10647. Lest perchance thou make a covenant with the inhabitant of the land. That this signifies in this manner a conjunction with the evil of any religious persuasion, is evident from the signification of “a covenant,” as being conjunction (see n. 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778), thus “to make a covenant” denotes to be conjoined; and from the signification of “the inhabitant of the land,” as being a religious persuasion in which is evil (see above, n. 10640). Whether you say a religious persuasion in which is evil, or the evil of a religious persuasion, it is the same. Its being now again said that a covenant must not be made with the inhabitant of the land, is for the sake of the connection in the internal sense.