Arcana Coelestia volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 559Here the “soul” denotes the life in a threefold sense, as oftenelsewhere. That violence inflicted upon charity will bringpunishment on itself will be evident from what follows.1006. From the hand of every wild beast. That this signifies fromall that is violent in man is evident from the signification of “wildbeast.” In the Word “wild beast” [fera] signifies what is living (asshown n. 908), but in the opposite sense it signifies what is like awild beast, thus whatever is ferine in man (as also shown above).Therefore it signifies a man of such life, namely, a violent man, orone who inflicts violence on charity; for he is like a wild beast. Manis a man from love and charity, but he is a wild beast from hatred,revenge, and cruelty.1007. From the hand of man [homo]. That this is from all of hiswill, and that “from the hand of the brother man” [viri fratris] isfrom all of his intellectual, is evident from the signification of“man”—for the essential and life of man is his will, and such as thewill is, such is the man—and from the signification of a “brotherman.” The intellectual in man is called “brother man,” as shownbefore (n. 367). Whether it be a true intellectual, a spuriousintellectual, or a false intellectual, it is still called a “brother man”;for the understanding is called “man” [vir] (n. 158, 265), and the“brother” of the will (n. 367). “Man” [homo] and “brother man”[vir] are here mentioned, and the unclean will and uncleanintellectual are so called, because profanation is here treated of, nomention or representation of which is tolerated in heaven, but is atonce rejected. For this reason such mild terms are here used, andthe meaning of the words of this verse is in a manner ambiguous,that it may not be known in heaven that such things are containedin it.1008. Will I require the soul of man. That this means to avengeprofanation is evident from what has been said in the precedingverse and in this verse, for the subject is the eating of blood, bywhich is signified profanation. What profanation is, few know, andstill less what its punishment is in the other life. Profanation ismanifold. He who utterly denies the truths of faith does not