243. And white garments, that thou mayest be clothed, signifies genuine truths and intelligence therefrom. This is evident from the signification of "white garments," as being genuine truths, for garments signify truths (See above, n. 195), and "white" signifies what is genuine, and is predicated of truths (See above, n. 196); also from the signification of "to clothe," as being to acquire intelligence for oneself therefrom, for by means of genuine truths all intelligence is acquired; for the human understanding is formed to receive truths, therefore it becomes such as the truths are out of which it is formed. It is supposed that understanding is also the ability to reason from thought and to speak from falsities, and to confirm falsities by many arguments; but this is not understanding, it is only a faculty granted to man with the memory to which it is adjoined, and of which it is an activity. Yet by means of this faculty the understanding is born and formed, so far as man receives truths from affection; but genuine truths it is not possible for any man to receive from affection except only from the Lord, since they are from Him; consequently, to receive understanding, or to become intelligent, is not given to any man, except only from the Lord, but it is given to everyone who applies himself to receive (according to what was said above, n. 239. This, therefore, is signified by "I counsel thee to buy of Me white garments, that thou mayest be clothed."

8317. 'All the inhabitants of Canaan melted away' means a like feeling on the part of those belonging to the Church who adulterated forms of good and who falsified truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'the inhabitants of Canaan' as those belonging to the Church, also as those in it who adulterated forms of good and falsified truths. The reason why 'the inhabitants of Canaan' means those belonging to the Church is that the Lord's Church had existed in the land of Canaan since most ancient times, see 3686, 4447, 4454, 4516, 4517, 5136, 6516. The reason why it also means those who adulterated forms of good and falsified truths is that the nations in it which the children of Israel were to drive out represent evils as well as falsities of faith, see 8054. They have this representation because they were formerly part of the Church.