Definitions from the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary
As I posted back on January 5:
Names represents states of consciousness. Places represent places in consciousness. Every character in the Bible is some aspect of you.
Below, I have copied a number of definitions of names and places from Genesis Chapter 2, showing their relation to states of consciousness, from the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary by Charles Fillmore, co-founder of Unity. You might want to print these out to save yourself time in looking them up during your study.
The general idea of metaphysical interpretation is that you find the meanings of the various names, and then see how they are linked together in the story. From this you determine a generic interpretation of the spiritual meaning of the text, which you can then apply to your personal life situation. Fillmore's "definitions" contain several examples of such interpretation.
Eden, e'-den (Heb.)-sensible duration; time; pleasure; delight; pleasantness. a The name of the place where, we are told, God put the first man and woman-Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:8; Isa. 51:3; Ezek. 28:13). b A place that i8 prophesied against (Amos 1:5; Ezek. 27:23; see II Kings 19:12 also). c A man named Eden. a Levite, is mentioned in II Chronicles 29:12. The Hebrew "Gan heden" commonly rendered Garden of Eden is a compound of surpassing greatness. The word Gan means any organized sphere of activity, a garden, a body, a world, a universe. The word Heden, Eden, means a time, a season, an age, an eternity, as well as beauty, pleasure, an ornament, a witness. Thus it can be seen that only the most limited and restricted material acceptation would bring this remarkable word down to a small, hedged-in inclosure, a small area somewhere in Asia where the human race first emerged from the dust of this planet.
Meta. A pleasant, harmonious, productive state of consciousness in which are all possibilities of growth. When man is expressing in harmony with Divine Mind, bringing forth the qualities of Being in divine order, he dwells in Eden, or instate of bliss in a harmonious body. The "garden" symbolizes the spiritual body in which man dwells when he brings forth his thoughts after the original divine ideas. This garden is the substance of God (Eden) or state of perfect relation of ideas to Being. The Garden of Eden is the divine consciousness. Having developed a consciousness apart from his divine nature, man must "till the ground from whence he was taken," that is, he must come into a realization of God as the source of his Being and must express ideas in harmony with Divine Mind. Wisdom and love are joined in God, and a perfect balance is struck in consciousness between knowing and feeling when man spiritualizes his thought.
Eve, eve (Heb.)-elementary life; life; living. The first woman: "And the man called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living" (Gen. 3:20).
Meta. Love, or feeling, in individual consciousness. The I AM (wisdom) puts feeling into what it thinks, and so "Eve" (feeling) becomes the "mother of all living." Feeling is Spirit, which quickens. Woman symbolizes the soul region of man and is the mother principle of God in expression. Back of the woman (feeling) is the pure life essence of God.
Adam and Eve represent the I AM identified in life substance. They are the primal elemental forces of Being itself. Eve is very closely identified, as elementary life, with absolute life, God. The verb "Hoh," to-be being, luminous absolute life, which forms the basis of the name Ihoh, Jehovah, is the basis also of Eve; however, due to a slight change in characters and a hardening of the vowels, it no longer represents absolute life, but the struggle of elementary existence. This is the struggle of the soul to regain its perfect state of existence, of the Absolute, God.
Creation originates and exists in Divine Mind, God. In the creative process Divine Mind first ideates itself. In the Scripture this ideal is named Jehovah, meaning I AM the ever living-He who is eternal. The creation is carried forward through the activity of the Holy Spirit. The Hebrew Jehovah has been translated "Lord." Lord means an external ruler. Bible students say that Jehovah means the self-existent One. Then instead of reading "Lord" we should read I AM. It makes a great difference whether we think that I AM, self-existence, is within, or Lord, master, without.
All Scripture shows that Jehovah means just what God told Moses it meant, I AM. "This is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations." So whenever you read the word Lord in Scripture say I AM instead and you will get a clearer understanding of what Jehovah is. Jehovah-jireh means I AM the provider. If we expect to demonstrate prosperity from without we find it a slow process; but if we know that I AM is the provider we have the key to the inexhaustible resource.
God was also known to the Israelites as Jehovah-shalom-"I AM peace." We can demonstrate peace of mind by holding the words, "I am peace." with the understand ing that the real I AM is Jehovah within us. But if we start any demonstration and try to apply the I AM to personality we fall short. This is frequently the cause of failure to get the desired results from the laws that all metaphysicians recognize as fundamentally true. The mind does not always comprehend I AM in its highest, neither does it discern that the all-knowing, omnipotent One is within man. This recognition must be cultivated, and every one should become conscious of the I AM presence. This consciousness will come through prayer and meditation on Truth.
In Truth there is but one I AM-Jehovah, the omnipotent I AM. If you take the word Jehovah-shalom into your mind and hold it with the thought of a mighty peace, you will feel a harmonizing stillness that no man can understand. It must be felt, realized, and acknowledged by your I AM before the supreme I AM can pour out its power. After experiencing it you know that you have touched a divine something, but you cannot explain to another just what it is, because you have gone beyond the realm of words and have made union with the cause side of existence. It is the quickening of your divinity through the power of the Word. This divine nature is in us all, waiting to be brought into expression through our recognition of the power and might of I AM.
river. Meta. A current of thought or a current of vital forces, of life. The "river" of Genesis 2:10 symbolizes the current of life in the organism (garden).
Pishon (A.V., Pison), pi-shon (Heb.) -great outpouring; full flowing; fully diffused; spread out; real existence; perfect substantiality; being, carried to its highest degree. One of the four rivers of Eden (Gen. 2:11).
Meta. Pishon is defined as fully diffused, carried to its highest degree. This is descriptive of Spirit at work in man's consciousness, Spirit diffusing its ideas of intelligence and light, the activity of divine ideas in their fullness. The river Pishon is described as encompassing "the whole land of Havilah." Havilah represents the struggle of elemental life, virtue born of trial. There is gold in this land, which means that locked up in our body temple are all the treasures of Spirit. These are released by the inflow of spiritual Pishon.
Havilah, hav'-l-lah (Heb.)-virtual travail; encompassed; surrounded; circular; struggle of elementary life; virtue born of trial; virtue born of courage; brings forth with effort, i.e., travail, suffering. a A land in the Garden of Eden around which the river Pishon flows (Gen. 2:11). b A son of Cush, who was Ham's son (Gen. 10:7). c A son of Joktan, who was descended from Shem (Gen. 10:29). d Ishmael and his immediate descendants "dwelt from Havilah unto Shur that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria" (Gen. 25:18). Saul smote the Amalekites in this same place (I Sam. 15:7), and disobeyed the Lord by saving alive some of them and some of the choicest of their animal possessions.
Meta. In the land of Havilah were gold and precious stones, according to the text in Genesis 2:11, 12. This, with the meaning of the word, bespeaks the effort, the travail, the trials, if you will, that are necessary to bring into manifestation the inner spiritual possibilities that lie back of and are wrapped up in the seemingly material organism.
Gihon, gl'-hon (Heb.)-determining impulse; formative movement; a bursting forth; whirlpool; rapid stream. a A river of Eden (Gen. 2:13). b The name of a fountain, or a pool with springs, just outside the city of Jerusalem. David had Solomon taken there to be anointed king over Israel by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet (I Kings 1:33, 45; II Chron. 32:30).
Meta. Gihon means formative movement. It represents the deific breath of God inspiring man and purifying his blood in the lungs. It flows through the darkened consciousness (Cush). The Gihon that was a fountain, or pool, with springs, just outside Jerusalem, indicates a bursting forth of joyous life and Truth. Substance and discrimination are also suggested by the "digestive system." Thus peace (Solomon) becomes the ruling factor of the heart and mind when abundant life, substance, and wisdom (discrimination) are realized.
Cush (in A.V., Gen. 2:13, Ethiopia) cush (Heb.)-firelike; burned; blackened; combustible; Ethiopia. a Eldest son of Ham. b The country where Ham's descendants settled-Ethiopia (Gen. 10:6; Psalms 7, title).
Meta. Ham typifies the physical in man, in its very biased, material, sensual expression. The physical has always been looked upon as something very material and as being void of intelligence and spirituality. It has been in darkness, and has been given over to ignorance and sensuality, with corruption as its ultimate state. Cush represents this darkened thought in which man has held his body and its activities-the seemingly mortal, physical part of himself. But this will all change as he perceives the Truth and holds in mind the perfect-body idea. Then darkness will disappear, and even the very cells of the body will shine in spiritual light and life.
Hiddekel, h`id'-de-kel (Heb.)-swift propagator; universal generative fluid; quick flowing; rapid stream; rapid spirituous influx. One of the four rivers of the Garden of Eden. It is the same river as the Tigris (Gen. 2:14).
Meta. Hiddekel means universal generative fluid, rapid stream, rapid spiritual influx. The river Hiddekel symbolizes the spiritual nerve fluid that God is propelling throughout man's whole being continually, as the electro-magnetic center of every physically expressed atom. This wonderful stream of nerve fluid finds its way over all nerves in man's body temple, giving him the invigorating, steadying power of the Holy Spirit. Assyria represents the psychic realm of the soul. The nerve fluid, the most attenuated and volatile fluid of the body, breaks into flares at the ends of the nerves, giving rise to various kinds of psychical and mental action, forming character of soul. The mind uses the nerve flares to express its ideas. The primal Spirit elements continually seek expression. Man ever cries out for a higher, fuller way of life and will continue to do so until his full redemption into spirituality is accomplished.
Assyria (A. V., in some places Assur), as-syr'-l-å (Gk., Assyria; Heb., Asshur) -country of Asshur. The definitions are the same as those for Asshur. At one time a very mighty empire. It was overthrown by the Babylonians and Medes about 600 B. C., after it had been in existence for some 1,200 years. Nineveh was the capital of ancient Assyria. At the time of its greatest power, Assyria included many of the countries that we read about in the Bible: Babylonia, Media, Chaldea, Armenia, Syria, Palestine, Phoenicia, Idumea, and others, besides Assyria proper (Gen. 25:18; II Kings 17:3-6; Zeph. 2:13).
Meta. The reasonings, philosophical and psychical, that do not recognize the spiritual Head of the universe, but are based upon sense observation, upon the formed instead of the formless. Such thoughts are destructive and undisciplined. If man keeps his attention fixed on Spirit he is protected from the materialism that is constantly encroaching upon his consciousness; but if he worships the mysterious and the occult, or if he reasons wholly from the appearances of the senses or outer world, he defeats the protective action of the higher law and falls into the hands of the Assyrians. To pay tribute to the Assyrians (II Kings 15:19, 20) is to make concessions to the unregenerate, material realm of consciousness in us that they represent. When spiritual understanding predominates in one, the mental realm that Assyria signifies is redeemed. (See ASSHUR.)
Euphrates, eu-phra'-te,s (Gk. fr. Heb.)-bursting forth; breaking out; fructifying; that which is the fructifying cause. One of the four rivers of Eden (Gen. 2:14). It is a large river in western Asia (II Sam. 8: 3, with margin; II Kings 23:29; Rev. 16:12).
Meta. The fourth river, Euphrates, means "fructifying," or "that which is the fructifying cause." Metaphysically, it represents the blood stream. The circulatory system receives and distributes the nutrients contained in the food we eat. The blood stream is charged with the food substance for bone, muscle, brain, teeth, and hair. Every part of the organism is supplied with substance through this wonderful river Euphrates.
Abel, a'-bel (in Hebrew, heh-bel)-breath or vanity; transitoriness; a breath; vapor.
Names represents states of consciousness. Places represent places in consciousness. Every character in the Bible is some aspect of you.
Below, I have copied a number of definitions of names and places from Genesis Chapter 2, showing their relation to states of consciousness, from the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary by Charles Fillmore, co-founder of Unity. You might want to print these out to save yourself time in looking them up during your study.
The general idea of metaphysical interpretation is that you find the meanings of the various names, and then see how they are linked together in the story. From this you determine a generic interpretation of the spiritual meaning of the text, which you can then apply to your personal life situation. Fillmore's "definitions" contain several examples of such interpretation.
Eden, e'-den (Heb.)-sensible duration; time; pleasure; delight; pleasantness. a The name of the place where, we are told, God put the first man and woman-Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:8; Isa. 51:3; Ezek. 28:13). b A place that i8 prophesied against (Amos 1:5; Ezek. 27:23; see II Kings 19:12 also). c A man named Eden. a Levite, is mentioned in II Chronicles 29:12. The Hebrew "Gan heden" commonly rendered Garden of Eden is a compound of surpassing greatness. The word Gan means any organized sphere of activity, a garden, a body, a world, a universe. The word Heden, Eden, means a time, a season, an age, an eternity, as well as beauty, pleasure, an ornament, a witness. Thus it can be seen that only the most limited and restricted material acceptation would bring this remarkable word down to a small, hedged-in inclosure, a small area somewhere in Asia where the human race first emerged from the dust of this planet.
Meta. A pleasant, harmonious, productive state of consciousness in which are all possibilities of growth. When man is expressing in harmony with Divine Mind, bringing forth the qualities of Being in divine order, he dwells in Eden, or instate of bliss in a harmonious body. The "garden" symbolizes the spiritual body in which man dwells when he brings forth his thoughts after the original divine ideas. This garden is the substance of God (Eden) or state of perfect relation of ideas to Being. The Garden of Eden is the divine consciousness. Having developed a consciousness apart from his divine nature, man must "till the ground from whence he was taken," that is, he must come into a realization of God as the source of his Being and must express ideas in harmony with Divine Mind. Wisdom and love are joined in God, and a perfect balance is struck in consciousness between knowing and feeling when man spiritualizes his thought.
Eve, eve (Heb.)-elementary life; life; living. The first woman: "And the man called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living" (Gen. 3:20).
Meta. Love, or feeling, in individual consciousness. The I AM (wisdom) puts feeling into what it thinks, and so "Eve" (feeling) becomes the "mother of all living." Feeling is Spirit, which quickens. Woman symbolizes the soul region of man and is the mother principle of God in expression. Back of the woman (feeling) is the pure life essence of God.
Adam and Eve represent the I AM identified in life substance. They are the primal elemental forces of Being itself. Eve is very closely identified, as elementary life, with absolute life, God. The verb "Hoh," to-be being, luminous absolute life, which forms the basis of the name Ihoh, Jehovah, is the basis also of Eve; however, due to a slight change in characters and a hardening of the vowels, it no longer represents absolute life, but the struggle of elementary existence. This is the struggle of the soul to regain its perfect state of existence, of the Absolute, God.
Adam, ad'-am (Heb.)-red; ruddy; reddish; firm.
a The name of the first man of the human race, according to the Bible (Gen. 5:1-5). b A city (Josh. 3:16).
Meta. The first movement of mind in its contact with life and substance. Adam also represents the generic man, or the whole human race epitomized in an individual-man idea. Eve is the feminine aspect of generic man, outwardly manifest: "male and female created he them. "
If the ego, or will, which is man, has adhered to wisdom faithfully and has carried out in its work the plans that are idealized in wisdom, it has created a harmonious consciousness. Adam in the Garden of Eden is symbolical of that consciousness.
Adam in his original creation was in spiritual illumination. Spirit breathed into him continually the necessary inspiration and knowledge to give him superior understanding. But he began eating, or appropriating, ideas of two powers-God and not God, or good and evil. The result, so the allegory relates, was that he fell away from spiritual life and all that it involves.
Man is Spirit, absolute and unconditioned; but man forms an Adamic consciousness into which he breathes the breath of life; this, in its perfect expression, is the Son of man, an expression of the divine idea. This Adam is all of what we term soul, intellect, and body. We are continually at work with this Adam; we can breathe into his nostrils the breath of life, inspiring him with the idea of life in all its unlimited fullness. We can lift up this Adam by infusing into him these sublime ideas, and in no other way.
Jehovah, je-ho'-vah (Heb.)-He-who-is-who-was-who-will-be manifest; the self-existent One; Ipseity; He who is eternal. In "I AM THAT I AM," the absolute verb remains the same. but the prefix changes from manifestation to power, "he" to "I." The word-for-word rendering of the original would be: "I-am-I-was-I-will-be because I-am-I-was-I-will-be the power to be eternally I." Jehovah is one of God's names as given in the Bible. In the Authorized Version it is improperly translated "the Lord." In the American Standard Version the name Jehovah is given where Jah occurs in the Hebrew text (see Ex. 6:2, 3 and Psalms 83:18).
Meta. Moses says in Exodus 3:14, 15 that Jehovah told him that His name means: "I AM THAT I AM." Hebrew students say that the original word is JHVH. which means the ever living male-and-female principle. Lee's Hebrew Lexicon identifies this name with Christ, as the manifestation of God that speaks to patriarchs and prophets. Jesus confirms this in Matthew 22:42-45, where He reveals that the Christ existed before David, whose son He was supposed to be. In the Old Testament the spiritual I AM is symbolically described as Jehovah- in the New Testament it is called Christ.Creation originates and exists in Divine Mind, God. In the creative process Divine Mind first ideates itself. In the Scripture this ideal is named Jehovah, meaning I AM the ever living-He who is eternal. The creation is carried forward through the activity of the Holy Spirit. The Hebrew Jehovah has been translated "Lord." Lord means an external ruler. Bible students say that Jehovah means the self-existent One. Then instead of reading "Lord" we should read I AM. It makes a great difference whether we think that I AM, self-existence, is within, or Lord, master, without.
All Scripture shows that Jehovah means just what God told Moses it meant, I AM. "This is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations." So whenever you read the word Lord in Scripture say I AM instead and you will get a clearer understanding of what Jehovah is. Jehovah-jireh means I AM the provider. If we expect to demonstrate prosperity from without we find it a slow process; but if we know that I AM is the provider we have the key to the inexhaustible resource.
God was also known to the Israelites as Jehovah-shalom-"I AM peace." We can demonstrate peace of mind by holding the words, "I am peace." with the understand ing that the real I AM is Jehovah within us. But if we start any demonstration and try to apply the I AM to personality we fall short. This is frequently the cause of failure to get the desired results from the laws that all metaphysicians recognize as fundamentally true. The mind does not always comprehend I AM in its highest, neither does it discern that the all-knowing, omnipotent One is within man. This recognition must be cultivated, and every one should become conscious of the I AM presence. This consciousness will come through prayer and meditation on Truth.
In Truth there is but one I AM-Jehovah, the omnipotent I AM. If you take the word Jehovah-shalom into your mind and hold it with the thought of a mighty peace, you will feel a harmonizing stillness that no man can understand. It must be felt, realized, and acknowledged by your I AM before the supreme I AM can pour out its power. After experiencing it you know that you have touched a divine something, but you cannot explain to another just what it is, because you have gone beyond the realm of words and have made union with the cause side of existence. It is the quickening of your divinity through the power of the Word. This divine nature is in us all, waiting to be brought into expression through our recognition of the power and might of I AM.
river. Meta. A current of thought or a current of vital forces, of life. The "river" of Genesis 2:10 symbolizes the current of life in the organism (garden).
Pishon (A.V., Pison), pi-shon (Heb.) -great outpouring; full flowing; fully diffused; spread out; real existence; perfect substantiality; being, carried to its highest degree. One of the four rivers of Eden (Gen. 2:11).
Meta. Pishon is defined as fully diffused, carried to its highest degree. This is descriptive of Spirit at work in man's consciousness, Spirit diffusing its ideas of intelligence and light, the activity of divine ideas in their fullness. The river Pishon is described as encompassing "the whole land of Havilah." Havilah represents the struggle of elemental life, virtue born of trial. There is gold in this land, which means that locked up in our body temple are all the treasures of Spirit. These are released by the inflow of spiritual Pishon.
Havilah, hav'-l-lah (Heb.)-virtual travail; encompassed; surrounded; circular; struggle of elementary life; virtue born of trial; virtue born of courage; brings forth with effort, i.e., travail, suffering. a A land in the Garden of Eden around which the river Pishon flows (Gen. 2:11). b A son of Cush, who was Ham's son (Gen. 10:7). c A son of Joktan, who was descended from Shem (Gen. 10:29). d Ishmael and his immediate descendants "dwelt from Havilah unto Shur that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria" (Gen. 25:18). Saul smote the Amalekites in this same place (I Sam. 15:7), and disobeyed the Lord by saving alive some of them and some of the choicest of their animal possessions.
Meta. In the land of Havilah were gold and precious stones, according to the text in Genesis 2:11, 12. This, with the meaning of the word, bespeaks the effort, the travail, the trials, if you will, that are necessary to bring into manifestation the inner spiritual possibilities that lie back of and are wrapped up in the seemingly material organism.
Gihon, gl'-hon (Heb.)-determining impulse; formative movement; a bursting forth; whirlpool; rapid stream. a A river of Eden (Gen. 2:13). b The name of a fountain, or a pool with springs, just outside the city of Jerusalem. David had Solomon taken there to be anointed king over Israel by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet (I Kings 1:33, 45; II Chron. 32:30).
Meta. Gihon means formative movement. It represents the deific breath of God inspiring man and purifying his blood in the lungs. It flows through the darkened consciousness (Cush). The Gihon that was a fountain, or pool, with springs, just outside Jerusalem, indicates a bursting forth of joyous life and Truth. Substance and discrimination are also suggested by the "digestive system." Thus peace (Solomon) becomes the ruling factor of the heart and mind when abundant life, substance, and wisdom (discrimination) are realized.
Cush (in A.V., Gen. 2:13, Ethiopia) cush (Heb.)-firelike; burned; blackened; combustible; Ethiopia. a Eldest son of Ham. b The country where Ham's descendants settled-Ethiopia (Gen. 10:6; Psalms 7, title).
Meta. Ham typifies the physical in man, in its very biased, material, sensual expression. The physical has always been looked upon as something very material and as being void of intelligence and spirituality. It has been in darkness, and has been given over to ignorance and sensuality, with corruption as its ultimate state. Cush represents this darkened thought in which man has held his body and its activities-the seemingly mortal, physical part of himself. But this will all change as he perceives the Truth and holds in mind the perfect-body idea. Then darkness will disappear, and even the very cells of the body will shine in spiritual light and life.
Hiddekel, h`id'-de-kel (Heb.)-swift propagator; universal generative fluid; quick flowing; rapid stream; rapid spirituous influx. One of the four rivers of the Garden of Eden. It is the same river as the Tigris (Gen. 2:14).
Meta. Hiddekel means universal generative fluid, rapid stream, rapid spiritual influx. The river Hiddekel symbolizes the spiritual nerve fluid that God is propelling throughout man's whole being continually, as the electro-magnetic center of every physically expressed atom. This wonderful stream of nerve fluid finds its way over all nerves in man's body temple, giving him the invigorating, steadying power of the Holy Spirit. Assyria represents the psychic realm of the soul. The nerve fluid, the most attenuated and volatile fluid of the body, breaks into flares at the ends of the nerves, giving rise to various kinds of psychical and mental action, forming character of soul. The mind uses the nerve flares to express its ideas. The primal Spirit elements continually seek expression. Man ever cries out for a higher, fuller way of life and will continue to do so until his full redemption into spirituality is accomplished.
Assyria (A. V., in some places Assur), as-syr'-l-å (Gk., Assyria; Heb., Asshur) -country of Asshur. The definitions are the same as those for Asshur. At one time a very mighty empire. It was overthrown by the Babylonians and Medes about 600 B. C., after it had been in existence for some 1,200 years. Nineveh was the capital of ancient Assyria. At the time of its greatest power, Assyria included many of the countries that we read about in the Bible: Babylonia, Media, Chaldea, Armenia, Syria, Palestine, Phoenicia, Idumea, and others, besides Assyria proper (Gen. 25:18; II Kings 17:3-6; Zeph. 2:13).
Meta. The reasonings, philosophical and psychical, that do not recognize the spiritual Head of the universe, but are based upon sense observation, upon the formed instead of the formless. Such thoughts are destructive and undisciplined. If man keeps his attention fixed on Spirit he is protected from the materialism that is constantly encroaching upon his consciousness; but if he worships the mysterious and the occult, or if he reasons wholly from the appearances of the senses or outer world, he defeats the protective action of the higher law and falls into the hands of the Assyrians. To pay tribute to the Assyrians (II Kings 15:19, 20) is to make concessions to the unregenerate, material realm of consciousness in us that they represent. When spiritual understanding predominates in one, the mental realm that Assyria signifies is redeemed. (See ASSHUR.)
Euphrates, eu-phra'-te,s (Gk. fr. Heb.)-bursting forth; breaking out; fructifying; that which is the fructifying cause. One of the four rivers of Eden (Gen. 2:14). It is a large river in western Asia (II Sam. 8: 3, with margin; II Kings 23:29; Rev. 16:12).
Meta. The fourth river, Euphrates, means "fructifying," or "that which is the fructifying cause." Metaphysically, it represents the blood stream. The circulatory system receives and distributes the nutrients contained in the food we eat. The blood stream is charged with the food substance for bone, muscle, brain, teeth, and hair. Every part of the organism is supplied with substance through this wonderful river Euphrates.
Abel, a'-bel (in Hebrew, heh-bel)-breath or vanity; transitoriness; a breath; vapor.
Second son of Adam and Eve, killed by his brother Cain (Gen. 4:2-8).
Meta. Abel means breath, which places him in the air, or the mental realm. He represents not the spiritual mind but the mind that controls the animal functions-he was a sheep raiser. The mental is more closely related to the spiritual consciousness than the physical (Cain) is, and its offerings are more acceptable to Spirit than are those of the physical. In Hindu metaphysics, Abel would be termed the animal soul. Paul would call him the creature.
Cain, cain (Heb.; more properly Kain) -possession; acquisition; centralization; draws to itself; to its own center; selfishness; sharp; cutting; a lance. Among some of the ancient authorities, Cain represents the genius of evil. That which Cain symbolizes is not all bad, however, since all ideas of rulership are derived from the idea of centralized power. The benevolent or the malevolent aspects of the name Cain are determined from that upon which the centering is directed.
Adam and Eve's eldest son, who killed his brother Abel (Gen. 4:1-25).
Meta. Cain means possession, acquisition, centralization, that which draws to itself, selfishness. Cain refers directly to that part of the human consciousness which strives to acquire and possess. He was a tiller of the soil, which places him in the earthly domain. In Hindu metaphysics he would be called the physical body. Paul would call him the flesh.
The killing, by the body-selfishness, of all human sympathy and love is represented by Cain's slaying of Abel. When the body demands possession of all the resources of mind and soul, and reduces existence to mere material living, it has slain Abel, and his blood, or life, continually cries from the earthly consciousness to the Lord for expression.
When the selfishness of the body has killed the finer impulses of the soul and has reduced to material existence all the higher aspirations, there is no longer pleasure in living. Without the soul thebody is a machine, with but little sensation and no progress. Cain thus tills the ground, but it yields him no strength.
The body feels its degradation, and those who get into this degenerate condition are usually miserable. Cain's punishment is great, and he fears the vengeance of the other faculties, which condemn the body for its impotency. But the Lord, or divine law, has fixed a limit to this and we are warned not to destroy the body, no matter how great its sins. The sign that was appointed for Cain to keep him from being slain is the consciousness of his divine origin. No matter how deep in transgression the body may be, it still bears the stamp of God and should never be killed.
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