4875. 'Your cord' means through truth, that is to say, truth accompanying the token of consent. This is clear from the meaning of 'a cord' as truth. The reason 'a cord' means truth is that it is one of the items associated with 'garments', and 'garments' in general means truths, for the reason that as garments clothe the flesh, so truths clothe good, 297, 2132, 2576, 4545, 4763. Among the ancients therefore whatever clothing they wore meant some specific or individual truth. Consequently a tunic had one meaning, a chlamys another, and a toga another; also coverings for the head, such as a turban and a mitre, had one meaning, coverings for the thighs and feet, such as breeches, stockings, and so on, had another meaning. But 'a cord' meant outermost or lowest truth, for it was made from threads twisted together, by which the final demarcation of that kind of truth was meant. This kind of truth is again meant by 'a cord' in Moses,

Every open vessel on which there is no covering [or] cord [to fasten it] is unclean. Numbers 19:15.

By this was meant that nothing should exist without having an outer limit, for that which does not have an outer limit is 'open'. Furthermore outermost truths serve as the outer limit and terminus of interior truths.

7048. 'And He ceased from him' means that they were allowed to be representative. This is clear from the meaning of 'ceasing from him', that is to say, from killing him, as their being allowed to be representative. For the statement that Jehovah sought to kill him meant that a representative Church could not be established among that nation, 7043, and therefore when it says here that 'He ceased from him' the meaning is that they were allowed to be representative, that is, a representative of the Church, but no actual Church was allowed to be established among that nation. It is one thing to represent a Church, and another to be an actual Church, as is evident from the fact that even those who are wicked can represent a Church, but only the good can actually be a Church; for representing a Church is something entirely external, see 3670, 4208, 4281.