Table Of ContentArcana
Coelestia
The heavenly arcana contained in the
Holy Scripture or Word of the Lord
unfolded, beginning with
the book of Genesis
EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
Volume 11
(Numbers 9112–9973)
Translated from the Original Latin by
John Clowes
Revised and Edited by
John Faulkner Potts
STANDARD EDITION
SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION
West Chester, Pennsylvania
© 2009 Swedenborg Foundation
This version was compiled from electronic files of the
Standard Edition of the Works of Emanuel Swedenborg as
further edited by William Ross Woofenden. Pagination of
this PDF document does not match that of the
corresponding printed volumes, and any page references
within this text may not be accurate. However, most if not
all of the numerical references herein are not to page
numbers but to Swedenborg’s section numbers, which are
not affected by changes in pagination. If this work appears
both separately and as part of a larger volume file, its
pagination follows that of the larger volume in both cases.
This version has not been proofed against the original, and
occasional errors in conversion may remain. To purchase the
full set of the Redesigned Standard Edition of Emanuel
Swedenborg’s works, or the available volumes of the latest
translation (the New Century Edition of the Works of
Emanuel Swedenborg), contact the Swedenborg Foundation
at 1-800-355-3222, www.swedenborg.com, or 320 North
Church Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380.
Contents
Exodus 22
Doctrine of Charity
Exodus 22
Discourse on the Moon
Exodus 23
Doctrine of Charity
Exodus 23
Why Our Lord Willed to Be Born on Earth
Exodus 24
Doctrine of Charity and Faith
Exodus 24
Earths in the Starry Heaven
Exodus 25
Doctrine of Charity and Faith
Exodus 25
First Earth in the Starry Heaven
Exodus 26
Doctrine of Charity and Faith
Exodus 26
First Earth in the Starry Heaven
Exodus 27
Doctrine of Charity and Faith
Exodus 27
First Earth in the Starry Heaven
Exodus 28
Doctrine of Charity
Exodus 28
Second Earth in the Starry Heaven
Critical Notes
ARCANA COELESTIA 6071
Editor’s Preface
This edition of Arcana Coelestia is based on the translation of J.
Clowes and his revisers, as further revised by J. F. Potts. The text
for this edition was electronically scanned from the Foundation’s
Standard Edition. This process has allowed the book to be
completely redesigned and set in a new and more readable typeface.
Certain stylistic changes have also been introduced. These include
modernized spelling and punctuation as well as substituting new
words for terms whose meanings have become obscure or have
changed since the nineteenth century. Arabic numerals have
replaced roman numerals in Bible passages, and certain capitalized
words, including pronouns referring to God, have been lowercased
to reflect contemporary usage. All these changes have been carefully
made in order to make the book easier to read and use while
preserving the dignity and power of the original Latin. On the
whole, however, the Clowes/Potts translation has not been
materially altered.
Volume 11 of Arcana Coelestia continues Swedenborg’s verse-by-
verse exposition, or commentary, of the biblical text of the book of
Exodus. As was the custom in his day, Swedenborg referred to the
Psalms as the book of David, and to the Pentateuch (Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) as the books of
Moses. In this volume Swedenborg also continues his practice of
inserting topical articles or “continuation” passages between each
chapter of the textual exegesis. The page number of the start of
each of these continuations is listed in the table of contents.
The reader may also wish to read the “Prefatory Notes by the
Reviser” in the front of the first volume of this work, as it contains
further details about the publishing history of this first and largest
of Swedenborg’s theological works. It also discloses a critical
decision made by Potts regarding his translating of the several
words used by Swedenborg to refer to “knowledge.” The reader
needs to know that this translation pattern was not followed by
other translators of Swedenborg.
ARCANA COELESTIA 6072
As with previous printings, the bold numerals in brackets ([2],
[3], etc.) indicate divisions of Swedenborg’s longer numbered
sections that were added for the convenience of the reader by John
Faulkner Potts in his six-volume Swedenborg Concordance (London:
Swedenborg Society, 1888–1902).
William Ross Woofenden
Sharon, Massachusetts
ARCANA COELESTIA 6073
Exodus 22
THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY
9112. What conscience is shall now be stated. Conscience is
formed in a man from his religious persuasion, according to the
reception of this within himself.
9113. With the man of the church, conscience is formed by
means of truths of faith from the Word, or from doctrine drawn
from the Word, according to the reception of these in the heart.
For when a man knows the truths of faith and apprehends them in
his own way, and afterward wills them and does them, a conscience
is then being formed in him. Reception in the heart is reception in
the will, for the will of man is that which is called his “heart.”
9114. From this it is that those who have conscience speak from
the heart what they speak, and do from the heart what they do.
Such also have an undivided mind, for they act in accordance with
what they believe to be true and good, and in accordance with what
they understand. Consequently a more perfect conscience is
possible with those who are more enlightened than others in the
truths of faith, and who are in a clearer perception than others,
than is possible with those who are less enlightened, and who are in
an obscure perception.
9115. Those have conscience who have received from the Lord a
new will. This will is itself the conscience; and therefore to act
contrary to conscience is to act contrary to this will. And as the
good of charity makes the new will, the good of charity also makes
the conscience.
9116. Seeing that, as before said (n. 9113), conscience is formed
by means of the truths of faith, as also is the new will, and charity,
ARCANA COELESTIA 6074
it follows that to act contrary to the truths of faith is to act contrary
to conscience.
9117. As the faith and charity which are from the Lord make a
man’s spiritual life, it follows that to act contrary to conscience is to
act contrary to this life.
9118. As therefore to act contrary to conscience is to act contrary
to the new will, contrary to charity, and contrary to the truths of
faith, consequently contrary to the life which man has from the
Lord, it is evident from this that a man is in the tranquillity of
peace, and in internal blessedness, when he acts according to
conscience; and that he is in intranquility, and also in pain, when
he acts contrary to conscience. This pain is what is called “the
stings of conscience.”
9119. Man has a conscience of what is good, and a conscience of
what is just. The conscience of what is good is the conscience of the
internal man; and the conscience of what is just is the conscience of
the external man. The conscience of what is good consists in acting
according to the precepts of faith from internal affection; while the
conscience of what is just consists in acting according to civil and
moral laws from external affection. They who have a conscience of
what is good, have also a conscience of what is just; but they who
have only a conscience of what is just, have the capacity of receiving
a conscience of what is good, and moreover do receive it when they
are instructed.
9120. What conscience is may also be illustrated by examples. If,
unknown to another, a man has the property of that other in his
possession, and thus can keep it for himself without any fear of the
law, or of the loss of honor and reputation, and nevertheless
restores it to the other because it is not his own, he has conscience,
for he does what is good for the sake of what is good, and what is
just for the sake of what is just. Again, if a man who has it in his
power to attain a high position sees that another, who also is a
candidate, would be more useful to his country, and yields the
ARCANA COELESTIA 6075
position to this other man for the sake of his country’s good, he has
conscience. So in all other cases.
9121. From these examples may be inferred the character of those
who have no conscience. They are known from the opposite. Those
among them who for the sake of their own advantage would make
what is unjust to appear as just, and what is evil to appear as good,
and the reverse, have no conscience. Those of them who know that
what they do is unjust and evil, and yet do it, do not know what
conscience is, and if instructed, do not wish to know. Such are they
who do all things for the sake of themselves and the world.
9122. Those who have not received conscience in the world
cannot receive conscience in the other life. Thus they cannot be
saved, because they have no plane into which heaven (that is, the
Lord through heaven) can flow, and whereby it may operate, and so
draw them to itself; for conscience is the plane and receptacle of the
influx of heaven. Wherefore in the other life such persons are
associated with those who love themselves and the world above all
things; and these are in hell.
EXODUS 22
1. (2)1 If a thief be caught while digging through, and be smitten,
and he die, bloods shall not be shed for him.
2. (3) If the sun have risen upon him, bloods shall be shed for him;
repaying he shall repay; if he have nothing, he shall be sold for his theft.
3. (4) If finding the theft be found in his hand, from an ox even to
an ass, even to one of the small cattle, living; he shall repay double.
4. (5) When a man shall desolate a field or a vineyard, and shall let
his beast go in, and it shall desolate in the field of another; of the best of
his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, he shall repay.
5. (6) When a fire shall go forth, and shall catch hold of thorns, and
a stack is consumed, or the standing crop, or a field; he that kindleth
the fire repaying shall repay.
ARCANA COELESTIA 6076
6. (7) When a man shall give to his companion silver or vessels to
take care of, and it be stolen out of the man’s house; if the thief be
caught, he shall repay double.
7. (8) If the thief be not caught, the lord of the house shall be brought
unto God, to see whether he hath put his hand to his companion’s
work.
8. (9) Upon every word of transgression, upon ox, upon ass, upon one
of the small cattle, upon garment, upon every lost thing, whereof he
shall say, This is it; even unto God shall come the word of them both;
he whom God shall condemn shall repay double to his companion.
9. (10) When a man shall give to his companion an ass, or an ox, or
one of the small cattle, or any beast, to take care of; and it die, or be
broken, or be led away captive, no one seeing it;
10. (11) The oath of Jehovah shall be between them both, to see
whether he hath put his hand to his companion’s work, or whether its
lord hath taken it; and he shall not repay.
11. (12) And if stealing it shall be stolen from him, he shall repay to
its lord.
12. (13) If tearing it shall be torn, he shall bring a witness for it; he
shall not repay that which was torn.
13. (14) And when a man shall borrow from his companion, and it
be broken, or die, the lord thereof not being with it, repaying he shall
repay.
14. (15) If the lord thereof be with it, he shall not repay; if he is a
hireling he shall come in his hire.
15. (16) And when a man shall persuade a virgin who is not
betrothed, and shall lie with her, endowing he shall endow her to
himself for a woman.
16. (17) If refusing her father shall refuse to give her to him, he shall
pay silver according to the dowry of virgins.
17. (18) Thou shalt not suffer a sorceress to live.
18. (19) Everyone that lieth with a beast, dying he shall die.
19. (20) He that sacrificeth to gods, save to Jehovah alone, shall be
accursed.
20. (21) And a sojourner thou shalt not afflict, and shall not oppress;
for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
21. (22) Any widow and orphan ye shall not afflict.
22. (23) If afflicting thou shalt afflict him, so that crying he shall cry
unto me, hearing I will hear his cry:
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