9058. And when a man shall smite the eye of his manservant. That this signifies if the internal man shall injure the truth of faith in the external man, is evident from the signification of “smiting,” as being to injure (as above); from the signification of “man” [vir], here a man of the sons of Israel, as being one who is of the church and consequently is in spiritual truth, which is the truth of faith (see n. 9034), thus the internal man, for the truth of faith is in the internal man and makes its life, which is called spiritual life-it is said “the internal man” on account of its relation to the external man, which is signified by “manservant;” from the signification of “the eye,” as being the interior intellectual, and therefore the truth of faith (n. 9051); and from the signification of “manservant,” as being the memory-truth which is in the external man (n. 1895, 2567, 3835, 3849, 8993, 8994), thus also the external or natural man (n. 5305, 7998, 8974). In the sense of the letter it is said “a man” and his “servant,” and thus there are meant two persons; but in the internal sense, in which “man” denotes the internal man, and “servant” the external man, they are in one person. The reason is that in the internal sense no attention is paid to persons, but only to things (n. 5225, 5287, 5434, 8343, 8985, 9007).