7729. There shall not a hoof be left behind. That this signifies that not anything of truth from good shall be lacking, is evident from the signification of “hoof,” as being truth from good (of which below); and from the signification of “not being left behind,” as being not to be lacking, namely, for the worship of the Lord. In the proximate internal sense, by “a hoof not being left behind” is signified that nothing at all shall be lacking, because the hoof is common to all beasts; but in a more interior sense by “hoof” is signified truth in the ultimate degree, thus sensuous truth, which is the lowest; and in the opposite sense, falsity. That this is the signification of “hoof” is because by the “foot” is signified the natural, and by the “sole of the foot” the ultimate of the natural (see n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952, 5327, 5328); and the like is signified by the “hoof,” for this is the sole of the foot of beasts. And as the ultimate of the natural is signified by “hoof,” as by the “sole of the foot,” that truth is also signified which is the ultimate truth of the natural, for when the natural is spoken of, its truth and good are meant, or in the opposite sense its falsity and evil; from these it is, and without these nothing can be predicated of it.

[2] That by the “hoof,” especially of horses, is signified truth in the ultimate degree, thus sensuous truth, and in the opposite sense falsity of the same degree, can be seen from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

Whose arrows are sharp, and all his bows bent, the hoofs of his horses are accounted as the rock, his wheels as the whirlwind (Isaiah 5:28);

speaking of a devastating people; by “arrows” are signified the doctrinal things of falsity from which combat is waged; and by “bows,” this doctrine (n. 2686, 2709); by “horses,” intellectual things here perverted (n. 2761, 2762, 3217, 5321, 6125, 6534). From this it is plain what is meant by the “hoof of the horses,” namely, falsity in the ultimate degree.

[3] In Jeremiah:

For the voices of the beating of the hoofs of his strong ones, for the tumult of his chariot, the rumbling of his wheels (Jeremiah 47:3);

speaking of a people devastating the Philistines; “the beating of the hoofs of the strong ones,” namely, of the horses, denotes the open combat of falsity against truth; the “chariot” denotes the doctrine of falsity. (That “chariot” denotes doctrine both of truth and of falsity, see n. 5321, 5945)

[4] In Ezekiel:

By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee; by reason of the noise of the horsemen and of the wheel and of the chariot thy walls shall be shaken. With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets (Ezekiel 26:10-11);

speaking of Nebuchadnezzar devastating Tyre; “his horses” denote intellectual things perverted, as above; a “horseman” denotes that which pertains to such an intellectual (n. 6534); the “wheels of a chariot” denote falsities of doctrine, a “chariot” being doctrine, as above; “streets” denote truths (n. 2336). From this it is evident that the “hoofs of the horses” denote falsities. Unless there were such a signification in these words, why should it be said, “By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee; by reason of the noise of the horseman and of the wheel and of the chariot thy walls shall be shaken; with the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets?” Without an interior sense, would these be more than sounding words? when yet every expression in the Word has weight, because it is from the Divine.

[5] In the same:

They shall devastate the pride of Egypt, that the multitude thereof shall be destroyed; and I will destroy every beast thereof upon many waters, that the foot of man shall not trouble them any more, nor shall the hoof of beast trouble them; then will I send their waters into the deep, and make their streams flow as oil (Ezekiel 32:12-14);

neither would these words be understood unless it were known what is meant by “Egypt,” by “the foot of man,” what by “the hoof of beast,” what by “the waters upon which the beast shall be destroyed, and which the foot of man and the hoof of beast shall trouble, and which shall be sent into the deep;” the “waters and streams of Egypt” denote truths of memory-knowledge; “the hoof of beast” denotes falsity in the ultimate of the natural, which disturbs the truth of memory-knowledge.

[6] In Micah:

Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass, that thou mayest break in pieces many peoples (Micah 4:13);

what these words mean no one can know without the internal sense, thus unless it is known what is meant by “threshing,” by the “daughter of Zion,” by the “horn which shall become as iron,” by the “hoof which shall become as brass, with which many peoples shall be broken in pieces.” The “daughter of Zion” denotes the celestial church (n. 2362); the “horn” denotes the power of truth from good (n. 2832); “iron” denotes natural truth which shall avail to destroy falsities (n. 425, 426); “hoof” denotes truth from good in the ultimate degree; “brass” denotes natural good which shall avail against evils (n. 425, 1551).

[7] In Zechariah:

I will stir up a shepherd in the land, he shall not visit those who are to be cut off, her that is of tender age he shall not seek, and her that is broken he shall not heal, but he shall eat up the flesh of the fat one, and shall cleave asunder their hoofs (Zech. 11:16);

speaking of a foolish shepherd; “to eat up the flesh of the fat one” denotes to turn good into evil; “to cleave asunder the hoofs” denotes to turn truth into falsity.

[8] How much the ancients surpassed the moderns in intelligence can be seen from the fact that they knew to what things in heaven many things in the world correspond, and consequently what they signify; and this was known not only to those of the church, but also to those out of the church, as for instance to the inhabitants of Greece, the most ancient of whom described things by significatives which at this day are called fabulous, because wholly unknown. That the ancient Sophi were in the knowledge of such things is evident from the fact that they described the origin of intelligence and wisdom by a winged horse which they called Pegasus, who with his hoof broke open a fountain, at which were nine virgins, and this upon a hill; for they knew that by a “horse” was signified the intellectual, by his “wings” the spiritual, by “hoofs” truth of the ultimate degree, where is the origin of intelligence, by “virgins” the sciences, by a “hill” unanimity, and in the spiritual sense charity. So with everything else. But such things at this day are among the things that have been lost.

6125. [In exchange] for the horses. That this signifies memory-knowledges from the intellectual, is evident from the signification of “horses,” as being things intellectual (n. 2760-2762, 3217, 5321); and because they are predicated of Egypt, by which are signified memory-knowledges, “horses” here denote memory-knowledges from the intellectual. It is here necessary to state what these memory-knowledges from the intellectual are. Man has an intellectual, and he has a will, and this not only in his internal man, but also in his external. The intellectual in a man grows and increases from his infancy to his maturity, and consists in viewing things from what belongs to experience and to memory-knowledge; and also in viewing causes from effects; and in viewing consequences in connection with their causes. Thus the intellectual consists in the comprehension and perception of such things as are of civic and moral life. It comes into existence from the influx of light from heaven; and therefore every man can be perfected in respect to the intellectual. The intellectual is given to everyone according to his application, according to his life, and according to his nature; nor is it lacking in anyone, provided he is of sound mind. It is given to man to the end that he may be in freedom and in choice, that is, in the freedom of choosing good or evil. Unless man has such an intellectual as has been described, he cannot do this of himself, thus neither could anything be appropriated to him.

[2] Be it known further, that it is man’s intellectual which receives what is spiritual, so as to be a recipient of spiritual truth and good. For nothing of good, that is, of charity, and nothing of truth, that is, of faith, can be insinuated into anyone who has not an intellectual, but they are insinuated according to his intellectual; and therefore also man is not regenerated by the Lord until in adult age and possessed of an intellectual, before which period the good of love and truth of faith fall as seed into ground that is quite barren. But when a man has been regenerated, his intellectual performs the use of seeing and perceiving what is good, and thereby what is true; for the intellectual carries over those things which are of the light of heaven into those which are of the light of nature, whereby the former appear in the latter as do the interior affections of man in a face free from pretence; and as the intellectual performs this use, therefore in the Word, in many passages where the spiritual of the church is treated of, its intellectual also is treated of, as of the Lord’s Divine mercy shall be shown elsewhere.

[3] From all this it is now evident what is meant by memory-knowledges from the intellectual, namely, that they are memory-knowledges which confirm those things that a man intellectually apprehends and perceives, whether these are evil or good. These memory-knowledges are signified in the Word by “horses from Egypt;” as in Isaiah:

Woe to them that go down into Egypt for help, and lean on horses; and trust on the chariot, because they are many, and upon the horsemen, because they are very strong; and they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, and seek not Jehovah. For Egypt is man, and not God; and his horses flesh, and not spirit (Isaiah 31:1, 3); where “horses from Egypt” denote memory-knowledges from a perverted intellectual.

[4] In Ezekiel:

He rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that it might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth this? (Ezekiel 17:15); where also “horses from Egypt” denote memory-knowledges from a perverted intellectual, which are consulted in matters of faith, while the Word, that is, the Lord, is not believed except from these; thus it is not believed at all, for denial reigns in a perverted intellectual.

[5] That such memory-knowledges were destroyed is represented by the horses and chariots of Pharaoh being drowned in the sea Suph; and because these knowledges are signified by “horses,” and false doctrinal things by “chariots,” therefore “horses and chariots” are so often mentioned in the Word (see Exodus 14:17-18, 23, 2 14:26, 28; and thereafter in the Song of Moses and Miriam):

The horse of Pharaoh went in, and also his chariot, and also his horsemen, into the sea; but Jehovah caused the waters of the sea to return upon them. Sing ye to Jehovah, for exalting He hath exalted Himself; the horse and his rider hath He cast into the sea (Exodus 15:19, 21).

[6] Similar memory-knowledges are also signified by what was prescribed in Moses for the king over Israel:

If they desire a king, a king from the midst of the brethren shall be set over them; only he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor bring back the people into Egypt in order that he may multiply horses (Deuteronomy 17:15-16);

a king represented the Lord as to Divine truth (n. 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4789, 4966, 5044, 5068), thus as to intelligence, for this when genuine is from Divine truth. That intelligence ought to be procured by means of the Word, which is Divine truth, and not by means of memory-knowledges from one’s own intellectual, is signified by the injunction that the king “should not multiply horses, and should not bring back the people into Egypt in order that he may multiply horses.”