10660. Everything that openeth the womb is Mine. That this signifies that all the good of innocence, of charity, and of faith is to be ascribed to the Lord, is evident from the signification of “that which openeth the womb,” as being that which is born of the Lord; for a man is conceived and born naturally from his parents; but spiritually from the Lord. This latter birth is what is meant in the internal sense by “that which openeth the womb.” Otherwise what could be meant by the firstborn of cattle being Jehovah’s, that is, the Lord’s? Moreover, the man who is being regenerated is conceived, born, and brought up anew, and in this way is withdrawn from the evils of the natural state which he had from his parents. The subject here treated of is the firstborn of cattle, but by “cattle” are meant the goods and truths with man, for cattle of every kind correspond to affections such as belong to man ((9280) as can be seen from the places cited in n. 9280). From all this it can be seen that by “that which openeth the womb being Jehovah’s,” is signified the good of innocence, of charity, and of faith, which those have from the Lord who are born anew, that is, who are being regenerated. It is said that these are to be ascribed to the Lord, that is, that it is to be acknowledged that they are from Him; for unless they are acknowledged and believed to be from the Lord they are not goods, because all good is from Him, and that which is not from Him is from man, and whatever is from man is evil, although in the external form it may appear good; because what is man’s own is nothing but evil, and good cannot be brought forth from evil.