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.

1073. 'He was uncovered in the middle of his tent' means resulting perversities. This is clear from the meaning of being 'uncovered' or naked. For someone is called uncovered and naked from drunkenness caused by wine when no truths of faith reside with him, and more so when perversities reside there. Truths of faith themselves are compared to garments that clothe charity or the goods that stem from charity, for charity is the body itself, and truths therefore the garments. Or what is equally the case, charity is the soul itself, while truths of faith are like the body that is the clothing for the soul. What is more, in the Word the truths of faith are called 'garments' and 'a covering'; hence the statement in verse 23 below that 'Shem and Japheth took a garment and covered their father's nakedness'. The relationship of spiritual things to celestial is like that of the body that clothes the soul, or like garments clothing the body, and indeed in heaven spiritual things are represented by garments. Here, because it is said that 'he lay uncovered', it means that he divested himself of the truths of faith through desiring to probe into them by means of sensory evidence and reasonings based on this. Similar concepts are meant in the Word by 'lying naked as a result of being drunk from wine', as in Jeremiah,

Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, dweller in the land of Uz. Over you also the cup will pass, you will become drunk and strip yourself naked. Lamentations 4:11.

And in Habakkuk,

Woe to him who makes his neighbour drink, and by also making them drunk to look upon their nakedness. Habakkuk 2:15.