387. And with death, signifies the consequent extinction of spiritual life. This is evident from the signification of "death," as being the extinction of spiritual life (See above, n. 78, 186). That this is what "death" here signifies is evident from the series of things in the internal sense; for it is said that "there was given unto them power to kill with sword, with famine, and with death;" and "sword" signifies falsity destroying truth, "famine" the deprivation of the knowledges of truth and good; thence "death" signifies the extinction of spiritual life; for where falsity reigns, and where there are no knowledges of truth and good, there is no spiritual life, for spiritual life is acquired by means of the knowledges of truth and good applied to the uses of life. For man is born into all evil and falsity from evil; he is therefore born also into an entire ignorance of all spiritual knowledges; therefore in order that he may be led away from the evils and consequent falsities into which he is born, and be led into the life of heaven and be saved, he must needs acquire the knowledges of truth and good, by means of which he can be led into spiritual life and become spiritual. From this series of things in the internal sense it is evident that "death" here signifies the extinction of spiritual life; this is meant, too, by spiritual death.

4445. 'Because he had done something disgraceful in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, a thing that ought not to be done' means a joining together which in their eyes was not permissible, going against the truth which they possessed. This is clear from the meaning of 'doing something disgraceful by lying with Jacob's daughter' as a joining together that was not permissible. As regards lying with her and defiling her meaning a wrongful joining together, see above in 4439. The expression 'in Israel' is used because 'Israel' means the internal Church, and after that the expression 'Jacob's daughter' because 'Jacob' means the external aspect of the Church. For 'Israel' means the internal aspect of the Church and 'Jacob' the external, see 4286, 4292, 4439. Its seeming in their eyes to be a joining together that was not permissible, though in fact it was permissible, becomes clear from what has been stated and shown immediately above in 4444 and elsewhere.