8993. And when a man shall sell his daughter to be a maid-servant. That this signifies the affection of truth from natural delight, is evident from the signification of “a man’s daughter,” as being the affection of truth, for by “a daughter” is signified affection (see n. 2362, 3963), and by “man,” truth (n. 3134), as also by “an Israelite,” who is here meant by “a man” (n. 5414, 5879, 5951, 7957, 8234); and from the signification of “a maidservant,” as being external or natural affection (n. 2567, 3835, 3849); consequently by “a man’s daughter being sold for a maidservant” is signified the affection of truth from the delight of natural affection.

[2] By natural delight is meant the delight that flows forth from the love of self and the love of the world. They who are in the affection of truth from this, are they who learn the doctrinal things of the church, which are called the truths of faith, either for the sake of gain, or for the sake of honors, and not for the sake of life. Such affections of truth, which do not flow forth from spiritual good, but from natural delight, are represented by the daughter of an Israelitish man sold to be a handmaid or maidservant; for everything which has its origin from the love of self, or from love of the world, is not free; but servile (what is meant by “free,” and what by “servile,” see n. 892, 905, 1947, 2870-2893, 6205). How the case is with the affections of truth that originate from these loves, is described in the internal sense in what now follows.

[3] Bear in mind that the genuine affection of truth is willing and longs to know the veriest truths of faith for the sake of good use as the end, and for the sake of life; but the affection of truth that is not genuine desires and longs for truths for the sake of self, thus for seeking honors, and for hunting gains. They who are in the affection of truth from this origin do not care whether the truths they know are genuine, provided they are such as they can pass off as truths; and therefore they stick in the mere confirmation of the doctrinal things of the church in which they were born, whether these be true or not true. They are also in darkness in respect to truths themselves, for worldly ends which are gains, and bodily ends which are honors, completely blindfold them.

[4] But they who are in the genuine affection of truth, that is, who long to know truths for the sake of good use, and for the sake of life, also abide in the doctrinal things of the church until they arrive at the age when they begin to think for themselves; then they search the Scriptures and supplicate the Lord for enlightenment, and when they are enlightened they rejoice from the heart. For they know that if they had been born where there is another doctrine of the church, nay, the greatest heresy, without searching the Scriptures from the genuine affection of truth, they would have remained in that doctrine; as for example, if they had been born Jews, or if they had been born Socinians. From this it is plain who and of what quality they are who are in the genuine affection of truth, and who and of what quality they are who are in an affection of truth that is not genuine. They who are in the genuine affection of truth are in the representative sense the daughters of Israelitish men; but they who are in an affection of truth that is not genuine are in the representative sense maidservants from the daughters of Israel.