476. That 'male and female' means the marriage of faith and love has been stated and shown already. That is to say, 'male' or man (vir) means the understanding and what belongs to the understanding, and so what belongs to faith, while 'female' means the will, or what belongs to the will, and so what belongs to love. This also is why she was called Eve, from a word meaning life, which belongs to love alone. 'Female' therefore also means the Church, as also shown already, and 'male' the man (vir) of the Church. At present the subject is the state of the Church at the time it was spiritual and shortly to become celestial, which is why the word 'male' comes first, as it does also in 1:26-27. Furthermore the expression 'to create' has regard to the spiritual man. As soon however as that marriage has taken place, that is, the Church has become celestial, it is no longer called 'male and female' but 'Man' (Homo) who by virtue of the marriage means both. Consequently 'and He called their name Man', which means the Church, follows next.

8314. 'Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed' means a like feeling on the part of those leading a life of evil arising from self-love. This is clear from the meaning of 'the chiefs' as the leaders, thus each and every person, dealt with below; and from the representation of 'Edom' as those who, ruled by the evil of self-love, seize on falsities and cast aside truths, or as - in the sense abstracted from persons - the evil of self-love which embraces falsity and rejects truth, so that 'Edom' also represents those who lead a life of evil arising from that love, namely self-love. As regards the word 'chiefs', leaders are meant by it, or - in the sense abstracted from persons - leading features, and so each and every aspect. For when the word 'chiefs' is used, it implies each and every person under them, as when the word 'king' is used it implies all subjects of his kingdom; for the group takes its name from the most powerful person among them. When the term 'chiefs' or 'commanders' is mentioned in the Word general headings under which all else comes is meant, or leading features, as with 'tertiary commanders', 8150, 8276; and that term has reference to good, or in the contrary sense to evil. 'Princes' however likewise means general headings under which all else comes, or first and foremost features, 1482, 2089, 5044; but it has reference to truth.

[2] It should be recognized that in the Word there are terms that belong to the group of spiritual things and terms that belong to the group of celestial things; that is, there are terms serving to express such things as are matters of truth or faith, and terms serving to express such things as are matters of good or love. In addition there are terms that have reference to both. As soon as the person who is acquainted with these looks at or reads the Word, especially in its original language, he knows when such things as are matters of truth are the subject in the internal sense, and when such things as are matters of good are the subject. This is the situation with the meaning of 'princes' and 'chiefs'. 'Princes' means first and foremost features and is used in reference to the truths of faith, or in the contrary sense to falsities of faith, whereas 'chiefs' means leading features and is used in reference to the good of love, or in the contrary sense to the evils of love.

[3] So it is that those who ruled in Edom were called 'chiefs', as is evident from Genesis 36:15-19, 21, 29-30, 40-43. The reason why they were called 'chiefs' is that 'Edom' meant the good of celestial love, and in the contrary sense the evil of self-love. But among 'the sons of Ishmael', those who were set in authority over everyone else were not called 'chiefs' but 'princes', Genesis 25:16, because 'Ishmael' means those guided by truth, 3263, 3268, 4747. For the same reason the term 'princes' was used for those set in authority in Israel, Numbers 7:2, 10, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, since 'Israel' represented those governed by the truth and good of faith. But those set in authority in Judah were called 'chiefs' since Judah' represented those governed by the good of love, as in Zechariah,

Let him be like a chief in Judah. Zechariah 9:7.

And in the same prophet,

The chiefs of Judah will say in their heart, I will strengthen ¹ for myself the inhabitants of Jerusalem in Jehovah Zebaoth, their God. On that day I will make the chiefs of Judah like a furnace of fire among pieces of wood. Zechariah 12:5-6.

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