7943. 'And the people bowed, and bowed down' means self-abasement on the lips and in the heart. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing' as outward self-abasement, thus that on the lips, and from the meaning of 'bowing down' as inward self-abasement, thus that of the heart, both dealt with in 5682, 7068.

5682. 'And they bowed, and bowed down' means an expression of humility, exterior and interior. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing' as an expression of exterior humility, and from the meaning of 'bowing down' as an expression of interior humility. For bowing is something less than bowing down and is therefore an expression of exterior humility, whereas bowing down is something more and is therefore an expression of interior humility. In addition to this, 'bowing' is the humility expressed by truth, that is, by those motivated by truth, and so is the humility of those who are spiritual; but 'bowing down' is the humility expressed by good, that is, by those motivated by good, and so is the humility of those who are celestial. Thus 'bowing also means the expression of exterior humility, and 'bowing down' the expression of interior humility; for those motivated by good are people who are more interior than those motivated by truth. The explanation of the major part of the contents of the internal sense in this section has been confined simply to the meanings of the words that are used, for the reason that they are matters such as have appeared in explanations prior to this.