THE MOUTH >> Voice >> Preaching >> Discourse >> Doctrine >> Thought >> Natural Affection
LORD'S MOUTH >> The Word >> Divine Providence >> Divine Influx
FIRE OUT OF THE MOUTH >> Infernal Love from Falsity

Because heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue am I. That this signifies that the voice and speech from the Divine are not heard or perceived, is evident from the signification  of "mouth," as being voice; and from the signification of "tongue," as being speech. By "mouth," is signified voice, because it is the organ of the voice; and by "tongue" is signified speech, because it is the organ of speech. The difference between voice and speech is plain to everyone, also that "to be heard" is said of the voice, and "to be perceived" of speech. This cannot be expressed in the historic sense of the letter, where Moses is spoken of as a man, and who could speak, but with difficulty, otherwise than by being "heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue." But when this passes into the internal sense, it is perceived by the angels as being said in respect to the subject treated of; and when it is said of the Divine, it is perceived that the voice proceeding thence cannot be heard nor the speech be perceived immediately, but mediately through spirits, according to what was said above (n. 6982). [AC 6985]

Who maketh man's mouth? That this signifies utterance, is evident from the signification of "mouth," as being the voice (of which above, n. 6985); and as it denotes the voice, it denotes utterance. What the "mouth" specifically signifies cannot be seen except from correspondence. The mouth together with the lips corresponds to the interior speech which is of the thought. The thought of man is active and passive; man has active thought when he speaks, and this may be called speaking thought; but his thought is passive when he does not speak; and the difference between the two can be seen by him who reflects. By the "mouth" of man is thus signified active or speaking thought, thus utterance.

[2] As regards active thought, which is signified by the "mouth," be it known that this thought also is speaking thought in its own way, and that by the activity of this speech it excites the organs of the body corresponding thereto. It appears as if the words of the speech were in the thought, but this is a fallacy; it is only the sense of the speech which is there, the nature of which man can scarcely know, for it is the speech of his spirit, which speech is universal speech, such as is the speech of spirits in the other life. When this speech flows into the correspondent organs of the body, it presents the speech of words, which is vastly different from the thought that produces it, as is very evident from the fact that a man can think in one minute what takes him a long space of time to speak or write; and this would not be the case if this thought were composed of words, as is the speech of the mouth. It is from the correspondence of the speech of the thought and the speech of the mouth, that when a man comes after death among spirits, he knows how to speak in the universal language, thus with spirits, no matter what had been their language in the world; and that he then scarcely knows otherwise than that he speaks there as in the world, when yet the words of their speech are not words such as man uses in the body, but are the ideas which had been of his thought, one idea containing very many things. For this reason spirits can utter in a moment what a man can scarcely utter in half an hour, and even then there are many things within the same idea which cannot possibly be expressed by bodily speech.

[3] Yet the angels in heaven speak in a different way from spirits; for the angels who are in heaven have their speech from intellectual ideas, which by the philosophers are called immaterial ideas; whereas spirits have their speech from ideas of the imagination, which are called material ideas; hence in one idea of the thought of the angels there are contained very many things which spirits cannot utter by many series of their ideas, besides many things which they cannot express at all. But when a spirit becomes an angel, he is in angelic speech, just as a man when after death he becomes a spirit, is in the speech of spirits, and for a similar reason. From all this it can be seen what active thought is, namely, that it is the speech of man's spirit. [AC 6987]

And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, signifies the perception that from the theology founded on the doctrine of a Trinity of Persons in the Divinity, and on the doctrine of justification by faith alone without the works of the law. By "the mouth" is signified doctrine, and thence preaching and discourse (n. 453, 574). By "the dragon" is signified the acknowledgment of three Gods, and of justification by faith alone, and thence the devastation of the church (n. 537). By "the beast out of the sea," which is here meant, the men of the external church are signified, who are in that acknowledgment and faith (n. 567, 576, 577, 601). By "the false prophet" are signified the men of the internal church, who teach theology from those doctrines; the false prophet is not mentioned before, but "the beast out of the earth" which is now so called, see above (n. 594). Now as all these things are signified by "the dragon," "the beast out of the sea," and "the false prophet," which here is "the beast out of the earth," it follows that by "I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet," is signified a perception that is from the theology founded on the doctrine of the Trinity of Persons in the Divinity, and on the doctrine of justification by faith alone without the works of the law. [AR 701]

And he said, In me, my Lord, send I pray by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send. And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Moses, and He said, Is there not Aaron, thy brother, the Levite? I know that speaking he will speak. And also behold he goeth forth to meet thee; and he will see thee, and he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and shalt put the words in his mouth; and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall speak for thee unto the people; and it shall be that he shall be to thee for a mouth, and thou shalt be to him for God. And thou shalt take in thy hand this rod, wherewith thou shalt do the signs. "And he said, In me, my Lord," signifies asseveration; "send I pray by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send," signifies that the Divine truth proceeding from the Divine Human will be mediately uttered; "and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Moses," signifies clemency; "and He said, Is there not Aaron thy brother the Levite?" signifies the doctrine of good and truth; "I know that he will speak," signifies preaching; "and also behold he goeth forth to meet thee," signifies reception; "and he will see thee," signifies perception; "and he will be glad in his heart," signifies the affection of love; "and thou shalt speak unto him," signifies influx; "and shalt put the words in his mouth," signifies that what he utters will proceed from the Divine Human; "and I will be with thy mouth," signifies that truth Divine will proceed through the Divine Human from the Divine Itself; "and with his mouth," signifies thus with the things thence derived; "and will teach you what ye shall do," signifies thus the Divine in each and all things which shall be done; "and he shall speak for thee unto the people," signifies that he will be doctrine to the spiritual church; "and it shall be that he shall be to thee for a mouth," signifies truth Divine, which also proceeds mediately from the Lord; "and thou shalt be to him for God," signifies the Divine truth which proceeds immediately from the Lord; "and thou shalt take in thy hand this rod," signifies Divine power therein; "wherewith thou shalt do the signs," signifies the consequent enlightenment and confirmation of truths. [AC 6994]

And there shall be a lip for the mouth of it round about. That this signifies that it is bounded and closed on every side, is evident from the signification of "a lip," or border, round about the mouth or upper opening of the robe, as being that which is bounded and closed on every side; for this "lip," or border, which was round about, bounded and closed the robe. By this and what presently follows is described the method of the influx of celestial good into spiritual good. That this influx takes place by a method like that with man of the influx of forces from the head through the neck, is evident from what was said in the foregoing article about correspondence.

[2] What the nature of this influx is, shall also be briefly told. All the first things, that belong to the head, that is, to the cerebrum and cerebellum, are gathered together there into little bundles of fibers, and into little nerves, and after being gathered together they are passed down through the neck into the body, and are there diffused in all directions, and move the organs in complete compliance with the will, which begins in the brains. Similar also is the downflow and inflow of powers and forces from the celestial kingdom (which is the head in the Grand Man, that is, in heaven) into the spiritual kingdom (which is like the body there). This influx is also what is meant and described by "the mouth of the head of the robe in the midst," and its bounding termination by "the lip round about." It is for this reason that by "the lip of its mouth" is signified what is bounded and closed on every side. The bounding itself is now described. [AC 9914]

And out of his mouth a sharp two-edged sword going forth, signifies the dispersion of falsities by the Word, and by doctrine thence from the Lord. Mention is very often made in the Word of "sword," "saber," and "long sword," and by them nothing else is signified but truth fighting against falsities and destroying them; and, also, in the opposite sense, the falsity fighting against truths; for by "wars" in the Word, are signified spiritual wars, which are wars of truth against falsity, and of falsity against truth; wherefore, by "the arms of war," such things are signified as are made use of in spiritual wars. That the dispersion of falsities by the Lord is here meant by sword [romphoea] is evident, because, it was seen "to go out of his mouth;" and to go out of the mouth of the Lord, is to go out of the Word, for this the Lord spoke with His mouth; and as the Word is understood by doctrine, thence this is also signified. It is called "a sharp two-edged sword," because it penetrates the heart and soul.

[2] To show that by "sword" is here meant the dispersion of falsities by the Word from the Lord, some passages shall be adduced in which sword [gladius] is mentioned:

A sword against Babylon, her princes, and her wise ones; O sword against the liars that they may become foolish; O sword against the mighty, that they may be dismayed; O sword against her horses, and her chariots; O sword against her treasures, that they may be despoiled. A drought is upon her waters, that they may be dried up (Jer. 50:35-38).
These things are said of Babylon, by which those are meant who falsify and adulterate the Word, therefore by the "liars" who will become foolish, and the "horses and chariots" upon whom there is a sword, and the "treasures" which will be despoiled, are signified the falsities of their doctrine. That the "waters" upon which is a drought that they may be dried up, signify truths, may be seen above (n. 50).

[3] Prophesy, and say, A sword is sharpened, and also furbished, sharpened to make a great slaughter; and let the sword be repeated the third time; the sword of the pierced; the sword of a great piercing, penetrating the inner parts, that stumbling blocks may be multiplied (Ezek. 21:9-20).

By "sword" is here also meant the devastation of truth in the church.

Jehovah will plead by His sword with all flesh, and the pierced of Jehovah shall be multiplied (Isa. 66:16).

They are called "the pierced of Jehovah" here, and in other parts of the Word, who perish by falsities.

The wasters are come upon all the hills in the wilderness; the sword of Jehovah is devouring from the end of the earth, even to the end of the earth (Jer. 12:12).
We get our bread with the peril of our lives, because of the sword of the wilderness (Lam. 5:9).
Woe to the worthless shepherd that deserteth the flock; the sword shall be upon his arm and upon his right eye (Zech. 11:17).
The sword upon the right eye of the shepherd is the falsity of his understanding.
The sons of men are inflamed, their tongue is a sharp sword (Ps. 57:4).
Behold they belch out with their mouth; a sword is in their lips (Ps. 59:7).
The workers of iniquity whet their tongue like a sword (Ps. 64:3).
The same is signified by sword in other places, as in Isa. 13:13, 15; 21:14-15; 27:1; 31:7-8; Jer. 2:30; 5:12; 11:22; 14:13-18; Ezek. 7:15; 32:10-12.

[4] Hence it may appear what the Lord meant by "sword" in the following passages:

Jesus said, He came not to send peace on earth, but a sword (Matt. 10:34).
Jesus said, He that hath not a purse and a scrip, let him sell his garments and buy a sword. The disciples said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And He said unto them, It is enough (Luke 22:36, 38).
All they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword (Matt. 26:51-52).

Jesus says, concerning the consummation of the age:

They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations, and at length Jerusalem shall be trodden down (Luke 21:24).

"The consummation of the age" is the last time of the church; "the sword" is falsity destroying truth; the "nations" are evils; "Jerusalem" which shall be trodden down, is the church.

[5] Hence, then, it is evident, that by "a sharp sword going out of the mouth of the Son of man," is signified the dispersion of falsities by the Lord by means of the Word. The same is signified in the following passages in Revelation:

And there was given unto him who sat upon the red horse a great sword (Rev. 6:4).
And out of the mouth of Him who sat upon the white horse goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations. And the remnant were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse (Rev. 19:15, 21).

By "Him who sat upon the white horse," the Lord as to the Word, is meant, which is plainly declared (verses 13, 16). The same is meant in David:

Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O Mighty One. Ride upon the word of truth. Thine arrows are sharp (Ps. 45:3-5);

speaking of the Lord. And in another place:

The saints shall exult, and the sword of their mouths is in their hand (Ps. 149:5-6).

And in Isaiah:

Jehovah hath made my mouth a sharp sword (Isa. 49:2). [AR 52]

Verses 31-35. And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. And there shall be a mouth of the head of it in the midst thereof; there shall be a lip for the mouth of it round about, the work of the weaver, as the mouth of a coat of mail it shall be, that it be not rent. And upon the skirts of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of crimson, and of scarlet double-dyed, upon the skirts thereof round about; and bells of gold in the midst of them round about; a bell of gold and a pomegranate, a bell of gold and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about. And it shall be upon Aaron to minister; and the voice thereof shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holiness before Jehovah, and when he goeth out; that he die not. "And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod," signifies Divine truth in the internal form in the spiritual kingdom; "all of blue," signifies by means of influx from the good of the celestial kingdom; "and there shall be a mouth of the head of it in the midst thereof," signifies the method of the influx from what is above; "there shall be a lip for the mouth of it round about," signifies bounded and closed on every side; "the work of the weaver," signifies from the celestial; "as the mouth of a coat of mail it shall be, that it be not rent," signifies thus strong and safe from injury; "and upon the skirts of it thou shalt make," signifies in the extremes where is what is natural; "pomegranates," signifies memory-knowledges of good; "of blue, and of crimson, and of scarlet double-dyed," signifies from the good of charity and of faith; "upon the skirts thereof round about," signifies in the extremes where the natural is, on every side; "and bells of gold" signifies all things of doctrine and of worship from good passing over to those who are of the church; "in the midst of them round about," signifies from what is within the memory-knowledges of good on every side; "a bell of gold and a pomegranate, a bell of gold and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about," signifies thus everywhere; "and it shall be upon Aaron," signifies a representative of the Lord; "to minister," signifies when engaged in worship and in evangelization; "and the voice thereof shall be heard," signifies the influx of truth with those who are in the heavens and who are on earth; "when he goeth in unto the holiness before Jehovah, and when he goeth out," signifies in every state of good and truth in worship; "that he die not," signifies that the representative does not perish, and therewith the conjunction with the heavens. [AC 9910]

Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, and his manservant, and his maidservant, and his ox, and his ass, and anything that is thy neighbor's. That this signifies that one must beware of the love of self and of the world, and thus lest the evils which are contained in the preceding commandments become of the will and so come forth, is evident from the signification of "coveting" [concupiscere], as being to will from an evil love. That "coveting" has this signification, is because all concupiscence is of some love; for nothing is coveted [concupiscitur] unless it is loved, and therefore concupiscence [or "coveting"] is the continuous of love, in this case of the love of self or of the world, and is as it were the life of its breath. For that which an evil love breathes is called "concupiscence," but that which a good love breathes is called "desire." Love itself belongs to the other part of the mind, which is called the will, for whatever a man loves he wills; but concupiscence belongs to both the will and the understanding, though it is properly of the will in the understanding. From all this it is evident whence it is that by the words, "thou shalt not covet the things that are thy neighbor's," is signified that one must beware lest they become of the will; for the things which become of the will are appropriated to the man, because the will is the man himself.

[2] It is believed in the world that the thought is the man; but there are two things which constitute the life of man, the understanding and the will. To the understanding belongs thought, and to the will the affection which is of love. Thought without the affection which is of love does not make anything of life with man; but thought from affection which is of love, thus understanding from will. That these two are distinct from each other is plain to everyone who reflects, from the fact that a man can understand and perceive that to be evil which he wills, and that to be good which he either wills or does not will; from which it is clear that the will is the man himself, but not the thought, except insofar as there passes into it something from the will. Hence it is that the things which enter into the thought of man, and not through the thought into the will, do not defile him; but the things which enter through the thought into the will. These things defile him because they are then appropriated to him, and become his; for the will, as already said, is the man himself. The things which become of the will are said to enter into his heart and to come forth therefrom; whereas the things which are only of the thought are said to enter into the mouth, but to go out through the belly into the draughts-according to the Lord's words in Matthew:

Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which cometh forth out of the mouth, this defileth the man. Whatsoever entereth into the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught. But the things which come forth out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and these defile the man. For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies (Matt. 15:11, 7-19).

[3] From these words, as from all His other words, it can be seen of what nature was the Lord's speech, namely, that internal and spiritual things were meant, but that they were expressed by external or natural things, and this according to correspondences; for the mouth corresponds to the thought, as also all things that belong to the mouth, as the lips, the tongue, the throat; and the heart corresponds to the affection which is of love, thus to the will (that there is a correspondence of the heart with these, see n. 2930, 3313, 3883-3896, 7542). Consequently "to enter into the mouth" denotes to enter into the thought, and "to come forth out of the heart" denotes out of the will; "to go into the belly and to be cast out into the draught," or privy, is to be cast into hell, for the belly corresponds to the way toward hell, and the draught or privy corresponds to hell; hell is also so called in the Word. From this it is plain what is signified by, "whatsoever entereth into the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught," namely, that evil and falsity are injected into the thought of man from hell, and are rent back again thither. These things cannot defile the man, because they are sent back; for a man cannot stand apart from thinking evil, but from doing it. But so soon as he receives evil from the thought into the will, it then does not go out of him, but enters into him, and this is called "coming forth out of the heart." The things which come forth thence defile him, because what a man wills goes forth into speech and into act, in so far as external bonds, which are fear of the law, of the loss of reputation, of honor, of gain, and of life, do not forbid. From all this it is now evident that by "thou shalt not covet" is signified that one must beware lest evils become of the will, and so come forth.

[4] That concupiscence (or "coveting") is of the will, this of the heart, is also evident from these words of the Lord in Matthew:

Ye have heard that it was said to them of old, Thou shalt not commit adultery; but I say unto you, that if anyone looketh on a strange woman so that he lusteth after [concupiscat] her, he hath committed adultery with her already in his heart (Matt. 5:27, 28);

by "lusting after" is here meant to will, and unless fears (which are external bonds) restrained, to do; hence it is said that "he who looketh on a woman so that he lusteth after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart."

[5] The concupiscence of evil is also meant by "the right eye giving offence," and the concupiscence of falsity by "the right hand giving offence," in the Lord's words also in Matthew:
If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; for it will be better for thee that one of thy members perish, and not thy whole body be cast into Gehenna. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee; for it will be better for thee that one of thy members perish, and not thy whole body be cast into Gehenna (Matt. 5:29, 30);
from these words it is again evident in what manner the Lord spake, namely, from the Divine, as everywhere else in the Word; thus that He expressed internal and heavenly things by external or natural things according to correspondences; here the affection of evil or the concupiscence thereof by "the right eye offending;" and the affection of falsity or the concupiscence thereof by the "right hand offending;" for the eye corresponds to faith, the left eye to the truth of faith, and the right eye to the good of faith, and in the opposite sense to the evil which is of faith; thus "the right eye offending" corresponds to the concupiscence thereof (n. 4403-4421, 4523-4534). But the hand corresponds to the power which is of truth, the right hand to the power of truth from good, and in the opposite sense to the power of falsity from evil, thus "the right hand offending" corresponds to the concupiscence thereof (n. 3091, 3563, 4931-4937, 8281). "Gehenna" denotes the hell of concupiscences. Everyone can see that in this passage by "the right eye" is not meant the right eye, nor is it meant that the eye should be plucked out; also that by "the right hand" is not meant the right hand, and that it is to be cut off; but that something else is meant, which cannot be known unless it is known what is signified by "the eye," specifically by "the right eye," also what by "the hand" and specifically by "the right hand," and likewise what by "to give offence;" nor can it be known what is signified by these expressions except from the internal sense.

[6] As concupiscences are things that come from an evil will, thus from an evil heart, and out of the heart or the will come forth murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, according to the words of the Lord in Matthew 15:19, thus such things as are contained in the preceding commandments of the Decalogue, therefore it is said that by "not coveting those things which are the neighbor's," is signified that one must beware lest the evils which are contained in the preceding commandments become of the will, and so come forth. That by "not coveting those things which are the neighbor's" is signified that one must beware of the love of self and of the world, is because all the evils of concupiscence spring from these loves as from their fountains (see n. 2045, 7178, 7255, 7366-7377, 7488, 8318, 8678).  [AC 8910]

 Verses 10-12. And Moses said unto Jehovah, In me, my Lord, I am not a man of words, even from yesterday, even from the day before yesterday, even from now in Thy speaking unto Thy servant; because heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue am I. And Jehovah said unto him, Who maketh man's mouth? Or who hath made him dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I Jehovah? And now go, and I will be with thy mouth, and I will teach thee what thou shalt speak. "And Moses said unto Jehovah" signifies perception from the Divine; "In me, my Lord" signifies what is certain; "I am not a man of words" signifies that he has no speech; "even from yesterday, even from the day before yesterday" signifies not from eternity; "even from now in Thy speaking unto Thy servant" signifies thus neither to eternity with the Divine flowing into the Human; "because heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue am I" signifies that the voice and speech from the Divine are not heard or perceived; "and Jehovah said unto him" signifies Divine influx; "who maketh man's mouth?" signifies utterance; "or who hath made him dumb?" signifies no utterance; "or deaf?" signifies no perception, and consequently no obedience; "or seeing, or blind?" signifies faith by means of knowledges, and no faith through lack of them; "is it not I Jehovah?" signifies that these things are by virtue of the influx of life from the Divine; "and now go" signifies life from the Divine; "and I will be with thy mouth, and will teach thee what thou shalt speak" signifies the Divine in each and all things which proceed from the Divine Human.
6993. And I will be with thy mouth, and will teach thee what thou shalt speak. That this signifies the Divine in each and all things which proceed from the Divine Human is evident from the signification of "being with the mouth," when said by Jehovah, as being to be with what he utters (that by the "mouth" is signified utterance, see n. 6987, 6988), and as these things are said to Moses, by whom is represented the Lord as to the law Divine in the Divine Human, therefore by "I will be with thy mouth" is signified the Divine in the things which proceed from the Divine Human; and from the signification of "teaching thee what thou shalt say" as being to proceed; for by "teaching" and by "speaking" is signified to flow in, and when said of the Divine of the Lord, it signifies to proceed. For from the Lord's Divine Human itself proceeds Divine truth, which is called the "Holy Spirit"; and because when the Lord was in the world He was Himself the Divine truth, He Himself taught the things that were of love and faith, and at that time not by the Holy Spirit, as He Himself teaches in John:

The Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified (John 7:39).

But after the Lord even as to the Human was made Jehovah, that is, Divine good, which was after the resurrection, then He was no longer Divine truth, but this proceeded from His Divine good. That the "Holy Spirit" is the Divine truth which proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human, and not any spirit or spirits from eternity, is very evident from the Lord's words in the passage above cited, namely, that "the Holy Spirit was not yet"; also that a spirit cannot himself proceed, but the holy of the spirit, that is, the holy which proceeds from the Lord, and which a spirit utters (see also n. 6788).

[2] From all this then it follows that the whole trinity, namely, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is perfect in the Lord, and thus that there is one God, and not three, who being distinct as to persons are said to constitute one Divine. That in the Word mention has been made of "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" was that men might acknowledge the Lord and also the Divine in Him. For man was in such thick darkness, as he also is at this day, that otherwise he would not have acknowledged any Divine in the Lord's Human; for this, being wholly incomprehensible, would have been to him above all belief. And moreover it is a truth that there is a Trine, but in one, namely, in the Lord; and it is also acknowledged in Christian churches that the Trine dwells perfectly in Him. Moreover, the Lord openly taught that He was one with the Father (John 14:9-12); and that the holy, which the Holy Spirit speaks, is not of the Spirit but of the Lord; in John:

The Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, will not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears, He will speak. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine, and announce it to you (John 16:13-14).

That the "Paraclete" is the Holy Spirit is said in John 14:26.[AC 6979]

According to the mouth of Jehovah. That this signifies by the providence of the Lord, is evident from the signification of "the mouth of Jehovah," as being the truth Divine according to which they were led; for "the mouth of Jehovah" is here taken for a Divine utterance, and for being led according to it, which is Providence. The Divine Providence differs from all other leading and guidance in the fact that Providence continually regards what is eternal, and continually leads unto salvation, and this through various states, sometimes glad, sometimes sorrowful, which the man cannot possibly comprehend; but still they are all profitable to his eternal life. These things are signified by "journeys according to the mouth of Jehovah." (That "Jehovah" in the Word denotes the Lord, see n. 1343, 1736, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2025, 2156, 2329, 2447, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5041, 5663, 6281, 6303, 6905.) [AC 8560]

And in their mouth was found no deceit, signifies that they do not, from cunning and design, speak and persuade to falsity and evil. By "the mouth" is signified speech, preaching, and doctrine (n. 452), and by "deceit" is signified persuasion to evil by falsity, properly from cunning and design; for he who persuades to anything from cunning or deceit also persuades from design; for cunning or deceit proposes something to itself, conceals its purpose, and does it when opportunity offers. By a "lie," in the Word, is signified falsity and false speaking; by "deceit" is signified both from design; as in the following passages:

Jesus said of Nathanael, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit (John 1:47).
The remnant of Israel shall not speak a lie, neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth (Zeph. 3:13).
He did no violence, neither was deceit in His mouth (Isa. 53:9).
For the rich men are filled with violence, and the inhabitants speak a lie, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth (Micah 6:12).
Thou shalt destroy them that speak a lie, Jehovah will abhor a man of blood and deceit (Ps. 5:6).
Deliver my soul, O Jehovah, from lying lips and a tongue of deceit (Ps. 120:2-3).
They have taught their tongue to speak a lie, thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know Me (Jer. 9:5).
Ephraim hath encompassed Me with a lie, and the house of Israel with deceit (Hos. 11:12).
If anyone had a design to kill his companion with deceit, thou shalt take him from Mine altar and he shall die (Exod. 21:14).
Cursed be he that doeth the work of Jehovah with deceit (Jer. 48:10). Besides other passages as (Jer. 5:26-27; 8:5; 14:14; 23:26; Hos. 7:16; Zeph. 1:9; Ps. 17:1; 24:4; 35:20, 21; 36:3; 50:19; 52:2, 4; 72:14; 109:2; 119:118; Job 13:7; 27:4).
The deceitful are signified in the Word by poisonous "serpents," and by "crocodiles" and "vipers," and deceit is signified by their "poison." [AR 624]

 And if anyone will hurt them, fire shall go forth out of their mouth, and shall devour their enemies, signifies that they who would destroy these two essentials of the new church will perish from infernal love. "To will to hurt the two witnesses" signifies to will to destroy these two essentials of the New Church, which are the acknowledgment of the Lord that He is the God of heaven and earth even as to the Human, and a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue; that these are "the witnesses" may be seen above (n. 490). "Fire shall go forth out their mouth" signifies infernal love; "and shall devour their enemies" signifies that they who hurt them will perish from that love; but it is not here to be understood that fire will proceed "out of the mouth of the witnesses," but from those who would destroy these two essentials of the New Church, which are meant by "the witnesses" (n. 490). "Fire" is infernal love; for he who does not live according to the precepts of the Decalogue, and who does not approach to God the Savior and Redeemer, cannot be otherwise than in infernal love, and perish.

[2] This is similar to what is said elsewhere in the Word, that from Jehovah there is "fire which consumes the wicked"; and that Jehovah acts "from the fire of his wrath," "anger," and "fury"; besides other similar expressions, by which it is not meant that this comes from Jehovah, but from the infernal love of the wicked. Such things are said in the Word, because they are appearances; and the Word, in its literal sense, is written by correspondences and appearances. Since it is said that "fire should go forth out of their mouth" and that thereby is meant that it is from those who are in infernal love, some passages shall be adduced in which it is said that "fire is from Jehovah":
The breath of Jehovah, like a stream of brimstone, shall consume it (Isa. 30:33).

Smoke goeth up out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth, coals burned from it (Ps. 18:8).
I will pour out upon them the wrath of Mine anger, for in the fire of My zeal shall the whole earth be consumed (Zeph. 3:8).
Behold, Jehovah shall come in fire, for retribution in the wrath of His anger, and His rebuke in flames of fire (Isa. 66:15).
Thou shalt be visited by Jehovah in a flame of devouring fire (Isa. 29:6; 30:30; besides many elsewhere).  [AR 494]

And Isaac loved Esau, because his hunting was in his mouth. That this signifies that the Divine good of the Divine rational loved the good of truth, is evident from the representation of Isaac, as being the Lord's Divine rational as to* Divine good (see n. 3012, 3013, 3194, 3210); and from the representation of Esau, as being the Lord's Divine natural as to the good therein (concerning which see also n. 3300, 3302); and from what follows concerning Edom; and from the signification of "hunting" as being the good of life from natural truths (see n. 3309). "In his mouth" signifies that it was in His natural affection; for in the Word that is said to be "in the heart" which is interior and proceeds from good, and that to be "in the mouth" which is exterior and proceeds from truth; and as the good of truth, which is here represented by Esau and is signified by "hunting," is exterior good-that is, is in natural affection, and proceeds from truth-therefore it is said to have been "in Isaac's mouth."  [AC 3313]

* "Perfect" is here used in its quite familiar sense of "whole," "entire." The Latin is integer, and the Hebrew is tam, the same words that occur in the well-known passage, "Mark the perfect man" (Ps. 37:37). [REVISER.]

Author: EMANUEL SWEDENBORG (1688-1772)