3399. That in the internal sense “to lie with a woman” denotes to pervert and adulterate truth (here truth Divine, because by the “woman” or Rebekah is represented Divine truth, as shown above) is evident from the fact that by “lying with,” by “adultery,” and by “harlotry” in the Word, nothing else is signified than perversions of good and falsifications of truth (n. 2466, 2729); and this for the reason that adulteries are diametrically contrary to conjugial love, insomuch that they are destructive of it; and conjugial love is from the marriage of good and truth (n. 2508, 2618, 2727-2759, 3132); and therefore those things which are contrary to good and truth, or which destroy them, are in the Word called “adulteries.”

[2] Be it known, however, that they who are of the spiritual church cannot adulterate good so as to profane it, because they cannot receive good so as to have a perception of it, like the celestial; and yet they can profane truth, because this they can acknowledge. But in the last time of the church they cannot even acknowledge truth, because there then universally reigns with them unbelief concerning the Lord, concerning the life after death, and concerning the internal man; and an unbelief that universally reigns, prevents the truths of faith from penetrating interiorly. With everyone that which is universal limits and hinders such things from entering deeply, both when the man is ignorant of them, and also when he supposes that he believes them.

[3] But they who are capable of profaning good are those of the celestial church, for these can receive good even to perception. This was the case with the antediluvians, who were therefore secluded from all others, and who are confined in a hell separate from the hells of others (n. 1265-1272); and that the profanation of good should not any longer take place is signified by its being said that when man was cast out of Eden, Jehovah caused to dwell at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and the flame of a sword that turned itself, to keep the way of the tree of lives (Genesis 3:24 see n. 308, 310).

2173. That “Sarah” is here the Lord as to truth, is evident from the representation of Sarah, as being intellectual truth adjoined to good; here, as being rational truth, for the same reason as just now stated in regard to Abraham. (That Sarah represents truth may be seen above, n. 1468, 1901, 2063, 2065). In the historicals of the Word good and truth cannot be represented otherwise than by a marriage, for this is really the case with them, for there is a Divine marriage between things celestial and spiritual, or what is the same, between those which are of love and those which are of faith, or again what is the same, between those of the will and those of the understanding. The former are of good, the latter are of truth. There is such a marriage in the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens; such also in the Lord’s kingdom on the earth (that is, in the church); such a marriage in every man, in every single thing of him, nay, in the veriest singulars of all. That which is not in such a marriage does not live. Nay, from that Divine marriage there is such a marriage in universal nature, and in every particular of it, but under other form and appearance, otherwise nothing whatever would there subsist. Because there is such marriage in everything, therefore with the Prophets every matter is expressed in a twofold manner, especially in Isaiah-one expression referring to what is celestial, or to good, and the other to what is spiritual, or to truth (see n. 683, 793, 801). That in everything there is a resemblance of a marriage, may be seen above (n. 718, 747, 917, 1432). Hence it is that the Lord’s good is represented by Abraham, and His truth by Sarah.