We will repay to Jehovah the calves of our lips Hos. xiv 2 [H.B. 3].

'Calves of the lips' are confessions resulting from the affection of truth. In Malachi:-

The sun of justice shall arise unto you who fear My Name, and healing in the wings, so that you may grow like fatted calves Mal. iv 2 [H.B. iii 20].

A comparison is made with fatted calves, because by them are signified those who are filled with cognitions of truth and good resulting from the affection of knowing them. In David:-

The voice of Jehovah makes the cedars of Lebanon to skip like a calf Ps. xxix 6.

By 'cedars of Lebanon' the cognitions of truth are signified. It is consequently said that 'the voice of Jehovah makes them to skip like a calf'. The 'voice of Jehovah' is Divine Truth, here affecting [them]. [2] Since the Egyptians loved knowledges, they therefore made calves for themselves as a sign of the affection thereof; but after they began to worship the calves as gods, then by 'calves' in the Word are signified the affections of knowing untruths, as in Jer. xlvi 20, 21; Ps. lxviii 30 [H.B. 31], and elsewhere. A similar thing is therefore signified by the 'calf' that the Sons of Israel made for themselves in the wilderness (Exod. xxxii), likewise by the 'calves' of Samaria (1 Kings xii 28-32; Hos. viii 5, 6; x 5). Therefore it is said in Hosea:-

They are making a molten thing for themselves out of silver, they are sacrificing a man, they are kissing calves Hos. xiii 2.

To 'make a molten thing for themselves out of silver' signifies to falsify truth, to 'sacrifice a man' signifies to destroy wisdom, and to 'kiss calves' signifies out of affection to acknowledge untruths. In Isaiah:-

There shall the calf feed, theme shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof Isa. xxvii 10.

A similar thing is signified by 'calf' [in] Jeremiah xxxiv 18-20. [3] Since all Divine worship is derived from affections of truth and good and the cognitions therefrom, therefore the sacrifices, in which the worship of the Church among the sons of Israel used chiefly to consist, were made of various beasts, as of lambs, she-goats, kids, sheep, he-goats, calves, oxen; and [they were made] of 'calves', because they used to signify the affection of knowing truths and goods, which is the first natural affection. This was signified by 'sacrifices of calves' (Exod. xxix 11, 12; Lev. iv 3, 13 seq., viii 14 seq., ix 2, xvi 3, xxiii 18; Num. viii 8 seq., xv 24, xxviii 19, 20; Jud. vi 25-29; 1 Sam. i 25, xvi 2; 1 Kings xviii 23-26, 33.) The second animal was seen like a 'calf', because the Divine Truth of the Word, which is signified thereby, affects minds (animus), and so instructs and imbues.