476. That 'male and female' means the marriage of faith and love has been stated and shown already. That is to say, 'male' or man (vir) means the understanding and what belongs to the understanding, and so what belongs to faith, while 'female' means the will, or what belongs to the will, and so what belongs to love. This also is why she was called Eve, from a word meaning life, which belongs to love alone. 'Female' therefore also means the Church, as also shown already, and 'male' the man (vir) of the Church. At present the subject is the state of the Church at the time it was spiritual and shortly to become celestial, which is why the word 'male' comes first, as it does also in 1:26-27. Furthermore the expression 'to create' has regard to the spiritual man. As soon however as that marriage has taken place, that is, the Church has become celestial, it is no longer called 'male and female' but 'Man' (Homo) who by virtue of the marriage means both. Consequently 'and He called their name Man', which means the Church, follows next.

10144. 'Throughout your generations' means what is everlasting in the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'generations', when this word refers to the children of Israel, as succeeding stages within the Church; for the Church is meant by 'the children of Israel', and the consecutive ages of it by 'generations'. But the latter also means spiritual generations, which are stages of faith and love, and so are phases of the Church. And in addition 'throughout generations' means what is everlasting, thus also consecutive stages.

By 'the children of Israel' the Church is meant, see the places referred to in 9340.

By 'generations' matters of faith and love are meant, 2020, 2584, 6239; also what is everlasting and eternal, 9789; thus consecutive stages, 9845.