5032. When his lord heard the words of his wife, which she spoke unto him. That this signifies communication of falsity which appeared as truth, is evident from the signification of “hearing words,” as being communication, for “hearing” is perceiving (n. 5017), thus to be communicated; and from the signification of “wife,” as being truth natural not spiritual, of which above, but in the present instance falsity. The false speaking itself is signified by the words which she spoke to him (as above, n. 5024). The communication of falsity is with good natural not spiritual, which is here signified by his “lord” (as above, n. 5023). That the falsity appeared to him as truth, is evident from what follows.

[2] The subject treated of here is that good natural not spiritual is easily persuaded, insomuch that falsity appears to it altogether as truth. What good natural not spiritual is, and what its quality, or who and of what quality are those who are in this good, may be seen above (n. 4988, 4992, 5008, 5013, 5028), namely, that they are such as are gentle and well disposed from what is hereditary and hence adventitious, thus such as do what is good from nature, but not from religion. It is one thing to do good from nature, and quite another to do it from religion. These two things cannot be distinguished by man in the world, for man is not acquainted with the interiors, but in the other life they are plainly discerned; for in that life the interiors lie open, the thoughts, intentions, and ends manifesting themselves and being open to view as in clear day.

[3] In consequence of this it has been given me to know the quality of those who are in good not spiritual, and that of those who are in spiritual good. They who are in good natural not spiritual suffer themselves to be persuaded by everyone, and easily by the evil; for evil spirits and genii are in their life, or the delight of their life, when they can enter into the evil affections of anyone; and when they have entered into them, they entice him to every kind of evil, for they then persuade him that falsity is truth. This they do easily with those who are in good natural not spiritual, but cannot do so with those who are in spiritual good, for these know from within what is evil and false. The reason is that when those in spiritual good lived in the world they received precepts from doctrine, and with these they imbued the internal man, the result being that heaven can operate into it; whereas when they who are in good natural not spiritual lived in the world, they did not receive any precepts from doctrine with which they imbued the internal man, and therefore with them there is no plane into which heaven can operate; but whatever flows in with them out of heaven, flows through, and when it comes into the natural man, it is not received, because the evil or diabolical crew instantly take it away, either by suffocating, by reflecting, or by perverting it.

[4] Therefore those who are in natural good only, in the other life suffer hard things, and sometimes complain much that they are among the infernals, when yet, as they believe, they had done what is good equally as well as others. But they were told that they had done what is good no otherwise than as gentle animals devoid of reason, and had not been solicitous about any good or truth of the church; and that as for this reason they have not in the internal man any receptacle for good and truth, therefore they cannot be defended by the angels; and also that they had done many evils under an appearance of good.

5017. And it came to pass when he heard. That this signifies when it was perceived, is evident from the signification of “hearing,” as being to obey, and also as being to perceive. That it means to obey may be seen above (n. 2542, 3869); that it means also to perceive is plain from the very function of the ear, and hence from the nature of the hearing. The function of the ear is to receive another’s speech and convey it to the common sensory, in order that the sensory may perceive what the other person is thinking, so that “to hear” is to perceive. Thus it is the nature of the hearing to transfer what anyone is speaking from his own thought into the thought of another, and from the thought into his will, and from the will into act; hence “to hear” is to obey. These two offices are proper to the hearing. In the languages these are distinguished by “hearing” anyone, which is to perceive, and by “listening,” or “hearkening” to anyone, which is to obey. That these two offices belong to hearing is because man cannot communicate the things of his thought, and also the things of his will, by any other way; nor can he otherwise persuade and by reasons induce others to do and to obey what he wills. From all this it is evident by what a circle communications are effected-from will into thought, and so into speech; and from speech through the ear into another’s thought and will. Hence also it is that the spirits and angels who correspond to the ear or to the sense of hearing in the Grand Man, are not only perceptions, but also obediences. That they are obediences, may be seen above (n. 4652-4660); and because they are obediences, they are also perceptions, for the one involves the other.