8079. 'And if you do not redeem it you shall break its neck' means that if the truth of innocence is not present within it, it is to be separated and cast aside. This is clear from the meaning of 'not redeeming' as not ascribing it to the Lord but giving something else instead, as immediately above in 8078; and from the meaning of 'breaking the neck' as separating and casting aside. The reason why 'breaking the neck' has this meaning is that 'the neck' means a joining together of interior and exterior things, 3542, 3603, 3695, 3725, 5320, 5328, 5926, 6033, so that 'breaking the neck' is separating and casting aside, that is to say, doing so to merely natural faith if the truth of innocence is not present within it.

3695. 'And placed it as his headrest' means a very general communication with the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'headrest' or pillow as communication with external things, and so a very general communication. For the neck or collar means the communication of interior things with exterior, or what amounts to the same, of higher things with lower, and consequently means a joining together of them, see 3542, 3603. This being so, that which goes underneath the neck or collar, that is, the pillow, here means the communication of innermost or Divine things with outermost, a communication which is also very general. For in relation to what is internal that which is external is general, and that which is outermost is very general; for the individual parts constituting interior things are seen in exterior as a single whole and so as something general. These are also what is represented and meant by the stairway set up on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven and the angels of God going up and coming down on it, dealt with further on.