9884. 'And you shall put the two slender ropes of gold in the two rings' means the mode of the indissoluble joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'the slender ropes' as an indissoluble joining together, dealt with above in 9880; from the meaning of 'gold' as the good of love, also dealt with above, in 9881; and from the meaning of 'the two rings' as a Divine sphere through which a joining together is accomplished, also dealt with above in 9881, the mode of the joining together being meant however by 'putting them in the two rings'. From all this it is evident that 'you shall put the two slender ropes of gold in the two rings' means the mode of the indissoluble joining of good to the Divine sphere.

9881. 'From pure gold' means through celestial good. This is clear from the meaning of 'gold' as the good of love, dealt with in 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 8932, 9490, 9510; and since the words 'pure gold' are used celestial good is what is meant. For there is celestial good and there is spiritual good, both of which may be internal or external, celestial good being the good of love to the Lord, and spiritual good the good of love towards the neighbour. In the Word all those kinds of good are called 'gold'. But they are distinguished from one another by being called gold 'from Uphaz', 'from Ophir', 'from Sheba' and 'Havillah', and also 'from Tarshish' - gold from Uphaz in Jeremiah 10:9; Daniel 10:5, by which celestial good is meant; gold from Ophir in Isaiah 13:12; Psalms 45:9; Job 22:24; 28:16, by which spiritual good is meant; gold from Sheba in Isaiah 60:6; Ezekiel 27:22; Psalms 72:15, by which good on the level of religious knowledge is meant, as it is by gold from Havillah in Genesis 2:11-12; and also silver and gold from Tarshish, in Isaiah 60:9, by which truth and good on the level of factual knowledge are meant.