Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 9001

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9001. He shall do to her according to the judgment of daughters. That this signifies that it shall be as is the genuine affection of truth, is evident from the signification of "according to the judgment," as being with the same right; for by the "judgment" is signified external truth or right such as is in the civil state in which is the representative church (n. 8972); and from the signification of "daughter," as being the affection of truth (n. 2362, 3024, 3963), here the genuine affection of truth, because by "the maidservant" is signified the affection of truth from natural delight (n. 8993), thus not genuine until she has been betrothed either to her master, or to his son. But when she has been betrothed, that is, when this affection has been conjoined with the spiritual truth which is signified by "master," and by "son," then it becomes as it were genuine, for then the natural has been subordinated to spiritual truth, and when it has been subordinated it is no longer in its own right, but in that of the spiritual truth under which it has been subordinated; consequently the natural becomes as the spiritual, because it acts as a one with it. And then also the life of spiritual truth is transferred into the natural, and vivifies it. But betrothal, or conjunction, with a maidservant, differs from conjunction with a daughter in the fact that the latter conjunction is effected in the interior man, but the former in the external man.


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