8431. In that Jehovah shall give you in the evening flesh to eat. That this signifies that in the end of the state good will be appropriated by means of delight, is evident from the signification of “evening,” as being the end of a state (see above, n. 8426); and from the signification of “flesh,” as being one’s own made alive, or one’s heavenly own which a man has from the Lord, thus the good of love (n. 148, 149, 780, 3813, 7850, 8409); but here the good of faith, because it was the flesh of a bird or flying thing called “quail.” For by a flying thing is signified what is spiritual, or what is of faith; consequently by its “flesh” is signified good of that quality, here the good of the natural man, or delight. Be it known that by “the manna” is signified the good of the internal or spiritual man, but by “the quail” the good of the external or natural man, which is called delight; and that such is their signification is evident from the fact that the manna was given in the morning time, but the quail in the evening time; and by that which is given in the morning time is signified spiritual good, and by that which is given in the evening time is signified natural good or delight. For in the other life the state of morning is when spiritual good, or the good of the internal man, is in clearness; and natural good, or the good of the external man, is in obscurity: but the state of evening is when natural good, or the good of the external man, is in clearness and spiritual good, or the good of the internal man, is in obscurity. These alternations thus succeed each other also to the intent that the man may be perfected, especially that good may be appropriated to him, which in the state of evening is effected by means of delight.

148. The reason why what is man’s own (and indeed an Own which is dear to him) is called a “rib” which is a bone of the chest, is that among the most ancient people the chest signified charity, because it contains both the heart and the lungs; and bones signified the viler things, because they possess a minimum of vitality; while flesh denoted such as had vitality. The ground of these significations is one of the deepest arcana known to the men of the most Ancient Church, concerning which of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter.