66. (Verse 14) And his head and his hairs were white. That this signifies the Divine in primaries and in ultimates, is evident from the signification of the head when mentioned in reference to the Lord, of whom these things are said, as denoting the Divine in primaries, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of hairs, as denoting the Divine in ultimates, of which also we shall speak presently; and from the signification of white, as denoting what is pure. (That white (album) and white (candidum) denote what is pure, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319.) The reason why the head, when mentioned in reference to the Lord, denotes the Divine in primaries, is, that the head is the highest part of man, and therein are those primary things which give rise to all things that take place in the body. For in the head are the understanding and the will, from which, as from their beginnings, all the other things flow that relate to man's remoter things, as speech, and all actions. But the reason why hairs, when mentioned in reference to the Lord, denote the Divine in ultimates is, that hairs are ultimates, for they grow from the ultimate parts of man, and the primaries terminate in them; therefore, when the head and hairs are mentioned, primaries and ultimates are meant.

[2] He who knows that the head signifies primaries, and the hairs ultimates, even in spiritual things, and that primaries and ultimates signify all things (as was shown above, n. 41), may know many arcana of the internal sense, where those things are mentioned. As, for instance, a Nazarite was not allowed to shave the hair of his head, because, as is said, it was the Nazariteship of God upon his head, and when the days were accomplished, he had to shave it off, and consecrate it (Numbers 6:1-21); also the strength of Samson was in his hairs, and when they were shaved off he became weak, and when they grew again his strength returned (Judges 16:13 to the end). Again, forty-two boys were torn in pieces by bears, because they mocked Elisha, calling him bald-head (2 Kings 2:23, 24). So too Elias was clothed with a garment of hair (2 Kings 1:8) and John the Baptist with camel's hair (Mark 1:6). Moreover what is signified by the head, hairs, beard and baldness, may be seen where they are mentioned in the Word.

[3] The reason why a Nazarite was not allowed to shave his hair, because, as is stated, it was the Nazariteship of God upon his head, and that when the days were accomplished, he had to shave it off, and consecrate it, was, that a Nazarite represented the Lord in primaries and in ultimates, and His Divine in ultimates was His Human, which He made Divine even to the flesh and bones, which are the ultimates. That He made the Human Divine even to the flesh and bones, is clear from the fact that He left nothing in the sepulchre, and that He said to His disciples that He had flesh and bones, which a spirit has not (Luke 24:39, 40). And when the Divine itself is also Divine in ultimates, then it rules all things from primaries by ultimates. (As is evident from what was said and shown above, n. 41; especially from the things which are adduced in Arcana Coelestia, to the effect that interiors successively flow into exteriors, even to the outermost or ultimate, and that therein also they exist and subsist, n. Arcana Coelestia 634, 6239, 6465, 9215, 9216; that they not only flow in successively, but also form what is simultaneous in the ultimate; concerning which order see n. 5897, 6451, 8603, 10099; that therefore all interior things are held together in connection, from the primary by means of the ultimate, n. 9828; and in the work, Heaven and Hell 297; that hence the ultimate is more holy than the interiors, n. Arcana Coelestia 9824; that hence in the ultimates there is strength and power, n. 9836.) It was for these reasons that the Nazariteship was instituted. The reason why the Nazarite should ultimately consecrate his hair by putting it into the fire of the altar, was, because the Holy Divine was thereby represented, and the fire of the altar signified that Holy (n. 934, 6314, 6832).

[4] From these considerations it is also evident why the strength of Samson was in his hair (Judges 16[13] to the end), for it is said that he was a Nazarite from his mother's womb (Judges 13:7; 16:17); so also it was not lawful for the chief priest and his sons, nor for the Levites, to shave the head and make themselves bald (Leviticus 10:6; 21:5, 10; Ezekiel 44:20). So, too, to cut off the beard, which also had a similar signification, was ignominious with the people of Israel (2 Sam. 10:4, 5). The reason why the forty-two boys were torn in pieces by bears, because they mocked Elisha, calling him bald-head, was, that Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word, which is Divine truth, the sanctity and strength of which are in the ultimates from primaries, as said above; and because baldness signified the deprivation of them, therefore this circumstance took place; bears also signify truth in ultimates. (That Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2762, 5247.)

[5] From these considerations it is also clear why the garment of Elias was hairy, and that of John was made of camel's hair; for John the Baptist, as well as Elias, represented the Lord as to the Word, therefore he was also called Elias (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 7643, 9372). When these things are understood it can be known what is signified by the head, hairs, beard, and baldness in the Word. As in Isaiah:

"In that time shall the Lord, by the king of Assyria, shave the head, and the hairs of the feet; he shall also consume the beard" (7:20).

In the same:

"Upon all heads shall be baldness, every beard shaven" (15:2).

In Jeremiah:

"Truth hath perished, and is cut off from their mouth; cut off thine hair and cast it away" (7:28, 29).

And in Ezekiel:

"Take a razor, and pass it upon the head and beard" (5:1).

Again:

"On every face shall be shame, and upon all heads baldness" (7:18).

Again:

"Every head was made bald" (29:18).

In Amos:

"I will bring baldness upon every head" (8:10).

And in David:

"God shall bruise the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of him that goeth on in his guilt" (Psalm 68:21).

In these passages, and in others, by cutting off the hair of the head, shaving the beard, and inducing baldness, is signified to deprive of all good and truth, because he who is deprived of the ultimates is also deprived of things prior, for prior things exist and subsist in ultimates, as said above. In the world of spirits also, there are seen those who are bald; and I have been informed that they are those who were abusers of the Word and had applied the sense of the letter, which is Divine truth in the ultimates, to wicked purposes, and consequently were deprived of all truth; they are also the most wicked, and many of them are from the Babylonish nation; but, on the contrary, the angels are seen with becoming hair.

5147. There was some of every kind of food for Pharaoh' means full of celestial good for nourishing the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'food' as celestial good, dealt with below; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the interior natural, dealt with in 5080, 5095, and also the natural in general, since the interior natural and the exterior natural make one when they correspond. And because food exists to provide nourishment, 'every kind of food for Pharaoh' means full of celestial good for nourishing the natural. It is said that this food was in the highest basket, meaning that the inmost degree of the will was full of celestial good. For good from the Lord flows in by way of the inmost degree in a person; and from there it passes degree by degree, so to speak down a flight of steps, to what is more exterior. For in relation to other degrees the inmost one exists in the most perfect state, and can therefore receive good from the Lord directly, in a way the lower ones cannot. If these were to receive good from the Lord directly, they would either obscure it or pervert it, since they are less perfect in comparison with the inmost degree.

[2] As regards the influx of celestial good from the Lord and the reception of it, it should be recognized that the will part of the human mind is the receiver of good and the understanding part is the receiver of truth. The understanding part cannot possibly receive truth so as to make this its own unless at the same time the will part receives good; and vice versa. For one flows as a result into the other and disposes that other to be receptive. All that constitutes the understanding may be compared to forms which are constantly varying, and all that constitutes the will may be compared to the harmonies resulting from those variations. Consequently truths may be compared to variations, and forms of good may be compared to the delights which those variations bring. And this being pre-eminently the case with truths and forms of good it is evident that one cannot exist without the other, as well as that one cannot be brought forth except by means of the other.

[3] The reason 'food' means celestial good is that angels' food consists in nothing else than forms of the good of love and charity, and that these serve to enliven angels and to rejuvenate them. Especially when they are expressed in action or practice do those forms of good cause angels to feel rejuvenated, for they are the desires they have; for it is a well known fact that when a person's desires are expressed in action he feels rejuvenated and enlivened. Those desires also nourish a person's spirit when material food supplies nourishment to his body, as may be recognized from the fact that when no delight is taken in food it is not very nutritious, but when delight is taken in it, it is nutritious. The delight taken in food is what opens the meatus or channels which serve to convey it into the blood, whereas the opposite closes them. Among angels those delights are forms of the good of love and charity, and from this one may deduce that these are spiritual kinds of food which correspond to earthly ones. Also, just as forms of good are meant by different kinds of food, so truths are meant by 'drink'.

[4] In the Word 'food' is mentioned in many places, yet someone unacquainted with the internal sense will inevitably suppose that in those places ordinary food is meant. In fact spiritual food is meant, as in Jeremiah,

All the people groan as they search for bread. They have given their desirable things for food to restore the soul. Lamentations 1:11.

In Isaiah,

Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1.

In Joel,

The day of Jehovah is near, and as destruction from the thunderbolt-hurler will it come. [s not the food cut off before our eyes, gladness and joy from the house of our God? The grains have rotted under their clods, the storehouses have been laid waste, the granaries have been destroyed, because the grain has failed. Joel 1:15-17.

In David,

Our storehouses are full, yielding food and still more food; our flocks are thousands, and ten thousands in our streets. There is no outcry in our streets. Blessed are the people for whom it is thus. Psalms 144:13-15.

In the same author,

They all look to You, that You may give them their food in due season. You give to them - they gather it up; You open Your hand - they are satisfied with good. Psalms 104:27-28.

[5] In these places celestial and spiritual food is meant in the internal sense when material food is referred to in the sense of the letter. From this one may see how the interior features of the Word and its exterior features correspond to one another, that is, how what belongs inwardly to its spirit and what belongs to its letter do so; so that while man understands those things according to the sense of the letter, the angels present with him understand the same things according to the spiritual sense. The Word has been written in such a way that it may serve not only the human race but heaven also, and for this reason all expressions are used to mean heavenly realities, and every matter described there is representative of these realities. This is so with the Word even to the tiniest jot.

[6] Furthermore the Lord Himself explicitly teaches that good is meant in the spiritual sense by 'food': In John,

Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. John 6:27.

In the same gospel,

My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. John 6:55.

'Flesh' means Divine Good, 3813, and 'blood' Divine Truth, 4735. And in the same gospel,

Jesus said to the disciples, I have food to eat of which you do not know. The disciples said to one another, Has anyone brought Him [anything] to eat? Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. John 4:33-34.

'Doing the will of the Father and finishing His work' means Divine Good when expressed in actions or practice, which in the genuine sense is 'food', as stated above.