589. Verse 21. And repented not of their murders, signifies who have not actually turned themselves away from extinguishing the things that pertain to the understanding of truth, the will of good, and spiritual life therefrom. This is evident from the signification of "repenting," as being actually turning oneself away (as above, n. 584); and from the signification of "murders," as being the extinction of the understanding of truth, of the will of good, and of spiritual life therefrom; for "man" signifies the understanding of truth, and wisdom (see above, n. 280, 546, 547); and "to kill" signifies to extinguish spiritual life by the falsities of evil (see above, n. 315, 547, 572). That "murder or manslaughter" signifies the extinction of spiritual life can be seen without proof passages from the Word, from this, that the particulars here must be understood spiritually, and "to kill" spiritually is to extinguish spiritual life, which is done by the falsities of evil. [2] This is why the devil is called "a murderer from the beginning" by the Lord, in John:
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie he speaketh from his own, for he is a liar and the father thereof (8:44). This means the Jewish nation itself, which through its idolatries and traditions extinguished spiritual life by the falsities of evil; "the father thereof" means their fathers; because they extinguished spiritual life by the falsities of evils it is said, "there is no truth in him; when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh from his own, for he is a liar, and "the father thereof," a "lie" signifying in the Word the falsity of evil. [3] "Murders" and a "lie" have a similar signification in the following words in Revelation:
Without shall stand the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the whoremongers, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone that loveth and maketh a lie (22:15). Because those who are meant by "Babylon" extinguish all Divine truths by the falsities of evil, Babylon is called:
An abominable shoot, a garment of those that are slain, of those thrust through with the sword; for thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people (Isa. 14:19, 20). This is said of Babylon. Those are said to be "thrust through with the sword" who have been destroyed by the falsities of evil; "to destroy the land" signifies to destroy the church; and "to slay the people" signifies to extinguish the truths of the church.
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