9471. 'And skins of red rams, and skins of badgers' means the external truths and forms of good that contain them. This is clear from the meaning of 'skins' as external things, dealt with in 3540; from the meaning of 'rams' as the spiritual realities that belong to truth, dealt with in 2830, 4170; from the meaning of 'red' as good, dealt with in 3300, so that 'skins of red rams' are external truths emanating from good; and from the meaning of 'badgers' as forms of good. This meaning of 'badgers' is clear from the consideration that when truth is spoken of in the Word so too is good, on account of the heavenly marriage of truth and good, 9263, 9314; and therefore, since 'skins of red rams' means external truths emanating from good, 'skins of badgers' means actual forms of good. The reason why these truths and forms of good serve as containers is that all external things contain internal ones, as is also evident here from the use of those very skins, in that they served as coverings, the things covered by the badgers' skins being holier than those covered by the rams' skins, Exodus 26:14; Numbers 4:6, 8, 10-12, 14.

4170. 'And I have not eaten the rams of your flock' means the truth of good, in that He took nothing of his. This is clear from the meaning of 'rams' as the truths of good - for 'sheep' means goods, and 'rams' consequently the truths that go with good since rams partner sheep; and from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in 3168, 3513, 3596, 3832, and so taking, for that belonging to another which is made one's own is something taken from him.