On a natural level, there are a variety of things that can cause shame. We might be ashamed of physical weakness or ugliness; we might be ashamed of a lack of education or a menial job; we might be ashamed of a dirty house or a misbehaving child. On a deeper level we would be ashamed to have people know our dark thoughts and unspoken desires.
All of these have to do with our failings, our sense of not being good enough. And so it is in the Bible; Swedenborg says “shame” represents a knowledge and acknowledgement of our own evil, its hold on us and the delight we take in it.
This can be seen in the first and most famous case of shame in the Bible. When Adam and Eve were pure and innocent, they were naked and unashamed; after they ate of the Tree of Knowledge they realized they were naked, were ashamed, and sewed together fig leaves to cover themselves. Swedenborg says eating of the Tree of Knowledge represents the time when early humans began questioning the Lord’s leading and felt the desire for knowledge gained from their own senses and their own reasoning. Thinking from themselves made them aware of their own desire for and capacity for evil. Sewing together fig leaves represents covering over and excusing their internal evil with the desire to be good in external things.
Passages from Swedenborg
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.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 213
- ‘Knowing that they were naked’ means knowing and acknowledging that they did not dwell in innocence, as they had done previously, but were under the influence of evil. This is clear from the final verse of the previous chapter, where it is said, ‘And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed’. There it may be seen that being naked and not ashamed means being innocent. The contrary is meant when they are ashamed, as in this chapter which says that they sewed fig leaves together and hid themselves. Indeed when innocence is lacking nakedness arouses feelings of shame and disgrace because people are made aware of their own evil thoughts.
Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 213
213.�”‘That the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed.'” This symbolically means, so as not to profane and adulterate the goodness of heavenly love.
No one can know the symbolic meaning of the shame of nakedness unless he knows that the reproductive organs in both sexes, called also the genitalia, correspond to celestial love.
To be shown that the human body and all its constituents have a correspondence with the heavens, see the book Heaven and Hell, published in London in 1758, nos. 87�102. And to be shown that the reproductive organs correspond to celestial love, see Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), also published in London, nos. 5050�5062.
Now because these organs correspond to celestial love, which is the love found in the third or inmost heaven, and because a person is born of his parents into loves contrary to that love, it is apparent that if he does not acquire for himself the goodness of love and the truth of wisdom from the Lord, which are symbolically meant by gold refined in fire and white garments, he will be seen to be impelled by a contrary love, which in itself is profane.
Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 706
- “Lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” This symbolically means, so as not to be associated with people who are without any truths, and have their hellish loves appear.
To walk naked means, symbolically, to live without truths. The shame of nakedness or private parts symbolizes filthy loves, which are hellish loves. And because the text says, “Lest…they see his shame,” it symbolically means, so as not to have those loves appear. That nakedness symbolizes ignorance of truth, and shameful nakedness hellish love, may be seen in no. 213 above.
This admonition is for people who will belong to the Lord’s New Church, warning them to learn truths and remain constant in them, since without truths people’s innate evils, which are their hellish loves, are not removed. A person without truths may indeed be able to live as a Christian, but he does so in the eyes of men, but not in the eyes of angels.
The truths which people are to learn are truths having to do with the Lord and with the precepts according to which they are to live.
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 357
[10] In David:
“Lo, sons are the heritage of Jehovah; the fruit of the womb is his reward. As darts in the hand of a mighty man, so are the sons of youth. Blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, when they speak with the enemies in the gate” (Ps. cxxvii. 3-5).
By the sons who are the heritage of Jehovah, are signified truths, whence is intelligence; by the fruit of the womb which is His reward, are signified goods, whence is happiness; by the sons of youth which are as darts in the hand of a mighty man, are signified the truths of the good of innocence; because nothing evil or false can resist those truths, therefore, it is said “they are as darts in the hand of a mighty man.” The good of innocence is the good of love to the Lord; because those truths have such power, it is therefore said, “Blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them”; by quiver here is signified the same as by bow, namely, doctrine from the Word. “They shall not be ashamed, when they speak with the enemies in the gate,” signifies, that they shall be in no fear of evils from the hells; enemies denoting evils, and the gate denoting hell (as may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell, n. 428, 429, 583, 584, 685).
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 386
[22] Again:
“Jehovah knoweth the days of the upright; and shall be their inheritance for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the time of evil; and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied” (Ps. xxxvii. 18, 19).
The days of the upright signify the states of those who are in good, and in the truths thence, or those who are in charity, and in the faith thence. By Jehovah being their inheritance for ever, is signified that they are His own and are in heaven; by their not being ashamed in the time of evil, is signified that they shall conquer when they are tempted by evils; and by their being satisfied in the days of famine, is signified that they shall be supported by truths, when they are tempted and infested by falsities. The time of evil and the day of famine, signify states of temptations; and temptations are from evils and falsities.
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 654
[59] In Isaiah:
“Woe to the refractory sons, that take counsel but not of me, and that make a molten image but not by my spirit, that they may add sin to sin; who depart to go down into Egypt, but have not asked at my mouth, and to confide in the shadow of Egypt; therefore the strength of Pharaoh shall become a shame, and trust in the shadow of Egypt a disgrace” (xxx. 1-3).
Woe to the refractory [sons], signifies lamentation concerning the damnation of those who turn themselves away; taking counsel but not of me signifies thoughts and conclusions concerning the things of heaven from self and not from the Lord; and that make a molten image but not by my spirit, signifies worship from infernal falsity, and not from Divine Truth. Who depart to go down into Egypt, but have not asked at my mouth, signifies from the proprium of the natural man, and not from the Word; and to confide in the shadow of Egypt signifies lest they have faith and confidence in such things as are suggested by the natural man, which is not in the light of heaven. Therefore the strength of Pharaoh shall become a shame, and confidence in the shadow of Egypt a disgrace, signifies that there will be no ability to resist evils from [man’s] own intelligence, nor from the knowledge (scientia) of the natural man, shame and disgrace signifying the state of such, when on account of evils they are reputed vile.
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 811
[13] In the same:
“The wind shall feed all thy shepherds, and thy lovers shall go into captivity; then shalt thou be ashamed and disgraced for all thy wickedness” (xxii. 22).
By shepherds, in the abstract sense, are signified the goods of the church, and by lovers the truths thereof. The wind which shall feed the shepherds, signifies the hollowness and emptiness of doctrine. The captivity into which the lovers shall go, signifies a shutting out from all truths and from the understanding thereof. To be ashamed and disgraced signifies to be destitute of all good and truth; for thus, when they come amongst the angels, are they affected with shame and disgrace.