10051. And put them upon its pieces and upon its head. That this signifies the setting in order of exterior things under interior and inmost ones, is evident from the signification of the “pieces,” as being interior things (see above, n. 10048); from the signification of the “head” as being the inmost (n. 5328, 6436, 9656, 9913, 9914); and from the signification of the “intestines and legs” which were to be put upon them, as being things outermost and outer (that the “intestines” denote things outermost or lowest, see n. 10030; and that the “legs” denote outer or exterior things, n. 10050); and from the signification of “putting the latter upon the former,” as being to set in order. That it denotes to set in order exterior things under interior ones, and not “upon” them according to the sense of the letter, is because the altar and the fire upon the altar denote things highest or inmost; for the altar represented the Divine Human of the Lord as to Divine good, and the fire the Divine love itself; and therefore those parts from the ram and the burnt-offering that were nearest to the fire of the altar, were higher or interior; and those which had a place above them, being more remote from the fire of the altar, were lower or exterior. For in the internal sense those things are regarded as higher or interior which are nearest to the highest, and those as lower or exterior which are more remote from it, differently than in the sense of the letter. Whether we speak of things higher and lower, or of things interior and exterior, it is the same, for that which is higher is interior, and that which is lower is exterior (n. 2148, 3084, 4599, 5146, 8325). From this it is now plain that by “putting the intestines and the legs upon the pieces and upon the head” is signified that things outermost and outer were to be set in order under things interior and inmost. (That the altar was representative of the Lord’s Divine Human as to Divine good, see n. 921, 2777, 2811, 9388, 9389, 9714, 9964; and that the fire of the altar denotes His Divine love, see n. 6832)

10050. And its legs. That this signifies the purification of the exterior things of the natural man, is evident from the signification of “washing the legs,” as being the purification of the natural man (that “to wash” denotes to purify, see just above, n. 10049); and from the signification of “legs,” as being the exterior things that belong to the natural man. That “legs” have this signification is because the feet are meant at the same time, for the legs of beasts are four and cohere with the feet, and “feet” from correspondence signify the natural or external of man (see n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 4938-4952).

[2] The like is signified by “legs” in Amos:

As the shepherd hath snatched out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the sons of Israel be rescued that dwell in Samaria, in the corner of a bed, and at the extremity of a couch (Amos 3:12);

by “the lion” are here signified those who lay waste the church; by the “legs,” the external of the church, which also is of the natural man; by “a piece of an ear,” its perception; by “them that dwell in Samaria,” those who are in external worship; “the corner of a bed and the extremity of a couch” denote the lowest natural, which is the external sensuous, and its truth and good.

[3] By the “legs” in the description of the statue of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel:

The head thereof was of pure gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and side of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet partly of iron, partly of clay (Daniel 2:32-33);

is signified the truth of faith in the external or natural man, which is also “iron” (n. 10030). That the legs are here distinguished from the feet is because it is different with the legs of man from what it is with those of beasts.