In the Bible, there is a careful distinction between the word “brother” and the word “companion” or “friend.” That’s partly because the people used the word “brother” to identify another Hebrew and “companion” for a non-Hebrew acquaintance. But according to Swedenborg, it also has a spiritual significance.
Swedenborg says “brother” represents people or spiritual states that are linked through shared loves — a similar desire for good. “Companion” or “friend” represents people or spiritual states linked through shared thoughts and ideas – a powerful link, but not as internal as “brother.”
Passages from Swedenborg
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 51
51. As regards what the image is, an image is not a likeness but is ‘according to a likeness’. Therefore it is said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’. A spiritual man is an image, whereas a celestial man is a likeness or exact replica. The spiritual man is the subject in this present chapter, the celestial man in the next. The spiritual man, who is an image, is called by the Lord ‘a son of light’, as in John,
He who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be sons of light. John 12:35, 36.
He is also called ‘a friend’,
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. John 15:14, 15
The celestial man however, who is a likeness, is called ‘a son of God’, in John,
As many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His Name, who were born, not of blood,* nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12, 13.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2360
[2] All the children of Israel therefore, since they represented the Lord’s heavenly kingdom, that is, the kingdom of love and charity, were among themselves called ‘brothers’ and also ‘companions’, though they were called ‘companions’ not from the good of love but from the truth of faith, as in Isaiah,
Every one helps his companion and says to his brother, Be firm. Isa. 41:6.
In Jeremiah,
Thus shall you say, every one to his companion and every one to his brother, What has Jehovah answered? and what has Jehovah spoken? Jer. 23:35.
In David,
For my brothers’ and my companions’ sakes I will say. Peace be within you! Ps. 122:8.
In Moses,
He shall not press his companion and his brother, because Jehovah’s release has been proclaimed. Deut. 15:2, 3.
In Isaiah,
I will confound Egypt with Egypt, and they will fight, every one against his brother, and every one against his companion. Isa. 19:2.
In Jeremiah,
Take heed, every one, of his companion and put no trust in any brother, for every brother will supplant wholly, and every companion will utter slanders. Jer. 9:4.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 4854
4854. ‘He and his companion Hirah the Adullamite’ means that falsity was present with it still. This is clear from the representation of ‘Hirah the Adullamite’ as falsity, dealt with above in 4816, 4817. When therefore the expression ‘his companion’ is used, the attachment of falsity to that Church is meant, that is, that falsity was present with it still.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 6765
6765. ‘And he said to the one in the wrong, Why are you striking your companion?’ means a rebuke, deploring that one person should wish to destroy another’s faith. This is clear from the meaning of ‘the one in the wrong’ as a person who does not uphold the truth of faith and yet is within the Church (for within the Church there are those who uphold the truth of faith and there are those who do not, as the existence of various heresies goes to prove; and those who subscribe to heresy, that is, who do not uphold the truth of faith, are meant here by ‘the one in the wrong’); from the meaning of ‘striking’ as destroying, as above in 6758; and from the meaning of ‘companion’ as a person who upholds the truth of faith. For when ‘the one in the wrong’ means a person who does not uphold the truth of faith, ‘companion’ means one who does uphold it. The word ‘companion’ is used, not ‘brother’, even though both of them were Hebrews, because they were hostile to each other.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10490
10490. ‘And kill [every] man his brother, and [every] man his companion, and [every] man his neighbour’ means a shutting off to prevent any reception and transmission of inflowing goodness and truth, and of the things touching on them. This is clear from the meaning of ‘killing’ as taking spiritual life away, thus taking the good of love and the truth of faith away, and therefore at this point as a shutting off to prevent any reception and transmission of them, for when they have been removed, so too has spiritual life been taken away and only natural life remains (for the meaning of ‘killing’ as taking spiritual life away, see 3387, 3395, 3607, 6767, 7043, 8902); from the meaning of ‘brother’ as the good of love and charity, dealt with in 3815, 4121, 4191, 5409, 5686, 5692, 6756; from the meaning of ‘companion’ as the truth of that good; and from the meaning of ‘neighbour’ as that which is linked to them, dealt with in 5911, 9378, thus that which touches on them. For people whose borders touch are neighbours. From all this it is evident that ‘kill [every] man his brother, and [every] man his companion, and [every] man his neighbour’ means a shutting off of what is internal with that nation to prevent any reception by them or transmission to them of inflowing goodness, truth, or anything that touches on them.
Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 32
32. I, John, who am also your brother and companion. (1:9) This symbolizes those people who possess the goodness of charity and consequent truths of faith.
The Apostle John represented those people who possess the goodness of charity, as we said in no. 5 above, and people who possess the goodness of charity also possess truths of faith, since charity is the soul and life of faith.
It is because of this that John calls himself the brother and companion of the people in the church to whom he was writing, for he was writing to the seven churches. In the spiritual sense of the Word a brother means someone who possesses the goodness of charity, and a companion someone who for that reason possesses truths of faith. For people are all as though blood relatives through charity, and relatives by marriage through faith. That is because charity unites, but not so much faith unless it springs from charity. When faith springs from charity, then the charity unites and the faith affiliates. Moreover, because the two go together, therefore the Lord commanded all to be brothers; for He said,
…One is your Teacher, the Christ, while you are all brethren. (Matthew 23:8)
[2] The Lord also calls those brothers who possess the goodness of charity or goodness of life. He said,
My mother and My brothers are these who hear the Word of God and do it. (Luke 8:21; cf. Matthew 12:49, Mark 3:33-35)
Mother means the church, and brothers those who possess charity. Moreover, because the goodness of charity is “a brother,” therefore the Lord names those who possess it His brothers (see also Matthew 25:40); and so likewise the disciples (Matthew 28:10, John 20:17). But we do not read that the disciples called the Lord brother, because “a brother” is the goodness that emanates from the Lord. It is comparatively like the case of a king, prince, or eminent person, who calls his relatives by blood and marriage brothers, even though they do not call him so in return. For the Lord says,
…One is your Teacher, the Christ, while you are all brethren. (Matthew 23:8)
And so, too:
You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say rightly, for so I am. (John 13:13)
The children of Israel called brothers all those who were descended from their ancestor Jacob, and in a wider sense those also who were descended from Esau. But people not descended from those ancestors they called companions.
However, because in its spiritual sense the Word deals only with people who are in the Lord’s church, therefore in that sense brothers mean those who possess the goodness of charity emanating from the Lord, and companions those who possess truths of faith, as in the following passages:
Thus every one of you shall say to his companion, and every one to his brother, “What has Jehovah answered?” (Jeremiah 23:35)
You have not (proclaimed) liberty, every one to his brother and every one to hiscompanion. (Jeremiah 34:17)
Let him not press his companion or his brother…. (Deuteronomy 15:1, 2)
For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will…say…. (Psalm 122:8)
Everyone helps his companion, and says to his brother, “Be strong!” (Isaiah 41:6)
And in an opposite sense:
Everyone beware of his companion, and do not trust in any brother; …every brother…supplants, and every companion slanders. (Jeremiah 9:3)
I will embroil Egypt with Egypt; each will fight against his brother, and…against his companion…. (Isaiah 19:2)
And elsewhere.
I have adduced these particulars to make known why John calls himself a brother and companion-that in the Word a brother means one who possesses charity or goodness, and a companion one who possesses faith or truth.
Still, because charity is the foundation from which faith springs, therefore the Lord does not call anyone a companion, but a brother or neighbor. Everyone also is the neighbor in accordance with the quality of his goodness (Luke 10:36, 37*).
*”So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And [the lawyer] said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 47
47. And companion in affliction. That this signifies, the truth of faith infested by falsities, is evident from the signification of companion, as being the truth of faith – see what follows; and from the signification of affliction, as denoting infestation by falsities (concerning which see Arcana Coelestia, n. 6663, 6851, 9196). In the Word mention is frequently made of brother and companion, and by them good and truth are signified; in ancient times also, those were called brethren who were in good, and companions those who were in truth. The reason of this is that truth must be conjoined with good, and when it is so, it becomes a brother; this is whycompanion here signifies the truth of faith.
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 409
[10] That to receive the Divine truth from the Lord in doctrine and in life is to be free, the Lord also teaches in John:
“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. I no longer call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth; I rather call you friends: for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and appointed you, and ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain” (xv. 14-16).
By friends are here meant the free, because friends are here opposed to servants. That they are not servants, but friends or freemen, who receive the Divine truth in doctrine and life from the Lord, is taught by these words, “if ye do whatsoever I command you. I no longer call you servants, but friends”; also by these words, “all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit”; to command, and to make known, has reference to doctrine, and to bear fruit has reference to life.