9215. It is his garment for his skin. That this signifies that they also clothe exterior things, is evident from the signification of a “garment,” as being the sensuous in general, or the things of sense, as above; and from the signification of the “skin,” as being what is exterior, which also clothes interior things, but still within the sensuous. (The signification of “the skin,” and who in the other life correspond to the skin, may be seen above, n. 3540, 5552-5559, 8977, 8980.) The natural of man is interior, exterior or middle, and outermost. The interior natural communicates with heaven; the middle or exterior natural communicates on the one side with the interior, and through it with heaven, and on the other with the outermost, and through it with the world (n. 4009, 4570, 5118, 5126, 5497, 5649, 5707). The outermost natural is the sensuous, which is here signified by the “garment.” This receives the objects belonging to the world, and thus is of service to interior things. It is called the “only covering,” because it is the ultimate, and thus is common to all. The exterior or middle natural is what is signified by the “skin.” From this it is evident that by “it is his garment for his skin,” is signified that the sensuous also clothes exterior things. (That the sensuous is the ultimate of man’s life, and thus the general covering, see n. 4009, 5077, 5125, 5128, 5767, 5774, 6201, 6313, 7442, 7693)
