5320. 'And placed a chain of gold onto his neck' means an outward sign denoting the joining of interior things to exterior ones, good being that which effects that joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'the neck' as a flowing in, also the communication of higher things with lower ones, or what amounts to the same, interior things with exterior ones, dealt with in 3542; and therefore 'a chain', because it goes around the neck, is a sign denoting the joining together of those things. 'A chain of gold' means a joining together by means of good; that is, good is the means which effects it, because 'gold' means good, 113, 1551, 1552. A sign denoting the joining of interior truth to exterior truth is meant by 'a chain onto the neck' in Ezekiel,

I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets onto your hands and a chain onto your neck. Ezekiel 16:11.

10221. 'Half a shekel according to the shekel of holiness' means all forms of truth springing from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'half' as all; and from the meaning of 'a shekel' as truth springing from good. The reason why 'half' means all is that half a shekel consisted of ten gerahs or obols, and 'ten' means all, 4638, and also remnants, 576, 1906, 1988, 2284, which are the truths and forms of good present with a person, stored away by the Lord in the more internal parts of him, 5135, 5342, 5897, 5898, 7560, 7564. The reason why 'a shekel' means truth springing from good is that it was a weight of silver and also of gold, and 'silver' means truth and 'gold' good. But the amount of truth springing from good and of good coming through truth is determined by the number of gerahs or obols to a shekel. The shekel, being essentially a weight, means the amount; and when it is called 'the shekel of holiness' the amount of truth and good is meant, the reason for this being that truth and good are what are called holy because they come from the Lord who alone is Holy. For more about the shekel and the meaning of it, see 2959.