9005. 'She shall go out for nothing, for no silver' means alienation from that [spiritual truth], without truth joined to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'going out' - out of servitude and from concubinage - as abandonment by the man, her master, and so alienation; and from the meaning of 'for nothing, for no silver' as without truth joined to it, 'silver' meaning truth, see 1551, 2954, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 8932. The nature of all this is clear from what has been shown just above in 9003 namely this: A natural affection joined to a spiritual truth, meant by 'a female slave betrothed to a son', cannot survive at all unless it is sustained by the spiritual. Therefore if the affection is not sustained by this, the connection between them is broken and it is consequently alienated. The reason why this happens without the truth from the spiritual joined to that natural affection is that this affection goes on to be linked to another [truth]; but this cannot happen while truth from elsewhere is the source of its life. All this is meant by the words under consideration here because the situation with relationships in the spiritual world is such.

1023. That 'and I, behold I am establishing My covenant' means the Lord's presence in charity becomes clear from the meaning of 'a covenant', dealt with in 666, where it was shown that 'a covenant' means regeneration, and in particular the conjunction of the Lord with a regenerate person by means of love. It was also shown there that the heavenly marriage is the actual covenant itself, and that consequently the heavenly marriage exists with every regenerate person. The nature of this marriage or covenant has also been shown already.

[2] The heavenly marriage with the member of the Most Ancient Church existed in the area of his own will, but the heavenly marriage with the member of the Ancient Church came into existence in the area of his own understanding. Actually when the will part of man's mind had become utterly corrupted, the Lord in miraculous fashion separated the area of his own understanding from that corrupted will part, and within the area of man's own understanding He formed a new will, which is conscience. Into conscience He infused charity, and into charity innocence, and in this manner joined Himself to man, or what amounts to the same, established a covenant with him.

[3] To the extent that the area of a person's own will can be separated from this understanding part the Lord is able to be present with him, that is, to join Himself or establish a covenant with him. Temptations and similar means of regeneration render inactive the area of a person's own will, so that it is reduced to nothing and so to speak dies. To the extent that this happens the Lord can operate within charity by means of conscience implanted in the area of a person's own understanding. This is what is called 'a covenant' here.