9215. 'It is his clothing for his skin' means that they also clothe relatively external things. This is clear from the meaning of 'clothing' as the sensory level in general or things on that level, as above; and from the meaning of 'skin' as that which is relatively external, which also clothes more internal things but still exists within those on the sensory level. What 'the skin' means, and who exactly correspond to the skin in the next life, see 3540, 5552-5559, 8977, 8980. The natural degree of the human mind has a rather internal level, a relatively external or middle level, and an outermost level. The more internal level of the natural is in contact with heaven; the middle or relatively external level is in contact on one side with the more internal, and through this with heaven, and on the other side with the outermost, and through this with the world, see 4009, 4570, 5118, 5126, 5497, 5649, 5707. The outermost level of the natural is that of the senses, which is meant here by 'clothing'. This level receives impressions of objects in the world and thereby serves more internal things. It is called 'his only covering' because it is the last and lowest and so is general to all, the relatively external or middle level of the natural being the one meant by 'skin'. From this it is evident that 'his clothing for his skin' means that the sensory level also clothes relatively external things. The fact that the sensory level is the last and lowest of a person's life, and so is a general covering, see 4009, 5077, 5125, 5128, 5767, 5774, 6201, 6313, 7442, 7693.

4009. 'And he gave them into the hand of his sons' means that they were given to truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with in 489, 491, 533, 2623, 3373. 'Giving into their hand' means giving them the right of control, for 'the hand' means power, 878, 3387. The truths which are meant by 'sons' in this case are those which are called sensory truths, for what the senses perceive as truths exist as the boundaries of the natural mind. For the natural degree of man's mind communicates on one side with sensory impressions which belong to the body and on the other side with the rational concepts which belong to the rational mind. By means of what lies in between a way of ascent so to speak is provided from sensory impressions which belong to the body, and are open in the direction of the world, up to the rational concepts which belong to the rational mind and are open in the direction of heaven. And in the same manner they provide a way of descent, that is to say, from heaven down to the world. This situation exists only with man. It is this ascent and descent that is dealt with in the internal sense of the chapters at this point in Genesis. And in order that every single thing may be expressed representatively, the rational is represented by Isaac and Rebekah, the natural by Jacob and both his wives, and the sensory awareness by the latters' sons. But since the sensory awareness as the ultimate degree of order incorporates everything prior to it each son represents something general in which those things are present, as shown above.