248. Whenever therefore a person was looking to heavenly things he was said to be walking erect, or what is the same, to be looking upwards or forwards; but whenever he was looking to bodily and earthly things he was said to be bent down towards the ground and to be looking downwards or backwards, as in Leviticus,

I am Jehovah your God, who brought You forth out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; and I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you go erect. Leviticus 26:13.

In Micah,

You will not remove your necks from it nor go erect. Micah 1:3.

In Jeremiah,

Jerusalem sinned grievously, therefore they despised her, for they saw her nakedness; yea, she herself groaned, and turned away backwards. From on high He sent fire into my bones and made me return backwards; He made me desolate. Lamentations 1:8-13.

In Isaiah,

Jehovah your Redeemer turns wise men backwards and makes their knowledge foolish. Isaiah 44:24-25.

431. 'Wound' and 'bruise' mean a condition that was no longer sound, 'wound' in particular meaning 'bruise' charity that had been laid waste. This is clear from the fact that wound has reference to 'a man' and bruise to 'a little one'. The same words are used in Isaiah to describe the desolation of faith and the laying waste of charity,

From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, but a wound, bruising, and running sores. They are not pressed out, nor bound up, nor softened with oil. Isaiah 1:6.

Here 'wound' has reference to faith which had been desolated, 'bruise' to charity that had been laid waste, and 'sores' to both.