4875. 'Your cord' means through truth, that is to say, truth accompanying the token of consent. This is clear from the meaning of 'a cord' as truth. The reason 'a cord' means truth is that it is one of the items associated with 'garments', and 'garments' in general means truths, for the reason that as garments clothe the flesh, so truths clothe good, 297, 2132, 2576, 4545, 4763. Among the ancients therefore whatever clothing they wore meant some specific or individual truth. Consequently a tunic had one meaning, a chlamys another, and a toga another; also coverings for the head, such as a turban and a mitre, had one meaning, coverings for the thighs and feet, such as breeches, stockings, and so on, had another meaning. But 'a cord' meant outermost or lowest truth, for it was made from threads twisted together, by which the final demarcation of that kind of truth was meant. This kind of truth is again meant by 'a cord' in Moses,

Every open vessel on which there is no covering [or] cord [to fasten it] is unclean. Numbers 19:15.

By this was meant that nothing should exist without having an outer limit, for that which does not have an outer limit is 'open'. Furthermore outermost truths serve as the outer limit and terminus of interior truths.

298. Verse 22 And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man has become as one of Us, in knowing good and evil; and now by chance he will put out his hand and also take from the tree of life' and eat, and live for ever.

The reason Jehovah God speaks first in the singular and then in the plural is that 'Jehovah God' is used to mean the Lord, and at the same time the angelic heaven. 'The man's knowing good and evil' means that he became celestial, and so wise and having intelligence. 'He was not to put out his hand and take from the tree of life means that he was not to be instructed in mysteries of faith, for if he were instructed in them he could never at all be saved, which is 'living for ever'.