4866. 'Because she had covered her face' means that interior things were hidden from them. This is clear from the representation of 'Tamar' as the representative Church, dealt with in 4829, 4831; from the meaning of 'covering' as being hidden; and from the meaning of 'the face' as internal things, dealt with in 358, 1999, 2434, 3527, 3573, 4066, 4326, 4796-4799. From this it is evident that 'she covered her face' means that the interior things of the Church were hidden from them. Regarding these, see above in 4859, 4865.

4829. 'Judah took a wife' means the Church which was for his descendants. This is clear from the representation of Tamar, to whom 'a wife' refers here, as the Church, dealt with below. Its being for his descendants is meant by the fact that he took her for Er his firstborn, so as to have descendants from them.