1486. 'And [he had] flocks and herds, and asses and menservants, and maidservants and she-asses, and camels' means all things in general which constitute factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of all of these in the Word. But what each one means specifically would take far too long to show, that is, to show what is meant by flocks and herds, what by asses and menservants, what by maidservants and she-asses, and what by camels. Each has its own particular meaning, but in general they mean all the things constituting the knowledge that is comprised of cognitions and all those constituting factual knowledge. Regarded in themselves facts are 'asses and menservants'; the pleasures that go with them are 'maidservants and she-asses'; 'camels' are general things of service; 'flocks and herds' are possessions. This applies throughout the Word. All things whatever residing with the external man are nothing else than a body of servants, that is, they exist to serve the internal man. This is how it is with all facts, which belong solely to the external man; for these are acquired from earthly and worldly things by means of sensory impressions so that they might serve the interior or rational man; and that this interior man might serve the spiritual man, the spiritual man the celestial man, and the celestial man the Lord. Thus these exist in subordination to one another as things that are exterior beneath those that are interior; and thus also every single thing exists subordinate to the Lord. Facts therefore are the ultimate and outermost things, in which in their order interior things are inclosed; and because facts are ultimate and outermost things, these more than all other things must be things of service. Anyone may recognize what it is that facts are able to serve if he reflects or asks himself the question, What is their use? When he reflects in this way on the use they serve he may also apprehend the nature of the use. Every fact must exist for the sake of a use, and this is its service.

[1486a] Verse 17 And Jehovah struck Pharaoh with great plagues, and his house, because of Sarai, ¹ Abram's wife.

'Jehovah struck Pharaoh with great plagues' means that facts were destroyed. 'And his house' means which He had gathered together. 'Because of Sarai, ¹ Abram's wife' means because of the truth that was to be allied to the celestial.

Fußnoten:

3728. 'And poured oil on the top of it' means holy good [in which it originated]. This is clear from the meaning of 'oil' as the celestial element of love, which is good, dealt with in 886, 3009, and from the meaning of 'the top' as that which is higher, or what amounts to the same, that which is interior - good being that which is higher or interior, and truth that which is lower or exterior, as has been shown in many places. From this one may see what was meant by the ancient practice when people poured oil on the top of a pillar, namely that truth should not be devoid of good but should be grounded in good, thus that good should rule, like the head on top of the body. For truth devoid of good is not truth but is a meaningless sound and the kind of thing that is reduced to nothing. In the next life it is so reduced even with those whose knowledge of truth or matters of doctrine concerning faith, and with those whose knowledge of matters of doctrine concerning love, has been superior to anybody else's, if they have not led a good life and so have not out of a desire for good held on to truth.

[2] Consequently the Church is not the Church by virtue of truth separated from good, nor therefore by virtue of faith separated from charity, but by virtue of truth that is grounded in good, or faith that is grounded in charity. The same is also meant by what the Lord said to Jacob,

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me. Genesis 31:13

Also,

Jacob again set up a pillar, a stone pillar, and poured out a drink-offering over it, and poured oil over it. Genesis 35:14.

'Pouring out a drink-offering over the pillar' means the Divine good of faith, and 'pouring oil over it' the Divine good of love. Anyone may see that unless it meant something celestial and spiritual, pouring oil over a stone would be a ridiculous and idolatrous action.