And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Discussion:
Despite their lowered spiritual state, the people represented by the man and wife were still celestial, still in a state of love to the Lord, as Swedenborg explains the story. The idea of nakedness represents their innocence, and the lack of shame means that they were still untouched by evil.
There’s also a more intricate meaning of “naked.” Clothing, according to Swedenborg, represents true ideas that are held in the memory; most of us “wear” such ideas to protect ourselves and to keep people from seeing the evil that we still have. Celestial people, however, have an understanding of what is true which arises from the love they have in their hearts, and do not need to hold true ideas in their memories. This is also represented by the fact that the man and wife were naked.
Passages from Swedenborg
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 163
- Verse 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed. 'They were naked and they were not ashamed' means that they were innocent. To be exact, the Lord had instilled innocence into their proprium to keep it from being unacceptable.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 164
- As has been stated, man's proprium is nothing but evil, and when presented to view is terribly ugly; but when charity and innocence are instilled into the proprium by the Lord it looks fine and attractive, as stated in 154. The charity and innocence not only excuse the proprium, that is, a person's evil and falsity, but also virtually do away with it, as anyone may see in the case of young children. When they love one another and their parents, and at the same time a childlike innocence is evident, evil and false traits at such times not only go unnoticed but are even pleasing. From this it can be seen that nobody is allowed into heaven unless he has some measure of innocence in him, as the Lord said,
Let the young children come to Me and do not hinder them; of such is the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, Whoever has not received the kingdom of God like a young child will not enter into it. Taking them up therefore into His arms, He laid His hands upon them, and blessed them. Mark 10:14-16.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 165
- The nakedness of which they were not ashamed means innocence. This is quite clear from what follows. When integrity and innocence left them they were then ashamed of their nakedness, and it seemed disgraceful to them, and so they hid themselves. It is additionally clear from the things represented in the world of spirits that the nakedness of which they were not ashamed means innocence. Indeed when spirits wish to exonerate themselves and prove that they are blameless they present themselves naked to witness their innocence. This is particularly clear with the innocent in heaven, who look like young children, naked, and wearing garlands round them that accord with their particular variety of innocence. But those who do not possess so much innocence appear clothed in splendid and shining clothes - you might call them brightest silk - like angels when seen from time to time by the prophets.
Verse 15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
Verse 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Verse 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Verse 18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Verse 19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
Verse 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
Verse 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
Verse 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Verse 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Verse 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Verse 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Genesis 3
Verse 1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Verse 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
Verse 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Verse 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Verse 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Verse 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Verse 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.