3197. Toward evening. That this signifies in respect to those things which are beneath, is evident from the signification of “evening,” as being what is obscure (see n. 3056); and whereas those things with man which are beneath, namely, those which are of the natural mind, relatively to those which are above, that is, in the rational mind, are obscure, therefore by “evening” is signified what is relatively in obscurity, as is evident from the series of things in the internal sense; for the subject here treated of is truth from the natural, which was to be conjoined with good in the rational; and whereas this conjunction is here treated of, and the enlightenment of the natural man thereby, therefore by “meditating in the field toward evening,” is signified the state of the rational in good relatively to those things which are beneath; the state in good being described by “dwelling in the land of the south,” that is, in Divine light, relatively to which the things beneath were in the “evening,” that is, before the conjunction of truth and good was effected, and before the natural also was made Divine.