3399. That in the internal sense “to lie with a woman” denotes to pervert and adulterate truth (here truth Divine, because by the “woman” or Rebekah is represented Divine truth, as shown above) is evident from the fact that by “lying with,” by “adultery,” and by “harlotry” in the Word, nothing else is signified than perversions of good and falsifications of truth (n. 2466, 2729); and this for the reason that adulteries are diametrically contrary to conjugial love, insomuch that they are destructive of it; and conjugial love is from the marriage of good and truth (n. 2508, 2618, 2727-2759, 3132); and therefore those things which are contrary to good and truth, or which destroy them, are in the Word called “adulteries.”

[2] Be it known, however, that they who are of the spiritual church cannot adulterate good so as to profane it, because they cannot receive good so as to have a perception of it, like the celestial; and yet they can profane truth, because this they can acknowledge. But in the last time of the church they cannot even acknowledge truth, because there then universally reigns with them unbelief concerning the Lord, concerning the life after death, and concerning the internal man; and an unbelief that universally reigns, prevents the truths of faith from penetrating interiorly. With everyone that which is universal limits and hinders such things from entering deeply, both when the man is ignorant of them, and also when he supposes that he believes them.

[3] But they who are capable of profaning good are those of the celestial church, for these can receive good even to perception. This was the case with the antediluvians, who were therefore secluded from all others, and who are confined in a hell separate from the hells of others (n. 1265-1272); and that the profanation of good should not any longer take place is signified by its being said that when man was cast out of Eden, Jehovah caused to dwell at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and the flame of a sword that turned itself, to keep the way of the tree of lives (Genesis 3:24 see n. 308, 310).

3132. And it came to pass when he saw the jewel, and the bracelets upon his sister’s hands. That this signifies when it was observed that Divine good and Divine truth were in the power of the affection of truth, which is the “sister,” is evident from the signification of “seeing,” as being to observe (n. 2150); from the signification of the “jewel,” as being Divine good (see n. 3103, 3105); from the signification of “bracelets,” as being Divine truth (see n. 3103, 3105) from the signification of “hands,” as being power (see above, n. 878, 3091); and from the signification of “sister,” as being the affection of truth (see n. 2508, 2524, 2556); from all which it is evident that to “see the jewel and the bracelets upon his sister’s hands,” is to observe that Divine good and Divine truth were in the power of the affection of truth.

[2] The case herein is this: The conjunction of Divine good and Divine truth in the Lord is the very Divine marriage from which is the heavenly marriage, which is likewise a marriage of good and truth; from this also comes conjugial love (see n. 2727-2759). Hence it is that where marriage is treated of in the Word, in the internal sense there is signified the heavenly marriage, which is that of good and truth; and in the supreme sense the Divine marriage, which is in the Lord; wherefore nothing else is here meant by the marriage between Isaac and Rebekah. The conjunction of good and truth is the marriage itself, but the initiation is the betrothal, or the state preceding marriage. But the state that precedes betrothal is what is here described. As in this state it is within the power of the damsel to be betrothed, and afterwards as a wife to be conjoined with a husband, so it is within the power of the affection of truth to be initiated into Divine truth, and in this manner to be conjoined with Divine good. And further: in the first affection and afterwards in every affection of truth with the Lord, there was inmostly the Divine good itself and the Divine truth itself, because there was Jehovah Himself; from this came the power that is here treated of.