10050. And its legs. That this signifies the purification of the exterior things of the natural man, is evident from the signification of "washing the legs," as being the purification of the natural man (that "to wash" denotes to purify, see just above, n. 10049); and from the signification of "legs," as being the exterior things that belong to the natural man. That "legs" have this signification is because the feet are meant at the same time, for the legs of beasts are four and cohere with the feet, and "feet" from correspondence signify the natural or external of man (see n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 4938-4952). [2] The like is signified by "legs" in Amos:
As the shepherd hath snatched out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the sons of Israel be rescued that dwell in Samaria, in the corner of a bed, and at the extremity of a couch (Amos 3:12);
by "the lion" are here signified those who lay waste the church; by the "legs," the external of the church, which also is of the natural man; by "a piece of an ear," its perception; by "them that dwell in Samaria," those who are in external worship; "the corner of a bed and the extremity of a couch" denote the lowest natural, which is the external sensuous, and its truth and good. [3] By the "legs" in the description of the statue of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel:
The head thereof was of pure gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and side of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet partly of iron, partly of clay (Dan. 2:32-33);
is signified the truth of faith in the external or natural man, which is also "iron" (n. 10030). That the legs are here distinguished from the feet is because it is different with the legs of man from what it is with those of beasts.
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