Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 622

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

622. The relating of 'to corrupt' to persuasions is clear in Isaiah,

They will not do evil, and they will not corrupt in all My holy mountain, for the land will be full of the knowledge from Jehovah. Isa 11:9.
And similarly in Isa 65:25, where 'doing evil' has regard to the will or evil desires, 'to corrupt' to the understanding or false persuasions. In the same prophet,

Woe to a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, sons who deal corruptly! Isa 1:4.

Here, as elsewhere, 'nation' and' seed of evil-doers stand for evils constituting the will, which are evil desires, while 'people' and 'sons who deal corruptly' stand for falsities constituting the understanding which are persuasions. In Ezekiel,

You were more corrupt than they in all your ways. Ezek 16:47.

Here 'to corrupt' relates to things of the understanding, reason, or thought, for 'way' is a term meaning truth. In David,

They have done what is corrupt, and they have done an abominable deed. Ps 14:1.

Here 'corrupt' stands for dreadful persuasions and 'abominable' for the filthy desires which lie within the deed, or from which the deed originates. In Daniel,

After sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing. And the people of the leader who is to come will corrupt the city and the sanctuary, and his end will come with a flood. Dan 9:26.

In a similar way 'to corrupt' stands for false persuasions, to which 'a flood' has reference.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church