9918. 'Pomegranates' means factual knowledge of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'pomegranates' as factual knowledge of good, dealt with in 9552. The reason why pomegranates were placed on the hem of the robe was that 'the hem' meant the last and lowest or most external things of heaven and the Church, and the last or most external things there consist in factual knowledge, as is clear from what has been stated above, in 9915, 9917, about the order in which degrees of good and truth follow one another in heaven and with the individual human being. Factual knowledge of good and truth, which is meant by 'pomegranates', consists of matters of doctrine drawn from the Word; these matters of doctrine exist as factual knowledge to the extent that they are present in the memory which resides in the external or natural man. But when they pass into the memory which resides in the internal or spiritual man, which happens when a person's life is led in accord with them, the matters of doctrine that have to do with truth become matters of faith, and those that have to do with good become impulses of charity, and are called spiritual. When this happens they virtually disappear from the external or natural memory and seem to be as though instinctive, because they have been implanted in the person's life, just as anything through frequent practice becomes second nature. From all this it is evident what factual knowledge is and what use it serves, consequently what use matters of doctrine serve so long as they are retained merely as items of knowledge. For when they are retained merely as items of knowledge they occupy a position underneath intelligence and wisdom and do not rise up or pass into life until they become matters of faith and charity in the internal man.

9916. 'And the hole of a corslet it must have, so that it does not tear' means so that it has been made strong and safe from damage. This is clear from the meaning of 'a corslet' as something strongly woven; and this is why it says 'so that it does not tear', that is, in order that it may be safe from damage. Something strongly woven is meant by the actual word used in the original language. An idea of that kind of weaving may be gained from correspondence. The subject at this point in the internal sense is the flow of celestial good into spiritual good; this inflow is what is meant by 'the robe's hole for the head' and what is described by 'the work of a weaver' and 'of a corslet'. To this flow from one heaven into another the flow of life in the human being corresponds, that is, the flow from the head by way of the neck into the body, 9913, 9914. The network of strong sinews belonging to the neck, and the circle so to speak of interwoven bones below the neck, both of which keep the flow of life safe from any harm, therefore have correspondence with that flow from one heaven to another. From such correspondence, as has been stated, an idea may be gained regarding the details in this verse, that is to say, an idea of what is meant by a hole for the head in the middle, by a border which the hole has round about, by the work of a weaver, and by the hole of a corslet which the robe must have so that it does not tear. It should be remembered that all representative objects on the natural level are related in some way to the human form, and that their meaning is determined by that relationship, 9496. Every garment covering the body takes its meaning from that part of the body it serves to cover, 9827, as applies also to this upper part of the robe which encircles and covers the neck.