9215. 'It is his clothing for his skin' means that they also clothe relatively external things. This is clear from the meaning of 'clothing' as the sensory level in general or things on that level, as above; and from the meaning of 'skin' as that which is relatively external, which also clothes more internal things but still exists within those on the sensory level. What 'the skin' means, and who exactly correspond to the skin in the next life, see 3540, 5552-5559, 8977, 8980. The natural degree of the human mind has a rather internal level, a relatively external or middle level, and an outermost level. The more internal level of the natural is in contact with heaven; the middle or relatively external level is in contact on one side with the more internal, and through this with heaven, and on the other side with the outermost, and through this with the world, see 4009, 4570, 5118, 5126, 5497, 5649, 5707. The outermost level of the natural is that of the senses, which is meant here by 'clothing'. This level receives impressions of objects in the world and thereby serves more internal things. It is called 'his only covering' because it is the last and lowest and so is general to all, the relatively external or middle level of the natural being the one meant by 'skin'. From this it is evident that 'his clothing for his skin' means that the sensory level also clothes relatively external things. The fact that the sensory level is the last and lowest of a person's life, and so is a general covering, see 4009, 5077, 5125, 5128, 5767, 5774, 6201, 6313, 7442, 7693.

7124. 'And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out' means the sending out [and presence] of those in the nearest position to molest and those in the nearest position to receive. This is clear from the meaning of 'going out' as a sending out, for those meant by 'the taskmasters' are sent out to serve as a channel of communication, as may be seen from what has been stated above in 7111 ('coming out' or 'going out' also means making oneself present before another in a form suited to this other, see 5337, and so means presence as well); from the meaning of 'the taskmasters' as those who are in the nearest position to molest, and from that of 'the officers' as those who are in the nearest position to receive the molestations and pass them on, both of which groups are dealt with in 7111.