3795. 'For she was a shepherdess' or one who feeds the flock means that the affection for interior truth contained in the Word is that which teaches. This is clear from the meaning of 'a shepherd' or one who feeds the flock ¹ as one who leads and teaches, dealt with in 343, and from the representation of Rachel, to whom 'she' refers here, as the affection for interior truth, dealt with just above in 3793. The reason why interior truth is said to come from the Word is that it was the well to which Rachel came with the flock - 'a well' meaning the Word, see 3765. What is more, it is the affection for interior truth that teaches, for it is by virtue of that affection that the Church is the Church and a shepherd or pastor is a pastor. The reason 'a shepherd' and one who feeds the flock means in the Word those who lead and teach is that 'the flock' means those who are led and taught, and therefore means Churches and also the doctrines which a Church teaches, 3767, 3768, 3783. The fact that shepherd or pastor and flock have these meanings is very well known in the Christian world, for these are the terms used for those who teach and those who learn. It is therefore superfluous to confirm these points from the Word.

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63. Further particulars respecting love and its essence and quality, may be known from what has been said and shown above, concerning good and truth; also from what has been said and quoted concerning the will and the understanding; and also from what has been said and quoted concerning the internal and the external man; because all things which are of the love refer themselves either to goods or to evils; and so also all things which are of the will: and since the two loves of heaven open and form the internal spiritual man; but the two loves of hell close and destroy it. Hence applications may be made and conclusions drawn respecting the quality of love in general and particular.

3189. 'And her maids' means subsidiary affections. This is clear from the meaning of 'a girl' ¹ when Rebekah is called such, as an affection that has innocence within it, dealt with in 3067, 3110; but when those who followed Rebekah to serve her are called 'maids', subsidiary affections are meant. Every affection appears to be a simple or single entity, but in fact it contains countless details within itself, see 3078. All these details are affections grouped together and existing in a form beyond comprehension. They also stand in positions subordinate one to another, for there are some that direct and others that obey. The communities of heaven assume a similar form, indeed heaven as a whole does so; for they are ordered by the Lord according to the Divine form which exists in Himself. The Lord's spiritual kingdom assumes its form in accordance with the ordered arrangement of affections in His Divine Human. This arrangement is the subject in the internal sense of this chapter and of those that follow. But very few of these details are able to be explained intelligibly, being suited to the perception of angels.

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