AC.570, 창6:2, '하나님의 아들들이 사람의 딸들의' (AC.569-571)

2절, 하나님의 아들들이 사람의 딸들의 아름다움을 보고 자기들이 좋아하는 모든 여자를 아내로 삼는지라 And the sons of God saw the daughters of man that they were good; and they took to themselves wives of all that they chose.

 

570

That by the “sons of God” are signified doctrinal things of faith, is evident from the signification of “sons” (concerning which just above, and also in the preceding chapter, verse 4, where “sons” signify the truths of the church). The truths of the church are doctrinal things, which regarded in themselves were truths because those here treated of had them by tradition from the most ancient people, and therefore they are called the “sons of God”; they are so called also relatively, because yearnings are called the “daughters of man.” The quality of the members of this church is here described, namely, that they immersed the truths of the church, which were holy, in their yearnings, and thereby defiled them; and in this way they confirmed the principles of which they were so strongly persuaded. How this occurred may be easily conceived by anyone, from observing what passes in himself and others: those who persuade themselves in regard to any subject, confirm themselves in such persuasion by everything which they imagine to be true, even by what they find contained in the Word of the Lord; for while they cling to principles which they have received, and have become persuaded of, they make everything favor and assent to them. And the more anyone is under the influence of self-love, the more firmly he holds them. Such was this race, concerning whom of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter, when we come to treat of their direful persuasions, which strange to say are such that they are never allowed to flow in by reasonings, but only from yearnings, for otherwise they would kill everything rational in the spirits present. Hence it appears what is signified by the “sons of God seeing the daughters of man, that they were good, and taking to themselves wives of all that they chose,” namely, that they conjoined the doctrinal things of faith with their yearnings, in fact with any yearnings.