9215. 'It is his clothing for his skin' means that they also clothe relatively external things. This is clear from the meaning of 'clothing' as the sensory level in general or things on that level, as above; and from the meaning of 'skin' as that which is relatively external, which also clothes more internal things but still exists within those on the sensory level. What 'the skin' means, and who exactly correspond to the skin in the next life, see 3540, 5552-5559, 8977, 8980. The natural degree of the human mind has a rather internal level, a relatively external or middle level, and an outermost level. The more internal level of the natural is in contact with heaven; the middle or relatively external level is in contact on one side with the more internal, and through this with heaven, and on the other side with the outermost, and through this with the world, see 4009, 4570, 5118, 5126, 5497, 5649, 5707. The outermost level of the natural is that of the senses, which is meant here by 'clothing'. This level receives impressions of objects in the world and thereby serves more internal things. It is called 'his only covering' because it is the last and lowest and so is general to all, the relatively external or middle level of the natural being the one meant by 'skin'. From this it is evident that 'his clothing for his skin' means that the sensory level also clothes relatively external things. The fact that the sensory level is the last and lowest of a person's life, and so is a general covering, see 4009, 5077, 5125, 5128, 5767, 5774, 6201, 6313, 7442, 7693.

5767. 'And caused to come down, each one his pouch to the earth' means that they brought the contents of the natural down to the level of sensory impressions This is clear from the meaning of 'causing to come down' - when these words are anticipating those that immediately follow them - as bringing to; from the meaning of 'pouch' as the exterior natural, dealt with in 5497; and from the meaning of 'the earth', when it says that they caused their pouches to come down to it, as the ultimate or lowest, thus the sensory level. For this level is the lowest or ultimate one since the senses are positioned at the doorway to the world outside. Bringing down to sensory impressions implies a thorough verification that a thing is so, for in this case even sensory evidence testifies to the inference that is being drawn.