Like “say,” the word “speak” refers to thoughts and feelings moving from internal spiritual levels to more external ones. This makes sense, since the concepts in our minds have to flow outward to be given form as language and passed to our bodies to be turned into physical speech.
“Speaking” has nuances that are different from “saying,” however: It tends to imply that the things being said are important and will be stated more formally. That fits with the internal meaning; Swedenborg often connects “speaking” with the true concepts and good desires that flow into us directly from the Lord, a subconscious process referred to in most translations as “influx.” We tend to experience these internally through what is called “perception,” rather than thinking through them in the rational parts of our minds.
On a number of other occasions “speak” and “say” are used together; Swedenborg says that in these cases “speak” refers more to intellectual instruction in matters of thought and “say” refers more to feelings and affections that flow in directly.
Passages from Swedenborg
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2271
- That ‘he spoke to Him yet again’ means thought is clear from the meaning in the internal sense of ‘speaking’. Speaking or speech is nothing else than that which flows from thought; and because things that are internal are meant by those that are external – such as understanding by ‘seeing’, the understanding by ‘the eye’, obedience by ‘the ear’, and so on – so thinking is meant by ‘speaking’.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2287
- That ‘Jehovah departed, when He had finished speaking to Abraham’ means that this state of perception which existed with the Lord now ceased to be such is clear from the meaning of ‘speaking’ and from the representation of ‘Abraham’. In the internal sense ‘speaking’ means thinking, as shown above in 2271. Here however it means perceiving because it is said of Jehovah that ‘He finished speaking to Abraham’; for thought flowed from the perception, as stated already, and the perception from the Lord’s internal, which was Jehovah. ‘Abraham’ however in this chapter represents the Lord when the human state existed with Him, as stated often above. From this it becomes clear that the words ‘Jehovah departed, when He had finished speaking to Abraham’ mean nothing else in the internal sense than that this state of perception which existed with the Lord now ceased to be. For the reason why in this chapter in the internal sense the Lord’s perception and thought are dealt with so much, see above in 2249.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 7270
- ‘You Shall speak all that I command you, [and Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh,] means the reception of Divine influx, and communication. This is clear from the representation of ‘Moses’, who is to speak, as Divine Truth, and from the representation of ‘Aaron as teachings derived from it, both dealt with in 7089; from the meaning of ‘speaking’ as influx and the reception of it, dealt with in 5797; and from the meaning of ‘commanding’ too as influx, dealt with in 5486, 5732, here the reception of influx. From all this it is evident that ‘speaking’ means the influx of Divine Truth in an indirect way into doctrinal teachings, that is, with the teacher, (for it is implied that Moses, representing Divine Truth, was to speak what Jehovah commanded to Aaron, who represents doctrinal teachings or the teacher, thus to him who was to communicate it) and that ‘commanding’ means a direct Divine influx into the Divine Law, which ‘Moses’ represents.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 7243
- ‘Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to you’ means warnings given to those who molest by means of utter falsities, warnings delivered by things that flow in from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of ‘speaking’, when those steeped in falsities are the ones to be spoken to, as a warning, as above in 7120; from the representation of ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt’ as those who molest by means of utter falsities, dealt with in 7220, 7228; and from the meaning of ‘all that I speak to you’ as things that flow in from the Divine.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10147
- ‘Where I will meet with you to speak to you there’ means His presence and influx. This is clear from the meaning of ‘meeting to speak’ as presence and influx; for ‘meeting with’ means presence, and ‘speaking’ – when it refers to Jehovah, that is, the Lord – means influx. For the meaning of ‘speaking’ as influx, see 2951, 5481, 5797, 7270; what the Lord’s presence is has been stated above in 10146; but as regards what His influx is, see the places referred to in 9223, 9276, 9682.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9312
- ‘And do all that I speak’ means an obedience springing from faith and love. This is clear from the meaning of ‘doing the things I speak’ as leading a life in accord with the things the Lord has taught in the Word; for the things which Jehovah speaks are what the Word teaches, and so what the Lord – who is the Word, John 1:1, 2, 14 – teaches.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8128
- ‘Speak to the children of Israel’ means the influx of God’s truth among those belonging to the spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of ‘speaking’ as influx, dealt with in 2951, 5481, 5797, 7270; and from the representation of ‘the children of Israel’ as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223. The reason why ‘speaking’ means influx is that in the internal representative sense ‘Moses’ is Divine Truth, and Divine Truth enters a person’s perception and thought through influx. Thought as a result of perception is inward speech, to which outward speech corresponds; and for that reason the former kind ofspeaking is meant in the internal sense by the latter.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 5797
- ‘Let your servant, I beg you, speak a word in my lord’s ears means a pleading to be received and heard. This is clear from the meaning of ‘speaking a word’ as an influx, dealt with in 2951, 5481, and as it is an influx reception on the part of the other is meant, 5743; and from the meaning of ‘ears’ as obedience, dealt with in 4551, 4653, in this case a sympathetic listening or hearing, since an inferior is speaking to one superior to himself. From this it is evident that ‘let your servant, I beg you, speak a word in my lord’s ears’ means a pleading to be received and heard.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8446
- ‘Speak to them, saying’ means instructions conveyed through influx. This is clear from the meaning of ‘speaking’ in the historical narratives of the Word as instructing, as in 8041, and of ‘saying’ as influx, 6291, 7291, 7381, 8221, 8262.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8041
- ‘And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying’ means instructions given by the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of ‘speaking’ and ‘saying’, when Jehovah talks about things of the Church that are to be observed, as instructions, dealt with in 7769, 7793, 7825, and – since Jehovah is the speaker – as instructions given by the Divine; and from the representation of ‘Moses’ as God’s truth, dealt with in 6771, 7014, 7382. So it is that ‘Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying’ means instructions given by the Divine through Divine Truth.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 3037
- ‘And who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying’ means the Divine itself from whom came His Divine will and understanding. This is clear from the meaning of ‘speaking’ as perceiving, dealt with in 3029, and also as willing, 2626; and from the meaning of ‘swearing’ as confirmation from the Divine and as that which has reference to truths which belong to the understanding, 2842. When Jehovah is referred to as ‘speaking’ the meaning in the internal sense is that He wills, for whatever Jehovah speaks He also wills. But when Jehovah is referred to as ‘swearing’ the meaning in the internal sense is that He understands it to be true. Thus when used in reference to Jehovah, ‘swearing’ means understanding, as becomes clear also from the places quoted from the Word in 2842.