3540.“又用母山羊的羊羔皮”表包裹家生良善的外在真理。这从“皮”和“母山羊的羊羔”的含义清楚可知：“皮”是指外在事物，如下文所述；“母山羊的羊羔”因出自家里饲养的羊群，故是指包裹家生良善的真理，如前所述（3518，3519节），从那里明显可知何为家生的良善，何为源于家生良善的真理。一切良善都有自己的真理，一切真理都有自己的良善。若要成为某种事物，它们必须联结起来。“皮”之所以表示外在事物，是因为皮是动物的最表层，其内层便延伸至此，人的皮或角质层同样如此。这种含义源于来世的代表，那里就有属于皮肤区域的人。蒙主的神性怜悯，这些人等到我们在下面各章末尾论述巨人时再予以单独说明。他们就是诸如只具有外在良善及其真理的那类人。因此，“皮”，无论人的还是动物的，表示外在事物。这一点也可从圣言明显看出来，如耶利米书：
你的衣襟揭起，你的脚跟受伤，是因你的罪孽甚多。古实人岂能改变皮肤呢？豹岂能改变斑点呢？若能，你们这习于行恶的便能行善了。（耶利米书13:22-23）
此处“衣襟”表外在事物，“脚跟”表最低级的良善，“脚跟”和“鞋”是指最低级的属世之物（参看259，1748节）。由于如此处所说的，这些真理与良善源于罪孽，所以它们好比“古实人”或黑人及其皮肤，还好比“豹”及其“斑点”。
摩西五经：
你即或拿邻舍的衣服作当头，必在日落以先归还他；因为这是他唯一的遮盖物，是他遮盖皮肤、躺在里面的衣服。（出埃及记22:26-27）
由于圣言中的一切律法，包括民法和司法，都与天上良善和真理的法则相对应，并通过这种对应关系而颁布，故刚才所引用的这些律法也是这种情况。否则，就不可能明白为何作当头的衣服要在日落以先归还，为何经上说“这是他遮盖皮肤、躺在里面的衣服”。这种对应关系从内义明显看出来，内义就是：不可骗取邻人的外在真理，就是他们照之生活的教义事物，以及一切宗教仪式。“衣服”表这类真理（参看297，1073，2576节），“日”表来自这些真理的爱或生活之良善（1529，1530，2441，2495节）。防止这良善灭亡由“衣服要在日落以先归还” 来表示。由于这些律法所规定的事，也就是这些外在真理，是内层事物的外在遮盖物，或它们的最表层或末端，故经上说“他遮盖皮肤、躺在里面的衣服”。
“皮”表外在事物，故经上吩咐要用染红的公羊皮作罩棚的盖，用海狗皮作罩棚上的顶盖（出埃及记26:14）。因为罩棚是三层天堂、因而是主国度的属天和属灵之物的代表。四围的幔子代表外在的属世之物（3478节），这些事物就是公羊皮和海狗皮。外在事物遮盖内在事物，或换句话说，属世之物遮盖属天和属灵之物，就像肉体遮盖灵魂，所以经上才给出这样的条例。由于同样的原因，经上吩咐，起营的时候，亚伦和他儿子要用遮掩的幔子蒙盖法柜，用海狗皮盖在上头；又要用染过两次的朱红色的毯子盖桌子和桌子上的东西，再以海狗皮为遮盖物蒙上；同样，他们要把灯台和灯台的一切器具包在海狗皮里；又要把供职使用的一切器具，包在蓝色毯子里，用海狗皮的遮盖物蒙上（民数记4:5，6，8，10-12）。凡虔诚思想圣言的人都能明白，神性事物就由所有这些事物来代表，如法柜，桌子，灯台，供职用的器皿，还有染过两次的朱红色毯子和蓝色毯子，以及海狗皮的遮盖物；所有这些事物都代表包含在外在事物中的神性事物。
因为先知代表那些教导的人，因此代表教导圣言的良善与真理（2534节），还因为以利亚代表圣言本身（2762节），约翰也是，他因此被称为要来的以利亚（马太福音17:10-13），所以为了他们能代表外在形式，即文字上的圣言的性质，以利亚腰束皮带（列王记下1:8）；约翰身穿骆驼毛的衣服，腰束皮带（马太福音3:4）。由于人和动物的皮表外在事物，也就是与属灵、属天之物相关的属世之物，还由于古教会习惯用意义的符号来说话和写作，故在约伯记这本古教会的书中，“皮”具有相同的含义。这一点从约伯记中的数处经文可以看出来，包括以下经文：
我知道我的救赎主活着，末后祂必站在尘土上。以后这些事必被我的皮包裹，我必在肉体之外得见神。（约伯记19:25-26）
“被皮包裹”表被属世之物，就是诸如人死后所带有的那类事物（参看3539节）；“在肉体之外得见神”表通过复活的自我这样做；因为“肉体”表自我（参看148，149，780节）。约伯记是古教会的一本书，如前所述，这一事实从它使用代表和有意义的符号的风格明显看出来。然而，它并不是被称为律法和先知的书之一，因为它没有唯独论述主及其国度的内义。仅仅这一点就决定了一本书是不是一本纯正圣言的书。
Potts(1905-1910) 3540
3540. And the skins of the kids of the she-goats she caused to be put. That this signifies the external truths of domestic good, is evident from the signification of "skins," as being external things (concerning which below); and from the signification of the "kids of the she-goats," because from a home flock, as being the truths of domestic good (concerning which n. 3518, 3519, where also it appears what domestic good is, and what the truths thence derived). Every good has its own truths, and every truth has its own good, which must be conjoined together in order for them to be anything. That "skins" signify things external is because skins are the outermosts of the animal in which its interiors are terminated, in like manner as is the case with the skin or cuticles in man. This signification is derived from the representation in the other life, there being those there who belong to the province of the skin, concerning whom of the Lord's Divine mercy something will be said when we speak concerning the Grand Man at the end of the following chapters. They are such as are only in external good and its truths. Hence the "skin" of man, and also of beasts, signifies what is external; which is also manifest from the Word, as in Jeremiah:
For the multitude of thine iniquity are thy skirts uncovered, and thy heels suffer violence. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, and the leopard his spots? Then can ye also do good that are taught to do evil (Jer. 13:22-23);
where "skirts" are external truths; "heels," outermost goods (that the "heel," and "shoes," are the lowest natural things may be seen above, n. 259, 1748); and because these truths and goods are from evil, as here said, they are compared to an "Ethiopian," or a black, and his "skin," and also to a "leopard" and his "spots." [2] In Moses:
If in pledging thou shalt have pledged thy neighbor's garment, thou shalt restore it unto Him before the sun goes down; for that is his only covering; it is his garment for his skin wherein he shall lie down (Exod. 22:26-27). As all the laws in the Word, even those which are civic and forensic, have a correspondence with the laws of good and truth in heaven, and were thence enacted, such is the case with this law also; otherwise it would be impossible to discover why a pledged garment should be restored before the sun went down; and why it is said that his garment is for his skin wherein he shall lie down. But from the internal sense the correspondence is manifest, being that our companions are not to be defrauded of external truths, which are the doctrinal things according to which they live, and rituals (that a "garment" signifies such truths, may be seen above, n. 297, 1073, 2576); but the "sun" is the good of love or of life which is therefrom (n. 1529, 1530, 2441, 2495); that this should not perish, is signified by the garment being restored before the sun went down; and because these external truths are the externals of the interior things, or their termination, it is said that "his garment is for his skin wherein he shall lie down." [3] As "skins" signified external things, it was commanded that the covering of the Tent should be of the skins of red rams, and over these the skins of badgers (Exod. 26:14); for the Tent was representative of the three heavens, thus of the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom. The curtains which were round about represented natural things that are external (n. 3478), which are the "skins of rams and of badgers," and as external things are those which cover internal ones, or in other words natural things are those which cover spiritual and celestial ones, just as the body covers its soul, therefore this was commanded; and in like manner that when the camp set forward Aaron and his sons should cover the ark of the testimony with the veil of covering, and should put over this covering the skin of a badger; and that upon the table and the things which were upon it they should spread a cloth of scarlet double-dyed, and should cover it with badger's skin as a covering; likewise that they should put the lampstand and all its vessels under a covering of badger's skin; and should put all the vessels wherewith they ministered under a cloth of blue, and should cover them with a covering of badger's skin (Num. 4:5-12). Whoever thinks of the Word holily may know that Divine things are represented by all these things: by the ark, the table, the lampstand, and the vessels wherewith they ministered; also by the coverings of scarlet double-dyed and blue; and also by the coverings of badgers' skins; and that by all these things are represented the Divine things that are within the external ones. [4] Inasmuch as the prophets represented those who teach, and hence the teaching of good and truth from the Word (n. 2534), and Elijah the Word itself (n. 2762), in like manner John, who for this reason is called the Elias that was to come (Matt. 17:10-13); therefore in order that they might represent the Word as it is in its external form, that is, in the letter, Elijah was girded with a girdle of skin about his loins (2 Kings 1:8); and John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a girdle of skin about his loins (Matt. 3:4). And inasmuch as the skin of man and beast signified external things, which are natural things in their relation to spiritual and celestial ones; and as in the Ancient Church it was customary to speak and write by significatives, therefore also in Job, which is a book of the Ancient Church, "skin" has the same signification, as may be seen from several passages in that book, and also from this:
I know my Redeemer, He liveth, and at the last He will arise above the dust, and afterward these shall be encompassed with my skin, and from my flesh I shall see God (Job 19:25-26). To be "encompassed with skin" denotes by the natural, such as man has with him after death (see n. 3539); "from the flesh to see God" is to do so from what is our own, vivified (that this is "flesh" may be seen above, n. 148, 149, 780). That the book of Job is a book of the Ancient Church is evident as before said from its representative and significative style; but it is not of those books which are called the Law and the Prophets, because it has not an internal sense which treats solely of the Lord and of His kingdom; for this is the one thing that makes a book of the genuine Word.
Elliott(1983-1999) 3540
3540. 'And she put the skins of the kids of the she-goats' means the external truths clothing homeborn good. This is clear from the meaning of 'skins' as external things, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'the kids of the she-goats', coming as they did from the flock bred within the homestead, as the truths which clothe homeborn good, dealt with in 3518, 3519, where it is also evident what homeborn good is and what truths from that source are. Any good whatever has its own truths, and any truths whatever have their own good. And they must be joined together - good to truths - if anything at all is to exist. The reason why 'skins' means external things is that the skin is the outer covering of an animal to which its exterior parts extend, even as the skin or the cuticles is such with a human being. The latter receives its spiritual meaning from what is representative in the next life, where there are people who belong to the province of the skin. These will in the Lord's Divine mercy be described at the ends of chapters below where the Grand Man will be presented as a separate subject. They are people in whom none but external good and the truths which go with this are present. This is why the skin, human or animal, means things that are external. The same is also evident from the Word, as in Jeremiah,
On account of the greatness of your iniquity your skirts have been uncovered, your heels have suffered violence. Can the Ethiopian change his skin and the leopard its spots? Also are you able to do good, having been taught to do evil? Jer 13:22, 23.
Here 'skirts' means external truths, 'heels' the lowest goods - 'the heel' and 'shoes' being the lowest natural things, see 259, 1748. And because those truths and goods, as it is said, spring from evil, they are compared to an 'Ethiopian', who was black, and his 'skin', and also to 'a leopard and its spots'.
[2] In Moses,
If you take your neighbour's clothing as a pledge you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; for this is his only covering; it is his clothing for his skin, in which he will lie down Exod 22:26, 27.
Inasmuch as all the laws contained in the Word, including civil and judicial ones, have a correspondence with laws in heaven concerning what is good and true, and from this correspondence came to be laid down, so it was with the law just quoted. For why else would it have ever been laid down that they were to restore clothing that had been pledged before the sun went down, and why else is it said that 'it is his clothing for his skin, in which he lies down'? The correspondence is evident from the internal sense, which is that people were not to cheat their neighbour of external truths, which are the matters of doctrine by which they conduct their lives, and also religious observances - 'clothing' meaning such truths, see 297,1073, 2576, and 'the sun' the good of love or of life that ensues from those truths, 1529, 1530, 2441, 2495. The prevention of that good from perishing is meant by the statement about the restoration of the pledge before the sun went down. And since the things laid down in those laws are the external coverings of interior things, or the outermost aspects of these, the words 'his clothing for his skin in which he lies down' are used.
[3] Because 'skins' meant external things it was commanded that there should be for the tent a covering made of red ram skins and over that a covering of badger skins, Exod 26:14. For the tent was representative of the three heavens, and so of the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom. The curtains enveloping it represented natural things, which are external, 3478; and these are the ram skins and the badger skins. And since external things are those which cover internal, or natural things are those which cover spiritual and celestial, in the way that the body does the soul, that command was therefore given. It was for a like reason commanded that when the camp was on the move Aaron and his sons were to cover the ark of the testimony with the veil and were to place a badger-skin covering over it. And over the table and what was on it they were to spread a twice-dyed scarlet cloth and then cover that with a badger-skin covering. They were likewise required to place the lampstand and all its vessels under a covering made of badger skin - also all the vessels for ministering they were to place under a violet cloth, and then cover them with a badger-skin covering, Num 4:5, 6, 8, 10-12. Anyone who thinks about the Word in a devout way may see that Divine things were represented by all these objects, such as the ark, the table, the lampstand, and the vessels for ministering, also the coverings of twice-dyed scarlet and of violet, as well as the coverings of badger skin, and that these objects represented Divine things contained within external ones.
[4] Because the prophets represented those who teach, and therefore represented teaching from the Word concerning what is good and true, 2534; and because Elijah represented the Word itself, 2762, as also did John, who for that reason is called the Elijah who is to come, Matt 17:10-13; and in order that these might represent the nature of the Word in its external form, that is, in the letter,
Elijah wore a skin girdle around his loins. 2 Kings 1:8. And John had a garment of camel hair and a skin girdle around his waist. Matt. 3:4.
Because animal 'skin' and human 'skin' means external things, which in relation to spiritual and celestial are natural things, and because it was customary in the Ancient Church to speak and to write by means of meaningful signs, reference is also made to both types of skin, and with the same meaning, in Job, a book of the Ancient Church. This becomes clear from a number of places in that book, including the following,
I know my Redeemer; He is alive; and at the last He will rise above the dust; and afterwards these things will be encompassed by my skin, and out of my flesh shall I see God. Job 19:25, 26.
'Encompassed by skin' stands for the natural as it exists with someone after he has died, dealt with in 3539. 'Out of one's flesh seeing God' is doing so from a proprium made alive. For the proprium is meant by 'flesh', see 148, 149, 780; and the Book of Job is a book of the Ancient Church, a fact which is evident, as has been stated, from its style which draws on representatives and meaningful signs. It is not however one of the books called the Law and the Prophets, the reason being that it has no internal sense in which the one subject is the Lord and His kingdom. For it is this alone that determines whether any book is a Book of the true Word.
Latin(1748-1756) 3540
3540. `Et pelles haedorum caprarum indui fecit': quod significet externa vera boni domestici, constat a significatione `pellium' quod sint externa, de qua sequitur; et ex significatione `haedorum caprarum,' quia ex grege qui domi, quod sint vera boni domestici, de qua n. 3518, 3519; ibi etiam patet quid bonum domesticum, et quid vera inde; unumquodvis bonum sua vera habet, et {1}unaquaevis vera suum bonum, {2}quae sibi conjuncta erunt, ut {3}sit aliquid. quod `pelles' significent externa, est quia pelles extima sunt animalis, in quas interiora ejus terminantur, similiter ac cutis seu cuticulae apud hominem; hoc ducit suum significativum a repraesentativo in altera vita; sunt {4}ibi qui ad provinciam cutis referuntur, de quibus, cum de Maximo Homine, ex Divina Domini Misericordia, ad finem capitum sequentium; et sunt illi qui solum in externo bono et ejus veris sunt; inde cutis et quoque `pellis' (t)significat externa; quod etiam patet a Verbo, ut apud (x)Jeremiam, Propter multitudinem iniquitatis tuae revelatae sunt fimbriae tuae, violati sunt calcanei tui. Num convertet Aethiops pellem suam, et pardus maculas suas? etiam vos potestis bonum facere, docti malum facere, xiii 22, 23;ibi `fimbriae' sunt externa vera, `calcanei' extima bona; quod `calcaneum et calcei' sint infima naturalia, videatur n. 259, (x)1748; et quia vera et bona illa ex malo sunt, ut dicitur, comparantur `Aethiopi' seu nigro et ejus `pelli,' tum `pardo et ejus maculis': [2] apud Mosen, Si oppignerando oppigneraveris vestem socii tui, antequam occidit sol restitues illam ei, quia haec operimentum ejus sola, haec vestis ejus pro pelle in qua cubabit, Exod. xxii 25, 26;
sicut omnes leges, etiam civiles et forenses, quae in Verbo, correspondentiam habent cum legibus boni et veri quae in caelo, et inde latae sunt, ita quoque haec, nam alioquin prorsus lateret, cur `oppigneratam vestem, antequam sol occidit, {5}restituerent,' et cur dicitur quod `vestis ejus pro pelle in qua cubabit'; correspondentia patet a sensu interno, quae est quod non defraudandi sint socii veris externis, quae sunt doctrinalia secundum quae vivunt, (c)et ritualia; quod `vestis' talia vera sint, videatur n. 297, 1073, 2576; `sol' autem est bonum amoris seu vitae quod inde, n. 1529, 1530, 2441, 2495; ne hoc pereat, significatur per quod `antequam sol occidit restitueret'; et quia illa sunt externa interiorum, seu terminationes horum, dicitur quod `vestis pro pelle in qua cubabit.' [3] Quia pelles significabant externa, mandatum est, Quod tegumentum tentorii essent pelles arietum ruforum, et superius pelles melium, Exod. xxvi 14;
`tentorium' enim erat repraesentativum trium caelorum, ita caelestium et spiritualium quae sunt regni Domini; `aulaea' quae circum, repraesentabant naturalia, quae sunt externa, n. 3478, quae sunt `pelles arietum et pelles melium'; et quia externa sunt quae integunt interna, seu naturalia quae spiritualia et caelestia, sicut corpus suam animam, ideo mandatum erat illud; pariter, Quod Aharon et filii ejus, cum proficiscerentur castra velo tegumenti obtegerent arcam testimonii, et darent super illud operimentum pellem melis;...et super mensam et quae super illa, expanderent pannum coccinei dibaphi, et (x)operirent illud operimento, pelle melis;... pariter darent candelabrum et omnia vasa ejus sub operimento ex pelle melis;...tum omnia vasa ministerii...darent sub pannum hyacinthini, et operirent illa operimento, pelle melis, Num. iv 5, 6, 8, 10-12;
quisque qui sancte de Verbo cogitat, scire potest quod {6}Divina per omnia illa repraesentata sint, et sicut per arcam, per mensam, per candelabrum, et vasa ministerii, etiam per indumenta ex coccineo dibapho et hyacinthino, tum per operimento ex pelle melium, et quod per haec repraesentata sint Divina quae in externis. [4] Quia `prophetae' repraesentabant docentes, et inde doctrinam boni et veri ex Verbo, n. 2534, (c)et `Elias' ipsum Verbum, n. 2762, similiter `Johannes,' qui ideo dicitur Elias qui venturus, Matth. xvii 10-13; idcirco ut repraesentarent Verbum quale est in externa forma, hoc est, in littera, Elias cingulo pellis cinctus {7}ad lumbos suos fuit, 2 Reg. i 8;
Et Johannes habebat indumentum ex pilis cameli, et cingulum pellis circa lumbum suum, Matth. iii 4. Quia `pellis et cutis' significabat externa, quae sunt naturalia respective ad spiritualia et caelestia, et in Antiqua Ecclesia sollemne fuit per significativa loqui et scribere, ideo etiam apud Hiobum, qui Antiquae Ecclesiae liber est, pellis et cutis idem significat, ut ab aliquibus locis apud illum constare potest, et quoque ab hoc, Novi Redemptorem meum, vivit, et postremum super pulverem surget, et post cute mea circumdabuntur haec, et ex carne mea videbo Deum, xix 25, 26;
`cute circumdari' pro naturali, quale secum homo post mortem habet; de quo n. 3539; `ex carne videre Deum' est ex proprio vivificato; quod id sit `caro,' videatur n. 148, 149, 780; quod Liber Hiobi sit Antiquae Ecclesiae liber, patet, ut dictum, (c)a stilo ibi repraesentativo et significativo, sed non est ex illis libris qui vocantur Lex et Prophetae, ex causa quia non habet sensum internum qui solum de Domino et Ipsius regno agit; hoc enim unicum est quod facit Librum genuini Verbi. @1 T alters to unumquodvis verum.$ @2 A had unum absque alio non dari potest, nam bina illa, but deletes all this and ip quae$ @3 sint I T$ @4 i enim$ @5 restitueret$ @6 after illa$ @7 in lumbis suis $