434. Verse 8. And they had hair as the hair of women, signifies that they appeared to themselves to be in the affection of truth. By "man" in the Word, is signified the understanding of truth; and "woman," the affection of truth, because the man is born understanding, and the woman affection; on which subject, see in The Angelic Wisdom Concerning Marriage. By "hair" in the Word, is signified the ultimate of man's life, which is the sensual (see n. 424). This is what gives them the appearance of being in the affection of truth, when yet they are in the affection of falsity; for this they believe to be truth. That a "woman" signifies the affection of truth, may appear from many passages in the Word; hence it is, that the church is called "a wife," "a woman," "a daughter," and "a virgin," and the church is a church from the love or affection of truth; for from this comes the understanding of truth.
[2] The church is called "a woman" in these passages:
There were two women of one mother, and they committed whoredom in Egypt, Ohola which is Samaria, and Oholiba which is Jerusalem (Ezek. 23:2-4).
Jehovah hath called thee as a woman deserted and afflicted in spirit, and a woman of youth (Isa. 54:6-7).
Jehovah will create a new thing in the earth, a woman shall compass a man (Jer. 31:21-22).
By "the woman clothed with the sun, whom the dragon persecuted" (Revelation 12:1, 13), is signified the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem. By "women" are signified the affections of truth, from which the church is a church, in many passages, as in the following:
The women of My people have ye driven out from the house of her delights (Micah 2:9).
The families of houses shall mourn apart, and the women apart (Zech. 12:11-13).
Stand up, ye secure women, hear my speech (Isa. 32:9)
Wherefore do ye evil to cut off from you man and woman? (Jer. 44:7).
I will disperse man and woman (Jer. 51:22).
By "man" and "woman," here and elsewhere, is signified, in the spiritual sense, the understanding of truth and the affection of truth.