7045. And cut off the foreskin of her son. That this signifies the removal of filthy loves, and thereby the laying bare of the internal, is evident from the signification of “cutting off,” as being to remove; from the signification of “the foreskin,” as being earthly and bodily love, which defiles spiritual and celestial love (see n. 3412, 4462); and from the signification of “son,” as being the truth of the representative church. That a “son” denotes truth may be seen above (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373); and that it denotes the truth of that church, is because Zipporah represents that church, and calls him her “son,” and by him shows the quality of that nation, and hence the quality of its worship. That by the “foreskin” are signified filthy loves, is because the loins with the genitals correspond to conjugial love (n. 5050-5062); and because they correspond to conjugial love, they correspond to all celestial and spiritual love (n. 686, 4277, 4280, 5054); and therefore the foreskin corresponds to the most external loves, which are called bodily and earthly. If these loves are devoid of internal loves, which are called spiritual and celestial, they are filthy, as was the case with that nation, which was in externals without an internal. It is said “without an internal,” and by this is meant no acknowledgment of truth, and no affection of good, thus no faith, and no charity, for these are of the internal man, and from them proceed the activities of charity, which are external goods. This internal, which is devoid of faith and charity, and yet is full of evils and falsities, is called by the Lord “empty” (Matthew 12:43-45); hence it is said, “an external without an internal.” Now as by the “foreskin” are signified loves the most external, therefore when they are removed, as is signified by Zipporah’s cutting off the foreskin, the quality of these loves appears, thus the laying bare of the internal.

5050. Continuation concerning the correspondence with the Grand Man, here concerning the correspondence therewith of the loins and of the members of generation.

At the end of the preceding chapter (n. 4931-4953), it was shown from experience who in the Grand Man or heaven belong to the province of the hands, of the arms, and of the feet; and it will now be shown what are the societies in heaven or the Grand Man to which the loins correspond, and also the members adhering to the loins, which are called the members of generation. In general, be it known that the loins and the members adhering to them correspond to genuine conjugial love, and consequently to the societies in which are those who are in this love. They who are in these societies are more celestial than others, and more than others live in the delight of peace.