9259. Removing thou shall remove it with him. That this signifies encouragement, and effort toward amendment, is evident from the signification of “removing,” when said of the falsity which does not agree with the good of the church, as being amendment (see above, n. 9258), and here effort toward amendment, and encouragement, because such falsity is amended with difficulty. The falsities which do not agree with the good of the church are all those which are opposed to the Lord, to the good of love to Him, and to the good of charity toward the neighbor. That such things as have just been unfolded lie hidden within these two laws, or judgments, is evident from this additional consideration, that the things contained in the letter seldom happen, namely, meeting an enemy’s ox or ass going astray, and seeing the ass of one who hates us lying under a burden. Consequently these ordinances are not of sufficient importance to have been included among the laws and judgments that were promulgated from Mount Sinai. But the things they contain within them cause them to rank among the chief judgments; for they contain the injunction that the Gentiles too must be loved and be instructed in the truths of faith, and be amended in respect to the life. But these internal contents of the laws in question could not be set forth before the Israelitish and Jewish people, because these were in external things without internal; and because they had received from their fathers that they should hate, and therefore regard as enemies, all who were not of their brethren, that is, who were not born of Jacob. (Concerning the Jews and their character, see n. 4307, 4314, 4316, 4317, 4429, 4433, 4444, 4825, 4903, 6304, 8588, 8788, 8806, 8871)

2362. Behold I pray I have two daughters who have not known man. That this signifies the affections of good and of truth, is evident from the signification of “daughters,” as being affections (see n. 489-491). Their “not having known man” signifies that falsity had not contaminated them; for “man” [vir] signifies rational truth, as also in the opposite sense falsity (n. 265, 749, 1007). There are two affections, namely, of good and of truth (see n. 1997). The former, or the affection of good, constitutes the celestial church, and is called in the Word the “daughter of Zion,” and also the “virgin daughter of Zion;” but the latter, or the affection of truth, constitutes the spiritual church, and is called in the Word the “daughter of Jerusalem.”

[2] As in Isaiah:

The virgin daughter of Zion hath despised thee, hath mocked at thee; after thee hath the daughter of Jerusalem shaken her head (Isaiah 37:22; 2 Kings 19:21).

In Jeremiah:

What shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem; what shall I equal to thee, and comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion (Lam. 2:13).

In Micah:

Thou, O tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, even to thee shall it come, and the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem (Micah 4:8).

In Zephaniah:

Shout, O daughter of Zion; make a loud noise, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem (Zeph. 3:14).

In Zechariah:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; make a loud noise, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King shall come unto thee (Zech. 9:9; Matthew 21:5; John 12:15).

[3] That the celestial church, or the Lord’s celestial kingdom, is called the “daughter of Zion” from the affection of good, that is, from love to the Lord Himself, may be seen further in Isaiah (10:32; 16:1; 52:2; 62:11; Jeremiah 4:31; 6:2, 23; Lam. 1:6; 2:1, 4, 8, 10; Micah 4:10, 13; Zech. 2:10; Psalms 9:14). And that the spiritual church, or the Lord’s spiritual kingdom, is called the “daughter of Jerusalem” from the affection of truth, and thus from charity toward the neighbor, may be seen in Jeremiah (Lam. 2:15). Both of these churches and their characteristics have been treated of many times in Part First.

[4] From the fact that the celestial church is from love to the Lord in love toward the neighbor, it is likened especially to an unmarried daughter or virgin, and indeed is also called a “virgin,” as in John:

These are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins; these are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth, for they are without spot before the throne of God (Revelation 14:4-5).

That this might be represented in the Jewish Church also, it was enjoined upon the priests that they should not take widows, but virgins, for wives (Leviticus 21:13-15; Ezekiel 44:22).

[5] From the things contained in this verse it can be seen how pure is the Word in the internal sense, although it may not so appear in the letter; for when these words are read: “Behold I pray I have two daughters who have not known man; let me I pray bring them out unto you, and ye may do unto them as is good in your eyes, only unto these men do not anything,” nothing but what is impure enters the ideas, especially the ideas of those who are in a life of evil. And yet how chaste these words are in the internal sense, is manifest from the explication, by which it is shown that they signify the affections of good and of truth, and the blessedness which they who do no violence to the Lord’s Divine and Holy perceive from the enjoyment of them.