5420. And bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth. That this signifies humiliation, is evident from the signification of “bowing down themselves,” as being humiliation (see n. 2153), and of “with their faces to the earth,” as being the humiliation of adoration (n. 1999). By humiliation here is not meant humiliation from acknowledgment, thus internal humiliation, but external humiliation, because it was in the presence of the governor of the land in accordance with established custom. That not internal but external humiliation is meant, is because there was not yet correspondence, and through correspondence conjunction. When the natural is in this state it can indeed humble itself, even to the last degree, but only from acquired habit. It is a gesture without the genuine affection that produces it, thus it is of the body without its soul. Such is the humiliation here meant.

2153. And bowed himself toward the earth. That this signifies the effect of the humiliation from the consequent joy, is evident from the signification of “bowing himself,” as being to humble. Just as all interior affections have gestures corresponding to them in outward or bodily motions, which gestures are the effects of the affections as their effecting causes, so the action of humbling oneself has humiliation and also prostration. That this prostration was from joy is evident, because He observed, as before said, the perception to be from the Divine. The state of the Lord’s humiliation when He was in the Human, has already been treated of in various places, and of the Lord’s Divine mercy shall be further treated of in this chapter.