9132. He shall be sold for his theft. That this signifies alienation, is evident from the signification of “to be sold,” as being alienation (see n. 4752, 4758, 5886), here of the good and truth taken away, of which nothing remains (n. 9131); and from the signification of “for the theft,” as being amendment and restoration by other good or truth in place of that taken away, which is signified by “repaying” (n. 9130); for the thief was sold that the theft might be repaid. With what is contained in this verse the case is this. He who sees that the good or truth with him is being taken away by falsity derived from evil, is guilty of the violence done to them, for it is done with his knowledge. For that which is done with the man’s knowledge, proceeds from the will, and at the same time from the understanding, thus from the whole man, because man is man from these two, and what is done from these two is done from the falsity which is from evil—from falsity, because from the understanding; and from evil, because from the will. It is from this that the man is guilty. That which comes from a man’s understanding, and at the same time from his will, is made his own (see n. 9009, 9069, 9071); and that a man becomes guilty if when he sees the evil of his will he does not repress it by means of his understanding, see n. 9075.

9130. Repaying he shall repay. That this signifies the amendment and restoration of the truth and good that have been taken away, is evident from the signification of “repaying,” as being amendment and restoration (see n. 9087, 9097).

9075. And his master also shall die. That this signifies the damnation of the internal man, is evident from the signification of “the master of the ox,” as being the internal man (see n. 9069); and from the signification of “dying,” as being damnation (of which above, n. 9008). That the ox was to be stoned and his master was to die if he had known that the ox was wont to strike with the horn and he had not watched him, is because the spiritual meaning of this judgment or law is that the man who knows a thing to be evil, and does not repress it, is guilty; for he approves it, and thus extinguishes the light of truth, and together therewith the faith of truth in its conception; and when this is extinguished, good from the Lord is not received, consequently the internal man cannot be opened, and therefore there cannot be given him spiritual life, which is the life of the truth and the good of faith. When such is the state of a man, he then lives a natural life, which is of the external man. But without spiritual life this life is dead; consequently there is damnation (see n. 7494).