In Genesis 21:14, this signifies the state of wandering in the beginning, of people who have been introduced into the doctrinals of faith. (Arcana Coelestia 2679)

The church is made up of men and women together, but the Writings tell us that the church as a “bride” is neither masculine nor feminine; it is a picture of truth wedded to the Divine goodness of the Lord. On a human level, a bride represents the affection for what is true, and the bridegroom represents the affection for what is good. Most references in the Bible, however, use the terms at a deeper level, where bridegroom represents the Lord – who is Divine Love or Divine Goodness – and the bride represents the church, united to the Lord through ideas and knowledge of what is true.

(Referenser: Exodus 4)