6437. And on the crown of the head of the Nazirite of his brethren. That this signifies as to the exteriors, is evident from the signification of the “crown of the head of a Nazirite,” as being exterior things (of which presently); and from the representation of the sons of Israel, who here are “his brethren,” as being spiritual truths in the natural (see n. 5414, 5879, 5951), which also are relatively exterior, for the man of the spiritual church is in the good of truth, and this good is interior, because in the interior natural. That a “Nazirite” signifies exterior things is because the Nazirites represented the Lord as to the Divine natural, which is the external Divine Human. That this was what they represented is evident from the fact that the Naziriteship is the hair, and that its sanctity consisted in the hair, which was for the sake of the representation that has been mentioned; for the hair corresponds to and hence signifies what is natural (n. 3301, 5247, 5569-5573). This is also plain from those who made a vow of Naziriteship, who were then forbidden to shave their hair (Numbers 6:5); and afterward, when they had completed the days of the Naziriteship, they were to shave the head at the door of the tent, and to put the hair into the fire under the sacrifice of the peace-offering (Numbers 6:13, 18). This is further evident from Samson, who was a Nazirite, in that his strength consisted in his hair (Judg. 13:3, 5; 16; see n. 3301). Hence it is written in Jeremiah:

Cut off the hair of thy Naziriteship, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on the hills (Jeremiah 7:29).

From these passages it is evident that by the “crown of the head of a Nazirite” are signified exterior things, for the crown of the head of a Nazirite is where his hair is. This is the secret signified by the Nazirites in the Word.

3293. Two nations are in thy womb. That this signifies the natural as to interior and exterior good, that there is conception, is evident from the signification of “nations,” as being goods, especially the goods of the church (see n. 1159, 1258, 1260, 1416, 1849); and that here the goods which are in the natural are signified, is evident from the fact that Esau and Jacob, who were then in the womb, represent the Lord’s Divine natural, as will become very evident from what follows, where they are treated of. The natural, like the rational, consists of good and truth; the good in the natural is all that which is of natural affection, and is called delight; but the truth is all that which is of the memory, and is called memory-knowledge. These two must be in the natural for there to be any natural. By itself, memory-knowledge abstractedly from any delight which is of affection, is not anything; for the natural has its life from the delight within it; and from this derives its ability to know anything; whereas delight, which is the good of the natural, is something without memory-knowledge; but only such a vitality as infants have. In order therefore for the natural to be human it must consist of both, the one being perfected by the other; but it has its real life from good.

[2] As regards this good which is here treated of, it is twofold, interior and exterior; the interior good communicates with the interior man, that is, with the rational; while the exterior good communicates with the external man, that is, with the things of the body, and makes the life in the external senses, and also in the actions. Without this twofold communication, man cannot live either as to the reason or as to the body. It is the interior communication which abides with man after death, and then makes his natural life, for a spirit also has natural life, inasmuch as his spiritual life is terminated in the natural as in an ultimate plane; for immediately after death a man is not able to think spiritually, except from the things that belong to his natural. The exterior communication, however, is that which a man has while he lives in the body, but this ceases by the death of the body. All this shows what is signified by “two nations in the womb,” namely the natural as to interior and exterior good. “In the womb,” in the internal sense, signifies conception, therefore it is here said “that there is conception.”