3542. And upon the smooth of his neck. That this signifies that disjoining truth should not appear is evident from the predication of “smooth,” or of “smoothness” as being concerning truth (n. 3527); and from the signification of the “neck” as being that which conjoins (concerning which below); here, therefore, because the appearance was upon the smooth of his neck, the signification is that disjoining truth should not appear. How the case herein is can be seen from what was said and shown above (n. 3539), namely, that that good and those truths which flow forth from the understanding, and not at the same time from the will, are not good and not truths, however much they may so appear in the outward form; and if the will is of evil, the good and the truths disjoin instead of conjoining; but if anything of the will is of good, then they do not disjoin, but conjoin, although they are disposed in an inverted order, for by their means the man is being regenerated; and because when thus disposed they serve at first for the regeneration of man, it is said that thus disjoining truth should not appear; but more concerning these things below.

[2] The reason why the “neck” signifies that which conjoins, is that the higher things in man, which are of the head, communicate through the intervening neck with the lower things which are of his body; hence it is that both influx and communication, and consequently conjunction, are signified by this intermediate part; as may be seen still more conclusively from the correspondences of the grand man with the things of the human body, treated of at the ends of the chapters. From this comes a like signification of the “neck” in the Word, as in Isaiah:

His breath as an overflowing stream will divide even unto the neck (Isaiah 30:28); where an “overflowing stream” denotes falsity thus overflowing; “dividing even unto the neck” denotes falsity closing up and thus intercepting the communication and thus the conjunction of higher things with lower ones; which conjunction is precluded and intercepted when spiritual good and truth are not received.

[3] In Habakkuk:

Thou hast smitten the head out of the house of the wicked, laying bare the foundation even unto the neck (Hab. 3:13); where “smiting the head out of the house of the wicked” denotes destroying the principles of falsity; “laying bare the foundation even unto the neck” denotes intercepting the conjunction thereby.

In Jeremiah:

Transgressions knit together are come up upon my neck; he hath overthrown my forces; God hath given me into their hands, I am not able to rise up (Lam. 1:14);

“transgressions knit together ascending upon my neck” denote falsities ascending toward interior or rational things.

[4] Inasmuch as by the “neck” was signified this communication and conjunction, therefore by the bonds of the neck was signified interception, consequently the desolation of truth which comes forth when the spiritual things that continually flow in from the Lord are no longer admitted into the rational of man, and consequently not into his natural. This interception, or desolation, is what is represented in Jeremiah by the command that he should make unto himself bonds and yokes, and should put them upon his neck, and send them to the peoples, and should say that they were to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and that they who did not yield their necks under his yoke should be visited by the sword, the famine, and the pestilence; but that those who bowed down their necks should be left upon the land (Jeremiah 27:2-3, 8, 11). To “put the neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him,” signifies to be desolated as to truth, and to be vastated as to good (that it is “Babel” which vastates, may be seen above, n. 1327; and that they are vastated lest holy things should be profaned, n. 301-303vvv2, 1327, 1328, 2426, 3398, 3399, 3402); and because when the influx of good and truth is intercepted, what is evil and false is served, therefore also to “put the neck under the yoke” signifies to serve.

[5] Again in the same Prophet:

Thus saith Jehovah, Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon within two years of days from off the neck of all the nations (Jeremiah 28:11);

signifying that they should be delivered from vastation.

In Isaiah:

Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit thee down, O Jerusalem; open the bonds of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion (Isaiah 52:2); where “to open the bonds of the neck” signifies to admit and receive good and truth.

In Micah:

Behold against this family do I devise an evil from which ye shall not draw forth your necks, and ye shall not walk erect, for it is an evil time (Micah 2:3).

“Not to draw forth the neck from evil” is not to admit truth; “not to walk erect” is thereby not to look to higher things, that is, to those which are of heaven (n. 248).

3398. That one of the people might lightly have lain with thy woman, and thou wouldst have brought guilt upon us. That this signifies that Divine truth might have been adulterated and thus profaned, is evident from the signification of “lying with,” as being to be perverted or adulterated; from the signification of “one of the people,” as being some one of the spiritual church (n. 2928); from the signification of “woman” who here is Rebekah, as being Divine truth (concerning which see above); and from the signification of “guilt,” as being the blame of the profanation of truth; so that by “one of the people might lightly have lain with thy woman, and thou wouldst have brought guilt upon us,” is signified that someone of the church might easily have adulterated Divine truth, and have brought upon himself the blame of the profanation of truth. It was said above (n. 3386) that as Abraham twice called his wife Sarah his sister, first in Egypt, and afterwards in Gerar with Abimelech; and that as Isaac in like manner called his woman Rebekah his sister, also with Abimelech; and as these three cases are recorded in the Word, there must be some very deep secret involved thereby. This very secret is seen in the internal sense, namely, that by “sister” is signified rational truth, and by “woman” Divine truth; and this was called rational truth (that is, “sister”), lest Divine truth (here called the “woman” who was Rebekah) should be adulterated, and thus profaned.

[2] In regard to the profanation of truth the case is this: Divine truth cannot possibly be profaned except by those who have first acknowledged it; for when those who have first entered into truth by acknowledgment and belief, and have thus been initiated into it, afterwards recede from it, there continually remains an impression of it stamped within, which is recalled at the same time with the falsity and evil; and hence by adhering to these the truth is profaned. Therefore those with whom this is the case have continually in themselves that which condemns them; thus their own hell; for when the infernals approach a sphere where good and truth are, they are instantly sensible of their own hell, because they come into that which they hold in hatred, consequently into torment. Therefore those who have profaned truth dwell continually with that which torments them, and this according to the degree of the profanation. For this reason it is most especially provided by the Lord that Divine good and truth may not be profaned; and this is provided chiefly by the circumstance that the man who is such that he cannot but profane is withheld as far as possible from the acknowledgment and belief of truth and good; for as before said no one can profane except the man who has first acknowledged and believed.

[3] This was the reason why internal truths were not disclosed to Jacob’s descendants the Israelites and Jews, who were not openly told even that there is anything internal in man, thus that there is any internal worship; and scarcely anything was said to them about the life after death, and the Lord’s heavenly kingdom; or about the Messiah whom they expected. The reason was that they were of such a character that it was foreseen that if such things had been disclosed to them they could not have helped profaning them, because they desired nothing but earthly things and because that race was of this nature and so remains, it is still permitted that they should be in utter unbelief; for if they had once acknowledged, and had afterwards gone back, they must needs have brought upon themselves the most grievous of all hells.

[4] This was also the reason why the Lord did not come into the world and reveal the internal things of the Word until there was no good whatever remaining with them, not even natural good, for they could then no longer receive any truth with internal acknowledgment (because it is good that receives truth), and therefore they could not profane it. Such was the state meant by the “fullness of time,” and by the “consummation of the age,” and also by the “last day” so much treated of in the Prophets. It is for the same reason that the arcana of the internal sense of the Word are now being revealed; for at this day there is scarcely any faith, because not any charity; thus because it is the consummation of the age and when this is the case, then these arcana can be revealed without danger of profanation, because they are not interiorly acknowledged.

[5] It is for this secret reason that it is related in the Word concerning Abraham and Isaac that when in Gerar with Abimelech they called their wives their sisters. (See further what has been stated and shown above on this subject; namely, That those can profane who acknowledge, but not those who do not acknowledge, still less those who do not know, n. 593, 1008, 1010, 1059; What danger there is from a profanation of holy things and of the Word, n. 571, 582; That they who are within the church can profane holy things; but not they who are without the church, n. 2051; That it is provided by the Lord that profanation may not take place, n. 1001, 2426; That worship becomes external in order to prevent internal worship from being profaned, n. 1327, 1328; That men are kept in ignorance, lest the truths of faith should be profaned, n. 301-303vvv2)