7047. And she said, For a bridegroom of bloods art thou to me. That this signifies that it was full of all violence and hostility against truth and good, is evident from the signification of “bridegroom,” as here being a representative of the church, or its external, when the representative church itself is the “bride” (that in these three verses Moses represents that nation, and the representative of a church among them, see n. 7041; and that Zipporah represents the representative church, n. 7044). As Zipporah represents this church, and Moses its external, therefore Zipporah does not call him her “husband,” or “man,” but her “bridegroom,” for a bride and a bridegroom can represent what is diverse, but not a man, or husband, and a wife, because the conjugial makes a one. And from the signification of “blood,” as being violence done to charity, (n. 374, 1005), and as being truth falsified and profaned (n. 4735, 6978), thus hostility against truth and good.

7044. And Zipporah took a stone. That this signifies the quality shown by the representative church by means of truth, is here evident from the representation of Zipporah, as being the representative church; and from the signification of a “stone,” as being the truth of faith. That circumcision was performed with knives of stone, signified that purification from filthy loves was effected by means of the truths of faith (n. 2039, 2046, 2799); for circumcision was representative of purification from these loves (n. 2799). The reason why purification is effected by means of the truths of faith, is that these teach what is good, and also what is evil, and thus what ought to be done, and what ought not to be done; and when man knows these truths, and wills to act according to them, he is then led by the Lord, and is purified by His Divine means. As the truths of faith teach what is evil and what is good, it is evident that by “Zipporah took a stone” is signified the quality shown by means of truth. That Zipporah represents the representative church is evident from what follows in these verses.