4937. Spirits from hell sometimes use delusion to produce a shoulder with which they cause force to be repelled; it cannot even pass by them. But all this is solely for the protection of those employing that kind of delusion; for they know that in the spiritual world the shoulder corresponds to all power. In the Word too 'the shoulder' means all power, as is evident in the following places,

You have broken the yoke of his burden, and the rod of his shoulder. Isaiah 9:4.

You push with side and with shoulder, and butt with your horns. Ezekiel 34:21.

You will tear for them every shoulder. Ezekiel 29:6-7.

That they may serve Jehovah with one shoulder. Zephaniah 3:9.

To us a Boy is born, and the government will be upon His shoulder. Isaiah 9:6.

I will place the key of the house of David on His shoulder. Isaiah 22:22.

6179. 'Put now your hand under my thigh' means a sacred bond. This is clear from the meaning of 'putting a hand under the thigh' as a bond established through what is connected with conjugial love, by all one's power, for 'hand' means power, 878, 3091, 4931-4937, 5728, 5544, and 'thigh' what is connected with conjugial love, dealt with in 3021, 4277, 4280, 4575, 5050, 5062. The conjugial relationship in the supreme sense is the union within the Lord of the Divine and the Divine Human. From this it is the union of Divine Good and Divine Truth in heaven, for what goes forth from the Lord is Divine Truth from Divine Good. This is why heaven is heaven and is called a marriage, for the existence there of goodness and truth joined together, which go forth from the Lord, is what makes heaven. Also, since the Lord is the good there, and heaven is the truth from it, the Lord is in the Word called 'the bridegroom', while heaven and also the Church is called 'the bride'. For goodness and truth constitute a marriage, and the existence of the two joined together is meant by the conjugial relationship. From this one may see how sacred it to be bound by what is of a conjugial nature, meant by 'putting a hand under the thigh'. From that marriage, the marriage of goodness and truth, genuine conjugial love comes down, regarding which love and its holiness, see 2727-2759.