1600. That 'the men of Sodom were evil and great sinners before Jehovah' means the evil desires towards which facts were reaching out becomes clear from the meaning of 'Sodom' as evil desires, dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'men' (vir) as intellectual concepts and rational concepts, here factual knowledge since they are spoken of in reference to the external man when separated from the internal. That 'men' means intellectual concepts or rational concepts has been shown already in 265, 749, 1007. Facts are said to reach out towards evil desires when they are learned for no other purpose than that one may become great, and not so that they may serve the use of making one good. All facts exist to enable a person to become rational and thereby wise, and so to enable him to serve the internal man.

749. 'Male and female' means truth and good. This is clear from what has been stated already at Chapter 6:19 where 'male and female' have reference to birds, but 'male and mate' ¹ to beasts. The reason is also stated there, namely, that things of the will are married to those of the understanding, but less so those of the understanding regarded in themselves to those of the will. The former exist as male and mate ¹ but the latter as male and female. Now because here the subject first of all is the temptation of that man as regards things of the understanding, as has been stated, the phrase 'male and female' is used, and conflict, or temptation as regards things of the understanding, is meant.

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