mantle over her for a veil, and sat without, far from the door, in the way to Timnath: for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife (Gen. xxxviii. 12-14).
The inward figure stands thus:
20. In Judah lay the root of the Covenant, which pressed on to the limit, where it should be manifested in Christ: and so stood Judah here in this figure in the place or stead of the divine Word: which Word, God inspired or inspoke into Adam for an understanding life (John i). Therefore the text says here: Judah 's wife, the daughter of Shuah, died. This woman died to Adam: for it was the mother of the heavenly birth, in the heavenly world's substance, for which Adam mourned. And when God had ordered him for this world, then his mourning ceased; for he thought he was now at home, and went forth out of Paradise, to eat earthly fruit, like the beasts or living creatures: therefore says the spirit here: He sheared his sheep; which might well be done so by Judah. But the spirit has here the most secret figure, under which Adam is comprised: for the spirit says, Judah took his Shepherd Hirah of Odollam [Adullam] along with him.
21. In the figure, this Hirah is the [Cherub] Cherubim, which sticks in the earthly desire and bestial clothing of man; which
Adam took with him, when he went out of Paradise, to shear the sheep of this world; for the same, viz. the earthly desire was his shepherd: for that now keeps the beasts and sheep, and did shear them also, so that Adam had clothes and things necessary.
22. And the spirit calls the place Timnath, where Judah had his sheep. In the High Tongue this understanding lies very clear in the sense; for Timnath is nothing else but the expressed word in its powerful re-expression; and it signifies the spirit of this world in the elements, wherein the outward mortal life consists; wherein Adam had his sheep, and now also therein has them in his children.
23. For in this place Shelah is born, viz. the law of nature, which offers righteousness to man; for which law, Tamar, viz. the Covenant of grace, waited a long time during Shelah's youth, to see whether the law could be married with the Covenant of grace. But it could not be, that God's righteousness could be fully performed by the law, and that Tamar, viz. the Grace in the covenant, and the law, might enter into marriage.
24. Now the spirit here signifies clearly, that when God's word had manifested itself in the world by the law; that Tamar, that is, the Covenant of grace, laid aside her widow's apparel, and had set herself in the way of the word in the law, where, under the law, the spirit of the prophets out of the line of Judah went onward concerning the kingdom of Christ. This spirit would have the Covenant of grace for a spouse, for it was the right [spirit] from which the prophets under the law pointed at Christ.
25. But Tamar, that is, the Covenant of grace, veiled her beautiful countenance from the earthly Adam, and was ashamed of the deformity of the earthly man, in that the children of the law, as also the prophets, were outwardly so earthly: even as Tamar veiled her countenance from Judah. But when the time was come that the Covenant should be manifested, then the spirit of the Covenant sets itself before Shelah, viz. before the law, for the grace should receive Adam into itself again: as Tamar received seed from Judah her father in law, and suffered herself to be gotten with child.
26. But the holy countenance of the Covenant of grace in its power remained yet hidden to Adam in the law, as also to the prophets, till Christ: as Tamar veiled her countenance from Judah her father in law, that he knew her not, so also the Covenant of grace stood in the law, but with a veiled countenance. And the spirit speaks further in Moses, and says :
mantle over her for a veil, and sat without, far from the door, in the way to Timnath: for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife (Gen. xxxviii. 12-14).
The inward figure stands thus:
20. In Judah lay the root of the Covenant, which pressed on to the limit, where it should be manifested in Christ: and so stood Judah here in this figure in the place or stead of the divine Word: which Word, God inspired or inspoke into Adam for an understanding life (John i). Therefore the text says here: Judah 's wife, the daughter of Shuah, died. This woman died to Adam: for it was the mother of the heavenly birth, in the heavenly world's substance, for which Adam mourned. And when God had ordered him for this world, then his mourning ceased; for he thought he was now at home, and went forth out of Paradise, to eat earthly fruit, like the beasts or living creatures: therefore says the spirit here: He sheared his sheep; which might well be done so by Judah. But the spirit has here the most secret figure, under which Adam is comprised: for the spirit says, Judah took his Shepherd Hirah of Odollam [Adullam] along with him.
21. In the figure, this Hirah is the [Cherub] Cherubim, which sticks in the earthly desire and bestial clothing of man; which
Adam took with him, when he went out of Paradise, to shear the sheep of this world; for the same, viz. the earthly desire was his shepherd: for that now keeps the beasts and sheep, and did shear them also, so that Adam had clothes and things necessary.
22. And the spirit calls the place Timnath, where Judah had his sheep. In the High Tongue this understanding lies very clear in the sense; for Timnath is nothing else but the expressed word in its powerful re-expression; and it signifies the spirit of this world in the elements, wherein the outward mortal life consists; wherein Adam had his sheep, and now also therein has them in his children.
23. For in this place Shelah is born, viz. the law of nature, which offers righteousness to man; for which law, Tamar, viz. the Covenant of grace, waited a long time during Shelah's youth, to see whether the law could be married with the Covenant of grace. But it could not be, that God's righteousness could be fully performed by the law, and that Tamar, viz. the Grace in the covenant, and the law, might enter into marriage.
24. Now the spirit here signifies clearly, that when God's word had manifested itself in the world by the law; that Tamar, that is, the Covenant of grace, laid aside her widow's apparel, and had set herself in the way of the word in the law, where, under the law, the spirit of the prophets out of the line of Judah went onward concerning the kingdom of Christ. This spirit would have the Covenant of grace for a spouse, for it was the right [spirit] from which the prophets under the law pointed at Christ.
25. But Tamar, that is, the Covenant of grace, veiled her beautiful countenance from the earthly Adam, and was ashamed of the deformity of the earthly man, in that the children of the law, as also the prophets, were outwardly so earthly: even as Tamar veiled her countenance from Judah. But when the time was come that the Covenant should be manifested, then the spirit of the Covenant sets itself before Shelah, viz. before the law, for the grace should receive Adam into itself again: as Tamar received seed from Judah her father in law, and suffered herself to be gotten with child.
26. But the holy countenance of the Covenant of grace in its power remained yet hidden to Adam in the law, as also to the prophets, till Christ: as Tamar veiled her countenance from Judah her father in law, that he knew her not, so also the Covenant of grace stood in the law, but with a veiled countenance. And the spirit speaks further in Moses, and says :
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