Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 222

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

222. 'Hiding themselves from the face of Jehovah' is being afraid of this dictate, as people conscious of evil normally are. This is clear from their reply in verse to, 'I heard Your Voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked'. 'The face of Jehovah', that is, of the Lord, is mercy, peace, and all good, as is quite clear from the blessing,

Jehovah make His facea shine upon you and be merciful to you. Jehovah lift up His facea upon you and give you peace. Num 6:15, 26.

And in David,

God be merciful to us and bless us, and make His facea shine upon us. Ps 67:1.

And elsewhere in David,

Many are saying, Who will cause us to see good? Lift up the light of Your facea upon us, O Jehovah. Ps 4:6, 7.
The Lord's mercy is for this reason called 'the angel of His face'a in Isaiah,

I will cause the mercies of Jehovah to be remembered. He has rewarded them according to His mercies, and according to the abundance of His mercies; and He became their Saviour. In all their affliction there was no affliction, and the angel of His facea saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them. Isa 63:7-9.

Notes

a lit. faces


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church