6578. 'And spoke to their heart' means trust. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking to the heart' as imparting trust, that is to say, that nothing evil would happen to them; for 'speaking' means an influx, 1951, 5481, 5797, and 'the heart' means the will, 2930, 3888, so that 'speaking to the heart' means an influx into the will and trust engendered by it. From this it is also evident that the marriage of truth which is of the understanding and good which is of the will exists in every detail of the Word; for 'consoling' has reference to the understanding, and 'speaking to the heart' to the will. For the same reason 'he consoled them' means hope, since it is an attribute of the understanding received through truth, while 'he spoke to their heart' means trust, since it is an attribute of the will received through good. Genuine trust cannot be imparted to any but those with whom the good of charity exists, and genuine hope to none but those with whom the good of faith is present.

5797. 'Let your servant, I beg you, speak a word in my lord's ears means a pleading to be received and heard. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking a word' as an influx, dealt with in 2951, 5481, and as it is an influx reception on the part of the other is meant, 5743; and from the meaning of 'ears' as obedience, dealt with in 4551, 4653, in this case a sympathetic listening or hearing, since an inferior is speaking to one superior to himself. From this it is evident that 'let your servant, I beg you, speak a word in my lord's ears' means a pleading to be received and heard.