CHAPTER XLIV. VERSES 6-10

[N. 5756] ...is evident from the signification of "silver," as being truth (see n. 1551, 2954, 5658); and from the signification of "we found," as being bestowed gratuitously, for every one’s grain silver was returned to him, thus was bestowed gratuitously (n. 5530, 5624); and from the signification of the "bags’ mouth," as being the threshold of the exterior natural. exterior natural: the outermost part of the human mind that interacts directly with the world and the senses

5757. We brought back to thee out of the land of Canaan. That this signifies submitted from a principle of religion, is evident from the signification of "bringing back," as being to submit (see n. 5624); and from the signification of the "land of Canaan," as being what is religious. The "land of Canaan" signifies various things, for the reason that it includes very many things; for it signifies the Lord’s kingdom, the church, and consequently the man of the church, because he is a church; and as it signifies these, it signifies also the celestial celestial: relating to the highest heaven, where the focus is on pure love and goodness which is of the church, namely, the good of love; and also its spiritual, which is the truth of faith, and so on; here therefore it signifies the religious principle which is of the church; for it is a core tenet of the religious principle of the church that no one ought to claim truth and good to himself. From these things it is plain why the same expression sometimes signifies a number of things; for when it involves several things in the complex, it also signifies those which it involves, according to the series of things in the internal sense. internal sense: the hidden, spiritual meaning of the Bible that lies beneath the literal stories That the "land of Canaan" is the Lord’s kingdom, see n. 1413, 1437, 1607, 3038, 3481, 3705; and also the church, n. 3686, 3705, 4447. From these flow its other significations.

5758. And how should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold? That this signifies why then shall we claim to ourselves truth and good, which are from the Divine celestial, is evident from the signification of "stealing," as being in the spiritual sense to claim to one’s self that which belongs to the Lord (of which above, n. 5749); from the signification of "silver," as being truth (n. 1551, 2954, 5658); and from the signification of "gold," as being good (n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658). In this whole chapter spiritual theft is treated of, which is the claiming to one’s self of the good and truth that are from the Lord. Swedenborg argues that believing our goodness or intelligence comes from our own ego rather than from God is a form of "theft" from the Divine. This is a matter of so great moment that a man after death cannot be admitted into heaven until he acknowledges in his heart that nothing of good and truth is from himself, but from the Lord, and that whatever is from himself is nothing but evil.