signifies spiritual things in which is the celestial, or truths in which there is good, or what is the same, faith in which there is charity toward the neighbor, and charity in which there is love to the Lord; for "oil" is the good of love, as shown hereafter. But lamps in which there is no oil denote the same in which there is no good. [3] And went forth to meet the bridegroom;

signifies their reception. And five of them were prudent, but five were foolish;

signifies a part of them in truths in which there is good, and a part of them in truths in which is no good. The former are the "prudent," and the latter the "foolish." In the internal sense "five" denotes some, here therefore a part of them. They that were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them;

signifies not having the good of charity in their truths; for in the internal sense "oil" denotes the good of charity and of love. But the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps;

signifies that they had the good of charity and of love in their truths; their "vessels" are the doctrinal things of faith. [4] And while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept;

signifies delay, and hence doubt. To "slumber" in the internal sense is to grow sluggish from the delay in the things of the church, and to "sleep" is to cherish doubt - the prudent, a doubt in which there is affirmation; the foolish, a doubt in which there is negation. But at midnight a cry was made;

signifies the time which is the last of the old church and the first of the new. This time is what is called "night" in the Word, when the state of the church is treated of. The "cry" denotes a change. Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him;

signifies the same as the judgment, namely, acceptance and rejection. [5] Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps;

signifies preparation of all; for those who are in truths in which there is no good are equally in the belief of being accepted as are those who are in truths in which there is good, for they suppose that faith alone saves, not knowing that there is no faith where there is no charity. But the foolish said unto the prudent, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out;

signifies that they desire good to be communicated by others to their empty truths, or to their destitute faith. For in the other life all spiritual and celestial things are mutually communicated, but only through good. [6] But the prudent answered, saying, Perchance there will not be enough for us and you;

signifies that it cannot be communicated, because the little of truth that they had would be taken away from them. For as to the communication of good in the other life to those who are in truths without good, these as it were take away good from those who have it, and appropriate it to themselves, and do not communicate it to others, but defile it; for which reason no communication of good to them is possible. These spirits will be described from experience at the end of the next chapter [Gen. 37]. [7] But go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves;

signifies the good of merit. They who boast of this are "they that sell." Moreover, in the other life they who are in truth in which there is no good, above all others make a merit of all they have done which appeared good in the outward form, although in the inward form it was evil, according to what the Lord says in Matthew: "Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied by Thy name, and by Thy name have cast out demons, and in Thy name done many mighty works? But then will I confess unto them, I know you not; depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity" (Matt. 7:22, 23). And in Luke: "When the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, then shall ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, lord, open to us. But he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are; then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets; but he shall say, I tell you I know you not whence ye are, depart from me all ye workers of iniquity" (Luke 13:26, 27). Such are those who are here meant by the foolish virgins, and the like is therefore said of them in these words: "they also came, saying, Lord, lord, open to us; but he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not." [8] And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came. This signifies their too late application. And they that were ready went in with him to the wedding;

signifies that they who were in good and thence in truth were received into heaven. Heaven is likened to a wedding from the heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of good and truth; and the Lord is likened to the bridegroom, because they are then conjoined with Him; and hence the church is called the bride. And the door was shut;

signifies that others cannot enter. [9] Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, lord, open to us;

signifies that they desire to enter from faith alone without charity, and from works in which there is not the Lord's life, but the life of self. But be answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not;

signifies rejection. His not knowing them means in the internal sense that they were not in any charity toward the neighbor and thereby in conjunction with the Lord. They who are not in conjunction are said not to be known. [10] Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh;

signifies an assiduous application of life in accordance with the precepts of faith, which is "to watch." The time of acceptance, which is unknown to man, and the state, are signified by their not knowing the day nor the hour in which the Son of man is to come. Elsewhere also in Matthew he who is in good, that is, he who acts according to the precepts, is called "prudent;" and he who is in knowledges of truth and does them not is called "foolish:" Everyone that heareth My words and doeth them, I will liken him unto a prudent man; and everyone that heareth My words and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man (Matt. 7:24, 26). GENESIS 36

1. And these are the births of Esau; he is Edom. 2. Esau took his women of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;

3. And Basemath the daughter of Ishmael, the sister of Nebaioth. 4. And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Basemath bare Reuel;

5. And Oholibamah bare Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah: these are the sons of Esau that were born unto him in the land of Canaan. 6. And Esau took his women, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the souls of his house, and his acquisition, and all his beast, and all his purchase, which he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went into a land from before Jacob his brother. 7. For their substance was too great for them to dwell together; and the land of their sojournings could not bear them because of their acquisitions. 8. And Esau dwelt in Mount Seir; Esau he is Edom. 9. And these are the births of Esau the father of Edom in Mount Seir:

10. These are the names of the sons of Esau; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. 11. And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. 12. And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz the son of Esau; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these are the sons of Adah Esau's wife. 13. And these are the sons of Reuel; Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah: these were the sons of Basemath Esau's wife. 14. And these were the sons of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's wife: and she bare to Esau Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah. 15. These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau; chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 16. Chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah. 17. And these are the sons of Reuel Esau's son; chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah; these are the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath Esau's wife. 18. And these are the sons of Oholibamah Esau's wife; chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah: these are the chiefs of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife. 19. These are the sons of Esau, and these are their chiefs: he himself is Edom. 20. These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land; Lotan and Shobal and Zibeon and Anah, 21. And Dishon and Ezer and Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horite, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. 22. And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and the sister of Lotan was Timna. 23. And these are the sons of Shobal; Alvan and Manahath and Ebal, Shepho and Onam. 24. And these are the sons of Zibeon, both Aiah and Anah: this is the Anah who found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses for Zibeon his father. 25. And these are the children of Anah; Dishon, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah. 26. And these are the sons of Dishon; Hemdan and Eshban and Ithran and Cheran. 27. These are the sons of Ezer; Bilhan and Zaavan and Akan. 28. These are the sons of Dishan, Uz and Aran. 29. These are the chiefs of the Horite; chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, 30. Chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan. These are the chiefs of the Horite, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir. 31. And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned a king over the sons of Israel. 32. And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom; and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 33. And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead. 34. And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead. 35. And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead; and the name of his city was Avith. 36. And Hadad died, and Samlah of Mazrekah reigned in his stead. 37. And Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth of the river reigned in his stead. 38. And Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead. 39. And Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead; and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab. 40. And these are the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families, according to their places, in their names; chief Timnah, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth;

41. Chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon;

42. Chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar;

43. Chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession. Esau himself is the father of Edom.