In general, men are driven by intellect and women by affections, and because of this men in the Bible generally represent knowledge and truth and women generally represent love and the desire for good. This generally carries over into marriage, where the man's growing knowledge and understanding and the woman's desire to be good and useful are a powerful combination. In many cases in the Bible, then, "husband" refers to things of truth and understanding, much as "man" does. Magnificent things can happen in a true marriage, though, when both partners are looking to the Lord. If a husband opens his heart to his wife, it's as though she can implant her loves inside him, transforming his intellectual urges into a love of growing wise. She in turn can grow in her love of that blooming wisdom, and use it for joy in their married life and in their caring for children and others in their life. Many couples, even in heaven, stay in that state -- called "Spiritual" -- growing deeper and deeper to eternity. There is the potential, though, for the couple to be transformed: through the nurturing love of his wife the husband can pass from a love of growing wise to an actual love of wisdom itself, and the wife can be transformed from the love of her husband's wisdom into the wisdom of that love -- the actual expression of the love of the Lord they have built together. In that state -- called "Celestial" -- the husband represents love and the desire for good, and the wife represents truth and knowledge.

185. Internal Meaning of Hosea, Chapter 2

1-4 Exhortation to abstain from the falsifications of the Word, otherwise there will be no church, but it will be without goods and truths, as before. (11, 2)

5-7 They will become as before when they loved evil and falsity, but they will be withheld. (11, 2)

8 They will return to God whom they worshipped at that time, and from whom they received good, not knowing that this was from the Lord;, (11, 2)

9-13 but because they still did not worship Him, but another god, goods and truths will be vastated. (11, 2)

14-17 Those who will be of the new church, are to be purified by temptations, and prepared, (11)

18-20 and a new church constituted of such will come into existence, which will acknowledge the Lord. (11)

21-23 Then they will receive all things of heaven and the church. (11)