any one
away; as he himseU said, in his
Humanity on earth, " him that

122

NOTEb ON THE PSALMS

[XXVII.

10 Leave me not, neither forsake me, 0 God of my salvation.
When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the Loed wiU take me up.
11 Teach me thy way, 0 Loed,
.And lead me in a straight path, because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my persecutors ;
For false witnesses have arisen against me.
And such as breathe violence.
13 / had fainted, unless I trusted to see the goodness of the
Loed in the land of the living.

cometh unto me I vrill in no vrise
cast out." (John vi. 37). Nor does
he ever leave or forsake any, not even
the worst or most wicked, but is ever
anxious and pressing for admittance
into every bosom that wUl receive
him ; as he says, " Behold I stand at
the door and knock.'' (Apoc. iU. 20.)
It may be observed that the double
expression leave and forsake is used,
on account of that union of good and
truth, which pervades the Divine
Word : the Lord's truth never leaves
us, his love never forsakes us ; as is
declared, " He maketh his sun to
rise on the evil and on the good, and
sendeth rain on the just and on the
unjust" (Matthew v. 45), where by
the sun is signified love, and by the
rain truth.
Verse 10. — For my father and my
mother have forsaken me, but the Lord
will take me up. By father and
mother, in the internal sense, are sig
nified good and truth. " That
father, in the internal sense, denotes
good, is, because it is good from
which all things are, and it is teuth
by which all things exist, thus from
the marriage of good and truth.
Hence, good is as a father, and truth
is as a mother ; and therefore by
father, in the intemal sense, is the
Word, is signifled good, and by

mother, truth. In the passage before
us, father and mother denote good and
truth, which are said to forsake, when
man observes that of liimself he is
not able to do anything good, or to
know anything true." A. C. 3703.
When man is thus brought into a
state of humility, then the Lord takes
him up, that is, draws him to Him
self, and gUts him vrith lUgher good
and truth and vrith heavenly happi
ness : " he that humbleth himself
shall be exalted."
Verse 11. — Way — path. " Ways
signUy tmths [of doctrine], and
paths, precepts of lUe." Ap. Ex.
734. Hence, teach me thy way, means
" instruct me m correct principles,"
whUe lead me in a straight path,
means, " keep me in a right course
of lUe." Because of my enemies, that
is, for fear of tempters, who by falses
would delude me, and by evUs would
seduce me.
Verse 12. — False witnesses: ac
cusing spUits, such as disturb the
mind, by imputing to the conscience
sins and evils of which we are not
guUty. Verse 13. — I had fainted, &c.
In the original of this verse, a por
tion of the sense remains to be sup
plied. It is an exclamation, ia
wMch the speaker breaks abruptly

XXVIII.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

123

14 Wait on the Loed :
Be of good courage, and let thy heart be strong :
Yea, wait on the Loed.

off, leaving the rest to be imagined :
Unless I trusted to see the goodness of
the Lord, — what would become of
me ? There are several instances of
the kind in the Scriptures : for the
sacred writings give a perfect repre
sentation of human nature, and this
way of speaking is not uncommon
vrith persons in a state of excitement
and distress : in the broken sentence,
more is implied than could be ex
pressed in a few words — ^more than
the speaker has time to teU or to
think out. The old translators have
very well siippUed the break by the
words, Iliad fainted. — In Hie land of
the living. " As death, in the spUi
tual sense, signifies damnation and
heU, so life, on the other hand, sig
nifies salvation and heaven : as in
Matthew (vU. 14) ' Strait is the gate
and narrow is the way that leadeth
unto life;' and again, 'If thou wilt
enter into life, keep the command

ments,' xix. 17. Hence it is that
salvation is called eternal life, and
heaven is called the land of the living."
Ap. Ex. 186.
Verse 14. — Wait on the Lord, &c.
These concluding words are com
forting, cheering, and strengthening.
Many a spirit have they soothed and
sustained in the hour of need, and
many vriU they continue to soothe
in the coming ages. In time of
affliction, whether of body or of
mind, U we repeat to ourselves these
words, at the same time loolring up
to the Lord for power to wait pa
tiently on Him and do His wUl, we
shall find an influx descending from
the Lord through the Society of
heaven vrith which this verse has
communication (for every verse, says
the new Church Doctrine, communi
cates with some heavenly Society),
calming, supporting, and elevating
the soul.

PSALM XXVIII.

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
A prayer of the Lord to the Father, that hypocrites may he
subdued, verses 1-5 ; that He would assist, and he will prevail,
6-8 ; that those wlio are in the goods and truths of the Church may
he saved, 9. A Psalm ot David.
1 To thee, 0 Loed, do I cry ;
0 my Eock, be not silent to me,
{Lord) and Rock, because by Jehovah
is meant the Lord as to Divine Good

Verse l.—O Lord — 0 my Rock.
" Mention is here made of Jehovah

124

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXVIII.

Lest, if thou be sUent to me,
I become like those that go down to the pit.
Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry to thee,
When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.
Draw me not away with the wicked,
And with the doers of iniquity,
Wlio speak peace to their neighbors,
WhUe evU is in their hearts.
Give them according to their deeds,
And according to the evU of their actions.
Give them according to the work of their hands ;
Eender to them their desert.

and by Rock the Lord as to Divine
Truth. So also it is said, Be not si
lent \deaf] to me, and lest thou be silent
to me, the one expression having re
lation to Divine Good, and the other
to Divine Truth. For in every par
ticular of the Word there is the hea
venly marriage, that is, the marriage
of good and truth." Ap. Ex. 411.
Lest I become like those that go down in
to the pit. By thelitis signifledhell
(see Ap. Ex. 659). In states of deep
temptation, man seems to himself to
be overwhelmed by evUs and falses,
thus, as it were, to be in heU. So,
also, it appeared to the Lord in his
temptations, which were more griev
ous than those of any man. See
Psalm Ixxxviu. 4-6.
Verse 2. — When I lift up my hands
towards thy holy oracle. The oracle
{dehir, from a root, debar, to speak)—
probably so called because there God
spake with Moses (Nmnb. vu. 89), —
was the innermost recess of the
temple, wherein was the ark. The
oracle represented the third heaven, —
or the Lord's especial dwelUng-place,
the ark, in which was the Divine
law, representing the Lord himself.
(See. Ap. Ex. 700). By lifting up

the hands is signifled faith looking
upwards to the Lord. (A. C. 8608.)
Verse 3. — Wicked — doers of ini
quity. The former of these expres
sions, the wicked, has reference to such
as do evU merely from evil or from
a malicious heart — the latter, doers
of iniquity (literally, doers of vanity),
such as do evil from the false, or
from a perverted understanding : the
former stand in opposition to the
celestial, the latter to the spiritual.
Verse 4. — Give them according to
their deeds, &c. These expressions
of seeming revenge, when understood
in their interior sense, are only in
tended to declare the great law of the
spiritual world, that evil strictly
punishes itself, — that precisely ac
cording to the nature and degree
of the evU, is the punishment. —
Deeds — actions. The one of these
terms has reference to what is done
from the vriU — ^the other to what
proceeds from the understanding
(see note on the preceding verse) .
work of their hands includes both :
" by the works of a man's hands are
signifled the things proper to man,
which are evUs and falses." A. B.
457.

XXVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

125

5 Because they wUl not regard the doings of the Loed, nor
the work of his hands.
He wiU puU them down, and not buUd them up.
6 Blessed be the Loed,
Because he has heard the voice of my suppUcations.
7 The Loed is my strength and my shield ;
My heart trusted in him, and I am helped ;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song wUl I praise him.
8 The Loed is his strength ;
And he is a fortress of safety to his anointed.

Verse 5. — Work of his hands.
" AU things which are done by the
Lord, are caUed the works ofhis hands,
and these are in themselves goods
and truths." A. R. 457. The phrase
the Lord's doings, has reference, pro
bably, to what proceeds from the
Divine love, and the work of his
hands to the operation of the Divine
wisdom. — He will pull them down.
In the letter, the Lord is spoken of
as destroying or casting down the
vricked ; but in the intemal sense,
it is meant that the evU bring them
selves to ruin and wretchedness by
putting themselves in opposition to
good and truth, which alone can give
happiness. Verse 7. — The Lord is my strength,
&c. This is a charming verse, and
often wiU the pious mind have cause
to repeat it. In a time of distress,
he calls upon the Lord, in mere faith,
not seeing how he shall be deU
vered ; but at length, in some unex
pected way, deUverance comes ; and
then, vrith rejoicing heart, he ex
claims, " I trusted in the Lord, and I
am helped, therefore my heart exults,
and with my song will I praise him. — •
My strength — my shield : strength,
as sustaining vrith good and truth,

shield, as protecting agaiast the evU
and false.
Verse 8. — His strength. The per
son is here changed from the first to
the tHrd : such changes of person
are common in the Psalms, the same
individual being referred to, but in
the one case represented as speaking,
and, in the other, as spoken of. — His
anointed. In the supreme sense, the
Divine Redeemer is here meant : but
in a secondary sense, every member
of the Lord's Church, who is in a
state of love to him. For the oU,
which was used in anointing, repre
sented the good of love (see A. C.
9954) : hence, in the spiritual sense,
by the Lord's anointed is signified
one who is in the good of love from
the Lord. But in an eminent sense,
the Lord HimseU, as to His Divine
Human, is caUed Messiah or Christ,
that is, the Anointed, because that
Divine Human was fUled vrith the
Divine love, that is, vrith Jehovah
HimseU who dwelt vrithin him.
Verse 9. — People — inheritance.
The teiia people signifies the spiritual,
and inheritance the celestial (see A.
C. 2658) ; hence, the former are said
to be saved, but the latter to be
i, that is filled vrith good of a

126 NOTES ON THE PSALMS [XXIX.
9 Save thy people, and bless thy inheritance ;
Feed them, also, and lift them up forever.
higher degree. Feed them, that is, them to higher and higher states of
continuaUynourish and sustain them good and joy etemaUy ; for the
vrith the food of the soul, good and angels are always perfecting.
truth. — Lift them up forever ; elevate

PSALM XXIX.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
That those who are in truths from the Word, will adore the
Lord, who is the Word, verses 1, 2 ; concerning the power of Divine
truth from the Lord, 3—11. A Psalm of David.
1 Give to the Loed, 0 ye sons of God,
Give to the Loed glory and strength.
2 Give to the Loed the glory of his name ;
Bow before the Loed in the beauty of hoUness.
3 The voice of the Loed is upon the waters :
The God of glory thunders :
The Loed is upon many waters.
Verse 1. — Give to the Lord : that worshiped." Ap. Ex. 959. Give to
is, ascribe to him, acknowledge him the Lord the glory of his name, signifies
as possessing. — Glory and strength — worship from Divine truth ; whUe to
that is, wisdom and goodness ; for how before the Lord in the beauty of
glory is predicated of Divine truth holiness, signifies worship from good.
and its brightness, and strength sig- (See A. C. 9809.)
nifies the power of good. (A. C. Verse 3. — Tlie voice of the Lord.
6343.) By sons of God are signified In this and the following verses, is
those who are in the possession of described the power of Divine truth
truths from the Word ; for the term or the Word, which is what is signi-
son is predicated of truth and God fied by the voice of the Lord (S. S. 18).
also signifies Divine Truth. (See — Is upon the waters. By the waters,
A. C. 570.) and many waters, upon which the
Verse 2. — Tlie glory of his name, voice of the Lord is, are meant the
Name, in the spiritual sense, signifies truths of the letter of the Word,
quality or character ; hence, " by the upon which interior Divine Truth
name of God is signified aU the rests : the same is signified by the
cpiaUty, according to which he is Lord sitting upon the flood (verse 10).

XXIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

127

4 The voice of the LoED is mighty :
The voice of the Loed is fuU of majesty.
5 The voice of the Loed breaks the cedars :
Yea, the Loed breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He causes them also to skip Uke a calf;
Lebanon and Sirion, like a young buffalo.

The God of glory thunders. " What
the Lord speaks through heaven,
when it descends into the lower
spheres, is heard as thunder. Where
fore, by thunder is signified instruc
tion in, and perception of, truth,
and also the revelation and mani
festation of it. That a voice from
heaven, when it proceeds from the
Lord, is heard as thunder, is evident
from the foUovring passage in John
(xu. 28, 29): 'Father, glorify thy
name ; then came there a voice from
heaven, saying, I have both glorified
it, and wUl glorUy it again. The
people that stood by, and heard, said
that it thundered.'" Ap. Rev. 472.
" The Lord, when he speaks through
heaven, speaks from the thUd hea
ven through the second heaven, thus
from Divine love through Divine
wisdom. This is what is meant by
a voice as of many waters, and by a
voice of great thunder : many waters
signUy the Divine truths of Divine
wisdom, and great thunder is the
Divine good of Divine love." A.
R. 615. Verse 4. — Mighty — majesty.
Mighty has reference to Divine truth,
majesty (or honor) to Diviae good : for
the Lord's voice, that is, the Word,
is truth united to good.
Verse 5. — Tlie voice of the Lord
breaks the cedars, &c. By ceda,rs
are signified the truths of the ra
tional mind (Ap. Ex. 560.) Le
banon signifies spiritual good (A.

C. 10,261) : hence, by the cedars of
Lebanon are signified truths from
good in the rational principle of the
mind. But in the opposite sense,
in which the terms are here used, by
cedars are signified the falses of the
rational principle — or false reason
ings — which are said to be broken
by the voice of the Lord, that is, com
bated and overcome by the Divine
tmths of the Word.
Verse 6. — He causes them to skip
like a calf, &c. As by cedars are
signified the falses of the rational
mind, so by a ccdf and young buffalo
(literaUy, a son of buffaloes) are sig
nified the falses of the natural and
sensual mind (S. S. 18) ; for by a
calf, in a good sense, is signified the
affection of knowing truth, wMch
affection dweUs in the natural mind ;
but in the opposite sense, as here
used, it signifies the love of the
false. So, by a buffalo is signified
the affection of sensual or external
truth, and by the son of a buffalo
that truth itself (see note on Psalm
xxu. 21) ; but, in the opposite sense,
it signifies the falses or fallacies of
the sensual principle. Causes them
to skip must mean disperses them or
puts them to flight. Sirion is an
other name for Hennon (see Deut.
iU. 9), which is the highest peak of
the Lebanon range. Hence, by Le
banon and Sirion are signifled, pro
bably, spiritual and celestial good ;
but, in a bad sense, the evUs opposite

128

NOTES OJ^ THE PSALMS.

[XXIX.

7 The voice of the Loed divides the flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Loed causes the desert to quake :
The Loed causes the desert of Kadesli to quake.
9 The voice of the Loed causes the hinds to bring forth,
and uncovers the forests ;
And in his temple everything declares his glory.
10 The Loed sits on the flood;
Yea, the Loed sits king forever.

to those principles, or the evils of
the sensual mind, vrith theU accom
panying falses. These, the voice of
Hie Lord, that is, the Divine truth
of the Word, U obeyed, has power
to overcome and cast out.
Verse 7. — Divides the fia/mes of
fvre. By fire is signified, in a bad
sense, the love of evil (vrickedness
bums as a fvre, Isaiah xviU. 9), and
fla/mes the love of the false thence
derived (A. R. 282.) The voice of
the Lcrrd dividing (UteraUy, cutting)
the flames of fire, signifies the dis
persion or destruction of tbe love of
falsity by the power of the Word
received into the heart. The ex
pression cutting is used to describe
the penetrating power or sharpness
of Divine tmth, which is often com
pared, in Scripture, to a sword.
Verse 8. — By the desert, and the
desert of Kadesli, is signified the
Church vastated (A. R. 546). The
term desert is tvrice mentioned, to
describe the Church as devoid both
of good and of truth : Kadesli signi
fies contention about tmths (A. C.
1678), which always takes place in
the Church in its vastated state. Tlie
voice of the Lord causing the desert
to quake signifies the vastated Church
disturbed by the infiux of Divine
truth, this beUig in opposition to the
prevailing falses. In the spUitual
world, earthquakes are sometimes felt.

which are correspondences of the
agitations in the consummated
Church (see L. J. Contin., n. 25.)
Verse 9. — Causes the hinds to
bring forth. By a liitid is sigmfied
natiiral affection. (A. C. 6413.)
Hence by hinds, here, are sigriifip.il
the Gentiles, who are in good natural
affections. (S. S. 18). By the voice
of the Lord causing them to bring
forth, is meant that Divine truth or
the Word, made known to them,
enables them to bring forth the fruits
of a good Ufe. And uncovers the
forests. " By a forest is signified
science, as by a garden intelUgence.
Forest is predicated of the natural
man, and garden of the spUitual
man." Ap. Ex. 730. By the forest,
which the voice of the Lord uncovers,
are signified the knowledges of truth,
which are discovered to the GentUes
through the Word. And in his
temple everything declares his glory
(literally, everthing says glory). "By
this is meant that in aU the parti
culars of the Word there are Diviae
truths ; for temple signifies the Lord,
and hence the Word, also heaven
and the Church ; and glory signifies
Divine truth there." S. S. 18.
Verse 10. — Sits on the fiood: see
note on verse 3.— King. The Lord
is called King from Divine tmth,
whereby He governs aU tlUngs.—
Sits. Attitudes of the body corres-

XXIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

129

11 The Loed wiU give strength to his people :
The Loed wUl bless his people with peace.

pond to states of the mind. " In
the spiritual world, aU things per
taining to man's motion and rest,
signUy thiags pertaiuing to his lUe,
siuce they thence proceed. Walk-
iugs and journeyings relate to man's
movements, and thence signUy pro
gression of lUe, or progression of the
thought from the intention of the
wUl : but standing and sitting relate
to man's rest, and thence signUy the
esse [or essential principle] of Ufe,
whence it exists, thus the very cause
of Ufe. Since Jehovah, that is, the
Lord, is the very esse of the Ufe of
all, therefore to sit is said of him,
in various parts of the Word ; as in
David (Psalm xxix. 10), Jehovah sits
upon the flood, and He sits a King
to eternity." Ap. Ex. 687.
Verses 3 to 10. — " He who does
not know that aU the particulars in
the above verses, as to every expres
sion, are holy and Divine, may, if he
be a mere natural man, say to him
seU, What is the meaning of this,
that Jehovah sits upon waters, that
by his voice he breaks the cedars,
makes them skip like a caU, and
Lebanon like a son of unicorns, that
he makes the hinds bring forth, and
many other things ? For he does
not know that the power of Divine
Truth or the Word is described by
those things in their spUitual sense.
For in that sense, by the voice of
Jehovah, which is there caUed ih/un-
der, is meant the Divine Tmth or the
Word in its power ; by the many
waters, upon which Jehovah sits, are
meant its truths ; by the ceda/rs and

Lebanon which he breaks and breaks
in pieces, are meant the falses of the
rational man ; by a calf and a son of
unicorns [buffaloes] the falses of the
natural and sensual man ; by a flame
of fire, the affection of the false ; by
the desert, and the desert of Kadesli,
the Church where there is no good
nor truth ; by the hinds, which the
voice of Jehovah makes bring forth,
are meant the Gentiles who are in
natural good ; by the forests which
he makes hare, are meant sciences
and knowledges, which the Word
opens to them ; wherefore it foUows,
In his temple everything says Glory, by
wlUch is meant that in aU the par
ticulars of the Word there are Divine
truths. From these things, it is evi
dent, that there is not an expression
there but describes the power of the
Word against falses of every kind
vrith natural men, and the Divine
power of reforming the Gentiles."
S. S. 18.
"In tlus Psalm Divine Truth is
treated of, which destroys falses and
evUs : such Divine truth is what is
meant by the voice of Jehovah. But
the glory which is declared [verse 9]
signifies the Di-\dne truth which is in
heaven and the Church." A. C.
9926. Verse 11. — Tlie Lord will give
strength, &c. These closing words
teach that Diviae Truth has power
not only to disperse falses and evils,
but also to establish truth and good
with his peopile (that is, with those who
obey it), and to lead them to heav
enly j

130

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXX.

PSALM XXX.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Concerning the glorification of the Lord's Humanity, after he
had suffered temptations, and the last which was that of the cross,
verses 1-12. A Psalm : a Song at the Dedication of the House of David-
1 I wUl exalt thee, 0 Loed, for thou hast Ufted me up.
And hast not suffered my enemies to rejoice over me.
2 0 Loed, my God, I cried to thee.
And thou hast healed me.
3 0 Loed, thou hast brought up my soul from heU :
Thou hast kept me aUve from going down to the pit.

Title. — By the dedication of ihe
house of David, iu the internal sense,
is signified the glorification of the
Lord's humanity. For David repre
sents the Lord ; house or habitation
signifles the human principle which
the Divine put on, and in which, as
it were, he dwelt : as in Malachi (iU.
1) and in John (U. 21) the assumed
humanity is called a temple ; " He
spake of the temple of his body."
Dedication signifles consecration or
devotion to Divine uses : hence, in
reference to the humanity, it signifles
its perfect union with the essential
Divine, or gloriflcation. (We know
that David did not, in fact, dedicate
any house ; it was Solomon who de
dicated the temple.) A song, in the
spUitual sense, signifies the utterance
of affection ; here it signifles an ex
pression of the Lord's Divine j oy at
the glorification of his humanity,
after the endurance of temptations.

Verse 1. — Lifted me up : literaUy,
drawn me up, as from a pit, — lUted
me up out of the depths of tempta
tion. — Enemies, spiritual foes, the
heUs, vrith whom the Lord fought,
whUe in the world.
Verse 2. — Healed, that is, deU
vered from moral diseases, — in the
Lord's case, from the evUs and infir
mities hereditarUy in his humanity,
derived from the mother. (See A.
C. 8365.)
Verse 3. — Hast brought up my soul
from hell, &c. Hell and the pit sig
nUy evils and falses, and the temp
tations thence arising : to bring up
the soul from hell, is to deliver from
such temptations. — Kept me aZiw, sig
nifies preserved in a state of goodness
and love, which is heavenly lUe :
from going down to the pit, that is,
from being overwhelmed by the
darkness of falsities. See note on
Psalm Ixxxviii. 4^6.

XXX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

131

4 Sing to the Loed, ye his saints,
And give praise at the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his anger is but for a moment ; in his favor is life :
Weeping may endure for a night; but joy comes with the
morning.
6 And in my prosperity I said,
I shaU never be moved.

Verse 4. — His saints ; that is, the
pious, those who look to and depend
on him. The Hebrew term {liasid),
here and in several other places in the
Psalms, rendered saints, is from a
root signUying kindness, zeal — thus
it seems to refer rather to the celes
tial, or such as are characterised by
love to the Lord. (See Psalm xxxi.
23.) It is the same word, which, in
Psalm xviu. 26, is translated m,erciful:
" With the merciful, thou wUt shew
thyseU merciful." The word saints
is used for want of a more appropri
ate English term, — though, in ety
mological strictness, saint, from the
Latin sanctus, holy, has reference
rather to truth than love, for what
is holy is predicated of tmth. — Sing
to the Lord is expressive of joy of
heart from love — whUe give praise at
the remembrance of his holiness signi
fles acknowledgment from truth in
the understanding ; for remembrance
signifies thought, and holiness is pre
dicated of Divine Truth (see A. R.
173). Verse 5. — For his anger is but for a
moment : UteraUy, a moment in his
anger. In the Lord there is no anger,
for he is goodness itseU, and un
changeable. But when man is in a
state of eril, or of temptation, the
Lord appears as removed from him
and as adverse to him, thus as angry :
but it is man's own state that pro

duces this appearance ; — just as we
say, "the sun is clouded," whereas
it is, in fact, the earth that is clouded,
the sun above shining brightly as
ever. Here a state of temptation is
referred to : but the comforting as
surance is given ihat it is but for a
moment, as it were : it wUl not last
long ; and then the Lord's face wUl
smUe upon us again, and give us new
life; toi in his favor is life (UteraUy
lives, plural, that is, the lUe of love,
and the Ufe of truth). — Weeping may
endure for a night : UteraUy, In the
evening weeping takes up its abode for
the night. By evening here is signi
fied a state of temptation, thus of
mental obscurity ; and by weeping,
the sadness which prevaUs in that
state. But after the temptation is
past, there comes a new and brighter
state than ever, the morning ot the
soul, and vrith it comes joy and
peace. Verse 6. — And in my prosperity
(or tranquillity), I said, I sliall never be
moved. When we are in a state of
prosperity, whether external or in
ternal, — when we are happy and un
disturbed in mind, we are too apt to
feel that our happiness vriU last tor
ever — that it is seU-supporting and
belongs to us ; we are apt to forget
that it is by a perpetual effort on the
Lord's part, a jDerpetual exercise of
his Divine power and providence,

132

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXX.

7 Loed, by thy favor thou didst cause my mountain to
stand strong :
Thou didst hide thy face — I was in trepidation.
8 To thee, 0 Loed, I cried.
And to the Loed I made suppUcation.
9 What profit is there in my blood ? in my going down to
the pit ?
WiU the dust praise thee ? wUl it declare thy truth ?
10 Hear, 0 Loed, and be gracious to me :
Loed, be thou a help to me.

that we are kept in happiness, and
held in good, and that were that sup
port to be for a moment withdrawn,
we should faU at once into evU and
wretchedness. " All men whatever,''
says the Doctrine ofthe New Church,
" are withheld from evils by the
Lord, and this vrith a stronger force
than man can conceive. For there
is in every man a perpetual tendency
to evU, insomuch that unless he were
vrithlield by the Lord, he would
rush headlong every moment towards
the lowest heU." (A. C. 2406.)
Verse 7. — Lord, by thy favor, &c.
When man, thinking he stands by
his own strength, is aUowed to fall,
then he sees that it was only by the
Lord's favor or mercy that he was
upheld, for the moment the Lord
hid his face from him, he came into
trepidation and distress. Then he
is ready to acknowledge. Lord, by thy
favor (or, in thy good pleasure) thou
didst cause my mountain to stand
strong. 'Bj mountain is signified a state
of love and consequent peace ; for a
mountain being a natural elevation,
represents what is spiritually ele
vated ; thus a state of love and good
ness. The Lord's causing our moun
tain to stand strong, signifies that the
Lord continuaUy sustains or upholds
ns in whatever of good or happiness

we have. — In regard to the Lord's
hiding his face, it may be observed,
that it is only an appearance ; the
Lord never hides his face from any ;
but it is man himself, who, yielding
to the attractions of his seU-love,
turns himself away from the Lord,
and so loses the Ught of his pre
sence. Verse 9. — Wliat profit is there in
my blood, &c. By hlood, in the spir
itual sense, is signified Divine tmth,
as where it is said that we should
" eat the Lord's flesh, and drink his
blood" (John vi. 53), by which is
meant that we should receive the
Lord's love and truth into our minds
and lives. But in the opposite sense,
as where shedding hlood is spoken of,
it signifles truth falsified, or falsity.
(See A. R. 379.) This is the mean
ing here : what profit is there in my
blood — " what benefit is there in the
soul's sinking into falses, and thus
perishing"? the same is meant by
going dovm to the pit, pit signifying
falsity (A. C. 4128).— Will the dust
praise thee ? Dust signifies what is
condemned or infernal (A. R. 788),
hence it signifies evil itself The
meaning is, Can praise to the Lord
ascend from evil, or from those who
are in evU and in hell ?

XXXL] NOTES ON THE PSALMS 133
11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing :
Thou hast loosed my sackcloth, and girded me with joy.
12 Therefore shaU my glory sing praise to thee, and not be
silent ;
0 Loed, my God, I wUl give thee thanks forever.
VERSE 11. — Tliou hast turned for presented mourning for the destruc-
me my mourning into dancing : thou tion of good." A. C. 4779.
hast loosed my sackcloth, and girded Verse 12. — Tlierefore shall mj/
me with joy. " Dancing, here, as glory sing, &c. These words express
elsewhere in the Word, is predicated the Divine joy of the Lord at the glo-
of truths, and joy of goods. So, to rification ofhis Humanity, and union
loose (or put off) sackcloth denotes to with the Father. Glory singing sig-
lay aside mourning for good de- nifies joy from Divine Tmth, and
stroyed ; for to put on sackcloth re- giving thanks joy from Divine Good.

PSALM XXXL
SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
A prayer of the Lord to the Father, that He would defend against
tiiose who devise evil, verses 1-4 ; and who wish to kill him, 5 ;
that thence he has grief of heart, 6-10 ; that they assail him with
reproaches, as upon the cross, 1.1-13; that through trust in the
Fatiier he is delivered, 14^21 ; that in despair he tlio'nght himself
abandoned, 22 ; that trust should be put in the Lord, 23, 24.
To the Leader of the music : a Psalm of David.
1 In thee, 0 Lord, do I trust :
Let me not be put to shame forever :
In thy righteousness deUver me.
2 Incline thine ear to me : rescue me speedUy :
Be to me a rock of strength, a house of defence to save me.
3 For thou art my rock and my fortress ;
And for thy name's sake lead me and guide me.
Verse 1. — Let me not he put to Verse 2. — A rock of strength, a
shame forever : that is, let me not be protection by truth ; a house of de-
overwhelmed by my spiritual ene- fence, a refuge in good.
mies, so as to perish. Verse 3. — Rock has reference to

134

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXL

4 Take me out of the net which they have hid for me ;
For thou art my strength.
5 Into thy hand I commit my spirit :
Thou hast redeemed me, 0 Loed God of truth..
6 I hate those that regard evU vanities,
But I trust in the Loed.
7 I wiU rejoice and be glad in thy mercy :
For thou hast seen my afiUction, and hast known my soui
in distresses;
8 And hast not given me over into the hand of the enemy,
But hast caused my feet to stand in a broad "place.

truth and fortress to good. So vrith
lead and guide : the former refers to
good, the latter to tmth ; every
where in the Word, is there this
union of good and truth. — For thy
name's sake : see note on Psalm
xxiU. 3.
Verse 4. — Net. See note on
Psalm xxv. 15.
Verse 5. — Into thy hand I commit
my spirit. It is to be observed, that
these are the very words uttered by
the Lord on the cross : " Father, into
thy hands I commit my spirit"
(Lnke xxiU. 46). When addressed
by the Son to the Father, that is,
by the Human to the Divine, they
signify the union of Divine Truth
vrith Divine Good, or the glorifica
tion of the Humanity, which was
completed by the endurance of the
last and greatest temptation, the
death on the cross. By the term
Father, is signified the Divine Love,
and by spirit Divine Truth : to com
mit the one to the other, means to
unite them. It is said into thy hand,
because hand signifies power, or,
when precUcated of the Divine, om
nipotence : by the union of the
Father and the Son, or of the Di
vine and the Human, the omnipo

tence of the former was communi
cated to the latter : as the Lord said,
after his resurrection, " AU power
is given unto me in heaven and in
earth" (Matthew xxviU. 18.) — Tliou
hast redeemed me. " To redeem sig
nifies to deliver from falses, and to
reform by truths ; hence it is said,
O Lord God of truth" (Ap. Ex. 327).
Verse 6. — Evil vanities (UteraUy,
vanities of iniquity) : that is, falses
derived from evil.
Verse 7. — For thou hast seen my
affiiction, &c. The Lord, though in
time of temptation and distress he
may seem absent from us, is yet ever
present, and watching over us vrith
more than a mother's tenderness. He
knows all our troubles, whether they
be pains of body, or griefs of mind,
and he wiU deliver us from them
just as soon as it is possible, — as soon
as it is best for us ; and, in the mean
time, U we look to him in prayer
and trust, he vrill support us under
them, and not lay upon ns a greater
burthen than we can bear.
Verse S.^Hast not given me over
(literaUy, shut me up) into the hand oJ
the enemy : that is, has not given me
over to the power of evU spirits :
hand is power. — But has caused my

XXXL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

135

9 Be gracious to me, 0 Loed, for I am in distress :
My eye is wasted with grief.
Yea, my sovd and my beUy.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow.
And my years with sighing :
My strength faUs through my iniquity,
And my bones are consumed.
11 I have become a reproach to aU my enemies,
And especially to my neighbors,

feet to stand in a broad place — ^Ute
raUy, in breadth. " By breadth is
signified truth ; the reason is, that
in the spUitual world, there are four
quarters, east, west, north, and south ;
and the east and west make its length,
and the south and north its breadth ;
and since in the east and west
those dweU who are in the good of
love, therefore by east and west, and
also by length, is signified good : and
as in the south and north those dweU
who are in the tmths of vrisdom,
hence by south and north, and also
by breadth, is signified truth." Ap.
Ex. 861. — " By standing on the feet,
is signified Ufe in fuUness, because
in the ultimate ; the feet denoting
the natural principle, which is the
ultimate of Divine order, and the
basis on which things prior or supe
rior rest and subsist. When the
natural principle of the mind, which
is signified by the feet, is regenerated,
then the whole man has Ufe. Hence
to stand on the feet denotes Ufe such
as belongs to the regenerate man.
This is signifled by standing on Hie
feet, in David, Tliou hast caused my
feet to stand in breadth, Psalm xxxi. 9 ;
by breadth is signified the tmth of
doctrine from the Word ; whence by
causing the feet to stand im breadth, is
signifled to cause to live according
to Divine tmths." Ap. Ex. 666.

Verse 9. — My eye is wasted wiHi
grief, yea, my soul and my belly. " In
these words is described a state of
temptation. By the eye, is signifled
the understanding, by the soul the
beUef and understanding of truth,
and by the belly the belief and under
standing of good ; the reason why
this is signifled by belly, is because
the belly receives food, and by food
and bread is signified 'good which
nourishes ; the defect of which, Ui
temptations, is signified by being
wasted with grief" Ap. Ex. 750.
Verse 10. — Life — years. Li/ehas
reference to states of love, and years
to states of truth ; for aU times sig
nUy states. Sorrow — sighing. Sor
row signifies distress from evUs, —
sighing distress from falses. — My
strength fails through my iniquity —
more properly, through my perverse
ness : the original word is from a
root signifying what is crooked, dis
torted, thus describing the perverted
hereditary nature which the Lord
derived from the mother, and through
which he was tempted. — My hones
are consumed. Bones signUy truths,
wluch in time of temptation, seem to
have perished from the mind. See
note on Psalm xxU. 15, 18.
Verse 11. — Neighbors and acquain
tance, in the spiritual sense, sigrdfy
those who are of the Church ; neigh-

136

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXXL

And a fear to my acquaintance :
Those that see me without fiee from me.
12 I am forgotten like one dead from the heart :
I am Uke a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the slander of many :
There is fear on every side :
In their counseling together against me, they plot to take
my Ufe.
14 But I trust in thee, 0 Loed :
I have said, Thou art my God,
15, My times are in thy hand :
DeUver me from the hand of my enemies, and from my per
secutors.

bars, those who are in good, acquaint
ance (literally, those who know me)
such as are in truth. But here they
refer to the Church in a perverted
state, as was the Jewish Church in
the Lord's time. Hence, they all
reproached the Lord, and railed at
him when upon the cross, equally as
(Ud his enemies, or those who were
openly vricked. — Tiiose ihat see me
without, flee from me. The expression
those without refers, perhaps, to the
GentUes, Pilate and the rest, who,
though not j oining in the persecution
of the Lord, yet had no faith in him.
Verse 12. — Like one dead from ihe
heart, that is like those who are alto
gether sunk in evUs — spUitually
dead ; from the heart, is, from the
inmost wiU. — Like a broken vessel.
A vessel in a good sense signifles
truth, for truth, like a vessel, is the
container of good ; but in the oppo
site sense, as here, it signifies falses ; a
broken (UteraUy, perishing) vessel, sig
nifies that in which there is no Ufe
of good. To he forgotten, signifies to
be cast out, like those in hell, who
have no part in the Grand Man, no

place in the order .and joy of heaven,
and thus, as it vs^ere, are forgotten.
In his deepest temptations, the Lord
seemed to himself Uke one of these
outcasts. Verse 13. — They plot to take my
life; or, as the term might be
rendered my soul. Thus, reference is
probably had both to the wicked
Jews, who were plotting to take the
Lord's natural life by crucifixion,
and to evil spirits, who were striving
to destroy his spUitual Ufe, or smd,
by temptation.
Verse 15. — My times are in thy
hand. Times signify states. AU
the states of our Ufe, both intemal
and external, are ordered by the
Lord for our eternal good. Whether
they be states of pain or of pleasure,
of temptation or of peace, of health
or sickness, of prosperity or adver
sity — U we but give ourselves up to
the Lord's guidance and follow the
leadmgs of his providence, he wiU
turn aU to good Ui the end — he vriU
make them all conducive to our
eternal j oy in heaven. " AU things,"
says the Apostle, " work together for

XXXL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

137

16 Cause thy face to shine upon thy servant :
In thy mercy, save me.
17 0 Lord, let me not be put to shame.
For I have caUed upon thee :
Let the wicked be put to shame :
Let them be sUent in heU.
18 Let the lying lips be sUenced,
Which with pride and contempt speak wantonly against the
righteous.

good to them that love God " (Rom.
vui. 28). " With those who trust in
the Lord," says the doctrine of the
New Church, " aU things tend to a
happy state to eternity, and the
things which befaU them in time stiU
conduce to that end." A. 0. 8478.
Deliver me from the hands of my ene
mies, and from my persecutors: ene
mies signUy those who are in evils,
— persecutors, such as are in falses :
both, spiritual foes or tempters.
Verse 16. — Cause thy face to shine
upon thy servant. " To cause the face
to shine signifies to iUuminate vrith
Divine truth, which proceeds from
the Lord as the Sun of heaven, gives
aU Ught there, and also iUustrates the
minds of angels and fiUs them vrith
"\risdom ; wherefore the face of the
Lord in a proper sense, is the Sun of
heaven, for the Lord appears to the
interior angels as a sun, and this from
His Divine love. From that sun
proceed both heat and light : the
heat is Divine good, and the light is
Divine tmth. Hence it is evident,
that to cause thy face to shine is
meant to Uluminate vrith Divine tmth
from Divine good ; wherefore it is
added, save me in Thy mercy, mercy
being precUcated of Divinegoodness."
Ap. Ex. 412. — Thy servant. "Ser
vant denotes the human of the Lord,
before it was made Divine ; for the

human of the Lord, before he put
it off, and made it Divine, was no
thing else than a servant : wherefore,
in his state of humiliation, whUe
he had stiU with him the infUm
humanity, he worshiped Jehovah
as one distinct from himseU, and
indeed as a servant, for the human
respectively is nothing else." A. C.
2159. Verse 17. — Let them be silent in
hell. That is, let their power to
assault and infest the good be taken
away from them, by depriving them
of truths, and leaving them in their
own evU. In the spiritual world,
tmth has power ; hence, in the world
of spUits, the wicked, by means of
such knowledges of truth as they
stUl retain, are able to tempt and
disturb the good ; but when deprived
of these knowledges, they become
powerless, and sink down to theU
own place. " From him that hath
not," saith the Scripture, " shaU be
taken away even that which he
seemeth to have " (Luke viU. 18).
Verse 18. — Let the lying lips be
silenced, &c. See note on the pre
ceding verse. Lying lips, — UteraUy
lips of falsehood. By lips, in the
spUitual sense, is signified doctrine,
for this is uttered by the Ups. (A.
C. 1826). Hence lips of falsehood,
signUy falses of doctrine, by which

138

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXL

19 0 how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for
those that fear thee ;
Which thou hast wrought for those that trust in thee before
the sons of man !
20 Thou wUt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the
pride of man :
Thou wUt conceal them in a paviUon from the strife of
tongues.

the vricked tempt and infest the
good. Verse 19. — 0 how great is thy
goodness, &c. This is a charming
refiection. " Eye hath not seen,"
says the Apostle, " nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart
of man, the things which God hath
prepared for them that love him "
(1 Cor. ii. 9). No ! in this Ufe we
can form no conception of the joys
and delights which await us in the
heavens, U we but keep steadfastly
on iu the path of duty, looking to the
Lord and striving to keep his com
mandments. The Lord, indeed, in
the revelations to his New Church,
has caused to be pictured to us some
of the glorious scenes of eternity :
but descriptions can convey no
adequate idea of them : we must be
in the midst of those scenes to reaUze
them : we must be deUvered from
this eartlUybody, these earthly cares ;
we must have that fullness of joy
vrithin, which gives a double charm
to aU outward beauties. But aU this
wUl come by and by, when we have
passed through the dark valley and
have reached the mountain top.
Time is hastening on : we have but
to use it well as it goes : " in due
season we shall reap U we faint
not" (Gal. vi. 9).
Wliich thou hast laid up for those
ihat fear thee, has reference, we con

ceive, to the celestial, — the phrase
laid up, literaUy hidden, referring to
that "hidden manna" or interior
good, which characterizes the celes
tial : while the words, which thou
hast vorought for those that trust in
thee, have reference to the spUitual,
the term wrought referring to the
labors and combats of temptation
through which the spiritual are re
generated. Hence, also, it is added,
before the sons of man, the term sons
signUying truths, by means of which
the regeneration is accompUshed.
For an explanation of the phrase
sons of man, see note on Psalm xi. 4.
Verse 20. — Thou wilt hide Hum in
the secret of thy presence (UteraUy, of
thy face) from thepride of man. "By
the secret of His face ia which He
hides them, is signified the Divine
good of the Divine love ; for the face
of Jehovah sigiufies the Divine love,
and what is secret (or hidden) signifies
what is interior. By the pride of
man is signified the pride of one's
own inteUigence. — Tliou wilt conceal
them in a pavilion from the strife of
tongues. By the pavilion in which
He conceals them is signified Diviae
truth ; and by the strife of tongues
is signified falsity of religion, from
which reasonings are made against
ta-uths. Hence it is evident what
these words signUy in a series." Ap.
Ex. 455.

XXXL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

139

21 Blessed be the Loed,
For he has wondrously displayed his mercy to me in a for
tified city.
22 But in my trepidation I said, I am cut off before thine eyes:
Yet thou didst hear the voice of my suppUcations, when I
cried to thee.
23 0 love the Lord, aU ye his saints:
The Lord preserves the faithful.
And abundantly recompenses the proud-doer.
24 Be of good courage, and he wUl strengthen your heart,
AU ye that hope in the Lord.

Verse 21. — In a fortified city. By
a dty, in the spiritual sense, is signi
fied doctrine (A R. 194) : hence, by
a. fortified city, the doctrine of truth
which is protected, or, as it were,
fortified against the assault of

Verse 22. — In my trepidation, I
said I ami cut off before thine eyes. By
the eye is signified intelUgence, and,
when spoken of the Lord, His Divine
vrisdom, omniscience, and provi
dence (A. R. 48). In some states
of temptation, the mind is in anxiety
and fear : it doubts whether there is
a Providence : it feels as U exposed,
unprotected, to danger vrithout and
vrithin : it is in a state of trepidation.
This state is described by the words,
I said I am cut off from before thine
eyes — that is, cut off from the Lord's
protection and providence. But we
cry to Him for help ; and we soon
have an answer to our supplications:
the cloud of temptation roUs away,
and we come once more into a state
of trust and peace.
Verse 23. — His saints. For the
proper signification of this term, see

note on Psalm xxx. 4. — The faithful :
that is, those who are characterized
hj faith or truth, as the spiritual, in
distinction from saints, which signi
fies the celestial — Abundantly recom
penses the proud-doer. In the world
the evU are sometimes allowed to
triumph, and the good to suffer.
This is permitted by Divine Provi
dence, for certain wise ends. By
theU sufferings the good are purified
and perfected, and thus fitted for a
higher place in heaven. The evil
sometimes meet with tlieU retribution
here, and sometimes not, as Omnis
cience sees best : it matters little ; eter
nity wiU set aU right. After death,
the most exact recompense wUl be
meted out : every evil thought and
passion which the vricked by indul
gence have fixed in their own bosoms,
vriU be to them a source of suffering,
— for evU is its own punishment.
WhUe, on the other hand, the good,
who have paiiUuUy battled vrith
theU evUs, and have thus been de
Uvered from them, vriU be gUted by
the Lord vrith everlasting peace and
joy in the heavens.

140

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXII.

PSALM XXXII.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
That the righteous man is blessed, verses 1, 2 ; the grievousness
ofhis temptations is described, 3, 4 ; a confession of his infirmities,
and that he is delivered, 5-7 ; that he is wise, 8, 9 ; that he may
have confidence, 10, 11.
A Psalm of David : Insteuctive.
1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven.
Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man, to whom the Loed does not impute
iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is not guUe.

Title. — Instructive (Hebrew, Mas-
kit). This term occurs in the titles
of thU'teen of the Psalms. It is from
a root signifying to instruct ; hence
its use seems to be to indicate the
character of the Psalm, as being of
an instructive, or, as we should say,
of a didactic nature, — though some
of the Psalms, to which this title is
prefixed, do not seem to be strictly
of what we shordd term a didactic
character. Verse 1. — Wliose transgression is
forgiven, whose sin is covered. " Men
tion is made both of transgression
and sin, on account of the marriage
of good and truth in every particular
of the Word ; for transgression sig
nifies evil against truth, which is the
lesser evil, and sin evil against good,
which is the greater." A. C. 6563.
— Is forgiven. " The Lord remits
'[Ot: forgives] the sins of all men ; [that
is] he does not accuse and impute ;

yet he cannot take them away, ex
cept according to the laws of Divine
order. When sins are removed, then
are they also [truly] remitted ; for
repentance must precede remission,
and without repentance there is no
remission." D. P. 280. — Is covered :
that is, removed, or put out of sight ;
for though evils are repented of, that
is, refrained from, they are not ab
solutely cast out of the mind, but are
oiUy removed to the borders or cU-
cunUerence, so as no longer to appear,
nor cause disturbance. (See D. P.
279.) This must be meant by beiug
covered. The man whose evUs are
thus reuioved, is called blessed, be
cause in proportion as evU is removed,
goodness from the Lord flows in and
takes its place, bringing with it hea
venly peace, which is blessedness.
Verse 2. — Iniquity — guile. Ini
quity (literally, perverseness), like
transgression in the precediug verse.

XXXII.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

141

3 WhUe I kept sUence, my bones wasted away,
In my roaring aU the day long.
4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me ;
My moisture was turned into the drought of summer.
Selah.
5 I made known to thee my sin.
And my iniquity I did not cover :
I said, I wiU confess my trangressions to the LoED,

signifies something done iu opposi
tion to truth, whereas guile or deceit
signifles what is dUectly opposed to
good, as evU of heart and purpose. —
Does not impute, that is, forgives, re
mits, removes. (See note on the
preceding verse.)
Verse 3. — While I kept silence;
that is, whUe I did not make confes
sion of my sin. That this is the
meaning, appears from verse 5, where
it is said that he confessed and found
"reUef Bowing down before the
Lord, and acknowledging one's evil,
often Ufts a burthen from the heart ;
for in so doing, man humbles him
self, and " he that humbleth himseU
shaU be exalted." Pouring out the
heart before the Lord in humble
confession, breaks the bands of seU-
love and pride, and opens the door
for the Lord to enter vrith his hea
venly peace. — My hones wasted away :
bones denote tmths, which during
temptation seem to perish from the
mind. See note on Psalms xxxi. 10 ;
and xxU. 15, 18. — In my roaring:
that roaring signifles grievous lamen
tation, see Ap. Ex. 601. — All the
day: day is state : throughout the
state of temptation, here referred to.
Verse 4. — Day and night, signifles
in every state, that is, perpetually
(Ap. Rev. 637.) — Tliy hand was heavy
upon me. This is expressed accord
ing to the appearance. To the evil

and also to the good during tempta
tion, it often appears as U it was the
Lord who was the cause of theU dis
tress ; whereas, in truth, he is ever
striving, as far as possible, to relieve
us from distress. It is our own evils,
and the power of infemal spirits act-
ing through those evUs, that are the
cause of suffering. — My moisture was
turned into the drought of summer.
As water corresponds to truth, mois
ture signifles the Ufe of truth from
good in the mind : whereas drought
signifles the absence of good and
truth, such as is experienced in
temptations. (A. C. 1949.) Sum
mer, in a bad sense, signifles the
heat of evU passions, which causes
that state of desolation. — Selah.
See note on Psalm iU. 2.
Verse 5. — Sin — iniquity, —trans
gressions: for the distinct signiflca-
tions of these terms, see note on
verses 1, 2. — Thou forgavest. When
man confesses his evUs before the
Lord, when he humbly acknow
ledges — not merely in word.s, but in
heart — the wrong he has done, then
the head of the evU is, as it were,
broken ; for the essence of a sin Ues
in the love of it, and in a persistence
in that evU love. But when one sees
and acknowledges it to be evil and
not good, and rejects it from the
heart, and prays to be strengthened
to resist it, — in that humble acknow-

142

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXXII.

And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
6 For this, shaU every one who is pious pray to thee at a
time when thou mayest be found :
Surely, in the flood of many waters, they shall not reach
him.
7 Thou art my hiding-place :
Thou wUt preserve me from trouble :
Thou wUt encompass me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

lodgment the evU purpose or intent
is rejected and removed, and thus
forgiven. The evU propensity, no
doubt, stUl remains in the lower part
ofthe miud, — though slumbering for
the present, — and it wUl yet have to
be fought against, before it can be
removed entUely ; but the essence
of the evU is destroyed — the iniquity
of the sin is forgiven.
Verse 6. — For this, that is, be
cause thou forgivest or remittest sin
when it is confessed. — At a time
when thou mayest be found (literaUy,
at the time of finding). The Lord
may always be found, when he is
sought for ; as he said, " Him that
cometh unto me, I wUl in no vrise
cast out" (John vi. 37). The Lord
is always present, and earnestly
pressing for admittance into the
heart : " Behold, he says, I stand at
the door, and knock" (Apoc. iU.
20.) The defect is always on man's
part : the danger is, that he become
hardened in evU, and by long neglect
be so habituaUy tumed away from
the Lord, that he lose all desUe to
go to him : then, his time of flnding
is past, only because the inclination
to seek is destroyed. This is the
danger to be guarded against ; and
it may be avoided by forming and
cherishing the habit of prayer. —
Flood of many waters. By & flood or
inundation is signifled temptation

(A. C. 739) : waters, falses and phan
tasies, which distress, and, as it were,
inundate the mind. — They shall not
reach him. Those who habituaUy
look to and trust in the Lord, vrill
be protected from the power of dis-
tiirbing spirits, and not be aUowed
to suffer temptation beyond what
they can bear, nor beyond what vriU
contribute to their regeneration.
Verse 7. — Thou art my hiding-
place, &c. How strong and warm
are the expressions here used, and
how comforting 1 The Lord is first
described as a hiding-place, a refuge
to whom we may mn for protection,
— as the young chickens run for
shelter beneath their mother's wings
(" How often would I have gathered
thy chUdren together, even as a hen
gathereth her chickens under her
vrings!" Matt. xxUi. 37). In the
second place, he is described as pre
serving lis by his active power :
"Thou wUt preserve me from
trouble." In the third place, not
only wUl he protect and deliver us,
but he wUl fill our hearts vrith joy,
and set us in the midst of good
angels rejoicUig vrith us at our sal
vation : Tliou wilt encompass us witli
songs (or shouts) of deliverance. This
triple expression has reference, per
haps, to the three degrees of good
and salvation, namely, the natural,
spiritual, and celestial

XXXII.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

143

8 I wiU instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou

shalt go :

I wiU giiide thee with my eye.
9 Be ye not Uke the horse or Uke the mule, which have no

understanding :

Whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they
come near thee.

Verse 8. — Instruct — teach: the
one has reference to truth, the other
to good,: the former term relates to
principles of doctrine, the latter to
precepts of lUe. — I will guide (Uter
aUy, counsel) thee with my eye. The
eye signifies inteUigence and vrisdom ;
and, when spoken of the Lord, omni
science and providence. (A. R. 48.)
— To the spiritual-minded man, the
promise contained in this verse is
full of comfort, — that the Lord vriU
not leave us to our own weakness
and ignorance, but wiU show us
what we are to do, and the way we
are to go. How often, amidst the
perplexities of Ufe, has the conscien
tious man occasion to say, " 0, U I
ordy knew what my duty is ! " At
such times, let him call to mind this
promise of the Lord, and he vriU find
great comfort in it. Let him be as
sured that the Lord never requires
of us the performance of any task
beyond our powers : and that U we
win but go to the right Source for
aid, we shaU find it. If we but look
up to the Lord for guidance and
dUection, and then do the best we
can, we shall be assuredly shown
the way : for he has said, J will in
struct thee and teach thee in the way
which thou shalt go.
Verse. — Be ye not like the horse,
&o. This passage, in the Uteral
sense, is weU-nigh uninteUigible.
A knowledge of the spiritual sense

alone can explain it. The horse is
the emblem of the intellectual prin
ciple (A. C. 2762), and, in a bad
sense, of self-derived intelligence, —
as in the passage, " the Lord delights
not in the strength of the horse"
(Psalm cxlvii 10) ; that is, man's
own intelUgence in spiritual things
is vain. The mule is the representa
tive of rational truth (A. C. 2781),
and in a bad sense, of man's own
reasonings. Hence, it is said, which
have no understanding; that is, in
man's seU-derived inteUigence and
reasonings there is no true wisdom.
Whose mouth must he held in with hit
and bridle, lest they come near thee,
sigiufies that docrine {nwuth) derived
from man's own reasonings in spiri
tual things is to be checked or re
strained, not Ustened to, by the
spiritual-minded man, lest it do him
injury. Bridle signifies the truth of
the Divine Word, by which the un
derstancUng (the horse) is to be
guided. (A. R. 653.) The general
instruction conveyed in the passage,
when taken in connection with the
preceding verse, "I will instruct
thee, and teach thee," &c., is, that
man is to depend on the Lord for
guidance, and not merely upon his
own falUble understanding. And
this great tmth the spiritual man
knows weU : there is nothing he
dreads more, than to be left to Ms
own guidance — he has found hUiiseU

144

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXIII.

10 Many miseries shall there be to the viricked :
But he that trusts in the Loed shaU be encompassed with
mercy.
11 Be glad in the Lord ;
And rejoice, ye righteous ;
And shout for joy aU ye that are upright in heart.

so often falling ! but he looks up con
tinuaUy to the Lord for light and
dUection. Verse 10. — Shall be encompassed
with mercy. " The mercy of the
Lord includes aU and everything
done by the Lord to the human race,
who are such that the Lord feels
compassion for them, each according
to his state. — The mercy of the Lord
infinitely transcends man's under
standUig." A. C. 587-8. The Lord's
mercy or compassion is extended to
all his creatures, whether good or
evU : as is declared, " he maketh his
sun to rise on the evil and on the
good : " by the sun, in the spiritual
sense, is signified the Divine love.
But the wicked avert themselves
from the Lord, and reject his love,
and thus cast themselves into mise
ries: but the good — they that trust

in the Lord, that look to him, and
seek to do his will, — open their
hearts to the influx of his love, and
so are filled vrith blessing ; they are
surrounded also by his protecting
providence, and are thus encompassed
with mercy.
Verse 11. — Be glad in the Lori,
&c. Here are expressed the three
degrees of good and consequent joy,
pertaining to the three heavens, re
spectively : be glad referring, pro
bably, to the state of those in the
ultimate or lowest heaven, rejoice to
those in the second or spiritual
heaven, and shout for joy to the
angels of the third or highest heaven,
the celestial : hence it is said, up
right in heart, because heart or love
to the Lord is the characteristic of
these.

PSALM XXXIIL

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

Celebration of the Lord, because the Church is from him,
through the Word, verses 1-9 ; tliat howsoever the evil may oppose,
still it will be, 10, 11 ; blessed are those who are of that Church,
12-15 ; that man's ovm intelligence will effect nothing, 16, 17 • that
those will be saved who trust in the Lord, 18-22.

XXXIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

145

1 Eejoice in the Loed, ye righteous ;
Praise is becoming in the upright.
2 Praise the Loed on the harp :
Play to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song :
Play exceUently with a loud sound.
4 For the word of the Loed is right.
And aU his works are done in faithfulness.

Verses 1-3. — Rejoice in the Lord,
&c. — " Rejoice (or dng), ye righteous,
is said of those who are in celestial
love; praise the Lord on the harp,
and play on the lyre, is said of those
who are in spiritual love ; and since
singing denotes an acknowledgment
from joy arising from those loves,
therefore it is said, praise the Lord,
dng to him a new song : the exulta
tion of joy from its fulness is signi
fied i>j playing excellently with a loud
sound," " The reason why to sing a
song signifies acknowledgment from
joy of heart, is because joy of heart
finds utterance in singing, when it is
in its fulness ; for when the heart is
fuU of joy, and thence the thought,
also, then it pours itseU forth in
singing, — ^the j oy of the heart by the
sound of the singing, and the joy of
the thought, thence derived, by the
song. AU these things fiow, as it
were, spontaneously from the joy
itself The whole heaven is formed
accordiug to the affections of good
and truth, consequently, also, of joys,
for aU joy is from affection or love :
hence, in all angeUo discourse, there
is a certain harmonious concord.
Hence it is manUest, that the power
hy which the harmony of singing,
and also the musical art, can express
various kinds of affections, is from
the spiritual world. It was from

this cause that many kinds of musical
instruments were used in the sacred
v.-orship of the Jemsh and IsraeUl^
ish nation, some of which pertained
to the affections of celestial good,
and some to the affections of spUit
ual good, and to the joys thence
derived. The stringed instruments
pertained to the affections of spUit
ual good, and the wind instruments
to the affections of celestial good, to
which was also adjoined singing
with songs, by which were formed
agreements of things vrith sounds of
the affections. Of this nature were
also the Psalms of David, whence
they were caUed Psalms, from psal
lere (to play), and also songs." Ap.
Ex. 326. — Ten^stringed lyre (literaUy,
with a lyre of ten.) The number ten
signifies what is fuU and complete
(A. R. 101) ; hence, to play with a
ten-stringed lyre, signifies worship
tiom. fulness ot spUitual affection. A
new song signifies an outburst of jot
from heavenly affections newly com
municated by the Lord ; for fresl .
accessions of love, and hence of joy,
are ever flowing into the heart that
is open to his influence.
Verse 4.— For the Word of the
Lord is right. The Word of the Lord
is Divine truth ; right (or upright)
signifies good : hence ihe Word of
the Lord is right signifies that Diviae

146

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXXIIL

5 He loves righteousness and judgment;
The earth is fuU of the Loed's mercy.
6 By the word of the Loed the heavens were made,
And aU their host by the breath of his mouth.

truth is united vrith Divine good.
And all his works are done in faith
fulness signifies that all the workings
of his love are conjoined with truth.
The meaning of the verse seems,
briefiy, to be this : that, vrith the
Lord truth is ever joined to good,
and good to tmth.
Verse 5. — Righteousness and judg
ment, that is, goodness and tmth.
Righteousness and judgment are often
mentioned together in the Word, the
former signifies good, the latter tmth.
(See A. C. 2235.) These the Lord
loves above aU things ; for they are
perfectly correspondent to his own
nature, which is love and vrisdom :
and he loves them, also, because they
are the great source of happiness to
man, who is the chief object of the
Lord's love. Tlie earth is full of the
Lord's mercy. The earth signifies
the Church. (A. C. 6297). FuU of
the Lord's mercy, signifies that the
Church is continuaUy sustained by
the Lord's love. The Church is con
stituted of all those who look to the
Lord and do his commandments :
all such are constantly fUled vrith
goodness and blessing from the Lord,
are upheld by him, and guided in
the path to heaven, where they -wiU
be gifted with joys everlasting.
Verse 6. — By the word of the
Lord, &c. " Tlie word of the Lord is
the Divine truth proceecUng from
the Lord : the breath (or spirit) of
his mouth is the Ufe thence derived :
the heavens thence made, and all their
host, .are the angels, so far as they are
recipients of Divine truth ; for the

angels constitute heaven. And since
angels are recipients of Divine truth,
therefore, in the abstract sense, by
angels are signified Divine truths ;
and in the same sense, also, the host
of heaven signifies Divine truths."
A. C. 9987. By the Word of the Lord
were the heavens made. " Scarcely
any one, at this day, knows that
there is any power in truths. It is
supposed that it is only a word
•spoken by some one who has autho
rity, which, on that account, ought
to be done ; hence, that truth is only
like breath from the mouth, or sound
in the ear : when yet truth and
good are the constituent principles
of aU tlUngs in both worlds, the spU
itual and natural ; and they are the
things by which the universe was
created, and by wlUch it is preserved,
and by which, also, man was made :
wherefore those two thmgs are aU
in all. That the miiverse was created
by DivUie truth, is plainly said in
John i 1, 3, 10 — ' In the begimnng
was the Word, and God was the
Word : all things were made by it ;
and the world was made by it.' And
in David, ' By the word of Jehovah
the heavens were made.' (Psalm
xxxUi. 6)." T. C. R. 224. Breath o
his mouth. " That breath, by corres
pondence, signifies truth, is evident
from the Lord's breathing on the '
disciples, and saying, 'Receive ye
the Holy SpUit' (John xx. 22) : the
Holy SpUit is Divine truth. That
it also signifies Ufe jfrom the Lord,
is evident from its being said that
' Jehovah breathed into man's nos-

XXXIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

14'?

7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap.
He gives the floods for treasures.
8 Let aU the earth fear the Loed :
Let aU the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9 For he says, and it is :
He commands, and it stands.

trUs the breath of Ufe.' (G^n. U. 7.)
' That Ufe is described by breathing
and breath, is, also, because the men
ofthe I\_ost Ancient Church perceived
states of love and faith by states of
respUation: hence they UkenedspUit
or Ufe to vrind. The Lord, also,
when speaking of the regeneration of
man, says, 'The breath,' or vrind,
' bloweth where it vriUeth, and thou
hearest the sound thereof, but canst
not teU whence it cometh or whither
it goeth ; so is every one that is born
of the Spirit.' (John Ui. 8.) And
in David, ' By the word of Jehovah
the heavens were made, and aU theU
host by the breath,' or wind, 'of
his mouth.'" A. C.97. Thus, then,
ihe heavens and all their host signifies
the angels as to good and truth ; and
also man's intemal mind, which is a
heaven: made signifies created and
sustained, and also regenerated : by
the word of the Lord and the breath
ofhis mouth, signifies by Divine truth,
and the Ufe thence derived.
Verse 7. — He gathers, &c. " Tlie
waters of the sea, which he gathers
as a heap, signUy the knowledges
of truth, and truths in general, which
are together in the natural man : the
floods which he gives for treasures,
signUy sensual scientifics, which are
the most general or ultimate things
of the natural man, vrithin which, at
the same time, are interior or .supe
rior teuths, whence they are called
treasures." Ap. Ex. 275. The origin

of this signification of sea and floods,
is, that water corresponds to truth.
Verse 8. — Let all the earth, &c.
The terms, " Earth and world, each,
signUy the Church ; but, when men
tioned together, earth signifies the
Church as to truth ; and world the
Church as to good. Here, by the
earth are signified those that are in
the truths of the Church, and by the
inhabitants of the world those that
are in the goods of the Church."
Ap. Ex. 741. To fear the Lord and
to stand in awe of him, does not
sigrdfy to be in slavish dread, for
that is natural, not spiritual ; but to
revere and worship him, and do his
commandments. To fear the Lord is
to worship and revere him, for in
worship there is a holy and rever
ential fear. (Ap. Ex. 696.)
Verse 9. — For : the reason is now
given why man should fear the Lord,
namely, because he is so good and
great. Hesays,anditis: hecomma'ods,
and it stands. The subUme brevrity in
this passage resembles that in Gene
sis, "God said, Let there be Ught
and there was light." "By Jeho
vah's saying, is signified perception
which is from the Divine celestial
princijile ; but by Jehovah's speak
ing, is signified thought which is
from the celestial by the spiritual.
Perception is from good, but thought
is from truth. The former is signi
fied in the Word, by saying, and the
latter by speaking." A, C. 2619.

148

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXIIL

10 The Loed frustrates the counsel of the nations :
He brings to nought the devices of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Loed shaU stand to eternity :
The purposes of his heart to generation and generation.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah :
The people whom he has chosen for an inheritance to
himself

The meaning of this passage, then,
would seem to be this : He says, and
it is, refers to the Divine Good or
Love, from which all things are;
He commands (speaks) and it stands,
refers to the Divine Truth or Wis
dom, by which all things exist. For
aU things are produced from the
Divine love by the Divine vrisdom.
Verse 10. — " Peoples denote those
who are against the truths of the
spUitual church, thus who are in
falses, and nations denote those who
are against the goods of the celestial
church, thus who are in evUs : this
also is the signification of the peoples
and nations who were driven out of
the land of Canaan." Ap. Ex. 331.
Thus, in the spiritual sense, by na
tions and peoples are signified, m
general, those who are in evils and
falses, thus all who are in the hells.
The Lord frustrating their counsels
and devices, signifies that the Lord
defeats all their plans to injure the
good, and perpetuaUy protects those
who trust in him.
Verse 11. — The counselofthe Lord,
&c. The purposes of the Lord,
which stand to eternity, are finely
contrasted Arith the devices of the
wicked, which come to nothing.
What a lesson to us to be " on the
Lord's side," and do his v^rill, and
then aU things wUl go weU vrith us,
and we shall be blessed with every

good. To generation and generation.
" It is said to eternity, and to genera
tion and generation ; eternity is pre
dicated of the Divine celestial prin
ciple, or good, and generation of the
Divine spiritual principle, or truth.
For, in the Word, especially the
prophetic, there are generaUy two
expressions concerning one and the
same thing, and this on account of
the heavenly marriage which exists
in aU and everything of the Word :
the heavenly marriage is the marriage
of good and truth, or the conjunc
tion of the Lord and heaven." A.
C. 9789.
Verse 12. — The temis, nation and
people, when used in a good sense,
signUy, respectively, those who are
in goods and those who are in tmths,
or the celestial and the spiritual
(See note on Psalm U. 1.) By tlu
nation, whose God is Jehovah, are sig
nified distinctly the celestial, who,
before the Fall, were in the worship
of the one Jehovah. Whereas, by
the people, whom he has chosen for an
inheritance to himself, are signified
the spUitual, who were saved only
by Jehovah's assumption of the
Humanity, and whom, through that
medium he conjoined to himseU
and thus, as it were, took for an in
heritance or possession (for the Hu
manity is called heir. A. C. 2658).
It is said chosen, not as implying any

XXXIIL] NOTES ON THE PSALMS

149

13 The Lord looks from heaven :
He beholds aU the sons of man :
14 From his dweUing-place
He looks upon aU the inhabitants of the earth.
15 He forms their hearts together :
He observes aU their works.

arhiteary election of some over
others, but as expressive of the love
or free goodness by which the Lord
was actiiated in descending to effect
man's redemption and salvation : in
the same sense, in which it is said in
John (xv. 16), "Ye have not chosen
me, but I have chosen you ; " — that
is, men would not of themselves
have sought the Lord, but would
have perished in theU evUs, had not
the Lord in his goodness accommo
dated himseU to theU faUen state.
Verses 13, 14. — The Lord looking
from heaven and from his dwelling-
place, (UteraUy, the place of his habi
tation) signifies the Lord perceiving
from Divine Truth and Divine
Good : for place, in the spUitual
sense, signifies state : hence, the
Lord's dwelling-place signifies the
Lord's proper state of existence,
which is Divine Love ; while hecmen,
which is a state of truth recipient of
good, signifies the Lord as to Divine
Tmth. To look, spirituaUy, is to
look with the mind, to perceive. —
The sons otman, signifies tmths from
wisdom; sons, tmths, and man,
vrisdom, for wisdom is what properly
constitutes man. Inhabitants of the
earth, signifies goods of the Church ;
for the earth, in the spiritual sense,
signifies the Church (see note on
ver. 5), and inhabitants those things
that fiU the Church, and constitute
it, which properly are good affections,
love and charity. The terms dmell
and inhabit are also predicated of

good (Ap. Ex. 741). Thus, then,
the whole passage signifies, that the
Lord, from his Divine love and
wisdom, perceives aU the states of
truth and good in the Church. This
appears to be the spiritual sense in
the abstract. In a personal sense,
by sons of man, and inhabitants of the
earth are signified those who are in
the truths and goods of the Church.
Verse 15. — By the hordiB forming
their hearts (UteraUy their heart), is
meant that the Lord regenerates man
and forms the new wUl : it is he
alone who can carry on this great
internal work, — though, indeed, man
must co-operate, by refraining from
evU, and keeping the command
ments. The expression together,
seems to refer to the wonderful
union and arrangement into a hea
venly form of the good affections vrith
which man is gUted by the Lord;
for man, whUe regenerating, is be
coming a form of heaven. This an
terior operation is the work of the
Lord alone (see D. P. 67). — He
observes all their works. Works sig
nUy goods and truths in ultimates
or in act. WhUe the Lord forms the
interiors {hearts), he at the same time
observes the exteriors, works, the
govemment of which lies vrith man ;
and according as man moulds the
latter by his daUy Ufe, so does the
Lord arrange the former: for the
decision of his own destiny is left
absolutely to man's free-vrilL (See
D. P. 119, 120).

150

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXIII.

16 A king is not saved by the miUtitude of an army :
A mighty man is not deUvered by much strength.
17 A horse is a vain thing for safety;
Nor shaU he deUver any by his great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the Loed is upon those who fear him.
Upon those who hope in his mercy.
19 To deUver their soul from death.
And to keep them aUve in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Loed :
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shaU be glad in him.
Because we have trusted in his holy name.

Verses 16, 17. — A king, &o. By
a king, in the spUitual sense, is sig
nified tmth, and one who is in pos
session of truth (A. R. 20); because
truth rules or has power. By an army
are signified knowledges of truth,
doctrinals (A. C. 3448). By a
mighty man is signified one who is
possessed of erudition, who is leamed
in things that relate to the Word.
(A. B. 832.) The horse is the repre
sentative of the understanding, its
strength and quickness (A. R. 298) ;
as may be seen from the passage —
"The horses of the Egyptians are
fiesh and not spirit" (Isaiah xxxi. 3);
by wluch is signified that the under
standing of the natural man is carnal,
not spUitual, — the Egyptian signUy
ing the natural man. The general
sense of these two verses, then, is, that
no one is saved merely by the posses
sion of truth, orby erudition, or by the
power of his own understanding. In
spite of all these, he may yet be evU
iu heart and Ufe, and thus be lost.
Verse 18. — Behold, the eye of the
Lord, &c. The eye signifies inteUi
gence and vrisdom, and, when spoken
of the Lord, omniscience and provi
dence. (A. R. 48). — Upon those that

fear Him, upon those that hope in His
mercy. " Fear of the Lord signifies
the reception of Divine truth, and
mercy the reception of Divine good."
Ap. Ex. 696. The former term has
reference to the spiritual class, the
latter to the celestial. On both of
these classes of the good, the Lord's
eye is ; that is, his providence is
vrith them, guiding them to heaven.
¦ Verse 19. — " To deliver their soul
from death, signifies to deUver them
from evUsandfalses, and therebyfrom
damnation [spiritual death] : to keep
them alive in famine (or, in hunger),
signifies to give spiritual Ufe accord
ing to desUe. The de.sUe for the
knowledge of truth and good, is the
affection of spiritual truth, which is
given to those only who are in the
good of Ufe, that is, who do the Lord's
commandments : such are meant hy
those that fear the Lord. Famine
signifies deprivation, defect, and ig
norance of the knowledges of truth
and good." Ap. Ex. 386.
Verses 20-22.— Waits for, th.&t is,
looks to, depends upon. Help and
shield : a help, as supplying good and
tmth, — a shield, as protecting from
evdl and the false. Soul — hea/rt.Wh.en

XXXIV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

151

22 May thy mercy, 0 Loed, be upon us,
According as we hope in thee !

the TWO terms are used in connection,
soul signifies the understanding, and
heart, the vriU. (A. R. 681.)— Be
cause we have trusted in His holy
name. By name, in the spiritual
sense, is signified quality or charac
ter; for aU names, originaUy, were
given expressive of the character of
the person named ; hence, the Lord's
name signified his Divine quaUty or
character, which is Love, Wisdom,
and Omnipotence. To trust in his
name, is to rely upon these Divine

quaUties in the Lord, for our protec
tion, support, and happiness. The
heart that thus rests upon him, vrill
have reason to be glad.
Verse 22. — The Lord's mercy is
his Divine love, perpetuaUy operat
ing for man's good, — perpetuaUy
pouring down blessing. According
as we hope in him, that is, depend
on him, and look to him for aU
things, in that degree we open our
spirits to receive the influx of love,
joy, and blessedness.

PSALM XXXIV.

summary of THE INTEENAL SENSE.

Celebration of the Lord, because he delivers from all evil those
who trust in him, verses 1-11 ; that he preserves the good, and that
the evil perish, 12-22.
A Psalm of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech ;
whereupon he drove him away, and he departed.

This is a precious Psalm. Almost
every verse contains some pointed
practical teuth, or some consoling
sentiment. It is fuU of tenderness,
faith, devotion ; the distressed spirit,
seeking for comfort, may here find
it, and be soothed and sustained.
Title. — The incident in David's
history, to which reference is here
made, vrill be found related Ui 1
Samuel xxi. 10-15. Persecuted by
Saul, David fled to Gath, in the
country of the PhiUstiues. There
he was at once recognised as the
PhUistines' former enemy and con

queror. Alarmed at this recogni
tion, David, in order probably to
preserve his Ufe, pretended madness;
upon which, the king expressing his
disgust at theU bringing him a mad
feUow, David was aUowed to escape.
It may be observed that the king of
the PhUistines, in that account, is
caUed Achish, not Abimelech ; but
in this there is no contradiction,
Achish being the proper name, and
Abimelech the royal title. Abime
lech signifies father of a king, and
was given to aU the kings of the
PhUistiaes, as was the title Pharaoh

152

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXIV.

1 I will bless the Loed at aU times :
His praise shall continuaUy be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall glory in the Loed ;
The afflicted shall hear and be glad.
3 0 magnify the Loed with me.
And let us exalt his name together.

to the kings of Egypt. In the letter,
there appears to be little connection
between the Psalm and the incident
referred to. But it is to be remem
bered that David represented the
Lord, and all the circumstances of
his history represented states through
which the Lord passed while in the
humanity on earth. In particular,
David's trials, his persecutions by
Saul, his combats with the Philis
tines, all signified temptations which
the Lord endured. The PliUistines
and theU king represented such as
are in faitli without charity. David's
fear of Achish which caused him to
change his behavior (literally, to
change his intellect) that is, to feign
himself mad, doubtless represented
the Lord's temptation endured from
the particular class of the evil, who
a.c in faith vrithout charity : and
his escape from them (on which
occasion tlus Psalm was written),
signified deliverance from such
temptation ; and the feelings of
thankfidness for such deliverance
are here expressed. In a general
sense, — as declared in the Summary
above, — the Psalm expresses the
gratitude of the good for the Lord's
protection, and their continued trust
in that protection.
Verse 1. — Bless the Lord, signi
fies love and adoration from the
heart : while praise signifies worship
from the understanding : hence it
is said, sliall continually he in my

mouth, — mouth signUying speech
from thought, for speech is thence
derived. At all times, or, in every
season. At all times, whether of
prosperity or adversity, health or
sickness, we have reason to bless the
Lord ; for whatever may be the
appearance, the Lord is ever the
same, ever seeking to do ns good,
for time and for eternity. If we
are happy and at peace, it is He that
gives our happiness : and U we are
distressed. He pemUts it only for
the purpose of bringing greater joy
out of it. If we but look to Him,
and are wUling to be guided by HUn,
all vriU be well.
Verse 2. — My soul shall glory in
the Lord. This describes a state of
exultation, in which the mind is
fiUed with Ught and joy, in the
consciousness of the Lord's presence
and support. Tlie afflicted shall hear,
and be glad. The afflicted signifies,
spirituaUy, those who are undergo
ing temptation, and thus are in
darkness and distress. When they
hear the pious express theU joy and
trust in the Lord, and declare how
they have been delivered from teou-
ble by the Lord's power, and have
been brought out of darkness into
Ught, — they themselves feel cheered,
and hope dawns upon theU miud.
How many of the afiiicted have been
made glad by this very PsaUn !
Verse 3. — 0 magnify Hie Lord
wdili me. The joyful and grateful

xxxrv^.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

153

4 I sought the Loed, and he answered me,
And deUvered me from aU my fears.
5 They looked to him, and were gladdened,
And their faces were not put to shame.
6 This afflicted one cried, and the Loed heard.
And saved him out of aU his distresses.

heart not only pours itself out in
thankfulness to the Lord, but in its
ardor caUs upon others to join in
the hymn of praise, — for " the Lord
is good to aU and his mercies are
over aU his works." To magnify,
that is, to make great, or to acknow
ledge as great, has reference to the
Diviae love, and implies worship
from love ; for the term great is
predicated of goodness (A. R. 582) ;
whUe to exalt his name signifies wor
ship from tinith — ^the Lord's name
meaning his Divine quality or char
acter, which is perceived by the
Ught of tmth. These double ex-,
pressions are constantly used, on
account of the marriage or mnon of
goodness and tmth which pervades
the Word throughout.
Verse 4. — I sought the Lord, &c.
When the mind is distressed and
perplexed vrith vague doubts and
fears, infused by evU spUits, it is
a great comfort to flee to the Lord,
to look up to him in prayer, and
ask to be dUected and supported.
The prayer wUl be answered, and
peace aud trust vriU descend into the
bosom, and fears vriU be dispeUed.
" Prayer," says the Doctrine of the
New Chmch, "is speaking with
God, und at such times, a certain
intemal intuition of those thUigs
which are the objects of the prayer ;
to which corresponds a something
resembling influx into the percep
tion and thought of the mind, so

that there is a kind of opening of
man's internals towards God. If
the prayer be from love and faith,
and U it be only for celestial and
spiritual things that one prays, then
in the prayer there exists something
like a revelation, which is mani
fested in the affection of the person
praying, as to hope, consolation, or
some intemal joy." A. C. 2535.
Verse 5. — They. The transition
is here to the third person, but the
sense is continuous : they has refer
ence to the afflicted or tempted col
lectively (see ver. 2), — I, to the
same, individuaUy. Gladdened; Ut
eraUy, brightened or made to shine,
as the countenance does when the
spirit is cheered. Put to shams,
UteraUy made red, or caused to
blush, as when a request is refused :
that they, it is declared, who hok
to the Lord, shaU not be thus dis-
appomted : " Ask," says the Lord,
" and ye shaU receive." The face,
in the spiritual sense, signifies affec
tion (Ap. Ex. 280), for the face is
the image of the affections. Hence,
the looking to the Lord and being
brightened has reference to the en
lightening of the imderstanding,
while theU faces not being put to
shame refers to the consoling and
cheering of the affections.
Verse 6. — Tliis afflicted one. The
case is here again individualized, as
U to bring it nearer home : each one
of us, in time of trouble, may regard

154

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[xxxrv.

7 The angel of the Loed encamps around those that fear him,
And delivers them.
8 0 taste and see that the Loed is good :
Blessed is the man who trusts in him.

himseU as this afiiicted one, who
goes to the Lord in prayer, and is
answered ; as assuredly we shall be,
it we go in a right spirit. " It is the
general law, in aU Diviae worship,
that man should fUst wUl, desire,
and pray, and that the Lord should
then answer, inform, and do : otlier-
vrise man does not receive any
Di^'ine blessmg. We often read,
in the Word, that the Lord answers
such as caU and cry unto him, — as
in Psalm xxxiv. 4, 6 ; and other
places — ^but yet the Lord gives them
to ask and what to ask ; and there
fore the Lord knows it beforehand ;
but stiU the Lord wiUs that man
should first ask, to the end that he
may do it as from himseU, and that
thus it maybe appropriated to him."
A. R. 376.
Verse 7. — Tlie angel of the Lord,
&c. Here is taught the great tmth
that those who fear the Lord, the
good, are under the guardianship
and protection of angels. This is a
doctrine, that has been always held,
though obscurely, in the Christian
Church, but which the New Church
brings prominently forward. Says
the Apostle, speaking of angels,
" Are they not all ministering
spUits, sent forth to minister for
them who shall be heirs of salva
tion?" (Hebrews i. 14). "Angels
of every society," says the Doctrine
of the New Church, " are sent to
men, that they may guard them,
and withdraw them from evU affec
tions, and the thoughts thence de
rived, and inspire them vrith good

affections, so far as they receive
them in freedom ; by which means,
also, they rule the deeds or works
of men, removing, as far as possible,
evil intentions. Angels, when they
are vrith men, dweU in theU affec
tions, and are near a man, so far as
he is in good from truths, and more
remote in the degree that he is dis
tant from good." (H. and H. 391.)
— The Angel. The term is used in
the singular, in a coUective sense,
signUying all the angels or the
whole angelic heaven. The word
encamp is used as descriptive of
warfare ; for there is a spiritual
warfare continuaUy going on about
man, while he is becoming regener
ated, — evU spUits assaulting, and
angels defending, him. EvU spirits
assault by stUring up man's evU
passions and false thoughts, and
angels defend by calling forth his
good affections and true thoughts.
This warfare is perceived by man
as temptation. (See A. C. 8131.)
Verse 8. — Taste and see. To see
has reference to the understanding,
and taste to the wUl ; for taste cor
responds to the desire for spUitual
nourishment, that is, to the affection
of acquUing knowledge and vrisdom
(A. C. 4793). Hence taste and see
that the Lord is good, signifies, to
come to the Lord vrith a desire to
know his goodness, and you wUl
then see or perceive it. — BlessedisHie
man who trusts in him. Why is the
man blessed who trusts in the Lord?
Because he is at peace from fears
and anxieties : he relies upon the

XXXIV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

155

9 Fear the Loed, ye his saints.
For there is no want to those that fear him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger ;
But those that seek the Loed, shaU not want any good.
11 Come, ye sons, listen to me :
I wUl teach you the fear of the Loed.

Lord's providential care : he knows
that He " wiU not leave him nor
forsake him," bnt vriU keep him
whithersoever he goes, and in what
soever he does. " Those who trust
in the Divine, do not think of the
morrow vrith soUcitude, stUl less
vrith anxiety : they are of an equaUy
composed mind whether they obtain
what they desUe or not, neither do
they grieve at its loss, but are con
tent vrith theU lot. They know
that vrith those who trust in the
Divine, all things tend to a happy
state to eteriuty, and that whatever
things befaU them m time, stUl
conduce to that end. The Divine
Providence is universal, that is, in
every minutest thing ; and they
who are in the stream of providence
are carried on continuaUy to feU-
cities, whatever may be the appear
ance of the means : and those are
in the stream of providence, who
put theU trust in the Dirine and
attribute aU things to Him. It is
to be noted, also, that so far as one
is in the stream of providence, so
far he is in a state of peace." A.
C. 8478.
Verse 9. — Saints (or, holy ones).
Holy is predicated of truth ; hence
saints, or holy ones, signify distinc
tively the spiritual, or such as are
characterized by the affection for
truth. For there is no want to those
that fear him. How comprehensive
is this declaration ! Those who fear

the Lord, that is, who look to and
teust in him, and strive to do his
commandments, shaU have no want
spiritual or natural : they shaU be
suppUed with everything they need,
for the body and for the soul. For
their supporter is the Omnipotent,
he whose providence is perfect, be
fore whom " the very hairs of our
heads are aU numbered."
Verses 9, 10. — " Tiiose that fear
Jehovah and have no want, signUy
those who love to do the Lord's
commandments ; and tiiose who seek
Jehovah, and shall not want any
good, signUy those who therefore
are loved by the Lord, and receive
from him truths and goods : whUe
by the young lions tliat lack and suffer
himger, are signified such as are
knovring and wise from themselves :
to lack and suffer hunger denotes
that they have neither tmth nor
good." Ap. Ex. 386. Such persons
are signified by lions, because a Uon
is the emblem of strength ; and
those who trust in themselves seem
to themselves strong, — though, in
fact, they are most weak, for when
temptation presents itseU, they are
easUy carried away : those only are
strong, who rest in the Lord's
strength. Verse 11. — Ye sons. By son, in
the spiritual sense, is signified truth ;
and personaUy, by sons, are signified
such as are in possession of tmth.
Such are caUed upon to listen, be-

156

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXXIV.

12 Who is the man that desires Ufe —
And loves days, that he may see good ?
13 Keep thy tongue from evil,
And thy Ups from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evU, and do good:
Seek peace, and pursue it.

cause they are prepared by theU
previous knowledge to understand
the appeal. Those who are pos
sessed of truth, are here called upon
to apply it to lUe.
Verse 12. — Tliat desires life (lit
erally, that desires lives, plural).
"Mention is made of lives, in the
plural, because there are two facul
ties of Ufe in man, — one, which is
caUed understanding and which has
reference to truth, and the other
which is called vdll, and refers to
good : these two lives, or faculties of
life, make one, when the under
standing is of the wUl, or, what is
the same thing, when truth is of
good : hence it is, that in the
Hebrew tongue, so frequent men
tion is made of Vfe, and also of
lives." A. C. 3623. Thus by life,
here, is not meant long Ufe in the
world, but the Ufe of tmth and
good, which is spiritual life, and
its attendant happiness. "Who is
the man, that desUes this ?" is the
question, which is put. Hence it
is added, And loves days, that lie
may see good (literally, days to see
good). Days signify states (for aU
times signUy, in the spiritual sense,
states). Days that he may see good —
states in which he may have per
ception of interior good, vrith its
peace of soul. In the verses that
foUow, direction is given how to
attain such states.
Verses 13, 14.— In these two

verses the means are pointed out of
attaining the spiritual life, and hea
venly good, referred to in the pre
vious verse. Keep thy tongue from
evil, and thy lips from speaking deceit.
By the lips and tongue, as being
organs of speech, is signified, in the
internal sense, thought from which
speech proceeds : hence, to keep the
tongue and lips from evil and deceit,
is meant not only to avoid speaking
anything evU, but also to refrain
from even thinking it : that is,
when an evil thought comes into the
mind, — not to cherish such thought,
but to resist it, and drive it away.
Evil, here, has reference more par
ticularly to what is opposed to tmth,
and deceit to what is opposite to
good. — Depart from evil and do good.
As we must not think or speak evU,
stUl less must we do it ; for doing is
ultimation, and ultimation fixes a
thing in the Ufe, thus in the whole
man : hence the doing of evil is above
aU things to be avoided. Bnt, on
the contrary, we must do good, " as
we have opportunity:" so wUl the
love of doing good become fixed in
the Ufe and in the heart. — It is
added, Seek peace and pursue it,
"Peace is a blessing of the heart
and soul, arising from the conjunc
tion of the Lord vrith heaven and
the Church, and this from the con
junction of good and truth vrith
those who are therein ; whence
there is no longer any combat of

XXXIV]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

LO/

15 The eyes of the Loed are upon the righteous.
And his ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those that do evil,
To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

the evU and false against good and
truth, that is, no disagreement and
war (spirituaUy imderstood) : hence
arises peace, in which is effected all
fructification of good and aU multi-
pUcation of truth, consequently aU
intelligence and vrisdom. And since
that peace is of the Lord alone, and
from him with angels in heaven and
vrith men in the Church, therefore
by peace, in the supreme sense, is
meant the Lord, and in a respective
sense the Church, consequently good
conjoined to tmth vrith those who
are therein. From this description
of peace, an idea may be found of
the signification of peace in the fol-
lovring passage : Depart from evil and
do good ; seek peace and pursue it ;
where peace is used to denote aU
things of heaven and the Church,
whence is derived the feUcity of
eternal Ufe : since such felicity is
given only to those who are iu good,
therefore it is said, Depart from, evil
and do good," Ap. Ex. 365. The
terms seek and pursue have reference,
the former to the understanding, the
latter to the wiU : to seek is to reflect
upon the value of, to purpose as an
end : to pursue is to desUe ardently,
and strive to attain.
Verse 15. — " By the eyes, ia the
Word, is signifled the understanding,
and when spoken of the Lord, his
Divine vrisdom, and also his Divine
omniscience and providence." A. R.
48. Hence, by the eyes of the Lord
being upon the righteous is meant that
his wisdom wUl eidighten them, and

his providence guide and keep them.
— As the eye corresponds to the un
derstanding, so the ear corresponds
to the wUl ; for to hear signifles to
hearken, that is, to wiU and obey.
" Eyes and ears, when predicated of
Jehovah, signUy infinite inteUigence
and infinite wUl." A. C. 3869.
Hence, by the Lord's ears being open
to the cry of the righteous, is signified
that from his Divine vrill or love
he attends to theU supplication, and
grants it, so far as vriU be for their
real good.
Verse 16. — The /ace is the image
of the affections : hence, by the
Lord's face is signified his Divine
love. But, " in an opposite sense,
the face of Jehovah signifies anger
and aversion, because a bad man
turns himself away from the Lord ;
and when he turns himseU away, it
appears as if it were the Lord who
turns himseU away and is angry."
A. R. 939. Thus, the words, the
face of the Lord is agai-nst those that
do evil, means, in the true sense, that
those who do evU are in a state of
opposition to the Lord. — To cut off
the remernbra-nce of them from the
ea/rth. By the earth, in the sijiiitual
sense, is signified the Church ; and
also heaven, which is the Church
above. Hence, to cut off the remem
brance of them from the earth, signifles
that the wicked cut themselves ofl'
from the Church and from heaven.
(SeeA. C. 7547.) It is said the remem-
brance of them, because to remember,
in the spiritual sense, signifles con-

158

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXIV.

17 Tlie righteous cry, and the Loed hears.
And deUvers them from aU their distresses.
18 The Loed is near to the broken in heart.
And saves the contrite in spirit.
19 Many are the evUs of the righteous :
But the Lord wUl deliver him out of them alL
20 He keeps aU his bones :
Not one of them shaU be broken.

junction : this is " because, in the
other lUe, the remembrance of any
one conjoins, for as soon as any spirit
remembers another, he is presented
at hand, so much so as that they can
converse together." A. C. 5229.
Consequently, non-remembrance sig
mfles disjunction, separation. On
the other hand, "the righteous," it
is declared, " shall be in everlasting
remembrance." (Psalm cxU. 6.)
Verse 18. — By the broken in
heart (or, ihe broken-hearted) are sig
nifled those whose unll is humbled
and subdued ; whUe by the contrite
in spirit are signified such as are
without pride of imderstanding : for
when the terms heart and spirit are
used in connection, the former signi
fies the will, and the latter the un
derstanding (D. L. and W. 383). It
is said, the Lord is near to the broken
in heart, because spUitual nearness
is simUarit}- or agreement of state.
When man is in pride of heart, or,
wluch is the same, in seU-love, he is
far removed from the Lord, for seU-
love is the very opposite of Divine
love: wherefore it is declared that
the proud are far off (PsaUn oxxxvUi.
6). But when man's pride and seU-
love are broken, and he comes into a
state of hmniUty, then he is near to
the Lord, for the Lord is " meek and
lowly in heart" (Matt. xi. 29) : and
then, by tins nearness and conjunc

tion, the Lord blesses him, and fiUs
his heart vrith peace. — And saves (or,
as it might be rendered, helps, suc
cors) the contrite in spirit. Those
who are flUed with pride of under
standing, and think "they know,"
and can guide themselves, shut out
the influx of light from the Lord, and
so faU into errors and evUs and mise
ries. But the contrite in spirit, who
distrust theU own understanding,
and humbly look to the Lord for
guidance, are helped by the Lord,
brought out of theU darkness and
difiiculties, and led into the way of
truth, righteousness, and peace.
Verse 19. — Many are the evils of
the righteous. Evils, here, may sig
nUy either inward evdls, or outward
evils and troubles, or both. The
righteous, even the best of them, have
many inward evils to overcome ; and
they are, also, subject to mauy out
ward troubles and distresses, which
are permitted by the Lord as a means
of assisting them to overcome those
evUs, by breaking down the spUit of
pride and seU-dependence, and teach
ing them to look in humility to the
Lord for support. And in propor
tion as they do thus look to him, and
at the same time strive to do his
vrill, the Lord vrill graduaUy deliver
them from all theU evUs, both in
ward and outward.
Verse 20.— By bones, in the spir-

XXXIV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

159

21 EvU shaU slay the wicked:
And those that hate the righteous shaU be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the soul of his servants ;
And none of those that trust in him shaU be condemned.

itual sense, are signified truths ; for
as the bones support the body, so
tmths sustain the mind. By none
of the bones being broken, is signified
that the Lord wUl protect and keep,
'in theU due order and connection,
aU the truths in the mind ; for upon
these the peace and coinfort of the
spiritual man depend. (See A. C.
8005 : see also note on PsaUn vi. 2.)
— This declaration may be taken as
true, also, in the Uteral sense. The
Lord vriU protect those who trust in
him from aU bodUy harm, and wiU
permit nothing to happen to them
but what is for theU good : as it is
declared, " the very haUs of your
head are all numbered" (Matt. x. 30).
" AU things, yea, the smaUest things
of aU, even to the least of the least,
are dUected by the Lord, even as to
the very steps." A. C. 6493.
Verse 21. — Evil shall slay the
wicked. Evil brings its own tor
ment and punishment : it spirituaUy
slays those who give themselves up
to it, and brings upon them the
" second death," the death of the
soul — And tlwse that hate the right
eous shall he condemned (or, as it
might be rendered, shallbe punished).
Infemal spirits are ever striving to
iujure the good ; but the Lord pro
tects them, and causes the evil pur

poses of the vricked to recoU upon
themselves ; and thus are they pun
ished. Verse 22. — Redeems, that is, de
Uvers theU soul out of the power of
the evU, — protects them from the
infemals. — Of his servants. By ser
vants, intiie spiritual sense, are signi
fied such as love truth, and Uve in obe
dience to it; for, abstractly, truth
itseU is caUed servant, as being the
servant and instrument of good.
(See Ap. Ex. 409.)— Here, by ser
vants are understood distinctively
the spiritual, and by those that trust
in him, the celestial, for the charac
teristic of these is love to the Lord,
and humble dependence upon him.
Shall not be condemned (or punished),
" The Lord vriU not condemn him
[the righteous] when he is judged,"
Psalm xxxvU. 33. " Every evU
brings vrith it punishment, evU and
punislunent being conjoined ; where
fore whoever is in evU, is also in the
punishment of evU. But good spirits
are by no means punished, even
though they had done evUs in the
world, for theU evUs do not retum :
and it is also given them to know,
that theU evils were of a different
nature, not being done from any
intent contrary to the tmth." (H.
and H. 509.)

160 NOTES ON THE PSALMS [XXXV.
PSALM XXXV.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Concerning the Lord's combats against the hells, and their suh
jugation cmd prostration, Yeisea 1—10; that they intend death to
him, because he wishes them good, whence he is grieved, 11—16 ; a
prayer that he may be preserved from them, whence he will have
joy, 17, 18; that they blaspheme him, 19-21, 25; that from his
Divine he will overcome them, 22-24, 26 ; hence tlie righteousness
ofthe Lord will have praise, 27, 28.
A Psalm of David.
1 Contend, 0 Loed, with those that contend with me :
Fight against those that fight against me.
2 Lay hold of shield and buckler,
And arise to my help.
3 Stretch out the spear, and stop the way against my persecutors :
Say to my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let those that seek my soul, be put to shame and confusion :
Verses 1-3. — This Psalm treats, it is so said because aU implements
in the supreme sense, of the Lord's of war signUy such things as pertain

combats vrith the hells ; and the hu- to spiritual warfare. By a
manity here calls upon the Divinity since it defends the head, is signified
to sustain it in these dUe struggles, protection agaUist the falses that
In a secondary sense, it is the com- destroy the understanding of truth ;
bats of every regenerating man with by a buckler, since it defends the
his own spiritual foes, that are re- breast, is signified protection against
ferred to ; and in this sense, the the falses that destroy charity, which
prayer is well applicable to our own is the wUl of good ; and by a spear,
states. — Contend— fight : the foimer since it defends aU parts of the body,
term has reference to assaults by is signified protection in general
falses, — the latter, by evils. " That On account of such things being sig-
in this passage by fighting, laying nified, it is added. Say to my soul, I
hold of shield and buckler, and put- am thy salvation." (Ap. Ex. 734.)
ting out the spear, is not meant Uter- Verse 4. — We have here two
ally to use those arms of war, is pairs of terms, put to shame and con-
evident from the fact that these fusion, turned back and confounded^-
things are spoken of Jehovah ; but besides the two members of the

XXXV]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

161

Let those that purpose evU to me be turned back and con
founded.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind ;
And let the angel of the Loed overthrow them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery.
And let the angel of the Lord pursue them.

verse : in all such cases, the one
term, and paU of terms, as also the
one member of the verse, refers to
good, and the other to truth, — or,
oppositely, the one to evU and the
other to falsity : this is on account of
the marriage or union of good and
truth, which pervades every part of
the Divine Word. — Let those that seek
my soul, has reference to tempters
such as seek to destroy the truth in
the mind, for the term soul signifies,
distinctively, the understanding of
truth (A B. 681); whUe, on the
other hand, those who purpose evil to
me, has reference to such as seek to
destroy the good in the heart. — To be
put to shame and confusion, signifies
to be left in their falses and con
sequent evils : whUe to he turned back
and confounded signifies to be cast
down into theU own evUs and con
sequent falses. For there are two
classes of infemal spUits, those who
are opposed to the spUitual, and
those opposed to the celestial: the
former are more in falses and in the
evils thence derived ; the latter, more
in evUs and in the falses thence
derived. Verse 5. — As chaff before the unnd:
see note on Psalm i. 4. Let the angel
of Hie Lord overthrow them. " The
power of the angels in the spiritual
world is so great as to exceed belief.
If anything there resists, which is to
be removed because it is contrary to
Divine order, they cast it down and

overturn it merely by an effort of
the wiU and a look : mountains oc
cupied by the evU are cast down and
overthrown, and sometimes shaken
from one end to the other, as in
earthquakes ; rocks also are openedin
the midst even to the deep, and the
evil upon them swaUowed up ; hun
dreds of thousands of evU spUits are
dispersed and cast into hell by them :
numbers are of no avaU against
them, nor arts, cunning, or confed
eracy ; for they see all, and disperse
them in a moment. But it is to be
known, that the angels have no
power at aU from themselves but
from the Lord, and they are so far
powers as they acknowledge this."
H. and H. 229-30.
Verse 6. — Let their way be dark
and slippery. Dark has reference to
the false, and slippery to evU: the
word translated slippery signifies pro
perly smooth, having aUusion, pro
bably, to the smoothness of deceit
and cunning, which is essential evU.
Under such smoothness there is a
trap, into which, whUe the wicked
seek to draw others, they themselves
fall (see below, verse 8) — for evil
ever punishes itself (A parallel pas
sage may be seen in Jeremiah xxiii.
12, "TheU way shall be to them
as sUppery in the dark : they shaU
be driven on, and faU therein.")
In this and the two preceding verses
an imprecation seems to be uttered
against wicked men ; but in the true

162

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXV.

7 For without cause they hid their net for me :
Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him when he knows not :
And let his net which he hid, catch himself ;
Let him fall into it to his destruction.
9 And my soul shaU rejoice in the Loed :
It shaU exult in his salvation.
10 AU my bones shaU say, 0 Loed, who is like thee.
That deUverest the afiUcted from him that is stronger than he.
Yea, the afflicted and poor from his spoiler ?

sense, it is simply a prayer for pro
tection against infemal spirits.
Verse 7. — Net — pit. Net has
reference to evU (A. C. 9348), pit to
the false, by both of which tempters
seek to ensnare the soul. — Without
cause, that is, vrithout provocation,
impUes that they deUght in doing
evU from the mere love of it; for
such infernal love is theU very lUe.
Verse 8. — Let his net which he
hid, catch himself. " Every evU car
ries vrith it its own punishment.
This is the law of retaUation, which
has its origin in this Divine law,
'All things whatsoever ye would
that men should do to you, do ye
even so to them.' This law in hea
ven is the law of mutual love or
charity, whence there exists in heU
the opposite, thus that there what
ever evil any one vrishes to do to
another happens to himself." A. R.
762. — Let him fall into it, that is,
into the pit, understood : as before
explained, pit signifies falsity, and
net eril. It is therefore added, to
his destruction. Destruction is the
opposite of salvation ; and as salva
tion signifies a state of good and
truth, with its blessedness, so de
struction, signifies a state of evil and
falsity, with its wretchedness. "De
struction signifies the dissipation of

good and truth." Ap. Ex. 449. It
is said, 'Wlien he knows not. " The
Lord of that servant shaU come in a
day when he looks not for him, and
in an hour when he knows not."
(Luke xU. 46.) The meaning is,
that evdl secretly and hiddendy de
stroys man's interiors, in a way and
to a degree that he is not aware of :
bUnded by evil deUght, man gives
himself up to seU-indulgence, tUl
painful consequences come unex
pectedly upon him. Hence the
Lord says, " What I say to you, I
say to all. Watch " (Mark xiiL 37).
(See Ap. Rev. 164.)
Verse 10. — All my bones shall say,
&c. Bones denote truths, or the know
ledges of truth, wliich sustain the
mind, as the bones sustain the body.
(A. C. 8005.) All the bones saying,
then, signifies that all the truths
in his mind shaU acknowledge. —
Afiiicted and poor (or needy and poor).
The afflicted signUy those who, from
ignorance of truths, are infested by
falses ; and the poor, such as desUe
good, bnt have yet attained Uttle of
it, and thus are tormented by evils.
(A. C. 9209). " By needy are meant
those who are deficient in the Imow-
ledges of truth, and by poor, such as
are deficient in the knowledges of
good." Ap. Ex. 238.

XXXV.l

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

163

11 MaUcious witnesses have risen up :
They question me concerning things which I know not.
] 2 They requite me evU for good.
Even to the bereavement of my soul.
13 But, as for me — in their sickness, my clothing was sackcloth;
I afflicted my soul with fasting.
And my prayer returned to my own bosom.
14 I conducted myself as if he were my companion, my
brother ;
I bowed down mourning, as one who laments for a mother.

Verse 11. — Malicious witnesses,
&c. By these are signified accusing
spUits, who in ttme of temptation
often distress the conscience by in
sinuating charges of evU doing, for
which there is no just foundation.
The aUusion here is similar to that
in Psalm xxvU. 12.
Verse 12. — Even to ihe bereavement
of my soul (or, as it might be rendered,
of my life). This seems to refer to
the Lord's persecution by the Jews
(see the Summary of the Internal
Sense). He had come to do them
good; but for this they requited him
evU, even to the destruction of his
natural life.
Verse 13. — Butasforme,&c, The
language of this verse is descriptive
of the Lord's tender love for man
kind, his earnest desUe to save them
from sin and suffering, and his deep
compassion at theU miserable state.
In their sickness, that is, viewing the
state of spiritual disease in which the
Jewish nation and Church was. —
My clothing was sackcloth, " By being
clothed in sackcloth, was signified la
mentation on account of the devasta
tion of truth in the Church ; for
garments signUy tmths, wherefore to
be clothed in sackcloth, which is not
a garment, signified lamentation, be

cause there is no truth, and, where
there is no truth, there is no Church."
A. R. 492. — I afflicted my soul with
fasting. By /astimjr, in Uke manner,
was represented mourning on ac
count of a want of good and truth
m the Church (Ap. Ex. 1189). —
And my prayer [or, though my pray
er] returned to my own bosom, that is,
the prayer is in vain, being rejected
and despised by those for whom it
is made. That this is the meaning,
may be confirmed from a passage iu
the Gospels (Luke x. 6) : " If the
son of peace be there, your peace
sliaU rest upon it ; but U not, it
shall return unto you again ;" which
means, says the Doctrine of the New
Church, "that U they did not re
ceive the things which are of the
Lord, or which are of peace, it would
be taken from them" (Ap. Ex. 365) :
that is, they themselves reject it.
Bosom signifies love, and, in the
Lord's case, the Divine love (Ap.
Ex. 821) ; hence, by the prayer re
turning to his ovm bosom, is signified
that the Lord's love was rejected by
the Jews.
Verse 14. — My companion — my
brother. Brother, in the spiritual
sense, signifies one who is in the
good of love ; companion, one who

164

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXXV

15 But, in my weakness, they rejoice, and gather together :
The abjects, whom I know not, gather together against me :
They tear me, and are not silent.
16 With profaners, who mock for their bread.
They gnash at me with their teetL

is in the truth of faith (A. C. 2360).
I conducted myself as if, &c., means
that the Lord treated the evU-minded
Jews as U they were in good and
truth, — for the Lord loves all and
desUes to bless all. — I bowed down,
mourning [UteraUy, in black], as one
who laments for a mother. " Since
mourning, in the churches which
were before the coming of the Lord,
and which were representative
churches, represented spiritual grief
of mind on account of the want of
truth and good ; — mourning being
used on occasions of oppression by
an enemy, also on occasions of the
deatii of father or mother, and in
other sUnUar cases — oppression by
an enemy signifying oppression by
evUs which are from heU, and father
and mother signifjring the Church
as to good and as to truth, — there
fore, on such occasions they went in
black, as in David, 'J bowed down in
black, as one who mourns for a mother'
(Psalm xxxv. 14) ; for black in the
Word signifies what is not true —
in like manner as darkness, clouds,
obscuritjr, and many other things
from which comes blackness." Ap.
Ex. 372. It may be observed that
the Hebrew term, here rendered in
black, signifies rather dirty, squalid;
it was customary for the Jews, in
mourning, to wear filthy and squalid
garments. Verse 15. — In my weakness; Ute
raUy, in my halting. In the supreme
sense, in which the Lord is treated

of, by halting, is signified a state in
which truths were not yet arranged
in order. (A. C. 4302.) Thus, the
words, m my weakness, or in my halt
ing, have reference to the infirm
state of the Lord's humanity, before
glorification. — The objects, UteraUy,
the smitten, that is, as to the feet,
the halt, lame. By the halt, in a
bad sense, are signified such as are
in no good, and thence in no truth.
(A. C. 4302.) Whom I know not;
the Lord is said not to know the
wicked (Matt. vii. 23), that is, he
has no conjunction with them. —
They tear me, that is, assault me with
reviUngs, as was done by the perse
cuting Jews.
Verse 16. — Who mock for their
bread; literally, mockers of a cake.
This has been commonly supposed
to refer to jesters, buffoons, who ex
hibit theU vrit at the feasts of the
great. But the intemal sense pre
sents a deeper meaning. By a cake,
as by bread in general, is signified
the good of love (Ap. Ex. 146):
hence, mockers of a cake, would seem
to mean those who deride aU good :
hence they are caReA. profane. — Gnash
at me with their teeth. By teeth are
signified falses of the sensual mind,
and by gnashing vehement combat
ing in favor of such falsities (see Ap.
Ex. 556.) Persons of such a cha
racter — and such were the Jews —
hate the truth, and hence they perse
cuted the Lord who was Divine Truth
itself, or the " Word made fiesh."

XXXV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

165

17 Loed, how long wUt thou look on ?
0 rescue my soul from their violence,
My only one from the young Uons.
18 I wUl give thanks to thee in a great congregation :
Amongst a mighty people wiU I praise thee.
19 Let not those who are falsely my enemies, rejoice over
me:
Let not those that causelessly hate me, wink with the
eye.

Verse 17. — Lord. The original
term for Lord here is not the usual
one, Jehovah, but Adonai, which sig
nifies ruler, master, and which has
reference to Divine Truth, whereas
Jehovah signifies Divine Love. The
Lord is here caUed upon, in his
character of Divine tmth, because
Divine truth is all-powerful, and thus
is the great helper. — From their vio
lence (literaUy ^rom their destructions,
or power of destroying). — My only
one: see note on Psalm xxU. 20. Soul
signifies the Ufe of truth : my only
one, the Ufe of good. — Young lions.
By lions, in the Word, are signified
exterior falses, such as are destruc
tive of truth ; and by young Uons
interior falses, such as are destmctive
of good ; for young in a good sense,
signifies what is of innocence, but, in
the opposite sense, what is opposed
to innocence. (Ap. Ex. 714.)
Verse 18. — A great congregation.
See notes on PsaUn xxU. 22, 25.
Properly, much congregation ; for the
term great is precUcated of good, but
much or many of truth. — A mighty
people. As by congregation are signi
fled the spiritual (see notes above re
ferred to), so by a mighty people
are signified probably the spiritual-
natural, such as compose the ultimate
heaven. They are caUed mighty or
strong, because their distinguishing

characteristic is faith, and in faith
there is spiritual strength. The ex
pressions, I will give thanks to Hiee, I
will praise thee, are the utterances
ofthe Lord's humanity, dming temp
tation, declaring that U that human
ity be but delivered and glorified,
then, united to the Divine, it vrill
rejoice for ever in the midst of the
myriad angels of the lower heavens,
to whom that glorified Humanity
has been the medium of salvation.
Verse 19. — Wlio are falsely my
enemies, that is, who are opposed
to Divine Truth from falsity or
through theU love of the false ; wliUe
those who causelessly hate me, signUy
such as are opposed to Divine good
from malice or the mere love of
evil The former class are such as
are called, in the Doctrine of the
New Church, Satans, and the latter.
Devils. — Wink with the eye. This
expression being found in the Divine
Word shows that the motion or ges
ture which it describes is deeply
grounded in human nature. Like
aU natural gestures, it is founded in
the law of correspondence ; the eye
signifies the understandUig or the
thought : hence the sly shutting of
the eye and opening it again, would
seem to represent covered thought or
cunning, of which this gesture is
weU known to be expressive.

166

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXXV

20 For they speak not peace.
But devise words of deceit against the quiet in the land.
21 And they open their mouth wide upon me :
They say. Aha ! Aha ! our eye saw.
22 Thou seest, 0 Loed : be not deaf to my cry :
0 Loed, be not far from me.
23 Arouse thyself, and awake to my judgment —
To my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me according to thy righteousness, 0 Lord, my God,
And let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts. Aha ! we have our wish !
Let them not say, We have swaUowed him up !
26 Let those be confounded and abashed together; who rejoice
at my evU ;
Let those be clothed with shame and contumely, who mag
nify themselves against me.

Verse 20. — For they speak not
peace, &o. This seems to refer to ac
cusing spUits, tempters, who disturb
and distress the mUids of the good
by insinuating accusing thoughts. — ¦
The quiet in the land: the land or
earth signifies the Church ; and the
quiet, members of the Lord's Church
who are at peace from. a good con
science, bnt whom accusing spirits
sometimes distress.
Verse 21. — Tliey say. Aha ! How
natural this picture of maUcious accu
sers !
Verse 22. — Be not deaf, &c. The
Lord is never deaf to our prayers,
nor ever far off, though it appears
so to man in time of temptation. He
only waits for the right moment to
accompUsh our deliverance : as soon
as it is possible — as soon as it will
be for our real good,he wiU deliverus.
Verse 23. — Arouse thyself, &c.
When we consider that these are the
imploring words of the Savior, call-
Uig upon the Divine to sustain him

against his infemal foes, we may
have an idea of the depth and griev
ousness of his temptations : they
must have been, indeed, terrible be
yond human conception. And these
he was enduring aU his Ufe long for
our sakes, and in ac'compUshing the
great work of our redemption. The
Psalms, in great part, treat of the
Lord's temptations : hence much
that is uninteUigible or inconceiv
able to us.
Verse 24. — Judge me : that is,
pass judgment in my case, by
punishing the wicked : the same is
meant by awake to my judgment in
verse 23.
Verse 26. — TFlio rejoice at my
evil. This must refer to the heredi
tary evU which was in the Lord's
humanity, and through which he
endured so much temptation and
suffering. This the infemals rejoiced
at: they took a delight in stUring
up this hereditarj' evil, and in as
saulting the Lord bv means of it.

XXXVL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

167

27 Let those shout and rejoice, that delight in my righteousness!
And let them continually say, The Loed be magnified, who
delights in the peace of his servant.
28 And my tongue shaU speak of thy righteousness,
Thy praise, aU the day.

Verse 27. — That delight in my
righteousness. The righteousness, here
spoken of, as opposed to the evil
mentioned in the 25th verse, is the
Divine righteousness which the Lord
acquired to himseU by combating
the heUs, and at the same time cast
ing out from his humanity its heredi
tary evU tendencies, and introducing
Divine righteousness or goodness in
its place, and, so, glorUying that

himianity ; whereby he made his
humanity Righteousness itseU : as
said in Jeremiah (xxiU. 6), "his name
shall be caUed the Lord our Right
eousness." Verse 28. — My tongue shall speak.
By tongue here is signified confes
sion or acknowledgment. Righteous
ness has reference to good, and praise
to truth.

PSALM XXXYL

SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

Concerning hypocrites, that they think evil, verses 1—4 ; that it
is to be acknowledged that all good and truth are from the Lord,
5-9 ; that good and truth are with those who acknowledge the
Lord, 10 ; that the Lord protects from evil, and that the wicked
perish, 11, 12.
To the Leader of the music : a Psalm of the servant of Jehovah — of David.
1 The transgression of the wicked declares, within my heart,
There is no fear of God before his eyes.

Title. — Of the servant of Jehovah
— of David. David here as every
where in the Psalms, represents the
Lord. By the phrase servant of Je
hovah is signified the Humanity,
which Jehovah assumed, and which
was the servant or instrument
of the Divme. (A. C. 2159.) The
PsaUn appears to be an utterance of

what the Lord in his Humanity
perceived, namely, the states of the
evril and of the good.
Verse 1. — The transgression of the
wicked declares within my heart. Tins
verse has been always regarded as
very obscure, and commentators are
atalosshowtounderstandit: various
opUiions have been held in regard

168

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXVL

2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes :
To find out his iniquity is hateful to him.
3 The words of his mouth are vanity and deceit :
He has ceased to understand and to do good.
4 He meditates iniquity upon his bed :
He has set himself in a way not good :
He shuns not evU.
5 0 Lord, thy mercy is in the heavens :
Thy truth reaches to the skies.

to its meaning. It would seem to
be a declaration of what the Lord
in his Humanity perceived, in re
gard to a certain class of the vricked,
namely, hypocrites. (See Summary,
above.) The Uteral translation of
the clause is. The saying of the trans
gression of the wicked in the midst of
my heart: the meaning appears to
be, This is the impression which the
transgression of the wicked makes
upon my heart ; or. This is what I
perceive in my heart in regard to
the state of the wicked. It is often
said, in the Gospels, that the Lord
knew men's thoughts, and, more
over, that he knew them in himself
(see John vi 61). The meaning of
which would seem to be, that the
Lord, as being Divine and omni
present, perceived, as it were by an
impression made upon himself, the
states of all whether good or evU :
hence it is said, declares within my
heart, or in Hie midst of my heart.
(See T. C. R. 60-62, in regard to the
manner of the Divine omniscience.)
Before his eyes. Eyes signUy the
imderstanding, the mind: the mean
ing is, there is in his mind no thought
of God from the spirit of reverence
and obedience.
Verse 2. — The class ofthe wicked
specially described in these verses,

is the hypocritical class (see the
Summary of the Intemal Sense);
that is, such as are externally moral
and perhaps religious, wlUle inter-
naUy they are evU, cherishing selfish
and evU ends. Wherefore, by flat
tering himself in his own eyes (that
is, in his own mind, or thought, the
eyes signUying the understanding) is
meant that he deceives himseU as
weU as others : his external conduct
being deceit, he looks upon himself
as sufficiently good, not knovring
nor trying to know his own secret
ends of Ufe. For seU-examination
is abhorrent to him : he cannot bear
to look into himself: a glance that
way shows him an abyss which he
dare not fathom. This seems to be
the meaning of the words. To flnd
out his iniquity is hateful to lum.
(See Brief Exposition, n. 114.)
Verse 3. — Vanity and deceit.
'Vanity signifies what is false, and
deceit, evil. To understand and to
do good: that is, to understand truth
and to practise goodness.
Verse 4. — He meditates iniquity
upon his bed. Bed signifies doctrine.
(A. R. 137.) The meaning would
seem to be that Ms very doctrines,
principles of action, are iniquitous.
Verse 5. — Tliy mercy is in the
heavens, &c. " In this passage by

XXXVL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

169

Thy righteousness is as the mountains of God :
Thy judgments are a great deep :
Thou, 0 Loed, preservest man and beast.
How precious is thy mercy, 0 God !
And the sons of man shaU take refuge in the shadow of thy

mercy is sigmfied the Divine good
of the Divine love, and by truth
the Divine truth ; and as Divine
truth is the Ught of heaven, there
fore it is said, Tliy truth is even to
the skies [ethers] ; by which is signi
fied Divine light even to the supreme
heaven, where it is in the highest
degree." Ap. Ex. 541.
Verse 6. — The Lord's righteous
ness is compared to mountains, be
cause mountains, which are natural
elevations, correspond to what is
spirituaUy elevated, namely, love
and charity (see A. C. 795) : it is
said mountains of God, because the
term God signifies Divine truth;
hence, mountains of God signify Di
vine love joined to Divine truth.
— Thy judgments are a great deep.
As righteousness has reference to Di
vine good, judgments signUy Divine
truths : they are caUed a great deep
(UteraUy, much waters, many waves),
because water is the emblem of truth;
the vast ocean is a fit representative
of the infinity of Divine tmths. —
Tliou preservest man and beast. By
man and beast are signified the in
terior or spUitual principle, and the
exterior or natural : consequentiy,
by mMn, the spiritual affection of
truth, from which is all intelligence,
 ancl by beast, the natural affection
corresponding to the spUitual. " The
reason that the exterior or natural
principle is signified by a beast, is
because man, as to his exterior or

natural man is nothing but a beast ;
for he enjoys similar desires, also
pleasures, appetites, and senses,
wherefore the natural man may be
caUed the animal man. — But the
reason that interior or spUitual man
is signified by man, is because man
is man as to his intemal or spUitual
principle, which enjoys the affections
of good and tmth such as belong to
the angels of heaven, and because
man, by means of that spiritual
principle in himself, rules his natural
or animal man." Ap. Ex. 650. By
its being said that the Lord preserves
man and beast, is meant that the
Lord alone sustains both the in
ternal ancl the external man : it is
He who communicates all good affec
tions, whether spiritual or natural,
vrith theU enjoyments.
Verse 7. — Sons of man, signUy
such as are in truth from good ; for
son, in the spiritual sense signifies
tmth, and man, good (A. C. 4287).
In the shadow of thy wings. " Wings,
when predicated of the Lord, signify
His Divine spiritual principle, which
in its essence is truth derived from
good. Hence, to cover under vrings
signifies to guard by Divine truth."
Ap. Ex. 283. Shadow, signifies shel
ter, protection. — Thus, the words,
How precious is thy mercy, refer to
the .sustaining and lUe-giving power
of the Divine love, — and shadow of
thy wings, to the protecting power of
Divine tmth.

170

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXVL

8 They shaU be filled with the fatness of thy house,
And thou wilt cause them to drink of the stream of thy
delights ;
9 For with thee is the fountain of Ufe :
In thy light we shaU see light.
10 0 continue thy mercy to those that know thee.
And thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride approach me :
And let not the hand of the wicked oppress me.

Verse 8. — " By the fatness of thy
house with which they shall he fllled is
signified the good of love and its
satisfaction ; and by the stream of
thy delights of which thou wilt cause
them to drink, is signified inteUigence
and feUcity thence derived." Ap.
Ex. 1159.
Verse 9. — "For with thee is the
fountain of life, signifies that vrith
the Lord, and from him, is Divine
truth ; and since this is signified by
the fountain of life, it is added, in
thy light shall we see light, for by the
Lord's light is signified Divine truth."
Ap. Ex. 4813. The Lord is caUed
the Fountain of life (UteraUy, of
lives) because the Lord is the source
of all good and all tmth, the two
things which constitute spUitual
Ufe. " The reason why the Lord is
the source of all Ufe, is, because he
is the sun of the angelic heaven,
and the Ught of that sun is Divine
tmth, and the heat of that sun is
Divine good ; each is Ufe : hence is
the origin of all lUe in heaven and
in the worid." Ap. Ex. 186. The
words in thy light we shall see light
involve a very important truth,
namely, that spiritual truth {light) is
to be cUscemed, not by the strength
of our natural powers, but by light
or illustration from the Lord {in thy

light) which iUustration is given
to aU who are in good, and in pro
portion to theU degree of good ;
for this opens the mind to recep
tion. Verse 10. — 0 continue thy mercy,
&c. These words signUy " that good
and tmth are vrith those who ac
knowledge the Lord." (See Sum
mary of the Internal Sense.) Mercy
has reference to Divine good, and
righteousness to Divine truth : those
that know thee, signifies the celes
tial, and the upright in heart, the
spiritual. Verse 11. — Tlie foot of pride; ab
stractly for, the foot of the proud. By
the proud, here, are signified such as
are in the pride of theU own under
standing, consequently, who are in
the false (for self-conceit shuts out
of the light of truth) ; whUe by the
wncked are signified such as are in
the love of evU : the former are op
posed to the spUitual, and the latter
to the celestial It is said, the foot
of pride, because the foot, being the
lowest part of the body corresponds
to the lowest part of the mind, that
is, the natural mind : and all those
who are in the pride of theU own
inteUigence, reason from the mere
natural and sensual mind, thus from
falses and fallacies. It is said the

XXXVIL]. NOTES ON THE PSALMS

111

12 There are the doers of iniquity faUen:
They are cast down, and shaU not be able to rise.

hand of the vricked, because the hand
being the instrument of action, cor
responds to the will ; and the wicked
signify such as are in the wUl of
evU. The prayer, in its general

sense, is for protection against such
as are in the false and in evU.
Verse 12. — Tiiere! that is, behold!
as U a picture of the final lot of the
wicked were before his eyes.

PSALM XXXVIL
SUMMARY OF THE INTERNAL SENSE.
A comparison between the lot of the evil and that of the good ;
that the evil, though they flourish for a short time, at length perish,
and are cast into hell, verses 1, 2, 8-10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 21, 28, 32,
35, 36, 38; that the good are saved hy the Lord, and taken up
into heaven, verses 3-7, 11, 16, 18, 19, 22-31, 33, 34, 37, 39, 40.
A Psalm of David.

1 Fret not thyself at the wicked :
Envy not the doers of iniquity :
2 For they shaU soon be cut down, Uke the grass,
And wither like the green herb.

This is one of the most precious
and practical of the Psalms. It has,
doubtless, brought comfort to thou
sands and tens of thousands, when
ia affliction, and especiaUy when
under persecution from bad men in
power ; and it wiU continue to be a
support and a deUght to the spUitual-
minded for ever.
Verse 1. — Fret not thyself, &c. —
This opening passage is the key
note to the Psalm. Do not permit
yourself, it declares, to get into a state
of excitement and indignation, be
cause you find the evil sometimes

succeed and the good suffer: the
Lord vriU bring it aU right in the
end. StUl less have you need to
envy the prosperity of the vricked,
for it vriiU be very short-Uved. Tlie
wicked — the doers of iniquity. Dis
tinctively, the former term has re
ference to those who act in opposi
tion to good, the thoroughly mali
cious : the latter, to such as act in
opposition to truth : both are evil.
Verse 2. — Like the grass. Grass,
in a good sense, signifies scientifics,
that is, knowledge in the memory,
which are the lowest things of in-

172

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXVIL

Trust in the Loed, and do good :
And thou shalt dweU in the land, and feed on truth.
DeUght thyself, also, in the Loed,
And he wUl give thee the requests of thy heart.

tellect, as grass is lowest in the vege
table kingdom ; but, when spoken
of the evil, grass signifies scientifics
tumed to a bad use, aad made the
means of confirming the mind in
fallacies and falses. "Green grass
signifies scientific truth which is
aUve, but grass burnt up signifies
scientific falsity which is dead.
When the truth and good which
come from heaven, do not find a
receptacle with man in knowledges
and scientifics, but in evUs and fal
sities which are from hell, — then
scientifics are not alive, but dead,
and correspond to grass withered
and burnt up. When man becomes
of this description, he is, from cor
respondence, compared in the Word
to grass, and is also caUed grass: as
in David, ' Fret not thyseU at the
vricked ; envy not the doers of
iniquity ; for, like the grass, they
shall soon be cut down, and, like
the green herb, they shall wither.'
PsaUn xxxvU. 2." Ap. Ex. 507. So
in Isaiah (xl. 6, 7), " All flesh is
grass, and aU its goocUiness is as the
flower of the field : the grass vrithers,
the flower fades." — The green herb
signifies low and vile pleasures, or
such as are merely worldly ancl
bodUy (see A. C. 996). — Thus grass,
here, signifies falsified scientifics or
falses, and green herb sensual plea
sures or evils. As the green thing
soon withers, so the mere sensual
pleasure of the wicked is soon over,
and leaves a blasted and vrithered
soul.

Verse 3. — And thou shalt dwell
in the land. That this is to be un
derstood as a promise, a reward, or
what is the same, a result, of trusting
in the Lord and doing good, is evident
from verse 29, below, where it is
declared that the righteous shaU
dwell in the land forever. By the
land, in the spUitual sense, is signi
fied the Church, and also heaven. —
" When land is named in the Word,
the land of Canaan is meant, and
this signifies the Church, because
the Church, from the most ancient
times, had been in that land." A.
C. 5577. The land of Canaan also
signifies heaven, for it was to the
IsraeUtes the promised land ; by
Israel is sigmfied the spiritual man,
and his promised land is heaven.
Feed on truth. Truth understood is
the food of the inteUect, and tmth
practised is the food of the wUl :
for by being done it is tumed into
good, and fiUs the heart. "It is
written, man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that pro-
ceedeth out of the mouth of God "
(Matthew iv. 4). This is angels'-
food. Verse 4. — Here is a sweet pro
mise. If we wUl but delight ourselves
in the Lord, we shaU have aU our
vrishes gratified. The reason is this :
to delight ourselves in the Lord
means to desUe that his wUl should
be done, not om- ovm, — to give up
our wUl, and make his will ours :
thus, our wishes having become
the same as the Lord's, are sure to

XXXVIL] NOTES ON THE PSALMS

173

Commit thy way to the Loed, and trust in him,
And he wiU bring it to pass.
And he wUl bring forth thy righteousness as the
light,
And thy judgment as the noon-day.

be gratified, because they vriU be
right. And, in tmth, this is the
highest wisdom, to give up our own
wiU, and choose the Lord's ; for,
consider that the Lord's wiU, in re
gard to ns, is a Divine desUe for our
greatest good and happiness to eter
nity, whereas our own vriU is often
for some fancied good, which, even
U attained, wUl prove to be only
evU and unhappiness. Our daily
prayer should be, — Uke that of the
Lord whUe on earth, — Uke that of
the human to the Divine, — " Father,
not my wiU, but thine be done"
(Luke xxU. 42).
Verse 5. — Commit thy way to the
Lord, &c. How comprehensive and
how comforting are these words I
Whatever it is that we vri^h to
accompUsh, — whatever it is that our
heart is set upon (provided only it
be right) — if we go to the Lord in
chUdUke trust, and ask for guidance
and dUection, and then do the best
we can. He wiU, by the woncUous
workings of lUs providence, bring it
about in due time. WhUe those who
go forward in theU own strength,
stumble and fall and faU, the right
eous who look to the Lord and put
theU trust in him, have an Almighty
supporter who vrill hold them up,
and lead them in the right way, and
give them everj'thing it is desirable
for them to have, first on earth, and
afterwards in heaven.
Verse 6. — " Righteousness and
judgment are often mentioned to

gether in the Word : righteousness
has reference to good, and judgment
to tmth." A. C. 2235. The pro-
nUse here, " that the Lord will bring
forth thy righteousness as the light,
and thy judgment as the noon-day,"
when connected vrith the preceding
verse, signifies apparently that those
who look to the Lord and put theU
trust in him, vriU be interiorly
cheered and enlightened : by such
trust the interiors of their minds wUl
be opened, and the Lord vrill hriiig
forth or send down from himself and
from heaven righteousness, that is,
good, into the vrill, and judgment or
truth into the understanding. It is
said, thy righteousness as the light,
and thy judgment as the noon-day.
The Hebrew word {aor) here ren
dered light, signifies morning Ught,
which is red or golden, as distin
guished from the white or bright
Ught of noon ; the former signifies
celestial Ught, which is from love,
and is therefore predicated of right
eousness or good ; whUe the latter,
noon-day, signifies spUitual light,
and is therefore spoken of judgment
or truth. — A beautiful paraUel pas
sage may be seen in Isaiah (Iviii. 8,
10), speaking of those who refrain
from evU and do good : " Then shall
thy Ught break forth as the morning :
thy righteousness shaU go before
thee. — Then sliaU thy Ught rise ia
obscurity, and thy darkness be ae
the noon-day."

174

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXVIL

7 Be sUent before the Lord, and wait patiently for him :
Fret not thyself at him who prospers in his way, —
At the man who effects evU devices.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath :
Fret not thyself so as to do evU.
9 For evU-doers shaU be cut off:
But those that wait upon the Lord, they shall possess the land.
10 For yet a Uttle whUe, and the wicked wUl not be :
Yea, thou mayest look for his place, and he wiU not \)B found.
11 But the afflicted shaU possess the land.
And shaU deUght themselves with the abundance of peace.

Verse 7. — Prospers in his way ;
literally, causes his way to succeed.
Way, in a good sense, signifies truth
(A. C. 627), but, in an opposite
sense, the false : hence, who causes
his way to succeed, signifies who is
successful by some means or in some
end opposed to the touth : while
the man who carries out evil devices
has reference to one who accom-
pUshes purposes opposed to good,
some maUcious ends. This verse con
tains important instruction, teaches
a necessary lesson. How often are
we disposed to feel indignant when
we see the vricked succeed in theU
plans, and the good faU. We here
are taught not to distress ourselves
about this. There is an over-ruling
Providence governing all things.
He makes use even of the evU to
accomplish his own vrise ends : he
lets them prosper only so long as
they can be made serviceable, and
he vrill turn all their meditated evU
to final good. We have to wait
caUnly on Him, and aU will be well.
Verse 8. — Anger — wrath. "There
are frequently two expressions used
in the Word, which appear like re
petitions, and as synonymous, when
yet they are not ; as, for instance,

anger and wrath : anger is predicated
of evU, and wrath of the false." S.
S. 84. That is, when anything oc
curs that comes in opposition to
one's self-love, the feeling of anger
is excited : bnt when anything is
presented which is opposed to the
false principle in which one is con
firmed, the feeling aroused is called
wrath, (See A. G. 3613). Fret mi
thyself so as to do evil: that is, do
not give way to passions the effect of
which vrill be to lead you into evU.
Verse 9. — Cut off. To be cut off
signifies to be separated from the
good and condemned. (A. C. 7889.)
Those that wait upon the Lord ; that
is, who look to him, trust in him,
and seek to do his vriU. Tliey shall
possess the land, that is, the church
and heaven (see note on verse 3).
Verse 10. — This verse teaches, in
general terms, how short-lived is the
prosperity of the vricked : they may
seem to succeed and rise, and till
high places in the world for a time ;
but they soon pass away, their suc
cesses presently have au end, and
then their judgment comes.
Verse 11. — Shall possess tlu land;
see note on verse 9. " By the
afflicted, here, are meant those who

XXXVIL] NOTES ON THE PSALMS

175

12 The wicked plots against the righteous.
And gnashes at him with his teeth :
13 The Lord laughs at him :
For he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bow.
To bring down the afflicted and poor.
And to slay those that are upright in the way :

are in temptations in the world ; by
the abundance of peace with which
they shall be delighted, are signified
the delights which succeed tempta
tions ; for, after temptations, de
Ughts are given from the Lord, re
sulting from the conjunction of good
and truth at such times, and thence
from conjunction with the Lord."
Ap. Ex. 365.
Verse 12. — Gnashes at him voitli
his teeth. " One who does not know
the spiritual sense of the Word, may
suppose that mention is made of the
gnashing of teeth merely because when
men gnash their teeth, they are
angry and intend evU ; but the tme
reason is that by gnashing of teeth
are understood the effort and act of
destroying truths by falses, for the
teeth signUy falses in the extremes,
and gnashing signifies vehemence of
combating in favour of them. — By
the gnashing of teeth in the hells, is
meant the contUiual disputing and
combatUig of falses against each
other, and against truths." Ap. Ex.
556. Hence, by the evU gnashing
their teeth at the righteous, are sig
nified, in the spiritual sense, tempta
tions, in which either bad men or evil
spirits strive to destroy truths in the
mind by false reasonings, and thus
to lead astray.
Verse 13. — Laughs at him: that
is, smUes at his impotent efforts to
injure the righteous, who are under

the Divine protection : not that the
Lord rejoices at the fall or even at
the weakness of any one, not even
of the most vricked, for He loves aU ;
but this is a strong expression, suited
to human ideas, to describe the utter
impotence of the vricked. — It may
be remarked that the Hebrew term,
here, translated Lord, is not Jehovah,
which signifies the Divine love ; love
never laughs : but it is Adonai, which
signifies lord or ruler, thus Divine
truth, which rules or governs. Now
laughter belongs to truth or the
rational principle of the mind, for
thence is it derived. (See A. C.
2216). So nicely are distinctions
observed in the use of terms in the
Word. — That his day is coming: day
is state, that is, his state of mere evU,
when, being deprived of truth, and
cast down, he wUl lose all power to
deceive by false reasonings.
Verse 14. — " By the afflicted and
poor are meant those who are spirit
ually such, but who stiU desUe the
knowledges of truth and good. It is
said that the wicked draw the sword
and bend the how against them : by
the sword is signified the false com
bating against truth, and endeavour
ing to de.stroy it ; and by the how the
doctrine of what the false in opposi
tion and the doctrine of truth." Ap.
Ex. 238. — Upright in the way. Way,
in the spiritual sense, signifies truth,
for truth is the way or path that

176

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXVII.

15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart,
And their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is the Uttle of the righteous man
Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shaU be broken:
But the Loed upholds the righteous.
18 The Loed knows the days of the innocent,
And their inheritance shaU be forever :
19 They shall not be put to shame in the time of evil,
And in the days of famine they shaU be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shaU perish ;

leads to good (A. C. 627) : hence Hie
upright in the way signifies such as
live according to truth. To slay sig
iufies to destroy spirituaUy.
Verse 15. — "Their sword shall enter
into their own heart signifies that they
vrill perish by their own falsity ; and
their bows shall be broken signifies that
their doctrines of falsity will be dis
sipated ; which also takes place after
their departure from the world, for
theU falses destroy them, — and their
doctrine, so far as it has been applied
to truths [that is, made use of to
pervert truths] is dissipated." Ap.
Ex. 357.
Verse 17. — Better is the little, &c.
This may be taken either in the
literal, or in the spiritual, sense : in
both senses it is true. In the spUit
ual sense, by possessions are always
signified knowledges ot tmth, for these
constitute spUitual riches. In this
sense, the little of a righteous man is
better tham, the abundance of many
wicked, because the good man, though
for want of instruction he may be
possessed of but little truth in this
Ufe, yet has in his heart the heavenly
soil of love, in which the seeds of
truth can be sown to an indefinite
extent hereafter ; while the evU,

though they may be full of learn
ing and have their memories stored
vrith tmths, yet vrill lose them all
after death, because they were not
grounded in the heart. " From him
that hath not," says the Lord, " shaU
be taken away even that which he
seemeth to have" (Luke viii. 18).
Verse 17. — Tlie arms, that is, the
powers of the wicked shall be broken;
the arm corresponds to power (see
A. C. 4933).
Verses 18, 19. — " By the days of
the innocent [or, the man of integrity]
are signified the states of those who
are in good, and thence in tmths, or
who are in charity and thence in
faith ; by their inheritance being for
ever is .signified that they are the
Lord's and in heaven ; by their
not being put to shame in the time of
evil is signified that they conquer,
when tempted by evils ; and by
their being satisfied in the days of
famine is signified that they will be
sustained by truths, when tempted
and infested by falses : for the time
of evil and the days of famine signUy
states of temptation, and these are
from evils and falses." ilp. Ex. 386.
Verse 20. — " That the wicked and
the enemies of the Lord shall be con-

XXXVIL] NOTES ON THE PSALMS

111

And the enemies of the Loed shaU be consumed
Like the beauty of the pastures, —
Into smoke shaU they be consumed.
21 The wicked man borrows, and does not repay :
But the righteous is compassionate and rectdy to give.
22 For those that are blessed by Him shaU inherit the land ;
But those that are cursed by Him shaU be cut off.

sumed into smoke, signifies that they
wUl [spUituaUy] perish by the falses
of evil. Those are called wicked
here who are in falses, and enemies
who are in evU ; smoke signifies the
false derived from evil." Ap. Ex.
539. Fire, in a bad sense, signifies
evU ; hence the smoke which comes
from fUe, represents the false that
springs from evil. — Like the beauty
(or glory) of the pastures. In the old
translation, these words are rendered,
as the fat of lambs : but the Hebrew
term for lambs signifies also pastures,
as in Psalm Ixv. 13, " the pastures
are clothed vrith flocks." There is
no correspondence of the vricked
vrith lambs, for lambs signUy inno
cence itseU ; but the vricked are often
compared to the beauty of the pastures,
or grass, which fades away. (Luther
and others so translate this passage.)
Verse 21. — " In the Word, where
mention is made ot borrowing and lend
ing, the signification is to be instructed
and to instruct from the affection of
charity. By giving and receiving
what is borrowed, is meant the com
munication of heavenly goods, which
are the knowlegdes of good and truth.
For, in regard to such communica
tion, the case is, that the more an
angel gives to another from the af
fection of charity, the more flows in
with him from the common good out
of heaven, that is, from the Lord :
thus, by givring to hUn that asks, an

angel is not deprived of goods, but
enriched ; the case is the same vrith
man, when he does good to another
from the affection of charity. But
it is charity to give to the good, not
charity to give to the evil what they
ask and desUe ; according to these
words in David, The wicked borrows,
and does not repay; but the righteous
is compassionate, and ready to give
[literaUy, is giving]. By being com
passionate and ready to give, is de
scribed the state of those who are in
genuine charity." A. C. 9174. — By
the wicked borrowing and not repay
ing, is signifled that it is the nature
of the evU, to desUe to draw good
from others, but not to communicate
good in retum (for selfishness or seU-
love pervades aU the evil). Whereas,
the state of angels is just the oppo
site : it is their delight to communi
cate good to others, vrithout thought
of recompense.
Verse 22. — Blessed hy Him — that
is, by the Lord. To be blessed by
the Lord is to be receptive of the
blessedness that flows from him,
which blessedness is interior peace
and joy : all those that look to the
Lord and strive to do his vrill, are
thus blessed. — Cursed by Him. The
Lord never curses any one, for he is
Love itseU ; but those are said to be
cursed, who turn themselves away
from the Lord to the love and the
Ufe of evil, and who thus reject the

M

178

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXVIL

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Loed,
And he deUghts in his way.
24 Though he faU, he sliaU not be utterly cast down,
For the Loed upholds his hand.
25 I have been young, and have become old,
And I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his seed seeking bread.
26 He is ever compassionate and ready to lend.
And his seed is blessed.

blessedness which he desires to be
stow upon them. (See A. C. 245).
Sliall be cut off: see note on verse 9.
Verse 23. — Tlie steps of a good
man, &c. The word good is not in
the original, but it is implied : for
man masculine (Hebrew, geber, like
the Latiji vir) signifies spUitually,
truth, or one who is in truth : hence
man, here, signifies a tme man, one
who knows and obeys the truth.
Hence it is said, his steps are ordered
by the Lord — that is, his course is
governed and guided by the Lord,
through his Word. — And he delights
in his way: way, in the spiritual
sense, signifies truth ; hence, as dis
tinguished from steps, way signifies
the state of his understancUng and
thoughts, and stepis the states of his
wrill, and the actions thence pro
ceeding. Verse 24. — Tliough he fall, he
shall not he utterly cast down. This
is a very comforting passage, and,
doubtless, has soothed the troubled
heart of many a pious Christian.
We are aU liable to fall ; we are all
overcome at times ; but the man
who is trying to do right, and to
please the Lord, and keep his com
mandments, will not be allowed to
go far astray. For the Lord upholds
his hand : hand signifies power — the
Lord is his power, his strength ; feel

ing his own weakness, and doubly
so on account of his faU in tempta
tion, he looks up to the Lord, and
implores help, and the Lord comes
to his aid, and lUts him up again,
and sets him once more in the path
of right : and the very humbUng
caused by his fall, vrill be made the
means, perhaps, of his deeper purifi
cation and thus of higher exaltation.
Verses 25, 26. — The Uteral sense
of these verses is sufficiently obvious,
but the spUitual sense is much
deeper. In that sense, it is not
persons, but states of mind that are
described. / have been young, and
have become old, signifies. In aU the
states of perception from inteUigence
to vrisdom, for a young man signifies
intelUgence, and an old man vrisdom.
(Ap. Ex. 270.) I have not seen the
righteous forsaken signifies that good
ness is always sustained by the Lord ;
nor his seed seeking bread signifies
that faith or truth is always suppUed
vrith its corresponding good : for
seed, in the spiritual sense, signifies
truth (A. C. 3373) ; and bread, good.
He is ever (literally, every day, that
is, in every state), compassionate and
ready to lend : see note on verse 21.
— Andhis seed is blessed signifies that
faith or truth, vvith the righteous,
being joined to its good, is filled
vrith righteousness.

XXXVIL] NOTES ON THE PSALMS

179

27 Depart from evU, and do good,
And dweU forever.
28 For the Loed loves judgment.
And will not forsake his saints :
They shaU be preserved forever :
But the seed of the wicked shaU be cut off.
29 The righteous shaU possess the land,
And dweU therein forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous meditates wisdom.
And his tongue speaks judgment.

Verse 27. — Dwell forever : {in the
land, understood) : that is, in the
Church and heaven (see note on
verse 3).
Verse28. — Loves judgment. Judg
ment is predicated of truth (A. C.
2235) ; hence Hie Lord loves judgment
signifies that the Lord loves what is
true and right. Will not forsake his
saints. Saints signifies the pious,
those who are characterised by love
to the Lord, the celestial .(see note on
Psalm xxx. 4). The Lord vriU never
forsake those who look to, and de
pend on, him ; that is, he wiU com
fort and support them under all
trials. — The seed of the wicked shall be
cut off. This is not to be taken in
its Uteral sense, that the posterity or
chUdren of the vricked sliaU perish
for their father's fault ; for the Word
of the Lord declares that " the son
shaU not bear the iniquity of the
father" (Ezekiel xvUi. 20). But
seed, in the spiritual sense, as above
explained, sigiufies truth (see note
on verses 25, 26). It is there said
that the seed of the righteous is
blessed, that is, fUled vrith joy, be
cause theU truth is joined to good ;
whereas, as here declared, the seed of
the wicked shall be cut off, that is truth,
with the vricked, not being joined

to good, has in it no Ufe, and there
fore perishes, or is taken from them,
after death : for then, all truth, that
has not been joined to good by life
and practice, perishes from the mmd
and is lost.
Verse 29. — The land: that is, the
land of Canaan, which, spUitually,
signifies the Church and heaven (see
note on verse 3).
Verse 30. — Tlie mouth, as being
the organ of speech, corresponds to
thought, whence speech is derived.
" That mouth, from correspondence,
and thus in the spiritual sense, sig
nifies thought, but in the natural
sense, utterance, is manUest from
the foUowing passage : The mouth of
the righteous meditates wisdom. Psalm
xxxvU. 30; where by mouth is sig
nified thought grounded in affection,
for man from that thought meditates
wisdom, but not from the mouth and
its speech." Ap. Ex. 580. It may
be remarked that the Hebrew word
hagah, here rendered meditate, signi
fies, primarily, to utter a low sound,
to murmur, to mutter to one's self,
as in meditation ; hence, secondarily,
to meditate. — His tongue speaks judg
ment. Judgment signifies truth (A.
C. 2235), and tongue the perception
and confession of tmth (Ap. Ex. 455).

180

NOTES ON THE PSALMS [XXXVII.

31 The law of his God is in his heart :
His steps shaU not falter.
32 The wicked watches for the righteous,
And seeks to kUl him :
33 The Loed wUl not leave him in his hand.
Nor wUl he condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait upon the Loed, and keep his way.
And he wiU exalt thee to the possession of the land :
When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
35 1 have seen the wicked overbearing,
And spreading himself like a green native tree :

Verse 31. — His steps shall not
falter. The law of God, that is. Di
vine truth, being not merely in his
thought and memory, but in his
heart and wUl, leads to upright and
straightforward actions : he does not
hesitate or waver {falter) between
right and wrong, as the man does
who is seeking only his own interest,
but he asks simply what the right is,
and then does it. — Or, the passage
might be rendered, his steps shall not
slip, that is, he shall not fall into
evil or sin.
Verses 32, 33. — Nor will he con
demn him when he is judged. This
clause seems to have little connec
tion vrith what goes before, if the
passage be taken only in its Uteral
sense ; for what connection is there
between the wicked man's attempt
to kUl the righteous, and the right
eous man's judgment ? But by tak
ing the passage in its spUitual sense,
the cormection wUl be seen. By the
wicked is meant evril spirits that
tempt, that strive to seduce men
into sin, and thus spiritually to de
stroy him : it is declared that the
Lord v/ill protect the righteous man
from these his spiritual foes, and,

moreover, when he is judged, wiU
not impute to him the evU thoughts
which those tempters put into his
mind. Verse 34. — Wait upon the Lord
and keep his way, signifies to look to
the Lord and keep his command
ments ; way, in the spUitual sense,
signifies tmth : thus to keep his way,
to obey the truth. And he shall
exalt thee to the possession of Hie land:
the land signifies the Church and
heaven (see note on verse 3). — JVhen
the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see
it: that is, "you vvUl see that the
vricked, who seem now so prosper
ous, vriU not long stand : they vrill
faU and perish." In a spiritual
sense, this may also refer to the re
moval of evUs from our own hearts,
and a consequent removal of the
tempters who excite them. Nothing
gives the regenerating man more de
Ught than to see his evils cut off, that
is to find their jiower lessening, and
at lengtii becomUig extingiUshed.
Verse 35. — Spreading himself, like
a green native tree: that is, Uke a
tree flourishing in its native soil or
wild state, neither transplanted nor
engrafted, — the image of a man en-

XXXVIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

181

36 But he passed away, and lo ! he was not ;
Yea, I sought him, but he was not to be found.
37 Mark the iimocent man, and behold the upright:
For the end of that man is peace.
38 But transgressors wUl be destroyed together :
The end of the wicked wiU be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Loed :
He is then- strength in the time of trouble.

tUely unregenerate, puffed up with
pride, fuU of the love of seU and of
the world.
Verse 36. — I sought him but he
could not be found. Besides the ob
vious Uteral sense, a more interior
meaning seems to be here impUed :
where persons are mentioned, in the
Uteral sense, principles are referred
to in the spiritual. The regenerat
ing man combats against some par
ticular evU, as anger, Ul-temper, or
some other, again and again, yet
seeming to make but Uttle impres
sion upon it ; when lo ! after a time,
he misses it ; he recoUects how it
used to trouble him, but lately he
has had no disturbance from it. He
seejcs it, hut itis not to be found. The
Lord has removed it. This is the
reward of " patient continuance in
weU-doing,'' and in fighting against
our evils.
Verse 37. — Innocent has reference
to goodness, and upright to truth :
they describe one vvho acts according
to goodness and truth. The end of
that man is peace. By end is not
meant merely the end of lUe, but
the result, the final effect of pursu
ing such a course. After the long
combat against his evils, which the
regenerating man must needs carry
on, there results at length a settled

state of peace, first on earth and
afterwards to eternity in heaven.
Verse 38. — On the other hand,
transgressors, those who transgress
the laws of Divine order by living
in opposition to the Divine com
mandments, vriU be destroyed, that is,
wiU destroy themselves, by coming
at length into a fixed state of evU
and consequent unhappiness ; for
"there is no peace to the vricked"
(Isaiah IvU. 21). Together is used
here in the sense of " mutually," as
in the phrase " contend together : "
the vricked mutuaUy worry and tor
ment each other. — The end of the
wicked will be cut off (or, rather, per
haps, unll be a cutting off). The
meaning is, that while, vrith the
good, the final result is peace — vrith
the vricked, on the contrary, the final
result of theU disorderly course is a
cutting off, a separation from heaven
and its joys. (For the sense of cut
off, see note on verse 9.)
Verses 39, 40. — These verses
make a fit termination to this con
soling Psalm. If we trust in him,
the Lord wUl help) us and deliver us :
he vrill support us in time of trouble :
he vrill protect us from vricked men
and from evU spUits ; and at length
vrill save us, and take us to himself,
and we shall have peace ancl joy for

182

NOTES ON THE PSALMS [XXXVIII.

40 The Lord wiU help th-jm and deliver them :
He wiU deUver them from the wicked, because they trust in
him.
evermore. This vriU be the grand shaU have accompUshed the purpose
termination of our labors, and we of our being.

PSALM XXXYIIL
SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
The grievousness of the Lord's temptation descrihed, verses 1-
10 ; that those who are of the Church seek to put him to death,
verses 11, 12 ; that he bears all with patience, verses 13, 14 ; his
confidence in the Father that the hells will not prevail, verses 9,
15-22. A Psalm of David : to bring to remembrance.

Title. — A Psalm of David: David,
here as throughout the Psalms, re
presents the Lord Jesus Christ.
King David was, indeed, the instru
ment or penman, through whom, by
Divine direction, the Psalms were
vfritten ; but theU contents have
little or no reference to Mm, nor,
probably, did he even understand
the meaning of many of them. He
wrote by mere dictation : he heard
a voice, and wrote down what the
voice uttered. This was the case
with aU the inspUed writers — if we
may apply to them the term "in
spUed" — for it was in fact dictation,
not inspUation, by which they avrote :
the inspUation or Divine Spirit was
not in them or in tlieU minds at all,
but simply in the words which they
wrote: thus they were mere pen
men. And it is this which makes
the Word plenarily inspUed, name
ly, that it has passed through no

human mind or thought at aU, but
was uttered dUectly from the Di
vine. (See A. C. 7055, 1925).— To
bring to remembrance : that is, the
Psalm is uttered to excite remem
brance for the utterer. This PsaUn
is a most pathetic suppUcation for
support and protection, accompanied
by a touching declaration of the sup-
pUcant's temptations and sufferings.
It is a description of some of the
grievous experiences and trials of
spUit, which the Lord endured whUe
in the himianity on earth, — " whose
visage was so marred more than any
man, and his form more than the
sons of men" (Isaiah Ui 14). In
the height of these temptations, it
seenied to him that the Father, that
is, the Divine, had forsaken and for
gotten hun, and left him to his
enemies, the infernal hosts, by whom
he was assaUed. This appears from
the 21st verse ; " Forsake me not,

XXXVIII.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

183

1 0 Loed, punish me not in thy anger,
Chastise me not in thy wrath.
2 For thy arrows have entered into me,
And thy hand has come down upon me.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh,
Because of thy indignation :
No peace in my bones,
Because of my sin.

O Jehovah : 0 my God, be not far
from me." This Psalm is uttered
to bring to remembrance, — to draw the
attention, so to speak, of the Divine
Father to his child's sufferings and
sorrows. Verse 1. — 0 Lord, punish me not
— chastise me not. In the depths of
temptation, when we are conscious
of our innumerable evUs, it appears
as U the Lord were angry vrith us,
blaming and punishing : and the
letter of the Psalm expresses this
state of mind. But, in truth, the
Lord is Love itseU, is never angry,
nor ever punishes any one : his
only longing is to deUver every one
from evil and from unhappiness,
and to fiU aU vrith blessedness and
peace. Anger — wrath. " Anger
denotes the punishment of evU, and
wrath the punishment of falsity.
That such things are attributed to
Jehovah or the Lord, is according to
the appearance, because it appears
so to man, when he runs into evU,
and the evU punishes itself" A. C.
3614. It may be remarked, that in
the Lord there was no actual evil, or
sin, but there were hereditary in
firmities and propensities, derived
from the mother, which being
aroused in time of temptation, caused
him to feel as U guUty and worthy
of punishment, — as here expressed.
Verse 2. — Thy arrows have entered

into me. A bow signifies the doc
trine of truth : hence arrows signify
the tmths thence derived : " Truths
themselves, separated from good,
appear in the other lUe, when re
presented to the sight, as arrows."
A. C. 2686. Thy arrows signUy
Divine truths. Have entered into me:
that is, the Lord, in his temptations,
perceived the opposition of the Di
vrine truths of the Word to his here
ditary falses. — And thy hand has
come down upon me; and the opposi
tion of Divine good and its power to
his hereditary evUs. Hand signifies
power, and aU power is from good
by truth. (H.&H.232.)
Verse 3. — 'There is no soundness
in my fiesh, &c. In the letter the
body is named, while, in the spUit
ual sense, it is the mind that is re
ferred to. 'Bj fiesh is signified good,
and by bones truths : that by flesh is
signifled good, is evident from the
Lord's words, " Unless ye eat the
flesh of the Son of Man, and drink
his blood, ye have no lUeinyou"
(John vi. 53), where by flesh is signi
fied Dirine good, and by blood Di
vine truth. Bones, also, as they
sustain the body, signify ultimate
truths, which sustain the mind.
But, as the will is the receptacle of
good, and the understanding the re
ceptacle of truths, then by flesh, it
may be said, is signified the will

184

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XXXVIII.

4 For my iniquities have gone over my head:
Like a heavy burthen, they are too heavy for me.
5 My sores stink, they are putrid.
By reason of my foUy.
6 I am bent, I am exceedingly bowed down :
I go mourning aU the day.
7 For my bowels are full of burning .
There is no soundness in my flesh.

(Ap. Ex. 1082), and by hones the
understanding. There is no sound
ness in my flesh, then, signifies the
wiU disordered by evUs ; no peace in
my bones; the understancUng dis
turbed by falses. It is said, because
of thy indignation, because when
man is conscious of evUs, it appears
to him that the Lord is angry with
him and punishing him, though in
tmth, as aforesaid, the Lord is never
angry, but it is evU itself that pun
ishes or causes pain : therefore it is
added, because of my sin.
Verse 4. — My iniquities. As
above remarked (note on verse 1),
the Lord had no actual evil : as he
himseU said, "which of you con
victeth me of sin ? " (John vUi. 46) ;
by the expression, mi/ iniquities,then,
are meant, in his case, hereditary
evUs, the infirmities and disorderly
propensities inherited from the mo
ther. — Have gone over my head.
"When a man, who has lived in
good, is let back into his proprium,
thus into the sphere of his own Ufe,
then there appears, as it were, an
inundation ; and when he is in that
inundation, he is indignant, is angry,
thinks restlessly, desUes vehemently;
in one way, when the left part of
the brain is inundated where falses
are, and in another when the right
part is inundated, where evils are.
In such inundation are those who

are iu temptations." A. 0. 5725.
Such an inundation seems to be
meant by the words, " my iniquities
have gone over my head."
Verse 5. — My sores. " By dis
eases, in the intemal sense, are sig
nified the corruptions and evUs of
spiritual Ufe ; as in David, ' My ini
quities have gone over my head,
my sores stink and are putrid by
reason of my folly. My bowels
are fiiU of burning, neither is there
any soundness in my flesh.'." A. C.
8364. Stink and are putrid. " It is
to be known, that in the other lUe,
nothing is more abominable, and con
sequently nothing stinks more griev
ously than profaned truth : it is as
the stench of a carcass, when living
flesh dies." A. C. 7319. The term
stink, probably has reference to the
false, and putrid to evU. — Folly is
used here in the sense of iniqmty or
evU, or, rather, of falsity derived
from evil : in the same sense in
which fool is used in Psalm xiv. 1,
" The fool says in his heart, There
is no God."
Verse 6. — Bent — bowed down.
Bent has reference to depression of
of the understanding — bowed down
to that of the vrill. I go mourning,
literally, in black or squalid gar
ments ; see note on Psalm xxxv. 14.
Verse 7. — For my bowels are full
of 'burning. — Bowels (or, as it might

XXXVIII.] NOTES ON THE PSALMS

185

8 I am enfeebled and exceedingly broken :
I roar with the anguish of my heart.
9 0 Lord, aU my desire is before thee.
And my sighing is not hid from thee.
10 My heart palpitates : my strength has forsaken me :
And the Ught of my eyes, even that is not with me.
11 My friends and my companions stand aloof from my plague,
And my neighbors stand far off.
12 Those also that seek my soul lay snares ;
And those that seek my heart speak mischievous things.
And meditate stratagems aU the day.

be rendered, loins) signUy the affec
tions of the mind : full of burning,
fiUed vrith unclean heats or lusts,
such as flow from the heUs in time
of temptation. — No soundness in my
flesh ; see note on verse 3.
Verse 8. — I am enfeebled, &c.
What a picture is here presented, of
utter anguish of spirit ! To think
that the Lord of glory went through
aU this ! — Anguish (UteraUy, groan
ing) of m,y heart.
Verse 10. — My heart — the light of
my eyes. The heart signifies the
wiU, the eyes the imderstanding.
My heart palpitates : my vriU is agi
tated and disturbed by various lusts
and passions ; and not even the light
of my eyes is with me : not even is
my understanding clear and able to
view things aright, but is darkened
and confused.
Verse 11. — M-j Friends (UteraUy,
those who love me) my com/panions —
my neighbors. — When the terms
friends and companions are found
together, by the former, in the
spiritual sense, are signified those
who are in good, and by the latter
those who are in tmth (see S. S. 84).
By neighbors (UteraUy, such as are

near) would seem to be signified
those who are of the Church, being
in possession of the Word. The
sense of this verse, then, seems to
be, that, to the Lord, in his tempta
tion, it appeared as U even the good,
those who loved goodness and truth
{friends and companions) — whether
good men or angels — were averse to
him, and removed themselves from
him ; as, indeed, he thought that
the Divine himseU had forsaken
him : " my God, my God," he cried,
" why hast thou forsaken me 1 " and
as to the Jews, who then constituted
the Church {neighbors), he perceived
that they were such as " cUew near
vrith theU mouth, but tlieU heart
was/ctr from him" (Isaiah xxix. 13).
— My plague: UteraUy, my stroke,
that is, my afflicted state.
Verse 12. — The evU plotters here
mentioned have reference both to
the vricked Jews vrithout and to Ui-
femal spUits within : both were
seekUig the Lord's destruction. Lay
snares. " By a snare, in the spiritual
sense, is signified enticement and
deception by delights of the love
of seU and of the world, thus the
enticement and deception of evils,

186

NOTES ON THE PSALMS [XXXVIII.

13 But I, as one that is deaf, hear not ;
And I am as one dumb, who opens not his mouth :
14 I am even as a man who does not hear ;
And in whose mouth there are no reproofs.
15 For in thee, 0 Lord do I hope :
Thou wUt answer, 0 Lord, my God.
16 For I said. Lest they rejoice over me ;
If my foot sUp, they wUl magnify themselves against me.

and this by reasonings from the
fallacies of the senses, which favor
those delights ; for ensnarings and
entrappings are from no other source :
neither do the diaboUcal crew as
sault anything else vrith man except
those his loves, which, by every
means they render delightful, untU
he is taken." A. C. 9348. Thus,
by laying snares is signified seduction
by evUs, and speaking mischievous
things seduction by falses ; and medi
tating stratagems (UteraUy deceits)
has reference to both.
Verses 13, 14. — These verses may
be weU iUustrated by a touching
passage in Isaiah (xlU. 19, 20), "Who
is blind but my servant ? or deaf, as
my messenger that I sent? who is
blind as he that is perfect, and bUnd
as the Lord's servant ? Seeing many
things, but thou observest not : open
ing the ears, but he heareth not."
" By these words is understood that
the Lord appears not to see, though
the Divine truth is his, from wlUch
he understands all things ; and that
he appears not to vriU according to
what he perceives, though the DivUie
good is his, from wluch aU things
are possible to him. The reason of
his being caUed blind and deaf, is,
because the Lord is as U he did not
see and perceive the sins of men ;
for he leads them gently, bending

and not breaking them, and so vrith-
drawing them from evUs, and lead
ing them to good : wherefore, neither
does he chastise or punish, as U he
saw and perceived." Ap. Ex. 409.
Verse 15. — OLord,myGod. Lord
— Adonai, that is, master, which
signifies Divine Tmth : it is Divine
Truth, by which the heUs are op
posed and overcome. The phrase
my God has a similar signification —
Divine Truth.
Verse 16. — For I said: he gives
the reason why he looks to the Di
vine for support, namely, lest his
enemies rejoice over him. If my foot
slip, they will magnify themselves
against me. By the foot, as being
the lowest part of the body, is sig
nified, in the spUitual sense, the
lowest part of the nUnd, which is
the natural mind. There aU man's
evUs reside, and there is fought the
battle vrith temptation. By the foot
slipping (or tottering, as the Hebrew
word might be rendered) is signified
yielding in temptation. But the
Lord's foot never slipped ; he never
in any case yielded to temptation :
had he done so, the work of redemp
tion woidd not have been accom
pUshed, and mankind would have
perished ; then, indeed, would the
infemals have rejoiced and magnified
themselves against him.

XXXVIII.] NOTES ON THE PSALMS

187

17 For I am ready to halt,
And my sorrow is continuaUy before me.
18 For I wiU confess my iniquity :
I have horror of my sin.
19 But my enemies are full of Ufe : they are strong ;
And those that hate me wrongfuUy are multiplied.
20 They, also, that render evil for good.
Are my adversaries, because I follow after good.
21 Forsake me not, 0 Loed :

Vehse 17. — I am ready to halt, or,
more properly, perhaps, I am fixed
or settled in halting. The words
seem to describe a state approaching
despaU, when the Lord seemed to
himself to be fixed and settled in
weakness and helplessness, and that
the infirmities and disorders of his
human nature were Uicurable. By
halting is signifled a state in which
tmths are not yet arranged in hea
venly or Divine order (A. C. 4302) :
see note on Psalm xxxv. 15.
Verse 18. — My iniquity — my dn.
" Iniquity signifies evU which is op
position to the good of faith ; sin,
that which is opposed to the good of
charity and love. The former pro
ceeds from a perverted imderstand
ing — ¦ the latter from a depraved
wiU." A. C. 9156. As to these ex
pressions, when applied to the Lord,
see note on verse 4. I will confess.
This is an effect of seeing ancl abhor
ring evUs in ourselves : we do not
cling to them ; we wish rather, by
confession and acknowledgment, to
declare' our detestation of them, and
thus, as it were, to separate ourselves
from them.
Verse 19. — Are full of life: — Ute
raUy, are limng. Life, in a good
sense, signifies Divine and heavenly
love, but in a bad sense, as here,

infernal love, or the love of evU.
By enemies are signified, distinctively,
those who are opposed to the Lord
from the love of evil, whUe those who
hate me wrongfully (UteraUy, /rom or
until falsehood) signUy such as are
opposed from the love of the false.
Verse 21. — Because I follow after
good. The Lord came for no other
end than to do good to men, and all
his Ufe upon earth he " went about
doing good." Yet the wicked Jews,
from that spUit of rendering evil for
good, which is truly infemal, seemed
to hate him for that very cause.
Verse 21. — Forsake m,e not, &c.
These are the utterances of one in a
state of deep temptation, approach
ing that despair of the Lord upon
the cross, when he cried out, " My
God, my God, why hast thou for
saken me." It was the humanity
that thus spoke : to the humanity
or human nature of the Lord it ap
peared that the Divinity had for
saken it — though it had not. It
stUl dwelt vrithin, and was inmostly
conjoined with the humanity. In
fact, as the doctrine of the New
Church teaches, when the Lord ap
pears to be absent from us, as in
times of temptation, he is then most
nearly present, upholcUng and sus
taining. — 0 Lord {Jehovah) signifies

188

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXIX.

0 my God, be not far from me.
22 Haste to my help, 0 Lord, my salvation.

the Lord as to Divine love. — 0 my
God signifies the Lord as to Divine
truth. Verse 22. — 0 Lord, my salvation.
Lord {Adonai) signifies master, which

represents Divine Truth. This is
called my salvation because it is by
the weapon of truth that the battle
is fought vrith the internals.

PSALM XXXIX.

SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

The Lord's patience in a state of temptations, verses 1-3, 8— 11 ;
that he wishes the end of them, verses 4-7 ; a prayer to the Father.
that he may not be deserted, verses 12, 13.
To the Leader of the music — for Jeduthun : a Psalm of David.
1 I said, I wUl take heed to my ways.
That I sin not with my tongue :
I wUl keep a check upon my mouth,
So long as the wicked is before me.

Title. — For Jeduthun. In 1
Chronicles xvi. 41, 42, Heman and
Jeduthun are named as leaders of
the music, particularly of the instru
mental The word Jeduthun is from
a root signUying to give praise, to
celebrate : thus, in the spUitual
sense, for Jeduthun woidd seem to
signUy, for one who gives praise.
Verse 1. — I said I will take heed
to my ways, &c. These words de
scribe the Lord's patience, seU-re-
straint and self-command, whUe un-
dergoUig temptations (see Summary
of the Internal Sense) ; and they are
intended as a lesson to us, whUe
passing through sinUlar states. How

natural is it, when the mind is wor
ried by distressing thoughts, doubts,
fears, infused by evU spUits, to give
vent to them in frettings and com
plainings, sometunes in murmurings
even against the Divine Providence
itseU. By such outbursts we only
give the tempters more power over
us: that is just what they desUe, to
see us fret and rage. But U, follow
ing the Lord's example, we restrain
ourselves, and put a check upon our
mouth, we, by so doing, resist the
tempters. "Resist the devU, and
he wUl flee from you" (James iv. 7).
Patient endurance is conquest : for
it is letting the Lord in us, which is

XXXIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

189

2 I was mute and sUent :
I refrained from speaking even good :
But my sorrow rankled within me.
3 My heart was hot within me :
As I meditated, the fire burned :
I spoke out with my tongue : —
4 Make known to me, 0 Loed, my end,
And the measure of my days, what it is :
Tliat I may know how fraU I am.

the sustaining power, get the mas
tery over the evU spUits who vrish
to make ns rage : the consequence
wUl be, that the latter vriU at length
retUe ; and then the temptation wiU
have had its intended effect, of con-
finning the power of good and les
sening that of evU, over ns. — Ways,
in the spiritual sense, signify truths
(Ap. Ex. 734) — in the present case,
thoughts ; hence, I will take heed to
my ways, means, I wUl watch over
my thoughts. — Tlmt I sin not with
my tongue. Tongue and mouth sig
nUy speech, and the thought whence
speech proceeds : a check (UteraUy, a
muzzle) has to be put upon both the
words and the thoughts. So long as
the wicked is before me, that is, while
the temptation presses upon us.
When the wicked is gone — that is,
when the evU spirit or spUits who
induced the temptation, have re-
tUed, angels wUl come and minister
unto us, and then we may speak out
in joyfiUness and praise.
Verse 2. — Mute and silent: more
exactly translated, mute in silence, or
silently. Mute sigmfies restraining
the speech, and also the thoughts ;
wliUe the silence has reference, pro
bably, to the check put upon feel
ings of impatience, the rebeUing vrill.
It is the same word, in the original,

that is rendered waiting upon in
Psalm IxU. 1. " My soul waiteth
npon God," literaUy, " my soul is in
silence to God." So, here, m silence
signifies in patient submission to the
Divine wiU. — I refrained from speak
ing even good (literally, I hushed from
good) seems to mean that he re
strained himself from uttering any
thing, even what was apparently
good, lest perhaps the strong influx
of the temptation might suddenly
turn it into evU : in some states of
mind absolute silence is best.
Verse 3. — My heart was hot within
me : The vrill fUed by lusts, as is the
case in temptation ; or here, perhaps,
a burning desire for deliverance from
these distresses. As I meditated, the
fire burned: as he reflected on his
condition, this longing increased (see
the Summary of the Intemal Sense).
— I spoke out with my tongue: literal
ly, in my tongue. In the letter the
words in my tongue seem redundant,
but not so when the spiritual sense
is seen : tongue signifies speech, and
also thought, whence speech flows :
hence, I spolce in my tongue, signifies,
I said to myself in thought.
Verses 4, 5. — Make known to me,
&c. " It appears as if by these
words were meant only tunes of lUe,
the end of which he vrished to know,

190

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XXXIX.

5 Behold, thou hast made my days as a handbreadth.
And my time is as nothing before thee :
Truly, every man in his firmest state is altogether vanity. Selah !
6 Truly, man walks as a shadow :
Truly, they are disquieted in vain :
He heaps up treasures, and knows not who wiU gather them.
7 And now, 0 Lord, what look I for 1
My hope is in thee.
8 Deliver me from aU my transgressions :
Make me not the scorn of the impious.

and that they quickly pass awaj^
But, in the spiritual sense, are not
meant times, but states of life ;
wherefore, by the words, Makeknown
to me, 0 Jehovah, my end, the measure
of my days what it is, is signified a
desUe to know the state of his lUe
and its quality, thus what would
continue to be the quality of his
Ufe. By the words. Behold, thou hast
made my days as a handbreadth, is
signified that it is of very little
moment what is the quality of the
state of his life ; and by My time is
as nothing before thee, is signified
that the state of his Ufe is nothing
worth. For time and days signU'y
states of Ufe as to truth, ancl as to
good, and hence as to intelUgence
and wisdom ; consequently, that
both the former ancl the latter, as
far as they are from himseU, are of
no account." Ap. Ex. 629. SiniUar
is the meaning of the words. Truly,
every man in his firmest state is alto
gether vanity ; that is, man of himseU
is nothing : the Lord alone is all. For
the explanation of Selah! see note
on Psalm iii. 2.
Verse 6. — Truly, man walks as a
shadow, &c. The general sense of
the preceding verse is continued —

the emptiness and nothingness of aU
that is done by man of himseU.
Man walks as a shadow. The original
word for man here is ish; which
signifies man masculine, or man in
tellectual, thus, abstractly, the intel
lect. A shadow signifies that which
is not in light ; hence man walks as
a shadow, signifies that man's under
standing, of itself, is in no Ught of
tmth. The term walk is predicated
of the imderstanding, as to sit is of
the wUl (see note on Psalm i 1), be
cause the understanding is but a
moving instiument, as it were, or
agent, to effect the purposes of the
will. Verse l.—What look I for? that
is, sUice man of himseU is that
vanity and nothingness, where can I
place my expectation and rest my
hope ? Answer : in thee alone. The
term for Lord here is Adonai, mas
ter, which signifies Divine Tmth and
its power. In that he rests Ms hope,
because by Divine Truth alone can
he be delivered from evils (as men
tioned in the next verse) and thus
led to good and joy.
Verse 8. — " Transgression signi
fies evil against tmth, whereas sin
signifies evil against good." A. C.

XXXIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

191

9 I was mute : I opened not my mouth ;
For thou didst it.
10 0 remove from me thy plague :
I am consumed by the stroke of thy hand.
11 With reproofs for his perverseness thou correctest man,
And causest his complaining to melt away Uke a moth:
Truly, every man is vanity. Selah !
12 Hear my prayer, 0 Loed, and give ear to my cry :
Be not silent at my tears :
For I am a sojourner with thee,
A 'stranger, as all my fathers were.

6563. Transgressions, here, seem to
mean rather errors of Ufe, than in
tentional evdls, — those weaknesses
aud defects of character, which some
times make even the good the scorn
of the impious. We are to pray for
deliverance from these weaknesses,
and to strive against them.
Verse 9. — I was mute, &c. That
is, I said nothing : I did not aUow
myseU to repine nor complain. — /
was mute; I opened not my mouth.
In this, as in aU other cases, where
there seems to be repetition, the one
phrase has reference to the vriU,
the other to the understanding :
" restraint shaU be put both npon
my wiU and upon my thoughts."
Mouth signifies speech, and also the
thought whence speech proceeds. —
For thou didst it : that is, thou per-
mittest this trial for some good. The
Lord, in tmth, never does any evU
to man : he only pemiits.
Verse 10. — Tht plague: the stroke
of tht hand. This is spoken ac-
corcUng to appearance : in the letter
of the Word the Lord is said to
tempt, and to punish, whereas, in
truth, the Lord tempts none, pun
ishes none, gives pain to none : aU
evil comes from beneath.

Verse 11. — Thou correctest man.
The term for man here is ish, which,
as above, signifies the man intel
lectual — abstractly, the intellect.
— With reproofs correcting him for
his perverseness, signifies that when
the phantasies and perversities of
man's own intellect — ^his self-derived
reasonings — are brought under the
Ught of Divine Truth, they, together
vrith the seU-complacency they pro
duce, are seen to dissolve into no
thingness ; the comparison is made
vrith a moth, because destructive fly
ing insects signify falses. Truly,
man is altogether vanity. The term
for man here is Adam, the generic
term for mankind, thus including
both the understanding and wUl,
aU man's thoughts and inclinations,
so far as they are seU-derived, are
vanity (literally, a breath), emptiness.
Verse 12. — Hear my prayer, &c.
" A prayer of the Lord to the Father
— that is, of the human to the Di
vine — that he may not be deserted"
(see Summary ofthe Internal Sense).
— For I am a sojourner with thee, and
a stranger. " By a sojourner, as also
by a stranger [literaUy, a dweller, a
lodger], is signified a, comer and in
habitant from another land ; but by

192

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XL.

13 0 relieve me that I may be comforted.
Ere I pass away, and be no more.

sojourners are signified those who
were instructed Ui the truth of the
Church, and who received those
truths, whereas by strangers are sig
nified such as were not vriUing to
be instructed in those truths, be
cause they were not vriUing to
receive them. Thus, in David,
' Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, be
not sUent at my tears, because I am
a sojourner with thee, a stranger,
Uke aU my fathers.'" A. C. 8002.
A sojourner vnth thee, means, just
coming to a knowledge of the truth,
just beginning to be regenerated — an
expression of humiUty. — A stranger,
as all my fathers were, signifies that
the natural hereditary disposition is

averse to tmth and good. This aU
of us may say and feel ; this, too,
even the Lord might say, for his
natural mind, derived from the
mother and through her from his
Jevrish /af/iers, was, before glorifica
tion, filled with propensities to evU :
hence his combats of temptation.
Verse 13. — 0 relieveme: UteraUy,
look away from me, that is, turn
away thy angry countenance — spoken
according to the appearance ; for in
temptation the mind pictures the
Lord as angry vrith us, though his
countenance, in tmth, is forever
beaming love. — Ere I pass away:
ere or before seems to have the mean
ing of lest — "lest I perish."

PSALM XL.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
A thanksgiving and celebration of the Father, because he had
lielped him, verses 1-5 ; that he came into the loorld as is written
in tha Word, that he might do the Fcdher's will, verses 6-8 ; that
he also proclaimed the kingdom of God, and taught, verses 9-10 ;
confidence from his Divine in regard to those who intend his death,
verses 11-15, 17; and that tiiose who worship him will have joy
in the Lord, verse 16.

To the Leader of Hie music : a Psalm of David.
1 I waited longingly for the LoED,
And he incUned to me, and heard my cry.
Verse 1. — I waited longingly: petition of the v^erb impUes intensity
literally, waiting, I waited : the re- or earnestness.

XL.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

193

2 And he brought me up out of a desolate pit.
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And made my steps firm.
3 And he has put into my mouth a new song.
Even praise to our God :
Many wUl see and fear, and wiU trust in the Loed.
4 Happy is the man who makes the Loed his trust,
And who inclines not to the proud,
Nor to those that tiu-n aside to lying.
5 Many are the things which thou hast done, 0 Loed, my God ;
Many are thy wondrous works and thy good purposes towards

us:
Verse 2. — By the desolate pit and
the miry clay, out of which he was
brought, is signified a state of deep
temptation, in which the Lord's
human nature was for the time over
whelmed, as it were, vrith a flood of
falses and evUs. By a desolate pit
(literaUy, a pit of desolation, or, as it
might be rendered, a pit of noise,
uproar, — the clashing of falses) is
signified the false, and by miry clay,
evil. By a rock is signified the tiuth
of doctrine from the Word ; and by
setting his feet upon a rock is signified
causing him to Uve according to Di
vine tmths. For by the feet, which
are the support of the body, is sig
nified the natural degree of the mind,
which is the basis and support of the
whole mUid. Standing upon the
feet signifies Ufe in its fulness, and
it is in its fulness when the natural
principle Uves from the spiritual.
See Ap. Ex. 666. By making the
steps firm is signified, probably, life
from good, as by setting the feet
upon a rock is signified lUe according
to tmth ; for wherever these dupli
cate expressions occur, the one refers
to good, and the other to truth.

Verse 3. — And he has put into my
mouth a new song, &c., signifies the
Lord's rejoicing at his deliverance
from temptation and at the conse
quent glorification of his humanity :
for thus, through him, multitudes
would be saved, which is meant by
many vnll see and fear, and will trust
in the Lord: will see signifies will
have theU nnderstandUigs brought
to a knowledge and perception of the
truth ; will fear signifies vviU be in
spUed vrith good, humility, and
piety ; and will trust in the Lord sig
nifies wiU be conjoined to the Lord.
Verse 4. — The proud, and those
that turn aside to lying : that is, ab
stractly, the evU and the false : for
pride is derived from seU-love, which
is the essence of evU ; and lying
(UteraUy, a lie) signifies essential
falsity, and the love of it.
Verse 5. — Manyarethethingswhich
thou hast done. These words contain a
general acknowledgment ofthe good,
ness and vrisdom of the Lord, exer
cised towards men in their creation-
redemption, and regeneration. Thy
wondrous works (literally, thy wonder.^)
— thy purposes : the former term has

N

194

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XL.

None can set them out in order before thee :
I would declare and speak of them, but they are more than can
be told.
Sacrifice and offering thou dost not delight in ;
Thou hast opened my ears :
Burnt-offering and sin-offering thou dost not require.
Therefore I said, Behold, I come,
As in the roll of the Book it is written of me.
I delight to do thy wUl, 0 my God,
And thy law is in my inward parts.

reference, probably, to the exercise of
the Divine love, and the latter to
that of the Divine wisdom : " won
derful, when spoken of the Lord,
denotes his Divine providence."
Ap. Ex. 927.
Verse 6. — Sacrifice and offering
thou dost not delight in. " Burnt-
offerings and sacrifices were nothing
else than representatives of internal
worship ; and when they were se
parated from internal worship they
were idolatrous. This every person
of sound reason may know ; for
what is an altar but something made
of stone ; and what is a burnt-offer
ing and sacrifice, but the slaughter
of beasts?" A. C. 922. — "That
sacrifices were by no means accept
able to Jehovah, but only tolerated,
is plain from the prophets ; as
iu Jeremiah (vU. 21, 22) : ' Thus
saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of
Israel, I spake not to yonr fathers,
nor commanded them, in the day
that I brought them out of the land
of Egypt, concerning burnt-offerings
and .sacrifices ; but this word I com
manded them saying. Obey my voice,
and I wiU be your God ; ' and in
David, ' Sacrifice and offering tlioii
dost not delight in ; burnt-offerings
and sin-offerings thou dost not re

quire. I deUght to do thy vrill, O
my God' (Psalm xl. 6, 8)."— Thou
hast opened my ears signifies that obe
dience is what is pleasing to the
Lord : the ear signifies hearkening,
hence obedience. So, in 1 Samuel
XV. 22 : " Behold, to obey is better
than sacrifice, and to hearken than
the fat of rams."
Verse 7. — In the roll of the Book :
that is, the Word (A. B. 256). It is
caUed the roll of the Book, because
the law was written on parchment
in the form of a roll, as was the case
vrith most books in ancient times
(see Ap. Ex. 299). As regards the
spiritual sense, the double expression
roll of the Book is used, doubtless, to
express that union of Divine good
vrith Divine Tmth, which is con
tained in every part of the Word. —
As it is written of me. The first pro
phecy concerning the Lord's coming
is found in Gen. iU. 15.
Verses 7, 8. — I delight to do thy
will, 0 my God, " To do the will of
God is to live accordUig to his pre
cepts ; this is his wUl or good plea
sure, because from his Divine love
he wiUs that aU should be saved,
and by this they are saved." Ap.
Ex. 295. — And thy law is in my in
ward parts : literally, in the midst of

XL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

195

9 I have proclaimed the glad tidings of righteousness in the
great congregation :
Behold, I have not closed my Ups, 0 Loed, thou knowest.
10 1 have not hidden thy righteousness within my heart :
I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation.
I have not concealed thy goodness and thy truth from the
great congregation.
11 Withhold not thou, 0 LoED, thy tender mercies from me :
Let thy goodness and thy truth continuaUy preserve me.
12 For evUs innumerable encompass me :
My perversities have taken hold upon me so that I am not
able to see :
They are more than the hairs of my head :
And my heart faUs me.
13 Be pleased, 0 Loed, to deUver me :
Hasten, 0 Loed, to my help.
14 Let those be put to shame and confusion together.
That seek after my soul to destroy it :

my bowels. Bowels, as used in the
Word, signUy the affections, — in par
ticular, the Lord's love to mankind ;
as in Lsaiah (IxUi 15) : " The sound
ing of thy bowels and of thy mercies
towards me." (A. C. 1803.) Hence,
thy law is in the midst of, signifies
that the Divine commandments of
the Word are fixed in his affections.
Verses 9, 10. — J home proclaimed
the glad tidings, &c. These verses
have reference, as is obvious, to the
Lord's proclaiming the Gospel, at his
coming. This was indeed yet to
come ; but before the Divine, the
future is as i£ present or past. —
By the great congregation (UteraUy,
much congregation) are signified dis
tinctively the spiritual (see notes on
Psalm xxU. 22, 25).
Verse 12. — Evils innumerable.
This refers to the Lord's hereditary
evUs derived from the mother ; for
that he had no actual erils or sins

he himseU declared ; "Which of you
convicteth me of sin ? " (John viU.
46.) — My perversities signUy falses
derived from evils. — So that I am
not able to see, that is, not able to
distinguish tmth from error, evU
from good : a picture of the mind
when darkened by temptation. — The
comparison is made with the hairs
of the head, not only on account of
the number, but also because the
hair being the outermost thing of
the body, represents the external or
natural principle of the mind, in
which chiefiy man's evils or falses
reside ; in particular, hair represents
the natural principle as to tmth, or,
in the opposite sense, as to the false
(see A. C. 3301).
Verses 14, 15.— Lei those be put to
shame, &o. This refers to evil spirits,
tempters, who assault the soul : the
prayer is for protection against them.
— Tliat seek after my soul — that wish

196

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XLL

Let those be turned back and confounded,
That wish me evil.
15 Let those be desolate in their shame.
Who say to me " Aha ! Aha ! "
16 Let all those that seek thee, rejoice and be glad in thee:
Let those that love thy salvation say continuaUy, " The Lord
be magnified I "
17 But I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinks upon me.
Thou art my help and my deUverer: 0 my God, make no delay.

me evil. The former of these ex
pressions has reference to that class
of the infemals, who love to destroy
truth in the mind : the latter to
those that are opposed to good, and
seek to inspUe eyH ; for the term
soul, when coupled with another
term referring to the will, as heart
and soul, or, as here, soul and evil, —
signifies distinctively the understand
ing of truth. (A. R. 681.)— The
phrase — Tliat wish me evil might
perhaps be more correctly rendered
delight in my evil. The infemals
find theU abode in man's evU loves,
and delight in confirming him in
them, ancl thus, as it were, in talring
possession of his heart. — Who say to
nu Aha! Aha! This refers to ac

cusing spirits, who stir np man's
evils, or infuse them into his mind,
and then charge him vrith them.
Verse 16. — The Lord be magnified!
that is, worshiped, praised, adored,
for his goodness and protection.
Verse 17. — Poor and needy: i.e.,
destitute of good and truth, and
longing for them. — Yet, the Lord
thinks upon me : that is, cares for
me, has not forgotten me. — 0 my
God make no delay. Hasten to my as
sistance, come to my reUef. The
Lord never delays : though to the
troubled spUit, he may seem long in
coming, yet he is in reality standing
waiting, as it were, and vriU give relief
the moment it is possible — as soon
as it wUl be for our lastUig good.

PSALM XLL

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Tha.t he who is in tempitations, and thence in affliction, is
always sustained, and thereby vivified, verses 1-3 ; that the in
femals devise evils among themselves against the Lord, 4r-1 ¦
and think that he will be utterly destroyed, 8 ; and this is
the case even with those vjho are of the Church where the Word is,
9 ; that they will not succeed, but will be destroyed, 10, 11 • that
the Lord has integrity, 12, 13.

XLL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

197

To the Leader of the music : a Psalm of David.
Happy is he who considers the distressed:
In the day of evU the Loed wiU deliver him.
The Loed wUl guard him, and keep him alive ;
He shaU be happy in the land ;
And thou wilt not give him up to the wUl of his enemies.
The Loed wUl strengthen him on the bed of languishing :
Thou wUt make aU his bed in his sickness.

Verse 1. — Happy is he who con-
dders the distressed, &c. This and
the following Verses seem to describe
the state of one who is benevolent,
who has sympathy for the distressed,
or, in other words, who has charity
towards the neighbor. It is declared
that he, in turn, shall be sustained
when his own time of trouble comes :
" Blessed are the mercUul, for they
shaU obtain mercy" (Matt. v. 7). —
In the day of evil. Evil may mean,
here, either external trials or intemal
temptations, or both : day signifies
state. Verse 2. — The Lord will guard
him, and keep him alive. To
guard signifies to protect from evUs ;
and to keep alive (more exactly ren
dered, to vivify, to give life) signifies
to bless vrith love and good, which
is heavenly life. — He shall he happy
in the land. The land, in the spirit
ual sense, signifies the Church and
heaven (see note on Psalm xxxvii
3). — And thou unit not give him up
to the unll of his enemies. Enemies,
here, mean spiritual foes, tempters :
he shaU be sustained in temptations.
Vebsb 3. — Tlie Lord will strengthen
him upon the bed of languishing: thou
wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
This language is sweetly famUiar
and comforting. To one lying on a
bed of sickness — to hear it said.

not only that the Lord vriU sustain
and strengthen him in his iUness,
but that He vrill make (literaUy,
turn) his bed for him, is pecuUarly
tender and soothing. It presents
the Lord not only as the great Phy
sician, but as the careful and feeUng
nurse, watching by the bed-side, and
at times refreshing the sufferer by
turning the bed ancl rearranging the
pUlows. And truly it is pleasant to
think, that the same kind Lord, who
stood by the bedside of Peter's vrife's
mother and " rebuked the fever "
(Luke iv. 38, 39), now from heaven
his dweUing-plaoe hears every sigh
of the afflicted, and earnestly seeks
not only to send down the balm of
peace into his bosom, but also to
pour the tide of new health through
his veins, and vrill do so as soon as
it is possible and best for him. — But
these words have also a spiritual
sense. " By bed, in the spiritual
sense, is signified doctrine ; for as
the body rests on its bed, so does the
mind rest on its doctrine. This is
the meaning of bed in many places
in Scripture, as, for instance, in
Mark ii. 11, "Arise, take up thy bed
and walk ; " by carrying the bed
and walking is signified to meditate
on doctrine, and then live according
to it (Ap. Ex. 16:3). So in Amos
(iii. 12), "As the shepherd taketh out

198

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XLI.

4 I said, Lord, be gracious to me :
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.
5 My enemies speak evil against me —
" When wUl he die, and his name perish ? "

of the mouth of the lion, — so shaU
the chUdren of Israel be taken out
that dweU in Samaria, in the comer
of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch:
in the ' comer of a- bed,' and ' in a
couch,' means what is more remote
from the truths and goods of doc
trine. Bed, and couch, and bed
chamber have a simUar signification
in other places, as in Psalm xii. 3,
and elsewhere." A. E. 137. Here,
theu, by strengthening " upon the bed
[UteraUy, couch] of languishing," is
meant probably that the Lord in
teriorly sustains and strengthens
those who are in the good of Ufe,
but who are in falses of doctrine
which cause them distress ; and by
turning the bed in illness is signified
to send an influx of Ught into the
mind, thus giving a turn, change, or
modification to theU erroneous doc
trine, thus enabling the mind to rest
more easUy upon it. With those
who are in the good of lUe, and who
nevertheless are, through ignorance,
in falses of doctrine, these operations
of the Lord on theU minds, no doubt,
are continual, to keep them from
faUing both into cUstresses and into
evUs. The general sense of the above
three verses is that " he who is in
temptations and thence in afliictions
is always sustained and thereby vivi
fied." (See the Summary Exposition
of the Intemal Sense above.)
Verse 4. — / said Lord, &c. A
change here takes place in the char
acter of the Psalm : what follows
refers to the Lord and his tempta

tions. Lord (Jehovah) be gracious to
me. This is the human of the Lord
addressing his Divine. " Giving
grace denotes relief, for to give grace
in temptations is to comfort and re
Ueve by hope." A. C. bOiZ.-Heal
my soul, for I have sinned against thee.
These words, so far as they have re
ference to the Lord, must aUude only
to his hereditary evil, for the Lord
had no actual evU or sin; as he
himseU said, "I do always those
things that please him" (John viU.
29). But what refers to the Lord
primarUy, refers in a secondary sense
to the regenerating man ; and in this
sense themeaningis sufiiciently plain:
truly, we all need to pray that our
souls may be healed, that is, that we
may be deUvered from those evUs of
heart which are continually causing
us to SMI, ancl by the indulgence of
which we have too often sinned
against the Lord.
Verse 6. — My enemies speak evil
against me : this refers to the infer-
nals plotting the Lord's destruction
(see Summary). — IVhcn will he die
and his nameperish ? Name signifies
quality, nature, character. The
Lord's quality or nature was truth
itself and goodness itself : hence
these words declare the hatred ol
the internals against aU truth and
goodness, and their desUe to destroy
them. But, in the supreme seuse,
by the Lord's name is signified hie
Divine Humanity (T. C. fi. 299) :
hence, their wishing his name to
perish, and theU saying, " WhenvriU
he die?" signifies the burning ha-

XLL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

199

6 And if he come to see me, he speaks falsehood :
His heart gathers iniquity to itself:
"\\Tien he goes forth, he speaks it out.
1 AU who hate me whisper together against me :
They meditate evU against me, saying,
8 " A curse has faUen upon him ;
And now that he is down, he wiU rise no more."
9 Even my friend, in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread.
Lifts up the heel against me."

tred of the infemals against the
Humanity of the Lord, and theU
desUe to extingmsh his Ufe, — ^both
his Divine Ufe, which was love itseU,
and also his natural Ufe, as was in
deed done upon the cross.
Verse 6. — And if he come to see
me. He means the enemies coUec
tively, — or any one of them, any
emisisary spirit. — If he come to see
[me]. As it is spiritual enemies,
tempters, that are referred to, coming
to see must mean approaching to ex
plore the Lord's state, the state of
his thoughts and afl'ections. He
speaks falsehood (or vanity) ; that
is, insinuates false and worthless
thoughts. — His heart gathers iniquity
to itself. By the very contemplation
of the Lord's state of good and
truth, the infemals are fiUed anew
vrith malice and hatred. — Wieiihe
goes forth he speaks it out. When
they — or he, U an emissary spirit —
retum to theU companions, they
speak out theU maUce ; and, as said
in the next verse, whisper together
against him.
Verse 8. — A curse has fallen upon
him; UteraUy, a word (or thing) of
Belial {i.e. of wickedness) is poured
upon him (or into him). — And now
ihat he is down (or lies down), he
will rise no more. The infemals are

ever seeking to induce despair ;
knowing that U they succeed in
that, they destroy the very Ufe of
the mind. But the angels, on the
contiary, ever strive to inspire hope
and trust, calling np in our minds
the Divine Words, "Trust in the
Lord at aU times : ye people, pour
out your heart before him : God is
a refuge for us " (Psalm Ixii 8), or
those comfortUig words of the Lord
himself when on earth, " Come unto
me, aU ye that labor and are heavy
laden, and I vriU give you rest "
(Matt. xi. 28).
Verse 9. — Even my friend (lite
raUy, the man of my peace) in whom
I trusted, who ate of my bread, lifts
up the heel against me. " This is
said in reference to the Jews, who
were in possession of Divine truths,
because they had the Word. To eat
of the Lord's bread signifies the ap
propriation of Divine tmth, but, in
the present case, only the communi
cation of it, since it could not be
reaUy appropriated [that is, received
in spirit] by the Jews : bread signi
fies the Word, because spiritual
nourishment is thence derived. To
lift up the heel signifies to pervert
the Uteral sense of the Word even
to the denial of the Lord and the
falsification of every truth. For

200

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XLL

10 But thou, 0 Loed, be gracious to me,
And raise me up, that I may requite them.
11 By this I know that thou delightest in me,
That my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 And as for me, thou wUt uphold me in my integrity.
And wUt set me before thy face forever.

Divine Truth is exhibited in image
as a man ; and since the Word is
Divine Truth, this also, before the
Lord, is in image as a Divine Man :
hence its ultimate sense, which is
the sense of the letter, corresponds
to the heel. The perversion of the
Word or the Divine Truth, by the
application of the Uteral sense to
falsities, such as the traditions of
the Jews were, is signified by lifting
up the heel against ihe Lord." Ap.
Ex. 617. Hence, the same words
are appUed to Judas, in John xUi
18 : " That the Scripture might be
fulfiUed, He that eats bread vrith me,
has luted up his heel against me :"
for Judas, who betrayed the Lord,
represented the Jevrish nation, by
whom he had been spirituaUy be
trayed, that is, who, whUe possessing
the Word, yet falsified it, and lived
in opposition to it.
Verse 10. — Raise me up tliat I
may requite them. In the Uteral
sense, a sentiment of revenge seems
here expressed ; but this is only the
appearance. When it is considered
that the enenUes here referred to are
the internals, and that the Lord's
conquest of them was the redemp
tion of mankind, it wUl be seen that
the Lord's true feeling was one of
mercy rather than vengeance ; a de
sire to get power over the vricked,
in order to protect and save the
good. Verse 11. — By this I know, &c.

That is, conquering in temptation
was the best proof that the presence
of the Divine was vrith him. So
we also may say : our overcoming
in temptation is a surer proof that
the Lord is near to us and is pleased
vrith us, than our merely feeling
happy ; for pleasantness of feeling
may sometimes be the result of
merely natural causes, but the Lord
alone can enable us to conquer in
spiritual temptation, and as the doc
trine of the New Church declares,
he is at such times nearest to us,
even though he may appear absent.
Verse 12. — Tliou wilt uphold me
— ^that is, the Divine would sustain
the Human. In my integrity; in
innocence, entUe freedom from the
least of sin or of yielcb'ng to tempta
tion — which was the case vrith the
Lord. — And wilt set me before thy face
forever ; that the Human would be
conjoined to the Divine, the Son to
the Father, Divine Truth to Divine
Good. For the /ace being the image
of the affections, the face of God
signifies Divine Love : hence to be
set before His face forever, signifies
to b§ conjoined to the Divine Love.
(See A. C. 222.)
Verse 13. — Blessed he — that is,
praised, worshiped, acknowledged as
the author of blessing. (Ap. Ex.
344.)— 27ie Lord God of Israel. The
Lord (Jehovah) signifies the Lord as
to Divine Love, and the God of Israel
the Lord as to Divine Truth. Israel

XLIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

201

13 Blessed be the Loed, the God of Israel,
From eternity and to eternity. Amen and amen !

signifies the spUitual man and the
spiritual Church. For Jacob, after
wrestling vrith the angel, was named
Israel (Genesis xxxii. 28) to signify
that the natural man becomes spirit
ual by the combats of temptation.
Thus, the God of Israel, signifies the
God of the spiritual Church. — From
eternity to eternity. From age to age,
would perhaps be a more strictly
correspondential expression, as ap
pears from the foUovring passage :

"The reason why it is not said to
eternity, but to ages of ages is because
ages is a natural expression, but
eternity is a spUitual expression, and
the Uteral sense of the Word is
natural, and the intemal sense spUit
ual, and the latter is contained in
the former." Ap. Ex. 468. Amen
and amen: "Amen signifies tmth,
hence Divine confirmation from the
tmth, that is, from the Lord Him
seU." A. B. 23.

PSALM XLIL

SUMMAEY OF THE INTERNAL SENSE.

Concerning the state of the Lord's grief and perturbation from
temptations, with his confidence from the Divine, verses 1-7 ; the
grievousness of his temptations even to despair, 7-10; his confi
dence, from the, Divine of being raised up, 11.
To the Leader of the music : Instructive : For the Sons of Korah.
1 As the hind pants for the streams of water.
So pants my soul for thee, 0 God.

Title. — Instructive: see note on
the title of Psalm xxxU. — To the sons
of Korah: these were singers in the
temple -service. See 1 Chromcles
vi. 33, 37.
Verse 1. — Tlie-hind. Though the
Hebrew noun {ayaJ) is in the mascu
line, and hence commonly rendered
hart or stag, yet it is remarkable that
the verb with which it is conjoined is
in the femUiine form, and hence most
commentators consider that the word

should be translated hind rather than
hart: and vrith this conclusion the
intemal sense agrees ; for the female
sex is characterized by affection, and
hind here signifies the affection of
tmth (see A. C. 6413). Waters sig
nUy tmths. And vrith this under
standing of the spUitual sense, the
propriety of the comparison is made
manUest. As the hind pants for the
strea/ms of water, so pants my soul for
thee, 0 God : that is, as those who are

202

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XLIL

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the Uving God :
When shall I come and behold the face of God ?
3 My tears are my food day and night.
While they continually say to me. Where is thy God ?
4 These things I think upon, and pour out my soul within me :

in the affection of tmth desUe truth,
so does my soul long for thee. The
term God signifies distinctively the
Lord, as to Divine Truth; and soul
also signifies distinctively the under
standing and its Ufe (A. fi. 681).
Thus the longing of the soul, here,
for God, pictures a mind darkened by
temptations, and longing for the Ught
of truth. Hence it is added, in the
next verse, My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God, that is, for the
Uving waters of Divine Tmth.
Verse 2. — When shall I come and
behold the face of God ? " By seeing
God's face, is not meant literaUy to
see his face, for no one can see his face
and Uve, he being the sun of heaven
and of the whole spUitual world ;
whence, to see his face, such as he is
in himseU, would be as U one should
enter into the sun, by the fire of
which he would be consumed in a
moment. But by seeiug his face is
meant to see the truths which are in
the Word from him, and through
these to know and acknowledge hmi;
for the Divine truths of the Word
constitute the light which proceeds
from the Lord as a sun, and since
they constitute that Ught they are as
nUrrors in which the Lord's face is
seen." A. fi. 938. Thus the excla
mation. When shall I come and behold
the face of God ? means. When shaU
I again behold Divine truths in theU
Ught? Verse 3. — My tears. "Tears
from the eyes signUy grief of mind

caused by falsities ; because by the
eye is signified the understancUng of
truth, and hence tears from the eyes
signUy grief on account of there
being no understancUng of truth ;
consequently, on account of falsities.
This is signified by tears in the fol
lowing passage in Isaiah (xxv. 8) :
' He wUl swaUow up death in vic
tory, and the Lord God wiU wipe
away tears from aU faces.' By these
words is signified that the Lord by
his coming wiU remove evUs and
falses vrith those who Uve from him,
so that there shall be no grief of mind
on account of them. In the act of
shedding tears, water comes forth,
but bitter and astringent ; and this
is occasioned by an influx into man's
grief from the spUitual world, whose
bitter water corresponds to the defect
of tmth because of falsities, and to
grief on that account." Ap. Ex. 484.
— Are my food. That is, he has no
truths to sustain and nourish the
soul — ^nothing but falses ; food, here,
signifies mental nourishment. — Day
and night. "By day and night is
signified at aU times; and, in the
spUitual sense, in every state, thus
perpetually." A. fi. 637. — TVhilethey
continually say to me, Wliere is thy
God ? tempters continuaUy suggest
ing the thought that there is no such
thing as truth, and that there is no
God of truth.
Verse 4. — The.-;e things I think
upon, &c. There have been differ
ences among commentators as to the

XLIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

203

For I went with the multitude, I walked with them to the
house of God,
With the voice of rejoicing and thanksgiving,
With the worshiping miUtitude.
5 Why art thou cast down, 0 my sotd.
And why art thou disturbed within me ?
Hope thou in God :
For I shaU yet praise him whose countenance is salvation.
6 0 my God, my soul is cast down within me :
Therefore wiU I remember thee from the land of Jordan
And the Hermons, from the mountain Mitzar.

true interpretation and correct trans
lation of this passage. It seems to
be a comparison between present
states of darkness and sadness vrith
former ones of spiritual elevation and
joy. The Psalmist is nowunder infes
tations from evU spirits, in which all
perception of truth seems taken away,
and God himseU seems absent from
the soul ; andwhUeinthis cUstress,his
thoughts revert to the time when his
mind wasfuU of joy and peace, and
when, in the society of rejoicing wor
shipers, he gave praise to the Lord.
Such refiections are most natural :
every regenerating mind must have
passed through similar states.
Verse 5. — 'Wliy art thou cast down,
0 my soul, &c. Soul, here, signifies
the natural mind, which man from
his higher or spiritual mind can per
ceive the state of, and thus can ad
dress as a lower self, distinct from
his higher seU — a clear proof that
there are different degrees or planes
in the human mind. — Cast down has
reference to the feelings, and disturbed
to the thoughts ; or, the former refers
to the wUl and the latter to the
nnderstancUng. — Hope in God : have
patience, and the Ught of Divine

Truth wUl again beam upon the soul.
— I shall yet praise him wliose coun
tenance is salvation. By the Lord's
countenance or face is signified His
Divine love (Ap. Ex. 412) : because
the face is expressive of the affec
tions, and here, of the Divine affec
tion or love. — Whose countenance is
salvation describes the saving power
of the Lord's love.
Verse 6. — From the land of Jor
dan. " The plain ahout Jordan sig
nifies, in the spiritual sense, the ex
ternal man. The reason that it has
this signification, is because Jordan
was the boundary of the land of
Canaan. The land of Canaan de
notes the Church and kingdom ofthe
Lord. Hence all things in that land
were representative, as the cities,
mountains, hUls, vaUeys, rivers, and
other things. Those which were in
the midst of the land, or in the in
most, represented the internal man ;
as Mount Zion and Jerusalem, Mount
Zionrepresentingthings celestial, and
Jerusalem things spiritual. Those
which were at a distance, represented
things more remote from intemal;
and those at the extrenUties or which
formed the boundaries, represented

204

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XLIL

7 Deep caUs to deep at the voice of thy cataracts :
All thy waves and thy bUlows have passed over me.

the external man. The boundaries
of Canaan were several ; in general,
the two rivers, Euphrates and Jordan,
and also the sea ; whence Euphrates
and Jordan represented things ex
ternal. That Jordan and the plain
of Jordan have this signification, may
be seen from the following passage :
' 0 my God, my soul is bowed down
within me ; therefore vrill I remem
ber thee from the land of Jordan,'.and
the Hermons, from the mountain of
smallness' (Psalm xlU. 6) ; where the
land of Jordan denotes what is lowly,
consequently what is distant from
the celestial, as man's externals are
from the internals." A. C. 1585. —
From the Hermons, from the mountain
Mitzar. Mount Hermon with its
several peaks (plural, the Hermons)
was a moimtain beyond Jordan to
the north; and Mitzar is supposed
to be the name of one of the Lebanon
range, in a neighboring locaUty.
Mountains, and hills in general, sig
nUy affections or loves, — in a good
sense, love to the Lord and to the
neighbor, as Mount Zion; but, in
the opposite sense, evU loves, as the
love of seU and the love ofthe world
(See A. R. 336). The mountains,
here named, being beyond Jordan
and thus remote from Mount Zion
and Jemsalem, would seem in the
present case to denote evil loves,
such as assault the mind in time of
temptation. The word Mitzar, in
the Hebrew, is also a common noun,
signUying sniallness,littleness ; hence
the phrase the mountain Mitzar,
might be rendered the mountain of
littleness, or the small or low moun
tain : in either case, the spUitual sig

nification is the same. — The words
I will remember thee from the land of
Jordan, &c., describe the humanity
of the Lord, in its state of humUia
tion and temptation, stUl looking to
and calUng upon the Divine; and
they teach that in our temptations
we are to do the same.
Verse 7. — Deep calls to deep, &c.
This is a sublime passage, even in
the letter : but it is stUl more sublime,
in the intemal sense. The deep, or
abyss, signifies heU : " HeU calls to
heU : " the infemals cheer on one an
other in their vricked efforts to de
stroy the Lord, in order that, he
being crushed, they might then de-
stioy all mankind. " By the ahyss,
in old time, was signifled heU, and
the phantasies and persuasions of
falsity were likened to waters and
streams thence issuing : the heUs of
some also appear as abysses and seas :
thence come the evdl spUits who de
vastate man, and also those that
tempt him ; and the phantasies which
they infuse, and the lusts vrith which
they inflame man, are Uke inunda
tions and exhalations thence arising."
A. C. 756. — At the voice of thy catar
acts (or channels), signifies the influx
of falses, deluging the mind: it is
said at the voice, because the term
voice in a good sense signifies the
utterance of Divine truth (A. C.
6971), but, here, of infernal falsity.
— All thy waves and thy billows hare
passed over Tne. " By waves and bil
lows are signified evUs and falses."
Ap. Ex. 538. A passage precisely
similar is found in Jonah (U. 3).
Both passages describe the Lord's
most dire temptations from the hells,

XLIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

205

8 Yet the Lord wiU ordain his mercy in the day-time,
And in the night his song shaU be with me,
Even a prayer to the God of my Ufe.
9 I wUl say to God, my Eock, Why hast thou forgotten me ?
Why go I mourning under the oppression of the enemy ?
10 As with a breaking of my bones, my oppressors upbraid me,
Saying to me continuaUy, Where is thy God ?
11 Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul,
And why art thou disturbed within me 1
Hope thou in God ; for I shaU yet praise him
Who is the salvation of my countenance' and my God.

by which he seemed to himseU at
times entUely overwhelmed. — It is
said " thy waves and biUows," " thy
cataracts," as U the temptation came
from the Divine ; but this is spoken
according to the appearance.
Verse 8. — Yet the Lord will ordain
his mercy, &c. StiU the Divine wiU
not forsake him, but wiU sustain
him day and night, that is, both in
brighter and in darker states. In the
day-time he will ordain his mercy;
that is, in his brighter states he vriU
have a perception of the Lord's good
ness and love ; and in the night his
song shall be with me; even iu his
darker states he vrill be enabled to
praise God in a spirit of faith and
resignation, even whUe uttering a
prayer for deliverance. — To the God
of my life — to Him whose Divine
'Tnith is the life of the soul.
Verse 9. — / will say to God, my
Rock — I wUl pour out my heart be
fore the Lord who is my sole sup
port, — 'Why hast thou forgotten me?
Why dost thou seem to have forgot
ten me ? — Wliy go I mourning, &c. ?
Why are my spUitual foes allowed
to depress my soul, and overwhelm
me vrith sadness ?
Verse 10. — As with a breaking of

my bones. By bones, in the spUitual
sense, are signified truths or doctri
nals ; for these support the mind as
bones do the body (A. C. 9643).
Hence a temptation as to Divine
truths, such as is here described, is
compared to a breaking ofthe bones ;
that is, a severing of truths in the
mind, causing them, as it were, to
lose their connection vrith each other.
This takes place when evil spirits
{oppressors) insinuate falses, espe
cially, when they infuse doubts of
the very existence of the Divine
Being, — as is implied in the words,
"Where is thy God?"
Verse 11. — 'Wliy art thou cast
down, &c. ? Again the Psalnust
seeks to console his spirit vrith
thoughts of the Divine goodness, and
to urge himself to patient waiting
on the Lord — assured that the Sun
of fiighteousness vriU yet shine out
again, and his darkness be turned
into Ught, his trouble into joy. —
Tlie salvation of my countenance. By
the countenance or face is signified
the love or affections ; hence, God,
the salvation of my countenance, sig
nifies that the Lord is the support
and Ufe of all good affections in the
soul.

206

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XLIII.

PSALM XLIIL
SUMMARY OF THB INTERNAL SENSE.
Grievousness of the Lord's temptations even to despair, verses
1, 2 ; prayer to the Faiher that Divine truth may comfort him,
3, 4 ; consolation, 5.
1 Judge me, 0 God, and maintain my cause against a mercUess
nation :
Deliver me from the deceitful and wicked man.
2 For thou art the God of my strength :
Wliy dost thou cast me off ?
Why go I mourning under the oppression of the enemy ?
3 0 send thy Ught and thy truth :
Let them guide me :
Let them bring me to thy holy moimtain and to thy habita
tions.

This Psalm closely resembles the
preceding, so much so that they are
by some regarded as but parts of
one Psalm. Yet they are evidently
distinct, because the former Psalm
closed vrith an expression of hope
and trust, wliUe this opens vrith
words of distress and supplication.
They are probably descriptive of
deep states of temptation imme
diately succeeding each other.
Verse 1. — Judge me, means judge
for me, decide in my favour, defend
me, — as expressed in the succeeding
words, maintain my cause. — Against
a merciless nation. The terms nations
and people, when fonnd together,
signify the good and the true, or the
celestial and the spiritual. But, in
a bad sense, as here, by nation are
signifled such of the internals as are
opposed to the celestial, thus who
are in the love of evU, and by people

those opposed to the spiritual, or
such as are in the love of the false,
distinctively. Bnt here, in the
second clause, instead of people the
term man is used {ish, man mascu
Une) which is descriptive of intellect;
thus having reference to those who
are in the false of understandUig,
whUe by nation are signifled such as
are in evU of the vriU. The heUs
composed of both classes are here
described as assaulting the Lord.
Verse 2. — 'Wliy dost thou cast me
off? The Lord, in truth, never
casts oft' any one : but in time of
temptation it so appears : in reality,
the Lord is nearer to us at such
times, because we are in humUia
tion. Verses 3, 4.-0 send thy light, &c.
" The subject here treated of is con
cerning the way to heaven, and to
the Lord there. The way to heaven

XLIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

207

4 So shaU I come to the altar of God,
To God, my gladness and joy,
And I wUl praise thee on the harp, 0 God, my God.
5 Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul,
And why art thou disturbed within me ?
Hope thou in God ; for I shaU yet praise him
Who is the salvation of my countenance and my God.

is meant by the words, Send thy
light and truth, let them guide me:
light means a state of iUustration in
which trutlis appear : heaven, to
which they are to lead, is meant
by the mountain of thy holiness and
thy habitations; the mountain of holi
ness is the heaven where the Lord's
celestial kingdom is, in which the
good of love reigns ; habitations are
those heavens where the Lord's
spUitual kingdom is, in which pre
vaUs tmth grounded in that good.
And since both are referred to, there
fore it is said, tliat I may come to the
altar of God, to God; and by the
altar of God is meant where the Lord
is with the good of love, and by God
is meant where the Lord is vrith
truth derived from that good ; for
the Lord is called God from Divine
Tmth, and Jehovah from Divine
Good." Ap. Ex. 391. — Heaven is
here caUed the altar of God, because
" an altar denotes, in the proximate
[or exterior] sense, worship from the

good of love to the Lord, — in an
interior sense, heaven and the Church
which are in that love, — and in the
inmost sense the Lord's Divine
Human as to the Divine good of the
Divine love." (Ap. Ex. 391.)— To
God, my gladness and joy — ^UteraUy,
the gladness of my joy, because glad
ness is a term applied distinctively
to Divine Truth, which is signified
by God. — Upon the harp will I praise
thee. The harp signifies praise from
spiritual tmths, and hence is used
in connection v\ath the term God or
DivUie Tmth. " The reason that a
harp has this signification is because
it is a stringed instrument, and by
stringed instruments are signified
things spiritual or those which relate
to truth, whereas by wind instru
ments are signified things celestial,
or those which relate to good." Ap.
Ex. 323.
Verse 5. — See note on Psalm xiii.
11.

208 NOTES ON THE PSALMS [XLIV.
PSALM XLIV.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
That the Church with the ancients was established by the Lord,
after the evil had been cast out, verses 1-4 ; that this was done hy
God and not by man, 5-8 ; that still the hells now prevail over
him, as if there were no Divine presence, whence there is no Church,
9-12, 19 ; that he is blasphemed by the evil in the Church, 13-16 ;
notwitlistanding his integrity, 17-21 ; thctt he suffers such treat
ment on account of the Divine, 22 ; a prayer that the Divine may
therefore assist him, 23, 26 ; that he is in an extreme state of
temptations, as if he were deserted, 24, 25.
To the Leader of the music : For the Sons of Korah : Instructive.
1 0 God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us.
The work which thou didst in their days, in the days of old :
2 How thou with thy hand didst dispossess the nations.
And plantedst them in their stead:
How thou didst evU to the peoples,
But them thou didst cause to spread.
3 For, not with their own sword did they get possession of the
land;
Title. — See note on the title of Hence the two terms, waiions and ^eo-
Psalm xUi. pies are used, nations signUying those
Verses 1, 2. — In the literal sense, who are in evil, and peoples those who
these verses refer to the destruction are in the false : the former beinf
of the vricked Canaanites, and the opposed to the celestial, the latter to
introduction of the IsraeUtes into the spUitual. — The language " How
their land. But in the spiritual thou didst evil to the peoples" is
sense, a much grander work of the spoken according to the appearance.
Lord is meant, that, namely, of The Lord does aU thino-s from love :
effecting a judgment iu the world of it is for the protection of the good,
spirits, the casting dovim of the evil that the Lord removes the vricked.
from the imaginary heavens which Verse 3. — For not with their own
they had formed to themselves, and sword, &o. This is true ; even as to
raising up the good into theU place. the Uteral sense ; for in the conquest
(See L. J. Continuation, 18, 23, 31.) of Canaan the Israelites had contin-

XLIV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

209

Neither did their own arm save them :
But thy right hand, and thy arm, and the Ught of thy counte
nance.
Because thou deUghtedst in them.

Thou art my king, 0 God ;
Ordain the salvation of Jacob.
Through thee wUl we push back our oppressors :
Through thy name wUl we tread down those that rise against
us.

naUy the mUaculous aid of the Lord.
But in view of the spiritual sense,
this truth is stUl more evident. In
that sense, the passage treats of the
elevation of the good into heaven,
after the evU had been cast down.
And plainly no one attains heaven
by his own strength : he must in
deed struggle as of himseU, yet ac
knowledging that aU power comes
from the Lord. Heaven is a gift of
the Lord's goodness : yet it can be
bestowed only upon those who, by
striving as of themselves, become
fitted to receive the gift : no one,
plainly, can, by any smaU efforts of
his, merit so great a good as the
glories and joys of eternal lUe : yet
it is of Divine order that man should
prepare himseU for those joys by re
sistance to evU and by the exercise
of good affections in this world. —
Not with their own sword — own
arm. Sword signifies truth combat
ing against evU : arm signifies power :
such truth and power are from the
Lord, not from man. Hence it is
added. But thy right hand, and thy
a/rm, and the light of thy countenance:
" Right hand denotes power, arm de
notes strength, and the light of thy
countenance [or face] denotes Divine
Truth from Divine Good." A. C.
10,019. — It is added. Because thou

deUghtedst in them, meaning that the
Lord delights in the good : he is
pleased vrith those who strive to
keep his commandments, and thereby
fit themselves for heaven : and those
who thus strive, he helps.
Verse 4. — Thou art my king. The
Lord is caUed king, from Divine
Tmth, by which is all power. —
Ordain the salvation (literally, salva
tions) of Jacob. By Jacob, in the
spiritual sense, are signified such, in
the Church as are spiritual-natural,
or external (see A. C. 4286). Sal
vations (plural) signUy the means of
salvation, that is, the affections of
good and tmth (see note on Psalm
xlU. 11). Ordain ihem, that is, pro
vide them.
Verse 5. — Push hack our oppressors.
The original term signifies to push
or strike vrith the horn, as an ox.
" Striking with the horn, in the
Word, is said of the destruction of
the false by the power of truth, or,
in the opposite sense, of the destruc
tion of the truth by the power of the
false ; and this because by the liorn
is signified the power of truth de
rived from good, or of the false de
rived from evU. Thus, in David :
Thou art my king, 0 God : hy thee will
we strike mth the horn our enemies
(Psalm xliv. 4, 5), where to strike

210

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XLIV.

6 For not in my bow wUl I trust.
Nor can my sword save me.
7 But thou savest us from our oppressors.
And puttest to shame those that hate us.
8 In God do we glory aU the day.
And we wUl praise thy name forever. Selah !
9 But now thou hast cast us off, and hast put us to shame,
And goest not forth with our armies.
10 Thou hast caused us to turn back from the enemy,
And those that hate us take spoU for themselves.

enemies with the horn denotes to de
stroy falses by the power of the
teuth and good of faith." A. C.
9081. — Thus, by pushing back our
oppressors is signified resisting spUit
ual tempters who infuse falses ; and
by treading down those that rise
against us is signified overcoming
such as infuse evUs ; and that we are
enabled to do this, not in our own
strength, but through the power of
the Lord fighting for us, is meant
by the words through thee — through
thy ncmie : name signifies quaUty,
character, aU that constitutes the
Lord's Divine nature, viz.. Goodness
and Truth, or Love andWisdom, itseU.
Verse 6. — Not in my how, &c.
Bow and sword signify truth com
bating : distinctively, how, doctrinals,
and sword truth in general (see A.
C. 2686, 2799) : but my bow and
my sword signify truths or reason
ings derived from man himseU.
These are powerless ; for that truth
only which is derived from the Lord
is genuine and has power : the Di
vine alone has power over the hells.
Hence it is said. Not in my bow will
I trust, nor can my sword save me.
Verse 7. — But thou savest, &c.
It is the Lord alone who can protect
us from our spiritual foes. — Oppres

sors, such as are in falses : those that
' hate us, such as are in evUs.
Verse 8. — In God do we glory —
that is, rejoice in, trust in, depend
upon : God, Divine Truth, distinc
tively, as protective. — All the day,
in every state, continuaUy. — Tliy
name — thy quaUty, character, na
ture, as Love and Wisdom. — Selah!
See note on Psalm Ui 2.
Verses 9, 10. — But now, &c. A
change here takes place in the tone
of the Psalm. In the previous verses
wasdescribedthe establishment of the
Jewish Church, not by human, but
by Divine power, for the Lord was
vrith them. But now a picture is
presented, sadly, of the Church in its
fallen state, in which the Lord can
no longer be vrith them, because they
are in evUs and falses. — " By God's
not going forth with their armies, is
signified that he did not defend them,
because they were in the falses of
evU, for armies, here, denote the
falses of evU ; hence it is said that
they were cast off and put to shame,
and made to turn hack from the enemy,
the enemy denoting evril which is
from heU. — The reason why armies
have such a signification, is because
by the wars mentioned in the Word,
both Ul the historical and prophetical

XLIV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

211

11 Thou hast given us like sheep destined for food.
And hast scattered us among the nations.
12 Thou hast sold thy people for what is not wealth,
Aud hast not grown richer by their price.
13 Thou makest us the reproach of our neighbors,
The scorn and derision of those around us.

parts, are signified, in the intemal
sense, spiritual wars, which are waged
against heU and against the diaboUcal
crew there ; and such wars have rela
tion to tmths and goods combating
againstfalsesandevUs; hence it is, that
armies signUy aU tenths derived from
good, and, in the opposite sense, aU
falses derived from evU." Ap. Ex.
573. — Tiiose that hate us take spoil for
themselves. By those that hate us are
signified the infemals ; and the spoil
which they take, signifies goods and
tmths of which they deprive man.
Verse 11. — Thouhast given us like
sheep for food. Innocent and useful
animals, like sheep and lambs, when
mentioned ifl the Word, signUy good
affections in man. Being given like
sheep for food, seems to signUy (like
the spoil mentioned in the previous
verse) the deprivation and destruc
tion of good affections by the inter
nals ; for it is the food, the " meat
and drink," of evU spUits to take
away man's good affections, or turn
them into evU ones. — And scatterest
us among the nations. Nations signUy
the infemal spirits by whom man is
surrounded, when he gives way to
temptation. — The Lord is said to do
all these things, as, Thou hast given
— thou hast scattered, &c., such being
the appearance; whereas it is in
truth man who brings himself into
evU. Verse 12. — Tliou hast sold thy
people, &c. " To seU and to be sold

signifies to aUenate truths, and to be
aUenated from them, and to accept
falses for truths, and to be captivated
by them." Ap. Ex. 840. Hence,
thou hast sold thy people signifies,
in the spUitual sense, "thou hast
alienated or rejected truths ;" the
term people, in the abstract sense,
signUying truths themselves, as, per
sonaUy, it signifies such as are in
possession of truths, for such are
the people of the Lord. — For what
is not wealth, that is, for falses :
wealth, spirituaUy, is the knowledge
of truths ; hence, what is not wealth
means falses. — Hence it is said. And
hast not grown richer (UteraUy, hast
not increased) hy their price: that is,
the falses which have been received
as the price of, or in the place of,
truths, are worthless. — The Lord is
here spoken of (according to the
appearance) as selUng his people,
whereas, in reality, it is the people
who sell themselves, that is, who
reject truths ; as expressly said in
Isaiah (In. 3), " Ye have sold your
selves for nought."
Verse 13. — Tlie reproach of our
neighbors, &c. By neighbor, in the
spiritual sense, is signified the prin
ciple of good, and hence those who
are in good (A. C. 2425). This sig
nification has its origin, probably, in
the idea of nearness to the Lord.
By those around us are signified such
as are in tmth — for when one mem
ber of a pair of terms refers to good.

212

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XLIV

14 Thou makest us a by-word among the nations,
A shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 My shame is continuaUy before me.
And the confusion of my face covers me ;
16 Because of the voice of the revUer and blasphemer.
Because of the enemy and the avenger.
17 AU this has come upon us :
Yet we have not forgotten thee,
Nor have we been false to thy covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back /rom thee,
Nor have our steps departed from thy way.

the other refers to truth. But,
here, the terms are used in theU op
posite senses, and signify such as
are in evUs and falses. For as the
Israelites represented the Church,
the nations around them represented
such as are out of the Church, thus,
those who are in evUs and falses.
Hence, when the Israelites sinned,
they were given into the hands of
some of the surrounding nations,
which represented that they were
under the dominion of evils. Similar
to this, appears to be the meaning
of theU being the reproach of their
neighbors, and the scorn and derision
of those around them. See Psalm
Ixxxix. 41, 42, where a simUar sense
is expressed more distinctly.
Verse 14. — By nations are signi
fied such as are in good, and by
peoples such as are in tmth. (Ap.
Ex. 331.) But, in the opposite sense,
nations signUy those in e^rils, and
peoples those in falses. The general
sense of the verse is similar to that
of the preceding.
Verses 15, 16. — A change is here
made to the singular — " my shame."
It is the Lord himseU who speaks
(see the Smnmary of the Internal
Sense), and who describes himseU as

covered with sham,e, &c. For when the
Church sinks, departs from good to
evil, from truth to falsity, then the
Lord, who is the soul of the Church,
as it were, suffers vrith it. — The reviler
and blasphemer, the enemy and avenger,
signUy the heUs, who are in all hatred
against the Lord ; reviler and blas
phemer describe such as are iu falses,
enemy and avenger those who are iu
evils. Verse 17. — In this" and the fol-
lovring verses, though the sense is
expressed in the plural, as U the
Lord were stUl identUying himseU
vrith his Church, yet the reference,
in fact, is to the Lord alone, and to
his integrity (see the Summary of
the Internal Sense) ; for he alone
can thus speak of himseU as having
been good and faithful : no Churcli
and no individual can justly say it :
certainly not the Jevrish Church. —
Forgotten thee has reference to evU :
false to thy covenant, to falsity.
Verse 18. — Our heart has not
turned back from thee, sigiufies that
the love or vrill has not been set in
opposition to the Divine vriU ; nor
have our stepis departed from thy way,
nor have we acted Ui opposition to
Divine truth ; way signifies truth.

XLIV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

213

19 But thou hast bruised us in the place of dragons,
And hast covered us over with the shadow of
death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God,
And had spread out our hands to a strange god,
21 Would not God search this out ?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.

This the Lord says of himseU ; and
he alone could say it : "1 do always,"
said he, "those things that please
him" (John viU. 29).
Verse 19. — Hast bruised us in the
place of dragons, &c. " These words
relate to temptations. That he was
then shut up from influx out of
heaven, Uke the sensual man, so as
not to perceive what was teue and
what was good, is signified by God's
bruising him in the place of dragons,
and covering him over with ihe shadow
of death; the place of dragons denot
ing where those are who are dragons
in hell, that is, such as have desteoyed
aU good vrith themselves ; the false
in which the same are, is called the
shadow of death." Ap. Ex. 714. —
By dragons, in the Word, are signi
fied such men or spUits as are merely
natiiral and sensual, though having a
knowledge of truths from the Word :
for a dragon is a vringed serpent :
the serpent is the emblem of the
sensual principle, and vrings signify
truths. Then to he brwised in the place
of dragons, is to be tempted by being
let into a state like that of the sen-
•sual, who have no interior light or
perception from heaven : to bruise
signifies to distress, afllict. — The
shadow of death signifies falsity de
rived from evU (A. K. 110) ; for
death signifies evU, which is spiritual
death, and shadow, the darkness
thence derived. Hence, to be covered

over with the shadow of deatii signifies
to be in a state of deep mental dark
ness, such as those are in, who are
in falses derived from evil, or in
heU. Verses 20, 21. — To forget the
name of God signifies to depart from
goodness and truth ; for name signi
fies quality, and the quaUty of the
Lord is love and vrisdom : to forget
this is to depart from it, to act in
opposition to it. — To spread out the
hands to a strange god, signifies to
give one's seU up to falsity and evU:
for as the tme God is Truth and
Goodness, a strange god signifies
something that is loved and wor
shiped, different from and in op
position to Truth and Goodness.
Spreading out ihe hands is expressive
of worship (see Isaiah i 15) ; for the
hands are the ultimates, hence to
look np with the face or head as in
prayer, and at the same time to
spread out or hold up the hands,
expresses a giving np of the whole
man, intemal and external, to the
Being worshiped. — Would not God
search tliis out? The substance of
these two verses seems to be a de
claration from the Lord in his hu
manity, who is here speaking, that
he had not in any degree departed
from tmth and goodness, for he was
ever conscious that he was in the
presence of the Divine who knows
aU things.

214

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XLIV.

22 But for thy sake we are kUIed aU the day :
We are accounted as a flock for slaughter.
23 Awake, why sleepest thou, 0 Lord ?
Awake, cast us not off forever.
24 Why hidest thou thy face.
And forgettest our affliction and our oppression ?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust,
Our beUy cleaves to the earth.

Verses 22, 23. — For thy sake, sig
nifies that the Lord endured aU these
temptations for the sake of the Di
vine, — that is, that he might fulfil the
purposes of the Divine Being in re
gard to the redemption of man (see
Summary of the Intemal Sense). —
"By being killed all the day and
accounted as a flock for slaughter, is
meant that of ourselves we are per
petually faUUig into false persua
sions, and are seduced by them, and
especially when these are prevalent.
By sheep of slaughter are signified
those who are in good and are se
duced by falsities of doctrine : those
are called sheep who are in the good
of charity." — " That we may be ele
vated out of those false persuasions
is signified by the words. Awake, 0
Lord, cast us not off forever." Ap.
Ex. 315. — It may be remarked, that
these words, so far as they refer to
the Lord, mean only that he was
subject to temptations from falses,
not that he was in any case seduced
by them.
Verse 23. — 'Wliy sleepest thou?
That this is spoken merely accord
Uig to the appearance, is evident :
the Lord "neithej: slumbers nor
sleeps" (Psalm cxxi 4). But when
man, jrielding to temptations, brings
himseU into troubles and sufferings,
it seems to him that the Lord has
deserted him and cast him off, when,

in reality, it is he who has removed
himseU from the Lord. — The term
translated Lord is here Adonai, Mas
ter, which is a designation ofthe Lord
as Divine Truth; and it is here used
as in opposition to the falsities from
which they pray to be deUvered.
Verse 24. — JVhy hidest thou thy
face ? " It is said in the Word, that
the Lord hides his face from man on
account of his iniquities and sins,
and he is sometimes entreated not
to hide his face ; when, nevertheless,
he never hides or vrithdraws his Di
vine good and tmth, which are sig
nified by his face, for he is Divine
love itseU, and mercy itseU, and de
sUes the salvation of aU. But when
man from Uberty chooses evU, he
then shuts the door against himseU,
and, by so doing, excludes the good
and tmth which fiow from the
Lord : when this is the case vrith
man, the Lord appears as U absent,
and it is from this appearance that
it is said of Jehovah that he hides
or vrithdraws his face, although he
does not, in reaUty, hide or vrith
draw." Ap. Ex. 412. — And forget
test our affliction and oppression.
Aflliction signifies temptations from
falses, and oppression distress from
evUs. Verse 25. — " Here, by the soul
and the belly, in the spiritual sense,
is signified the thought of the under-

XLV.] NOTES ON THE PSALMS 215
26 Arise for our help.
And redeem us for thy mercy's sake.
standing ; and by being bowed down which is the receptacle of thoughts
to the dust, and cleaving to the earth, asthebeUyisoffood(seeAp. Ex. 622).
is signified its being imbued vrith Verse 26. — Redeem us for thy
falses ; for by dust and earth is here mercy's sake. To redeem is to deUver
signified what is infernal and ao- from falses and evUs. For thy mercy's
cursed." Ap. Ex. 622. The belly sake, means on account of, or on the
corresponds to the understanding, ground of, thy Divine love.

PSALM XLY.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Concerning the glm'ification of the Lord's Humanity, and con
cerning heaven and the Church from him. A magnificent declara
tion concerning the Lord and concerning conjunction with him,
verse 1 ; that Divine Truth belongs to him alone, 2 ; tliat by
Divine Truth he powerfully overcame the hells, 3-5 ; that the
kingdom is his to eternity, 6 ; tliat he made his Humanity Divine
thereby, 1, 8 ; that tlience heaven and the Church are his, which are
in Divine truths from him, 8 ; that thence are the affections of
truth, in which the societies of heaven are, 9 ; concei'ning the Church
where the Word is, thai; it should recede from tlie affections of
the natural man, 10; that so it will be tlie Lord's Church, 11;
and that thus it will have the knowledges of good and truth, with
sciences subservient, 12—14; that thus there will be conjunction
with the Lord in lieav&n, 15 ; fhM it will have primary truths,
16 ; that the, universal Chv,rch will serve the Lord, 17.
To the Leader of ihe Music : upon the LUies : For the Sons of Korah :
Instructive : A Song of loves.
This is, perhaps, the most glovring Title. — Upon the lilies. This is
and splendid of all the Psalms : it commonly supposed to have refer-
is truly a Song of loves, describing, as ence to a musical instrument, which
it does, the glorification of the Lord, was in the shape of a lily. But as
and his consequent union by love every expression in the Divine Word
with the Church and heaven. has a spiritual sense, such a sense

216

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XLV.

1 My heart is overflowing with a noble theme :
I address my works to the king :
My tongue is the pen of a quick writer.
2 Thou art fairer than the sons of man :
Grace is poured upon thy Ups :
Therefore God hath blessed thee forever.

must be contained here. By the lily
is signified "the first of the re-birth
or regeneration" (Ap. Ex. 638), the
whiteness of the Uly being significa
tive of truth, by means of which
regeneration is commenced. The
expression upon ihe lilies, therefore
is used here, probably, because the
Psalm is descriptive of the regenera
tion of the Church, and also of the
Divine regeneration, that is, the glori
fication, of the Lord. — For the sons of
Korah, Instructive : see the notes on
the titles of Psalms xUi. and xxxii. —
A Song of loves ; or, as some render
it, of the beloved ones, or of lovely or
charming things. With either of the
renderings, the general sense is the
same — that the PsaUn is expressive
of the state of mutual love between
the Lord on the one hand, and heaven
and the Church on the other, and of
the joy and peace that attends such
a union. Verse 1. — With a nohle theme:
UteraUy, unth a good word. " A word
signifies doctrine conceming charity
and the faith thence derived." A. C.
1288. — " I address (literally, I say,
or am saying) my works to the king.
Most commentators imderstand the
works, here mentioned, to mean the
present performance, this poem, which
is addressed or dedicated to king
David or some other. But the true
meaning is doubtless much more
spiritual. By the king is signified

the Lord as Diviae Tmth : by say
ing or addressing m,y works to the
king, is probably meant ascribing aU
our good works to the Lord. As the
good word above mentioned has refer
ence to doctrine, so the term works
has reference to Ufe. — My tongue is
ihe pen of a quick writer. Tongue in
the spiritual sense, signifies doctrine
(A. C. 1288), as it is the organ for
confessing or declaring the tmths of
doctrine. It is compared to the pen
of a quick writer, because when the
heart is fuU to overflowing with the
love of truth, the tongue rapidly
utters it ; and what is uttered is in
scribed, as it were with a pen, on the
mind of the hearer.
Verse 2. — Thou art fairer than the
sons of man, &c. " That the con
tents of this and the following verses
have reference to the Lord, is evident
from aUthe partictdars of this Psalm.
By being fairer (or more beautiful)
than ihe sons of man, and by grace
being poured upon his lips, is signified
that he has Divine vrisdom, and that
from him is the doctrine of Divine
truth : beautiful signifies being vrise,
the sons o/ mem signUy those who are
intelUgent in Divine truths, and lips
signUy doctrinals." Ap. Ex. 684.
Sons of man, in the spUitual sense
signUy the inteUigent, because man
denotes wisdom, and son the inteUi
gence thence derived (Ap. Ex. 507).
The Lord's being fairer (or, as the

XLV]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

217

Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, 0 mighty One,
In thy majesty and thy splendor ;
And in thy splendor go on,
Eide upon the Word of truth and of the meekness of right
eousness,
And thy right hand shaU teach thee terrible things.
Thy arrows are sharp.
In the heart of the king's enemies :
The peoples shaU faU under thee.

Hebrew emphaticaUy expresses it by
doubling the two first radicals of the
word {yaph-yaphah) — fairer by far)
than the sons of man, is meant the
Lord's vrisdom was far or infinitely
above that of men, being Divine. — It
is said, grace is poured upon thy lips,
because lips, as above mentioned,
signUy doctrinals, and the term
grace is appUed specially to tmth
and doctrine, provided as the gra
cious means of man's salvation (see
A. G. 598). — God hathblessed thee for
ever. The term God is significative
of Divine Tmth. To bless, when ap
pUed to man, signifies to enrich vrith
spiritual and celestial good, but when
referring to the Lord, as here, it sig
nifies to " dispose aU things in his
humanity in Divine order," that is,
to glorify U (A. C. 3017). Thus the
words, God hath blessed thee forever,
signify that the Lord by Divine
Tmth glorified his humanity for
eternity. Verses 3-5'. — Gird thy sword, &c.
"By these words is described the
Lord's omnipotence from Divine
Truth proceeding from Divine Good,
and hence the destruction of falses
and evils, and the subjugation of the
hells. By a sword is signified tmth
fighting against the false and de
stroying it; by riding, to instruct

and to combat ; by the word of truth,
the doctrine of truth ; by right hand,
omnipotence ; by arrows, are signified
truths combating ; by the peoples,
those who are in the falses of evil,
and by the king's enemies, those who
are against truths, thus, the heUs."
Ap. Ex. 684. — Upon thy thigh. The
sword upon the thigh signifies truth
combating from love (A. fi. 836);
forthe thigh as representing conjugial
love, which is the fmidamental of all
loves, thence signifies the good of
love in general (A. fi. 830). — Majesty
and splendor: m,ajesty has reference
to Divine good, and splendor to Divine
truth. — To ride upon the word of truth
is to teach the doctrine of truth ; and
of the meekness of righteousness, the
doctrine of good or of Ufe thence de
rived. — And thy right hand shall
teach thee terrible things ; that by his
omnipotence he would accomjpUsh
wonderful things in the subjugation
of the heUs, and the consequent re
demption of man. It is said shall
teach thee, because the Human is ad
dressed, and that gradually learned
wisdom, and acquired power as it
became conjoined to the Divine or
was glorified. (See Luke ii. 52.) —
The king's enemies signUy those who
are against truths, because king de
notes Divine truth (A. K. 20).

218

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XLV.

6 Thy throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever :
A sceptre of rectitude is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
7 Thou hast loved righteousness and hated wickedness :
Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oU of
joy above thy feUows :
8 M}Trh, and aloes, and cassia are upon aU thy garments.

Verse 6. — Tliy throne, 0 God, &c.
Here the Lord is called God even as
to his Humanity, because after glori-
cation, the Humanity was whoUy
Divine, was the Divine in ultimates,
or the Divine Natural ; — as the Lord
said after his resurrection, " AU
power is given to me in heaven and
in earth," that is, omnipotence was
now communicated to the Humanity,
whence he rules over aU things to
eternity. And this is meant also by
the words, Tliy throne is for ever and
ever. — '' A sceptre of rectitude is the
Divine Truth, which has power and
a kingdom." Ap. Ex. 684.
Verse 7. — " Thou hast loved right
eousness and hated wickedness signifies
to deliver the good from damnation
by destroying the evU ; and that
thereby he had united the very Di
vine to his Human is signified by
the words Therefore God, thy Ood,
hath anointed thee with the oil of joy
above thy fellows. To anoint with the
oil of joy signifies to unite himseU [to
the Divine] by victories in tempta
tions. The expression God, thy God
denotes the reciprocal union of the
Human with the Divine, and of the
Divine vrith the Human." Ap. Ex.
684. — To anoint with the oil of joy,
signifies the glorification of the Hu
manity, because the oil of anointing
is the emblem of the good of love,
and, in the Lord's case, of Divine
love. (See A. C. 9954.) Hence he
was called Messiah or Christ, which

signifies the Anointed, that is, one
fUled with Divine love ; and the Lord
was such because Jehovah, who is
Love itseU, was in him, and was his
soul. Such was the Lord, at birth,
as to his inmost jDrinciple ; but when,
by combats and victories in tempta
tion he had glorified his human, and
made that Divine also, then he be
came the Anointed even as to the
ultimates ; and it is this anointing
that is referred to here. — It is said
oil of joy, because love and joy are
inseparably united ; hence Divine
love has Divine joy. — It is added.
Above thy fellows. A fellow or com
panion signifies one who is in the
truth of doctrine (S. S. 84), that is,
one who is of the Church. Hence
to be anointed above thy fellows signi
fies that the Lord was filled vrith
Divine love infinitely above aU who
are of the Church, above all men, —
just as, in the second verse, it is said,
Tliou art fairer ihan the sons of men,
that is wiser than a.U men. That
verse and this, indeed, appear closely
to correspond in theU general struc
ture and sense ; that, however, refer
ring to the Lord's vrisdom, and this
to his love.
Verse 8. — "Myrrh, and aloes, and,
cassia are upon all thy garments, sig
nifies the union of Divine tmths
vrith Divine goods. Myrrh signifies
good of the ultimate degree, aloes the
good of the second, and cassia the
good of the third degree. The gar-

XLV]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

219

Stringed instruments out of ivory palaces gladden thee.
9 Kings' daughters are among thy precious ones :
At thy right hand stands the queen in fine gold of Ophir.
10 Hear, 0 daughter, and see, and incUne thine ear;
And forget thine own people and thy father's house :
11 So shaU the king deUght in thy beauty;
For he is thy Lord, and bow down thyself to him.

m,ents which were anointed signUy
Divme truths." Ap. Ex. 684.— Oui
of ivory palaces stringed instrv/ments
gladden thee. Stringed instruments
signify spUitual affections ; for the
sound of music corresponds to affec
tion, that of stringed instruments to
the affection of tmth, which is spirit
ual, and that of wind-instruments to
the affection of good, which is celes
tial. (A. R. 192.)— Out of ivory
palaces. " A palace denotes the
understanding of spiritual truths ;
for in the understanding are spirit-
tual truths vrith theU forms, which
when represented visibly, appear as
palaces." Ap. Ex. 724. " Ivory
denotes natural tmth ; because it is
white, and capable of being polished,
and protrudes from the mouth of
the elephant, and constitutes his
strength." A. E. 774. Thus ivory
palaces signify, probably, the under
standing of natm'al truth conjoined
with spiritual, or of external tmth
derived from internal. Then, the
whole passage, Stringed instrv/ments
out of ivory palaces gladden thee,
describes the deUght derived from
the affection of natural tmth when
conjoined vrith spUitual.
Verse 9. — " 'The daughters of kings
signUy spiritual affections of truth,
which are caUed precious when the
tmths are genuine. The queen sig
nifies heaven and the Church : at thy

right hand denotes under his protec
tion from conjunction with him ; and
flne gold of Ophir signifles love to the
Lord." Ap. Ex. 684. — Right hand de
notes power, and hence being at the
right hand signifies being under the
protection of the Lord's Omnipotence.
The queen, that is, heaven and the
Church, is said to stand at his right
hand, because "to stand before God,
sigmfies to be in Divine truth" (Ap.
Ex. 639).
Verses 10, 11. — Hear, 0 daughter,
&c. It is the Church that is here
addressed. Daughter, in the spUit
ual sense, signifies affection ; hence,
in the Word, the Church is called
" daughter of Zion," from the affec
tion of good, and " daughter of
Jerusalem" from the affection of
truth (A. C. 2362). " To hea/r, see,
and incline the ear, signifies to hear
ken, perceive, and obey ; thus to
understand, to do, and to be vrise
from the Lord That then she wUl
be accepted by the Lord, is signified
by the words, so shall the king delight
in thy beauty, — beauty being predi
cated of the affection of truth, for
this constitutes the beauty of angels.
— Therefore bow down thyself to him
signifies worship from a humble
heart." Ap. Ex. ?>&Z.— Forget thine
own people and thy father's house, sig
nifies that those of the Church " must
recede from the affections of the

220

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XLV.

12 And the daughter of Tyre shall send a gift :
The rich of the people shaU entreat thy favor.
13 The king's daughter is aU glorious within :
Her clothing is of fabrics of gold,
14 In garments of needlework shaU she be brought to the king :
The virgins that foUow her, her companions, shaU be brought
to thee.
15 With gladness and rejoicing shaU they be brought :
They shaU come into the king's palace.

natural man'' (see Summary of the
Intemal Sense). Thine own people
signifies the falses of the natural
mind, for the term people is pre
dicated either of tmths or of falses
(A. C. 1259) ; and thy father's house
signifies the evils of the natural
mind, in particular such as are here-
lUtary (A. C. 5353).
Verse 12. — " Tlie daughter of
Tyre shall send a gift, signifies wor
ship from those who are in the
knowledges of truth : the rich of
the people shall entreat thy favor
signifies adoration from those who
are in intelUgence derived from such
knowledges." Ap. Ex. 863. Tyre
signifies those who possess the know
ledges of things celestial and spUit
ual (A. C. 1154) : such knowledges
were represented by the merchandise
and riches of Tyre, which were pro
verbial. It is said, daughter of Tyre,
as signUying those who are in the
i of such knowledges, daughter

signUying affection (Ap. Ex. 412). —
" The rich. Riches signUy the know
ledges of truth and good, and the rich
those who are intelUgent thereby."
Ap. Ex. 242.
Verse 13. — " Tlie king's daughter
is all glorious within, signifies the
Church as to the spiritual affection
of tmth, which is said to be glorious

from the abundance of truth, and
within signifies what is spiritual
By the king is signified the Lord as
to Divine Truth. Her clothing is of
fabrics of gold, signifies investing
tmths formed from the love of good."
Ap. Ex. 863, 195.
Verse 14. — "By the garm,ents of
needlework in which she should be
brought to the king, sire signified ap
pearances of truth, such as are in the
letter of the Word. By ihe virgins
after her, her companions, are signified
affections of tmth spiritual-natural
such as are subservient." Ap. Ex.
863. — In many places in the Word,
mention is made of needlework, and
by it is everywhere signified the
scientific principle. The cause of
this is from representatives in the
other Ufe, where garments of various
kinds of needlework appear, and by
them are signified scientific truths
[that is, knowledges of truth in the
memory]." A. C. 9688. Shall be
brought to thee : by thee is meant the
Lord in his Divrine Humanity (see
note on verse 16).
Verse 15. — " With gladness and
rejoicing shall they he brought: they
shall come into the king's palace, sig
nifies vrith heavenly joy into heaven
where the Lord is." Ap. Ex. 863.
That is, those who are ofthe Chm-ch

XLV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

221

16 Instead of thy fathers shaU be thy sons :
Thou shalt set them as princes over aU the earth.
17 I wUl cause thy name to be remembered from generation to
generation :
Therefore shaU the peoples praise thee for ever and ever.

— those who are in the spiritual
affection of truth, and in affections
spiritual - natural thence derived,
shaU so come. The abstract is here
changed into the concrete, — princi
ples into persons.
Verse 16. — Instead of thy fathers
shall be thy sons, signifies, Instead of
hereditary evUs shaU be Divine
truths. That fathers signUy here
ditary evUs, see note on verse 10.
Sons, in a good sense, as being derived
from the Father of aU, signUy tmths
from good (A. C. 5515). — Whom thou
shalt set as princes over all the earth,
signifies that Divine Truth shaU pre
vaU and rule throughout the Church.
Princes signUy primary or principal
truths (A. C. 5044), and earth signi
fies the Church. — It is the Lord in
His Humanity who is here addressed.
The expression, thy fathers, then sig
nifies the Lord's hereditary evdls de
rived through the mother, which
would all be put off, in the process
of glorification ; and thy sons has
reference to the pure Divine truths
which would be derived from the
Lord's Humanity glorified.
Verse 17. — I vyill cause thy name
to be remembered, &c. By the Lord's
name is signified his Divine Hu

manity (A. C. 6887). The reason is,
that name in the spiritual sense
signifies quaUty or character; and
the Divine quaUty can be seen and
understood by man, only as it ap
pears in Jesus Christ, for the Infinite
Divinity is above all finite compre
hension (John i 18). Hence by the
Lord's name is signified the Hu
manity. — The peoples shall praise
thee. By peoples, in the Word are
meant distinctively the spiritual
(Ap. Ex. 625), whom especially the
Lord came into the world to save
(A. C. 2661). It is they therefore
who are specially mentioned as
praising the Lord for having come.
— From generation to generation (lite
rally, in generation and generation) :
for ever and ever. " In the Word, it
is said forever, and to generations of
generations, and this sometimes in
one verse : the reason is, forever is
predicated of the Divine good, and
generations of generations of Divine
truth. Both signUy perpetually."
A. C. 6888. The general sense of
this concluding verse is, that "the
universal Chmch will • serve the
Lord" (see Summarv ofthe Internal
Sense).

222 NOTES ON THE PSALMS [XLVI.
PSALM XLYL
SUMMAEY OF THE INTERNAL SENSE.
That there will be protection by the Lord when the Last Judg
ment comes, and while it continues, verses 1-3, 6, 7; that those
who are of the Church and in the doctrine of truth, will be saved
by the Lord when he comes, 4, 5 ; that they will have nothing to
fear from the hells and from infestations thence, 8, 9; that this is
of tlie Lord, 10, 11.
To the Leader of the Music : For the Sons of Korah : In the Treble : A
Song.
1 God is our refuge and strength :
He is found an exceeding help in trouble.
2 Therefore we wUl not be afraid, when the earth shaU be
moved.
And when the mountains shake in the heart of the seas :
3 When its waters roar and foam,
Wlien the mountains tremble with its swelling. Selah !
Title. — The Sons of Korah. These Verses 2, 3. — 'When the earth shall
were singers in the temple service. he moved, &c. " These words, in the
See 1 Chronicles vi. 33, 37. In the spiritual sense, involve, that though
Treble (Hebrew, Al Alamoth) : see the Church -srith aU things of it per-
note on the title of PsaUn ix. ish, stiU the Word, and the Divine
Verse 1. — God is our refuge and tmth therein contained, wiU not per-
strength. The term refuge has re- ish. For by the earth is signified the
ference to the Divine love, and Church, by the mountains its goods
strength to the Divine truth : from of love, by the waters truths, and by
his love he opens his arms to receive the waters roaring and foaming then
us, by the power of his Divine truth states when they perish, and when
he protects us. — The Lord is, tmly, falses and evUs enter in theU place :
an exceeding and unfaUing help in the state of the Church is here des-
iroubfe; let those who doubt it, make cribed, when it is vastated as to
the trial : let them kneel down, and goods and desolated as to tmths."
"pour out their heart before him," in Ap. Ex. 518. By the mountains
any affiiction, bodily or mental, shaking in the heart of the seas is sig-
great or small, and see U they do nified good affections in the midst of
not find themselves comforted and evUs, surrounded and disturbed by
strengthened. them. For by moimtaius are signi-

XLVL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

223

4 There is a river, the streams of wluch shaU gladden the city
of God,
The holy place of the habitation of the Most High.
5 God is m the midst of her : she shaU not be moved :
God wiU help her at the return of the morning.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms shake :
He utters his voice, the earth is dissolved.
7 The Loed of hosts is with us :
The God of Jacob is a refuge for us. Selah !

fied elevated and heavenly affections ;
by the sea is signified heU (A. E.
238), and by heart love : hence, by
the heart of the seas, heU and its evU
loves. — Its waters : its here has re
ference not to seas, but to earth, that
is, the Church ; waters, the truths of
the Church. — Its swelling (UteraUy,
2}ride or exaltation). Its here, has
reference to seas : in the Hebrew, the
singular and plural are often thus
interchanged. Its swelling or exalta
tion, signifies the rising up of heU
against heaven and the Church,
whereby the mountains tremble, that
is, good affections are disturbed
(" the powers of the heavens sliaU be
shaken." Matt. xxiv. 29). — Selah!
See note on Psalm iU. 2.
Verses 4, 5. — " That the Word, or
Divrine truth for the Church, wiU
not perish, is signified by its being
said. The river, the streams of which
shall gladden the city of God, shall not
he moved: river, here, signifies the
same as fountain, namely, the Word,
because mention is made of its
streams, by which are signified
truths ; the city of God signifies the
Church as to doctrine ; to gladden
denotes infiux and reception from
joy of heart; and not to be moved
signifies not to perish as to anything."
Ap. Ex. 518. — As the city of God sig

nifies the Church as to doctrine or
tmth, so the habitation (UteraUy,
habitations) of the Most High signi^
fies the Church as to good or love
(A. C. 3600). The Lord is called
Most High, as being the inmost (D.
L. and W. 103); and the inmost or
essential of all things is the Divine
Love. — At the return of the morning.
"Morning signifies the coming of
the Lord into the world, and the
new Church at that time :" hence
may be seen what is meant by
morning in the passage, God vrill
help her at the return of the morn
ing [or when the morning appears]."
Ap. Ex. 179 : that is, the Lord vrill
re-establish the Church at his coming.
Verses 6, 7. — 2?i6 nations rage, &c.
This is a description of the state of
things at the Last Judgment (see the
Summary of the Internal Sense).
By the nations are signified those
who are in evil, by the kingdoms
those who are in the false : for when
the phrase " nations and people"
occurs, — by the nations, in a bad
sense, are signified such as are in
evil, and by people such as are iu
falsity (see note on PsaUn ii. 1) :
here, instead of "people," the term
kingdoms is used, for kingdom signi
fies truth, or, in the opposite sense,
falsity (Ap. Ex. 48). By the nations

224

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XLVL

8 Gome, behold the doings of the Loed,
Who has made desolations in the earth ;
9 He wiU cause wars to cease to the end of the earth ;
He wUl break the bow, and cut off the spear :
He wiU burn the chariots in the fire.
10 Be stUl, and know that I am God :

raging, &c., is meant that at the
Judgment, the stronger heavenly in
fiux which is then let in npon them,
reveals the interiors of spUits, causing
those who were inwardly evU, though
before to appearance good, to mani
fest theU real character, theU evUs
bursting forth in rage against the
Divine. (See L. J. Contin. 23.) So
those, here signified by kingdoms,
Avho were interiorly in the love of
the false, though pretending to love
truth, then break forth in blasphe
mies against everything holy. Their
real nature being thus revealed, they
sink down to theU like : thus are
they judged. — He utters his voice,
signifies the revelation and pro
clamation of Divine truth : before
which the earth is dissolved, that is,
the old Church which was in falses is
broken up ancl passes away, — for the
earth, in the spiritual sense, sigmfies
the Church. — The Lord of hosts is
with us, the God of Jacob is a refuge
for «s, signifies the protection of the
good at such time, their separation
from the vricked and elevation Uito
heaven. The phrase Ood of Jacob
signifies the Lord as to the Divine-
Natural, or the Divine Humanity
(see note on Psalm xx. 1).
Verse 8. — Wlio has inade desola
tions in the earth, that is, who has
brought the former Church to its
end and consummation. But in its
place (as the next verse declares) he
establishes a new Church in which

there vriU be peace and harmony de
rived from good and tmth. The
Lord is here spoken of as making
desolation, whereas it was, in fact,
the evU and falsity of the former
Church that desolated it ; and the
Lord, by the judgment, 'merely dis
perses that evil and falsity, to intoo-
duce goodness and truth in theU place.
Verse 9. — He will cause wars to
cease, &c. "Wars sigmfy spUitual
combats, wlUch here mean combats
of the false against the truth and
good of the Church. Hence it is
evident what is meant by Jehovah's
causing wars to cease to the end of the
earth, namely, that he wiU cause to
cease aU combat and aU disagree
ment from the first princij)les to the
last of the truth of the Church : the
end, or extremity, of the earth signi
fies its last or ultimate principle.
By his breaking the bow is signified
that there vrill be no combat of doc
trine against doctrine ; by his cutting
off the spear is signified that there
vriU be no combat from any false of
evU ; and by his burning the chariots
in the fire is signifled that everything
of the doctrine of the false wUI be
destroyed." Ap. Ex. 357. This is
a picture of the happy time coming,
when the New Church of the Lord
wUl be vridely established in the
world, and love and peace will fUl
the hearts of mankind.
Verse 10.— Be still flUeraUy,
cease, desist, i.e. from your vain at-

XLVIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

225

I will be exalted among the nations,
I wUl be exalted in the earth.
11 The Loed of hosts is with us :
The God of Jacob is a refuge for us. Selah !

tempts : this seems to be a word of
admonition addressed to aU the evU,
to refrain from theU assaults against
the Church and heaven ; for they
are striving against the Omnipotent :
God signifies Divina Truth, which is
aU-powerful. — I will be exalted among
the nations, signifies that the Lord
vriU be worshiped by those who

are in the good of love and charity
everywhere (see A. R. 667) ; / will
he exalted in the earth : but especially
in the Church, where the Word is
known. Verse 11. — This is a repetition of
verse 7, and is a concluding exclama
tion of the good, reassuring them
selves of the Lord's protection.

PSALM XLYIL
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Concerning the kingdom of the Lord. Celebration of the Lord,
that he reigns over the Church, verses 1, 2; that he will remove
falses and evils, 3 ; that he will restore the Church, 4, 5 ; that
therefore he will be celebrated, 6 ; because the kingdom is his over
the whole Chuixh, 1, 8 ; and over the heavens, 9.
To the Leader of the Music : for the Sons of Korah : a Psalm.
1 Clap your hands, aU ye peoples :
Shout to God with a voice of rejoicing.
2 For the Loed, the Most High, is to be feared :
He is a great king over aU the earth.

Title. — For the Sons of Korah :
see note on the title of Psalm xlvi.
Verses 1, 2. — "A Celebration of
the Lord, that he reigns over the
Church " (see Summary of the In
ternal Sense). Clap your hands (lite
rally, strike the hand) : an expression
of rejoicing. The correspondence of
this gesture may perhaps be seen in

the fact that the hands are ultimates
of the body : hence the excitement
filling the mind from the sense of
joy ultimates itself in a quick and
smart striking of the hands together.
— All ye peoples. The term people
is applied distinctively to the spUit
ual, or such as are in truth. (A. C.
1259.) The spiritual, as distin

226

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XLVIT

3 He will subdue the peoples under us.
Even the peoples under our feet.
4 He wUl choose for us our inheritance,
The pride of Jacob whom he loved. Selah !
5 God has ascended with shouting :
The Loed with the sound of a trumpet.

guished from the celestial, are such
as could be saved only by the Lord's
coming in the humanity : hence they,
in particular, are called upon to re
joice that the Lord, in his Divine
Humanity, rules over heaven and
the Church. The plural term, peo
ples, is used, probably, to embrace
the different classes of the spiritual ;
for there are the spiritual proper,
and also the spiritual-natural, or
such as are in the ultimate heaven.
— Most High. " Most High signifies
the inmost" (D. L. and W. 103).
The Lord is called Most High, not
as being on high in .space, but as
being inmost : for high in space cor
responds to interior in state : high
also signifles excellent, perfect, — thus
Most High, most perfect (see A. C.
5146). — A great king over all ihe
earth. The earth signifies the Church:
the Lord is called a great king, as
being goodness conj oined to truth ;
for great is predicated of good (A. fi.
582), and king, of truth.
Verse 3. — Tlie peoples under us, —
the peoples under our feet. The term,
peoples, is here twice used, the former
expression having reference probably
to those who are in the false, and
the latter to those who are in evUs
derived from the false. (See A. C.
3295.) Both terms refer to evil
spirits, tempters, especially such as
assault those who are spiritual.
Verse 4. — He will choose for us

our inheritance. " In the Word, to
inherit, when spoken of men, signi
fies to receive life from the Lord,
consequently to receive eternal lUe
or heavem" A. C. 2658. Thus in
heritance, here, signifies heaven, and
also the Church. The Lord's choos
ing or selecting it for us signifies that
heaven is a gift of the Lord's love to
all who are able to enj oy it. It also
signifies that the Lord by his own
power and vrisdom wUl estabUsh the
Church (see Summary ofthe Intemal
Sense). — The pride of Jacob whom he
loved. By the pride of Jacob, in the
literal sense, is meant the land of
Canaan ; but Canaan represented
heaven and the Church. Jacob sig
nifies those ot the external Church,
or such as are spiritual-natural. (A.
C. 4286.) The Lord is said to love
them, because it was such, in par
ticular, that he came to save ; for
they could not have been saved, but
through his Humanity made Divine.
(See A. C. 2661.) — Selali 1 see note on
Psalm iU. 2.
Verse 5. — With shouting — with
the voice of a trumpet " Shouting
denotes the truth of spiritiial good,
and tlu voice of a trumpet denotes
the truth of celestial good." A. C.
8815. God has ascended, &c. This
passage seems to have reference to
the glorification and ascension of the
Lord, and to his consequent domin
ion over heaven and the Church.

XLVIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

227

6 Smg praises to God, sing praises :
Sing 'praises to our King, sing praises.
1 For God is king over aU the earth :
Sing praises with understanding.
8 God reigns over the nations :
God sits upon his holy throne.
9 The willing ones of the people are gathered together,

It is parallel to the passage in Psalm
Ixviii. 18 : " Thou hast ascended on
high ; thou hast led captivity cap
tive : " that passage, however, refers
particularly to the Lord's subjuga
tion of the heUs, whereas the present
one alludes to his re-establishment
of order in heaven and the Church.
— The tenn God has reference to the
glorification of the Lord's Humanity
as to Divine Truth, and Lord (or Je
hovah) the same as to Divine Love :
for the Humanity was made fUst
Divine Tmth, then Divine Love.
Verses 6, 7. — Sing praises, &c. A
caU to adore the Lord for his great
work of redemption, whereby the
hells were subjugated, the heavens
restored to order and peace, and the
Church re-established. The Lord is
called God, as being that essential
Divine Truth whereby the powers
of heU were overcome ; and he is
caUed our King, as having domiiUon
over heaven and the Church. — For
God is King over all the earth : that
is. Divine truth will now pervade
the Church, and guide and sustain
it. — Sing praises with understanding.
The Hebrew term rendered with un
derstanding is the same word {mas-
kil) that is found in the title of the
thirty-second and several other
PsaUns. It signifies properly causing
to understand, and hence, instructive,
or, translated as a noun, an instruc
tive or didactic poem or song. Hence

the phrase sing praises unth under
standing might have been rendered,
Sing an instructive song : that is, praise
the Lord with intelligence and an
understandUig of Divine truth.
This in the New Church may now
be done ; since the mysteries of
the Lord's work of redemption
have been revealed, and we can
adore him UitelUgently as weU as
reverently. Verse 8. — Ood reigns over the
nations. By the nations are meant
the celestial, or such as are charac
terized by love (A. fi. 667) : by God's
reigning over the nations, is meant the
Lord's govemment and guidance of
such in. heaven and the Church. —
God sits upon his holy throne. By
this is signified the Lord's govern
ment over the spiritual, or such as
are distinguished by tmth. For to
sit upon a throne is an attribute of a
king, by whom is represented Divine
tmth, by which all judgment and
govemment are effected: the term
holy, also, is applied to Divine tmth
(A. fi. 173). " One who is not ac
quainted with representations and
significations, cannot believe other-
vrise than that the Lord has a throne,
as kings on earth have ; when yet
there are not such things in the
heavens." A. C. 5313.
Verse 9. — The willing ones of the
people are gathered together. By the
people are signified distinctively

228

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XLVIII.

The people of the God of Abraham.
For to God belong the shields of the earth :
He is exceedingly exalted.

such as are in the love of truth, the
spUitual Tlie willing ones are such
as join with a free heart in the
worship of the Lord : gathered to
gether, that is, for worship. " It is
known from the Word, that worship
from freedom is truly worslUp, and
that what is spontaneous is pleasing
to the Lord ; hence it is said, in
David (Psalm xlvU. 9), The willing
ones of the people are gathered to
gether." T. C. R. 495.— The people
of the God of A hraliam. BjA braliam
is represented the Lord as to the
Divine celestial principle, or Divine
love, Isaac the Divine spUitual, and

Jacob the Divine natural (A. C.
1025) ; hence the God of Abraham,
signifies the Lord as to Divine love,
and the people of the God of Abraham,
truths derived from love. — For to
God belong the shields of the earth.
Shields of the earth signifies the de
fence of the Church : the defence of
the Church is by truths, hence the
term shields, in the plural, because
truths are many : but only such
truths defend the Church, as are
derived from and belong to God the
Lord. — He is exceedingly exalted.
This refers to the glorification of
the Lord's Humanity.

PSALM XLVIII.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Concerning the Lord's spiritual kingdom, how admirable it is,
verses 1-3, 8 ; that it dissipates all falses, 4r-1 ; that the Divine
Human does this, 9, 10; that thence are cdl things of heaven
and the Church, 11—13 ; because there the Lord reigns, 14.
A Song : a Psalm for the Sons of Korah.
1 Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised.
In the city of our God, his holy mountain.

Title. — A Song. This term seems
to be speciaUy applied to utterances
of praise (see Psalm xiii. 8). A
Psalm for the Sons of Korah. See
2 Chronicles xx. 19, where these
Levites are particularly mentioned

as uttering songs of praise to the
Lord. Verses \-Z,— Great is the Lord,
&c. " By these words is described
the worship of the Lord from trutlis
derived from good. By Great is Hie

XLVIII.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

229

2 Beautiful in its elevation, the joy of the whole earth.
Is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the
great King.
3 God is known in her palaces as a defence.
4 For lo ! the kings assembled :
They passed over together.
5 As they beheld, they were astounded :
They were terrified, they fled.
6 TrembUng seized them there,
Pain, as of one bringing forth.

Lord, and exceedingly to he praised, is
meant worship ; by the words, in
the city of our God, ihe mountain of
his holiness [or, his holy mountain]
is meant spiritual tmth derived from
spiritual good ; and by beautiful in
situation [or elevation] is signified
the pleasantness of soul thence de
rived. By the joy of the whole earth.
Mount Zion, the sides of the north, the
city of the great King, is described
worship from celestial good : the
sides of the north signUy truths from
celestial good, and ihe city of ihe
great King signifies the doctrine of
truth thence derived : that tmths
are inscribed on those who are in
celestial good, is signified by God is
known in her palaces as a defence —
[UteraUy, as a height ; that is, as
elevating and protecting]. The rea
son that the sides of the north signify
tmths from celestial good, is because
those who are in the Lord's celestial
kingdom dwell in the east in heaven,
and those who are in truths from
that good dweU towards the north
there." Ap. Ex. 405.
Verses 4-6. — For lo ! the kings
assembled, &c. In these verses is
described the dissipation of falses by
the power of Divine tmth (see the
Summary of the Internal Sense).

By Icings, in a good sense, are signi
fied such as are in truths, but, in an
oppossite sense, those who are in
falses (A. fi. 20). Their assembling
and passing over together signifies the
combining together of those who
were in falses for the purpose of
assaulting such as were in truths.
As they beheld, they were astounded,
signifies that as soon as they came
into the light of Divine tmth, they
were in consternation. Their being
terrified and fleeing away is descrip
tive of the fear and torment pro
duced among those who are in evils
and falses by the presence of Divine
tmth ; for in the spiritual world,
truth from good has aU power, and
is unendurable by the evU, hence
they flee from it in terror and " call
upon the mountains and rocks to
fall npon and hide them" (see A. R.
339-40). — The comparison of their
state with that of a woman bringing
forth, seems to be from this cause.
To bring forth children, signifies, in
the spiritual sense of the Word, to
conceive and bring forth truths of
doctrine (see A. R. 535) : hence, in
the opposite sense, it signifies to
bring forth falses of doctrine. TheU
pain, here mentioned, was caused,
apparently, by the resistance to such

230

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XLVIII.

7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.
8 As we hear, so we see,
In the city of the LoRD of hosts, in the city of our God :
God wUl establish it forever. Selah.
9 We think upon thy mercy, 0 God,
In the midst of thy temple.
10 According to thy name, 0 God,
So shall be thy praise to the ends of the earth :
Thy right hand is full of righteousness.

falses, made by the sphere of Divine
truth, which pressed upon them.
Verse 7. — Tliou breakest the ships
of Tarshish with an east wind, " By
ships, Ul the spiritual sense, are sig
nified the knowledges of truth and
good, and also doctrinals. The rea
son of this signification of ships, is,
because they carry wealth over the
sea for trading ; and by wealth, in
the Word, are signified the know
ledges of truth and good, which also
are doctrines ; and to trade signifies
to procure to one's self knowledges
and also to communicate them to
otliers.^By the ships of Tarshish
are meant doctrines derived from the
Word ; for those ships carried gold
and silver, by which are signified
goods and truths, and the know
ledges of them, from the Word.
But, in this passage, Thou breakest
the ships of Tarshish with an east
wind, by the ships of Tarshish are
signified false doctrines. By the
east wind are signified devastation
and desolation ; for by the wind
which comes from the east in the
spiritual world, the abodes of the
evU are overturned from their foun
dations, and they themselves, vrith
the treasures on which they had set
their hearts, are cast out into the

heUs." Ap. Ex. 514. See also A.
C. 842.
Verse 8. — As we hear, so we see.
The meaning seems to be this :
— In proportion as we obey Divine
truth, we get a clearer perception of
it ; in accordance with the Lord's
words, " If any man will do his vriU,
he shall know of the doctrine whe
ther U be of God" (John vU. 17).
To hear, in the spiritual sense, sig
nifies to hearken or obey. (A. B.
87.) — In the city of the Lord of hosts
sigiufies in the doctrine of Divine
Good, and in the city of our God, in
the doctrine of Divine Truth; for
City signifies doctrine (A. R. 194) ;
Lord (or Jehovah) Divine Good, and
God Divine Truth. It is said. Lord
of hosts, because hosts, or armies, in
the spiritual sense, signify all the
goods and truths which proceed from
the Lord, "love, faith, and the
knowledges of them" (A. C. 82;. —
God will establish it forever signifies
that the Lord vriU establish the
doctrine of truth in his Church, and
sustain it forever. — Selah : see note
on Psalm iU. 2.
Verses 9, 10.—" By the tem.ple is
signified the Church which is in
truths from good, which is caUed
the Spiritual Chm-ch: in tho midst

XLVIII.1

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

231

11 Mount Zion shall be glad.
The daughters of Judah shaU rejoice, on account of thy
judgments.
12 Encompass Zion, and encircle her:
Number her towers :
13 Set your heart to her bulwarks :
Examine her palaces :
That you may tell the generation foUowing.

of it, signifies in its inmost principles,
and thence in the whole of it : and
therefore it is said. According to thy
name, so is thy praise to the ends of
the earth: to the ends of the earth
means to the ultimates ofthe Church,
the earth signUying the Church."
Ap, Ex. 313. — IFe think upon thy
mercy, 0 God, in the midst of thy
tempjle, means. We refiect upon thy
DivUie love, which is the inmost
and essence of the Church, and the
source from which the Church was
established : for the Church on
earth is given as the means of lead
ing man to heaven above, where he
may be blessed in the Lord's love
forever. — According to thy name, so
shall he thy praise. Name, in the
spiritual sense, signifies quaUty.
The meaning is. In proportion as
the Lord's true quality and character
are understood, in that degree vriU
genuine and intelligent praise arise
to him from the hearts and minds of
the members of the Church. But
in the supreme sense, by the Lord's
Nam^e is signified his Divine Hu
manity (U. T. 299). The meaning
of the passage, with that sense, is,
that in proportion as the Lord is
worshiped m his Divine Humanity,
so he is praised and worshiped
aright, and so will the Church be
blessed vrith the influence of the
Lord's Spirit, for from the Lord's

Divine Humanity the Holy Spirit
proceeds. — Thy right hand is full of
righteousness. Right hand signifles
power, and when spoken of the Lord,
omnipotence. (Ap. Ex. 298.) Thy
right hand is full of righteousness
means that the Lord's omnipotence
is perfectly conjoined to his Divine
Goodness or Love, and is one with
it. Verses 11-13. — "By Mount Zion,
which shall he glad, is signified the
celestial Church, in which those are
who are in love to the Lord : by the
daughters of Judah which shall exult,
are signified the affections of good
and truth, which are vrith those who
are of that Church : on account of thy
judgments signifies on account of the
Divine truths which they have from
the Lord. To encompass Zion and
encircle her signifies to embrace from
love the things which are of that
Church : to number her towers signi
fies to weigh weU the superior or
interior truths which are of that
Church, — to number signifying to
see and weigh well, and towers sig
nifying truths superior or interior :
to set ihe hea/rt to her bulwarks signifies
to love the exterior truths which
defend that Church against falses :
to examine her palaces signifies to per
ceive the goods of truth, for houses
signUy goods, and palaces the more
noble goods of tmth : that yon may

232

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XLIX.

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever :
He wUl guide us even unto death.

tell the generation following signifies
theU permanence to eternity." Ap.
Ex. 453.
Verse 14.— Tliis God — that is, the
God referred to in the tenth verse,
"According to thy name, O God,"
that is, the Lord in his Divine Hu
manity (see Smnmary of the Intemal
Sense). — He will guide us even unto
death. Death, here, must be taken
in its spiritual sense — regeneration,
or the death of the old Ufe of selfish
and worldly loves (see A. fi.

for to say that the Lord will be our
God for ever and ever, and then to
say that he is to guide us only tUl
the death of the body, are inconsis
tent. Death is used in a simUar
sense in the passage, "Precious in
the sight of the Lord is the death of
his saints" (Psalm cxvi. 15), — that
is, their regeneration. The meaning
is, that the Lord vrill guide us in
the work of our regeneration, and
then vrill receive us into heaven and
blessedness for ever.

PSALM XLIX

SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

An exhortation to attend to the things that follow, verses 1-4;
concerning those who are merely natural, and who glory in scienti
fics and in their own intelligence, 5-6 ; that there is no salvation
thence, 7—9 ; that those, however much they glory in such things,
nevertheless perish, 10-13 and that they go into hell, .14 ; that
safety is only in the Lord, 15 ; that science and one's own intelli
gence do not sa,ve after death, 16-20.
To the Leader of the Music : for the Sons of Korah : a PsaUn.
1 Hear this, aU ye peoples :
Give ear, aU ye inhabitants of the world :

Title.— J'or the Sons of Korah:
see note on the title of Psalm xUi
Verse 1. — Hear this, &c. This
introductory address is to call atten
tion to the tmths afterwards an
nounced. All ye peoples : that is, aU
who are in the understanding and

love of truth, for the term people, in
the spiritual sense, has reference to
truths, and such as are in truths. (A.
C. I2m.)— All ye inhabitants of the
world signifies all who are in the love
of good. Form7ia6itan<s,iathespirit-
ual sense, signUy those " who are in the

XLIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

233

Both ye sons of men, and ye sons of man.
Ye rich and poor together.
My mouth shaU speak wisdom.
And the meditation of my heart shaU be with understanding.
I wUl incUne my ear to a parable :
I wUl open my enigma upon the harp.

good of doctrine and thence of Ufe''
(Ap. Ex. 741) ; and the world signi
fles the Chmch (A. C. 10,248).
Verse 2. — " By ihe sons of mem
{adam) are signifled spiritual truths
which are from the Lord of the
Word, which tmths are doctrinals ;
and by the sons of man {ish) are
signified rational and natural truths,
which are from the understanding,
thus the understanding of the Word.
By the rich and the poor are signifled,
respectively, those who derive thence
much wisdom, and those who derive
Uttle." Ap. Ex. 724. In the He
brew, as in the Latin, there are two
terms for man, the one signUying
mankind including both sexes, and
the other man as distinguished from
woman : homo and adam sigrdfy the
former, vir and ish the latter. In
the spiritual -sense, mein, in the sense
of mankind, signifles what is spirit
ual, because the spUitnal is the dis
tinguishing principle of humanity :
hence sons of man spiritual truths
(for the term son signifies truth).
But man, in the sense of man mas
culine, sigiufies the inteUect, for
that is the distinguishing character
istic of the male sex : hence sons of
man, in this sense, signUy truths of
the inteUect, or truths rational and
natural. Such is the meaning of
the terms, when used abstractly.
But, personally applied, sons of man
{adam) signUy such persons as are
spiritual-minded, and sons of man

{ish) those who as yet think only
rationaUy and naturally, not having
yet attained spiritual perception.
Both these classes are here addressed,
and are caUed upon to listen to the
tmths about to be declared.
Verse 3. — My mouth shall speak
loisdom, &c. The mouth, as being
the organ of speech, corresponds to
the thought, whence speech proceeds
(Ap. Ex. 580). Here, mouth signi
fies thought from doctrine, and the
meditation of the heart thought from
affection. Wisdom is predicated of
the former, because all genuine vris
dom is from Divine doctrine or the
Word of the Lord ; but understand
ing is said of the latter, because in
proportion as man is in Ught from
genuine affection, he is in true un
derstanding. Verse 4. — I unll incline my ear to
a parable. A parable or simiUtude
is an aUegorical fable or story, a
composition, in which, under the
form of a simple external narrative,
a hidden moral is conveyed. Now,
the whole Word of the Lord may be
said to be a composition or a series
of compositions of this character.
For the whole literal sense of the
Word is a seemingly simple writing,
describing natural things, and yet
containing everywhere an interior
sense, fuU of the deepest moral and
spiritual instruction. This Psalm,
indeed, contains no particular para
ble (in the common sense of the

234

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XLIX.

5 Why should I be afraid in the days of evil.
When the iniquity of my heels surrounds me.
6 As to those that trust in their wealth.
And glory in the abundance of their riches.

term), no allegorical story, like those
of the New Testament, yet, as it
describes throughout internal prin
ciples under external images, it may
be considered a continuous parable or
sUnilitude. — / will incline my ear.
The Psalmist speaks both as an
utterer and as a listener : he is an
utterer as being the mouthpiece of
the Most High, and a listener as be
ing a man like ourselves whose duty
it is to listen to the teachings of
Divine Revelation. — I will open my
enigma upon the harp. The original
term, here translated enigma, signi
fies something intricate, entangled,
wound together ; and so are the
literal and spiritual senses of the
Word wound or bound together and
united by the law of correspondence.
Thus every portion of the Uteral
sense may be considered an enigma,
since it involves a hidden spiritual
sense. Thus the terms enigma and
parable or similitude have here
very sUnUar significations : the two
terms are used simply to sustain
that parallelism or duplex construc
tion, which prevails throughout the
Psalms ; one member of the two
always referring to good and the
other to truth, for there is a marriage
or union of good and truth in every
part of the Word. Here, the term
parable would seem to refer to good
and enigma to truth, for it is said,
I will open my enigma upon the
harp, and the harp, being a stringed
instrument, signifies the affection of
truth (A. B. 792) ; while in regard
to the parable it is said, I will in

cline my ear; and to hear or hearken
signifies obedience, which is from
good. Verse 5. — Tlie iniquity of my heels.
By the heel is signified the lowest
natural or corporeal principle of the
mind. For aU things of the body
correspond to principles in the mind:
the feet, being the lowest part of the
body, correspond to the lowest thmgs
of the mind, or .such as are merely
natural ; and the heel to the lowest
of these, or the natural-corporeal.
(See A. C. 259.) JVlien the iniquity
of my heels surrounds me, signifies
when the hells which flow into the
sensual and corporeal principles in
man, surround the mind, causing
anxiety and distress. Such states are
here caUed days of evil, that is, states
of temptation, in which the internals
present false views to the mind, and
excite fears and anxieties. Says the
Psalmist, Why should I he afraid at
such tUnes? He seeks to combat
these fears insinuated by the heUs,
and by reflections based on the Di
vine Word, to assure himseU that all
wUl come right at last to the good —
that though the wicked may prosper,
it wUl be only for a time, — and that
the Lord wUl redeem the souls of
those that trust iu him, and wUl
receive them to himseU (see verse
15). Verse e,— Wealth — riches. "By
riches and possessions, in the Word,
are signifled spUitual riches and pos
sessions, which are knowledges of
what is good and true." A. fi. 206.
Thus, those that trust in their wealth,

XLIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

235

7 A man can by no means redeem a brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him.
8 For the redemption of their soul is difficult.
And it ceases forever ;
9 Though he may stUl Uve in glory.
And not see the pit.

and glory in the abundance of their
riches, signUy such as are proud of
their knowledge, particularly of
things theological, and think to
attain heaven by it. Wealth signi
fies knowledges of good, and riches
knowledges of truth. Knowledges
(if good mean a knowledge of such
I hings as pertain to Ufe and practice ;
whUe the knowledges of tmth mean
a knowledge of theological doctrines,
abstract principles. The Scribes
and Pharisees of the Jewish Chm-ch
might be exemplified as instances of
such as are here described — " those
that trust in their wealth and glory
in theU riches : " from theU mere
knowledge of the Mosaic law, they
considered themselvesinfinitely supe
rior to the multitude around them,
and, as it were, in a heavenly state.
(See John vii 49.)
Verse 7. — A man can by no means
redeem a brother, &c. An understand
ing of the spiritual sense can alone
make this passage intelligible. A
man {ish) signifies, abstractly, the
understanding (see note on verse
2) ; brother, in the spiritual sense,
signifies affection, particularly the
affection of good (A. C. 3129). By
its being said, then, a man can by no
means redeem a brother is meant that
mere inteUect, however powerful,
cannot save the affections, that is,
purify them, deliver them from evil.
And this truth we see exemplified
every day : how many inteUectual

men are selfish and evil ! Nor give to
God a ransom for him. God signifies
Divine Tmth (A. C. 3910) : the mean
ing is that Divine Truth cannot
accept intellect in the place of
affection. For it is affection or love
which is the essence of heaven and
the source of all its joy; no one,
therefore, can be received into hea
ven, unless he bo in a state of hea
venly love, no matter what may be
his degree of intellect. This seems
to be the meaning of the passage.
And, in this view, we see its close
connection with the preceding verse :
it is a comment on the pride of in
tellectual wealth.
Verses 8, 9.— Tlie redemption of
their soul is difficult — answering to
the Lord's words, " How hardly shall
they that have riches enter into the
kingdom of God ! " (Mark xi. 23) :
that is, they who trust in theU know
ledges (spiritual riches) and are
puffed up with them, shut up their
minds against the light of heaven,
and their hearts against the Ufe of
heaven, which is love. — And it
ceases forever; and at length the
time comes, when theU spirits be
come completely hardened in self-
love and pride, and they pass away
from earth, and then there is no more
change. — Though he may still live in
glory and not see the pit. He, that is,
such a one (the same persons being
spoken of separately or severaUy),
may still live in glory; that is,

236

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[XLIX.

10 For one may see that the wise die, equaUy with the foolish
and the brutish :
They perish and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their interior thought is that their houses will he forever.
Their habitations from generation to generation :
They call grounds by their names.
12 Yet such a man shall not continue in glory :
He is like the beasts that perish.

though they may for a time continue
on in their pride and seU-glorying,
and have no perception that they
are in such falses and evUs ; pit
signifies falses.
Verse 10.— For one may see that
the wise die, &c. The wise, or, rather
the knovring, those who are possessed
of mere knowledges. — Such as are
" wise in their own eyes." — Die
spUitually, that is, are in evUs :
equally with the foolish and the
brutish ; that is, those who are rich
in knowledges are often no better in
heart than those who are sunk in
ignorance and sensuality. — They
perish: perishing has reference to
the destruction of the understancUng
by falses, as dying refers to the des
truction of the wiU by evUs. — And
leave tlieir wealth to others ; that is,
their knowledges are taken from
them after death, in accordance vrith
the Lord's words, " From him that
hath not, shall be taken away even
that which he seemeth to have"
(Luke viii 18).
Verse 11. — Their interior thought
is that their houses unll he forever.
House, in the spiritual sense, signi
fies the mind, particularly the wiU
or love (A. C. 706). The knowing
and self-conceited think that theU
present loves and deUghts, their
self-satisfaction and pride, wUl last
forever. — Their habitations. Habita

tion signifies the mind also, but here
the mind as to the understanding :
they suppose that theU present
thoughts, also, the knowledges of
which they are proud, vrill forever
remain with them. — Tliey call grounds
by tluir names. Name, in the spU
itual sense, signifles quality: hence,
to call hy name signifies to know the
quaUty of a thing. (A. C. 144.)
Grounds. " By ground, in the Word,
is everywhere signified the Church,
or something relating to the Church."
A. C. 566. Hence, they call grounds
hy their names, signifies that those
here spoken of have a distinct know
ledge of the things of the Church,
a clear understanding of doctrinal
truths; and they imagine that in
consequence of possessingsuchknow-
ledges they wiU be saved.
Verse 12. — Shall not continue in
glory. Glory, in the spiritual sense,
signifies the brightness and splendor
of truth (A. C. 4809) : hence not con
tinuing in glory means to lose truth
and its light, which vriU be the case
hereafter with those who are in mere
knowledge vrithout the good of Ufe.
— He is like Hie beasts that perish.
Such men are merely animal and
semsual, and thus, in their loves, re
semble brutes that have no immor
tal lUe. Man, indeed, being formed
with a capacity for conjunction vrith
God, through that capacity cannot

XLIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

237

13 This their way is for themselves foolishness :
Though they that go after them may deUght in their teach
ings. Selah !
14 Like a flock they cast themselves sinto heU :
Death shaU be their food :
And the upright shaU have dominion over them in the
morning :
And their form shaU waste away : heU shaU be their dweU-
ing-place.

but Uve etemaUy ; but inasmuch as
he vriU not use that capacity to at
tain conjunction and thus spiritual
ity, he remains in an animal state,
and, so far, resembles the beasts.
The meaning is, — ^not that he is like
the beasts in the circumstance of
theU perishing or having no immor
tal Ufe, — but that, though immortal,
he acts and lives as U we were not
so, — as U he were only an animal.
Verse 13. — This their way. Way,
in the spiritual sense, signifies the
truth of doctrine (A. C. 2531).— Is
for themselves foolishness. The mean
ing is, theU knowledge of truths and
doctrines is for themselves not true
wisdom, because they do not live
according to it : it is barren know
ledge in the memory. — Though Hiey
that go after them, may find delight
in tlieir teachings (literaUy, in tlwir
mouth: mouth signifies doctrine):
that is, though their followers
nevertheless may reap benefit from
theU instructions. It is as the
Lord said in regard to the Pharisees
of old : " The Scribes and Pharisees
sit in Moses' seat ; all therefore,
whatsoever they bid you observe,
that observe and do ; but do nft
ye after their works, for they say,
and do not" (Matt. xxiU. 2, 3). —
Selah 1 see note on PsaUn Ui 2.
Verse 14. — Like a flock, they cast

themselves into hell: death shall be
their food. " By deatii is signified
spUitual death, which is the ex
tinction of spiritual Ufe ; and by
hell is signified damnation, which is
a consequence of that death. On
account of this signification, death
and heU are, in some places, named
together, as in PsaUn xlix. 14, 15."
A. fi. 321. — It is said. Like a flock
(that is, of sheep or goats), probably
as expressive of the idea that such
persons are merely in a natural, ani
mal state — vrithout spirituality, and
consequently without that which is
truly human. — Cast themselves. It
is remarkable that the Hebrew word
for cast or put {shattu) is not in the
passive voice, " are cast," or, " shall
be cast," but in the active, " cast
themselves" (see the same word in
PsaUn Ui. 7), seeming thus to de
clare the great New Church tmth
that the Lord casts no one into hell,
but that the wicked cast themselves
in. — Deatii shall he their food (liter
ally, death shall feed them.) Death
signifies properly evU, which is
spiritual death, as good or love is
spiritual life. Deatii being their food,
then, signifies that evil is their very
Ufe, the support and nourishment
of their minds. — And the upright
shall have dominion over them in the
morning. In the morning signifies

238

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[XLIX

15 But God wiU redeem my soul from the hand of heU;
For he wUl receive me. Selah !
16 Fear thou not, because a man is enriched.
Because the glory of his house is multipUed.
17 For when he dies, he shaU not take anything away :
His glory shaU not go down after him.

at the Lord's coming, when a New
Dispensation is estabUshed (A. C.
2405); and when also the Judgment
takes place. At the Judgment, the
evil, who yet were possessed of
truths, are cast down, and theU
truths are taken from them ; while,
on the other hand, the upright, or
the good, who were in ignorance of
truth, are instructed, ancl are elevated
into heaven. — And their form shall
waste away. The essence is from
i^ood, but the form is from truth.
By the form of the wicked wasting
away, is signifled that the external
attractiveness and appearance of
goodness, which the wicked were
able hypocritically to pat on by
means of the knowledge of truth
which they possessed, vanishes in
proportion as they are deprived of
truths and left to theU own evUs and
falses. Verse 15. — But God will redeem,
&c. From the hand of hell ; signifies
from the power of hell : hand is the
emblem of power. The meamng of
the whole verse is, that we must look
to the Lord alone for salvation, and
not trust in mere knowledges ; that
U we look to him and strive to do
his will, he will deliver ns from
evil, and take us to heaven.
Verse 16. — Because a man is en
riched. The word for man here is
ish, signifying man masculine, that
is, the inteUectual man, or abstractly
the inteUect : enriched signifies fiUed

with knowledges. — Because the glory
of his house is multiplied. House
signifies spiritually the mind, but
here, speciflcally the mind as to the
will as ish signifles the inteUect or
understanding. Glory signifies the
brightness of truth or knowledge :
hence the glory of the house signifies
the knowledge of good, as the en
riching of the inteUect has reference
to the knowledges of truth (for the
distinction between these different
kinds of knowledges, see note on verse
6). — The expression, Fear thou not
has reference to fear in the sense of
respect, veneration : the meaning
is, do not venerate a person merely
because he is leamed ; for, as ex
plained in the next verse, unless he
is good as weU as learned, his learn
ing will all pass away from him at
death. Verse 17. — When he dies, has
reference both to his natural death
and to his spiritual deatii : for when
a bad man departs out of the bodUy
life, his essential character is re
vealed, and being left to his proper
evil, he sinks down to his own : in
such case, natural death and spirit
ual death are coincident, or nearly
so. — He sliall take nothing aviay.
After death, the vricked man is
stripped of all his knowledges of
truth ; or rather, his hidden evil,
as it breaks out, casts them off, for
evU hates truth. Hence it is added,
his glory shall not go down after him:

XLIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

239

1 8 Though in his life-tim-e he blessed his soul.
And men praised thee, because thou didst weU for thyself;
19 Yet thou shalt go to the generation of thy fathers, —
To those who wUl nevermore see light.
20 The man who is in glory and yet is without understanding,
Is Uke the beasts that perish.

glory, as aUeady shown, signifies the
brightness and splendor of truth ;
this cannot go doicn into heU with
him ; it is left behind : there is no
truth in heU.
Verses 18, 19. — Though in his
lUe-time he possessed intelUgence,
and received the praise of men, yet
after death he wUl go amongst the
evil, and lose aU perception of truth.
— By soul is signified the under
standing of tmth (A. fi. 681) ; and
by blessing his soul, pride on account
of that imderstanding (Luke xU. 19),
" Soul, thou hast much goods, &c.).
By going to the generation of his
fathers is signified going amongst the
evil of a like quaUty with himseU :
generation signifies quality, character ;
father, in the spUitual sense, signi
fies love or good, because the Lord,
from his Divine Love, is the Father
of aU ; but in a bad sense it signifies
evU and those who are in evU.
Hence " going to one's fathers" or
being "gathered to one's fathers,"
signifies, in the spiritual sense, going
after death amongst one's like — in

the present case, amongst the evU (see
A. C. 3255). Nevermore seeing light
means no more having understand
ing of truth, because those in heU
are solely in e"ril and its attendant
falsity. — (In this passage, there is
rather a confusion of persons, second
and third, " he " and " thou," but
this is common in the Psalms).
Verse 20. — The man who is in
glory and yet is without understand
ing. Glory, as before said, signifies
the brightness of truth ; in this
case, from mere knowledge in the
memory. And yet is without under
standing. True understanding, in
terior perception, is derived from
the light of heaven, which fiows in
only with the good : thus, a man
may be in the glory of knowledges,
and yet be without any interior
understanding of tmth. — Is like
the beasts that perish : see note on
verse 12.
The general purport of the Psalm
is to teach that knowledge of truth,
without the good of lUe, is of no
avaU to salvation.

PSALM L.

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

That the Lord is ahout to come to judgment, to those with whom
the Church is, Yexses 1-6 ; that the Lord does not will sacrifices
a/nd external worship, 7—13 ; that he wills confession from the

240

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[L

heart, 14, 15 ; that external worship is of no avail when evils
are committed, 16-20 ; that they do those things, and that there
fore evil will come upon them, 21, 22.
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 God, God the Loed speaks and caUs the earth,
From the rising of the sun to its going down.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.
3 Our God will come, and not be sUent :
Fire will devour before him.
And it wUl be very tempestuous around him.

Title. — APsalmof Asaph. Asaph
is spoken of in 1 Chronicles xv. 17,
19, as one of David's singers ; and
in 2 Chron. xxix. 30 he is described
as a composer of "words" or Psalms
together with David.
Verse 1. — God, God the Lord. —
God signifies the Lord in his char
acter of Divine Truth : God the Lord
(or Jehovah) signifies Divine Tmth
joined to Divine Good or Love. The
Lord effects judgment from his
Divine Love, by his Divrine Truth.
— Speaks and calls the earth signifies
the coming judgment on those who
are of the Church : the earth signifies
the Church. — From the rising of the
sun to its going down, " By the sun
is signified the Lord as to Divine
Love, and also the good of love to
wards the Lord in man : hence by
the words from the rising of the sun
to its going down, are signified all
who are in the good of love, from
the first to the last. The reason of
this signification is, that all in the
heavens have their habitations ac
cording to the quarters ; and those
vfho are in the good of love dwell

from the east to the west, — those
who are in the clear good of love,
to the east, and those who are in the
obscure good of love, to the west."
Ap. Ex. 401.
Verse 2. — Out of Zion, the per
fection of beauty, God shines forth
By Zion is signified heaven and the
Church where the Lord reigns by
his Divine truth." Ap. Ex. 850. It
is called the perfection of beauty, be
cause aU spUitual beauty is by truth
from good. God shines forth, means
that the Lord will appear iu the
brightness of his Divine tmth, to
effect judgment.
Verse 3. — Our God will come; —
that is, to judgment. Judgment takes
place, not in the natural world, but
in the spUitual ; and is effected by
means of a powerfiU influx of the
Divine Truth from the Lord, such
as the wicked cannot withstand ;
and fleeing from it, they cast them
selves into hell. (See A. fi. 343.) —
And not be silent, (or as it might he
rendered, will not be deaf) signifles
that he wUl no longer seem to dis
regard the prayers of the good for

L]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

241

4 He wiU caU to the heavens from above, and to the earth,
To judge his people.
5 Gather to me my saints,
Those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

deliverance. Before the judgment
is effected, the good in the spiritual
world are in some degree infested
by the evil, and it seems to them
that the Lord does not heed their
prayers ; but when the fullness of
time comes, then the judgment is
accomplished, the evU are cast down,
and the good raised into heaven. —
Fire will devour before him. Fire in
a good sense, signifles Divine love ;
which to the wicked is tormenting,
because opposite to tlieU perverted
natures : hence it seems to them as
a devouring and consuming flre. —
And it will be very tempestuous around
him. " In the spUitual world, as in
the natural, there exist strong vriiids
and storms ; but the storms in the
spUitnal world exist from the Lord's
influx into the lower parts of that
world where those dwell who are in
evils and falses. That influx, as it
descends out of the heavens towards
the lands which are below, becomes
more and more dense and appears as
clouds, and, with the evil, dense and
opaque according to the quantity and
quaUty of their evil. Those clouds
are appearances of falsity from evil,
arising from the spheres of their life,
every angel and .spirit being encom
passed by such a sphere : when there
fore the Divine is powerfully emitted
from the Lord as a sun, and flows
into these dense and opacjue clouds,
there arises a storm, which is per
ceived by the spirits there just as
storms are perceived by men on
earth." Ap. Ex. 419.
Verse 4. — He mil call to Hie hea

vens, &c. " To call to any one signi
fles to perceive their quality." A. C.
3659 : then, to call to the heavens and
the earth is to perceive the quality of
all in heaven .and the Church : here,
perhaps, to distinguish their quality,
— since judgment is spoken of — To
judge his people. To judge, here, must
mean to defend, to protect ; because
it is said of his people, that is, the
good, distinctively the spiritual ; for
the termpeople has reference to truths
and to such as are in the affection of
truth, which is the characteristic of
the spiritual. The term judge is
often nsed in the sense of defend, as
in Psalm xliii. 1, " Judge me, O
God," that is. Try my cause, and
protect me against my enemies. At
the judgment, the good are separated
from the evil, and thus protected
from their enticements. This sepa
ration is effected by a stronger influx
from the Lord through the heavens.
It is said from above, because the
Lord is not, strictly speaking, in the
heavens, but above them, as a .sun :
" Thou hast set thy glory above the
heavens" (Psalm vUi 1).
Verse 5. — " Gather to me my saints
signifles a gathering together of the
good and their salvation." Ap. Ex.
850. — Tiiose that lia,ve made a covenant
with me by sacrifice. A covenant sig
nifies conjunction (T. C. R. 285),
because a covenant is an agreement
between two, hence a conjunction :
a covenant with me, conjunction with
the Lord. — By sacrifice (or over a
sacrifice). Sacrifice sigiufies worship,
for all the sacrifices in the Jewish

Q

242

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[L.

6 And the heavens shaU declare his righteousness ;
For God himself is the judge. Selah i
7 Hear, 0 my people, and let me speak :
0 Israel, and let me admonish thee :
I am God, thy God.
8 ISTot on account of thy sacrifices do I reprove thee.
For thy burnt-offerings are continuaUy before me.
9 I wiU take no bullock out of thy house.
Nor he-goats out of thy folds ;
1 0 For every animal of the forest is mine.
And the cattle on a thousand mountains.

Church represented worship (A. C.
923). Hence to make a covenant hy
sacrifice signifies conjunction with
the Lord by true worship from the
heart. Verse 6. — And the heavens shall
declare, &c. AU in the heavens shaU
perceive the perfect righteousness of
the Lord's judgments ; for it is God,
that is. Divine Truth itself, that
j udges. Selah : see note on Psalm
iii 2.
Verse 7. — 0 my people — 0 Israel:
this double expression is for the sake
of the marriage of truth and good,
which exists everywhere in the Word.
People signifies the men of the Church
as to truth, and Israel the same as to
good. Verse 8. — Not on account of thy
sacrifices, &c. The meaning is. It
is not in reference to so small a
matter as the neglect of sacrifices
that I now speak : that is compara
tively of Uttle importance. I need
not look to thee for sacrifices ; ' every
animal of the forest is mine,' &c. : —
but it is because yon have grossly
sinned:" see verses 16-21. — Sacri
fices and burnt-offerings. These were
distinct : In burnt-offerings, the
whole of the anUnal was burnt on

the altar, but in .sacrifices the flesh
was eaten. (A. C. 8680.) The former
represented worship from love, or the
celestial principle : the latter, wor
ship from faith, or the spiritual.
(A. C. 923.)— The general sense of
this verse is, that it is no mere ex
ternal worship that the Lord desUes.
Verse 9. — By a bullock is signified
natural good, or the good of the ex
ternal man (A. C. 9391), and by he-
goats the truths of the external man
(A. C. 4769). By thy house and thy
folds is signified man's mind, house
signUying the wUl, and folds the
understanding. By the words, I
unll take no bullock out of thy house
nor he-goats out of thy folds, is meant
that the Lord accepts notlung that
is from man's proprium or self-hood :
no true worship can proceed from
any affections and thoughts of man's
own : but all good and truth which
he possesses is in fact the Lord's
[with him] ; which is meant by tho
words that follow, " Every animal
of the forest is mine,'' &c.
Verse 10.— Every animal of the
forest. " By a forest is signified
science, and by a garden inteUigence :
a forest corresponds to the natural
mind, but a garden to the spUitual,''

L]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

243

11 I know every bird of the mountains.
And the beasts of the field are mine.
12 If I were himgTy, I would not tell thee ;
For the world and aU that fills it is mine.
13 ShaU I eat the flesh of buUs,
Or drink the blood of goats ?

Ap. Ex. 730 : for the dark and
tangled nature of a forest is repre
sentative of the obscure and confused
state of knowledges in the natural
memory, whereas the order and ele
gance of a garden represent the or
derly and beautUul arrangement of
truths in the spiritual mind. Every
animal (literaUy, living thing) of the
forest signifies every good affection
of the natural mind. " In the He
brew, the term translated ' wUd
beast' signifies life. When, there
fore, wild-beast is mentioned in the
Word in a good sense, it ought rather
to be caUed an amraaZ, which sigiufies
a living soul." Ap. Ex. 388. — And
the cattle upon a thousand mountains.
By mountains are signified the goods
of love (Ap. Ex. 650), or the elevated
states of the spiritual and celestial
mind : by cattle, affections : hence
by the cattle on a thousand mountains
(literally, on the mountains of a thou
sand, i.e. where thousands feed), the
innumerable good affections of the
celestial and spiritual man. AU
these are the Lord's, as well as the
animals of the forest ; that is, aU good
affections, from first to last, or from
highest to lowest, are derived from
the Lord alone.
Verse 11. — I know every bird of
the mountains. By birds of the moun
tains are signified thoughts of truth
from affections of good (Ap. Ex. 650) ;
by the Lord's knowing them is meant
not only that he perceives all .such
thoughts in man, but that they are

derived from and in fact belong to
Him. — And the beasts of the field are
mine. " By beasts [literally, moving
tilings] of the field are signified those
who are in the affections of good, and
desUe instruction from the Word ;
beasts denoting those who are in the
affections of good pertaining to the
natural man, and fields denoting doc
trinals from the Word." Ap. Ex.
650. Here, abstractly, by beasts of
the field are signified the affections of
truth, as by cattle upon the mountains
are signified the affections of good. —
Are mine (literally, are vnth me)
means that aU such affections are
derived from the Lord and belong
to the Lord.
Verses 10, 11. — " These words,
indeed, [in the Uteral sense] relate
to sacrifices, and were intended to
teach that the Lord is not delighted
with them, but vrith confession of
heart and supplication. Neverthe
less, [in the spUitnal sense,] by ani
mals of the forest, cattle of the moun
tains, bUds of the mountains, and
beasts of the field, are signified prin
ciples and affections belonging to
the man of the Church.'' Ap. Ex.
650. Verses 12, 13. — If I were hungry,
&o. " These words relate to .sacri
fices, meaning that the Lord is not
deUghted with them, but vrith con
fession and works ; for it is said
immediately after, ' Shall I eat the
fiesh of bulls, or drink the blood of
goats ? Offer to God confession, and

244

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[L

14 Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay thy vows to the Most High.
15 And call upon me in the day of trouble :
I wUl deUver thee, and thou shalt honor me.

16

17

But to the wicked God saith,
What avails it thee to recount my statutes ?
And to take my covenant into thy mouth ?
Since thou hatest admonition,
^\nd easiest my words behind thee.

pay thy vows to the Most High.'
By the words. If I were hungry is
meant 'If I desired sacrifies ;' but
whereas the Lord desires worship
from goods and truths, it is said for
the world is mine, and its fullness :
by the world is signified the Church,
and by its fullness [or what fills it]
are signified goods and truths in
theU whole complex. This, indeed
[in the letter], is said of the beasts
that are sacrificed ; but by these, in
the spiritual sense, are signified the
various kinds of good and truth."
Ap. Ex. 741.
Verse 14. — Offer to God thanks
giving (literally, confession), &c.
" True confession of the heart is from
celestial love. The man, who is in
this confession, acknowledges that aU
good is from the Lord, and that all
evU is from himself ; and when he
is in this state of acknowledgment,
he is in a state of humiliation, for
he then acknowledges that the Lord
is all in aU with him, and that he
himself is respectively nothing ; and
when confession is made from this
state, it is from celestial love. But
the sacrifices of confession, which
were in the Jewish Church, were
thanksgivings, and were called in a
universal sense sacrifices eucharistic
and retributory [or sacrifices of

thankfulness and acknowledgment],
which were of a two-fold kind ;
namely, confessional and votive.
The sacrifices of confession involved
the celestial of love ; but the votive
sacrifices [or sacrifices attended vrith
vows] signified, in an external sense,
acknowledgment, in an internal sense
the vriU that the Lord would pro
vide, and in the supreme sense a
state of Providence. Hence, each of
these is mentioned in the Word, as
in David, Sacrifice to God confesdon,
and pay to the Most High thy vows:
he ivlio offers confession, honors me.
Psalm 1. 14-23."— A. C. 3880.
Verse 15. — And thou shalt honor
me. The Lord desires to be honored
and worshiped, not for His own
sake, but for man's sake, and in
order that man, by looking up to
Him in love and reverence, may thus
open his heart to receive the stream
of blessedness which the Lord is
ever pouring out on all his creatures.
Verses 16, 17. — To the wicked God
saith. What avails it thee ? &c. It is
here taught " that external worship
is of uo avail while evils are com
mitted" (see Summary of the Internal
Sense). — Statutes — Covenant. "Sta
tutes signify the external things of the
Word, such as rituals." A. C. 3382.
But covenant has relation to internal

L.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

245

18 If thou seest a thief, thou consortest with him ;
And art partaker with adulterers.
19 Thou givest up thy mouth to evU,
And thy tongue frames deceit.
20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother:
Thou utterest slander against the 'son of thy mother.
21 These things thou hast done, and I was silent :
Hence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such as thyself:
Bid I wUl convict thee, and wiU set thy sins in array be
fore thine eyes.

things, as those of love and charity ;
for covenant signifies conjunction,
and conjunction with the Lord is
effected only by love and charity
(A. C. 2037). The general sense of
the passage is, that for the vricked to
recount or repeat the external laws of
reUgion,thatis, to go through itsforms
and ceremonies, and stiU more to
take into their mouth (literaUy, upon
theU mouth, upon their lips), that is,
to talk about its internal laws and
commandments, is rank hypocrisy.
Verse 19. — Tliou givest up thy
mouth to evil, &c. By m.outh and
tongue are signified not only speech,
but also thought whence speech is
derived (Ap. Ex. 455) : hence giving
up the mouth to evil, signifies in
dulging in evil thoughts. By mouth
here, is signified, perhaps, exterior
thought, and tongue, interior ; or
mouth, thought from the understand
ing, — and tongue, thought from the
will. Verse 20. — Thou sittest and speak
est, &c. In this and the two pre
ceding verses (as has been remarked
by commentators), three of the com
mandments are referred to, namely,
" Thou shalt not steal," " thou shalt
not commit adultery," "thou shalt
not bear false vritness :" these, as well
as others, the wicked break, and thus

do they " cast the Lord's words be
hind them" (verse 17). In the
spUitual sense of this verse, however,
an evU of a more general nature is
referred to, namely, the hatred of aU
good and truth whatever. For
brother, in the spiritual sense, signi
fies charity or good, and son of thy
moHier the truth of the Church, — son
signUying truth, and mother the
Church (Ap. Ex. 444). To speak and
utter slander against these is to hate
and deride the good and truth of the
Church. It is said, thou sittest, as
representing a flxed or permanent
state of evU ; for to sit, in the sj)irit-
ual sense, signifies to be essentially
or abidingly in any state (Ap. Ex.
687). Verse 21. — And I was silent.
That is, the vricked are allowed for a
time to go on in their iniquity, for
the law of Divine order is, that evil
is not punished till it arrives at its
height (A. C. \bii1).— Hence thou
thoughtest, &c. Hence the wicked are
apt to imagine that there is no over-
ruUng Providence, that there is no
God at aU; or U there be, that he
does not particularly object to the
course they are pursuing, for they
judge of him from their own
thoughts and feeUngs : they imagine
him to be like themselves. — Bnt I will

246

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[L

22 Now mark this, ye that forget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
23 He who offers thanksgiving honors me ;
And to him who prepares a way wUl I show the salvation
of God.

convict, &c. But their judgment
comes at last, and then they discover
their mistake, when under the light
of divine truth, theU past misdeeds
are all spread out before them.
Verse 22. — Lest I tear you in
pieces. Who could think that so
fierce an expression as this could
proceed from a Being of infinite
goodness, and whose very name is
Love ? But our- Heavenly Father
speaks to men in this harsh way,
just as an earthly parent puts on a
severe look, to awe his chUd into
obedience. The vricked, in theU low
and .sensual state, need to be ad
dressed in this violentmanner, or they
would pay no heed to what was said.
But when thus sternly spoken to,
— U not thoroughly hardened in
iniquity — they may, by the fear of
punishment, be roused to reflection,
and so at length be turned from the
evU of their ways. This is the ex
planation of aU similar passages in
Scripture, where the Lord is des
cribed as speaking or acting harshly

or angrily. — StUl what is here said
is not to be looked upon as an empty
threat. Terrible punishment and
suffering wUl fall upon the vricked
man, U he does not change his course ;
but it wUl come, not from the Lord,
but from evU itself, which ever
brings its own punishment ; as the
Psalnust declares, " EvU shall slay
the wicked" (Psalm xxxiv. 21).
Verse 23. — Hewho offers thanksgiv
ing [literally cori/essionj/iojiors me. To
offer confession is to be in humUiation
of heart (see note on verse 14). —
Honors me — worships the Lord (see
note on verse 15). — And to him who
prepares a way. Way in the spUit
ual sense signifies truth, because
truth is the way to good. Hence to
prepare [literaUy, set or make] a way,
signifies to furnish one's self with
the knowledge of truths. — Will I
show the salvation of God. Man
must " receive the truth of faith, and
by that the good of charity, and thus
etemal salvation" (A. C. 3142).

LL] NOTES ON THE PSALMS 247
PSALM LL
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
A prayer that he [the Lord] may be purified from the infirmi
ties derived from the mother, verses 1-5 ; that if he is purified
from these, he will be pure, 6-lQ ; and he holy, 11, 12; that thus
he will teach Divine truths, 13-15 ; not external worship, but in
ternal, 16, 17 ; that he will institute a Church, in which there will
he worship from- good, 18, 19.
To the Leader of the Music : a Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet
came to him, after he had gone in unto Bathsheba.
1 Be gracious to me, 0 God, according to thy goodness :
According to the multitude of thy mercies, blot out my trans
gressions.
2 "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.
Title. — This Psalm, as here stated, gressions ; but what is specifically
refers, in the Uteral sense, to David, meant by these terms is not discover-
and is an expression of penitence for able except from the internal sense.
the great sin of which he had been Such things as are done contrary to
guilty — adulteryandmurder — asdes- the truths of faith are termed trans-
cribed in 2 Samuel xi. xii. In the in- gressions : such as are done contrary
temalsense,however,this,likeallthe to the goods of faith, are called ini-
Psalms, refers to the Lord. But as quities; such as are done contrary
the Lord had no actual ,sin, (as he to the goods of charity and love are
himself declared, — " Wliich of you called sins. The two former pro-
convictethmeof sin?" JohnviU. 46), ceed from a perverted imderstanding,
the sins of David can represent only but the latter from a depraved wiU.
tendencies to sin in the human nature Thus in David : Wash me from my
of the Lord, and it is from these that iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin;
he here prays to be delivered (see for I know mj/ transgressions and my
Summary of the Intemal Sense, sin is ever before mej where iniquity
above). denotes the evil which is contrary
Verses 1-3. — "In the Word, to the goods of faith, transgression
evils are sometimes called sins, some- the evil which is contrary to the
times iniquities, and sometimes tra,ns- truths of faith, and sin the evil which

248

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LT,

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned.
And done evU in thy sight :
So that thou art just in thy speaking,
And clear in thy judging.

is contrary to the goods of charity
and love. As transgression is an
evil proceeding from a perverted
understanding, and thus is known
from the truths of faith, therefore it
is said, I know my transgressions'' A.
C. 9156. — Blot out my transgressions —
wash me from my iniquity — cleanse
me from my sin. " Sins, when they
are remitted, are believed to bevriped
away and washed away, as fUth is
washed away by water : nevertheless
they remain with man ; and when
they are said to be wiped away, it is
from the appearance when man is
withheld from them. Those who are
regenerated are continually held by
the Lord in the good ot love and
faith, and in such cases are withheld
from evUs and falses. Hence it is
manUest what remission of sUis is :
it is the abUity from the Lord to be
held in the good of love and the truth
of faith, and to be withheld from
evils and falses ; and repentance is
to know what is evU and false, and
to hold them in aversion." A. C.
9447^8-51.—" To wash signifies to
remove evUs and falses." Ap. Ex.
475. Thus, the Psalmist's prayer
that the Lord in his mercy would
blot out his transgressions, wash him
from his iniquities, &c., is a prayer
that his evUs may be removed. The
Lord is infinite mercj' and love, and
most earnestly desUes to remove
man's evils, but still they cannot be
removed except in accordance vrith
the laws of Divine order, that is,
in agreement with the nature and
constitution of the mind itself The

law of order is that man should, as
of himself, resist and fight against
his evils, in thought and act : then
wUl the Lord from within remove
the very inclinations to them.
Verse 4. — Against thee, thee only,
I have sinned. All sins are fUst and
chiefly sins against the Lord. For
sin is that which is contrary to
Divine order (A. C. 5726), and that
which is contrary to Divine order, is
contrary to the wUl, wisdom, and
love of the great Creator of the uni
verse, and is, so far, a thwarting (so
to speak) of his Divine plans for the
happiness of his creatures. Hence,
when man commits a sin, he does
violence, as it were, to the love and
goodness of his Heavenly Father
On the other hand, when man re
frains from evil, because it is a sin
against God, he not only pleases the
Lord, but thereby becomes more
closely united to him in love. — The
two expressions, I have sinned — and
done evil in thy sight, have reference,
the former, to acting against the
Divine love, and the latter to acting
against the Divine vrisdom ; — for the
phrase in thy sight (literally, in thy
eyes) signifies before the Divine wisdom,
eyes signifying intelligence or wis
dom. — So that thou art just in thy
speaking, and clear in thy judging.
In thy speaking, that is, in thy re
buke at the hand of Nathan (see 2
Samuel xU. 7-9), and m thy judg
ing, that is, in the sentence pro
nounced upon me (same chapter,
verses 10-14). Clear means free
from blame — just.

LL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

249

5 Behold I was born in iniquity.
And in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the reins.
And in the hidden^ar^ thou wilt cause me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shaU be clean :
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Verse 5. — Behold, I was horn in
iniquity, &c. "Iniquity is predicated
of falses, and dn of evUs." Ap. Ex.
475. To be conceived in dn, is to
have evU for the very essential prin
ciple of the being ; and to he horn
(or brought forth) in iniquity is to be
in the falses thence derived ; for
" falsity is the form of evil, as truth
is the form of good" (Ap. Ex. 543).
This passage teaches the great truth,
that man's nature, as it comes to
him hereditarily or from his parents,
is entUely perverted, is essentially
evU and false : hence the necessity
for regeneration. — Mother is here
mentioned particularly, in reference
doubtless to the mother of the Lord,
who, in the supreme sense, is treated
of From his human mother he in
herited evils and infirmities ; but
none from his Father, who was the
Essential Divine.
Verse 6. — " The reinsloT kidneys]
signUy the tmths of faith, and their
purification from falses, because the
purification of the blood is effected
in the reins ; and by blood, in the
Word, is signified tmth : and the
same is signified by the organ
which purifies : all purification
from falses is effected by truths.
Hence it is evident what is signi
fied, in the Word, by the Lord's
'searching the hearts and reins'
(Jeremiah xvU. 10), namely, that he
explores the goods of love and the
truths of faith, and separates them
from evUs and falses. So in David :

Behold thou desirest truth in the reins,
and in what is hidden thou makest
me to know wisdom (Psalm li. 6).
Reins here are expressed by another
word in the original tongue, which
involves the separation both of falses
from tmths, and of evils from goods.
Hence it is evident that the reins
signUy separation and purification."
Ap. Ex. 167. Thus, then, by the Lord's
desiring (or loving) truth in the reins is
meant that he wishes man to have
his mind stored irith truths, by
means of which he may be purified
from falses and evils. — And in the
hidden part thou will cause me to
know wisdom. As by reins, here, is
signified the understanding, so by
the hidden part is doubtless signified
the vrill or love, which is more in
terior than the imderstanding, and
more hidden, or not so easUy known :
Wisdom has its abode properly in
the heart or love, and intelligence in
the head ; for intelligence is truth
in the thought, but wisdom is truth
applied to the love and Ufe. (See
A. C. 1555.)
Verse 7. — Purge me unth hyssop,
&c. "Hyssop denotes external truth,
which is a medium of purification.
All spiritual purification is effected
by tmths ; for the earthly and
worldly loves from which man is to
be purified, are not known except
by truths ; and when these are in
sinuated by the Lord, at the same
time also is insinuated a horror at
those loves, as at things unclean and

250

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LL

8 Cause me to hear joy and gladness :
Let the bones which thou hast broken, rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, 0 God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

damnable ; which horror causes
that when a like thing flows into the
thought the dread of it returns, con-
secpiently aversion towards it : thus
man is purified by truths, as by ex
ternal mediums. — Since hyssop has
this signification, therefore it was
applied in cleansings, which, in the
internal sense, signUy purification
from falses and evils ; as, for in
stance, in the cleansing of leprosy
(Leviticus xiv. 4-7). That hyssop
denotes a medium of purification, is
verymanifest in David: 'Purgemewith
hyssop, and I shall be clean ; wash me,
and I shall be whiter than snow.'
(Psalm li 7); where to purge [or
expiate] unth hyssop and to be made
clean denote external purification —
and to wash and to he made whiter
than snow denote intemal purifica
tion : snow and whiteness are predi
cated of truth." A. C. 7918. It is
said whiter than .snow, because snow
signifies truth, but he who is purified
by means of truth, attains a state of
good, which is stUl purer.
Verse 8. — Let the hones which thou
hast broken, rejoice. Bones, in the
spiritual sense, signify truths ; for as
the bones support the body, so truths
sustain the mind (see note on
Psalm vi. 2). The bones are said to
be broken, when, as in states of
temptation, falses rise up and ob
scure truths so that they seem to
have perished from the mind, or at
least to have lost their connection
and to lie as it were in fragments :

hence the mind seems to have lost
¦ its strength and support, as is the
case with the body when the bones
are broken (see note on Psalm
xxii. 14). — It is said, "which thou
hast broken," because in tempta
tions it appears as if our troubles
came from the Lord ; whereas in
truth, he is goodness itself, and
troubles or tempts no one, but de
fends and protects all, to the utmost.
— It is said, " Cause me to hear joy
and gladness," because to hear signi
fies reception and perception in the
wUl or love (A. C. 9926, A. B. 87) :
hence to hear joy and gladness is to
receive delight into the heart ; whUe
the expression, let the bones rejoice,
means, " May the truths in my un
derstanding be cheered with Ught."
Verse 9. — "Iniquity is predi
cated of falses, and sin of erils,"
Ap. Ex. 475 (see note on verse 5).
Thus, to blot out iniquities means to
remove falses. Hide thy face from
my sins, means " Do not regard
them, excuse, forgive them." In
the Lord's case, as above observed,
sins and iniquities denote the infir
mities and errors of his inherited
humanity, since he had no actual sin.
Verse 10.—" To create a clean
heart signifies to reform as to the
good of love, and to renew a steadfast
spirit signifies to reform as to the
truth of faith. For the heart signi
fies the good of love, and the spirit
a Ufe according to Divine tmth."
Ap. Ex. 294. To create signifies, in

LL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

251

11 Cast me not out from thy presence.
And take not from me the spirit of thy holiness.
12 Eestore to me the joy of thy salvation.
And let a wUling spirit sustain me.

the spiritual sense, to re-create, that
is, to regenerate : for to create is
natural, but to regenerate is spirit
ual (see Ap. Ex. 294). Thus, Create
in me a clean heart, signifies, Give
me by regeneration a love or will
that is pure and free from evUs. It is
said, 0 ffo(i,becausethe expression God
signifies the Lord as to Divine truth,
and it is by means of Divine tmth
that regeneration is effected. Man
learns truth from the Word, and
appUesit to lUe by resisting in himseU
the evUs which that tiuth forbids ;
then they are removed by the Lord,
and good affections given in theU
place. Thus is man regenerated,
and in no other way. — And renew a
steadfast spirit within me. Renew —
or, perhaps, more correctly transla
ted, make new; the meaning being
not to restore what had once existed,
but to impart a new spirit (see
Ezekiel xxxvi. 26). When the term
spirit is conjoined vrith heart, the
latter signifies the vrill and the
former the understanding (D. L. &
W. 383). Hence a steadfast spirit
means an understanding fUled vrith
the light of tiuth, and steadfastly
sustained by that truth against falses
and evils. — In the midst of me : that
is, in the centre of the mind, where
reUgious principles should dwell, in
order thereby to govern and regulate
the whole mind.
Verse 11. — Cast me not out from
thy presence (UteraUy, from thy face).
As the face is the image of the affec
tions, BO the face of the Lord signifies
his Diviae love ( Ap. Ex. 340). Thus,

cast me not out of thy presence means,
Remove me not wholly from tin-
love. — And take not from me the spirit
of thy holiness. Deprive me not of thy
truth. By the spirit of holUiess is
signified Divine truth ; for spirit
signifies Divine truth (A. R. 87), and
the term holy is predicated distiuc-
tively of tmth (A. fi. 173).— "It
deserves to be particularly noticed,
that in the Word of the Old Testa
ment, there is no mention made of
the Holy Spirit, but only of the
spirit of holiness, and that in three
places, namely, Psalm li. 11, and
twice in Isaiah, Ixiii. 10, 11 ; whereas
in the Word of the New Testament,
in the Gospels, the Acts of the
Apostles, and in the Epistles, the
Holy Spirit is mentioned frequently.
The reason is, because before the
coming of the Lord there was no
Holy Spirit, inasmuch as it proceeds
out of the Lord from the Father as it
is written (John vii 39), ' The Holy
Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was
not yet glorified.'" T. C. fi. 158.
Verse 12. — The joy of thy salva
tion: that is, the joy resulting from
the consciousness of being saved —
the assurance that my sin is pardoned.
— And let a willing spirit sustain me.
WhUe man is in temptation, he acts
from hard duty, against his inclina
tion, and he then seems to himself
in bonds ; but when the temptation
is past, and principle has conquered,
then truth is succeeded by good, daitf
by delight, and then vrith a willing
spirit he goes on this heavenly way,
sustadned and blessed.

252

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LL

13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways,
And sinners shall be converted to thee.
14 Deliver me from blood, 0 God, the God of my salvation,
And my tongue shaU sing aloud thy righteousness.
15 0 Lord, open thou my lips.
And my mouth shaU declare thy praise.
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it:
Thou deliahtest not in burnt-offerings.

Verse 13. — Transgressors — sin
ners. Transgressors are those who do
wrong through error .or ignorance of
truth : sinners those who do evdl
vrilfiUly. (See note on verse 1.)
Hence, it is said I will teach, trans
gressors thy ways, ways in the spUitual
sense, signifying truths, which are to
be taught to the ignorant. — This
passage refers to the Lord ; and, in
connection vrith what goes before,
signifies that when the Lord should
have dispersed the evils and infUmi-
ties of his assumed Humanity, and
glorified it even till it became Divine
Truth, then he would from that Hu
manity utter Divine Truth, and pro
claim the Gospel. This state the Lord
arrived at when he was thirty years
of age ; and it was not tiU then,
therefore, that he manifested Him
self, and began to preach (see A. C.
5335, 6993).
Verse 14. — Deliver me from blood
(literaUy, bloods). Blood signifies not
only murder (in reference particu
larly to David's crime against Uriah),
liiit also hatred, which is murderous
in spirit : the term bloods is used, in
the plural, as signUying aU the evils
that proceed from hatred. " In
many passages of the Word, hlood is
taken for all sin, particularly for
hatred, for whosoever bears hatred
towards his brother, kills him in
his heart. And since hatred is

blood, all iniquity ' is blood, for
hatred is the fountain of all iniqui
ties ; as it is said in Hosea : ' By
swearing, and lying, and kUling, and
stealing, and committing adultery,
they commit robbeiy, and have
touched bloods in bloods' (iv. 2, 3).
It is said bloods, in the plural num
ber, because aU unjust and abomin
able things flow from hatred, as all
good and holy things flow from love."
A. C. 374.— The expression "De
liver me from bloods" means, then.
Deliver me from aU horrid evUs. —
And my tongue shall sing aloud thy
righteousness : then, the heart, being
filled vrith heavenly affections, vriU
praise the Lord's goodness vrith joy
and rapture.
Verse 15. — 0 Lord, Lord, here,
is Adonai, meaning Master, which
signifies Divine Truth, for truth
rules and governs. — Open thou my
lips, "By Ups are signified the
mteriors of man, thus intemal wor
ship, whence proceeds adoration.''
A. C. 1286. Thus, To open Hie lips,
is to illuminate the interiors of the
mind by Divine Truth. — And my
mouth shall declare thy praise. Mouth,
in the spiritual sense, signifies the
thought : true praise must come
from man's thoughts, not from his
utterance onlj'-.
Verse 16. — For thou desirest not
sacrifice, &o. " That sacrifices were

LL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

253

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit :
A broken and contrite heart, 0 God, thou wUt not despise.

18

19

Do good in thy favor to Zion :
BuUd thou the waUs of Jerusalem.
Then shalt thou be delighted withthe sacrifices of righteousness.
With burnt-offerings, even whole burnt-offerings ;
Then shaU they offer buUocks upon thy altar.

by no means acceptable to Jehovah,
thus that they were only tolerated
and permitted, appears plainly from
the prophets. Thus in Jeremiah
(vU. 21-23) : 'Thus saith Jehovah,
the God of Israel, I spake not with
yonr fathers nor commanded them,
in the day that I brought them out
of the land of Egypt, concerning
burnt-offerings or sacrifices : but this
thing commanded I them, saying,
Obey my voice, and I vrill be your
God.' So in the Psalms (U. 16, 17) :
' 'Hiou desirest not sacrifice, else would
I give it : thou delightest not in burnt-
offerings: the sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit.'" A. C. 2180.
Verse 17. — A broken spirit — a
broken and contrite heart. "Spirit,
in the Word, when applied to man,
signifies the good and truth inscribed
on the inteUectual part of the mind ;
consequently, the lUe of this part.
For there is a Ufe of the inteUectual
part, and a life of the wUl part : the
Ufe of the intellectual part is to
know, to see, and to understand
truth to be truth, and good to be
good ; but the Ufe of the will part
is to wUl and love truth for the sake
of truth, and good for the sake of
good. This latter life in the Word
is caUed heart, and the former spirit.
Thus in David (Psalm U. 17) : ' Tlie
sacrifices of our God are a broken spirit:
a broken and contrite heart, 0 God,
Hiou unit not despise : a broken spirit

and a broken heart denote a state of
temptation and the consequent hu
miliation of each lUe, that of the
understanding and that of the vriU.'"
A. C. 9818.
Verses 18, 19. — Do good in thy
favour to Zion, &c. " By Zion, here,
is meant the Church which is in the
good of love, and by Jerusalem the
Church which is in the truths of doc
trine. Hence, by doing gpod in thy
favour to Zion, and building the walls
of Jerusalem, is signified to restore the
Church by leading it into the good
of love, and by instructing it in the
truths of doctrine. Worship thence
from the good of love is signified by
the words, then shalt thou be delighted
with the sacrifices of righteousness,
and with burnt-offerings; for right
eousness is predicated of celestial
good, and burnt-offering signifies love.
So, by the words, they shall offer
bullocks upon thy altar is signified
worship from the good of charity ;
for bulloclcs denote spiritual-natural
good, which is the good of charity."
Ap. Ex. 391. — With burnt-offerings,
even whole burnt-offerings. A burnt-
offering represented worship from
love, because fire, in a good sense,
signifies Divine love. It is said
whole burnt-offerings, because in such
offerings the whole animal was con
sumed, to represent affections en
tUely given to the Lord, worship
with the whole heart.

254

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LIL

PSALM LIL
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Concerning hypocrites, that they will be in hell, and will perish,
verses 1-5 ; so also those who trust in their own intelligence, 1 ; that
those who trust in the Lord, will fiourish, 8, 9.
To the Leader of the Music : an instructive Psalm of David, when Doeg, the
Edomite, went and told Saul, and said to him, " David came to the
honse of Abimelech."

Title. — The circumstances here
referred to, vriU be found narrated
in the twenty-fUst and twenty-second
chapters of the First Book of Samuel.
David, fleeing from Saul, came to
the city of Nob, to Abimelech the
high priest. The latter, supposmg
David to be travelling on the king's
business, supplied him vrith bread
and a sword. Doeg, an Edomite,
Saul's chief herdsman, happening to
be there, was a witness of this trans
action, and reported it to Saul ; in
consequence of which the latter, by
the hand of Doeg, slew Abimelech
and his fanUly, with aU the priests
of Nob, eighty-flve in number, and
put the city to the sword. The
PsaUn is supposed to have been
written by David, on his hearing of
tlUs cruel slaughter. The subject of
it is Doeg, the Edomite (see note on
verse 5), or, perhaps, Saul himseU.
By applying the law of correspon
dence, we may obtain a general idea
of the internal sense of this narrative,
and of its connection with the PsaUn.
David, pursued by Saul, represents
the Lord tempted by the deadly
falses of the Jewish Church : for a
king represents Divine truth, but, in
the opposite sense, the false (see Ap.

Ex. 323). His fleeing to Abimelech,
represents the Lord seeking support
from the Divine Good, for the priest-
hoodrepresented Divine Good or love.
(The name Ahimelech, also, signifies
brother of the king, that is, good con-
j oined to truth. ) Thence he received
good and truth, signified by the
bread and sword. Doeg, the Edom
ite, a herdsman of Saul, reporting
this to his master, represents the
evU loves of the natural man in
league with the false. {Edom signi
fies the natural man, A. C. 3322.)
The consequent slaughter of the
priests represents the destruction of
all good affections in the Jewish
Church ; and putting the city to the
sword, represents the destruction of
the doctrine of truth thence derived,
for a city signifies doctrine.
As to the connection of the title
¦\ritli the Psalm, — we observe that
the latter, in its internal sense, refers
to hypocrites and their punishment.
(See Siimmaryof the Internal Sense.)
Now Doeg, the Edomite, being a
servant of Saul, represents one who
is oonnectei with the Church ; while
his betrayal of David aud slaughter
of the priests, represents a state of
opposition to the Lord, and hatred

LIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

255

Why gloriest thou in evU, thou mighty one ?
The goodness of God is continual.
Thy tongue meditates mischief;
LUve a sharp razor, working deceit.
Thou lovest evU more than good,
And lying more than speaking righteousness. Selah.
Thou lovest all words that destroy,
And a deceitful tongue.
God also will destroy thee forever :
He wUl seize upon thee, and pluck thee out of the tabernacle.
And root thee out of the land of the Uving. Selah.

of heavenly loves ; thus he represents
the state of hypocrites.
Verse 1. — IVliy gloriest thou, &c.
This address, in the literal sense, is
made to Doeg, the Edomite ; but, in
the spiritual sense, it alludes to hypo
crites in general. They are called
mighty, because, as members of the
Lord's Church, they are in the pos
session of truth, and tmth is power-
iid. The remark that follows, the
goodness of God is continual, seems to
stand in opposition to the eril just
spoken of ; the meaning is, " the
God whom they profess to worship
is good, and ever good, — why, then,
do they, professing his name, delight
in evU ?"
Verse 2. — Tliy tongue. The tongue,
as the organ of speech, signifies the
thought, whence speech proceeds :
that it signifies the thought, is evi
dent from its being said, "Thy
tongue meditates. — Mischief (liter
ally, mischiefs) that is, injuries to
others, — Like a sharp razor. The
tongue id compared to a razor, be
cause all sharp instruments, asaknife,
sword, razor, correspond to truths,
or, in the opposite sense, to falses :
hence the tongue as a razor, signifies
tho thought filled with destructive

falses : — falses, the more d eadly, when
joined with hypocritical deceit.
Verse 3. — Selah ! See note on
Psalm iU. 2.
Verse 4. — All words that destroy,
— literaUy, all words of destruction or
swallowing up; that is, destructive
falses, such as engulph the mind in
darkness, and remove it from the
light of heaven. — And a deceitful
tongue — that is, the thought fUled
with deceit and cunning. — Thou
lovest. The address, here, is stiU to
Doeg, literally ; but, spUitually, to
hypocrites, to those who have had
knowledge of the truth, but who
from an evil heart pervert truths
into falses, and labour thereby to
seduce and destroy souls.
Verse 5. — God shall pluck thee out
of the tabernacle, &c. " This is said
of Doeg, the Edomite. That he
would be expelled from every good
of the Church, is signified by his
being plucked out of the tabernacle;
that he would also be expelled from
the truths of the Church, is signified
by his being rooted out of the land of
the living : the land signifies the
Church ; and those are said to be
Uving, who are in tmths derived
from good." Ap. Ex. 799. WhUe

256

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LIL

6 And the righteous shaU see and fear.
And shaU laugh at him :
7 Behold the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the multitude of his riches.
And strengthened himself in his wickedness.
8 But I am Uke a green olive-tree in the house of God :
I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
9 I wUl praise thee forever for what thou hast done ;
And I wUl wait upon thy name, for it is good before thy saints:

said of Doeg, literaUy, it refers, in the
spiritual sense, to hypocrites.
Verse 6. — The righteous shall see,
that is, shall behold the Lord's deal
ings vrith the wicked; and fear, — re
verence the Divine justice (see A. C.
5534) ; and shall laugh at him, that
is, perceive the utter powerlessness
of the wicked (see note on Psalm
xxxvU. 13).
Verse 7. — Trusted in the multi
tude of his riches. Riches, in the
spiritual sense, signify mental wealth,
knowledges of truth : trusting in
these is expressive of inteUectual
pride and self-confidence. — Strength
ened himself in his wickedness, that is,
confirmed himself in pride and seU-
love, and self-indulgence. The re
ference is to hypocrites, Pharisees,
who, because they have knowledge of
the truth, think that they are thereby
sacred aud holy, notvrithstandmg
theU evU lives.
Verse 8. — " It is said, Like a green
olive-tree in the house of God, because
by a green olive-tree is signified the
good of love springing up by the
truth of the Word, and by the house

of God is signified the Church." Ap.
Ex. 638. The olive is representative
of love and charity (A. fi. 493) ; and
green sigmfies nourished by the Uving
waters of Divine truth. — I: the per
son speaking is here understood to
be the man of the Church, who trusts
in the Lord (see Summary of the
Internal Sense).
Verse 9. — I will praise thee forever
for what thou hast done (literally, be
cause thou hast done). This is ex
pressive of the e';ernal thankfulness
and gratitude of the good for their
redemption and salvation. — And I
will wait upon thy name — that is,
depend upon, trust in, — thy name :
name, in the spUitual sense, signifies
quality ; hence, the Lord's name
signifies his Divine quaUty or nature,
as being love and goodness itself
Hence it is added, for it is good before
thy saints. Saints denote such, par
ticularly, as are in a state of love to the
Lord (see note on Psalm xxx. 4) : by
such, especially, is the Lord's name,
that is, his quality or nature, seen to
be truly good, and goodness itseU.

LIIL] NOTES TO THE PSALMS 257
PSALM LIIL
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
That every one has departed from God, none remaining, verses
1-3 ; that they have destroyed the Church without any cause, 4, 5 ;
thctt therefore there will he a new Church from the Lord, 6.
To the Leader of the music : upon the lute : an instructive Psalm of David.
1 The impious man says in his heart. There is no God.
They have become corrupt, they have done abominable
iniquity :
There is no one that does good.
2 God looked down from heaven upon the sons of man.
To see if there were any that understand, that seek God.
3 They have all gone astray :
They have become aU corrupt together :
There is none that does good, not even one.
4 Do not aU the workers of iniquity know — ¦
Who devour my people as they eat bread.
And caU not upon God ?
5 Then shaU those be in great fear, who had no fear :
This PsaUn is very nearly the Title. — Upon the lute {Mahalath).
same vrith Psalm xiv. Yet on a The nature of tlus instrument is
close comparison, it wUl be seen that not certainly known ; some suppose
there are marked differences, sufii- it to have been stringed, whUe
cient to show that it is not a mere others think that it was a wind in-
repetition of the other. It vriU be strument. It seems probable that
observed that in several places, as in it was the former, as the music of
the second, fourth, and sixth verses, stringed instruments has reference
the term God is here used, while in distinctively to the affection of truth
the former Psalm it is Lord (or Je- (see note on the title of Psalm iv.),
hovah). Now the term God signifies and this seemingly is the character
Divine Truth, while Lord ox Jehovah of the present PsaUn.
signifies Divine Good or Love. Thus Verses 1-4. — See notes on Psalm
this Psalm would seem to describe xiv.
more particularly a rejection of Di- Verse 5. — God will scatter the
vUie Tmth, while the other describes bones. By hones are signified truths
a state of opposition to Divine Good. (see note on Psalm vi 2), or, in the

258

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LIV.

For God wUl scatter the bones of him that encamps agaiast
thee.
Thou shalt put them to shame, for God has rejected them.
0 that out of Zion would come the salvation of Israel !
When God shaU bring back the captivity of his people,
Jacob shaU rejoice, and Israel shaU be glad.

opposite sense, as here, falses : God
signifies Divine Truth, by which
falses are dispersed {scattered). —
Of him that encamps against thee.
Him is here used coUectively forthe
infemal Powers in mass. Thee
means the Church, which they as

sault. — Tliou shalt put the/in to shame,
&c., describes the triumph of truth
over error, in the estabUshment of a
new Church described in the next
verse. Verse 6. — See note on Psalm
xiv. 6.

PSALM LIV.

SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

A prayer to the Father that he would assist against those who
wish to destroy him, verses 1-3 ; that he will assist against them,
and that they will perish, 4, 5 ; a thanksgiving for assistance, 6, 7.
To the Leader of the Music : on the stringed instruments : an instructive
Psalm of David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, Is not
David hiding himself with us ?
1 Save me, 0 God, by thy name :
And judge me by thy strength.

Title. — On the stringed instru
ments : see note on title to Psalm iv.
— Wlien the Ziphites came, &c. See
1 Samuel xxiU. 19, and xxvi. 1.
ZiPH was a city in the tribe of Judah,
and is described as being in or near
a vrilderness (see 1 Samuel xxui. 14,
15). As a wUdemess rejDresents a
state of mind, destitute of goods and
truths, and as these people sought to
betray David, — by the 'Ziphites, in
the internal sense, must be signified
such as are in evUs and falses, and

are thus opposed to the Lord, who is
represented by David.
Verse 1. — Save me, 0 God, by thy
name. Name, in the spUitual sense,
signifies quality or character : hence,
save me by thy name, means save me
by thy Divine character, nature,
power. God signifies distinctively
DivUie Truth, which has aU power.
— And judge me by thy strength.
Judge me means, Give judgment in
my favor, that is, defend me, pro
tect me.

LIV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

259

2 0 God, hear my prayer ;
Give ear to the words of my moutk
3 For strangers have risen up against me.
And the violent seek for my soul :
They set not God before them. Selah.
4 Lo, God is my help :
The Lord is with those that uphold my soul.
5 He wUl return the evU upon my adversaries :
In thy truth, cut them off.

Verse 2. — Hear my prayer — give
ear to the words of my mouth. Prayer,
here, refers to the longings of the
heart ; and words of my mouth to the
utterances of the thought: for, wher
ever these double expressions occur,
the one always relates to the wUl,
and the other to the imderstanding.
Verse 3. — For strangers have risen
up, &c. " Strangers here denote
evils and the falses derived from
evU : the violent denote the same,
offering violence to goods and truths.
Those who look only at the Uteral
sense of the word, understand by
strangers nothing else than those
who are out of the Church, and that
they were about to rise up against
David : but into the heavens no
thing of person enters, but only the
things which are signified by them,
— thus not the idea of strangers,
but only of strange things, that is,
such things as are foreign to the
Church, as evUs and the falses of
evU, which destroy the Church. By
David also, against whom they are
said to rise up, is perceived the Lord."
A. C. 10,281.— They set not God be
fore them : that is, they do not look
to the Divine, but are in opposition
to it. — Selah : see note on Psalm
ui 2.

Verse 4. — The Lord is with i
that uphold my soul. Here the doc
trine of guardian angels is distinctly
taught. There are those that uphold
our souls, that sustain us in tempta
tion by infusing true thoughts and
good affections, and who defend us
against the Powers of evil. And the
Lord is with them (or, as it might
be translated, is in them) inspiring
them with the love and Ught which
they communicate to us. And it is
the very lUe's deUght of angels thus
to guard man from evU, and inspUe
him with good, and lead him to
heaven. — The term Lord is, in the
original, Adonai,tha,t is. Master, sig
nUying the power of Divine Truth,
which sustains the angels who sus
tain us.
Verse 5. — He will return Hie evil
upon my adversaries : that is, the evil
which the vricked, the adversaries of
the soul, seek to do to us, wiU fall
back upon themselves. This is ac
cording to the law of order which
prevaUs in the other Ufe. Hence it
is added. In thy truth cut them off.
Every tmth is a law of Divine
order : by the laws of Divine order,
those who seek to do evil to others
thereby cut themselves off from hea
ven and from happiness.

260 NOTES ON THE PSALMS [LV.
6 I will voluntarUy sacrifice to thee :
I wUl praise thy name, 0 Loed, for it is good.
7 For he has delivered me from aU trouble,
And my eye has looked upon my enemies.
Verse 6. — I will voluntarily sac- fies quaUty, nature ; as is evident
rifice to thee. " It is known from the from the declaration, it is good : the
Word, that worship from freedom is Lord's nature is goodness itseU.
truly worship, and what is spontane- Verse 7. — For he has delivered
ous is pleasing to the Lord. Where- me from all trouble signifles deliver-
fore it is said in David, I will volun- ance from the state of temptation in
tarily sacrifice to thee (Psalm liv. 6) : which he was. — And my eye has looked
hence vrith the sons of Israel there upon my enemies. By the eye is sig-
were spontaneous sacriflces. On ao- nified the mental eye, the under-
count of God's satisfaction in what standing : by enemies, spiritual foes,
was spontaneous, it was commanded, tempters, or, in the abstract, evUs
that ' every man whom his heart themselves. By the eye looking upon
impeUed, and every one whose spirit them is meant that the understand-
voluntarily moved him, should bring ing has been so far elevated and en-
an offering to Jehovah for the work Ughtened, as to be able to see evUs,
of the tabernacle,' Exodus xxxv. 5." which is the first step towards re-
T. C. fi. 495. — I will praise thy name, moving them ; for no evU can be re-
0 Lord, for it is good. Name sigmi- moved tUl it is seen (H. and H. 533).

PSALM LV.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
The grievousness of his temptations is described, in which lu
prays to the Fatiier, verses 1-5, 9 ; tliat he wishes to desist from
combats on account of their grievousness, 6-8 ; the malice of the
infemals is described, 9-14 ; that they will be cast down into hell,
15 ; a prayer to tlie Father, and that He will help, 16-18, 22 ;
against the evil and hypocrites, 19-21, 23.
To the Leader of Hie Music : on the stringed instruments : an instructive
Psalm of David.
1 Give ear, 0 God, to my prayer.
And hide not thyself from my suppUcation.
Title. — On the stringed instru- Verse 1. — Hide not thyself from
ments : see note on the title of Psalm my supplication. The Lord never
iv. — An instructive Psalm : see note hides himseU, nor even turns away
on the title of Psalm xxxii. his face from any one : but to man

LV]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

261

Attend to me, and answer me.
I am tossed to and fro in my thoughts, and am disturbed.
Because of the voice of the adversary.
Because of the oppression of the wicked :
For they cast iniquity upon me.
And in their wrath they hate me.
My heart is agitated in the midst of me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me :
Fear and trembling have come upon me,
And horror covers me.
And I said, 0 that I had wings Uke a dove '
I would fly away and be at rest.
Behold, I wander far away,
I abide in the desert. Selah.

it appears so, when the cloud of
temptation is about him, and hides
the Lord from nis mental view (see
A. C. 5585).
Verse 3. — Because of the voice
of the adversary — because of ihe op
pression of the wicked. By the ad
versary are signified such, distinc
tively, as are in falses, and by the
iincked such as are in evils. The
voice of the adversary signifies the
false suggestions insinuated into the
mind by tempters, particularly false
accusations and charges of wrong
and sin of which he is innocent :
this appears from the words that
follow— /or they cast iniquity upon
me. Verse 4. — My heart is agitated in
the midst of me, &c. " To be af
frighted, to be dismayed, to be in
dread, and simUar expressions, in
the Word, signUy commotions of
mind arising from changes of state
in the interiors. Thus in David :
My heart is agitated, in the midst of
me, and the terrors of death have fallen
upon me : fear and trembling have

come upon me, and horror covers me.
Psalm Iv. 4, 5. These things are said
of temptations, in which evUs and
falses break in from heU, and strike
with terror for fear of damnation :
for the good are terrified and trem
ble from dangers that threaten the
soul, thus from the infiux of evUs
into the thoughts and intentions of
the wiU. These various commotions
of the mind are what are signified
by agitation of the heart, the terrors
of death, fear, trembling, and horror,
which are here mentioned according
to the order in which they succeed."
Ap. Ex. 677.
Verses 5-7. — Fear and trembl
ing have come upon me. 0 that I
had wings like a dove, &c. " This
refers to temptation and to the dis
tress thereby caused : that distress is
signified by /ear and trembling. The
longing for tmth in that state, and
the considering whither he should
turn himseU, are signified by the
words, 0 that I had wings lilie a dove,
I would fiy away and he at rest. The
wing of a dove signifies the affection

262

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LV

8 I wUl hasten my escape from the rushing wind,
From the storm.
9 SwaUow ihem up, 0 Lord ; divide their tongue :
For I behold violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go round it upon its waUs :
And iniquity and mischief are in the midst of it.
11 Destruction is in its midst :
Oppression and guUe depart not from its streets.

of spUitual tmth ; to fiy away and
he at rest signifies by means of that
affection to deUver the lUe from
damnation. No hope of deUverance
as yet apj)earing, is expressed by the
words. Behold, I wander far away, I
abide in the desert." Ap. Ex. 282. —
Selah. See note on Psalm Ui. 2.
Verse 8. — I will hasten my escape
from the rushing wind, from Hie storm.
The rushing wind and the storm sig
nify the influx of falses and evils
from heU overwhelming the mind
with darkness and distress. The
horror caused by this infernal blast
was so great, that the Lord in his
infirm humanity was almost ready
to give over the combat (see Sum
mary of the Internal Sense) : this is
signifled by the words I will hasten
my escape, &c. But happily he did
not, ormankindwonld have perished:
strengthened by the Divine from
within, he fought on tiU at length
he overcame, and our redemption
was accomplished.
Verse 9. — Swallow them up : this
is said of the iiUemal tempters : the
meaning is, let them sink down into
heU, buried amongst theU own evUs,
where they can trouble no more. —
Divide their tongue — that is, scatter
theU falsities. The tongue, as the
organ of speech, signifies thought
whence speech proceeds ; and, in a

good sense, the perception of truth
(Ap. Ex. 455) : but here it signifies
falses, by which they pervert tmth.
— For I behold violence and strife in
the city. City signifies doctrine (A.
fi. 194). Violence is injury done to
charity (A. C. 6353) ; and strife
means opposition to truth; for falses,
in theU endeavors to destroy truths,
ever lead to dispute and contention :
strife also signifies the coUision of
falses vrith each other. The mean
ing of the whole, I behold violence,
&c., seems to be, the Lord's percep
tion of the doctrines of the Jevrish
Church corrupted, as being destiuc-
tive of aU charity and faith.
Verse 10. — As by a city is signi
fied doctrine, so by the walls are
signified truths that defend doctrine ;
but, in the present case, falses. (A.
fi. 898.) By going round the city
upon its walls day and night, seems
to be meant continual seU-confirma-
tion in falses, by, as it were, perpe
tuaUy poring over them. That such
confirmation is derived from evil
vrithin, is meant by the words, ini
quity and mischief are in the midst of
it. Verse 11. — Destruction — UteraUy
destructions, that is, lusts and evdl
passions that destroy the soul. — Op
pression and guile depart not from its
streets. City signUying doctrine,

LV]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

263

12 For it was not an enemy that revUed me,
Or I coiUd have borne it :
It was not one that hated me, who magnified himself against
me.
Else I would have hid myself from him.
13 But it was thou, a man of my own class.
My famiUar friend, and my acquaintance :
14 We held sweet converse together,
We walked with the multitude to the house of God.

streets sigrdfy the truths or falses of
doctrine (A. E. 501) : in this case,
falses. Oppresdon and guile sigmfy
the violence and deceit which are
vrithin the falses, and conjoined
vrith them. " By guile here is not
meant merely guUe in a natural
sense, consisting in fraudulent ma
chinations and malicious falsehoods
against others, — but guUe in a spirit
ual sense, by which is meant thought
from the intention of the vriU, or
from a deUberate purpose of speak
ing and persuading to falses, and
thereby destroying the soul." Ap.
Ex. 866.
Verse 12. — For it was not an
enemy, &c. The meaning is, that
it was not professed infldels or the
openly vricked that assaulted the
Lord in the present case, but such
as professed to revere Divine things.
The general sense of the passage
seems to be, that hypocrisy is more
detestable in the Lord's sight than
open vrickedness. — In particular,
here, by an enemy (or adversary) is
signifled such as are in the love of
the false, infldels ; and by haters of
the Lord, such as are in the love of
evU, iu open vrickedness. Had it
been the former, he says, he could
have borne it : that is, the open as
saults of infidelity can be met by
direct answers from the Word and

from reason. And had it been such
as are openly vricked, he could
have hid himself from them : that is,
the openly vricked, siace they en
tirely deny and reject the Lord and
his Word, remove themselves, as
it were, from his presence. But
those who profess the Lord and the
Word, and yet think and live in
opposition to it, profane Divine truth,
and so disturb heaven, whUe at the
same time they plunge themselves
into the deepest of aU hells. The
Lord's direst temptations seem to
have come from those of this class.
Verses 13, 14. — But it was thou,
&c. — It was not an enemy, but one
who to aU appearance was my friend
and loved me. — A man of my own
class — UteraUy, of my own price,
value, or estimation — that is, one
whom I esteemed, one to appear
ance of a qnaUty or character Uke
my ovpn ; meaning, one who favored
Divine things. — My familiar friend
has reference to good or the wiU ; —
my acquaintance (UteraUy, oneknown)
has reference to tmth or the under
standing. AU these terms are ex
pressive of nearness and conjunction,
as those who are in good and tmth
are said to be near and conjoined to
the Lord.
Verse 14. — We lield sweet converse
together. This refers perhaps to the

264

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LV.

15

16

Desolations shaU come upon them :
They shaU go down Uving into heU :
For evUs are in their habitation, in their midst.

But I wUl caU upon God,
And the LoED will save me.
17 Evening, and morning, and at noon I pray and cry aloud ;
And he wiU hear my voice :
18 He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle that is
against me,
For there are many with me.
19 God wUl hear me, and wUl afflict them.
Even he that abides of old. Selah.
Because they have no changes,
Therefore they fear not God.

formal prayer and communion vrith
God, in which the hypocrites here
referred to were accustomed to en
gage ; while their attention to the
services of public worship is signified
by the words. We walked with ihe
multitude to the house of God (liter
ally, in the house of God, referring
to the temple courts, in which the
Pharisees and others were accus
tomed to walk and converse).
Verse 15. — Desolations shall come
upon them : desolation signifies depri
vation of aU truth (A. fi. 747).—
They shall go down living into hell,
signifies immersion in theU own
evUs, by being deprived of aU exter
nal or apparent good, by which they
deceived. — The term living is here
used in its bad sense, signifying the
life of evU love, which is spiritual
death (see A. C. 304) ; or, perhaps,
living, here, may mean possessed of
some degree of spUitual life, some
good and tmth, yet mixed vrith evils
and falses, thus a state of profanation,
wlUch is the worst of aU states. —
For evils are in their habitation, in
their midst. Habitation sigmfies the

mind, for house in the spiritual sense
has reference to the inner house or
the mind (A. C. 7719) : in their
midst signifies in the inmost prin
ciples of the mind. The meaning is
that theU whole mind is possessed
vrith evdls.
Verse 16. — / will call upon God,
and ihe Lord will save me. God sig
nifies Divine Tmth, which defends
from evU ; while the Lord (or Jeho
vah) signifies Divine Love which
saves by good.
Verse 17. — Evening, and morning,
and at noon, signifies perpetuaUy. —
And he will hear my voice : the Lord
will, ere long, hear and reUeve me.
Verse 18. — Redeem my soul in
peace (or rather, into peace) ; that is,
draw my soul out of a state of com
bat into a state of peace. — For there
are many with me. This refers to
aU the heUs that assaulted the
Lord. In regard to man, "the
whole passage signifies salvation by
conjunction with the Lord, and the
consequent removal of evUs and
falses." Ap. Ex. 365.
Verse 19. — God will hear me, and

LV]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

265

20 He puts forth his hands against those that are at peace with
him:
He violates his covenant.
21 His mouth is smoother than butter,
But war is in his heart :
His words are softer than oU,
Yet they are drawn swords.
22 Cast thy burthen upon the Loed, and he will sustain thee :
He wUl never suffer the righteous to be moved.

will afflict ihem : that is, he vrill hear
my prayer, and cast down my spirit
ual foes. Even he that abides (liter
aUy, dts) of old. The Divine being
is said to sit, because the attitude of
sitting is expressive of fixedness,
permanency, unchangeableness ; in
the spiritual sense, to sit is precU
cated of the essential Ufe, that is, of
the vriU or love. Hence the expres
sion he that sits, has reference to the
Divine love, as the previous term,
God, refers to the Divine truth : of
old signifies from eternity. — Selah :
see note on Psalm iii. 2.
Because they have no changes, there
fore they fear not God. The good
have changes of state : they are
"emptied from vessel to vessel;"
they are now high, now low : they
are tempted and tried, in order that
they may be purified. But the
vricked remain fixed in theU in
herited and acqiUred evUs : they
cling to them, and vriU not give
them up : they are not vrilUng to
submit to the process of regenera
tion : hence they cannot receive the
fear of God and the love of goodness
(see Jeremiah xlvUi. 11).
Verse 20. — Here is a graphic pic
ture of the vricked, briefly drawn.
They put forth their hands against
those at peace unth them ; th ey deUght
in infestincr the good, those who have

given them no offence : and even
when they have made an agreement,
they vriU not keep to it : they violate
their covenant. They have neither
love nor good faith.
Verse 21. — His mouth is smoother
than butter, &c. " This is said of
those who feign good affections, whUe
at the same time they speak falses
by which they seduce. Their mouth
smoother than butter signifies a pre
tence of good affections, butter denot
ing the good of external affections ;
theU words softer than oil has a simi
lar signification, oil denoting the
good of intemal affections : yet they
are drawn swords signifles when not-
vrithstanding they are falses destruc
tive of good and truth." Ap. Ex.
537. Verse 22. — Here is a precious
passage, a most comforting declara
tion, — one of those drops of balm
for the wounded heart, which are
found here ahd there throughout the
Psalms. In all troubles, of what
ever kind, U we caU to mind the
words. Cast thy burthen on the Lord,
and he will sustain thee, and then go
to Him in chikUike trust, remindUig
the Lord, as it were, of his ovsm Di
vine words, and entreat that the
promise may now be fulflUed in our
case, — we shaU flnd, as we thus " pour
out our heart before him," a soothing

266

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LV.

23 But thou, 0 God, wUt bring them down into the pit of
destruction :
Men of blood and deceit shaU not reach half their days.
But I wUl trust in thee.

influence descending upon the spUit,
calming, sustaining, strengthening.
The Lord wUl take our burden off
us, and bear it himseU ; he wiU up
hold and confUm the doubting soul ;
he will " strengthen the weak hands,
and confirm the feeble knees :" he
vrill " say to them of a fearful heart,
Be strong, fear not" (Isaiah xxxv.
3,4). Verse 23. — But thou, 0 God, wilt
bring them down into the pit of destruc
tion. " The pit of destruction signifies
the hell where destructive falses pre
vaU." Ap. Ex. 537. Pits, in the
spUitual sensfe, sigiUfy falses (see
A. C. 4728). God is spoken of as
bringing them dovm, ; but this is ex
pressed according to the appearance :
the vricked, in truth, oast themselves
into heU, for they form in themselves
those evil states of mind which con
stitute hell The term God is nsed as
sigmflcative of Divine tmth, where
by falses are overcome. — Men of hlood
(UteraUy, bloods) and deceit: that is,
those who are iu falses and evUs :
blood signifies Divine truth, but in
the opposite sense, the false (A. R.

379). — Shall not reach half their days
(UteraUy, shall not halve their days).
This is not UteraUy true ; for vricked
people often Uve to be old. But
it is tme spUituaUy : days, in the
spiritual sense, signUy states : their
not reaching half their days, means
that they do not reach those states
of regeneration, truth, goodness,
and happiness, which they might
have attained, and for which man
was intended. Not half means an
exceedingly defective and imperfect
state. That such is the meaning, is
plain from Psalm cii. 24, " I said,
0 God, take me not away in the
haU of my days," which means, " let
me not be removed in an imperfect
state, or tUl my regeneration is ac
compUshed," or, more spirituaUy,
" let me not be overcome by tempta
tions, and so remain in an imperfect
or unregenerate state;" or, as refer
ring to the Lord, it is a prayer that he
nUght not sink under temptations,
and so leave unfinished the work of
his glorification, and of man's re
demption. (See Psalm ciU., Sum
mary of the Internal Sense.)

LVL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

267

PSALM LVL

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

The Lord's temptations in which he has a fixed trust in the
Father, verses 1-4, 10, 11; the malice of the in fernals,^, 6 ; a
'prayer that the Father would help him in his affliction, 1, 8 ; that
He will help, 9, thanksgiving for protection, 12, 13.
To the Leader of the Music : conceming the dumb dove among strangers :
a writing of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.
1 Be gracious to me, 0 God : for man would devour me :
AU day the assaUant oppresses me.
2 All day my enemies pant after me :
For many are those that in their pride assault me.

Title. — Conceming the dumb dove
among strangers. This refers to the
state of the Lord when nndergoiag
temptations. By a dove in the spirit
ual sense, is signifled the good and
tmth of faith (A. C. 870): by
strangers (literally, those far off) sire
signified falses, such as are far off
from and opposed to the truths of
the Church : by the dove being
dumb (literaUy tied or bound as to
the tongue) is signified the good and
tmth of faith under resteaint, hem
med in, fettered, as it were, by the
falses by which it was surrounded.
— It is added, a writing of David,
when the Philistines took him in Gath.
David, represents the Lord : the
Philistines are the strangers before
mentioned that is, such as are in
falses (A. C. 705). The incident in
David's Ufe here referred to, is pro
bably that mentioned in 1 Samuel
XXL 10-15, where David fleeing from
Saul is described as having taken
refuge among the PhUistines, where,

for fear of them, he feigned himself
mad. The strange state he was in,
when thus surrounded by enemies,
is probably pictured in the word
dumb. Verse 1. — For man would devour
me (literally, pants after me, as a
wild beast vrith open mouth pur
suing its prey). Man, in a good
sense, signifles intelUgence and vris
dom, and those who possess it ; but
in the opposite sense, as here, it sig
nifles evil and the false, thus the
infemals. — All day the assailant
oppresses me. All day signifles per
petuaUy, unceasingly : the assailant
denotes in particular such as are in
the false and opposed to truth, —
while man denotes such as are in
evil and opposed to good.
Verse 2. — All day my enemies
pant after me, signifies the perpetual
assaults ot the infemals. — For many
are those that in their pride assault
me. Many, in regard to the Lord
signifies all the hells, by which he

268

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LVL

In the day when I am afraid,
I wiU trust in thee.
In God 1 wUl praise his Word :
In God I put my trust :
IwUl not fear : what can flesh do to me ?

5 ContinuaUy do they vraest my words :
All their thoughts are against me for evil

was perpetuaUy assaUed. — In their
pride — UteraUy loftily, or from a
height : in the world of spirits, as the
New Church Doctrine teaches, those
who are proud or self-conceited
sometimes appear as lifted up on
high. Verse 3. — In the day when I am
afraid, I vrill trust in thee. In the
day means in the state. This is a
precious lesson for the spiritual
man, when temptations assaU, when
evU spUits excite fears and anxieties
when we feel ourselves nearly over
powered, then are we to go to the
Lord, trusting in his Almighty
power : He that made the storm a
calm, can calm the tumult in our
bosoms : He that overcame the
heUs, in his own humanity, can
overcome the same in ours : " Come
unto me," he said, " aU ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I \riU give
you rest."
Verse 4. — In God I will praise
his Word. Commentators and tran
slators differ greatly as to the sense
of this passage, and also as to the
tine mode of rendering it. — The cU-
cumstance of its being twice re
peated afterwards in the tenth verse
would seem to imply its importance,
and yet the meaning is not very clear.
By some, " the word" is thought to
mean the word of promise that God

wiU sustaia those who trust in him ;
but it is perhaps better to take " the
word" in its general sense of Divine
Truth: "I praise God on account of
that Divine Truth which is all-power
ful against the evU." In God means
resting in God, hence it is added.
In God I put my trust : I will not
fear: what can fiesh do tome? Flesh
signifies the evU vriU or carnal pro-
IDrium of man (Ap. Ex. 1082) : hence
it is said, in the parallel passage in
the tenth verse, "I vriU not fear
what man can do to me." The term
flesh here, is used in its most ex
tensive sense, as including the pro-
primn or seUhood, not only of man
upon earth, bnt of infemal spirits
also, who indeed were aU once men.
The meaning is, I wUl not fear what
all evil or aU heU can do to me, for
I am under the Divine protection.
Verse 5. — Continually do they
lorest my words. To wrest one's
words, signifies to twist or distort
what one says into a different sense
from that which was meant. In
the Lord's case, to wrest words, sig
nifies to falsUy Divine truths, to put
such a construction upon the teach
ings of scripture as to give them a
false meaning. The Jews' personal
treatment of the Lord was represen
tative of theU mental treatment of
his Word.

LVL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

269

6 They gather together : they hide themselves :
They note my heels, as they wait for my soul
7 ShaU they escape by their iniquity ?
In thy anger cast down the peoples, 0 God.
8 Thou takest account of my wanderings :
Put thou my tears into thy bottle :
Are they not recorded in thy book ?

Verse 6. — They gather together:
they hide themselves, &c. This des
cribes the cunning devices of infer
nal spirits to ensnare the soul.
These things appear strange to us :
they seem to convey Uttle meaning
to our minds. Yet, as the Doctrines
of the Church teach, such things
are taking place aboutus continually;
infernal spUits are ever thus stri\dng
to ensnare us and draw us down to
perdition : and they would be suc
cessful, but for the watchful provi
dence of the Lord. The Lord saw
aU the machinations of the internals
against him, and he here describes
them : we do not see them, because
our spiritual sight is not open : but
they take place equaUy with us.
(See A. C. 959). — Tliey note my heels.
The heels, being the lowest part of
the body, represent the corporeal or
sensual part of the mind, in which
especially man's evU propensities re
side : these the infemals carefully
KOfs, because through them they tempt
man. (See A. C. 259).
Verse 7. — Shall they escape hy their
iniquity ? &c. When evil spirits are
detected in their machinations, they
seek by cunning artifices to escape
punishment (see A. C. 959). But
they are discovered, and cast down.
— They are caUed here the peoples,
the term people signUying distinc
tively such as are in truths, or, in

the opposite sense, as here, such as
are in falses ; indicating that the
tempters here referred to were par
ticularly of that class. — It is said. In
thy anger, because when, in the Lord's
desUe to protect the good, he permits
the evU to be punished, it seems to
the latter as U he were angry ; and
the letter of Scripture is expressed
according to the appearance.
Verse 8. — Thou takest account of
my wanderings (or fleeings). The
Lord notes all man's trials of spirit,
aU the agitations of his soul, aU his
mental wanderings and tossings when
pursued, as it were, and persecuted
by tempters. — Put thou my tears into
thy bottle. " By a bottle is signified
the mind, which contains tmth or
falsity, as a bottle contains vrine."
Ap. Ex. 376. Thus, thy bottle
would signUy the Divine mind or
memory (so to speak). Put my tears
into thy bottle: that is, note them,
record, regard them. Similar is the
meaning of the words. Are they not
recorded in thy hook ? Every tear ot
distress, every sigh of patient en
durance, every moan of the afiUcted
spirit, is carefully treasured up, as it
were, by the Lord's tenderness, and
noted in the soul's lite-book. And
after death, when man's past lUe is
set in review before him, these trea
sures of affliction vrill, as it were,
be brought out and shown to him,

270

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LVL

9 Then shaU my enemies turn back, in the day when
IcaU:
This I know, for God is for me.
10 In God I wiU praise the Word :
In the Loed I wUl praise the Word.
11 In God I put my trust:
I wUl not fear what man can do to me.
12 Thy vows, 0 God, are upon me :
I wiU render thanks to thee.
13 For thou hast deUvered my soul from death.

and he wiU see the use of every one of
them in perfecting his regeneration.
Verse 9. — Then shall my enemies
turn back, &c. — -for God is for me.
When the Lord is for us, who can be
against us ? All the hells are as
nothing before Him. The only
thing needed is to come into a
state in which we can be receptive
of the Lord's power — in which it
can become active through us.
HumUity opens the heart for this
reception ; and humUity is attained
by confession of sins, by the per
ception of our own evUs, and by not
clinging to but abandoning them.
" If I regard iniquity in my heart,"
says the Psalmist, " the Lord wUl not
hear" (Ixvi. 18). But if we do not
" regard iniquity,'' but give up our
evils, and pray for deliverance from
them, that is the day (or state) when
we call, and then wiU our enemies
be turned back.
Verse 10. — In Ood — m the Lord,
God signifies the Lord as to Divine
Truth, — The Lord (or Jehovah) the
same as to Divine Love. In both
of his Divine characters, we praise
and bless the Lord for sending that
Holy Word, which is " a lamp to our
feet aod a light to our path," which -
reveals to us the truth and conducts

us to love. — I will praise the Word,
see note on verse 4.
Verse 11. — I will not fear what
man can do to me: see note on
verse 4.
Verse 12. — Thy vows, 0 God, are
upon me. Thy vows, God's vows,
means vows made to God, — engage
ments entered into with him, to
serve him and do his wiU. " To vow
a vow denotes, in the internal sense,
to vriU that the Lord may provide;
hence, in the supreme sense, in
which the Lord is treated of, it de
notes a state of providence. The
reason of this signification of vovring
is, that in vows there is a desUe and
affection that what is vriUed may
come to pass, and that the Lord may
provide. Somewhat else of stipula
tion is impUed, and at the same time
somewhat of debt on the part of man
which he engages to discharge, U he
comes to possess the object of his
wish." A. C. 3732.
Verse 13. — Thou hast delivered
my soul from death, " From death
signifies from evils and falses, and
thus from damnation." Ap. Ex.
386. — Yea, my feet from falling. By
the feet are signified the natural
mind (A. C. 3761), for this is the
lowest part of the mind, as the Jeet

LVII.tf

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

271

Yea, my feet from faUing,

That I might walk before God in the light of tUe living.

are the lowest part of the body.
From falling, or, as more UteraUy
translated, from a thrust or a push,
by which one is caused to faU. The
push signifles doubtless influx from
the hells, which, flovring violently
into the natural mind, would cause
man spUitually to faU and perish,
did not the Lord continually pro
tect him from it. — Tliat I might walk
before God in the light of the living.
" To walk before God signifles to walk
in the tmth of faith, which is the

light of ihe living. To walk is a cus
tomary form of speaking signUying
to live." A. C. 519. The term God
signifies distinctively Divine truth ;
hence to walk before God, is to live
according to Divine truth. — The
light of the living. By the living are
signifled those who have spiritual
Ufe, (A. E. 525), that is, who are in
a state of love to the Lord and the
neighbor ; hence, by the light of
the living, is signifled a state of truth
or faith derived from love.

PSALM LVIL
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
A prayer to the Father when in the combats of temptation with
tlie hells, vjhich assault him, verses 1-5 ; their malice against
him, 6; thanksgiving and praise for deliverance, 7-11.
To the Leader of the Music. Destroy not. A writing of David, when he
fied from before Saul into the cave.
1 Be gracious to me, 0 God, be gracious to me !
For in thee my soul trusts :
Under the shadow of thy wings wUl I take refuge,
UntU these troubles are past.

Title. — Destroy not. This phrase
which is found in the titles of this
and the two following Psalms, is
probably a kind of motto, expressive
of the substance of the Psalm, — an
ejaculatory prayer that the infemals
might not be suffered to destroy or
overpower hUn. — A writing of David,
&c. David, here as elsewhere repre
sents the Lord in his humanity.

Saul, persecuting, signifies the falses
of the Jevrish church — of those who
were in such falses (Ap. Ex. 323) ;
and the cave signifies an obscure
state of mind, such as those are in
who are undergoing temptations.
(A. C. 2935).
Verse 1. — The expres.sion" Be
gracious to me (or have pity on me)
— tvrice uttered, shows the earnest-

272

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LVIL

2 I wUl caU upon God, the Most High,
Upon God, who will accomplish his work upon me.
3 He wiU send from heaven and save me :
He wUl put to shame him that would devour me. Selah.
God wiU send his mercy and his truth.
4 My sotd is in the midst of lions :
I lie among the flaming sons of man,
Whose teeth are spears and arrows.
And their tongue a sharp sword.

ness of the prayer, and the grievous
ness of the temptation. — Under ihe
shadow of thy wings. "By wings,
when the term is used in reference
to the Lord, is signified the Divine
spUitual, or Divine truth. Hence
to be covered under the vring of the
Lord, .signifies to be guarded by the
Divine truth. The same is meant
by being hid under the shadow of
the vrings of God, by the chUdren
of men taking shelter under the
shadow of his wings, &c." Ap. Ex.
283. Verse 2. — Upon God, the Most
High. God signifies the Lord as
Divine Truth — the Most High signi
fies the Lord as to Divine Love. (A.
C. 1735.) "Most people have the
idea that God is overhead on liigh.
The reason of this idea is that in
the Word God is called the Most
High, and that he is said to dwell
on high : wherefore they Uft up
theU eyes and hands when they
supplicate and adore, not knowing
that the Most High signifies the Ui-
most." D. L. & W. lOZ.-Who will
accomplish his work upon me : mean
ing that the Divine would glorify
himself in liUn, would glorUy Ms
humanity, and also would accom
plish through liim the work of re

demption and of overcoming the
Powers of hell
Verse 3. — Him that would de
vour me : UteraUy, him who pants
after me, my deadly enemy — that is,
infernal spUits. Selah : see note on
Psalm Ui. 2. His mercy and his
truth ; that is, his lov^e and tmth,
which the Divine would communi
cate to the human, after the temp
tation was overcome, and evU cast
out. Verse 4. — My soul is in the midst
of lions, &c. What a terrific pic
ture is this, and what a view it pre
sents us of the Lord's temptations.
"By lions are signified those who
destroy the truths of the Church by
falses : by the flaming sons of man
are signiiied those who are in the
truths of the Church, who are said
to be flaming [or infiamed] from
the pride of their own intelligence,
whence come falses : whose teeth are
spears and arrows signifies reasonings
from external sensual things, and
thus from the fallacies and falsities
of reUgion by which tmths are des
troyed : teeth signUy the ultimates
of man's life, which are external sen
sual things, in this case reasonings
from them ; and toiigue signifies the
falses of reUgion, wherefore theU

LVIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

273

5 Exalt thyself, 0 God, a,bove the heavens :
Be thy glory over all the earth.
6 They set a net for my steps, they bowed down my soul :
They dug a pit before me, and they have faUen into the midst
of it themselves. Selah.
7 My heart is established, 0 God ; my heart is estabUshed :
I wUl sing and give praise.
8 Awake, my glory ! awake, psaltery and harp !
I wUl awake at the dawn.
9 I wUl confess to thee, 0 Lord, among the nations :
I wiU praise thee among the peoples.

tongue is called a sharp sword, for by
a sword is signified the destruction
of truth by falses." Ap. Ex. 455, 556.
Verse 5. — Exalt thyself, 0 God,
&c. This passage — which we find
repeated in verse 11, and also in
Psalm cviU. 5 — as it is uttered in
the midst of temptations, seems to
be a caU on the Divine to assist (see
Summary of the Intemal Sense of
Psalm cviU.). The call is to God,
because by the term God is signified
distinctively the Divine Tmth, by
which is all power over heU. Ex
alt thyself above the heavens, probably
means, " Let thy Divine influence be
felt upon and through the heavens,
strengthening and sustaining them."
By the heavens, also, are perhaps sig
nifled the Lord's interior humanity,
whUe by the earth is signifled his
exterior humanity, or Divine natural.
Glory signifles the brightness of Di
vine Truth. Be thy glory over all
the earth, in that sense, is a prayer
that the brightness and power of
Divine truth might fill the Lord's
Natural Humanity, and sustain it in
its combat vrith the hells. — In a
secondary sense, by the earth is sig
nified the Church : be thy glory over
all the earth, then, means, Let thy
truth shine npon the Church.

Verse 6. — Tliey set u, net — they
dug a pit. A net signifies evils, and
a pit falses. " A snare, in the spi
ritual sense, signifies enticement and
deception by the delights of the loves
of self and of the world, thus, the
enticement and deception of evUs,
and this by reasonings from the fal
lacies of the senses, which favor
those deUghts : ensnarings and en-
trappings are from no other source.
Such things are signified by a snare,
a gin, and a net." A. C. 9348. —
That a pit signifies falses, see A. C.
4728. And they have fallen into the
midst of it, impUes that those who
seek to lead astray others by falses,
become confirmed in those very falses,
and are thus themselves led astray,
and perish.
Verse 7. — -My heart is established
— that is, confirmed, settled in a
state of goad, after the tossings of
temptation. — I vnll sing and give
praise (literally play) : this is not
mere repetition : the one term has
reference to joy of heart, and the
other to pleasantness of the thought,
with worship and thanksgiving from
both. Verses 7-9. — " By the psaltery is
signified spiritual good or the good
of truth, and by the harp spiritual

^74

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LVIL

10 For thy mercy is great, even to the heavens,
And thy truth to the skies.
11 Exalt thyself, 0 God, above the heavens ;
Be thy glory over aU the earth.

truth or the truth of good ; and con
fession [praise] is offered from each.
Therefore it is said, I will sing and
play. Awake, my glory ! awake, psal
tery and harp ! I unll confess to thee,
0 Lord, am.ong the nations, I will
praise thee among the peoples. Con
fession and glorification from the
good of truth or from spUitual good,
and from the truth of good or from
spiritual tmth, are expressed in the
particulars of this passage. The
good of tmth is expressed by sing
ing, awaking ihe psaltery, and con
fessing to the Lord among the nations :
and the truth of good is expressed
by playing, by awaking the harp, and
by praising him among the peoples:
for by nations, in the Word, are
imderstood those who are in good,
and by peoples those who are in
tmth." Ap. Ex. 323. It is said,
awake, my glory, because glory signi

fies the brightness of spiritual truth :
meaning probably that by thoughts
of spiritual truth we are to arouse
ourselves to a due sense of the Lord's
goodness, whereby we may be Uicited
to offer praise and thanksgiving. —
It is added, I will awake at the dawn
— the dawn signifying a new and
bright state of the mind, which suc
ceeds the darkness of temptation.
Verse 10. — For thy mercy is great,
&c. " In this passage, by mercy is
signified the Divine good of the
Divine love, and by truth is signified
Divine tiuth ; and as Divine truth
is the light of heaven, therefore it is
said. Thy truth is even to the skies
[ethers] ; by which is signified the
Dirine light even to the supreme
heaven, where it is in the highest
degree." Ap. Ex. 541.
Verse 11.— Exalt thyself, &c. See
note on verse 5.

LVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

275

PSALM LVIIL
SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Against those that were then of the Church, who thought evils
against the Lord : that they were in m.ere falses of evil, from which
they would perish, verses 1-9 ; that those who are in good will
come into the Chm-ch, 11, 12.

To the Leader of ihe Music : Destroy not : a Writing of David.
1 Do ye, indeed, speak righteousness, 0 ye mighty ones ?
Do ye judge uprightly, 0 ye sons of man ?
2 Nay, in heart ye do iniquities :
Ye weigh out the violence of your hands in the land.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb :
They go astray from the belly, speaking Ues.

Title. — Destroy not: see note on
the Title of Psalm IvU.
Verse 1. — Ye mighty ones. This
appellation is given to those who are
of the Church, because they possess
a knowledge of the Word ; and
" knowledge is power." (A. fi. 832.)
Ye sons of man : son of man, in the
spiritual sense, signifies inteUigence
from wisdom : for man signifies wis
dom, and son of man the intelligence
thence derived. (Ap. Ex. 507.)
Those of the Church are so caUed,
because they have, or may have,
vrisdom and inteUigence from the
Word. Verse 2. — In heart ye do iniqui
ties, signifies cherishing evU in the
wUl : it is said, in heart ye do, be
cause such cherishing of evU loves
and desires is, in the Lord's sight, as
a deed, for it is a mental act, which
confirms and fixes evil in the cha
racter : evU thoughts and inclina

tions are to be noted and resisted,
as well as evil actions. — Ye weigh
out the violence of your hands in the
land. Ye weigh out, that is, ye pour
out or exercise.
Verse 3. — The wicked are estranged
from the womb, &c. " It is not here
to be UteraUy understood, that ihe
wicked are estranged from the womb,
and that they go astray from the belly,
that is, from bUth, for no one from
bUth is estranged from God and goes
astray. But to be estranged from the
womb signifies to recede from good
to evU from the fUst day that they
are capable of being reformed ; and
to go astray from the belly signifies to
recede in Uke manner from truth to
falses : speaking lies signifies also to
believe falses. It is said that they
recede from the first day in which
they are capable of being reformed,
because the Lord endeavors to re
form aU, whoever they are, beginning

276

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LVIIL

4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent :
They are like the deaf adder which stops its ear,
5 Which wiU not hearken to the voice of charmers
Nor of the wise enchanter.

in chUdhood, and continuing through
the age of adolescence to youth : bnt
those who do not suffer themselves
to be reformed, are here said imme
diately to recede." Ap. Ex. 710. —
When it is said that the wicked are
estranged from the womb, by the womb
is signified, in the spiritual sense,
the new bUth or regeneration (A. C.
4918), thus that they turn to evil
from the earliest age in which their
regeneration might have begun. The
terms womb and belly are both men
tioned, because the former sigmfies
love, and the latter truth (Ap. Ex.
710) : thus, the meaning is, that the
vricked reject both love and truth.
Verse 4. — Tlieir pioison is like the
poison of a serpent. " Serpents in the
Word signUy the sensual man as to
craftiness or subtlety. AU beasts
signUy affections such as belong to
man, and serpents signUy the affec
tions of the sensual man, on account
ot their creeping on the beUy on the
ground, just as the sensual princijile
cf man is in the lowest place, and
as it were creeps upon the ground,
under .all the other principles of the
mind. The poison of serpents signi
fies craft and treachery. The in
femals, also, are crafty and subtle,
because evil .conceals in itseU all
subtlety and malice, as good does
all wisdom and prudence. Hence
it is, that the devil or hell is caUed
a serpent (Apoc. xx. 2). So in the
Psalms (Iviii. 5), " Tlieir poison is like
the poison of a serpent." Ap. Ex. 581.
Verses 5, 6. — They are like the
deaf adder which will not liearken to Hie

voice of charmers, &c. "Enchant
ments [sorceries] were in use among
the ancients, and were performed in
three ways : first by keeping the hear
ing and thus the mind of another
continually intent upon one's words
and sayings, irithout his retaUung
anything from them ; and at the
same time by an aspiration and in
spUation of the thought conjoined
with affection, by means of the breath
in the sound of the voice, so that the
hearer was incapable of thinking any
thing from himseU : in this manner
did falsifiers violently inftise their
falses. Secondly, they infused a per
suasive influence, which was eftected
by detaining the mind from every
thing of a contrary nature, and dUect-
ing the attention exclusively to the
idea of what was said by themselves ;
hence the spUitual sphere of the
speaker's mind dispeUed the spirit
ual sphere of the hearer's, and stifled
it : this was the kind of spiritual
fascination which the magi of old
made use of, and which was caUed a
binding and tying up of the under
standing. The latter Irind of sorcery
pertained only to the spirit orthought,
but the former to the lips or speech
also. A thUd kind of sorcery was
that in which the hearer kept his
mmd so flxed in his own opinion
that he almost shut bis ears agaiust
hearing anything from the speaker ;
which was done by holdUig the
breath, and sometimes by a tacit
muttering, and thus by a continual
negation of his adversary's opinion.
This kind of sorcery was practised by

LVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

271

6 Break their teeth, 0 God, in their mouth :
Break out the teeth of the young Uons, 0 Lord.
7 Let them melt away, Uke waters : let them pass away :
Let him shoot his arrows at them, tUl they be cut off

those who heard others, but the two
former by those who spoke to others.
These three kinds of sorceries pre
vaUed among the ancients, and stUl
prevaU among infemal spirits ; but
with men in the world there remains
only the thUd kind, and this vrith
those who from the pride of theU
own inteUigence have confirmed in
themselves falses of reUgion : these,
when they hear things contrary,
admit them no further into theU
thought than to mere contact. This
Irind of sorcery operates at the pre-
bcnt day, to prevent truths from
1-ieing accepted, and, vrith many, to
theU not being understood. — On the
other hand, enchantment signifies the
rejection of falsity by tmths, which
v/as also effected by tacitly thinking
and murmuring, for a zeal for truth
in opposition to falsehood. This is
plain from the foUowing passage :
' TheU poison is like the poison of
the deaf adder, which stops its ear
that it may not hear the voice of
charmers [mutterers], of the wise
enchanter,' Psalm IviU. 4, 5." A. fi.
462. Thus, by charmers and wise
enchanters, here, are signified, in a
good sense, those who desire to in
fuse truths into the minds of others
and thus to lead them to good :
whUe by the deaf adder are signified
the sensual-minded and wicked, who
are not vrilUng to be instmcted, but
persist in their evU courses. — The
double expressions serpent and adder
signUy respectively those who are
in sensual falses and those who are in
sensual evUs. So, charmers and en

chanters signUy, probably, those wk
teach tmth and those who teach
good. These double phrases con
stantly occur, on account of that
marriage or union of truth and good,
which everywhere pervades the Word.
(For the nature and origin of this
marriage of good and truth in the
Word, see S. S. 80.)
Verse 6. — Break their teeth in their
mouth, &c. " By their teeth in their
mouth are signified the scientifics
from which they produce falsities :
the teeth of tlu young lions signify
the truths of the Word falsified, by
which, especially, they prevail in
destroying the tmths of the Church.
By teeth are properly signified such
things as are only in the memory,
and are thence brought forth, for the
things which are in the memory of
the sensual man correspond to the
bones and teeth. By lions are sig
nified those who by falses destroy
the truths of the Church." Ap. Ex.
556. — It is said, " Break theU teeth,
O God," the term God signUying dis
tinctively Divine truth, and it is
thus impUed that false scientifics are
opposed to Divine tmth : but it is
said, "Break out the teeth of the
young Uons, 0 Lord," implying that
the truths of the word falsified are
opposed to Divine good — for the
term Lord sigmfies Divine good or
love. Verse 7. — Let ihem melt away
like waters. Those who are in falsi
ties from evU, are compared to
waters, because waters in a good sense
signUy tmths, but, in a bad seuse,

278

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LVIII,

8 As a snail that melts, so let them pass away :
Like the abortion of a woman, let them never behold the sun.
9 Before your pots perceive the thorns,
He wiU sweep them away both aUve and burning.
10 The righteous shall be glad, when he sees the vengeance:
He shaU wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

falses. — Let him shoot (UteraUy, bend)
his arrows at them. Him has re
ference to the Divine, who is ad
dressed in the previous verse : such
changes from the second to the third
person are common in the Psalms.
Arrows, Uke all other weapons of
war, signUy, in a good sense, truths
combating falses.
Verse 8. — As a snail, &c. The
wicked are here compared to a black
snail, which creeps on the ground,
dragging itself along in its sUme.
Also to the abortion of a woman.
Eor the vricked are all, so to speak,
human abortions : they are and for
ever remain defective beings, who
have not accomplished the great pur
pose of their existence. Heaven is
the one end for which man is created,
and he who falls short of it does
not attain the purpose of his being :
he is an etemal abortion. They
never behold the Sun of Righteousness,
but are forever removed from the
Ught and warmth and bliss of
heaven. Verse 9. — Before your pots, &o.
This somewhat difficult passage has
been variously translated : the above
seems to be the probable rendering.
Taking the passage in the Uteral
sense, the general idea seems to be
that the vricked, when their time
comes, vriU be taken away in a
moment — even in a shorter time
than it would take to kindle a fUe.
But the passage must also have a

spiritual sense. A pot, when men
tioned in scripture, signifles, in the
intemal sense, the natural mind ; for
pots were used to boU flesh in, and
flesh signifies good, or, in the oppo
site sense, evil : hence, pots signify
the natural principle of the mind as
containing either good or evU (A.
C. 8408). Tliorns signUy falses
derived from evU (A. fi. 439).
Hence the words, Before your pots
perceive the thorns, mean, " Before
your minds perceive the falses that
are in them." He will sweep ihem
away, both alive and burning, that is the
wicked vrill perish in those falses
and evUs. The vricked are supposed
to be addressed in the first part of the
sentence {your pots,) and spoken of
in the second {svjeep them away).
Alive is here used in a bad sense,
meaning in a state of infernal Ufe ;
and burning refers to the fire of evU
passions. It is said. Before your pots
perceive, &c., implying that they
never perceive, that is, that the
wicked never have a perception of
theU own evUs and falses.
Verse 10. — 'Tlie righteous sliall he
glad, &c. In the literal sense, this
seems a terribly revengeful passage,
but it wears a very different appear
ance when the spUitual sense is
understood. A key to the meaning
may be found in Isaiah IxUi. 1^,
where the Lord is describedas "tread
ing down the vricked in his anger and
trampling them in his fury," whUe

LIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

279

12 Then men shaU say. Truly there is a reward for the righteous :
Truly there is a God who is judge in the earth.
" theU blood is sprinkled upon his
garments." This, in the intemal
sense, is a' description of the Lord's
work of redemption, in which he

overcame the powers ot hell, and
cast them down. TheU blood sprin
kled upon his garments, signifies
theU falsification of the Word ; for
the Lord's garments signUy the
truths of the Word, and blood, in a
bad sense, signifies falses. It is
added, "Eor the day of vengeance
is in my heart, and the year of my
redeemed is come ;" vengeance sig
nifying the casting down of the
vricked, for the sake of delivering
the good from theU power. So here
the righteous are said to be glad at
seeing the vengeance of the Lord,
meaning merely theU rejoicing at
theU own deUverance and redemp
tion ; and their washing their feet
in the blood of the wicked, signifies the
new strength they have from the
Lord to overcome the tempters that

assail them, and to tread down be
neath them, as it were, the falses
{blood) by which the wicked would
seduce them and lead them astray.
By the feet are signified the lowest
or natural principles of the mind
(A. C. 2162). By blood, Ui a good
sense, is signified Divine Truth, but
in the opposite sense, truth falsified
or falsity (A. fi. 379). Hence, by
the righteous washing their feet in
the blood of the wicked, is signified
that, the righteous shaU have their
natural minds purifiedby overcomiug
thefalses which the vricked iasinuate:
for the effect of temptation, when
not yielded to but overcome, is puri
fication. Verse 12. — Then men shall say,
&c. Then vriU all perceive that
strict justice wiU be done in the
end ; that the suffering good wUl
have theU fiUl reward ; and that
the prosperous vricked vriU be pun
ished.

PSALM LIX.

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

A prayer to the Father concerning those who were then of the
Church, that they wished to destroy and kill him, when yet he was
innocent, verses 1-6; that from falses they fight against truths, 1 ;
his trust in the Father, 8-10 ; he prays for them, 11 ; that they
destroy themselves, 12, 13 ; hy their malice, 14, 15 ; his trust that
he would have help, 16, 17.
To the Leader of the Music : Destroy not : a Writing of David, when
Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.
Title. — Destroy not : see note on Saul sent, and they watched the house
the • title of Psalm Ivii — WTien to kill Ivirni. The incident here re-

280

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LIX.

1 DeUver me from my enemies, 0 my God :
Set me on high from those that rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from the doers of iniquity,
And save me from men of blood.

3 For behold, they lay wait for my soul :
The mighty gather themselves together against me :
ISTot for my transgression, not for my sin, 0 Loed.
4 Without fault of mine, they run and prepare themselves :
Awake to my help, and behold.

ferred to, is related in I Samuel
xix. 11 and foUowing verses. In
the spUitual sense, by David,
here as elsewhere, is signified' the
Lord. Saul represents the falses of
the Jewish Church : for a king, in a
good sense, signifies Divine truth,
but, in the opposite sense, the false.
Saul's persecution of David repre
sented the hostility of the corrupted
Jewish Church to the Divine Truth
of the Word, and Saul's seeking to
kiU David signifies the deadly hat
red of the Jews both to the Divine
Tmth of the Word, and personally
to the Lord himseU, who was the
Word incarnate.
Verse 1. — Deliver me from my
e-nemies. By the enemies here men
tioned are signified both the Jews
who persecuted the Lord outwardly,
and also the infemals who tempted
liim within. In reference to the
man of the Church, by enemies are
signified the spUitual foes who are
striving to destroy his soul, from
whom we aU need to pray to be
delivered. Verse 2. — The doers of iniquity
sigmfy those who are in evils, and
men of blood (literally, bloods) sig
nUy those who are in falses ; for
blood in a good sense signifies Divine

Tmth, but in the opposite sense
truth falsified. (A. C. 9127.)
Verse 3. — The mighty signify
such as are proud of their erudition
and seU-derived intelUgence, such
as seem to them.selves intellectuaUy
strong (A. fi. 832) : also such as are
in faith separate from charity (A. C.
1175) : all such as are interiorly
opposed to Divine Truth. These are
such as are opposite to the spiritual.
While those that lay wait for the soul
signUy such as are opposite to the
celestial, such infemals as are distin
guished for malice and cunning. —
Not for my transgression, not for my
sin. This teaches that the Lord had
no actual sin : as he himseU said,
"Which of you convicteth me of
sin?" (John viii. 46). It was only
through his hereditary infirmities
derived from the mother that the
internals could tempt him. — Trans
gression — sin. Transgression signi
fies something done contrary to truth,
that is, in violation of some law of
order : but sin signifies what is done
in opposition to good and love, thus
from maUce. (A. C. 9156).
Verse 4. — They run and prepare
themselves : that is, the tempters has
ten to combine theU forces to assault
him. Without fault of mine, -that

LIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

281

And thou, 0 Loed God of hosts, God of Israel, awake to
visit aU the nations :
Spare not any who are treacherous in iniquity. Selah.
They return at evening ;
They growl like a dog :
And go round about the city.

is, he has done nothing to stU them
up. But they assail hun from pure
maUce. — Awake to my help (Uterally,
Awake to meet me). In time of temp
tation the Lord seems to be absent
from us, and not to observe our dis
tress, — to be, as it were, asleep — as
Jesus, in the storm, is described as
having been " asleep in the hinder
part of the ship " (Mark iv. 38). But
it is only an appearance : the Lord
neither slumber nor sleeps (Psalm
cxxi. 4) : he is always ready to come
to our help when we caU upon him.
Verse 5. — Awake to vidt the na
tions. By the term nations, in a bad
sense, are signified those who are in
evUs (A. fi. 147). — Spare not any
who are treacherous in their iniquity :
the treacherous in iniquity are that
class of infemals who are the worst
of all, being not only maUcious, but
cunning. Spare ihem not means
" cast them down," deUver us from
theU insidious power. — The repeti
tion of the Divine names, Lord God
of hosts, Ood of Israel, expresses the
earnestness ofthe appeal At the same
time, the titles are distinctly signifi
cative. Lord, or Jehovah, signifles
the Lord as to Divine Love. — God
of hosts: "A host [or army] denotes
truths Divine ; for this reason, and
also because the Lord alone fights
for man against the heUs which are
in the continual effort to assault him,
the Lord in the Word is so often
caUed Jehovah Sabaoth, God Saba-
oth, that is God of armies (or hos'is).

A. C. 3448.— Goi of Israel: Israel
signifies the spiritual man or spUit
ual good (A. C. 5595) : hence the
God of Israel signifies the God of the
spiritual man, the God who gives
spiritual good, which is the reward
of victory in temptation (see Genesis
XXXU. 28). — Selah : see note on
Psalm iii. 2.
Verse 6. — They return at evening.
Evening signifies a dark or clouded
state of the mind, in which man's
proprium or seUhood is active (A.
C. 22) : this is the time which temp
ters seize for their assaults. They
growl like a dog. " By dogs, in gene
ral, are signified those who indulge
in aU kinds of concupiscences, par
ticularly in pleasures merely bodUy,
and especially in the pleasure of
feasting, in which they delight :
such, inasmuch as they are of gross
minds, make no account of things
that relate to the Church. Dogs
have this signification in many pas
sages of the Word, as for instance in
Psalm Ux. 6, 14." Ap. Ex. 1355.
The tempters are said to growl .(or
howl) like a dog, because the sounds
emitted by animals are e.xpressive
of their loves or lusts : thus, growling
like a dog is expressive of lusts in
activity and longing to be gratified.
And go round ahout the city. By a
city, in the spiritual sense, is signified
doctrine (A. B. 194). By their
going round ahout the city, seems to
be meant the effort of tempters to
seduce man by assaulting his doc-

282

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LIX.

7 Behold, they burst out with their mouths :
Swords are in their lips :
For who, say they, will hear ?
8 But thou, 0 Loed, wUt laugh at them :
Thou wilt hold all the nq,tions in derision.
9 0 my Strength, to thee wiU I hold fast :
For God is my defence.
10 The God who is merciful to me, wUl help me :
God wiU give me to see the discomfiture of my enemies.
11 Slay them not, lest my people forget :
Scatter them by thy might, and cast them down, 0 Lord,
our shield.

trines, that is, his principles : for it
is these that sustain the mind, and
when these are overcome, man can
be easUy led astray. But the " Lord
keeps the city" (Psalm cxxvU. 1)
vrith those who look to him.
Verse 7. — Swords are in their
lips. " By a sword is signifled truth
combating against the false ; or, in
the opposite sense (as here), falsity
combating against truth." Ap. Ex.
131. — Bursting (or gushing) out with
their mouths, while in the letter it
refers to a flood of words, yet, in the
spiritual sense, speaking of tempters
means a flood of false thoughts insin
uated into the mind : for the mouth,
as. the organ for the expression of
thought, signifles in the spiritual
sense, thought itseU. — For who say,
they will hear. All the wicked are
interiorly atheists ; the idea of God
is blotted from their minds : hence
they do not believe in the existence
of any Divine Power observing them,
and able to defeat tlieU machina
tion. Verse 8. — Wilt laugh at tliem,&Q,.
By the nations, here, are signified

the wicked (A. fi. 147). Tlie Lord's
laughing at them and holding them in
derision is simply a strong expression
to convey the idea of the utter im
potence of the vricked before the
Divine (see note on Psalm U. 4).
Verse 9. — 0 my Strength : that is,
O Lord, who art my strength.
Verse 10. — Will help me: Ute
rally will anticipate me, that is, wUl
anticipate my vrishes, wiU be ready
vrith assistance. — Will give me to see
the discomfiture of my enemies. Ene
mies (literally, those that lie in wait
for me) here, mean spiritual foes,
those who wait to destroy the soul.
Verse 11. — Slay them not, lest my
people forget. The meaning seems to
be, that tempters are not to be en
tirely destroyed, for they perform a
certain use. They stir up man's hid
den evUs, and thus exhibit to him
his tme nature, and so keep him
humble. Were it not for this, even
the good might forget that they are,
of themselves, nothiag but evU, and
inight ascribe good to themselves,
and so be filled with pride. Yet,
when the power of the tempters be-

LIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

283

12 For the sin of their mouth, for the word of their Ups,
Let them be taken in theU pride ;
And /or the curses and Ues which they utter.
13 In wrath put an end, put an end to them;
And let them not be :
And let them know that God rules in Jacob,
To the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 For at evening they return :
They growl lUie a dog,
And go round about the city.
15 They wander about for food :
If they be not satisfied, they remain aU night.

comes too great, so that we are in
danger of falUng, we may well pray
to the Lord to scatter them, and cast
them doum.
Verse 12. — The dn of their mouth,
the word of thdr lips, signifies the
evUs and falses which they speak
and think. — Let them be taken (or
they shall he taken) in their pride,
signifies that theU own eril vriU be
their punishment.
Verse 13. — Put an end to them:
this does not mean to destioy them,
for it is expressly said in verse 11,
" Slay them not, lest my people for
get ;" but it means " put an end to
theU influence over us, cause them
to pass away, remove them : let them
not be, as to us : let their presence no
more be felt. This is the case when
tempters are overcome, and the evUs
which they stirred np are removed
to the circumference of the mind. —
The words, in wrath, are expressed,
in accordance vrith the appearance
to the vricked : when the Lord in
his mercy, and to protect the good,
casts down the evU, he appears to
them to be acting in wrath, — And
let them know that God rules in Jacob,
to Hie ends of ihe earth. By Jacob, as

by Israel, is signified the Church ;
but by Jacob, are signified in parti
cular, those of the Church, who are
spUitual-natural, that is, the lowest
class of the regenerate. (Ap. Ex.
405.) It was to save such, especially,
that Jehovah put on the Divine
Humanity, that is, the Divine Na
tural principle, for only through such
a medium could they be reached in
theU low state. But now the Lord,
having overcome the hells, and put
on the Divine Natural, can rule and
keep in order every degree of the
mind, even to the very lowest, —
which is meant by the words even
to the ends of the earth {earth here
signUying the natural mind), and
can save all who look to Him and
are in any degree of good. — Selah:
see note on Psalm iii 2.
Verse 14. — For at evening ihey
return, &c. See the note on verse 6.
Verse 15. — They wander about for
food, &c. As it was the Lord's meat
to do the vriU of him that sent him
(John iv. 34), so is it the meat and
drink of the infemals to do evU :
this is the delight and nourishment
of theU lives (A. C. 680).— 1/ they he
not satisfied, ihey remain all night :

284 NOTES ON THE PSALMS. [LX.
16 But in the morning I wiU sing of thy might,
And shout for joy at thy mercy :
For thou wast my defence,
A refuge in the day of my distress.
17 0 my Strength, to thee wiU I sing;
For God is my defence, a God who is merciful to me.
If the tempters effect their object fies the bright state that succeeds
and conquer, then the man has a the temptation (Ap. Ex. 179). — Itis
seenUng peace : that is, they no said, " / will sing of thy might and
longer worry their victim, because shout for joy at thy mercy," because
they have secured him. But U they after the temptation is past, and the
are resisted, then they remain about evil spirits have been put to flight,
the man and persist in their attempts the truly spiritual man claims no
npon him all night, that is, as long merit to himseU, but gives aU the
as the dark and cloudy state con- glory to the Lord ; for though man
tinues over his mind. But U the must, indeed, strive as of himself, in
man holds out flrmly against them, order to become recipient of the
by and by a change comes ; the Ught Lord's power, yet he knows that aU
of a new and brighter day is let in the abiUty to resist and overcome is
npon his soul, and the tempters flee of the Lord alone, and is communi-
like birds of night at the rising of cated every instant from Him. Ln-
the sun. This change of state is less man acknowledge this, he has
described in the next verse. not truly conquered (see A. C. 2273).
Verse 16. — In the morning signi-

PSALM LX.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
A lamentation of the Lord that he is forsaken, together with
the Church, verses 1-3 ; confidence concerning deliverance, 4, 5 ;
that an internal and externcd Churcli would be instituted : in the
supreme sense, concerning the Lord's human, that it would be made
Divine, 6-9 ; from his own power, 10 ; and from his Divine, 11,
12. To the Leader of the Music : upon the lily of testimony : a writing of
David, for instruction : when he strove vrith Aram-Naharaim, and Aram-
Zobah, and Joab returned, and smote Edom in the valley of salt, twelve
thousand. Title.— The title of this Psalm a knowledge of the internal sense
has been a puzzle to commentators : wUl perhaps throw some Ught upon

LX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

285

1 0 God, thou hast cast us off : thou hast broken us down :
Thou hast been angry with us. 0 turn to us again.
2 Thou hast caused the earth to quake, and rent it asunder :
0 repair its breaches : for it is shaken.
3 Thou hast shown thy people hard things :
Thou hast caused us to drink wine of intoxication.

it. — Upon the lily of testimony: this
has been supposed to refer to some
musical instrmuent resembling a lUy
in form ; but why it is called the
lUy of testimony has been a mystery.
By the lily, in the spiritual sense, is
signified the first state of regenera
tion (Ap. Ex. 638 : see note on title
of Psalm xiv.). Now regeneration
commences from truth ; testimony
(that is, the law, the Word) signifies
Divine tmth : hence, the lily of testi
mony signifies regeneration commen
cing from Divine tmth. And it is
appUed to this Psalm, because a por
tion of it treats of the regeneration
of the Church, and, in the supreme
sense, of the glorification of the Lord
(see Summary of the Intemal Sense,
verses 6-9). — A writing of David,
when he strove with Aram-Naharaim
and Aram-Zobah. See 2 Samuel,
chaps. viU. and x. David signifies
the Lord, Aram-Naharaim (that is,
Syria of the rivers) is Mesopotamia,
and Aram-zobah is Syria proper,
the country about Damascus. Now
Syria, in general, signifies know
ledges : Syria proper (Aram-Zobah),
the knowledges of good ; and Syria
of Rivers (Aram-Naharaim) the
knowledges of truth (A. C. 3672).
In this case, the term Syria must be
used in a bad sense, signUying know
ledges perverted, that is, tumed to
evil use and so falsified (A. C. 1232),
for it is said that David strove vrith
them, signUying that the Lord com
bated such perverted knowledges. —

And Joah returned and smote Edom
in the valley of salt, twelve thousand.
Joab, as a leader, signifies Divine
Truth from the Lord combating.
Edom signifies the evU of seU-love
(A. C. 3322), and twelve thousand aU
who are in that evU ; valley of salt a
state of vastation or destruction of
aU truth and good (A. C. 2455).
Joab, smiting these, signifies the
Lord by the power of Divine Truth
overcoming the hells of such as are
in evils from self-love.
Verse 1. — Thou hast cast us off,
&c. The Lord is here said to cast
off, to break down, to be angry, &c.
But the Lord does none of these
things, for He is Infinite Love and
Goodness, and unchangeable. But
when the Church is in a faUen state,
and men are miserable in conse
quence, they charge it upon the Di
vine Being ; and the letter of Scrip
ture is expressed in a manner to
accord with this appearance : bnt
the real tmth is, that man's own
evil brings these miseries upon him.
Verse 2. — Tliou hast caused the
earth to quake, &c. By the earth is
signified the Church. By its quak
ing, being rent, and shaken, is signi-
fien the decline of the Church, and
thence a perversion of truth and in
flux of falses, which, as it were, tear
the Church in pieces (Ap. Ex. 400).
Verse 3. — Thou hast shouni thy
people hard things. Thy people signi
fles the members of the Church, when
in its faUen state. Hard things, that

286

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LX.

4 Thou givest to those that fear thee
A standard to be Ufted because of the truth. Selah.
5 To the end that thy beloved may be deUvered :
Save with thy right hand and answer us.
6 God hath spoken in his hoUness :
I will rejoice : I wUl apportion Shechem,
And mete out the valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead shaU be mine, and Manasseh shaU be mine ;
Ephraim, also, shall be the strength of my head :
Judah shaU be my lawgiver :

is, evils, miseries. — Thou hast caused
us to drink wine of intoxication (li
teraUy, wine of reeling). Wine of
intoxication signifles disturbing fal
ses. Wine, in a good sense, signi
fles spiritual truth ; in which sense
it is used in Psalm civ. 15, " Wine
that gladdens man's heart." But, in
a bad sense, it signifles destructive
falsities, by which the Church is
corrupted, and through which the
men of the Church become mentaUy
intoxicated, having their ideas of
truth and good confused, and, as the
Scripture says, " staggering in judg
ment." That such is the signiflca-
tion of vrine, is plain from the fol
lowing passage in Isaiah ('xxviU. 7) :
"The priest and the prophet err
through strong drink, they are swal
lowed up of wine, they are out of
the way through strong drink : they
err in vision, they stagger in judg
ment." (A. C. 6377.)
Verse 4. — A standard. " By a
standard, in the Word, is signified a
calling together for war ; and since
it is here said that Jehovah makes
the war, by a standard is also signi
fied protection from Him." A. C.
8624. Thus, then, by the Lord's
giving a standard to those that fear
him, is signified protection in spi
ritual combat. It is added because
of the truth (or by mea,ns of the truth).

because truth is the weapon with
which spiritual war is waged. — Se
lah : see note on Psalm ui. 2.
Verse 5. — Tliy beloved : that is,
the good. — With thy right hand.
The right hand signifies power,
and, in the supreme sense, omnipo
tence. Verse 6. — In his holiness : that is,
from his Divine truth : holy is pre
dicated of truth (A. B. 666).— ae-
chem. " Sliechem is the first station,
as it were, in the land of Canaan, in
coming from Syria or Haran ; and
as by the land of Canaan are signi
fled the celestial things of love, by
Shechem is signified the first appear
ing of things celestial." A. C. 1441.
— Succoth. " Succoth signifies the
holy of truth : for the term Succoth
signifies tents, and tents signify the
holy principle of truth." A. C. 4392.
Thus, then, to apportion Sliechem,
and mete out the valley of Succoth, is
to dispense good and truth to the
Church, or to establish a Church in
which there shall be good and tmth.
(See Summary of the Intemal Sense.)
Hence it is said, I wUl rejoice, because
it is the Divine joy of the Lord to see
his good and truth received among
men, for thus theU salvation wUl be
secured. Verse 7. — Gilead shall he mine,
and Manasseh, &c. "Ephraim sig-

LX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

287

8 Moab shaU be my wash-pot :
Over Edom wUl I cast my shoe ;
Over PhiUstia wiU I rejoice.

nifies the understanding of truth,
and Manasseh the vrill of good, both
in the natural man. By Manasseh,
here, is signified the good of the
Church, and by Ephraim its truth,
and by Gilead, the natural principle ;
and as truth from natural good has
Divine power, therefore it is said,
Ephraim is the strength of my head.
The reason why Divine power is by
truth from -good in the natural prin
ciple, is because the natural is the
ultimate into which things interior
which are spiritual and celestial fiow,
and in which they exist and subsist
together, and consequently are in
theU f olness, in and from which is
all Divine operation. Hence it is
that the Uteral sense of the word,
because it is natural, has it in Divine
power. From these considerations
it may be seen whence it is that
Ephraim is caUed the strength of the
head of Jehovah. [Plead signifies
Divine wisdom, which is in its ful
ness and power in natural tmth,
Ephraim.] The reason why Judah
is caUed his lawgiver, is because by
Judah is signified Divine Tmth in
temal, or the word in its spUitual
sense, and the same is signified by
the law and lawgiver." Ap. Ex.
440. — "Judah a lawgiver, denotes
celestial good and its celestial tmth."
A. C. 6372.
Verse 8. — Moab shall be my wash-
pot. Moab signifies such as are in
natural good but yet are easily
seduced into falses : washpot de
notes good defUed with falses." A. C.
2468. — Over Edom will I east my
shoe." Edom and Moab both signUy

those who are in good, and hence in
many passages they are named to
gether ; but the difference between
them is, that Edom is the good of
the natural principle, to which are
adjoined the doctrinals of truth,
whereas Moab is natural good, such
as is with those to whom the doctri
nals of truth are not adjoined."
A. C. 3322.— S7ioe. "The sole of
the foot and the heel signify the
ultimate natural principle : the shoe
being that which clothes the sole of
the foot and the heel, signifies a
natural stiU more remote, thus the
corporeal principle itself. That a
shoe signifies an unclean na
tural and corporeal principle itself
appears also in David : Moab shall
be my washpot : over Edom will I cast
my shoe." A. C. 1148.— Over PhiUs
tia will I rejoice. PhiUstia and the
Philistines, in a bad sense, signify
faith vrithout charity ; but in a good
sense, PhiUstia signifies the know
ledge of the interior truths of faith.
A. C. 9340.
By the proper names above men
tioned, appear to be denoted various
affections and principles of good and
truth, which constitute the Church
from highest to lowest : Judah sig
nUying celestial good and truth, and
the interior tmths of the Word,
whUe Gilead, Manasseh, and Eph
raim signUy the natural principle
with its good and truth ; and Moab
and Edom such as are in natural
good, but in some degree defiled by
falses and evUs ; wliUe PhiUstia de
notes the spiritual principle iu the
interior knowledges of faith. Over

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LX.

9 Who wUl bring me to the fortified city ?
Who wUl lead me to Edom ?
10 WUt not thou, 0 God ?
Who hast cast us off.
And hast not gone forth with our armies.
11 Give us help against the enemy:
For vain is the help of man.

all these the Lord rejoices, and they
are his, because he rejoices to see
men possessed of any degree of good
and truth, and thus salvable.
Verse 9. — 'Wlio will bring me —
who will lead me, &o. This is a He
brew way of speaking, for " O that I
were brought I — 0 that I were led ! "
— an expression of longing. By the
fortified city, and by Edom, are signi
fled those who are in natural tiaith
and natural good, and in tbe supreme
sense, the Divine Natural itself
This passage seems to be an expres
sion of longing or strong desire on
the part of the Divine (who is Love
itself) for the time to come when He
could put on the humanity and so
effect the redemption and salvation
of man. (That this is, in fact, the
meaning, see the SummMry of the In
ternal Sense above.) The fortified
city and Edom signify, in the su
preme sense, the Divine Natural as
to truth and to good, which the Lord
would put on, by assuming the hu
manity and glorifying it ; and in a
secondary sense, the fortified city and
Edom signUy those in the Churcli
who were merely in natural truth
and good, whom the Lord through
the assumed Humanity coiUd reach
and save. The Lord wishes to be
brought to them, in order to effect
tlieU salvation. The sentiment ex
pressed in this passage seems to be
akin to that in Luke xU. 50, " I have

a baptism to be baptized vrith, and
now am I straitened tUl it be accom
pUshed ! " Baptism here signifles
gloriflcation : the Lord longed to
complete the gloriflcation of his hu
manity, that thereby he might have
a Divine medium through which he
could reach and save the lowest of
mankind who were wUUng to be
saved. Verse 10.— Wilt not thou, 0 God ?
who hast cast us off, and hast not gone
forth unth our armies. Us, here,
means the Church, in its fallen state :
this abject condition is described in
the words, who hast cast us off. The
Lord in truth never casts off any,
for he is Love itseU ; but when men
through sin separate themselves from
him, and fall into suffering, it seems
to them as U God had cast them off.
— And hast not gone forth with our
armies. By armies, in the spiritual
sense, are signified the tmths with
which man fights against his spirit
ual foes : but when the truths of
the Church have become perverted
into falses, then there is no Divine
power in them — the Lord cannot be
vrith them ; and hence the man of
the Church faUs in temptation : this
is meant by the words, hast not gone
forth with our armies. — Wilt not thou,
0 God, means, WUt not thou, the
Divine, assume the human, so as to
become our Redeemer ?
Verses 11, 12.— Give us help

LXL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

289

12 In God shall we do mightUy,
And he wUl tread down our enemies.

against ihe enemy. By the enemy,
here, is meant the spUitual enemy —
tempters. — For vain is the help of
man. This signifies that man's pro
fession — man's own wiU and under
standing, are powerless against the
hells. — In God shall we do mightily.

But when man looks to the Lord for
help and trusts in Him, and then
strives as of himself, he is enabled
to do mightily, and to conquer. — And
he will tread down our enemies ; for
the Lord is aU-powerful, and the
heUs are as nothing before him.

PSALM LXL

SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Celebration of the Father by the Lord for his help, verses 1-5 ;
and for union, 6-8.
To the Leader of ihe Music : on the stringed instruments : a Psalm of David.
1 Hear my cry, 0 God :
Attend to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth wUl I cry to thee,
When my heart is overwhelmed :
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For thou art a refuge for me,
A strong tower against the enemy.

Title. — On the Stringed Instru
ments : see note on the title of Psalm
iv. Verse 2. — From the end of the
earth. By the earth, in the spiritual
sense, is signified the external or
natiiral mind, as by heaven is signi
fied the interior or spiritual mind.
(A. C. 1733.) By the end of the earth
is signified the very borders of the
natural mind, — that is, a state far
thest removed from light and love,
for these are brightest in the centre
(see A. C. 2936). Thus the expres
sion from the end of the earth, is
descriptive of a state of deep temp

tation, when the mind seems far re
moved from heavenly and Divine
things. — Lead me to the Rock, &c.
" By the Rock is denoted the Lord
as to the truth of faith ; because by
a rock is meant a bulwark against
falses, which bulwark is the truth
of faith, for from this is waged the
combat both against falses and evUs."
A. C. 8581. It is said, higher than
I (or high above me), because in a
low state of temptation, when the
mind is sunk amongst falses and
evUs, the state of firm faith, signified
by the rock, seems far out of its reach.
Verse 3. — Against the enemy : by

290

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXL

4 I wUl dweU in thy tabernacle forever :
I wUl take shelter under the covert of thy wings. Selah.
5 For thou, 0 God, hast heard my vows :
Thou hast given me possession of those that fear thy name.
6 Thou wUt add days to the days of the king :
His years shaU be from generation to generation.
7 He shaU abide before God forever :
0 prepare mercy and truth which may preserve him.
8 So wiU I praise thy name forever,
By daUy performing my vows.

the enemy are meant spUitual ene-
nues, the assaulters of the soul.
Verse 4. — " To dwell in thy taber
nacle forever signifies to be in the
Divine Good of love ; to take shelter
under the covert of thy wings, signifies
to be in Divine truth ; for the wings
of Jehovah signUy spiritual tmths."
Ap. Ex. 799. — Selah: see note on
Psalm Ui. 2.
Verse 5. — My vows : that is, " my
prayers :" the term vows is here used
in the sense of prayers, for a vow
was commonly made in connection
vrith a prayer ; that is, a vow to do
something, U the prayer was an
swered, — as with Jacob's vow, Gen.
xxviU. 20, 21. — Tliou hast given me
possession of those that fear thy name,
(or, thou hast given me as a posses
sion those that fear thy nam,e). This
is an expression of thankfulness and
rejoicing, from the Lord to the Fa
ther, that is, from the Human to
the Divine, that aU the good would
be saved through his instrumen
tality. Verse 6. — " Years, when they are
spoken of in relation to the Lord's
kingdom in heaven, signUy what is
eternal ; as in David, " 0 God, thy
years are for generation and genera
tion" (Psalm cU. 24) ; again : Tliou
wilt add days to the days of the King,

his years from generation to genera
tion (Psalm Ixi. 6), where years de
note what is etemal, for the Lord
and his kingdom are there treated
of" A. C. 2906.— Dctj^s, here, pro
bably denote states of good, (A. 0.
38) and years states of truth. By
the king is signified the Lord as to
Divine Truth.
Verse 7. — He shall abide (literaUy,
shall sit) before God forever : that is,
the human shall be glorified, and be
eternally united to the Divine. — 0
prepare mercy and truth which may
preserve him. — Mercy and truth, or
Divine love and Divine tmth, were
the instruments or means by which
the Human was glorified and per
fected, which is here meant by pre
serving him.
Verse 8. — By daily performing my
vows. The truest praise to the Lord
is to do his vrill ; " Herein," says the
Lord, " is my Father glorified, that
ye bear much fruit" (John xv. 8).
Daily means perpetuaUy ; and to
perform vows is to keep good resolu
tions, and obey the Divine com
mandments.' — In the Lord's case,
daily to perform his vows, is to be
eternally one vrith the Divine, and
tlirough the Human forever to mani
fest and exercise Divine love and
truth.

LXIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

291

PSALM LXIL

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

A confession that the Divine alone hots power, and that all help
is from him, verses 1, 2, 5-8, 11, 12 ; that the machinations of
the evil are of no avail against the Divine, 3, 4, 9, 10.
To the Leader of the Music : for Jeduthun : a PsaUn of David.
1 Truly my soul rests upon God :
From him is my salvation.
2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation, my refuge :
I shaU not be greatly moved.
3 How long wUl ye assault a man ?
Ye would aU dash him in pieces,
like a leaning waU or a tottering fence.
4 Truly they consult to cast him down from his elevation :

Title. — For Jeduthun. See note
on the title of Psalm xxxix.
Verses 1, 2. — The opening verses
of this PsaUn, and also those from
the fifth to the eighth, are sweet and
soothing ; they should be fixed in
the memory, for they wUl afford
coinfort in time of temptation and
distress. — My rock and my salvation.
The Lord is caUed a rock, in his
character of Divine Truth, and sal
vation or Saviour, in his character of
Divine Good or Love. The term
refuge (hteiaRj height) is also descrip
tive of the elevating and sustaining
power of Divine tmth and good. —
I sliall not be greatly moved : that is, I
shaU not be overcome by the powers
of evU : the Lord vriU not permit me
to be tempted beyond what vriU be
for my good.
Verse 3. — How long will ye assault
a man. This adcUess is made to

tempters, infernal spUits : it is a
sudden and indignant apostrophe
such as one under the excitement of
pressiug temptation is apt to utter. — ¦
A man. The Hebrew vvord is ish,
or man masouUne, which, in the ab
stract sense, signifies the inteUectual
man, or the understanding. This
shews that the temptation is a spiri
tual one, an assault upon the under
standing by falses. (The same ap
pears also from the verse foUovring,

" they delight in

in " false

hood"). — The man thus assaulted,
is compared to a leaning wall or a
tottering fence, because a wall signi
fies Divine truth protecting and de
fending ; but a leaning or tottering
wall is descriptive of truth shaken
or wavering in the mind, as is the
case when subtle falses are injected
in temptation.
Verse 4. — Tliey consult to cast him

292

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXII.

They delight in lies :
They bless with their mouth, but inwardly they curse.
5 Truly, my soul, rest thou upon God :
For from him is my expectation.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation, my refuge :
I shall not be moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory :
The rock of my strength, my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times, ye people :
Pour out your heart before him :
God is a refuge for us. Selah.
9 Truly the sons of man are vanity :
The sons of man are a Ue :
They mount up in the balance ;
They are aU together lighter than vanity.

Selah.

down from his elevation. Here a
change is made to the thUd person,
they; the tempters are spoken of,
instead of to ; the transition is from
excited apostrophe to meditation.
Him refers to ish or the man, that
is, the intellectual principle, or un
derstanding, which they vrish to
draw down from its elevated state of
light or truth. — Tliey bless with their
mouth, but inwardly (or, in their
midst) they curse : that is, they pro
fess to reverence tmth, but interiorly
they are opposed to and hate it. It
seems to be both evU spUits and evil
men of a hypocritical character, that
are here referred to. — Selah : see note
on Psalm iu. 2.
Verse 5. — Upon God. The term
God is here used distinctively, instead
of Lord or Jehovah, because the
temptation is caused by the assault
of falses upon truths, and God signi
fies Divine Truth which is looked to
for support.
Verse 7. — My salvation and my

glory. Salvation has reference to
good, and glory to truth : a state of
good or love is itseU salvation and
heaven. Verse 8. — Trust in him at all
times, &c. This is one of the most
precious passages in the Psalms. We
are here assured, that in all states of
mind, and imder aU cUcumstances
of Ufe, we have One to go to, who
wiU sustain and comfort us ; One,
who knows and understands all our
troubles, and who has aU power to
support us under them : who, if we
vAdll bnt open our hearts to him —
pour out our heart before him, as the
Psalmist says — vrill send down his
peace into our bosoms, and soothe
and console us ; and by and by vriU
deliver us from aU our troubles.
Truly, God is a refuge for us.
Verse 9. — The sons of man, &c.
By sons, in the spiritual sense, are
signified truths, but, in a bad sense,
falses. The sons of man {Adam) sig
nUy falses from man's wiU, and sons

LXIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

292

10 Trust not in extortion :
Place not vain hopes in rapine :
When riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
11 Once hath God spoken, twice have I heard this, —
That strength belongs to God.
12 With thee, also, 0 Lord, is mercy.
For thou renderest to man according to his doing.

of man {ish) falses from man's under
standing. The latter are caUed a
lie; that is, all reasonings about Di
vine things from man's own under
standing are entUely false ; while
the thoughts derived from man's evil
vrill are vanity, that is, emptiness,
having nothing good or true in them.
— In the balance, they go up: — that
is, they have no weight at aU. The
general meaning of the verse is, that
aU man's thoughts, derived from Ms
own corrupt wUl and perverted un
derstanding, are worthless, and can
contribute nothing to his good or
happiness. This truth is here ex
pressed by way of contrast, and to
make more clear the sentiment —
which is the burthen of this Psalm —
that iu God alone is tmth and good,
peace and salvation.
Verse 10. — Trust not in extortion,
&c. In the Uteral sense, the mean
ing here is obvious : — ^place no de
pendence for happiness on unjust
gains : you vriU find no comfort in
them. And even when by legiti
mate means riches come to you, do
not set your affections upon them ;
for the love of money merely for its
own sake, and not for the sake of
use, is an earthly affection, which
permits no peace to the soul. — In
the spiritual sense, by riches are sig
nified mental treasures, knowledges,
learning. Neither must the heart he

set on these ; for knowledge is of no
value except as a means of useful
ness : pride of learning is not a hea
venly affection.
Verse 11. — Once hath God spoken;
twice, &c., seems to mean that the
important truth here announced is
often repeated in the Divine Word.
This truth is, that the Lord alone
has spUitual strength, and that U we
would have it, to him we must look
for it. The term God signifies dis
tinctively Divine truth : in Divine
tmth there is all power.
Verse 12. — In this passage, the
true nature of the Divine mercy is
shewn, namely, that it is not, as
commonly supposed, an exercise of
arbitrary kindness, bestowed or with
held at pleasure. By the Lord's
mercy is simply meant His Divine
love, which is extended to all his
creatures aUke : as the Gospel de
clares, " He is kind even to the un
thankful and to the evU" (Luke vi.
35). But that love is received or
rejected by man according to his
doing, that is, according to his life.
He who lives a good Ufe, in accordance
with the Divine commandments, re
ceives the Lord's love into his heart,
and vrith it, joy and blessing : but
he who Uves an evU Ufe, rejects that
love, and plunges into sin and wretch
edness. Thus is it rendered to man
according to his doing.

294

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXIII.

PSALM LXIIL

SUMMAEY OP THE INTEENAL SENSE.
The desire and love of the Lord, that he may he united to his
Divine, verses 1-8 ; that those will perish, who are in the falses of
evil, and who lay snares for him, 9, 10 ; that then there vnll he
salvation from the Lord, and rejection ofthe evil, 11.
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wUdemess of Judah.
1 0 God, thou art my God ; I wiU seek thee :
My soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longs for thee
In a dry land, and is faint for want of water.
2 / long to see thy power and thy glory.
As I have beheld thee in the holy place.

Title. — A Psalm of David, when
he was in the wilderness of Judah.
By David, here as everywhere, in the
Psalms, is signified the Lord. By a
wilderness is signified a desolate state
of mind, " a state of temptation, in
which man is, as it were, without
truths, because surrounded by evU
spUits, who induce temptations and
then, as it were, deprive him of
truths." A. fi. 546. It is said, the
wUderness of Judah, in reference to
the perverted state of the Jevrish
Church: "by a wilderness,ris also
signified the church devastated, or
the church in which aU the truths of
the Word are falsified, such as it was
among the Jews in the Lord's time."
{Ibid.) Verse 1. — My soul thirsts for thee,
my flesh longs for thee. "In a su
preme sense, by flesh is signified the
Divine Human of the Lord, and spe
cifically the Divine good of the Di
vme love." Ap. Ex. 1082. Here,
by flesh is signified the love or lUe of

good, and by soul the Ufe of truth ;
for these two constitute the spiritual
Ufe of the mind. By the thirsting
and longing of these for God, is de
scribed a state of spiritual desolation,
in which there is an absence of Di
vine truths, and a longing for them
— for the term God signifies Divine
Truth. It is added in a dry land,
and is faint for want of water, because
water, also, signifies tmth, and in u,
dry land an absence of truth.
Verse 2. — J long to see thy power
and thy glory. Power has reference to
Divine good, and glory to Dirine
Truth. (A. C. 4060.) As I have be
held thee in the holy place. The holy
place signifies a holy state of mind —
that is a spiritual state, in which the
mind is cheered vrith the Ught of
truth. The Psalmist (representing
the Lord) expresses a longing to be
deUvered from this state of desolation
and mental darkness, and to be ele
vated again into spiritual light and
love, such as he had been in at other

LXIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

295

For thy mercy is better than Ufe :
Therefore my Ups shaU praise thee.
Thus wUl I bless thee whUe I Uve :
In thy name wUl I lift up my hands.
My soul shaU be satisfied as with marrow and fatness.
And my mouth shaU praise thee with joyful lips,
When I remember thee upon my bed.
And meditate upon thee in the watches.

times, when the Lord's presence and
providence were clearly seen and felt.
Verse 3. — Thy mercy is better than
life, means that the Lord's love per
ceived in the heart is sweeter than
any other joy — ^for it is peace itseU!.
A clear perception of the Lord's
presence, conjoined vrith a state of
love to him from him, is the inmost
of deUghts, raisiug the soul above
every care, and filling the mind vrith
a sweet serenity. — The term life (U-
teraUy lives), does not refer to the Ufe
of the body, but of the mind ; and
the Ufe of the mind is love. The
Lord's mercy (that is, his love) being
better than life, means that the Lord's
love is better and more joyous than
seU-love, or the love of the world, or
any other loves, which constitute the
life of the unregenerate mind. The
Hebrew term is in the plmal, lives,
signUying the various evU loves of
the natural man, or the combined
evUs of the unregenerate mind. My
lips shall praise thee. " By lips are
signified the interiors of man, thus
internal worship, from which pro
ceeds adoration." A. 0. 1286. The
lips, being the organs for the expres
sion of thought and affection, stand
for thought and affection themselves,
which constitute the interiors of
man's mind, whence aU true worship
and praise proceed.
Verse 4. — I will bless thee while

I live. To bless the Lord is to thank
him, to be grateful to him, to ac
knowledge him as the Author of all
blessing. While I live (Uterally, in
my life) signifies in my heart or love,
for life, spiritually, denotes the love. —
In thy name unll I lift up my hands :
" By lifting wp the hands is signified
faith looking upwards to the Lord,"
A. C. 8608. Name, in the spiritual
sense, signifies quality, for names
originally were expressive of the
quaUty or character of the person
named. In the Lord's name denotes
in the quaUty or state of mind de
rived from the Lord, and not from
seU : hence to lift up the hands in his
name signifies to worship the Lord
from the Lord : and such worship is
genuine. Verse 5. — "By the soul's being
satisfied as viitli marrow and fatness is
signified to be fUled with the good of
love and the joy thence derived ; and
to praise unth joyful lips \or with lips
of singing"] signifies to worship by
truths which gladden the mind."
Ap. Ex. 1159. — Fat signifies the ce
lestial principle, or the good of love.
(A. C. 353.)
Verse 6. — 'When I remember thee
upon my bed, &c. In the Uteral sense,
this passage is sweet. The remem
bering of the Lord upon the bed, and
meditating upon him in the silent
hours of watching, presents a picture

296

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXIII

7 For thou art a help to me.
And in the shadow of thy vdngs wUl I rejoice.
8 My soul clings fast to thee :
Thy right hand upholds me.
9 But those that seek my soul to destroy it,
Shall go into the lowest parts of the earth.
10 Thay shall be given over to the power of the sword :
They shall be a portion for foxes.

of contemplative devotion, which is
beautUul and solemn. In the spUi
tual sense, however, a different
meaning is conveyed, which, if not
so pleasing to the imagination, is
perhaps more instructive. By a bed,
in the spiritual sense, is signified
doctrine, "for as the body rests on
its bed, so does the mind on its doc
trine" (A. fi. 137). A bed also de
notes the natural principle of the
mind, for the natural principle is
beneath the rational, and the latter
rests upon it, as upon a bed. (A. 0.
6188.) — In the watches. " By watch
ing, in the Word, is signified to be
in truths, and in a Ufe conformable
to them ; for he who learns truths
and lives according to them, is like
one who is waked out of sleep and
becomes watchful." A. K. 158. Thus,
then, to remember the Lord upon the
bed, is to think of him from doctrine,
that is, from knowledge in the natu
ral memory ; but to meditate upon
him in the watches, is to think of him
from spiritual perception, which im
pUes an advanced state in the re
generation. Veuse 7. — In the shadow of thy
wings will I rejoice. " Wings signify
the Divine spUitual principle, which
in its essence is truth derived from
good. Hence to be covered under
the wings of Jehovah, signifies to be

guarded by the Divine tmth." Ap.
Ex. 283. Shadow, here, signifies
shelter, protection.
Verse 8. — Tliy right hand upholds
me. Right hand signifies power ; in
the supreme sense, omnipotence.
Verse 9. — Shall go into the lowest
parts of the earth: that is, shall be
cast into heU. By the earth, here, is
not meant the natural earth, but the
earth of the spiritual world. For the
world of spUits appears as an earth
or world, in all respects Uke the
natural world. Underneath it are
the hells, and above it, are the
heavens. See H. and H. 582-4.
Verse 10. — By the sword is signi
fied, in a good sense, tiuth combating,
but, in a bad sense, the false : hence,
to be given over to the power (literally,
to the hands) of the sword, is signified
to perish by falses. Tliey shall be a
portion for foxes. By the fox is repre
sented cunning. Hence by its being
said that the vricked shaU be a por
tion for foxes, is meant that they shall
be a prey to theU own cunning —
that the very snare which they laid
for others shaU catch themselves (see
PsaUn xxxv. 8). Enrthermore, by
/oa;es here are meant cunning infernal
spUits, who, after death, entrap and
torment those who in this lUe sought
to entrap others. Thus does evU
punish itself.

LXIV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

297

11 But the king shaU rejoice in God :
Every one that swears by him, shall glory :
But the mouth of those that speak Ues shall be stopped.
in David : Every one that sweareth by
him shall glory: here, to swear by
God signifies to speak truth, for it is
added, hut the mouth of those that
speak lies shall he stopped." Ap. Ex.
608. Shall glory : glory signifies the
brightness of Divine truth (A. C.
4809) ; hence by its being said, every
one that sweareth by him shall glory,
is meant that those who confirm
themselves in Divine truth, shall be
in the Ught of tmth. — But the mouth
of those that speak lies shall be stopped :
this signifies that those who deUght
to think and speak falses vrill, after
death U not here, be put under re
steaint. For evUs and falses, since
they do injury, have to be restrained,
and such state of restraint constitutes
one of the chief sources of the tor
ment of heU.

Verse 11. — The king. By a i
in the spUitual sense, is signified one
who is in vrisdom from Divine tmth ;
because in tmth there is power.
(See A. fi. 20.) Hence it is said, the
king shall rejoice in Ood, because God
signifies Divine Tmth, in which they
who are vrise rejoice, that is, take
deUght. — Every one that swears by
him, shall glory. "To swear is to
assert and confirm the reaUty of a
thing. The asseveration and confir
mation of the internal man, when it
comes into the external, takes the
form of swearing ; and in the Israel-
itish Church aU thiags were exter
nal, representing and sigmfying
things intemal : the case is simUar
vrith the word in its Uteral sense.
Hence, to swear represents intemal
confirmation, and also truth. This
is plain from many passages : thus

PSALM LXIV.

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

Concerning the plotting of the evil against the Lord, verses 1-6 ;
that they will perish, 1, 8 ; that thus the good will be saved, 9, 10.
To the Leader of the Music : a PsaUn of David.
1 Hear my voice, 0 God, in my prayer :
Preserve my Ufe from the fear of the enemy.
Verse 1. — Preserve my life from infemals, the enemies of the soid.
ihe fear of the enemy; that is, from By the life is not meant the bodUy
dangers which threaten me from the lUe, so much as the lU'e of the spirit,
enemy. By the enemy, here, as al- that is, the love. EvU spirits are
ways in the Psalms, are signified the ever seeking to infest, disturb, and

298

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXnr.

Hide me from the assembly of the wicked.
From the crowd of the doers of iniquity.
Who sharpen their tongue Uke a sword ;
And aim their arrows, even bitter words ;
To shoot from their hiding-places at the upright :
Suddenly do they shoot at him and fear not.
They confirm themselves in an evil purpose :
They speak of laying snares :
They say, Who wiU see them ?
They search out evUs: we have accompUshed, say they, a
thorough search :
For the interiors of man and the heart are deep.

destroy man's mental life, that is, the
love of good and truth, vrith the
peace which attends them.
Verse 2. — Hide me from the as
sembly of the wicked. The meaning
is, " Protect me from the plottings of
infernal spirits" — assembly signUy
ing a councU of persons assembled
together, to form plans or devise
plots. From the crowd of the doers of
iniquity ; that is, from the tumul
tuous gatherings of people coUected
together vrith some evU intent. We
learn from the Doctrines of the New
Church, that evU spirits, like evU
men, collect together in angry
crovjds : see C. L. 500.
Verses 3, 4. — Wlio sharpen their
tongue, &c. "The vricked are here
said to sharpen their tongue lUte a
sword, because a sword signifies fal
sity combating against truth ; theU
arrows are called bitter words, because
an arrow signifles falsity of doctrine
[a bow signUying doctrine] ; to shoot
from hiding-places at the upright
signifles to deceive those who are
principled in truths from good."
Ap. Ex. 357. See also note on Psalm
xi. 2.
Verse 5. — Tliey confirm themselves,

&c. These words refer to the plot-
tings of the wicked against the Lord
(see the Summary of the Internal
Sense above), and may refer either
to the machinations of infemal
spUits, or to the evU councUs of the
Jevrish priests and Pharisees.
Verse 5. — They search out evils.
Infemal spirits have theU abode in
man's evils, and vrith great subtlety
they scent out such evUs and falsities
as agree vrith theU ovm perverse
natures. Accusing spirits, in par
ticular, search out man's evUs, caU
them np to his mind vrith the view
of condemning him, and bringing
him into a state of despaU. This is
one of the most painful forms of
temptation. (See A. C. 751.) — For
the inferiors of man and the heart are
deep. By man, here, {ish) is signified
man masculiue, that is, the inteUec
tual man or the understanding.
However deep or hidden from com
mon view, the interiors of the under
standing and the heart (or will) may
be, yet evU spUits by theU subtlety
penetrate them, and stU up the lusts
and falsities there slumbering. " The
interiors (or midst) of man (vir), de
note the intellectual principle, where

LXIV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

299

7 But God wUl shoot at them with an arrow :
Suddenly shaU they be wounded.
8 And they shaU cause their own tongue to faU upon themselves:
AU that see them shaU flee away.
9 And every man shaU fear,
And shaU declare God's work.
And understand his doing.

the tmth should be, and the heart the
vriU, where good should be ; but in
the present case both perverted, the
latter into evU and the form er into the
false." Ap. Ex. 313. These words
describe the subtlety of the tempters.
Verse 7. — God will shoot at them
with an arrow. " Since war, in the
Word, signifles spUitual warfare, aU
weapons as swords, spears, bows and
arrows, signify such things as per
tain to warfare in a spiritual sense.
Bow and arrows signify doctrine and
its truths ; for truths themselves,
when separate from goods, appear in
the other Ufe, when represented to
the sight, as arrows." A. C. 2686. —
Hence, God will shoot at them with
an arrow, means that the Lord, our
Protector, vriU cast down the temp
ters by the power of Divine Tmth,
which, in the spiritual world, is Ure-
sistible. We, too, are required, in
the Lord's stiength, to shoot arrows
at our spiritual foes ; that is, to re
sist them by means of tmths derived
from the Word.
Verse 8. — And they shall cause
their own tongue to fall upon them
selves. By the tongue, as being the
organ of speech, and thence of
thought, is signifled the thought and
perception of tmth. (Ap. Ex. 455.)
But in the opposite sense, as here, it
signifles thought of the false. Their
own tongue failing upon themselves
signifies perishing from their own

falses ; for when those who are in
the thought and love of the false
perceive the light of tmth (the arrow
mentioned in the previous verse)
they flee from it in terror, as do
bUds of night at the approach of the
sun, and bury themselves in hell
amongst their like. — All that see them
shall flee away. This refers, perliap.s,
to the simple good who had been
deluded by them, bnt who, when
they pe:?ceive their falsities exposed,
remove themselves. These are fur
ther referred to in the next verse.
Verse 9. — And every man shall
fear. Every man does not mean
every human being : man, here is
emphatic, signUying every true man,
that is, the vrise and good. The term
man is often so used in Scripture :
thus in Jeremiah (iv. 25) " I beheld,
and lo, there was no man," that is
none vrise and good. Sliall fear:
fear, here, means holy fear : the good
shall be in awe and reverence, when
they see the judgment on the vricked.
This refers, doubtless to the good in
the world of spUits, for it is there
that judgment is effected. — ShaU
declare God's work, and understand
his doing; that is, shall come into
the understanding of genuine truth
and good, being deUvered now from
the falses by which they had before
been deluded. Thus are the good,
who had been in falses, instructed
after death, and then they come into

300

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXV.

10 The righteous shaU be glad in the Loed, and trust in him :
And all the upright in heart shaU glory.

a true view of the Lord's ways and
doings. Verse 10. — The righteous, here,
signify the celestial, and the upright
in heart the spiritual. Hence it is
said, that the former shall be glad in
the Lord (the term Lord or Jehovah

signifying Divine Love) and they
shall trust in him in chUdlike de
pendence ; whUe the latter, the spi
ritual, shaU glory: to glory signifles
to be in the Ught and delight of
truth. (See note on Psalm IxiU. 11.)

PSALM LXY.

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

That from the union of the Divine and Human in tlu Lord,
there will he a Church, which will be in all truth from the Lord,
and, safe from the infestation of falses, verses 1-13.
To the Leader of the Music : a Psalm of David : a Song.
1 To thee, 0 God, shaU be sUent praise in Zion,
And to thee shaU the vow be performed.
2 0 thou that hearest prayer,
To thee shall aU flesh come.

This is a charming PsaUn. Coming
after the previous sad ones, it seems
like the morning after the darkness
of night. There is a dewy freshness
about it, and from the ninth verse
to the end there is a sweet succession
of landscape-pictures, that reminds
one of the loveliness of spring ; and
truly it is a description, in natural
flgures, of that happy state of men's
minds, which wiU be the result of
the " Day-Spring's visiting ns from
on high" (Luke i. 78).
Title. — A song : that is, a song of
praise and joy (see note on Title of
Psalm Ixvi.)
Verse L — Zion signifies the ce

lestial Church and celestial heaven.
Silent praise (literaUy, silence, praise)
seems to be expressive of the state
of peace and inmost worship of soul
which prevaUs vrith the celestial
man, and which is too deep and fuU
for utterance : it is a state of love to
the Lord. — And to thee shall the
vow be performed. This seems to
refer to the more external worship
of the spUitual man, in which he
vows or promises to the Lord, to do
Ms wiU and keep his commandments,
as a means of securing the blessed
ness of etemal lUe. (On the signifl-
cation of vow, see A. C. 3732.)
Verse 2. — Shall all flesh come.

LXV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

301

3 Iniquities are too strong for me :
As to our transgressions, thou wilt forgive them.
4 Blessed is he whom thou choosest and causest to approach,
That he may dwell in thy courts :
We shaU be fiUed with the good of thy house,
With the hoUness of thy temple.

" By flesh, in the Word, is signifled
man in general, and the corporeal
man in particular ; as in Psalm Ixv.
2, 0 thou ihat hearest prayer, to thee
shall all flesh come ; where all flesh
signifles every man." A. C. 574.
Verse 3. — Iniquities a/re too strong
for me. These words seem to refer
to the overwhelming power of the
heUs before the Lord came into the
world, which was such that had not
the Lord assumed humanity and
subjugated them, and thus accom
plished man's redemption, none could
have been saved. In Matthew xU. 29,
the Lord caUs the heUs " the strong
man," whom he came to " bind." —
The effect or consequence of this
work of redemption, namely, that
evils could then be removed vrith
those who repent, is referred to in the
latter part of the verse, " As to our
transgressions, thou wilt forgive them
(Uterally, wilt expiate them) : " Ex
piation signifles Uberation from dam
nation, hence also the pardon of sins,
and cleansing from evUs." A. C.
9076. — Me and owr, in this verse,
refer to the men of the Church, in
general. Verse 4. — Blessed is he, whom thou
choosest and causest to approach, that
lie may dwell in thy courts : we shall
be filled with ihe good of thy house,
with the holiness of thy temple. " By
these words is signified that those
who are in charity in spiritual affec
tion, yfHH Uve in heaven, and there

be in intelligence and vrisdom from
Divine good and Divine truth. By
the chosen, or by him whom thou
choosest, are signified those who are
in charity or love towards the neigh
bor ; by causing to approach is sig
nified to gUt with spiritual love or
affection, for in proportion as man
is in that love or affection, he is vrith
the Lord, for every one is near him
according to that love. By dwelling
in his courts is signified to live in
heaven : to dwell in signifies to Uve,
and his courts signUy heaven. By
being /Mei with the good of thy house
is signified to be in wisdom from
Divine good ; and by being filled
with the holiness of thy temple is sig
nified to be in intelUgence from Di
vine truth : and from each to be in
heavenly j oy. The Lord's house sig
nifies heaven and the Church as to
Divine good, and the temple heaven
and the Church as to Divine truth ;
holiness is predicated of spiritual
good, which, in essence, is truth."
Ap. Ex. 630. — By the words whom
thou choosest and causest to approach,
is not meant any predestination ;
but the meaning is that, after death,
the Lord selects and receives to him
seU those who are in charity and
spiritual affection, for such only can
Uve in heaven : the election or se
lection takes place after death, not
before. (See Ap. Rev. 744, T. C. fi.
664.)

302

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXV.

5 With wonderful things wUt thou answer us, 0 God of our
salvation.
Who art the confidence of aU the ends of the earth.
And of the sea of those afar off.
6 Who by his power sets fast the mountains,
Being girded with strength.
7 Who stUls the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves.
And the tumult of the peoples.

Verse 5. — With wonderful things
loilt thou answer us : that is, wonder
ful things wilt thou give us. This
refers doubtless to the wondrous
splendors and deUghts of heaven, the
indefinite joys and feUcities which
the Lord has prepared for those who
become fitted to enjoy them. — Who
art the confidence; that is, who art
the God in whom they place theU
confidence. Of all the ends of the
earth and of the sea of those afar off.
By the ends of the earth are signified
the ultimates of the Church (the
earth is the Church), and by the sea
of those afar off are signified such
as are in externals. (Ap. Ex. 1133.)
" By the sea is signified the external
of heaven and the Church, in which
are the simple who have thought
naturaUy and but Uttle spirituaUy,
of things relating to the Church.
The reason why the heaven, in which
the men of the external Church
dweU, is called a sea, is because
their habitation in the spiritual
world appears at a distance Uke a
sea. For the celestial angels, or
those of the highest heaven, dwell,
as it were, in an ethereal atmosphere ;
the spiritual angels, or those of the
midcUe heaven, dwell as it were in
an aerial atmosphere ; and the spi
ritual-natural angels, or those of the
ultimate heaven, dweU as it were in
a watery atmosphere, which, as was

said, appears at a distance like a sea.
Hence it is, that the external of
heaven is what is meant by the sea,
in many places of the Word." Ap.
fiev. 878. — The reason why it is
said that the God of our salvation, or
the Saviour, is the confidence of these,
is because the Lord assumed Hu
manity to the very intent that there
by he might provide a medium of
salvation to the very lowest in the
Church, that is, to all who were in
any degree of good whatever : and
such are signified by the ends of ihe
earth and the sea.
Verses 6-8. — "Wlio by his power,
&c. "In these verses is described the
Divine power of the Lord, by things
which testUy that it ought to be
beUeved in, which things are caUed
signs. But the things which thus
testUy, are not that he sets fast the
mountains, stills the noise of the seas,
the noise of their waves, and the tumult
of the peoples, for these things [under
stood only in their natural sense] are
not such signs as to persuade those
who ascribe aU things to nature.
But these things do testify to the
Divine power of the Lord, when
understood in their spiritual sense,
in which sense heaven and the
Church are treated of In that
sense, by the mountains, wliich he
sets fast, are meant the higher hea
vens, because the angels of those

LXV]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

303

8 Those, also, that dwell in the extremities are afraid at thy signs.
Thou causest the outgoings of the morning and evening to
rejoice.
9 Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it :
Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is fuU
of water :
Thou preparest their corn, for thus thou estabUshest it.
10 Thou waterest its furrows :
Thou breakest down its ridges :
Thou softenest it with showers :
Thou blessest its springings forth.

heavens dwell npon mountains ; but
in the abstract sense, mountains sig
nUy love to the Lord and charity
towards the neighbor, these being
the things which the Lord sets fast
by his power. By the noise of the
seas and the noise of their waves are
meant the disputes and reasonings
of those who are beneath the hea
vens, and who are natural and sen
sual ; for seas signU'y the things
which belong to the natural man,
and thus natural men themselves ;
and hence their noise and their waves
signify the cUsputes and reasonings
of such. By the tumult of the peoples
are signified contradictions from fal
ses ; for by peoples are signified such
as are in truths, or, in the opposite
sense, such as are in falses. By those
who dwell in the extremities being
afraid at thy signs is signified holy
worship grounded in faith concern
ing the Divine power, vrith those
who are in the ultimates of heaven
and the Church. For, to fear (in a
good sense) signifies to worship the
Lord from charity and faith ; and
those that dwell in the extremities sig
nU'y those who are in the ultimates of
heaven and the Church, and who
are there in the faith of charity.

Signs signUy testifications respecting
the Divine power of the Lord." Ap.
Ex. 706. — Being girded with strength
(verse 6). This refers to the Divine
Human which the Lord assumed,
and vrith which he, as it were, clothed
or girded his Essential Divinity ; and
by which he took to HimseU strength
or power to overcome the heUs, and
at the same time to sustain the hea
vens in theU integrity. See note on
Psalm xcUi. 1.
Verse 8. — Thou causest the out
goings of the morning and evening to
rejoice. By morning and evening are
signified every state of good from
highest to lowest, from internal to
extemal (see A. C. 8687). By their
outgoings are signified, doubtless, the
lUe of good, or the goings forth of
good and love in action. All such
states and actions the Lord causes to
rejoice, that is, fiUs vrith joy and de
Ught. Verses 9, 10. — Tliou visitest the
earth, &c. " By the earth, here, is
signified the Church : by a river full
of water is signified doctrine fuU of
tmths : by watering its furrows, break
ing down its ridges, and softening it
with showers, is signified to fill with
the knowledge of good and truth :

304

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXV.

11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness.
And thy ways drop fatness.
12 They drop upon the habitations of the wUderness ;
And the hills are girt with joy.
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks.
And the vaUeys are covered with corn :
They shout for joy; yea, they sing.

by preparing corn is signified to pro
vide aU that nourishes the soul ; and
hence it is added, thus thou estabUsh
est it {the earth), that is the Church :
by blessing its springings forth is sig
nified continually to produce anew
and cause to be brought forth truths."
Ap. Ex. 644.
Verse 11. — Thou crownest the year
with thy goodness. " A year denotes
an entire period of the Church from
beginning to end." A. C. 2906.
Thus the Lord's crowning the year
with his goodness signifies his bless
ing the Church in its whole course —
that new Church which was to arise
after the glorification of his Human
ity (see Summary of the Intemal
Sense) — which is the New Jerusa
lem — for the Christian Church,
hitherto existing, "has been such
oiUy in name" (T. C. R. 668).— ^md
thy ways drop fatness. By the Lord's
ways or paths (Uterally tracks) are
meant perhaps the leadings and
doings of his Providence : but in
the pure spiritual sense, by ways are
signified Divine truths ; that these
lead to goodness and happiness, is sig
nified by their dropping fatness. " Fat
denotes the celestial principle or
good, as is manifest from many pass
ages in the Word. That fatness was
representative of celestial good, thus
of the love which is from the Lord,
is evident from the fact that in the
burnt-offerings and sacrifices, aU the

fat was to be burned upon the altar,
and that it was said to be an odor
of rest to Jehovah : an odor of rest
signifies what is grateful from the
good of love." A. C. 5943. Hence
by the Lord's ways dropping fatness
is meant that the guidings of his
Providence and specifically Divine
truths from him lead to goodness
and consequent blessedness.
Verses 12, 13. — " These words re
fer to a Church among the GentUes.
By dropping U2)on tlu habitations of
the wilderness is signified that theU
minds, which before were in igno
rance of tmths, acknowledge and
receive teuths ; to drop signUying
the influx, acknowledgment, and
reception of truth, habitations the
interiors of man, which are of his
mind, and vnlderness his (previous)
state of ignorance of truth. By the
hills being girt with joy, signifies
that the goods with them receive
truths vrith joy of heart, hUls signi
fying elevated affections. The pas
tures being clothed unth fiocks and the
valleys covered with corn, signUy that
both minds, the spiritual and the
natural, receive truths suitable to
themselves ; pastures denoting the
things which belong to the spiritual
mind, and thence to the rational
principle, and valleys those which
belong to the natural mind, and
fiocks spUitual tmths, and corn na-
tmal truth." Ap. Ex. 730.

LXVL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

305

PSALM LXVL

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Joy that there is to be a. New Church, which will trust in the
Lord, verses 1-5 ; who will preserve it from evils, 6-7 ; that the
Lord hy grievous temptations was united to his Divine, 8-12 ; that
thus Divine truth from the Lord woidd be with men, 13-17 ; that
this was effected through his integrity [that is, his perfect obedience
to Divine Truth], 19, 20.
To the Leader of the Music : a Song : a Psalm.
1 Shout to God, aU the earth :
2 Sing forth the glory of his name :
Give glory in his praise.
3 Say ye to God, How terrible are thy doings !
Through the greatness of thy strength thy enemies shaU sub
mit themselves to thee.
4 AU the earth shaU bow down to' thee and sliaU sing to thee :
They shaU sing to thy name. Selah !

Title. — A song, " A .^ong signifies
glorification, which is confession from
joy of heart ; because singing exalts,
and. causes affection to break out
from the heart into sound, and show
itseU intensely in its Ufe. Nor are
the Psalms of David anything else
than songs ; for they were set to music
and sung ; and therefore are called
Songs in many places, — as in Psalm
kvi. [Title]." Ap. Rev. 279.
Verses 1, 2. — Shout to God, all the
earth. By the earth is signified the
Church : shout means praise him
from joy and exultation of heart.
Verse 2. — Sing forth the glory of
his name. Glory signifies Divine
truth, as it is in heaven, because
Divine tmth is the light of heaven,
and from that Ught all the splendor
and magnificence there are derived.
— Name, in the spiritual sense, signi

fies quaUty, nature, character, because
names were originaUy given, from the
quaUty of theperson named. Hence,
Sing forth the glory of his name
means praise the Lord for his Dirine
quaUty or nature, which is truth
derived from love. Give glory in
his praise (Uterally, give glory, his
praise) seems to mean, Ascribe to
him Divine Truth, as an object of
praise, or as a ground on which he
should be praised and worshiped.
Verse 3. — How terrible are thy
doings, &o. This refers, in the inter
nal sense, to the Lord's work of
fiedemption, in which he conquered
all the hells, who are the enemies here
referred to. Greatness (Uterally, mul
titude) of thy strength, signifies his
omnipotence in the Hmnanity.
Verse 4. — All the earth, &c. That
is, the Church. Shall bow down to

U

306

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXVL

5 Come and behold the doings of God :
Wonderful have been his deaUngs with the sons of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry ground :
They passed through the flood on foot :
There did we rejoice in him.

thee signifies worship from reverence
and faith, that is, from the under
standing of truth ; while the words
shall sing to thee, signUy worship from
love and j oy of heart. ¦ They shall siiig to
thy name signifies that all true mem
bers of the Church, shall joyfuUy
know and acknowledge the Lord's
Divine Nature and quality, as that
of infinite love and goodness. — Selah :
see note on Psalm Ui. 2.
Verse 5. — Gome and behold, that
is, reflect upon, consider : the doings
of God, — his deaUngs with men in
the great work of their redemption.
— " By the sons of man are signified
the same as by the people, namely
the spUitual" Ap. Ex. 331. By
the term sons are signified in the
intemal sense, truths and those who
are in the affection of truth ; which
is the character of the spUitual, as
distinguished from the celestial : the
latter are more in the affection of
good. That it was the spiritual,
especially, whom the Lord came to
save. See A. C. 2833.
Verse 6. — He turned ihe sea into
. dry ground, &c. In the literal sense,
this refer to the Israelites, and their
deUverance from Egypt. But in the
spUitual sense, far grander is the
signification. By the Israelites, and
and theU deliverance from the Egypt
ians, was represented the deliverance
of the spiritual, at the time of the
Lord's coming, from the infestation
of evU spUits ; and the arrival of the
Israelites in the land of Canaan, re
presented the final elevation of the

spiritual into heaven. The passage
through the Bed Sea on dry ground,
represented the Lord's leading of the
spiritual in safety through the hells ;
for by the sea is signified heU. For
an understanding of this interesting
subject, see A. C. 8126 and foUovring
nos. He turned the sea into dry ground.
As by the sea, in the spiritual sense,
is signified hell, by the waters of the
sea are signified in particular the
falses that prevaU in the hells : then,
keeping back the waters so that the
Israelites might pass through on dry
ground, represents the protection of
the spiritual from infernal falses. —
They passed through the flood on foot.
By the feet, as being the lowest part
of the body, is signified the natural
principle, which is the lowest part
of the miad. Hence, passing through
ihe fiood on foot signifies, in par
ticular, the protection of the natural
mind from falses, and giving it
strength to go through temptation ;
for it is the natural mind on which
the hells act. Such is the signifi
cation of foot in a succeeding verse,
the 9th; "he suffers not our /oo<
to be moved:" that is, the Lord
protects and sustains the natural
mind. — Tiiere did we rejoice in him.
Here, there is a change from the
third to the flrst person, from they
to we. This is common in the
Psalms, and is full of meaning : they
is historical, but we shows that the
whole narrative appUes spiritually
to aU of us : we too have to pass

LXVL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

307

7 He rules in his might forever :
His eyes observe the nations :
The rebellious shall not lift up themselves.

Selah !

8 0 bless our' God, ye people,
And cause the voice of his praise to be heard.
9 Who holds our soul in life.
And suffers not our foot to be moved.
10 Thou hast, indeed, proved us, 0 God :
Thou hast tried us, as sUver is tried.

through the waters of temptation,
and we rejoice when we are deU
vered. Verse 7. — He rules in his might
forever. This refers to the fiedeemer
who in his Divine Humanity has
"aU power in heaven and earth."
(Matthew xxviU. 18). — His eyes
observe the nations. By the nations
here, are signified those who are in
evUs (A. R. 147), thus the hells.
These the Lord observes, and contin
ually counteracts theU schemes for
doing mischief. By his eyes are sig
nified, in the spUitual sense, his
Divine vrisdom, his omniscience,
which discerns all things. — Tlie re
bellious shall not lift up themselves.
As by the nations are signified the
hells that are in the love of evil, by
the rebellious on the other hand, are
signified those who are in the love
of falses from evU. These shall not
lift up themselves against the spirit
ual, whom they before infested : the
Lord keeps them down forever. —
Selah : see note on Psalm Ui 2.
Verse 8. — Ye people. By the
term people (literaUy, peoples) are
signified distinctively the spiritual, or
such as are in the affection of tmth,
(see note on verse 5). To bless God,
signifies adoration from the heart,
while the voice of his praise signifies

worship from the understanding or
thought. Verse 9. — Who holds our soul in
life, and suffers not our foot to be
moved. By the soul, here is meant
the inmost, or highest principle of
the mind, whUe by the foot is signi
fied the outermost or lowest. The
great truth is here taught that the
Lord is our continual Preserver as
weU as Creator, that as the Ufe of
the soul was flrst given, so it is con
tinually sustained, by him who is
the only Fountain of lUe. He also
is our perpetual fiedeemer, and
Protector against the hells, which is
meant by not suffering our foot to
he moved, — the foot signUying the
lowest part of the mind, or the
natural mind, in which all lusts and
fantasies dweU, and against which
the assaults of the heUs are particu
larly directed.
Verse 10. — Thou hast, indeed,
proved us, &c. Connecting this with
the preceding verse — though the
Lord suffers not our foot to be moved,
that is, does not pernut us to be
overcome, — yet he proves us;- he per
mits us to come into temptation, in
order to exercise us in resisting evU,
and in order, also, that our hidden
evUs may be brought to light, and
being seen and resisted, may be put

308

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXVL

11 Thou didst bring us into a net :
Thou didst lay a burthen upon our loins :
12 Thou didst cause man to ride upon our head :
We went through fire and through water :
But thou broughtest us out into a place of abundance.

away. — The comparison is made
with silver, because silver signifies
spiritual truth, and truth with us is
purified and made more clear, as
the opposite falses are seen and
rejected, and the tmth is more
loved, as the evUs which it forbids,
are resisted and removed.
Verses 11, 12. — Thou didst bring
us into a net, &c. "In these words is
described spiritual captivity, and af
terwards liberation. SpUitual capti
vity is when the mind is shut up, so
that it does not perceive good nor
imderstand truth : Uberation from
it is when the mind is opened. By
a burthen upon the loins is signified
that there is no perception of the
good of love : for the loins and
thighs signUy the good of love. By
causing man to ride upon our head,
is signified that there is no under
standing 'of truth ; by man here is
signified intelligence from the pro
prium, which is no inteUigence, and
the same is signified by the head.
Such being the signification of the
above words, it is therefore added,
we went through fire and water [or,
we entered into fire and waters], fire
denoting the evUs derived from self-
love, and water denoting falses.
Liberation thence is signified by
being brought into a broad place [or a
place of abundance]." Ap. Ex. 355.
— The clause, " Thou didst cause man
to ride upon our head," needs perhaps
a little fuUer explanation. Man,
in the spiritual sense, signifies intelU
gence, inteUect, which is the distin

guishing characteristic of man
(mascuUne). But here, it is used in
its bad sense, signifying intelUgence
from self, or from man's own reason
ings, which, in regard to spUitual
things, are worthless, thus are false.
The head signifies wisdom, or, in this
case, the understanding. Then, by
man riding upon the head,, is signi
fied the understanding oppressed by
falses, and hence darkened and ob
scured, as is the case in temptation.
The term ride is used, because the
horse being the emblem of the
understanding, operations upon the
understanding are often described
in the Word by riding, as in the PsaUn
xiv. 4, " Bide upon the Word of truth,"
&c. (See A. C. 2161,)— Going through
fire and water, signifies temptations
from evils and falses. Being brought
out into a place of abundance, des
cribes the increase of truth and good,
which always foUows states of spirit
ual temptation.
It is said, " Thou didst bring us,"
" Tliou didst lay a burthen," &c., as
if it were the Lord who brought
man into temptations : whereas the
truth is, that the Lord never tempts
any one, nor causes distress to any
one : as says the Apostle, " God
cannot be tempted of evil, neither
tempteth he any man" (James i. 13).
Such is the appearance to those who
are tempted, and the letter of
Scriptiue is expressed according to
appearances. Itisman'sovmevilsthat
tempt him, or, what is the same, in
femal spUits acting through his evUs.

LXVL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

303

13 I wiU go into thy house with burnt-offerings ;
I wUl pay thee my vows,
14 Which my Ups have uttered.
And my mouth has spoken, when I was in trouble.
15 Burnt-off'erings of fatlings wUl I offer up to thee,
With the incense of rams :
I wUl off'er buUocks, with he-goats. Selah !
16 Come and hear, aU ye that fear God,
And I will declare what he did for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth.
And his praise was upon my tongue.

Verses 13, 14. — I will go into thy
'house with burnt-offerings. " To offer
'burnt-offerings signifies worship from
the good of celestial love." Ap. Ex.
324. — I will pay Hue my vows, which
my lips have uttered and my mouth
has spoken, when I was in trouble.
Man, when deUveredfrom temptation
and trouble, is too apt to forget the
vows which he made while in trouble :
when restored to health, he is in
danger of forgetting the good re
solutions he made, when on the bed
of sickness : when out of danger, he
becomes careless again. The words
of the Psalmist teach us, that it wUl
not be so vrith the truly spiritual
man : he vrill remember and perform
his vows. And those who vriU not
do so from love or from principle,
need be reminded of those warning
words of the Lord to the man whom
he had cured, " Sin no more, lest a
worse.thing come upon thee" (John
V. 14).
Verse 15. — Burnt-offerings, &c.
" All worship, vrith the IsraeUtish
nation, was represented by sacrifices
and burnt-offerings. Moreover by
sacrifices and bumt-oft'erings was
signified the regeneration of man by
the truths of faith and the goods of

love from the Lord. By sacrifice
and burnt-offering from bullocks was
signified the purification of the ex
temal man, from a ram the piuifi-
cation of the internal, and from
lambs the purification of the inmost :
the last was a he-goat, because by a
he-goat was signified the truth of
faith in the extemal man, and the
tmth of faith in the extemal man is
the last or lowest principle." A. C.
10,042. — It is said failings (that is,
fat sheep), because by fat is signified
the celestial principle, or love to the
Lord. (A. C. 353) Hence, also,
these are called burnt-offerings, be
cause burnt-offerings, or offerings by
fire, represented worship from love,
fire signUying love. (A. C. 923). —
Selah : See note on Psalm iU. 2.
Verse 16. — What he did for my
soul. What he did, is declared in
the last two verses, namely, that the
Lord attended to his prayer, and
answered it.
Verse 17. — Mouth — tongue. The
mouth, as the organ of speech, signi
fies thought, whence speech is de
rived (Ap. Ex. 580). Hence to cry
to God with the mouth, signifies to
look to him in thought. — The tongue
signifies confession, and also per-

310

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXVII.

18 If I had regarded iniquity in my heart,
The Lord would not have heard me.
19 Truly God did hear me.
He attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor his mercy from me.

ception of truth. (Ap. Ex. 455.)
Hence, his praise {or exaltation) was
upon my tongue (Uterally, under my
tongue) signifies acknowledgment
and worship ofthe Lord from interior
perception. Verse 18. — If I had regarded in
iquity, &c. This seems to be thrown
in as a parenthesis ; and a very in
structive parenthesis it is — teaching
the great truth that unless man
comes to the Lord with a pure heart,
that is, with pure ends and purposes,
lUs prayer cannot be answered : not

that the Lord is unwilling to answer,
but that the evil in the heart stifles
the descending infiux and prevents
its effect, whether Ulustration, or
consolation, or any other.
Verse 20. — Blessed he God, &c.
When one, in great afiUction and
distress, has called upon God for
help, and his prayer has been an
swered, how spontaneously do such
words as these come to his lips.
Blessed he God, who has not turned
away my prayer, nor his mercy from
me.

PSALM LXYIL

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

That the universal Church will acknowledge and worship the
Lord from joy of heart, verses 1-5, 7 ; also everything belonging
to the Church, 6.
To the Leader of the Musio : on the stringed instruments : a Psalm : a Song.

1 God wUl be gracious to us, and bless us :
He wUl cause his face to shine upon us.

Selah !

Title. — On the Stringed Instru
ments : see note on Psalm iv : title.
— A song : see note on Psalm Ixvi :
titie. Verse 1. — To he gracious signifies
to gift with truth, and to bless signi
fies to gift vrith good. (See A. C.
598, 1422). — He loill cause his face

to shine upon us. " By the Lord's
causing his face to shine, is signified
Ulumiuation by Divine truth from
Divine love. For the Divine truth,
which proceeds from the Lord as a
Sun in the angeUc heavens, is the
source of all the light there, and
also illuminates the minds of angels

LXVIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

311

That thy way may be known on the earth,
Thy salvation amongst all nations.
The peoples shall praise thee, 0 God ;
AU the peoples shall praise thee.
The nations shaU be glad and sing for joy ;
For thou wilt judge the peoples in uprightness,
And wUt lead the nations on the earth. Selah !
The peoples shaU praise thee, 0 God,
AU the peoples shall praise thee.

and fills them vrith wisdom. The
face of the Lord,, in the proper sense,
is the Sun of the angelic heaven, for
the Lord appears to the angels of
the interior heavens as a Sun, and
this from his Divine love ; for love,
in the heavens, when it is presented
before the eyes, appears as fire,
but the Divine love as a sun : from
that sun proceed both heat and
Ught, and the heat is Divine good,
and the Ught Divine tmth." Ap.
Ex. 412. — Selah : see note on Psalm
ui 2.
Verse 2. — Way in the spiritual
sense, signifies truth, because tmth
is the way to good. (A. C. 627.)
By the earth is signified the Church.
Thus, that thy way may be known on
Hie earth signifies that thy truth may
be known in the Church. — Thy sal
vation amongst all nations. By
nations, in the spUitual sense, are
signified those who are in the good,
of love and charity (A. fi. 667).
By salvation is sigiUfied the Divine
love, for it is that which saves. By
the whole verse, then, io signified
that the Lord is about to make
known his truth to the Church, his
saving power to all that are in good.
Verse 3. — Tlie peoples shall praise
thee, 0 God. As by nations are sig
nified those who are in the love of
good, so by peoples are signified dis

tinctively such as are iu the affec
tion of truth ; the former denotiag the
celestial, the the latter the spUitual.
(A. fi. 483.) By all these prais
ing (or confessing) God, is signified
that all those who are in the affec
tion of truth shaU now be in
structed in the truth, and so be
satisfied and grateful. The term
Ood signifies distinctively the Lord
as to Divine Truth, and it is used in
connection vrith peoples, because that
term, as before said, describes those
who are in the affection of truth.
Verse 4. — Since peoples signUy
those who are in the truths of
faith, and nations those who are in
the goods of charity (A. C. 1259),
hence it is said, " Thou wUt judge
the peoples, and vrilt lead the
nations," to judge signifying here to
guide, direct, and also defend by Di
vine truth (as in the passage, " Judge
me, 0 God" Psalm xliii 1) ; but to
lead signUying to guide from a
principle of love, as is done with the
celestial — In uprightness. " Since
those are called peoples who are in
tmths, and uprightness has reference
to truth, therefore it is said. He vnll
judge the peoples in uprightness." Ap.
Ex. 741. — On the earth signifies in
the Church.
Verse 5. — The peoples shall praise
thee, &c. This repetition of the third

312 NOTES ON THE PSALMS [LXVIIL
6 The earth shaU yield its increase :
God, our God, wUl bless us :
7 God wUl bless us,
And all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
verse is probably to be accounted for Verse 7. — All the ends of ihe earth
on the ground that here those who shall fear him. " By the ends or
are in truths and goods among the extremities of the earth are signifled
GentUes are referred to, while the those who are in the outskirts of
former verse had reference to those the Church, that is, the GentUes.
vrithin the Church (see A. C. 1259). The isles and ends of the earth sig-
Versb 6. — The earth shall yield its nify those who are far distant from
increase : that is, the Church shall the truths and goods of the Church,
continue to advance in truth and inasmuch as they have not the Word,
goodness, and its members sliaU and hence are ignorant that the
bring forth the fruits of a good life. — Church is to be established among
As God signifles the Lord as to Divine them." Ap. Ex. 304. By all these
Tmth, hence God will bless us, sigid- fearing him is signifled that the
fiesthattheLordjbymeansof Divine GentUes will be brought into the
truths Uved and practised, wUl give Church, and thus wiU know and
good and peace of soul. worship the Lord.

PSALM LXVIIL
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
That the hells will be subjugated, verses 1, 2 ; that those who
are in good, will acknowledge the Lord, who is Divine Truth itself,
3-5, 31 : that he will he their protection, 5, 6 ; that he will regen
erate them, 7-11 ; that with others it will not be so even though
tliey hear the Word, 12-14; concerning the Church from the Lord,
from whom is the all of doctrine, 15-17 ; that he will rescue them
from the hand of the infemals, 18-23 ; celebration of the Lord on
this account, 24r-29 ; that the natural man will be subdued, 30 ;
celebration of the Divine power of the Lord through his union [with
the Divine], 32-36.
To the Leader of the Music : a Psalm of David : a Song.
1 God wUl arise : his enemies shall be scattered ;
And those that hate him, shaU flee before him.
Title.— 4 Song: see note on the Verses 1, 2.— God will arise: The
title of Psalm Ixvi. term God is used, because the subju-

LXVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

313

2 As smoke is driven away, so wilt thou drive them away :
As wax melts before fire, so shaU the wicked perish before
God.
3 But the righteous shaU be glad: they shaU rejoice before
God:
Tea, they shall leap for joy.
4 Sing ye to God ; sing praises to his name :
Extol him who rides upon the clouds by his name, Jah,
And rejoice before him.

gation of the hells is teeated of, and
God signifles the Lord as to Divine
Truth by means of which aU spUit
nal combat is carried on. — Enemies
signifles such as are in falses, and
those that hate him such as are in
evUs. Verse 2. — Assmokeis drivenaway,
•&C. The infemals are compared to
smo^, because smoke signifles falsity
derived from evil. " Smoke signifles
the falses of evU, because it proceeds
from fire, and fUe signifies the loves
of self and the world, and thence all
evUs." Ap. Ex. 539. — As wax melts
before fire, &c. Fire is here used in
a good sense, and signifles Divine
love, as in the passage in which it is
said that the Lord " baptizes with
the Holy Spirit and vrith fire"
(Matthew iii 11), that is, regenerates
man by Divine Truth and Divine
Love. The evil in the spUitual
world, cannot endure the presence of
Divine love {fire), nor of the Divine
truth {God). It tortures them, be
cause theU natures are in a state
of opposition to it. Hence they flee
before it: they shrink from it, and
plunge themselves into the darkness
of hell, to escape it ; and so, wrap
themselves in theU evils and falses,
which is a state of spUitnal death,
or perishing.

Verse 3. — On the other hand, the
righteous are filled vrith delight at
the Lord's presence : that Divine
truth and love, which torment the
vricked, are the very lUe of the good,
because, having suffered themselves
to be regenerated and so brought
into Divrine order, theU natures are
now in agreement with and homo
genous to that of the Lord.
Verse 4. — Who rides upon the
clouds. " By him who rides upon the
clouds is signifled the Lord as to the
illustration of the Word. Clouds de
note truths in the ultimate or literal
sense of the Word ; these are illus
trated [in the mind of the reader],
which is effected by influx from
heaven." Ap. Ex. 594. — God is said
to ride upon the clouds, because a
horse is the emblem of the inteUect
or understanding (A. C. 2761) ; hence
to ride signifles, when spoken of God,
to instruct or enlighten the intellect
in Divine tmths. — By his name, Jah.
" Jah denotes the Divine truth pro
ceeding from the Lord's Divine
Human. The reason is, Jah is
derived from Jehovah, and is called
Jah, because it is not the Esse, but
the Existere from the Esse, for Divine
truth is the Existere, but Divine
good is the Esse. [Jehovah signi
fles Divine good.] Divine truth is

314

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXVIIL

A father of orphans and a judge of widows.
Is God in his holy habitation.
God causes the solitary to dweU in a house :
He brings out the captives into prosperous states :
But the rebellious abide in a parched land.

signifled by Jah in David : Sing ye
to God, praise his name; extol him
who rides upon the clouds, by his name
Jah; — where to 'praise and extol
God by his name Jah,' denotes [to
praise him] by or through Divine
truth." A. C. 8267.
Verse 5. — A father of orphans,
and a judge of widows. " Frequent
mention is made in the Word of
widows, and one who is unacquainted
vrith the intemal sense cannot be
lieve otherwise than that by a widow
is meant merely a vridow. But by
a widow, in the intemal sense, is
signifled the truth of the Church
vrithout its good ; because a v^dfe, in
the representative sense, signifles
truth, and a husband good ; where
fore a wife without a husband signi
fles the truth of the Clmrch without
its good. Hence widows signUy
those, whether women or men, who
are in truth writhout good, and yet
desUe to be in good. — It is here said,
that God is a father of orphans and a
judge of widows. Here, orphans de
note those who, as infants, are in the
good of innocence, but not as yet in
truth ; whose father is said to be the
Lord, because as a father he leads
them, and this by truth into good,
tliatis, into thegoodof Ufe, orvrisdom.
Widows denote those who, as adults,
are in truth, but not yet in good ;
whose judge is said to be the Lord,
because he leads them, and this by
good into truth, that is, into the
truth of inteUigence ; for by a judge

is signified a leader. Good without
truth, which is the orphan, becomes
the good of wisdom by means of the
doctrine of truth ; and truth vrithout
good, which is the widow, becomes
the truth of inteUigence by means
of a Ufe of good." A. C. 4844.—
His holy habitation (Uterally, the
habitation of his holiness). " Heaven
is caUed the habitation of God, as in
Isaiah (IxiU. 15), ' Look from the
heavens, and behold from the habi
tation of thy holiness, and of thy
honorableness;' where thehabitation
of holiness denotes the celestial king
dom and the habitation of honorable
ness the spiritual." A. C. 3960.
Verse 6. — Bj' the solitary (as by
vridows) are signified such as are in
a defect of good, but yet desUe it.
To cause them to dwell in a house, is
to gUt them with affections of good.
A house properly signifies the mind,
particularly the vrill, and hence the
affections of which the wiU is com
posed. By the captives, again, are
signified such as are in mental cap
tivity, being distressed by falses :
these, U good, the Lord at length
gUts with abundance of truths, sig
nified by prosperous states (Uterally,
prosperities). But the rebellious,
that is those who live in opposition
to Divine order, and disobey the
Divine commandments, destroy in
themselves the love of truth and
good, vrith the peace that attends it,
and come into a desolate state, sig
nified by a parched land.

LXVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

315

7 0 God, when thou wentest forth before thy people.
When thou didst march through the wilderness (Selah),
8 The earth trembled, yea, the heavens dropped water at the
presence of God :
Even Sinai, at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 Thou didst pour forth a shower of gifts, 0 God,
And didst confirm thy inheritance when it was weary.
10 Thy congregation dwelt in it :
Thou didst prepare it, 0 God, in thy goodness, for the afflicted.

Verses 7, 8. — " By the wilderness
of Sinai is signifled a state of good
in which the truths of faith are to
be implanted : wilderness here de
notes the good in which truths have
not yet been implanted, and Sinai
denotes the truths theinselves. A
wilderness has several significations ;
in general it-signifies what is unin
habited and uncultivated, thus, in a
spiritual sense, the good which does
not yet contain truths, for good
vrithout truths is spirituaUy unculti
vated. As to the mountain of
Sinai, it signifies, in the supreme
sense, Divine truth derived from
Divine good, mountain Divine good,
and Sinai Divine truth. The rea
son that Mount Sinai has this signi
fication, is because the Law was
thence promulgated by the Lord,
and the Law is Divine teuth from
Divine good. This is the significa
tion of Sinai in David (Ixviii 7, 8,
9) : 0 God, when thou wentest forth
before thy people, when thou didst
march through tlu wilderness, the
earth trembled, yea, the heavens
dropped water at the presence of God :
even Sinai, at the presence of God, the
God of Israel. Thou, 0 God, didst
pour forth a shower of gifts. In this
passage, Sinai denotes the truth
which is from good ; for this is sig
nified bv the heavens dropping

[water]." A. C. 8753. Even Sinai :
that is, even Sinai [cUopped water] :
Sinai is here synonymous with
heaven, for heaven itself consists of
truth derived from good. By the
earth trembling is signified the
Church receiving new influx from
the Lord, and being affected thereby.
By the heavens dropping water, is
signified influx of Divine truth
frcm heaven. By God's going forth
before his people, &c., is signifled the
Lord's assumption of the humanity
and glorUying it, whereby he be
came the Eedeemer and Saviour
(see A. C. 4240) ; for the deliver
ance of the Israelites from Egypt
represented the redemption and re
generation of man.
Verse 9. — By God's inheritance
is signifled the Church. By the
shower of gifts is signified the influx
of Divine truth from the Divine
mercy. (Ap. Ex. 650.)
Verse 10. — Thy congregation: Uter
aUy, thy living ones, that is, those who
have spUitual life in them. — Dwelt
in it : that is, in the land of Canaan,
the Israelites being still referred to
in the literal sense : but the land of
Canaan, in the spiritual sense, signi
fies heaven, where aU the good
dwell at last. — Tliou didst prepare it
in thy goodness for the afiiicted. The
Lord " went to prepare a place"

316

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXVIIL

11 The Lord gave the Word:
Those that pubUshed the glad tidings were a numerous host.
12 Kings of armies fled — they fled.
And she that dwelt in the house, divided the spoU.
13 Though ye have lain among the hearth-stones.
Ye shaU be as the wings of a dove covered with sUver,
And her feathers with yeUow gold.

(John xiv. 2), for those who by
affliction, that is, temptation, should
become regenerated and thus fitted
to enjoy it.
Verse 11. — The Lord gave ihe
Word : that is, the Lord gifts vrith
Divine truth those who by affliction
and temptation have been prepared
to receive it. — Tiiose that published
the glad tidings were a numerous host,
refers seemingly to the whole host
of the spiritual who were saved by
the Lord's coming, and who joyfuUy
received and proclaimed the new
tmths given to them. (It is to be
remarked that, in the Hebrew, the
term signUying those tliat publislied
is in the feminine gender : a woman
signifies affection : thus the use of
the feminine expresses the impor
tant truth that those who were
saved were in the affections of
truth and not merely in the know
ledge of it.)
Verse 12.^ — Kings of armies fied.
By kings are signifled such as are
in the possession of truth ; for truth
has power : by armies or hosts, also,
are signifled the knowledges of truth.
Yet they fied: that is, at the judg
ment, many such are found not able
to bear the presence of the Divine,
because their truth is only in the
memory, and not rooted in good. —
And she that dwelt in the house divided
the spoil. She signifles the affection

of good, and such as are in that affec
tion. The house is the will-principle :
she that dwelt in the house, then, is
the affection of good rooted in the
vrill. These divide the spoil : spoil
signifles the truths taken away from
those who are not in good, and given
to those who are : " take the talent
from him, and give it to him that
hath ten talents" (Matt. xxv. 28).
Verse 13. — " To lie among the
hearthstones, signifles to Uve in or
according to the statutes : the wings
of a dove covered with silver signify
spiritual truths : her feathers with
yelloio gold, signifles spiritual good
from which truths are derived. The
reason why the icings of a dove covered
with silver signify spUitual truths is
because wings denote the spiritual
principle, a dove truth derived from
good, and silver truth itself Feathers
signUy the spUitual good from which
those tmths are derived, and simUar
is the signification of yellow gold."
Ap. Ex. 283. — The word translated
heartli-stones has been variously ren
dered, hearth- stones, pots, burdens,
sheep-folds, stalls. The general idea,
however, conveyed by the term, seems
plain — it signifies humble duties,
jjrinciples of right in common Ufe.
The meaning is, that those who have
faithfully lived according to the Di
vine commandments, and the re-
quUements of conscience, in however

LXVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

317

14 When Shaddai disperses, kings shaU be in it :
It shaU be as snow on Zalmon.
15 A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan:
A mountain of summits is the mountain of Bashan.
16 Why leap ye, ye mountains, ye summits of the mountain,
Which God deUghts to dweU in ?
Yea, the Loed wiU dweU there forever.

humble a sphere, and in the midst
of ignorance and uncertainty, shaU
hereafter be gUted vrith bright and
clear spiritual tmths, and blessed
with spUitual and heavenly good. —
The words, " Though ye have lain,"
would perhaps be rendered vrithmore
propriety, "If ye have lain :" that
is, " If you have lived in simpUcity
according to the statutes" (or the
extemal laws of reUgion, for such is
the meaning of statutes, see A. C.
3382), " then you vriU be instructed
after death in more interior tmths,
and fiUed vrith good."
Vbrse 14. — IfTwn Shaddai dis
perses, &c. " No one can understand
the meaning of these words, except
from the intemal sense. Shaddai
signifies a state of temptation : kings
in it, signU'y tmths in that state and
after it. The reason why Shaddai
signifies a state of temptation, is
because God Shaddai signifies temp
tations, and consolations after them ;
and inasmuch as truths from good
are implanted in man by tempta
tions, it is therefore said, kings shall
be in it, for by kings are signified
truths derived from good." Ap. Ex.
283. — " The reason that Shaddai sig
nifies temptation, and after tempta
tion consolation, is because the an
cients designated the only God by
various names, according to the va
rious things which are from him ;
and as they believed temptations

also to be from him, they then caUed
him God Shaddai. [The word Shad
dai is from a root signUying to op
press, to distress, to make desolate,
as is the case in temptations.] That
not only temptations, but also con
solation, is signified by Shaddai, is
because all spUitual temptations are
succeeded by consolation." A. C.
5628. When Shaddai disperses, means
when the cloud of temptation is dis
persed. Kings shall he in it : truths
shaU be given in that state and after
it. It shall be as snow on Zalmon.
Zalmon was a mountain in Samaria
(see Judges ix. 48). A mountain
from its elevation, signifies a state of
love or good. Snow, from its white
ness, is a representative of truth (A.
C. 8459). Hence it shall be as snow
on Zalmon, means that the mind
after temptation shall be full of
truth from good.
Verses 15, 16. — "By the moun
tain of Bashan is signified voluntary
good [or good in the will], such as
exists with those who are in the
externals of the Church. For
Bashany/ns a region beyond Jordan,
which was given as an inheritance
to the haU-tribe of Manasseh ; ancl
by Manasseh is signified voluntary
good, or good in the will, vrith the
external or natural man. This
voluntary good is the same vrith the
good of love in the extemal mau,

318

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXVIIL

17

18

The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands of
thousands :
The Lord is in them ; as in Sinai, in the holy place.
Thou hast ascended on high :
Thou hast led captivity captive :
Thou hast received gifts for man.
Yea, even for the rebeUious, that the Lord God might dweU
among them.

for all the good of love belongs to
the wiU. Since the mountain of
Bashan signifies that good, therefore
by the summits of that mountain are
signified goods in act; for it is the
will that acts, and all the active
principle of the mind and body is
from the vrill. The joy arising
from thegoodof loveismeant by leap
ing : hence is evrident what is meant
by itsbeingsaid, TVliy leapye, yemoun-
tains, ye summits of the mountain ?
And since the Lord dwells in man
in the good of the wiU, whence are
derived goods in act, therefore it is
said, God delights to dioell, yea, the
Lord will dwell there forever." Ap.
Ex. 405.
The mountain of Bashan is called
a mountain of God, because good in
the wUl (sigmfied by the mountain
of Bashan) is attained by practising
Divine truth, that is, living accord
ing to the Commandments ; and the
term God signifies Divine tmth. It
is also called a mountain of summits,
because as summits spring from the
general level of a mountain, so does
good in act spring from good in the
wUl. — It is said, Why leap ye, ye
mountains, ye summits of the moun
tain? because joy of heart (signified
by leaping) accompanies good in the
wUl {mountain), and especially
good in act {summits ot the moun
tain). — It is said, God delights to

dwell in it, yea, the Lord will dwell
there — God signUying the Lord as to
Divine truth, and the Lord (or
Jehovah) the same as to Divine love.
The Lord with his truth and love
abides in the heart that wUls and
does good.
Verse 17. — " The chariots of God
denote the things which are of the
Word and of doctrine thence de
rived : thousands and ten thousands
denote the infinite things which are
therein." A. C. Z186.— The Lord is
in them denotes the Lord's presence
in all things of his Word. — It is
added, as in Sinai, in Hie holy place,
because Sinai signifies Divine truth
derived from Divine good (see note
on verses 7, 8), and the term holy is
predicated of truth. (Ap. fiev. 666.)
Verse 18. — Thou hast ascended on
high. This refers to the glorification
of the Lord's Humanity. Thou hast
led captivity captive, or thou hast
taken captive tlu captives ; that is,
hast taken them out of the hands of
theU oppressors. " By captivity, in
the Word, is signified spiritual cap
tivity, which is a state of deprivation
of truths and of oppression by falses ;
as in David (PsaUn IxviU. 18), Tliou
hast ascended on high, thou hast led
captivity captive; here the Lord is
trjated of, and by leading captivity
captive, is signified to liberate from
falses those who were thereby held

LXVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

319

19 Blessed be the Lord from day to day:
Though he lay burthens upon us, he is the God of our sal
vation. Selah.
20 God is to us a God of salvation ;
And to Jehovih the Lord belongs deliverance from death.

captive." Ap. Ex. 811. (To lead
captivity captive, is the same as to
lead the captives captive — the abstract
term being put for the concrete.) —
Thou hast received gifts for man.
Receiving gifts has reference to the
glorification of the Human, whereby
the gifts of Divine love and tmth
could be communicated to those who
but for this medium would have
been separated from the Divine : as
the Lord said, " 1 am come that they
might have lUe, and might have it
more abundantly" (John x. 10). —
Yea, even for the rebellious, that the
Lord God might dwell among them.
By the rebellious, here, are probably
meant the spUitual — whereas hjman
{adam) are meant the celestial. The
spiritual are caUed rebellious (or re
fractory — the word is from a root
signUying to turn aside — that is,
from the path of perfect rectitude)
because they are not, Uke the celestial,
regenerated as to the will part, but
only as to the inteUectual part,
wherein is formed a plane of con
science which is vrith them the
receptacle of the Divine (see A. C.
6854). — That ihe Lord God (literally
Jah God) might dwell. Ja/i signifies the
Divine truth proceeding from the
Lord's Divine Human. (A. G. 8267.)
The term God also signifies the Divine
truth. It is said that Jah God might
dwellamong them,, because the spiritual
are recipients distinctively of Divine
Truth, whereas the celestial are re
cipients of Divine love.
Verse 19. — Blessed he, &c. This

verse has been variously rendered ;
in the original it is so concisely ex
pressed as to be somewhat obscure.
The meaning probably is, that we
have just reason to " bless the Lord
at aU times," for though he some
times permits burthens, or trials, to
be laid upon us, yet it is for our
good, and he wiU cause them all to
be means of contributing to our sal
vation. — Selah: see note on Psalm
iU. 2.
Verse 20. — God is to us a God
of salvation (literally, of salvations).
That is, with the good, all things,
under Divine Providence, contribute
to salvation, and to fitting them for
theUeternal dwelling-place inheaven
— the one great end of existence.
The term salvations is used, in the
plural, to express the innumerable
means which the Divine wisdom
makes use of, to purUy and to save
ns. For the same reason deliverances
is used in the next clause. — And to Je-
hovilitlieLordhelongsdeliverance(liteT- aUy, deliverances) from death. Death
means spiritual death, which is a
state of evU and consequent unhappi
ness. Jehovih the Lord. "The term
Lord Jehovih is frequently mentioned
in the Word, and this especially
where the subject is conceming
temptation." A. C. 1793. The
term Lord {adonai), signifying ruler,
master, has reference to Divine Truth,
for truth rules and governs. The
letter i in the last syUable of Jehovih is
taken from Eloliim, the Hebrew word

320

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXVIIL

21 But God will crush the head of his enemies,
Even the crown of the head and the hair of him who goes
on in his guUt.
22 The Lord said, I wUl bring thee back from Bashan,
I wiU bring thee back from the depths of the sea.

for God, and God signifies Divine
Truth : hence, probably, it is that
Jehovih signifies Truth from Good,
wliUe Jehovah signifies Good itself.
The term is used here because it is
by temptations chiefiy, and conquest
in them, that man becomes delivered
from a state of death or sin : and it
is by Divine Truth that the Lord
sustains man in temptation.
Verse 21. — Head — crown of the
head and hair. " The head denotes
first principles, because the head is
the supreme part of man, and therein
are his first principles, from which
are derived all things which belong
to the body, for in the head are the
imderstanding and vrill, from which,
as from their first principles, all the
other tilings flow which relate to
the more remote part of man's Ufe,
or to his speech and actions. But
hairs denote ultimates, for they
grow from the ultimate parts of man,
and first principles terminate in
them. Wherefore when head and
hairs are mentioned together, fUst
principles and ultimates are thereby
meant." Ap. Ex. 66. — It is saicl,
" God will crush the head of his ene
mies" ju.^t as it is said in other parts
of the Word that God is wrathful and
furious. This is spoken according
to appearance. The real truth is,
that the Lord is love itseU and un
changeable : " he is kind," as the
Scripture declares, " even to the un
thankful and to the evil" (Luke vi.
35). But the enemies of God, that

is, the wicked, bring destruction on
themselves, when they give way to
evU passions ; for evil is its own
punishment ; it is a moral disease
which tortures those who are in it.
It is said. Will crush the head. Hie
crown of the head and the hair,
meaning that evU wUl corrupt and
consume the whole man from first
principles to ultimates, from in
teriors to exteriors.
Verse 22. — I will bring thee back,
&c. Thee means the Lord's people,
the good, especially the spUitual,
whom he came to redeem. Bashan
signifles the external or natural
mind, because it was a region be
yond Jordan ; and the country
outside of Jordan represented the
extemal mind as that within Jordan
represented the intemal or spiritual
mind. To bring them back from
Bashan, then, signifies to elevate
from a natural to a spUitual state.
— Similar is the meaning of bringing
back from the depths of the sea : the
sea signifies the external mind, as to
the understanding, while Bashan
signifies the extemal mind as to the
wUl (see note on verse 15). To
bring hack from both signifies to
regenerate as to the will and as to
the understanding.— In a bad sense,
the sea also signifies hell, for a state
of the external or natural mind,
separate from the internal or spUit
ual, is hell. (A. fi. 238.) Then to
bring back from the depths of the sea,
signifies also to redeem from heU.

LXVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

321

23 That thou mayest plunge thy foot into blood :
And that the tongue of thy dogs may have its portion from
the enemies.
24 They saw thy goings, 0 God,
The goings of my God, my king, into the sanctuary.
25 The singers went before ;
Afterwards, the players on instruments :
In the midst were the virgins striking the timbrels.

(See the Summary of the Intemal
Sense.) Verse 23. — To plunge the foot
into blood, is to enter into combat
vrith falses. Blood signifies Divine
truth, but in the opposite sense, the
false (A. B. 379) : foot signifies the
natural mind, in which aU combat
is carried on. It is necessary that
the spUitual shoiUd pass through
combats with falses in order to be
purified and fltted for heaven ; as
the IsraeUtes, after being delivered
from Egypt, and brought in safety
through the fied Sea, had yet to
wander long in the vrilderness and
fight many battles before reach
ing the promised land. — And that the
tongue of thy dogs may have its portion
from the enemies. By dogs are signi
fied such as are lowest in the Church.
(A. C. 7784.) The tongue, as the
organ of speech, signifies thought
and perception, whence speech pro
ceeds (Ap. Ex. 455). The enemies
signUy tempters, infemal spirits,
also the falses which they infuse. —
By the tongue of thy dogs having its
portion from them, is signifled that
even the lowest and weakest among
the sjiiritual shall, through combat
with falses, receive some perception
of good and truth. Even our ens-
mies, under the Lord's providence,

are made to yield us spiritual bene-
flts. Verses 24, 25. — They saw thy
goings, 0 God, &c. " These things
are said conceming the Lord, who
here is meant by my God, and my
King, and his advent is understood
by his goings into the sanctuary. By
the singers going before, the players
on instruments after, are signified
all who are of his spiritual and
celestial kingdoms : by the sing
ers, those of the Lord's spiritual
kingdom, and by the players on in
struments and timbrels those of his
celestial kingdom : they are called
virgins from the affection of good
and tmth, and singing, playing on
instruments, and striking the tim
brels are expressive of their gladness
and joy of heart." Ap. Ex. 863. —
Note. The reason why the Lord's
advent, is signified by his goings into
the sanctuary is because by the sanc
tuary or holy place is meant in the
supreme sense the humanity which
Jehovah assumed in the world. For
that humanity is called in Scripture
the " temple," thus : " Jehovah shaU
come to his temple" (Malachi iii. 1).
" Destroy this temple, and in three
days I wUl raise it up : he spake of
the temple of his body" (John U.
19, 21).

322

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXVIIL

26 Bless ye God, in the congregations.
Even the Lord, the fountain of Israel
27 There is Uttle Benjamin, their ruler,
The princes of Judah, their councU,
The princes of Zebulon, the princes of ISTaphtaH
28 Thy God ordained thy strength :
Strengthen, 0 God, that which thou hast done for us.
29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem,
Kings shaU bring presents to thee.
30 Eebuke the beast of the reed, the assembly of the strong.
Among the calves of the people, treading down pieces of
silver.
They disperse the people, they deUght in wars.

Verse 26. — " To bless God in the
congregations signifies to glorUy the
Lord from spiritual truths. By
congregations, in the Word, are signi
fied the same as by people, namely,
those who are in spiritual truths,
and, in the abstract, those truths
themselves. To bless in the congre
gations signifies glorification from
spUitual truths, and to bless from the
fountain of Israel signifies glorifica
tion from spiritual good ; therefore
God is predicated of the former and
the Lord of the latter ; for the name
God is used in the Word, where the
subject tres,ted of is truth, and
Jehovah or the Lord when the sub
ject is good." Ap. Ex. 340.
Verses 27-29.—" The Lord's in
nocence, from which he effected and
accomplished all things, is signified
hy little Benjamin, their ruler: Di
vine truths from Divine good is
signified by the princes of Judah,
their council, [or company,] — princes
denoting truths and Judah good or
love ; the glorification, or the uniting
of the Divine and Human, is signi
fied by the princes of Zebulon and
the princes of Naphtali, [for by the

tribe of Zebulon is signified the con
junction of good and tmth, and by
Naphtali combat against evils and
falses, and hence by both reforma
tion and regeneration, and in the
Lord's case, glorification.] That
hence the human of the Lord had
Divine power, is signifled by the
words, Ood ordained thy strength. Be
cause of thy temple at Jerusalem : by
temple here is meant the Divine
Human of the Lord, and by Jerusa
lem the Church. [Kings shall bring
presents to thee : kings signUy those
who are in truth from good, bringing
presents signifies offering worship to
the Lord.] " Ap. Ex. 439.
Verse 30. — Rebuke the beast of the
reed, &c. The subjugation of the
heUs is signified by these words.
The beast of the reed and the assembly
of the strong signify the scientific
principle of the natural man per
verting the goods and tmths of the
Church. The calves of the people
signify the goods of the Church [a
calf signUyingnatural good], piecesof
silver the truths of the Church ; to
disperse the people, and to delight in
wars, means to pervert and reason

LXVIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

823

31 The fat ones shaU come from Egypt :
Ethiopia shaU Uft up her hands to God.
32 Sing to God, ye kingdoms of the earth ;
^mg praises to the Lord. Selah.
33 To him who rides upon the heaven of heavens of old ;
Behold he sends forth his voice, a mighty voice.

against those tmths and goods. The
subjugation of the heUs is the same
as the subjugation of the natural
man ; for in that man are evUs from
heU, which are the deUghts of the
love of seU and the world, and there
also are the scientifics which confirm
them ; which delights, when they
are regarded as an end and have
dominion, are against the goods and
tmths of the Church." Ap. Ex.
439. The reason why the perverted
scientific principle of the natural
man is caUed the beast of tlu reed,
is because reeds as they grow in
low swampy places, signUy sensifal
tmths, or truths derived through the
senses, and which occupy the scien
tific principle of the mind and are
easily perverted into faUacies. — The
word translated beast is from a root
signUying lUe, and it describes such
as have theU lUe or delight in scien
tifics perverted. "Inasmuch as
such scientifics, being derived from
the fallacies of the senses, have
steong power of persuasion, they are
caUed the assembly of the strong, and
because they dissipate the truths
yet remaining among the goods of
those who are of the Church, it is
said of them that they tread down
pieces of silver amongst the calves of
the people, and further that they
disperse the people, that is, the Church
itself with its tmths ; the lust of
assaultingand destroyingthose tmths
is meant by delighting in wars (or

battles)." A. C. 9391. Ap. Ex.
627. Verse 31. — The fat ones sliall come
from Egypt, &o. " Egypt signifies the
natural man as to scientifics, and
Ethiopia the natural man as to the
knowledges of good and truth." " By
the fat ones from Egypt are signified
the GentUes, who are in the affection
of knowing truths" [fat, in the
.spiritual sense, signifies good or love,
hence the affection of truth]. " The
fat from Egypt and Ethiopia are
those who are in the science of
spiritual things, and in the know
ledges of truth and good, who are
about to come to the Lord's king
dom, because they are Ui light from
the spiritualman." Ap. Ex. 439, 654,
627. — Sliall lift up her hands to
God, literally slia,ll cause her hands to
run to God: that is, shaU ardently
seek Divine truth.
Verse 32. — Sing to God, ye king
doms, &c. "The reception by the
GentUes of the goods and truths of
heaven and the Church, is signified
by the words, Sing to Ood, ye king
doms of the earth : sing praises to the
Lord." — Ap. Ex. 654. — Selah: see
note on Psalm iii. 2.
Verse 33. — Who rides upon the
heaven of heavens. As a horse signi
fies the understanding, hence to ride
signifies to illustrate the understand
ing (see A. C. 2761). Hence, to ride
upon the heavens would seem to mean,
to iUuminate the minds of angels.

324

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXVIIL

34 Ascribe ye strength to God ;
His majesty is over Israel,
And his strength is in the clouds.
35 Thou art to be feared, 0 God, out of thy sanctuaries :
The God of Israel is he that gives strength and power to his
people :
Blessed be God.

Hence it is added He sends forth his
voice, voice signifying Divine truth,
by which iUustration is effected.
(A. C. 6971). The heaven of heavens
which were of old, means probably
the inmost or celestial heaven, which
was also the most ancient. — A
mighty voice (literaUy, a voice of
strength), sigrdties Divine truth j oined
to Divine good, for strength is
predicated of good or love. (A. C.
6344). Verse 34. — Ascribe ye strength to
God. " Strength signifles the Divine
omnipotence, and it is predicated
of the Divine love." A. fi. 22.—
His majesty is over Israel. By Israel
is signified the spiritual Church, and
also the spiritual heaven. Majesty
is predicated of the Divine wisdom
or truths {A. K. 22), and it is ap
pUed to Israel or the spiritual, be
cause truth is what characterises the
spUitual. — And his strength is in the
clouds. By clouds, here, is signified
the celestial heaven ; and the Lord's
strength is said to be in it, because
strength signifies omnipotence from
Divine love, and it is lov^e that dis
tinguishes the celestiaL " Inasmuch
as the superior heavens appear to
the view of those who are in the in
ferior heavens, as covered with a

Ught and bright cloud, hence the
Divine truth in the superior heaven,
or what is the same thing, the su
perior heavens themselves, are, in
some passages of the Word, under
stood by clouds ; as in David (bcviU.
34), 'Ascribe ye strength to God,
his majesty is over Israel, and his
strength is in the clouds.' " Ap. Ex.
594. Verse 35. — Thou art to he feared,
0 God, out of thy sanctuaries. This
refers to the Lord in his Divine
Humanity, by which the heUs were
overcome ; and which is stUl feared
by them. Out of thy sanctuaries.
The term sanctuary, or holy place,
is predicated of truth : hence, sanc
tuaries here signUy doubtless the
spiritual heavens, which are char
acterised by truth. By the Lord's
efflux through or out of these, he
continually keeps in subjection the
hells which are opposecl to them.
Hence, also, he is caUed the God of
Israel, that is the God of the .spirit
ual, which is the Lord in his Divine
Humamty : it is from this that the
people, that is, the spUitual, have aU
their strength and power, that is, good
and truth. — Blessed be God means let
the Lord be praised and adored for
his salvation and protection.

LXIX.] NOTES ON THE PSALMS 325
PSALM LXIX.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Tlie Lord's combats in temptations even to despair, verses 1-9 ;
insomuch tho,t he thought to recede, 5 ; but that for the sake of tiiose
who waited for salvation, lie hore on, 6,7; that he would he igno
miniously treated by those with whom the Chitrch was, 8-12; a
prayer to the Father that He would assist, lest they should prevail,
13-20 ; that, when lie desired the good and truth of the Church,
tliey gave him falsity and evils, as upon the cross gall and vinegar,
21 ; that therefore they would be destroyed, 22-28 ; that when he
is delivered, the gospel will he preached, 29—31 ; because then those
ofthe Church will he saved, who sho,ll worship him, 32-36.
To the Leader of the Music : upon the LiUes : a Psalm of David.
1 Save me, 0 God ;
For the waters have come in even to the soul :
2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing :
I am come into the depths of waters, and the flood over
whelms me.
Title. — Upon the Lilies: see note — The waters have come in even to the
on the title of Psalm xiv. soul. " By waters, here are signified
Verse 1. — Save me, 0 God. In falses, and the temptation produced
these and the foUovring verses, are by falses iiUused [from hell]." A.
described the deep and agonizing C. 9050. — Even to the soul. By soul
temptations, which the Lord under- is signified distinctively the lUe of
went, whUe in his humanity on the understanding, which falses seek
earth : temptation so deep and ter- to destroy. " By soul and heart is
rible, as to bring him at times into meant the life of man ; but Ufe is
despaU. In those states, he lost aU from the wiU and from the under-
perception of his Divine, and looked stancUng : the Ufe of the vriU from
up for help, just as man does ; for the good of love is meant by heart,
at such times he was immersed and the lUe of the understanding
completely in the human principle, from the tmths of vrisdom is meant
and indeed let into the hells, which by the soul. This is the meaning of
were conjoined vrith the hereditary the terms heart and soul, in nianj''
evUs of his humanity. Hence he places in the Word." A. fi. 681.
cried, as here, "Scwe me, 0 God," Verse 2. — I sink in deep mire.
and as npon the Cross, " My God, As by waters are signified falses, by
myGod,wbyhastthoulorsakenme?" mire is signified evU derived from

326

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXIX.

3 I am weary with my crying out : my throat is parched ;
My eyes waste away, whUe I wait for my God.
4 Those that hate me without cause, are more than the hairs of
my head :
Those that would destroy me, that are my enemies falsely, are
mighty :
WliUe I am restoring that which I took not away.
5 0 God, thou knowest Taj folly ;
And my transgressions are not hid from thee.

the false. (Ap. Ex. 531.)— The fiood
overwhelms me. "From experience
it has been given to leam what an
inundation or flood is in the spiritual
sense ; and that it is of two kinds,
the one being an inundation of lusts,
and the other of falsities. The in
undation of lusts is of the wUl, and
acts upon the right part of the brain,
while the inundation of falsities is of
the imderstanding, and has connexion
with the left part of the brain.
Wlien a man, who has lived in good,
is let back into his proprium, thus
into the sphere of his own lUe, then
there appears, as it were, an inun
dation : he is indignant, is angry,
thinks restlessly, desUes vehemently.
In such an inundation are those who
are in temptation." A. C. 5725.
Verse 3. — My eyes waste away,
while I wait for my God. By the
eyes are signified the mental eye, the
understanding. The term God sig
nifies distinctively the Divine Truth.
Hence by the eyes wasting away while
waiting for God, is denoted that the
understanding droops and loses its
life for want of the Ught of truth.
Verse 4. — Tiiose that hate me with
out cause, are more than the hairs of
my head. This refers to the in
numerable hosts of heU, by whom
the Lord was assaulted in temptation.

They are said to hate him without
cause, meaning that theU assaults
were the effect of pure maUce, and
of hatred against Divine good and
truth. — As by those that hate me are
signified such of the infernals as are
particularly in the love of evU, — so,
by those that would destroy me, are
signified such as are in the love of
the false : hence it is said being my
enemies falsely, (or with falsity or
from falsity). They are caUedmigWi/,
because might signifies the power of
tmth, or, in the opposite sense, of
the false. — While I am restoring that
which I took not away. What the
Lord came to restore was man's
spiritual liberty, or faculty of re
generation, which was about perish
ing through the overwhelming pre
dominance of hell. This was the
object of his work of redemption.
Now this the Lord did not taJce away,
but man himseU had lost it, by
giving himself up to evU.
Verse 5. — My folly — my trans
gressions (or faults, failings). As
the Lord had no actual sin, (as he
himseU declared — "Which of you
convicteth me of sin?" John vin. 46),
these expressions must refer to his
hereditary propensities, which he felt
in himself as great evUs. The term
folly signifies, probably, errors and

LXIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

327

6 Let not those that wait on thee, 0 Lord, Jehovih of hosts,
Be put to shame through me :
Let not those that seek thee, 0 God of Israel,
Be confounded on my account.
7 Because for thy sake I bear reproach.
And contumely covers my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my brethren,
And an aUen to the sons of my mother.

evUs in the thought, and trans
gressions evils in the vrill, lusts,
passions. — This verse is a confession
that he is fuU of evUs, and that tliis
is the ground of his deep temptations.
It is an utterance of despaU as to his
abUity to accomplish the work of
Redemption (see the Summary of
the Intemal Sense, on this verse.)
Verse 6. — Let not those, &c. In
the midst of his despaU, arises the
thought of those whom he has come
to redeem ; and he prays that they
may not be lost through his weak
ness. Tiiose tliat wait on thee, denote
such, particularly as are in the
affection of good, and hence in hu
mUity and obedience, and those ihat
seek thee, denote such as are in the
affection of tmth and thence in faith.
Hence in connexion vrith the former
is used the term Lord and also
Jehovih of hosts, which signUy the
Lord as to Divine love and as to
omnipotence from good (A. C. 2921),
whUe in connexion vrith the latter
is used the phrase God of Israel, for
God signifies the Lord as to Divdne
truth, and Israel signUy " those who
are in Divine truths from the Lord."
(A. B. 96). — Jehovih: see note on
Ps. Itviii 20.
Verse 7. — Because for thy sake,
&c. That for the sake of Divine
love, and for the good of those whom
the Divine love desUes to save, he

wUl continue to endure his dUeful
temptations. — Reproach — contumely.
Reproach signifies assaults upon the
understanding, contumely assaults
upon the wUl. Hence it is said
covers my face, the face being the
emblem of the affections (which are
expressed in the face), and thus of
the vrill or love.
Verse 8. — I have become a stranger
to my brethren, &o. That is, he has
separated himseUfrommerely natural
affections and thoughts, as being
opposed to what are spiritual and
Divine. Brethren, here, is used in
the same sense as in the passage in
which the Lord commands us to
" Hate father and mother and breth
ren" (Luke xiv. 26), by which
terms are signifled in the spiritual
sense, the occupants of the mental
household, th e thoughts and affections
of the natural, unregenerate mind,
which we are requUed to renounce.
— By brethren, in this sense, are
signifled distinctively the affections,
and by sons of my mother, the
thoughts of the natural mind; for
the term brethren has always reference
to the affections of the vriU and sons
to the thoughts of the understanding.
In a simUar, but somewhat more
extemal sense, by " my bretliren and
tlu sons of my mother," are signified
the evUs and falses of the Jewish
Church — the term mother signU'ying

.328

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXIX.

9 Because zeal for thy house has consumed me.
And the reproaches of those that reproach thee have fallen
upon me.
10 When I weep in the fasting of my soul,
That is made a reproach to me :
11 When I make sackcloth my garment,
I become a by-word to them.
12 Those that sit at the gate talk against me :
And / am the song of drunliards.

the Church (A. C. 289) ; as also
the people themselves who were in
those evils and falses. From all
these the Lord separated himself.
Verse 9. — For zeal for thy house
hath consumed me. The Lord's house
is the Church, and heaven, and in
general the principle of good itself,
which is the essence of these. By
zeal for thy house is meant the Lord's
love for good, and abhorrence of all
that is opposed to it. This had con
sumed or destroyed him, that is, had
brought him into suffering and
persecution from those who were
opposed to good and truth, whether
evil men or infernal spirits. Hence
it is added, the reproaches of those that
reproach thee have fallen upon me.
The Lord was the Divine incarnate :
hence those who were opposed to
the Divine, were opposed to and
persecuted the Lord. (There is a
parallel passage in Psalm cxix. 139.)
Verses 10, 11. — In the fasting of
my soul. As fasting, of the body, is
an abstinence from food, so fasting
of the soul is a state, in which the
mind is deprived of its appropriate
nourishment and delight — a state of
spiritual desolation and temptation.
— When I make sackcloth my gar
ment. " By being clothed in sack
cloth, is signified lamentation on ac
count of a defect of truth in the

Church : for garments signify tmths ;
therefore to be clothed in sackcloth,
which is not a garment, signifies
lamentationb ecause there is no truth."
A. fi. 492. Here, by the fasting
of the soul is signified a state of
desolation as to good, and by being
clothed in sackcloth the same as to
truth. This being made a reproach
to him, and his being a by-word to
them, signifies that to the merely
natural man who has no understand
ing of spiritual temptations, this
dejection of the spiritual man is a
matter of ridicule. — In the Lord's
case, the reference is to Ms perse
cution by the Jews, and also to his
infestation by infemal spirits.
Verse 12.— Those that sit at tlu
gate. As a gate is the place of en
trance, it would signify, in the spirit
ual sense, what is extemal ; thus
those that sit at the gate mean prob
ably such as are extemal in their ideas
and feelings — such as have no in
ternal perception. Such talk against
the spiritual man, because they have
no understanding of or sympathy
with his state. — And I am the song
of drunkards. " Those are caUed
drunkards, who beUeve nothing but
what they comprehend, and thereby
inquire into the mysteries of faith :
the consequence of which is, that
they must needs fall into errors, in-

LXIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

329

13 But as for me, my prayer is to thee, 0 LoED ;
Let it be a time of acceptance :
0 God, in the abundance of thy mercy,
Answer me by thy saving truth.
14 DeUver me out of the mire, and let me not sink :
Let me be delivered from those that hate me, and out of the
deep waters.
15 Let not the flood of waters overflow me,
And let not the deep swaUow me up :
Let not the pit shut its mouth upon me.
16 Answer me, 0 Lord, for thy compassion is good :
According to the multitude of thy tender mercies, turn thou
unto me.
17 And hide not thy face from thy servant,
For I am in distress : hasten to answer me,

asmuch as they are under the guid
ance only of things sensual, scienti
fic, and philosophical. The error
and insanity thence derived are
caUed, in the Word, drunkenness."
A. C. 1072. Hence to be the song
of drunkards, means to be the sport
of merely sensual men and un-
beUevers. Verse 13. — " By a time of accept
ance is signified acceptance from love ;
time, when it is said of men, denotes
a present existing state ; but when
said of Jehovah, it signifies what is
perpetuaUy existing ; thus, a time of
acceptance signifies his love, which
is perpetual. To hear and assist
from love by the Divine proceeding,
which is Divine truth, is signified
by the words. In the abundance of
thy mercy answer me, by thy saving
truth." Ap, Ex. 295.
Verses 14, 15. — "In these pass
ages are described the temptations
ofthe Lord, by which he subjugated
the heUs and glorified his humanity.
By mire ancl waters are signified
evUs and falses, and by the deep and

also by the pit, are signified the
hells where and whence those evils
and falses are ; for temptations are,
as it were, immersions into the heUs
and obsessions by evils and falses.
These things are signified, in many
places, by the lamentations of David,
and also in the prophets ; for, in the
.spiritual sense of the Word, the
temptations of the Lord are much
treated of : these especially are what
were meant by the things predicted
in the Prophets and in the Psalms
concerning the Lord, and by the
thUigs fulfilled by him, as mentioned
in Luke xxiv. 44." Ap. Ex. 538.
Verses 16, 17.— "By the face of
Jehovah, or of the Lord, is signified
mercy, peace, and every good. Since
such is the case, it is evident that
the Lord never looks at any one but
from mercy, and that he never turns
away his face from any one ; but
that it is man, when he is in evU,
who turns away his ovni face ; as
declared by the Lord through Isaiah
(lix. 2), 'your iniquities have sepa
rated between you and your God,

330

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXIX.

18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it:
DeUver me because of my enemies.
19 Thou knowest my reproach, and my shame, and my igno
miny :
AU my oppressors are before thee.
20 Eeproach has broken my heart, and I am fuU of heaviness :
I looked for pity, but there was none :
And for comforters, but I ibund none.
21 For my food they gave me gaU;
And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

and your sins have hid his face from
you.'" A. 0. 223. In temptations,
man's evils rise up, like a cloud, and
intervene between him and the
heavenly sun, that is, the Lord, and
so the Lord's face appears hid from
him. It was the same with the
Lord himself in his temptations : at
such times, he was immersed in the
hereditary evUs of his humanity,
which intervening between him and
the Divine, seemed to remove the
divine presence from him : and
then it appeared to the humanity,
as if Jehovah hid his face and tumed
away : but it was only an appear
ance. Verse 18. — Draw near to my soul,
&c. In states of temptation the
Lord appears absent, whereas he is
then most intimately present, sup
porting and sustaining. The term
soul, here, refers distinctively to the
life ofthe understanding (A. fi. 681),
while deliver me refers to the vrill,
vv^hich is the essential man. — Ene
mies are spiritual foes, tempters.
Verse 19. — Tliou knowest, &c.
Yes ! the Lord knows all our troubles
and sorrows and trials in temptation;
he sees and feels them aU : he has
passed through similar and fiercer
ones himself in the humanity, and

he can sympathize vrith us. As
the apostle feeUngly says, "for we
have not a high priest who cannot
be touched with the feeUng of our
infirmities, but was in aU points
tempted Uke as we are." "For ia
that he himseU hath suffered being
tempted, he is able to succour those
that are tempted" (Hebrews in.
15, U. 18). Yes ! he vrill succor us
and deliver us in due time, U we
bear on patiently. The great physi
cian knows best our needs : and as
soon as he sees that the evU is re
moved, for which the temptation is
permitted, we shaU be set free, and
be healthier and happier than before.
— Reproach, shame, ignominy: these
terms express the different degrees
of humUiation and desolation through
which the Lord passed and through
which man passes in temptation. — My
oppressors : that is, tempters, infemal
spirits. Verse 20. — What a picture of
loneliness and desolation is here
drawn ! This is truly the language
of one who was " despised and re
jected of men, a man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief"
Verse 21. — For my food they gave
me gall, &c. (See Matthew xxvii.
34. ) " AU the particulars even to the

LXIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

331

22 Let their table before them become a snare,
And their peace a trap.
23 Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not :
And cause their loins continuaUy to shake.

most minute, related in the evangel
ists concerning the Lord's passion,
signUy in the spiritual sense, the
state of the Church at that time
with respect to the Lord and the
Word. For the Lord was the Word,
because he was the Divine Truth ;
and as the Jews had treated the
Word or the Divine Truth, so they
treated the Lord. TheU giving to
the Lord vinegar mingled with gall,
signified the quaUty of Divine
tmth from the Word, vrith the
Jevrish nation, namely, that it was
commixed vrith the false of evil, and
was thus altogether falsified and
adulterated. By the Lord's thirst
was signified a Divine spiritual
thirst, that is, a thUst for Divine
truth and good in the Church where
by mankind might be saved." Ap.
Ex. 519.
Verses 22-28.^These seeming
imprecations are in truth only pre
dictions or declarations of a future
fact, namely, that the vrickedness of
the Jevrish people would bring on
them wretchedness and destruction.
Indeed, in the Hebrew, the verb is
in the future tense, and might be
rendered, " TheU table before them
will be a snare," &c. In verse 24, it
is indeed said, in the imperative,
" Pour out thy iadignation," &c.,
yet this is spoken only according to
the appearance. 'When the vricked,
by transgressing the Divine law,
bring evU on themselves, it appears
to them as U it were infUcted by the
Divine Being ; and the letter of
scripture is expressed according to

the appearance. Bnt there is, in
truth, no wrath or anger in the
Lord : he is Love itseU, nor does he
bring evU on any one. It is plain
that he who said upon the cross,
" Father forgive them, for they know
not what they do," had vrithin him no
spirit of imprecation, but the oppo
site. Yet from the circumstances
mentioned in the previous verses, it
is evident that this Psalm is pro
phetically descriptive of the Lord's
state at the crucifixion. So far as
anything of denunciation is here
implied, it is against infernal spirits
— it is a prayer that they may be
overcome and cast down, and this,
not for tlieU hurt but for the pro
tection of the good.
Verse 22, 23. — " By their table he-
coming a snare before ihem is signi
fied the wanderings from error as to
every truth of doctrine from the
Word ; for table denotes all spUitual
food, and spiritual food is everything
from the Word. By their eyes being
darkened that they should not see, is
signified [the darkened state of] theU
understanding as to tmth, and by
their loins being made to shake con
tinually, is signified [the state of]
their wUl as to good : loins, in the
Word, signUying the marriage union
between good and tmth, [but, here,
between evU and the false]. Ap.
Ex. 519. — It is said in verse 22,
Let their peace be a trap (or, their
peace will be a trap). Peace, here,
means the false peace such as the
vricked feel in accomplishing their
evU ends : evU seems to them good.

332

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXIX.

24 Pour out thy indignation upon them,
And let thy burning anger overtake them.
25 Let their habitation be desolate :
And let there be no dweUer in their tents.
26 For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten.
And they talk of the pain of those whom thou hast pierced.
27 Lay iniquity upon their iniquity,
And let them not come into thy righteousness.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of Ufe,
And let them not be written with the righteous.

but the delight is only momentary ;
for presently come pain and destruc
tion, signified by a trap.
Verse 24. — Pour out thy indigna
tion, &c. As above mentioned, this
is spoken according to the appear
ance. The Lord who is Love itself,
and unchangeable, can feel no wrath
nor anger. But when in order to
protect the good the Lord causes the
wicked to be cast down, it seems to
the latter that he acts from vwath,
whereas it is from pure mercy. —
There are two expressions used here,
indignation and burning anger: the
former expressing the Lord's oppo
sition to the false, the other his op
position to evil ; or, more truly
speaking, they describe the hostility
of those who are in falsity and evU,
against the Lord.
Verse 25. — By habitation (liter
ally, fortress, castle) is signifled the
understanding, and by tents the wiU
with its affections. (That by tents
in a good sense, are signified the
holy things of love, see A. C. 414).
Let those be desolate and vrithout
a dweller, means that there will be
no truth nor good in their under
standing and will. It may be again
remarked that all these seeming
curses are, in fact, only statements
or declarations, as to what the state

of the wicked vrill be. The verbs
are all in the future tense, and
might be translated unll be, instead
of let he; as in this verse — theU
habitation will be desolate, &c. This,
at least is the spiritual import of
these expressions.
Verse 26. — This describes the
maUce of evil men and evU spUits
— theU delight in the distress of
those who are undergoing tempta
tions, and theU endeavors to add
to that distress. By smitten and
pierced is signified tempted as to
evUs and falses. It is said whom
thou hast smitten and pierced, be
cause it appears to those who are in
temptations, that it is the Lord who
causes their distress, whereas it is
the work of infernal spirits, acting
upon man's own evUs.
Verse 27. — Lay (literally, give)
iniquity upon tluir iniquity. The
first iniquity, here, seems to mean
the punishment ot iniquity : they
wUl go on in their evU, tiU it reaches
its consummation, when foUows
punishment, which is the state of
hell. And let them not come into thy
righteousness : that is, they v\rill shut
themselves out from heaven and
its goodness and happiness.
Verse 28.—" By the hook of life
is signified the Word, and by being

LXIX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

333

29 But I am afflicted and distressed :
Let thy salvation, 0 God, lift me up.
30 I wUl praise the name of God with a song,
And I wiU magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 And this shaU be more pleasing to the Lord than an ox.
Than a buUock having horns and hoofs.

judged out of that book is signified
to be judged according to the truths
of the Word. And no others are
found written in the book of lUe,
than such as have Uved according
to the Lord's commandments in the
Word, and have believed in the
Lord." A. fi. 874. Thus to be blot
ted out of the booh of life signifies to
be condemned as not having Uved
according to the truths of the Word.
Hence it foUows, and let ihem not be
written with the righteous; that is
they cannot be registered among the
righteous or in other words, cannot
dweU amongst the good in heaven,
because they are in a state opposite
to that of heaven. " By the book of
life," also, " is meant heaven. For
the book of lUe [literally the book
of lives, because spUitual Ufe consists
of two principles, love and faith]
signifies that which from the Lord
is inscribed on the spirit of man,
that is, on man's heart and soul, or,
what amounts to the same, on his
love and faith ; and what is inscribed
by the Lord on man, is heaven."
" The reason why the book of lUe
signifies heaven, is because a man
who is in love and faith towards the
Lord is a heaven in its least form,
and this heaven corresponds to
heaven in its greatest form : where-
¦ fore he who has heaven in himseU,
comes into heaven." Ap. Ex. 199.
Verse 29. — Afiiicted and distressed,
disturbed by evUs and falses. — Lift

me up, meaning, raise me np out of
the reach of the assaulters ; that is,
defend, protect me. — A change here
takes place in the tone of the Psalm ;
the remainder describing how the
good vriU be saved, after the vricked
are cast dovm.
Verse 30. — " A song denotes ac
knowledgment and confession from
joy of heart. 'When the heart is
fuU of joy, and thence the thought
also, then it pours itseU forth in
singing : the joy of the heart being
expressed by the sound of the sing
ing, and the j oy of the thought thence
derived by the song. — Since joy of
heart arises both from celestial love
and from spUitual love, hence the
expressions are used, to praise the
name of God unth a song, and to
magnify him with thanksgiving." Ap.
Ex. 326. — By the name of God is
signified his quaUty or nature, as
being love and goodness itseU.
Verse 31. — This shall be more
pleasing to the Lord than an ox, &c.
By animals of the ox kind, are signi
fied good natural affections. (A. C.
9391.) By horns are signified power
(A. G. 2832), and by hoofs ultimate
tmths, or such as are natural and
sensual. (A. C. 7729). In the literal
sense, the meaning is, that the Lord
is better pleased with heart-worship
than vrith sacrifices. Bnt in the
spiritual sense, the meaning seems
to be, that worship from celestial and
spiritual love {song and thanksgiving)

3.54

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXIX.

32 The afflicted shall see and be glad :
And the heart of you that seek God shall Uve.
33 For the Loed heareth the poor.
And despiseth not his prisoners.
34 The heavens and earth shaU praise him.
The seas, and everything that creeps in them
35 For God wUl save Zion,
And wUl build the cities of Judah,
And they shaU dweU there, and possess it.

is more grateful to the Lord than
worship from any degree of mere
natural affection, even though there
be power in that {horns), and though
it be conjoined with ultimate truths
{hoofs), that is, with the truths of
the literal sense of the Word. It is
said than an ox — than (even) a
bullock, (or young ox) to express the
idea that even the best form of
natural affection is not so good as
what is spiritual ; for the young of
an animal represents the same af
fection joined to innocence, thus in
a purer state.
Verse 32. — By the afiiicted are
signified such as are in ignorance of
truth. (Ap. Ex. 328). By their
seeing is meant theU coming into the
light of truth, and so being delivered
from the falses which distm-b them.
This enlightening comes from the
Lord's Divine Humanity. — By those
that seek God, are signified such as
are in the affection of truth, the term
God signifying distinctively the Di
vine truth. And by theU heart
living is meant that their affection
will be fiUed with new lUe from the
same Divine Humanity.
Verse 33. — By the poor are sig
nified here those who are in want of
the knowledges of good, and yet de
sire them, — in distinction from the
afiUcted, mentioned in the previous

verse, who are such as are in want of
the knowledges of truth (Ap. Ex.
238). By the Lord's hearing them,
is meant that he wUl gUt them vrith
the knowledge of good, and thence
with good it.seU. — By prisoners are
meant such as are held captive by
falses and thence by evils (see A. R.
99). They are called his (that is,
the Lord's) prisoners, in the same
way as the Lord is said to be angry
and to punish, because it appears so
to those who are suffering.
Verse 34. — " The seas and every
thing that creeps in them cannot
praise the Lord, but he may be
praised by those things in man,
which are signifled thereby.'' A. C.
994. " In this passage is described
those who are vastated [prisoners], who
are to be regenerated and to worship
the Lord." A. C. 28.— By heavens are
signified the spUitual and celestial
things in man, by earth the natural
things, by seas the lowest of the
natural, such as are sensual and
corporeal, and yet good ; and by the
creeping things, the pleasures of the
senses, which are nevertheless in
order, when derived from interior
affections. See A. C. 994.
Verse 35. — And God will save
Zion, &c. By Zion is signified in
general, the celestial Church, as dis
tinguished from Jerusalem, which

LXX.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

335

36 And the seed of his servants shaU inherit it.
And those that love his name shaU dweU therein.

signifies the spUitual Church. But
here Zion signifies a new Churcli
vrith the GentUes, which wiU acknow
ledge the Lord. (See Ap. Ex. 730.)
It is said God vriU save them, be
cause God signifies Divine truth in
which they are to be instructed.
" By the dties of Judah are signified
the doctrines of love to the Lord and
love to the neighbour," Ap. Ex. 850 :
dty signifies doctrine. To build the
cities, is to estabUsh those doctrines
in the mind. And they shall dwell
there, and possess it. By it is meant
Judah, which signifies the Lord's
kingdom. (Ap. Ex. 119). To dwell
and to possess is said of those who
are in celestial love, and to dwell
(in the succeeding verse) is said of
those who are in spiritual love. (A.
C. 2712).
Verse 36. — And the seed of his
servants, &c. By servant, in the
Word, is signified distinctively truth,
because truth is the servant or in
strument of good, or the means by

which good acts. Hence by the
Lord's servants are meant those who
are in the affection of truth or the
spiritual (Ap. fiev. 3.) — By seed,
also, in the Word, are signified truths ;
" the sower soweth the Word," Mark
iv. 14. ; also faith derived from
charity (A. C. 3038),: and, in general,
the Lord's spiritual kingdom (A. C.
3187). Hence by the seed of his
servants are not meant their pos
terity, but the principles of charity
and faith in the minds of the spirit
ual. They shall inherit it, that is,
Judah, or the Lord's kingdom. — And
those that love his name shall dwell
therein. By the Lord's name, is
signified his quality or nature, that
is, love and wisdom (A. C. 2009).
By those that love his name, here, are
meant probably the more internal of
the spiritual, those who are more in
the principle of charity, while by
the seed are meant those more in the
principal of faith. Both shaU in
herit the Lord's kingdom.

PSALM LXX.

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
A prayer to the Father, that he would assist against the hells,
verses 1-3, 5; in order that they who worship Him, may be
saved, 4.
To the Leader of the Music : a Psalm of David : to cause remembrance.
1 Make haste, 0 God, to deUver me :
Hasten, 0 Loed, to my help.
2 Let those be ashamed and confounded, that seek after my
soul:

336 NOTES ON THE PSALMS. [LXXL
Let those be turned back and put to shame, that wish me evU :
3 Let those be turned back to their shame,
Who say Aha ! Aha !
4 Let aU those that seek thee, rejoice and be glad in thee :
And may those that love thy salvation say continuaUy, Let
God be magnified.
5 But I am afflicted and distressed : 0 God, hasten to me :
Thou art my help and my deUverer : 0 Loed, do not delay.
Title. — To cause remembrance, nearly in the same words as the last
See note on title of Psalm xxxviU. verses of the 40th, see the exposition
Verses 1-5. — This Psalm being there.

PSALM LXXL
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Confidence that the Father will assist him, verses 1-4, 7, 12,
14; that he was His from nativity, 5, 6 ; lest the infernals should
say tliat lu was deserted by God, 9-11 ; that thus they recede, 13 ;
that so the name of God will be preached, 8, 16-19, 22-24; when
he has the victory, 20, 21.
1 In thee, 0 LoED, do I trust :
Let me not be put to shame forever.
2 In thy righteousness deliver me and cause me to escape.
IncUne thine ear to me and save me.
3 Be thou to me a rock of habitation, to which I may continuaUy
go:
Thou hast given commandment to save me ;
For thou art my rock and my fortress.
Verses 1-3. — See notes on the man shall be in freedom. But it
first three verses of Psalm xxxi., may be considered equivalent to the
which are nearly the same. — Thou words, " He shaU give his angels
hast given commandment to save me. chargeoverthee,tokeeptheeinaUthy
This is not meant to involve the ways," Psalm xci. 11. That is, the
idea of an absolute decree or pre- Lord, by his providence, so orders
destination, for that is contrary to all things that every man may be
the fUst law of Diviae order — that saved U he is willing.

LXXL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

837

4 0 my God, deUver me from the hand of the wicked,
From the hand of the perverse and violent.
5 For thou art my hope, 0 Lord Jehovih :
Thou hast been my trust from my youth.
6 Upon thee have I been laid from the womb :
Thou art he that brought me forth from my mother's bowels :
To thee shaU my praise be continuaUy directed.
1 I am to many as a wonder,
But thou art my strong refuge.
8 My mouth shaU be filled with thy praise
And with thy glory aU the day.

Verse 4. — Deliver me from the
hand, &c. By hand is signified power,
— " out of the power of the vricked,"
&c. By the wicked, perverse and
violent are signified different classes
of infernal spirits, — the wicked such
as are in evU from the vriU ; the
perverse and violent, such as are in
falses and in evUs thence derived.
Verse 5. — Lord Jehovih: for an
explanation of this phrase, see note
on Psalm Ixviu. 20.
Verse 6. — "The Lord, in many
parts of the Word, is caUed Creator,
Maker, and Former /rom the womb,
by reason that he creates man anew,
reforms and regenerates. It may be
supposed that the Lord is so caUed
because he creates man and forms
him in the womb ; but stUl it is a
spiritual creation andf ormation which
is there understood, for the Word is
not only natural, but also spUitual
Thus in David Ixxi. 6, Upon thee
have I been laid from the womb : thou
art he that brought me forth from my
mother's bowels: from the womb de
notes as to the good of love, and
from my mother's bowels, as to truths
from that good : mother denotes the
Church." Ap. Ex. 710. Thus, in

the spiritual sense, by these words
is meant that it is the Lord alone
who regenerates man by love and by
the truths of the Church. — In the
supreme sense, the Lord's glorification
is here treated of
Verse 7. — I am to many as a
wonder. The meaning of this seems
to be that those around the Lord,
whUe in his suffering on earth,
understood nothing of his state.
The men of the world about him,
had not the least conception of the
spiritual confiicts he was passing
through, and they felt an inward
hostUity to him for his strangeness.
And to a simUar hostility are aU
the Lord's disciples exposed. "If
the world hate you, ye know that it
hated me before it hated j'ou," John
XV. 18. — But thou art my strong re
fuge. But there was One that under
stood and sustained him.
Verse 8. — My mouth signifies
spiritually thought, for the mouth
is the organ for the expression of
thought. Thy praise and thy glory :
the former has reference to Divine
Good, the latter to Divine Truth. —
All the day, or, as it might be trans
lated, every day, that is, continually.

338

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXXL

9 Cast me not off in the time of old age :
Forsake me not in the faUing of my strength.
10 For my enemies speak against me,
And they that watch for my soul take counsel together,
11 Saying, God has forsaken him;
Pursue and seize him ; for there is none to deUver.
12 0 God, be not far from me :
0 my God, haste to my help :
13 Let those be put to shame and consumed that are adversaries
to my soiU :

Verses 9. — Cast me not off in ihe
time of old age, &c. In the Uteral
sense, these words refer to David ;
but in the internal sense, they refer
to the Lord, and have a very differ
ent meaning from that which appears
in the latter. " Old age, in the
Word," signifies the putting off a
former state, and the putting on of
a new state ; and this because old
age is the last of Ufe, when corporeal
things begin to be put off, and
therewith the loves of the preceding
age, and the interiors begin to be
enUghtened ; also because the angels,
who perceive spiritually the things
that are in the Word, have no idea
of old age, but instead of it, an idea
of new lU'e." A. C. 3492. " Fre
quent mention is made in the Word
of old age and of men dying ; but,
in the internal sense, no old age or
death, such as belong to the body, is
at all perceived ; for in the other
Ufe, it is not known what old age or
death is. What is signified here
(Genesis xviu. 11) by old age,
appears from the series, namely, that
the Lord should put off the human."
A. C. 2198. Thus it would appear
that by old age, here, in reference to
the Lord, is signified the time when
he was about to put off his maternal

humanity, and put on the Dirine
humanity. Thus, this PsaUn seems
to be expressive of some of the
Lord's last and direst temptations. —
In the failing of my strength : that
is, when in the extreme severity of
the combat, it seemed to him as U he
had not strength to carry it through.
Verse 10. — By the enemies here
mentioned are meant not merely
the vricked Jews, but the Lord's
spUitual enemies, infernal spirits ;
as is plain from the words, they that
watch for my soul.
Verse 11. — Saying, God has for
saken him, &o. Here we see the
maUce and meanness and cruelty of
the infernals. When they perceive
a soul in affliction and distress, and
seemingly /orsafera and helpless, that
is the time when they press upon
hun, and strive to turn his darkness
into despair. Such are the enemies
that are with man in times of deep
temptation. But they are mistaken
in their calculations : the Lord is
love itseU, and never leaves nov for
sakes any : he is permitting the
temptation just to humble and purUy
us ; and as soon as that end is
accomplished, he wiU scatter our
enemies Ui a moment.
Verse 13. — Adversaries to my soul,

LXXL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

339

Let those be covered with reproach and ignominy, that seek
my hurt.
14 But I wiU hope continuaUy,
And wiU praise thee more and more.
15 My mouth shaU declare thy righteousness and thy salvation
aU the day :
For I know not the numbers of them.
16 I wiU go in the might of the Lord Jehovih :
I wiU make mention of thy righteousness, of thine only.
17 0 God, thou hast taught me from my youth,
And hitherto have I set forth thy wondrous doings. .
18 Now also in old age and grey hairs, 0 God, forsake me not,
UntU I shaU show thy arm for a generation,
Thy strength for aU that are to come.

signify such particularly as are in
falses from evil, and tempt npon that
ground : whUe those that seek my
hurt signUy such as are in evU and
maUceitseU. ThepaUs of expressions,
put to shame and confusion, covered
with reproach and ignominy, sigmfy
the falses and evUs which vriU
overwhelm them. These paUs of
terms, which appear throughout the
Psalms, are intended to represent
the marriage of good and tmth
which is everywhere in the Word,
or, oppositely, the conjunction of the
evU and the false.
Verse 15. — For I knoio not the
numbers of them. By number as by
measure, in the spiritual sense, is
signifled quaUty. (A. fi. 364). The
meaning is that the depth of the
Lord's righteousness or goodness, and
the glory of his salvation, that is, the
glorious and blessed results of being
saved and received into heaven, are
beyond calciUation.
Verse 16. — I will go in the might
&c., or as it might be rendered, I

will go [forward] TOi/i. the mighty deeds,
that is, I vriU celebrate the mighty
deeds of the Lord. — Lord Jehovih:
see note on Psalm Ixviii. 20. — I will
make mention of thy righteousness, of
thine only. From this we leam the
great lesson to give all glory to the
Lord and claim nothing to ourselves.
He alone is righteous : whatever
goodness we may appear to have, is
from him and is his.
Verse 17. — 0 God thou hast
taught me from my youth, &La. These
words in the supreme sense, refer to
the Lord Jesus Christ. He had
indeed been taught of God from his
youth : the humanity had been con
tmually instiucted and inspired from
the Divine within. — And hitherto
have I set forth, &c. And that
humanity had indeed set forth the
Divinity not only by words, bnt by
works — by miracles, — by words of
wisdom, by acts of love.
Verse 18. — Now also in old age,
&c. For the signification of old age
in the spUitual sense, see note on

340

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXXL

19 For thy righteousness, 0 God, is very high; who hast done
great things :
0 God, who is Uke thee ?
20 Thou, who hast caused me to see many distresses and evils,
WUt revive me again.
And wilt bring me up again from the depths of the earth :
21 Thou wUt increase my greatness.
And wUt comfort me on every side.
22 I wiU also praise thee with the psaltery, even for thy truth,
0 my God :
I wUl sing to thee with the harp, 0 thou Holy One of Israel.

ver. 9. The synonymous phrase
grey hairs is added, merely to express
that marriage of good and truth,
which exists everywhere in the
Word — the one term referring to the
intellect, the other to the vriU. It
is the same vrith arm and strength,
in the clause succeeding. — For ¦ a
generation signifies forever, to eter
nity : see note on Psalm xxU.
30. The prayer is, that he might
be sustained until he had accom
plished his great work of Eedemp
tion, the effects of which should last
for ever.
Verse 19. — Is very high, (Uter
aUy, is to height). High is predicated
of what is interior and inmost. (A.
C. 5146). Hence by God's righteous
ness being very high, is signified that
his goodness or love is in the inmost
or first principles of aU things, and
hence pervades the universe.
Verse 20. — From ihe depths of
the earth : Uterally, " from the floods
or billows of the earth." By the
earth is signified the natural or ex
ternal man : by the floods or billows
of the earth is signified the deluge of
falses and fantasies which overwhelm
the mind while sunk into the exter
nal. Man, whUe passing through

the process of regeneration, is at
times let down into the extemal or
natural part of his mind : and while
in this state, is encompassed as it
were vrith the heUs, the falses and
evils of which seem almost to over
whelm him. It was so vrith the
Lord in his temptations, and it is he
particularly who is here referred to.
But from this darkness, he looks up
to the Divine, and trusts to be soon
brought up again and delivered out
of this state.
Verse 21. — Wilt comfort me on
every side: UteraUy, wilt surround
and comfort me, or as it might be
rendered, " wUt turn and comfort
me," or " coinfort me again." — My
greatness. By greatness, in the spUit
ual sense, is signified gooodness (A.
fi. 582). The meaning is, that the
Lord's humanity, when deUvered
from temptations, would be glorified,
that is, fUled with Divine love and
goodness, so as to be Love itseU in
the divine natural principle.
Verse 22. — I will praise thee with
the psaltery, with the harp. " By a
harp, in the Word, is signified ac
knowledgment from spiritual truths.
The reason is, that a harp is a
stringed instrument, and by stringed

LXXL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

341

23 My Ups shaU shout for joy, when I sing to thee,
And my soul which thou hast redeemed.
24 My tongue, also, shaU all the day speak of thy righteousness ;
For those are confounded — those are put to shame, that sought
to do me evU.

instruments are signified things spUit
ual, or those which pertain to truth,
whereas by wind instruments are
signified things celestial, or those
which pertain to good." Ap. Ex. 323.
Hence it is a.dAedi, even for thy truth, 0
my God. Thatistosay,hepraisesthe
Lord for the new gUt of tmth, which
he has received, after the deep temp
tations from falsities have passed
away. "The affection of truth is
here signified by the harp, and the
affection of the good of truth, that
is, spiritual good, by the psaltery.
The reason both are mentioned is
because where truth is treated of in
the Word there good also is treated
of, and this on account of. the mar
riage of good and truth, which exists
in every even the least particular of
the Word." Ap. Ex. 323. The
phrase Holy one of Israel, also signi
fles the Lord as to Divine truth, the
term holy being appUed to tmth.
In particular by the Holy One of

Israel is signified the Lord as to the
Divine Human (T. 0. fi. 93), Israel
signifyUig the spiritual church, which
specially looks to the Divine Human
as its Saviour and God.
Verse 23. — My lips. "Hps are
put for the interiors of man, thus
for internal worship from which pro
ceeds adoration." A. C. 1286.
Verse 24. — My tongue also shall
speak (UteraUy, shall meditate : it is
so said, because the tongue corres
ponds to thought which meditates),
&c. — All the day signifies perpetuaUy
or forever (see A. C.2838). — For those
are confounded, &c. Those who have
enduredthe anguish of spUitual temp
tation, who have been assaidted by
evU spirits filUng the mind vrith
doubts and fears, and the heart vrith
sadness and wretchedness, vriU indeed
feel disposed to pour out theU grati
tude to the Lord for his goodness,'when
those infernals are cast down and
the heart is once more at peace.

342 NOTES ON THE PSALMS [LXXII.
PSALM LXXIL
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Concerning the kingdom of the Lord, verses 1, 2, 4 ; concerning
the happy state of those who are of his kingdom, 3, 6, 7, 15, 16 ;
concerning the worship of him from love and faith, from eternity
and thenceforward, 5 ; concerning the magnitude and extension of
his dominion, 8-12 ; concerning protection and redemption, 12-14;
that they acknowledged the Divine Human from eternity, in which
is all of salvation, 17; celebration of him, 18, 19.
For Solomon.
1 Give thy judgments, 0 God, to the king,
And thy righteousness to the king's son.
2 He wiU judge thy people with righteousness.
And thy afflicted ones with judgment.
3 The mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the hiUs, by righteousness.
Title. — For Solomon. David and Divine tmths : but give thy righte-
Solomon both represented the Lord ; ousness to the king's son, for righteous-
but David, " the man of war," repre- ness signifies good, and the Lord's
sented the Lord in his humanity on , humanity, when glorified, became
earth, combating the heUs: Solomon, Divine Good or DivUie Love itseU.
dwelling in peace and magnificence, — In a secondary sense, by the i

represented the Lord, in his Glorified son, is signified the celestial man.
Humanity, ruler over heaven and who is a Ukeness of the Lord. (See
earth (see D. P. 245). This PsaUn A. C. 337.)
treats of the Lord thus established Verse 2. — He will judge, that is,
in glory, and extending his Divine vrill give judgment in favor of, pro-
kingdom : hence it is headed for tect, defend. Thy people : by people
Solomon (or as it might be translated, are signified distinctively those who
of Solomon). are in the knowledge and love of
Verse 1. — Give thy judgments to tmths : those he vriU protect by
the king, &c. By the king,here, seems righteousness, that is, by adding good-
to be meant David, and by the king's ness to theU truths, and so regener-
son Solomon. By the A:m5f, or David, ating them. By the afiiicted are
is signified the Lord in his humanity signified spUitually those who are
on earth, as Divine Truth combat- imdergoing temptations, especiaUy
ing : but by the king's son or Solo- from falses : these he wUl defend by
mon, the humanity glorified. Hence judgments, that is, by truths given to
it is said, Give thy judgments to the them.
king, for by judgments are signified Verse 3. — By the mountainswhich

LXXIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

343

4 He wiU judge the afflicted of the people ;
He wUl save the sons of the poor.
And wUl crush the oppressor.
5 They wUl fear thee with the sun and in the presence of the
moon.
For generations and generations.
6 He wUl come down Uke rain upon a mown field.
Like showers that water the earth.

will bring peace to ihe people is signi
fied love to the Lord, and by the
hills charity towards the neighbor ;
for the reason that those who are in
love to the Lord, dweU in heaven
npon mountains, and those who are
in charity towards theU neighbor,
dweU upon hUls. Hence it is evi
dent that by peace is meant celestial
joy, which is from conjunction vrith
the Lord by love." Ap. Ex. 365.—
It is said, and the hills hy righteous
ness, because righteousness signifies
the good of Ufe exercised by those
who are in charity towards the neigh
bor, and by or through which they
have peace and happiness.
Verse 4. — To judge, here as above,
signifies to protect, defend. The
afflicted of the people, are the spiritual
who are nndergoiag temptations,
especiaUy from falses. The sons of
the poor. The poor signUy those who
are deficient in the knowledges of
good, and yet desUe them (Ap. Ex.
238). It is said sons of the poor,
because the term sons has reference
to things of the understanding, which
here are deficient in knowledges of
good. — He will crush the oppressor.
By the oppressor is signified the power
of heU, which tempts and distresses
those who are in ignorance of good
and truth.
Verse 5. — They will fear thee, with
tlu sun and in the presence of ihe moon.

By the sun is signified love and by
the moon faith. The meaning is,
they shall fear the Lord in love and
faith forever. " Inasmuch as the
Lord appears in heaven to those
who are in his celestial kingdom as
a sun, and to those who are in his
spiritual kingdom as a moon, there
fore it is said. They shall fear thee
with the sun and in ihe presence of
the moon." Ap. Ex. 401.
Verse 6. — He will come dovm, &c.
He, that is, the Lord in his Humanity,
the same that is spoken of in the 4tli
verse. Will come down, that is, his
SpUit wiU come down. Like rain.
" As rain-water descends out of the
clouds of heaven, therefore by rain
is signified infiux of Divine Truth
from the Lord ; and inasmuch as
rain fertiUzes the earth, therefore it
signifies the Divine truth fertUizing
and fructUying the Church." Ap.
Ex. 644. — A m,own field. — A mourn,
field [Uterally, a mounng or what is
mown] signifies probably the Church
as to truth, and the ea/rth the Church
as to good ; or, what is the same,
the understanding and vriU of the
man of the Church. These are wa
tered and refreshed by the spirit of
the Lord. (The reason why a mown
field signifies the Church as to truth,
is because grass, or what is mown,
signifies scientifics or knowledges of
tmth. To mow grass would signUy

344

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXXIL

7 In his days shaU the righteous flourish.
And there shaU be an abundance of peace tiU the moon is
no more.
8 And he shaU have dominion from sea to sea,
And from the river to the ends of the land.
9 The dweUers in the desert shall bow before him,
And his enemies shaU lick the dust.

to gather knowledges and apply them
to use ; in which case the mind is
prepared to receive new influx from
the Lord — rain.)
Verse 7. — In his days; that is,
when the Lord's Humanity is glori
fled, and his Divine kingdom thence
establish ed. The righteous shall fiour
ish [literaUy, shaU blossom or put
forth, as from good] signifles that
those who are principled in the good
of love to the Lord, shaU continue in
truths from that good, forasmuch as
those who are in the good of love to
the Lord, or in the celestial kingdom.
have truths implanted in them.
They are called righteous who are
principled in the good of love ; and
peace is predicated of that good."
(Ap. Ex. 401.)— "It is said. Till the
moon is no more [or is not], by which
is signified that there shaU be no
truth separate from good [the m,oon
signUying truth or faith, as the sun
signifies love] ; but the two shaU be
so conjoined that they may be one,
that is, that truth also may be good,
for all truth is from good, and hence
in its essence is good. Such is the
truth appertaining to those who are
in the good of love to the Lord, who
are here meant by the righteous."
Ap. Ex. 365.
Verse 8. — He shall have dominion,
&c. "This is said concerning the
Lord, and concerning his dominion
over heaven and earth. By his
having dominion from sea to sea is

signified the extension of his domin
ion over things natural, and by
from the river to the ends of the land
the same over things rational and
spUitual" Ap. Ex. 569. — From sea
to sea. " The sea signifies the natural
mind into which those things which
are in the spiritual descend : the
eastern sea (Zechariah xiv. 8), signi
fies the natural man as to good, and
the hinder sea the natural man to
truth." — " Seas in the spiritual world
foim the boundaries of the land east
ward and westward." Ap. Ex. 275,
406. — And from the river to the ends
of the land. By the river is meant
the river Euphrates, which signifies
therational principle ; andby the land
is meant the land of Canaan, which
signifies the Church or the spUitual
principle (see Ap. Ex. 569).
Verse 9. — By the dwellers in ihe
desert are signified those who are in
falses, and by his enem,ies those who
are in evUs. (Ap. Ex. 483, 406.)
A desert or dry place denotes a state
of falses, because water signifies
tmth. By theU bowing before him
is signified theU subjugation, and by
licking the dust theU condemnation :
this passage refers to the Lord's con
quest of the heUs. — By dust is signi
fied what is merely earthly and cor
poreal, separate from what is spirit
ual : hence it signifies what is con
demned and infernal" (A. C. 249).
Hence to lick the dust signifies to be
given up to evUs, or to be left in

LXXIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

345

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shaU present an
offering :
The kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring a gift.
11 And aU kings shall bow down to him,
AU nations shaU serve him.
12 For he wUl deUver the poor when he cries,
And the afflicted and him who has no helper.
13 He wiU have compassion on the poor and needy,
And wiU save the souls of the needy.
14 He wUl redeem their soul from deceit and violence,
And their blood shall be precious in his eyes.
15 And he shaU Uve, and there shaU be given to him of the
gold of Sheba :
Prayer, also, shaU be made for him continually.
And daUy shaU he be blessed.

mere evUs, which is the state of
of those who "choose evU rather
than good."
Verse 10. — Shall present an offer
ing, &c. " These words relate to the
Lord, and by presenting an offering
is meant to worship. By the kings
of Tarshish and of the isles are signi
fied the interior and exterior truths
of the natural man — the kings of
Tarshish its interior truths, and the
isles its exterior truths. By the
kings of Sheba and Seba are signified
the interior and exterior goods of
the natural man, — by Sheba its
interior goods and by Seba its exterior
goods. By the tmths of the natural
man are meant the knowledges of
truth, and by the goods of the natural
man the knowledges of good. Hence
those who are in the knowledges of
tmth and good are here also meant."
Ap. Ex. 406. In this verse those
who are more extemal in the Church
are referred to ; in the next verse
those who are more intemal : aU shall
worship the Lord in his Divine
Humanity.

Verse 11. — By Hng's are signified
those who are in truth, and by
nations those who are in good : the
former are the spiritual, the latter
the celestial. The former bow down
to the Lord, that is, worship him
from the love of tmth ; the latter
serve him, that is, seek to do his will
from the love of good. — The phrase
'•'¦people and nations" is often used :
here kings and nations : the meaning
is the same — those who are in truths
and goods.
Verses 12, 13. — By the poor and
needy are signified those who are
destitute of truths and goods, and
yet desUe them (Ap. Ex. 238), and
by the afflicted those who are under
going temptation.
Verses 14, 15. — "The subject
here treated of is the needy, by
whom are signified those who desire
tmth from spiritual affection. Con
cerning them it is said. He will re
deem their soul from deceit and vio-
'lence, by which is signified liberation
from evils and falsities, which des
troy the goods of love and the truths

346

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXXII.

16 There shaU be an abundance of grain in the land upon the
top of the mountains :
Its fruit shaU waive Uke Lebanon :
And those of the city shaU flourish Uke the grass of the earth.
17 His name shaU be forever:
His name shaU flourish in the presence of the sun :
And in him shaU aU nations be blessed : they shaU call him
blessed.

of faith : their blood shall he precious
in his eyes, signifies the reception of
Divine truth by them [blood signi
fying Divine truth, and precious the
holiness of U, A. C. 4735]. Their
reformation is described by the
words, He shall live, and there shall
be given to him of the gold of Sheba ;
prayer also shall be made for him
continually, and daily shall he he
blessed : the gold of Sheba is the good
of charity : prayer for him continually
signifies that they shall continually
be withheld from falsities and pre
served in truths ; and daily shall he
be blessed signifies that they shall
continually be in the good of charity
and faith, for this is the divine
blessing." Ap. Ex. 328.— B"e shall
live : the term he stUl refers to the
needy, but in the singular number,
or considered individuaUy. Shall
live, means shall be gUted vrith
spiritual Ufe.
Verse 16. — Tiiere shall be an
abundance of grain, &c. In thisverse
the three degrees of good in the
Lord's kingdom are described, the
celestial, the spUitual, and the natu
ral, as also the persons who are in
those degrees respectively. By grain
is signified good in general, which is
the food of the soul. By land the
Church, and also heaven, and by the
top of tlie mountains, the celestial
principle, because in the spiritual

world the celestial dweU on moun
tains. By Lebanon is signified spirit
ual good, because Lebanon was a
forest of cedars, which signUy spUit
ual good (A. C. 10,261) : by its fruit
(that is, the fruit of the land) is sig
nifled charity, and by its waiving
(literally being moved) is signified
probably the lUe or activity of
charity. (See A. C. 10,083).— By
city is sigmfied doctrine : hence
those of the city are such as are in
the love of doctrine, or principled
in faith, such as are the spiritual-
natural. They are compared to
grass, because grass signifies scienti
fics, which are knowledges of tmth
laid up in the memory.
Verse 17. — By the Lord's name
is signified his Divine Humanity.
(T. C. R. 299). By his n&me flourish
ing (Uterally, sprouting or putting
forth) in the presence of the sun, is
signifled that his Divine Human
principle should become the Divine
good of the Divine love, sun signUy-
ing'Divine Love (Ap. Ex. 401). And
by all nations being blessed in him is
signifled that all the good should
look to that Humanity, and receive
blessing from it, the term nations
denoting the good : they shall call
him blessed, denotes that they shaU
acknowledge the Lord to be the
source of aU blessing (see A. C.
1096).

LXXIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

347

18 Blessed be the Loed God, the God of Israel,
Who alone does wondrous things.
19 And blessed be his glorious name forever;
And let the whole earth be fiUed with his glory. Amen and
amen.
20 The prayers of David, the Son of Jesse, are ended.

Verse 18. — The God of Israel.
Israel signifies the spiritual man, or
the spiritual Church. JVho alone
does wondrous things. Wondrous
things signUy the great work of
man's regeneration, which the Lord
alone in His Divine vrisdom can
accompUsh. Verse 19. — Blessed be his glorious
name: his glorious name signifies
his glorifled Humanity. — And let the
whole earth be filled with his glory :
the earth signifles the Church :
glory is the divine truth : the whole
Church shaU be flUed with the
brightness of tmth aad Ught from
the Lord's Divine Humanity. —
Amen is a Hebrew word, signUying
Truly, Verily ; thus, cmien and amen
means "truly, truly, it shaU be
so." Verse 20. — The prayers of Damd
the , son of Jesse, are ended. David
represents the Lord: David the son

of Jesse, signifies probably the mere
humanity of the Lord derived from
the mother. His prayers being ended
would therefore mean the coming to
an end of the states of the Lord's
infirm humanity, in which he
prayed to the Father as a distinct
Being from himself, and his putting
on the Divine Humanity in which
he is one vrith the Father, and the
Lord of heaven and earth. — This
verse has reference to the verse just
preceding, which treats of the Lord's
glorification ; and indeed it is to be
taken in connection vrith the whole
Psalm, which treats throughout of
the Divine Humanity (signified by
Solomon, see the title) and of its
everlasting influence. The meaning
is, that aU this glory would come
when the " prayers of David the son
of Jesse are ended," that is when the
infUm humanity is put off and the
Divine put om

348 NOTES ON THE PSALMS. [LXXIIL
PSALM LXXIIL
SUMMARY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
Lt is wonderful to some that the evil glory and prosper, verses
1-9 ; that by this the good are seduced, thinking that goodness is
of no avail, nor affiiction, 10-14 ; but afterwards it is given to
know, that the evil are nevertheless devastated and consumed, 15—
20, 27 ; that this they [the evil] know not, 21, 22 ; but that the
good are always sustained and live with God, 23-26, 28.
A Psahn of Asaph.
1 Truly God is good to Israel,
To the pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost sUpped,
My steps were weU nigh gone.
3 For I was envious of the proud :
I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no bands in their death.
But their strength is firm.
Title. — A Psalm of Asaph. See good have etemal blessing from the
note on title to Psalm L. Lord ; whUe the vricked, however
Verse 1. — Truly God is good to prosperous they may seem now,
Israel, &c. By Israel, in the inter- must suffer eternaUy.
nal sense, are signifled the spiritual Verse 2. — My feet 'had almost
(A.C. 5595), and by the pure in slipped, &c. That is, he was in
'heart the celestial. To such, God is danger of losing his trust in God,
good, because they open theU hearts and giving way to sin, when he saw
to receive his goodness. He is kind the vricked prosper and the good
indeed, to all, even " to the unthank- suffer. — Me, here, has reference, not
ful and the eril" (Luke vi. 35), but only to the Psalmist, but to reUgious
the latter turn from him and reject men in general, most of whom are
his love, and, with it, its blessedness occasionaUy tempted to doubt, from
and beneflts. Hence to them he such appearances of injustice.
appears not good, but antagonistic, Verse 4. — For there are no hands :
because he does not favor their that is, they have no restraints of
evU loves. — This opening verse ex- conscience, but, give way to every
presses the burden of the whole inclination. — In their death — in their
Psalm, which is, that whatever the spirituaUy dead state. — But their
appearance to the contrary, the strength is firm : or, as it might per-

LXXIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

84£

5 They are not in trouble like men,
Nor are they afflicted Uke men.
6 Therefore pride encompasses them as a neck-chain :
Violence covers them as a garment,
7 Their eyes stand out with fatness :
The imaginations of their heart exceed all hounds.
8 They scoff, and speak wickedly about oppressing :
They speak loftUy.
9 They set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue ranges through the earth.
10 Therefore his people turn back hither.
And waters of a fuU cup are drained by them.

haps more correctly be translated,
their bodies are fat. — In the spUit
ual sense, by their bodies are fat is
signified that " theU vriUs are evU ;"
for the body corresponds to the vriU
or love (Ap. Ex. 750), and fat signi
fies celestial love, but in the oppo
site sense, infemal love. (Ap. Ex.
1159.) Verse 5. — They are not in trouble
like men, &c. Here, the wicked are
not even caUed men, but distinguish
ed from them, a true man being
one who is in the image and Uke
ness of God ; but the vricked are
rather as brutes, being merely natu
ral and sensual. By men {enosh), are
signified those who are in the affec
tion of tiuth, the spUitual, and by
men {adam) are signified such as are
in the affection of good, the celestial.
By the vricked not being in trouble
nor afflicted like these, is meant that
they have no interior temptations
and trials of spirit to pass through,
such as the good have.
Verse 6. — As a neck-chain : pride
is compared to a neck-chain, because
haughtiness expresses itseU in a
stiffened and hardened neck.

Verse 7. — Their eyes stand out
with fatness : UteraUy, their eye goes
forth from fat. By the eye is signi
fied the understanding : by fat is
signified infemal love (see note on
verse 4) : then, by their eye going
forth from fat is meant that all the
thoughts of theU understanding or
mind spring out of their evil loves :
hence it is added, the imaginations
of their heart exceed all bounds, ihe
imaginations of their heart signUying
phantasies from theU evil love :
exceed all bounds, UteraUy, exceed or
surpass; that is, theU day-dreams
about the attainment of riches and
honors are extravagant.
Verse 9. — They set their mouth
against the heavens, and their tongue
ranges through the earth. The mean
ing seems to be, that in their pride
and self-conceit they think and
speak about things heavenly or
earthly, vrith recklessness and con
tempt, and in utter indifference as
\o truth or right.
Verse 10. — Tliereforehispeople,&c.
By his people are meant the Lord's
people, the good, who are here de
scribed as "being seduced by the

350

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXXIIL

11 And they say, " How does God know ?
And is there knowledge in the Most High ?
12 Behold, these are wicked ;
Yet they are always prosperous, and increase their wealth.
13 Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart,
And washed my hands in innocence.
14 For I am smitten every day,
And chastened every morning."
15 If I should say, I wUl speak thus.
Behold I should deal falsely with the generation of thy
sons.

apparent happiness ot the vricked.
They turn back hither : that is, they
are disposed to turn back from the
path of regeneration to theU original
unregenerate state (/iii/ier). Antiwaters
of a full cup (or, to the full) are drained
hy them : their minds are greatly dis
turbed by false views of things, waters
here signUying falses.
Verse 11. — And they say, he.,t]i3,t
is, thus the good who are seduced
argue vrith themselves. How does
God know ? Is it possible that there
is a God who knows what is going
on in the world, when the vricked
are thus allowed to prosper, and the
good to suffer. — God — the Most High :
The term God signifies the Divine as
to Tmth, and Most High the same
as to good : the meaning is. Can
either his Wisdom or his Love be
active, when he permits such things ?
Verse 13. — " To cleanse the heart is
to be purified interiorly, and to wash
Hie hands is to be purified exteriorly."
A.C. 10,296. The hands denote actions
or Ufe : hence to wash the hands means
to make pure the lUe and conduct.
Verse 14. — Smitten every day —
chastened, every morning. The former
phrase has reference to temptations

of the understanding, the latter to
temptations of the wUl ; for morni'ng
in the Word, signifies states of love
or good, because then the sun rises,
and the sun signifies love : whereas
day vrith its light signifies states of
truth. The regenerating man is in
deed much tried and tempted, for
"whom the Lord loveth he chas
teneth" (Hebrews xU. 6) ; but let
him consider that soon his day of
everlasting rest vriU come, and it is
for this that the Lord is preparing
him. Verse 15. — It is the Psalmist who
here speaks — " I." He corrects him
seU for giving utterance to such
doubts as are expressed in the preced
ing verses by the deluded. He says (to
hUnseU), " If 1 aUow myseU to speak
in this way, I shall do harm to the
good." — Tlu generation of thy sons.
By son, in the Word, is signified
truth, and such as are in tmth — the
spiritual Generation signifies char
acter, nature, state. By I should
deal falsely with the generation of thy
sons is meant, I should check the
advancement of the spiritual Ui their
regeneration — for generation signifies
spirituaUy regeneration. (A. C. 613.)

LXXIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

351

16 And I meditated that I might comprehend this.
But it was grievous in my eyes.
17 UntU I went into the sanctuary of God :
Then I understood their final lot.
18 Truly thou wUt set them in sUppery ^Zac«s ;
Thou castest them down into destruction.
19 How are they brought to desolation as in a moment !
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream appears on awaking,
So, 0 Lord, when thou awakest, thou vidlt despise their image.

Verse 16. — But though he re
proved himseU for giving utterance
to doubts of the Divine goodness,
yet whenhe sought to understand the
real ground of the permitted pros
perity of the. vricked, he could not —
the thought troubled him. — Grievous
in my eyes : the term eyes, here, stands
for the mental eye, the thought.
Verse 17. — Until I went, &c. But
revelation made it clear to him ;
when he looked at the subject from a
spiritual point of view, then it was
easUy intelUgible. He saw that the
prosperity of the vricked was only
momentary : theU faU was soon to
come. 'When they entered the next
world, they would find a terrible re
tribution awaiting them ; this would
be the result of being let into theU
own evils, which in this world were
covered over. — Sanctuary — literaUy
sanctuaries, that is, sacred things, of
God — in other words. Divine truths.
As soon as he considered the state of
the vricked under the light of revealed
tiuth, which takes eternity into the
account, then the righteousness of
the Divine dealings was vindicated.
Verse 18. — Truly thou wilt set
them, &c. This is spoken according
to the appearance as presented to the
wicked. To them it appears that

the Lord punishes and distresses
them, but in reality it is theU own
evUs ; as is declared, " EvU shaU
slay the vricked " (Psalm xxxiv. 21).
The Lord is mercy itseU, aud never
punishes or harms any one. — Slippery
places signUy seductive evils, and
• destruction (literaUy, destructions) de-
solatUig falses.
Verse 19. — How are they brought
to desolation, &c. Here is presented
a graphic picture of the sudden fall
of the vricked from their height of
worldly prosperity into desolation ;
and theU misery and terror, when
they find themselves after death de
prived of all their possessions, and
surrounded by infemals.
Verse 20. — As on awaking from
sleep, the previous dream is seen to
be only fancUul, unreal, untrue, so,
when, after death, the real character
of the vricked is exhibited, and the
true nature of their seeming pros
perity, all vrill be seen to have
been shadowy and unreal. — Their
image, that is, their nature and cha
racter, — compared to an image, as
being something devoid of real lU'e.
• — Lord, when thou awakest. This is
spoken according to the appearance.
While the vricked go on prosperous
ly, the Lord, in allowing them so to

352

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXXIIL

21 When my heart was embittered,
And I was pierced in my reins,
22 Then was I stupid and ignorant,
I was as a beast before thee.
23 Yet I am continuaUy with thee :
Thou boldest me by my right hand.
24 Thou wUt guide me by thy counsel.
And afterwards receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in the heavens but thee 1
And I delight in none upon earth, in comparison with thee.

go on, seems sleeping, that is, inat
tentive, unobservant ; but when they
are brought to judgment, then the
Divine Judge seems to have awaked.
Verse 21. — Heart — reins. " As
the reins [kidneys] cleanse the blood
from such impurities as are called
urinous, and as the heart purifies the
blood from such unclean things as
are loathsome, so the tmth of faith
purifies man from falses, and the
good of love from evils. From this
cause, the ancients placed the good
and its affections in the heart, and
intelUgence and its perceptions in
the reins." A. fi. 140,— My heart
was embittered, and I was pierced in
my reins. " By these words is sig
nified the infestation of good by evU,
and of truth by falsity." Ap. Ex. 167.
Verse 22. — Then was I stupid and
ignorant, &c. The meaning is, that
when he allowed himself to feel so
much disturbed at the temporary
prosperity of the wicked, he was
foolish, — he took merely a narrow
and earthly view of things.
Verses 23, 24. — Thou holdest me
hy my right hand. " By the right
hand, when spoken of man, is sig
nified wisdom from Divine truth :
[lience, to hold by the riglit hand is
to sustain man's wisdom by influx

of Divine truth]. Hence it is said.
Thou unit guide me by thy counsel,
and afterwards wilt receive me to
glory ; where, to guide by counsel is
to lead by Divine truth, and to re
ceive to [or in] glory is to bless vrith
inteUigence ; for glory, when pre
dicated of the Lord, signifies Divine
truth, and Divine vrisdom, but,
when predicated of man, signifies
inteUigence thence derived." Ap.
Ex. 298.
Verse 25. — JVliom have I, &c.
The supreme love which is due to
the Divine, is here strongly and
eloquently expresssd. But to " love
the Lord above all things," does not
mean to love Him as a Person, but
to vrill and do his commandments :
as he said, " He that hath my com
mandments and keepeth them, he it
is that loveth me" (John xiv. 21).
— In the heavens, here, means in the
internal mind, and upon earth signi
fies in the external mind : the mean
ing is that every thought and
affection internal and extemal is to
be kept in subjection to the Divine
wiU. The meaning here is simUar
to that in the commandment not to
worship other gods " in heaven
above or earth beneath" (Exodus
XX. 3, 4).

LXXIIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

353

26 My flesh and my heart fail :
But God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever.
27 For, behold, those that depart from thee shaU perish :
Thou cuttest off every one that goes a whoring from thee.
28 But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God :
In the Lord Jehovih I put my trust,
That I may recount aU thy works.

Verse 36. — By flesh is signified
man's proprium or seUhood, which
is evU (Ap. Ex. 1082), thus the lusts
of his natural wiU, and by heart, the
vriU itseU. By the flesh and ihe
heart failing is meant that man's
wiU vrith its lusts are vrithout
heavenly Ufe, and indeed of them
selves vrithout any Ufe. — God is the
rock of my heart: God signifies
Divine Truth : Divine truth known
and obeyed sustains the wUl and
fUls it vrith good and joy ; — And my.
portion forever : and also supports the
understanding and the whole Ufe to
eternity. Verse 27. — Ttiose ihat depart from
thee, signifies such as plimge into
evils ; and those that go a whoring
from thee, signifies such as give them
selves up to falses, and deUght in
perverting truths. "By committing
whoredom, in the spiritual sense, is
signified to adulterate and falsUy
the Word. The reason that this
is the signification of committing
whoredom, is because in every par
ticular of the Ward there is a mar
riage of goodness and tmth, and
this marriage is broken when good
is separated or taken away from
truth. For this reason it is, that to.
commit whoredom signifies to adul
terate the good and falsUy the

truths of the Word." A. E. 134.— It
is said Thou cuttest off; but this is
spoken only in the language of
appearances : the Lord destroys or
punishes no one : those that do evUs
and confirm themselves in falses,
destroy theU own spirits, and eut
themselves off from heavenly happi
ness. Verse 28. — To. draw near to God,
is to be conjoined vrith him, by wor
ship and by doing his vrill, or by
faith and love. — For the significa
tion of Lord Jehovih, see note on
Psalm Ixviii. 20. To put my trust
(UteraUy to ^K my refuge) in the Lord
in order to recount all his works (or
doings), means that when one has
sought and found rest in the Lord,
then from a fuU heart he is able to
declare " what great things the Lord
has done for" him — how good, how
wise, how loving and lovely He is.
—These words, in the supreme sense,
refer doubtless to the Lord Jesus.
When his humanity had become fully
conjoined to the Essential Divinity
(signified by drawing near to God,
and finding refuge in him) then that
Humanity glorified was able to
manifest fully the Divine love and
wisdom, by being the everlasting
Saviour of mankind.

354 NOTES ON THE PSALMS [LXXIV.
PSALM LXXIV.
SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
That the Church, with all things of it, is entirely destroyed,
and its holy things 'profaned, they saying in their hearts that reli
gion is not anything, verses 1-9 ; a prayer to the Lord that he
would bring help, 2, 10, 11; that he had before subdued the hells,
12-15; and that he had before established the Church, 16, 17;
tliat he would therefore have mercy, lest the Church perish, 18-21 ;
by the insurrection of the evil, 22, 23.
Instructive : A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Why, 0 God, hast thou cast us off forever ?
Why smokes thy anger against the flock of thy pasture ?
2 Eemember thy congregation, which thou didst purchase of old ;
Which thou didst redeem as the tribe of thy inheritance ; —
This Mount Zion, wherein thou dweUedst.
3 Lift up thy footsteps to the utter desolations :
The enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary.
Title. — Instructive — A Psalm of rod, that is, lot, portion, measured by
Asaph. See notes on the titles of the rod] of thy inheritance. " As by
Psalms xxxU. and 1. Israel is signified the Church which
Verse 1. — Why hast thou cast us is Ui truth derived from good, there
of ? &c. This is spoken according fore Israel in the Word is caUed the
to the appearance. The Lord is love tribe of Jehovah's inheritance (Psalm
itself, and casts off no one, nor is Ixxiv. 2)." Ap. Ex. 431. — Wliich
even angry with any one. But when thou didst purchase — redeem : liter-
the men of the Church have declined ally, by the deUverance of the Israel-
into evil, and suffer in consequence, ites from Egypt ; spiritually, by re-
it seems as if the Lord had forsaken demption from the power of hell ;
them, whereas it is they who have for it was the spiritual, especially,
forsaken him. — Flock of thy pasture : whom the Lord came to redeem. —
those of the Church so called dis- This Mount Zion wherein thou dwell-
tinctively, because they have for edst. The Lord is said to dwell in
their mental food the revealed Word. Mount Zion, because he has his abode
Verse 2. — Thy congregation, that in love, which is the characteristic
is, Israel, sigmfies the spiritual of the Church celestial
Church, while Mount Zion signifies Verse 3. — Lift up thy footsteps :
the celestial Church. — Tlu tribe [or that is, go towards, observe. — The

LXXIV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

355

4 Thy adversaries roar in the midst of thy festival :
They set forth their signs — signs.
5 They appear as one who Ufts up axes
Against a thicket of trees.
6 And now with hatchets and hammers
They break down its carvings altogether.
7 They have given thy sanctuary to the fire :
They have profaned to the earth the habitation of thy name.

utter desolations, the entire destruc
tion of everything good and true in
the Church. — " The enemy has des
troyed everything in the sanctuary
signifies that evU has destioyed the
holy things of the Chureh." Ap.
Ex. 706.
Verse 4. — " Thy adversaries roar
in the midst of thy festival signifies
that falses have destroyed aU things
of worship. They set forth their
signs — signs, signifies that they have
testified and persuaded by all things.
— A dgn is that which indicates,
vritnesses, and persuades concerning
a subject of inquiry." Ap. Ex. 706.
— " Signs and procUgies signify con
firming and persuading principles
grounded on extemal appearances
and faUacies, whereby the sUnple
suffer themselves to be seduced."
A. C. 3900.
Verse 5. — They appear as one
who lifts up axes against a thicket of
trees. This comparison is made,
because the Word, in its literal
sense, is compared to a thicket or
forest, being obscure and intricate.
" The Word is like a garden, which
may be called a heavenly paradise,
in which are delicacies and delights
of every kind, — delicacies from the
fruits, and delights from the fiowers ;
iu the midst of which are trees of
Ufe, and beside them fountains of
Uving water, whUe around the gar

den are trees of the forest. The man
who from genuine doctrine is in
Divine truths is in the midst where
are the trees of Ufe, and he is in the
actual enjoyment of those delicacies
and delights ; but the man who is
not in truths from genuine doctrine
but only from the sense of the
letter, is in the circumference, and
sees only the things of the forest."
T. C. II. 259. — Axes signUy fallacies
and false reasonings with which the
Word in its letter is assailed by
those who are opposed to the truths
of the Church. "An axe signifies
falsityfromseU-derivedintelligence."
A. fi. 847.
Verse 6. — Hatchets and, hammers
signUy falses and fallacies (A. fi.
847). Its carvings. Its has refer
ence to the temple or sanctuary (see
verse 3), that is, the Church. Car
vings (or engravings) signUy impres
sions of truth made on the memory
(see A. C. 9842). By the carvings
being broken down is meant that aU
such impressions have been dis
persed by falsities.
Verse 7. — They have given thy
sanctuary to the fi/re signifies that
they have destroyed all good in
themselves by evil of life, — sanc
tuary denoting the Church as to
good, and/?'e seU-love and its evUs.
Tliey have profaned to the earth the
habitation of thy na/me, signifies that

856

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXXIY.

8 They have said in then? hearts. Let us destroy them together :
They have burned aU God's places of assembly in the land.
9 We see not our signs :
There is no more any prophet ;
And there is no one with us who knows how long.
10 How long, 0 God, shall the adversary reproach ?
ShaU the enemy despise thy name forever ?
11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand ?
Out of the midst of thy bosom consume them.

they have perverted the truths of
the Church by natural and sensual
reasonings, — habitation denoting the
Church as to tmth, and earth denot-
ting the natural mind. The Lord's
name signifies his quaUty or nature,
which is Divine Tmth from Divine
Good. "Sanctuary and habitation
signUy heaven and the Church ;
sanctuary as to the good of love, and
habitation as to truths from that
good, for the Lord dwells in truths
from good." Ap. Ex. 70L
Verse 8. — They have burned all
God's places of assembly in the land.
Fire signifies evU lusts : hence to
hum or destroy by fire, is to destroy
by evUs. — Places of assembly (proper
ly festivals) signUy states of wor
ship : the land is the Church.
Hence to burn all God's places
of assembly in the land signifies
to destroy by evU lusts all true
Divine worship in the Church.
Verse 9. — " We see not our signs
signifies that no testifications of
truth are accepted in the church [for
the signification of signs, see note on
verse 4]. There is no more any
prophet signifies that there is no
longer any doctrine of truth." Ap.
Ex. 706. There is no one with us
who knows how long: that is, iu this
vastated state' of the Church, there

are none who care for Divine things,
none looking and longing for higher
truth and goodness. (See Ap. Ex.
504). Verse 10. — By adversary and
enemy are 'signified those who are
opposed to truth and good — those
who are in falses and evils. By the
name of God, is signified his qnaUty
— that is. Divine Love and Wisdom.
The meaning is, how long shaU this
state of spUitual desolation continue ?
Verse 11. — The hand and right
hand signUypower and omnipotence.
Why withdrawest thou, &c. The
meaning is " Why, 0 Lord, dost thou
not exercise thy omnipotence in re
moving these destroyers of thy
Church?" — Out of the m,idst of thy
bosom consume them. By the bosom
is signified love, in this case Divine
Love (A. C. 6960). The meaning is,
"from thy Divine love deliver us
and destroy these vricked ones."
Out of Hie midst signifies from the
inmost (A. R. 44). — It may be
observed that the right hand signi
fies Divine truth, because aU power
is exercised by means of truth,
while bosom signifies Divine love :
both tei-ms are used, in order that
there may be that marriage or con
junction of tmth and good which
exists throughout the Word.

LXXIV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

357

12 For God is my king of old,
Working salvation in the midst of the land.
13 By thy strength thou didst divide the sea :
Thou didst break the heads of the whales in the waters.
14 Thou didst break the heads of the leviathan :
Thou gavest him for food to the people inhabiting the wU
derness.
15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the stream;
Thou didst dry up mighty rivers.
16 The day is thine; the night also is thine:'
Thou hast ordained Ught and the sun.
17 Thou hast set aU the borders of the earth :
Summer and winter, thou hast formed them.

Verse 12. — God signifies the
Lord as to Divine Truth : hence he
is caUed king, because tmth has
power. Of old, that is, in all times,
in aU ages. Working salvation in
the midst of the land : by the land is
signified the Church : working sal
vation (literaUy, salvations) means
deUverance from the evU and the
false. The meaning is, — the Lord
in aU ages has protected his Church,
and deUvered it from evUs and
falsities : why vrill he not do so
now? Verses 13-15. — Thou didst divide
ihe sea. In the letter, this refers,
doubtless, to the dividing of the
waters of the fied Sea for the Israelites
to pass over. But that more than this
is meant, is evident ; for nothing is
said in that narrative about breaking
the heads of whales. In the intemal
sense, by the sea is signified hell,
and by the dividing of the sea the
subjugation of the heUs. In partic
ular, by the sea here, is signified the
scientific principle of the mind per
verted. By whales and the leviathan
(another name for the whale) are
signified the scientifics of the natu

ral and sensual man : by the heads
of these are meant self-love and its
evUs, from which are falses [the same
is meant by the " serpent's head"
which the Lord should "bruise" —
Genesis iU. 15]. By the people in
habiting Hie wilderness to whom
the leviathan is given for food, are
signified such as are in deadly
falses, who feed upon, that is, de
light in, scieutific falses or know
ledges perverted from their tme use.
" By the fountain and the stream
are signified falses of doctrine,
which are derived from self-intelli
gence : mighty rivers are false prin
ciples thence confirmed." Ap. Ex.
483. By cleaving and drying them
up is signified the dispersion of such
falses. "The subject treated of in the
above verses, in the intemal sense,
is concerning sciences destroying
the truths of faith : by the whales
are signified scientifics in general,
as also by the leviathan ; and by the
sea the scientific principle mis-
appUed to weaken and destroy
tmths." A. C. 9755.
Verses 16, 17. — By day and

358

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXXIV.

18 Eemember this : the enemy reproaches the Loed,
And the impious people despise thy name.
19 Give not the soul of thy turtle-dove to the beast:
Forget not the Ufe of thy afflicted ones forever.
20 Have regard to the covenant:
For the dark places of the earth are fuU of the habitations of
violence.

night, summer and winter, are signi
fied in the internal sense, the
changes of state which take place
with the regenerating man, alter
nately bright and dark, warm and
cold. By light and the sun are sig
nified truth and love. All the
borders of ihe earth denote aU the
states of the Church, earth signUy
ing the Church. — By its being said
the day and night are thine, and
that the Lord does aU these things,
is meant that the Lord ordains or
permits man's various changes of
state, in order to his regeneration
and perfection. By his setting all
the holders of the earth is meant that
the Lord alone establishes the
Church, after he has dispersed des
tructive falses, as described in the
preceding verses. — "That the re
generate man undergoes changes,
that is, alternations of charity and
no charity, is manifest from this con
sideration that with every one, even
the regenerate, there is nothing but
evU, and that all good is of the Lord
alone ; and since there is with man
nothing but evU, he must necessarUy
undergo changes, now, as it were
being in summer, that is, in charity,
and now in vrinter, that is, in no
charity. These changes are to the
end that man may be more and
more perfected, and thereby be ren
dered more and more happy ; for
vrithout such changes, as of summer

and winter as to things of the wiU,
and of day and night as to things of
the understanding, he would not be
perfected." A. C. 935.
Verse 18. — Remember this means
Observe tlus, 0 Lord ; note this state
of things. From this verse to the
end of the Psalm, there is poured
out a supplication to the Lord to
help, lest the Church perish (see the
Summary Exposition). By the
enemy are signified such as are in
in evil, and by the impious people
such as are in the falses thence
derived. Tliy name signifies all
truths of doctrine and of the Church
(Ap. Ex. 650).
Verse 19. — By doves are signi
fied the truths and goods of faith :
by the soul of thy turtle-dove is sig
nified the Ufe of faith (A. C. 870).
" Give not the soul of thy turtle-dove
to the beast signifies not to give over
spiritual good to those who are in
the cupidities of evil : by the life of
thy afiiicted ones is signified the
spUitual Ufe oppressed by evUs and
falses." Ap. Ex. 650.
Verse 20. — Have regard to the
covenant. The covenant between
God and man is, that U man wiU
look to Him and do His vrill, he
shaU be defended from the vricked
and shall be saved. Now to the
good, whUe suffering from the per
secutions of the wicked, it appears
as U the Lord had forgotten his

LXXIV.]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

359

21 0 let not the oppressed turn back ashamed :
Let the afflicted and the poor praise thy name.
22 Arise, 0 God, maintain thy cause :
Consider how the impious reproach thee daUy.
23 Forget not the clamor of thy enemies :
The uproar of those that rise up against thee ascends con
tinuaUy.

covenant with them : but it is only
an appearance, for as declared, " He
wUl ever be mindful of his cove
nant" (Psalm cxi. 5). In due time
he vriU deUver them. — For the dark
places (literally, darkness) of the
earth are full of the habitations of
violence. By the earth here, is in
the first place, signified the Church,
which at the time of its consumma
tion, is in a dark state, and many of
its nominal members have Uttle
charity in theU hearts, and often
violently persecute the good. But, in
a vrider sense, by earth, here, appears
to be meant the lower earth, as it is
caUed, or place of vastation in the
world of spirits, where, before the
Lord's coming, the good suffered
much by infestation from evU spirits.
TheU abodes there are caUed dark
places, because the good who were
there were yet in ignorance of truth,
or were in falses, from which they
could not be purified tUl the Lord
came in the Humanity. These are
meant by the " spirits in prison to
whom the Lord preached" (1 Peter
Ui. 19), and by the prisoners whom
the Lord delivered (Isaiah xlU. 7).
See Ap. fiev. 99.
Verse 21. — Let not the oppressed
turn hack ashamed: that is, let not
those who are persecuted by the
vricked, go away from thee with their

prayer for deliverance unanswered.
Let the afflicted and the poor praise
thy name. "The reason why the
afiiicted and the poor are mentioned
together, is, because it is according
to the style of the Word, that where
truth is treated of, good is also treated
of ; and in the opposite sense, where
the false is treated of, evil is also
treated of — since they form a one,
and, as it were, constitute a marriage.
On this account, the afiiicted and the
poor are mentioned together ; for by
the afiiicted are meant those who are
deficient in the knowledges of good,
and by the poor those deficient in
the knowledges of truth." Ap. Ex.
238. Let them praise thy name means,
Let their spUitual wants be satisfied,
and then with full hearts and clear
minds they wUl adore the Lord and
his goodness.
Verses 22, 23. — Arise, 0 God, &c.
This is an earnest call upon the
Lord to effect a judgment : that the
number of the vricked on earth is
increasing : that those in the hells
are in a perpetual tumult, striving
to ascend into the world of spirits,
in the hope of destroying both that
world and aU mankind. This was
the case before the Lord's Coming,
and also before the Last Judgment.
(See A. C. 1266).

360

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXXV.

PSALM LXXV.

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
That when the Lord comes, he will raise up the fallen Church,
verses 1-3 ; let not the evil exalt themselves against the good, 4-6 ;
because the Judgment is coming, in which the former will perish,
while the latter will he saved, 1 ; that tlie evil will then perish hy
dire falses, 8-10 ; but the good will worship the Lord, 11.
To the Leader of the Music: Destroy not : a Psalm of Asaph : A Song.
1 We praise thee, 0 God, we praise thee :
For thy name is near : thy wondrous works declare it.
2 When I shaU reach the appointed time,
I wUl judge righteously.
3 The earth and aU its inhabitants are dissolved :
I wUl set up its piUars. Selah.
4 I say to the proud. Be not proud ;
And to the wicked. Lift not up the horn.
5 Lift not up your horn on high :
Speak not with a stiff neck.

Title. — Destroy not: see note on
the title of Psalm Ivii. — A Psalm of
Asaph : A Song : see notes on the
titles of Psalms 1. and Ixvi.
Verse 1. — Thy name is wear means
that the Lord's coming is at hand :
by his wondrous works declaring it, is
probably meant that the operations
of his providence indicate that his
coming is at hand.
Verse 2. — The appointed time:
that is the time for his coming. — I
viill judge righteously : then the Lord
vriU effect a judgment on the former
Church, and establish a new one (as
declared in the next verse).
Verse 3. — The earth signifies the
Church, which is said to be dissolved,
when there is a deficiency of truths,
by which good may be attained.

Since truths sustain the Church, they
are caUed its pillars, which, [as here
said] God vrill set up. As the restora
tion of the Church is here described,
therefore it is said, " When I shall
reach the appointed time, I will judge
righteously." A<p. Ex. 304. — As the
earth denotes the Church, by its
inhabitants a,Te signified the principles
of good and truth which fiU the
Church, and also the men who are
in such principles. (Ap. Ex. 741). —
Selah : see note on Psalm iU. 2.
Verse 4. — By the proud, here, are
meant such as glory in falses, and by
the wicked, those that delight in
evUs. J say to them, means a warn
ing that theU judgment is coming.
Verses 4, 5. — Lift not up your
horn. " By horns, in the Word, are

LXXV]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

361

6 For neither from the east nor from the west,
Nor from the south, comes exaltation :
7 For God is judge :
This one he debases, and that he exalts.
8 For in the hand of the Loed there is a cup,
And the wine is turbid : it is fuU of mixture :
And he pours out from it : surely its dregs
All the wicked of the earth shaU suck up and drink.
9 But I wUl give praise forever :
I wUl sing to the God of Jacob.

signified in a good sense, the power
of truth grounded in good, and in
an opposite sense the power of the
false grounded in evU." " To lift up
ihe horn on high signifies here to
maintain boldly the false against the
truth ;" wherefore it is added, speak
not with a stiff neck [a stiff neck being
expressive of haughtiness, impu
dence]. A. C. 2832, Ap. Ex. 316.
Verse 6. — For neither from the
east, &c. By the east, in the spiritual
sense, is signified a state of love in
clearness, because the east, where the
sun rises, represents the Lord who is
the Sun of righteousness, and who is
Love itseU (see H. and H. 150) ; by
the west, is signified a state of love
in obscurity : thus, by the east and
west, is signifled love in aU its de
grees. The south signifles the Ught
of tmth, because the sun is in the
south at mid-day or at its brightest.
That from none of these comes exal
tation, seems to mean that true ele
vation comes from nothing of man's
love or Ught, that is, from nothing
of man's own wUl or understanding,
but only from the Lord, as said in
the next verse,— /or God is judge,
&c. Verse 7. — This one he debases, and
ihat he exalts: not arbitrarily, but
from judgment : as is said, God is

The term God signifles the
Lord as to Divine tmth, from which
aU are judged. Those who receive
the Lord's gUts of truth and love,
are exalted: those who reject them do
thereby condemn and debase them
selves. Verse 8. — " By a cup in the hand
of the Lord, and by wine, is signifled
Divine truth : by mixture is signifled
profanation, for the mixture of tmth
with falsity is meant : by his pouring
out thence, and by all ihe wicked of the
earth sucking up and drinking the
dregs, is signified the punishment of
profanation." Ap. Ex. 1116.— The
wine is turbid, or more exactly, is
foaming or fermenting, as from the
presence of impure substances. — The
cup is said to be in the Lord's hand,
and he is said to pour out from it :
this is so expressed according to the
appearance, for it is commonly be
lieved that evib and the punishment
of evUs and falses are from the Lord,
whereas they are, in fact, from man
himself and from the evU spirits at
tendant upon him. (A. C. 5120).
Verse 9. — I will give praise, &c.
It is the Psalmist who here speaks.
— 2716 God of Jacob. By Jacob is
signified the church spiritual-natural :
hence the God of Jacob signifies the
Lord in His Humanity, or His Di-

362

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXXVL

10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off;
But the horns of the righteous shaU be exalted.

vine Natural principle. The church
here gives praise to the fiedeemer,
who casts down the vricked, and ele
vates the good, — as declared in the
next verse.
Verse 10.— By /io?-jis,inthe Word,
is signified power (see note on verse
4). " By cutting off the horns of Hie

wicked is signified to destroy their
falsities [with the power thence de
rived], and by exalting the horns of
the righteous is signified to render the
truths of the good, strong and
powerfiU." Ap. Ex. 316. It is the
fiedeemer who here speaks.

PSALM LXXVL

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.

That the Lord is in his Church, where there is protection
against falses and evils, verses 1-4 ; tha,t in the Jewish Church
there is no longer any truth, 5, 6 ; that tlie Lord is about to effect
a Judgment, hy which tlie wicked will perish, and the good will he
saved, 7-10, 12 ; that the Lord should be worshiped, 11.
To the Leader of the Music : on the stringed instruments : a PsaUn of
Asaph : a Song.
1 God is known in Judah :
His name is great in Israel.
2 In Salem, also, is his tabernacle.
And his dwelUng-place in Zion.
3 There he brakes the arrows of the bow,
The shield, and sword, and war. Selah.
celestial, for the term God signifies
Divine Truth. By his name being
great in Israel, is signified that the
Lord in his Divine Humanity spe
ciaUy sustains the spUitual ; for Ids
name, in the supreme sense, signi
fies the Humanity. That the Lord
came into the world, and assumed
humanity, speciaUy to save the spi
ritual, see A. C. 2716.
Verses 2, 3.— By Salem, or Jeru-

TlTLE. — On the stringed instru
ments {Neginoth) : see note on the
title of Psal m iv. A Psalm of Asaph :
a Song: see notes on the titles of
Psalms 1. and Ixvi.
Verse 1. — By Judah is signified
the Lord's celestial kingdom, and by
Israel his spUitual kingdom (Ap.
fiev. 350). By God's being known in
Judah, is meant probably that Divine
Truth is internaUy perceived by the

LXXVL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

363

4 Thou art more glorious and mighty
Than the mountains of rapine.
5 The strong-hearted are despoiled : they sleep their sleep :
And none of the men of might find their hands.
6 At thy rebuke, 0 God of Jacob,
Both chariot and horse have sunk into a deep sleep.

salem, is signified the Church as to
the doctrine of truth, the love of
which characterizes the spiritual :
whUe by Zion is signified the Church
as to good, which cUstinguishes the
celestial. " Jerusalem is here caUed
Salem, because by Salem is signified
peace, from which also is derived
the name Jerusalem, ; and the reason
of its being so named is because
peace includes all things of heaven
and the Church. By the tabernacle
of God which is there, is signified
the Church which exists from those
things ; and by his dwelling-place in
Zion, is signified the good of love,
since the Lord dwells in that good,
and thence gives truths, and multi-
pUes and fructifies them. And since
by peace is also meant a state in which
there is no more combat of evU and
falsity against good and truth, or no
more dissension or war (spirituaUy
understood), therefore it is said,
" There he brakes the arrows of the
bow, the shield, and sword, and war ;
by which is meant the dissipation
of aU combat of the falsities of doc
trine against good and tmth, and in
general the dissipation of all dis
agreement." Ap. Ex. 365. — 37ie
arrows of the bow — literaUy, the
fla/mes or lightnings of the bow :
fla/me or lightning signifies in a good
sense the briUiancy and power of
truth, but in a bad sense, as here,
it signifies the false. Bow denotes

doctrine. Hence the lightnings of
the bow, falses of doctrine. — Selah:
see note on Psalm iii. 2.
Verse 4. — By the mountains of
rapine are meant the hells. Moun
tains, in a bad sense, signUy evUs,
and mountains of rapine or prey (or,
literally, tearing to picas), signUy
destructive evils — evils that tear to
pieces, as it were, or destroy aU good
and truth : of such a character are
the hells. By its being said. Thou
art more glorious and mighty ihan the
mountains of rapine, is meant that
the Lord is able by his Divine truth
and good to protect against the heUs
(a nearly paraUel passage occurs in
Psalm xciii. 4 : " The Lord on high
is mightier than the mighty waves
of the sea"). Glorious is predicated
of Divine Truth, and mighty (Uter
aUy, large, great) ot Divine good.
Verses 5, 6. — "By the strong-
hearted are signified those who are in
truths grounded in good : by their
being despoiled and sleeping their sleep
is signified that they have lapsed
from evUs into falses : by the rebuke
of the God of Jacob is signified the in
version of theU state, of themselves
[the evil which man brings on him
seU is often in the letter of Scripture
ascribed to God, because that is the
appearance] : by both chariot and
horse having sunk into a deep sleep is
signified that their intellectual prin
ciple is laid asleep, because it has

364

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXXVL

7 Thou art to be feared, even Thou ;
And who can stand before thee, when once thou art angry ?
8 From the heavens thou didst cause judgment to be heard :
The earth feared and was stiU,
9 When God arose to judgment,
To save all the afiUcted of the earth. Selah.

become merely natural : " Ap. Ex.
355. " The chariot and liorse signUy
the doctrine of the Church and its
intellect, which are said to be asleep
when they are vrithout truths, and
hence the man of the Church is
vrithout spiritual lUe." Ap. Ex. 187.
• — By the men of might not finding
their hands, is signifled that those
who before were spirituaUy strong
(mera of might) by truths from good,
are now powerless, since they have
fallen into evils and consequent
falses : hands signUy power. These
two verses, 5 and 6, refer to the
Jewish Church in its faUen state
(see Summary of the Intemal Sense).
Veese 7. — This and the three fol
lowing verses refer to the judgment
which the Lord was about to execute
on the Jewish Church. It is here
said, that the Lord is to be feared (or,
is terrible) and is angry. But this is
expressed only according to the ap
pearance to the wicked. The Lord
is Love itseU, and is never angry
with any one ; for anger is a state
contrary to that of love, but the Lord
is unchangeable. The wicked, how
ever, when theU judgment comes,
that is, when theU real characters
are laid open, and theU evUs are
exposed, shrink with terror from the
light and heat of heaven, the Uiflux
of which, being opposite to their own
natures, torments them ; and this
torment they ascribe to the Divine
Being, and think him terrible and

angry, and seeking to punish them :
whereas the torment and punishment
are simply the result of their own
perverted state.
Verse 8. — From the heavens, &c.
'When a general judgment takes
place, (which is effected in the world
of spirits) the heavens are, as it were,
let down nearer, whence there is a
stronger influx from them, the effect
of which is to reveal more fuUy the
interiors of spUits. Thus the wicked ,
throwing off the appearances of good
which they had hitherto maintained,
burst forth in their true characters,
and so, as it were, judge themselves
by fleeing away, for they cannot
abide the heavenly influx. This,
probably, is what is meant by the
judgment being heard from the heavens.
(See A. C. 10, 810-11.) The earth,
which feared and was still, means,
doubtless, the world of spirits and
its inhabitants, who awaited in awe
this testing process (see L. J. 61).
By the earth, in the internal sense,
is meant the Jevrish Church, the
members of which, assembled in the
spUitual world, were judged.
Verse 9. — To save all the afflicted,
&c. This shows that the Divine end
in effecting a Judgment, is not to
punish the wicked, but to save the
good. The Lord, in his mercy, per
mitted even those who were evU, to
remain in the world of spirits, thus
out of heU, so long as they behaved
themselves vrith extemal propriety,

LXXVL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

36£

10 Truly the wrath of man shaU praise thee :
The remainder of wrath thou wUt restrain.

11

Vow and pay to the Loed your God :
Let aU that are around him
Brmg presents to him who is to be feared.

and did not injure the good. But
when they became so numerous as
to intercept the Ught and heat, or
love and tmth, flovring from heaven,
and thus caused a paU of darkness
to be spread over human minds, the
effect of which was to distress the
good, who were trying to see theU
way to heaven, — th en, in order to save
these, it became necessary to effect a
judgment, by which those companies
of the evil in the world of spUits
were dispersed, and thus was light
let in again npon men's nUnds.
These assemblages of the hypocri
tical vricked are what are meant by
the former heaven that passed away
(fiev. xxi. 1). The afflicted of the
earth means the tempted ones in the
Church ; for whUe the darkness re
mained, the good in the Church were
afiiicted and distressed by falsities.
Verse 10. — By the words, Tlu
wrath of man shall praise thee, is
meant that the Lord seeks to turn
aU evil to good — to make it of some
use ; and that what cannot be turned
to any good use, is restrained or
checked, is signified by the words,
the remainder of wrath thou wilt re
strain. For the Lord's kingdom is
a kingdom of uses, and nothing is
permitted to exist, which may not
be tumed to some use. (See D. P.
26.) The bearing of this general
sentiment in the present connection
appears to be, that the evil were
allowed to remain in the world of

spirits, so long as theU remaining
could be turned to any good use ;
but when that ceased to be the case,
they were judged and cast down.
Verse 11. — Vow and pay, &c.
" To vow, in the internal sense, de
notes to wiU that the Lord may pro
vide ; for, in vows, there is a desire
that what is wiUed may come to
pass, thus that the Lord may pro
vide : something, also, of stipulation
is implied, and, at the same time,
something of debt on the part of
man, which he engages to discharge,
in case he comes to possess the object
of his vrish." A. C. 3732. Thus, to
vow, means to look to the Lord, ac
knowledging his goodness and provi
dence, and to make good resolutions
before him to do his vriU, and keep
his commandments : and to pay is
to keep those good resolutions. —
Bring presents. " It was customary,
in the ancient Church, and thence
in the Jevrish, to give something as
a present to judges, and afterwards
to kings and priests, when they were
approached. The reason was, be
cause the presents which were then
given represented such things per
taining to man as ought to be offered
to the Lord when he is approached ;
for kings represented the Lord as to
Divine truth, and priests as to Divine
good. Such presents represented
what proceeds from a free principle,
consequently from the man himself ;
from such free principle must be

366

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXXVIL

12 He wUl cut off the spirit of princes :
He is terrible to the kings of the earth.

offered a present by man to the Lord
when he is approached." A. C. 5619.
The meaning, then, of the words. Let
all that are around him bring presents,
is, that aU those who are spUitually
near to the Lord, should look to and
worship him from a free heart, that
is, from love. This effect will foUow
the carrying out of the preceding
command, Vow and pay; for when
man forms good resolutions and
keeps them from a sense of duty,
then the hard truth from which he
forced himseU, wUl become fUled
vrith love, and he vriU then approach
and worship the Lord from freedom
and affection. — It is said to him who
is to he femred, meaning that the Lord
should be approached with holy fear
and adoration.
Verse 12. — By princes and kings,
in the Word, are signified, in a good
sense, those who are in the possession
of truths, and thence have spiritual
power, for in tmth there is power.

By the earth is signified the Church :
thus by the kings of the earth, are
signified such as are eminently in
the knowledge of truths. Here, by
princes and kings, are meant the same
as by the strong-hearted and men of
might mentioned in the 5th verse,
namely, those who indeed possessed
a knowledge of truths, but decUned
into an evU lUe, and who are after
wards spoken of as being judged
(verse 8th). By his cutting off their
spirit and being terrible to them, is
meant that at the judgment they
wUl be deprived of Divine truth
{spirit) and be cast dovm. For from
the evil, after death, is taken away
the truth they possessed, lest they
should use it as an instrument to
harm the good : " from him that
hath not [that is, hath not in his
heart but only in his memory] shaU
be taken even that which he seemeth
to have." (Luke vui 18.)

PSALM LXXVIL

SUMMAEY OF THE INTEENAL SENSE.
The Lord's state of temptation, even to despair whether the
Father would assist, verses 1-9 ; his comforting himself from his
Divine by the recollection of tlie past, that those were saved who
implored, 10-15 ; a,nd that through Divine truth he liad power,
16-19 ; and that the Church had been preserved, 20.
To the Leader of the Music : for Jeduthun : a Psalm of Asaph.
1 With my voice unto God,
Yea, with my voice unto God do I cry :
0 give ear to me.
Title.— i''or Jeduthun: see note on the title of Psalm xxxix.  A

LXXVIL] NOTES ON THE PSALMS

367

2 In the day of my distress I seek the Lord :
My hand in the night is stretched out, and is not slackened :
My soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I remember God, and am troubled :
I meditate, and my spirit is overwhelmed. Selah.
4 Thou holdest my eyes in watchfulness ;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I think upon the days of old.
The years oi former ages.
6 I call to remembrance my song in the night :
I commune with my heart, and my spirit makes anxious in-
qiUry:

Psalm of Asaph, see note on the title
of Psalm 1.
Verse 2. — In the day of my dis
tress: my hand in the night, &c.
Day signifies state : but when day
and night are both mentioned, day
signifies a state in which the under
standing is comparatively clear — •
night, when it is in darkness. Is
stretched out: that is, in supplica
tion. Verse 3. — / remember God and am
troubled. The meaning seems to be,
that though he caUed God to mind,
and meditated upon the course of his
providence, yet all was dark and
confused. — Selah : see note on Psalm
iii 2.
Verse 4. — T%ou holdest my eyes
in watchfulness (Uterally translated.
Thou holdest the watches of my eyes):
that is, I am kept awake by my dis
turbed thoughts. It is said, Thou
holdest, because in the letter, aU
things are ascribed to God, even
troubles and afflictions ; though in
reality, no cUstress comes from him.
Verse 5. — " The days of old, the
years of former ages, denote the Most
Ancient Church." A. C. 2906. To
think upon these, means to reflect

upon theU state, that they were in
goodness and truth, and were be
loved and sustained by the Lord.
Days and years : " Days signU'y states
in general, and years states in par
ticular, or the particular qualities of
states." A. C. 487.
Verse 6. — / call to remembrance
my song in the night See Psalm
xiii. 8, " In the night his song shall
be vrith me, even a prayer to the God
of my lUe." By a song in the night
seems to be meant praise from a state
of resignation and faith even in the
night of the mind ; or U the words
"in the night" be taken as in con
nection vrith I call to remembrance,
then the meaning is, that in his
present dark state of mind, he calls
to remembrance the song of praise
which he had poured forth in brighter
and happier states. — To commune
with his heart, is to examine the
state of his love or will ; and by his
spirit making anxious inquiry (liter
ally, searching) is meant an inquUy
thence by his understanding as to
the disposition of God towards him,
— as appears from the verses that
foUow. CWhen heart and spirit afe
found together, by heart is signified

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

[LXXVIL

7 Will the Lord cast off forever ?
And wiU he be favorable no more ?
8 Has his mercy ceased forever ?
Has his word come to an end for aU generations ?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious ?
Has he in anger shut up his compassion ?
10 And I said. This is my infirmity:
T will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.
11 I wiU remember the works of the Loed ;
Yea, I wUl remember thy wonders of old.

the vriU, andby spirit the understand
ing. D. L. & W. 383).
Verse 7. — Will the Lord cast off
forever ? When we are under the
cloud of temptation, it appears as U
the Lord were angry vrith us, had
turned his back upon us, and had
cast us off. But this is only an ap
pearance : the Lord is never angry,
nor ever casts off any one, for he is
Love itseU (see A. C. 245).
Verse 8. — Mercy signifles Divine
love, and loord Divine truth.
The inquUy is, " Are his love and
tmth at an end ?"
Verse 10. — And I said, this is my
infirmity. He perceives that such
ideas as that God has forgotten him,
and is no longer gracious and merci
ful, are mere appearances, caused by
his m/rm and disturbed state of mind.
In the supreme sense, it is the Lord
who is here speaking. Inheriting
from the mother an infirm humanity
like our own, and "tempted in aU
points like as we are," it appeared to
him in time of temptation as if the
Divine were absent from him, and
had forgotten him ; as when he cried
out upon the cross, " My God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken me ?"
Bnt the Divine had not forsaken nor
forgotten him : it was the infirmity

of his human nature that made it
appear so. — I unll remember the years
of the right hand of the Most High.
This passage has been variously
translated, but the above seems the
most probable rendering. Thewords
I will remember are borrowed from
the succeeding verse. The right hand
signifies power, in the present case
omnipotence. Years, as aU times,
signUy states. God is caUed Most
High, in his character of Divine Love,
(A. C. 1735) for love is the most ele
vated of aU things. Thus, then, the
words, I will remember the years of
the right hand of Hie Most High, signi
fy, I wUl caU to mind the states of
the Lord's omnipotence from his
Divrine Love — ^how from that Love
he wishes, and by his omnipotence is
able, to save aU who trust in him.
Verse 11. — The works of theLord.
The term for Lord, here, is in the
original Jah. Jah signifies distinc
tively the Lord as to Divine Truth
(A. C. 8267), whereas Jehovah signi
fies the Lord as to Divine Love ;
and the term Jah is here used, be
cause all the great works of the Lord
are effected by means of his Divine
truth, — Tliy wonders of old. This
refers to the operations of the Divine
Goodness in establishing the Ancient

LXXVIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS

369

12 I will meditate, also, upon aU thy doings,
And wiU reflect upon thy acts.
13 0 God, thy way is in hoUness :
Wlio is a great god like God ?
14 Thou art the God that doest wonders :
Thou hast made known thy strength among the peoples.
15 Thou hast with thy arm redeemed thy people.
The sons of Jacob and Joseph.

and most ancient Churches, previous
ly referred to (see verse 5th).
Verse 12. — Meditate — refiect: do
ings — acts. When these double ex
pressions occur, the one always refers
to good and the other to truth : do
ings and acts have reference respec
tively to the operations of the Divine
tmth and of the Divine love. It is
for the sake of the marriage or union
of goodness and truth, which exists
in aU parts of the Word, that these
apparent repetitions occur.
Verse 13. — Thy way is in holiness
is equivalent to thy way is holy.
Way, in the spiritual sense, signifies
truth (A. C. 627), because tmth is
the way to good. The term holy is
appUed distinctively to truth (Ap.
fiev. 666). Hence thy way is holy
signifies that Divine tmth is holy. —
Who is a great god like God ? It is
t'j be remembered that at the time
this was written, idolatry was uni
versal, and every nation had its god.
The Jews themselves were in heart
idolaters, and beUeved in the exist
ence of many gods : hence aU that
could be impressed upon them was
that theU own God, Jehovah, was
the true God and greater than aU
others. The letter of Scripture, here,
is so expressed as to suit theU gross
ideas. In the true and spiritual
sense, the teaching intended to be

conveyed, is that God is aU-powerful
and alone in his power ; that there
is no being Uke him in this respect.
Verse 14. — That doest wonders (U-
terally, that doest a wonder, a miracle).
This wonder or miracle was, as is
¦ shown in the next verse, the deliver
ance of the IsraeUtes from Egypt.
But this deUverance represented a
much greater mUacle, namely, tho
redemption of mankind, and, in par
ticular, it represented the deliver
ance of the spiritual from the " lower
earth," a place in the spiritual world,
where they were held in a species
of bondage tUl the Lord's coining,
being infested by falses from the
heUs which surrounded them. (See
A. C. 6854.) By the peoples among
whom the Lord made known his
strength, are signified, in the literal
sense, the enemies of the Israelites,
both the Egyptians, from whose ty
ranny they were delivered, and also
the Canaanites and neighboring na
tions, against whom the Lord fought
for them. But in the spUitual sense,
by the peoples are signified the infer
nal spirits by whom the spiritual
were infested before the Lord's com
ing ; and in general, aU the hells,
particularly those that are in falses,
from whom the Lord redeems the
regenerating man.
Verse 15. — "By the sons of Jacob

2a

370

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

[LXXVIL

16 The waters saw thee, 0 God,
The waters saw thee : they trembled :
Yea, the abysses were disturbed.
17 The clouds dropped waters :
The skies uttered a voice :
Yea, thy arrows went forth.
18 The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind :
Lightnings Ulumined the world :
The earth trembled and shook.

and Joseph are meant literally the
Israelites ; but spiritually, by the
sons of Jacob and Joseph, are under
stood those who are in the good of
life according to their religious prin
ciple. For by Jacob, in the Word,
is meant the external Church which
is vrith those who are in the good of
Ufe ; and by Joseph are here meant
Manasseh and Ejfliraim, for it is
said 'Thou hast redeemed the sons
of Joseph ;' and by these are meant
such as are in good and truth as to
the extemal man, consequentlj' as
to lUe. To redeem them by his arm,
signifies to save them by his omni
potence ; for such were saved by
the Lord by his coming into the
world, and could not have been
saved otherwise." Ap. Ex. 448.
Verse 16. — Tlu waters saw thee,
&c. Waters, in the spiritual sense,
signify truths, or, oppositely, falsi
ties. Here, by the waters and abysses
are meant the hells that are in falses,
and which infested the spiritual in
the lower earth before the Lord's
coming. (See note on verse 14.) It
was these that trembled at the j)re-
sence of the Lord, for those who are
in falses cannot endure the presence
of Divine tmth, still less of Him
who is Truth itself — The distinction
between the waters and the abysses
probably is. that the former describe

those who are in the love of the
false, and the latter those who are
in the love of evU, whence falsities
proceed. Verse 17. — Tlie clouds dropped
waters, &c. " By the clouds (or, dark
clouds) dropiping waters are signified
truths from the literal sense of the
Word ; by the skies (or light clouds)
uttering a voice are signified truths
from the spiritual sense of the Word ;
arrows signUy truths from doctrine,
for a bow denotes doctrine, and ar
rows the truths thence derived."
(Ap. Ex. 273.)
Verse 18. — Tlie voice of thy thun
der, &c. " By voices of thunders are
signified truths Divine, and by light
nings the splendors thence issuing,
which glance upon the intemal sight
of man, and Uluminate those who
are in truths from good, but con
found those who are in falses from
• evU." A. C. 881^.— Whirlwinds, in
the spiiitual world, exist from the
influx of the Di\rine into the lower
parts of that world, where those are
who are in evrils and falses." Ap.
Ex. 41 9. — " In these words is de
scribed the state of the wicked aris
ing from the presence of the Lord in
his Divine tmth ; which state is like
that of the sons of Israel when the
Lord appeared to them on Mount
Sinai, that they then heard thunder-

LXXVIL]

NOTES ON THE PSALMS.

371

19 Thy way is in the sea.
And thy path in many waters,
And thy footsteps are not known.
20 Thou didst lead thy people, Uke a flock.
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

ings and saw lightnings, and that
the Mount appeared in a consuming
fUe as of a furnace, and that they
trembled. This was because they
were evU-hearted ; for the Lord ap
pears to every one according to his
quality, to the good as a refreshing
fire, and to the evil as a consuming
fire. Hence it is evident what is
signified by the voice of thunder in
the whirlwind, by the lightnings illu
mining the world, and by the earth
trembling and shaking. By the world
are meant all of the Church who are
in good, bnt in this case who are in
evU, and by the earth aU of the
Church who are in tmths, in this
case who are in falses." Ap. Ex.
741. — Here, plaiiUy, by the earth
and the world are signified those who
had known the truths of the Church,
but who had falsified them ; thus
the evU spirits who infested the good
in the spiritual world before the
Lord's coming. It is here described
how, terrifled by the presence of tbe
Lord in his Divine tmth, they let
theU victims go.
Verse 19. — " That by the sea is
not here meant literally the sea, nor
by waters Uteral waters, is evident,
for it is said that the way and path
of Jehovah are there. But by sea
and waters are meant such things as
Jehovah or the Lord is in, which
things are the knowledges of truth
in general from the Word, and the
tmths therein ; sea denoting those
knowledges, and waters truths.
Knowledges and truths differ in this

respect, that knowledges are of the
natural man, and truths are of the
spiritual man." Ap. Ex. 275.— By
way, in the spiritual sense (as also
by path), is signified truth, because
truth is the way to good : but way,
in particular, denotes truth of doc
trine, and path precepts of lUe (Ap.
Ex. 734). By "thy way being in
tlie sea," is signified that aU truths
of doctrine are to be found in the
ocean of Divine knowledges con
tained in the Word ; and thy path
in many waters denotes that all pre
cepts for the guidance of the lUe arc
to be found in theinnumerable tmths
thence derived. The words thy foot
steps are not known seem to mean
that the goings, doings, and wisdom
of the Lord are beyond human com
prehension. Verse 20.— Thou didst lead, &c.
By thy people are signified the spiri
tual, whom especially the Lord came
to save ; and particularly those above
spoken of, who were detained in the
"lower earth" tUl the Lord came.
They are compared to a flock' or
sheep, because sheep signify charity
or love to the neighbor, which is
the distin gmshing good of the spiri
tual. Moses and Aaron represented
the Word and doctrine thence de
rived (A. C. 6998). Being led by
theU hand, .signifies that the spUitual
were instructed in truths from the
Word and doctrine thence derived,
and thus being purified from falses,
were delivered from their state of
infestation, and elevated into heaven.

CRITICAL ANNOTATIONS.

Psalm vi. 5. — In hell who shall celebrate thee? The term Sheol (Sit<ti')> l^ere
translated hell, is derived from a root signifying AoKoio, cavernous, and thus aptly
describes the hells, which are, as it were, vast subterranean caverns, beneath the
world of spirits. The English term hell, from the German holle, has etymologi-
caUy precisely the same signification. That Sheol does not, as is sometimes main
tained, answer to the Greek Hades, or place of departed spirits, or in other words,
the " world of spirits," is evident from the context, " In Sheol who shall celebrate
thee ? " where plainly the reference is to those altogether evU, that is, those in hell.
Psalm riii 5. — Thou wilt cause him to be a little less than God. In the old
version tins is rendered, " Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels" — a
strange mistianslation. The word translated ' ' angels " is eloliim, the constant term
I'or God. But m this mstance, as in many others, King James's translators seem
to have too servUely foUowed the Greek Septuagint. Swedenborg, also, in his
quotation of this passage (m Ap. Ex. 288) has, by following the Latin of Schmid
ius, translated elohim " angels ; " but it is undoubtedly an error. See note on the
passage, in Clowes's Psalms.
In the old translation, these verbs are aU expressed in the past time, which
makes confusion and contiadiction in the sense. In the preceding verse man is
spoken of, as being nothing, "'What is man that thou art mindful of him ?" &c.
But here, in the very next verse (according to the old translation), he is declared
to he " little lower than the angels. " This eiror has arisen from a misapprehension
of the meaning, through not understanding the spiritual sense. In the original,
the verbs are in the future tense.
Another erroneous idea is conveyed by the old translation. One would be led
to suppose that the passage was treating of man's creation, and that he was made
below the angels. Eut the word made is not used in the sense of created, but in
the sense of caused : indeed, the word is not in the original at all. It is merely
the causative form of the verb IDn {chaser), to lack or want. Gesenius renders
the passage. Thou hast caused him to want hut little of God.
Psalm x. 3, 4. — The correct construction and interpretation of these two
verses have both been much disputed : and the extreme conciseness of the style
tends, certainly, to produce obscurity. By some, the phrase, " despises Jehovah,"
at the end of the third verse, is attached to the fourth : "The wicked in his pride
despises Jehovah : " this reading is perhaps more smooth, but it is against the
authority of the points. Again, the word jjvi plunderer or defrauder, is consi
dered by Archbishop Seeker (who also suggested the former alteration) as the
objective of a thing, instead of the nominative of a person, and he renders the

374 CRITICAL ANNOTATIONS
phrase, "blessing his gains:" but this construction is not borne out by the
grammar of the sentence, j;v'2 being certainly an active participle, or participial
noun. Hengstenberg renders it "he that makes gain blesses" {scilicet God), and
(luotes, as authority, Zech. xi. 5, "They that sell them, say. Blessed be the Lord,
fori am rich." This maybe the correct interpretation, though it is somewhat
forced. Venema and others prefer the phrase "blesses himself," for wliich there is
authority in Deuteronomy xxix. 19. Again, Calvin and others render the fourth
verse, "the wicked in his pride does not inquire," that is, does not seek to know
the truth and the right, but follows only Ms own will. This is plausible, and
would probably be generally considered the true rendering, but for the paraUel
passage below, verse 13, ""Why does the wicked despise God? why says he in his
heart, Thou wilt not make inquiry ?" which questions, referring evidently to this
verse, make the true interpretation plain.
Psalm X. 5. — The primitive signification of i^^n is undoubtedly <M;isfe(^, crooked;
but it has a secondary sense oijirm, stable, whence the noun p>n, strength. That
this is the signification here, is evident from the connection ; for it is the seeming
prosperity of the wicked, which is the subject of this part of the Psalm. Heng
stenberg translates the passage, his ways are always prosperous ; and remarks,
"The Ghaldee gives this sense, and the best expositors foUow it." Job xx. 21 is
adduced in proof.
Psalm xii. 7. — Tliou vAlt preserve him. The pronoun may be correctly ren
dered either him or us. The word is WISR {titzranu) ; here the 3 is epenthetic.
in which, as is shown by the compensating dagesh, the first letter of the prono
minal suifix is assimilated, and the suffix may be either !|n (him) or 13 (us).
Psalm xiv. 1. — The impious man hath said in his heart. The old translation
is, the fool hath said, &c. The word 733 {naval) sometimes signifies si fool or a
foolish person ; but it often also signifies wicked, impious, and this is evidently
the more fit rendering here : the defect is not in the head, bnt in the heart.
Psalm xvi. Title. — Writing. This term nn3D {michtam) which occurs
in the titles of four or five Psalms, has been variously rendered by expositors.
Several of the ancient translators, as Aquila and Symmachus, regarded it as a
compound word DH 'i]D (mich tam), and translated it, the distressed, delivered.
Others have derived it from DM3 (ketem) gold, and rendered it golden — a Golden
Psalm. Hengstenberg translates it secret, a secret of David, meamng something
interior, hidden from the merely natural mind. Bnt the view of Gesenius seems
the most simple and probable : he regards it as the same word with 3ri30 (mic7i-
tav) writing (3 and O (5 and m) being cognate letters and often interchanged),
which is found in Isaiah xxxviii. 9, " The writing of Hezekiah."
"Verse 2.-0 my soul. Both from the conte.xt, and from the fact that the
verb in the original is in the feminine form (as is the word E'aj {nephesh) soul), it
is evident that it is the soul which is to be understood as here addressed. This
is not uncommon m the Psalms: see, for instance, the 42d and 43d, "Why
art thou cast dovm, 0 my soul?" — / have no good beside thee; literally, my
good is not in addition to thee. The original is here somewhat obscure and has
been variously rendered. The meaning, however, appears to be as given above.
The preposition py {al), signifying usually to or in addition to, may bear the sense
of besides or vnthout, as for instance, iu Ex. xx. 3, "Thou shalt have no other
gods besides me," iJS ^y.

CRITICAL ANNOTATIONS 375
Psalm xviii. 7. — I wish I conld convey to the English reader an idea of the
beauty of the original in this place. Observe the similarity of the terms, va-
tigash, va-tirash ha arctz, " the earth shook and trembled. " These verbal beauties
appear throughout the Psalms, showing the Divine Author as the fine Artist, as
well as the All-wise Lord : nothing is too great, nothing too small, for Him.
Psalm xxv. 17. — The more common rendering is, the troubles of m,y heart are
enlarged. Bnt the verb UTTIH (Mrchivu), as Hengstenberg remarks, can hardly
take a passive sense. Lowth, Gesenius, and others, recommend the above reading
1 ^Tlin (hirchiv, u), attaching the 1 (and) to the following clause, and this seems
better to support the parallelism of the verse.
Psalm xxix. 9. — IpD (Icullo) may be rendered either every one or everything :
the internal sense of the passage seems to require the latter.
P.s.iLM xxxv. 7. — A literal translation from the original would be, Without
cause tliey hid for me a pit, their net ; without cause they dug for my soul. Hon-
bigant and other critics suggest a transposition of the words riHEJ' DHEi'"! (rislitam
sliachath, pit and net) thus bringing the former into the second member of the
verse. This emendation has the authority of the Syriac, and seems as necessary
to the spmtual as to the literal sense of the passage.
Psalm xxxvii. 6, note. — Righteousness and judgment. Mr. Clowes, in his
translations, has uniformly rendered Swedenborg's justitia by ' ' justice. " But the
English woriL justice is a very much narrower term, in its meaning, than the Latin
justitia, or than the Hebrew plS (tzedek). The term justice has in fact more
reference to the sternness of tmth, than to the mildness of good ; but justitia (as
used by Swedenborg) and tzedek always signify goodness. The term righteousness
seems a very exact synonym to these, for it signifies goodness, and yet goodness
founded upon tmth, principle, right.
Psalm xxxix. 5. — Truly, every man is constituted altogether vanity. The sense
of this passage is sufficiently plain, but the exact translation is uncertain. The
rendering of the common version "every man at his best state" is a very loose
translation of the Hebrew. The Septuagint has "aU things are vanity, every
man living." The difiicnlty turns on the last word 3SJ {nitzav), which is- the
participle Niphal (Passive) of a verb signifying to put or set (literally, ' ' every
man is put [or sei] all vanity"). Schmidius translates it, omnis vanitas omnis
Iwminis fixa est : literally, " all the vanity nf every man is flxed. " Hengstenberg
renders it, "only for utter vanity was every man ordained."
Psalm xiii. 2. — And 'behold the face of God. There is a difficulty here in the
construction. The verb behold, nS'lN, is, according to the points, in the Niphal
(Passive), thus signifying to be seen or appear. But, on the other hand, the pre
position which should foUow a passive verb — PN — is wanting. Of the two diffi
culties it seems the less to consider the verb as active, and, with Luther and others,
to render the passage, behold the face of God. This rendering, also, best agrees
with the internal sense, and has the authority of Swedenborg (see Ap. Ex. 412).
Psalm xlvii. 8. — God sitteth upon his holy throne: literally, u2}on the throne,
of his holiness. This is a common Hebrew idiom, to use a noun in the genitive
case, instead of an adjective : thus a possession of ctcrnilij, tm an everlasting
possession ; men of hunger, for hungry men ; mountain of holiness, for holy moun
tain, &e. See Stewart's Hebrew Grammar, Sect. 440.
Psalm xlix. 8. — Is difflciilt (or is heavy) is the primitive signification of ip'

376 CRITICAL ANNOTATIONS
{yalcar), and this sense is strongly supported by Daniel ii. 11, " It is a rare (that
is, a difficult) thing that the king requires."
Psalm xlix. 9. — In glory, nS3p (lanetzach). Though this phrase is sometimes
rendered to eternity, yet the primitive sense of nS3 is giOry, splendor.
Psalm lix. 9. — The text has ifj?, his strength : but the Septuagint, Vulgate,
and very many other versions, render it as if the text were '<¦'!]}, my strength :
certainly, this makes the best sense. So, in the next verse, the text has flon
(his mere;') : but that the correct reading is I'lDH (my mercy) seems plain from
the point (•) which belong to i. See also the same words, i.fj; and i^Qn in the
last verse of the Psalm.
Psalm Ix. 8. — That the reading here should be ipj;, the poetical form for
pj; over, and not ipjj over me, seems plain from the parallel passage in Psalm
cviii, 9.
Psalm Ixxiii. 4. — Their strength is firm, or their bodies are fat. The whole
verse is somewhat obscure ; and this clause has been variously rendered. p:iX
body, is from a root signifying to roll, to be round. Being akm to p''t5 strength,
it has been sometimes so translated.
Psalm Ixxvii. 1. — [TSn (liaazin), as HengstenOei'g has shown, is undoubtedly
in the imperative ; see Psalm v. 1. To say, "he gavo ear" or "he will give ear"
would be to express confidence, whereas the context shows a state of despair.

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