9061. He shall let him go free for his eye. That this signifies that it can no longer serve the internal man, is evident from the signification of “letting go free,” as being to dismiss from service; and from the signification of “for his eye,” which he had destroyed in the manservant, as being on account of the truth of faith extinguished in the external or natural man; for “the eye” denotes the intellectual, and consequently the truth of faith (see n. 9058, 9059), “to destroy” denotes to extinguish (n. 9060), and a “manservant” denotes the external or natural man (n. 9058). How the case herein is cannot be known unless it is known how the case is with the internal man relatively to the external man. The internal man cannot live a spiritual life unless the external man is in agreement; and therefore a man cannot be regenerated unless the natural man also is regenerated. From this it follows that if the truth of faith in the natural or external man shall be extinguished, it cannot any longer serve the internal man.

[2] It is the same with the external sight relatively to the internal sight. If the external sight has been injured, it cannot any longer serve the internal sight; for if the external sight distorts objects, the internal cannot see by means of it except with distortion. The case is the same with all the other members which are subject to the will, as with the arms, the hands, the fingers, the feet. If these are distorted, the will cannot act through them except in a distorted way. It is the same in the case of the natural or external man relatively to the internal man: if the memory-truths in the external or natural man are perverted or extinguished, the internal man cannot see truth, thus cannot think and perceive except pervertedly or falsely. From all this it is evident why the natural man must be regenerated in order that the man may be regenerated. (See also what has been shown above on this subject, n. 3286, 3321, 3469, 3493, 3573, 3620, 3623, 3679, 4588, 4618, 4667, 5165, 5168, 5427, 5428, 5477, 6299, 6564, 8742-8747, 9043)

5017. And it came to pass when he heard. That this signifies when it was perceived, is evident from the signification of “hearing,” as being to obey, and also as being to perceive. That it means to obey may be seen above (n. 2542, 3869); that it means also to perceive is plain from the very function of the ear, and hence from the nature of the hearing. The function of the ear is to receive another’s speech and convey it to the common sensory, in order that the sensory may perceive what the other person is thinking, so that “to hear” is to perceive. Thus it is the nature of the hearing to transfer what anyone is speaking from his own thought into the thought of another, and from the thought into his will, and from the will into act; hence “to hear” is to obey. These two offices are proper to the hearing. In the languages these are distinguished by “hearing” anyone, which is to perceive, and by “listening,” or “hearkening” to anyone, which is to obey. That these two offices belong to hearing is because man cannot communicate the things of his thought, and also the things of his will, by any other way; nor can he otherwise persuade and by reasons induce others to do and to obey what he wills. From all this it is evident by what a circle communications are effected-from will into thought, and so into speech; and from speech through the ear into another’s thought and will. Hence also it is that the spirits and angels who correspond to the ear or to the sense of hearing in the Grand Man, are not only perceptions, but also obediences. That they are obediences, may be seen above (n. 4652-4660); and because they are obediences, they are also perceptions, for the one involves the other.