9158. 'For clothing' means [any harm done to or else loss of] truth on the level of the senses. This is clear from the meaning of 'clothing' as truth, dealt with in 4545, 4763, 5319, 5954, 6914, 6917. In general 'clothing' means more external or lower truth that covers more internal or higher truths, 297, 2576, 5248, 6918; here therefore truth on the level of the senses is meant, this being the most external or lowest level, 5081, 5125, 5767, 6564, 6614. The meaning of 'clothes' as truths has its origin in representatives in the next life; for spirits and angels all appear dressed in clothes that are in keeping with the truths of faith they possess, 165, 5248, 5954.

7263. The reason why these same names occur in the Word is that those whose worship was external would exercise charity towards the kind of people meant literally by such names, while those whose worship was internal would exercise it towards people meant spiritually by them. Thus it was that the simple would understand and carry out the Word in a simple manner, and the wise in a wise manner; and also that the simple would be introduced by means of external forms of charity to internal forms of it.