Spiritual Meaning of

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The signification of lice, is evils; but what evils they are, and from what origin, can be seen from the correspondence of evils with such vermin, in that they are especially the evils which are in the sensuous, that is, in the wholly external man. The correspondence is from this, that lice are in the outermost skin, and within dirt there, and beneath a scab. Such also is the sensuous of those who have been in the knowledge of faith, but in a life of evil. When this knowledge is taken away from them, as is done with such in the other life, they are then of a gross and stupid mind: they have sometimes appeared: they are foul and loathsome. Infestations by evils are signified by their biting. That such is the signification of lice cannot be confirmed by other passages from the Word, for they are mentioned elsewhere only in David when speaking of Egypt (Ps. 105:31).

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