VI. On the Interior Man

The interior man is the rational soul; in the apostle: have in your hearts, in the interior man, Christ through faith. [Eph. 3:16]

His head is Christ; in the apostle: the head of the man is Christ. [I Cor. 11:3]

The crown of the head is the height of righteousness; in Solomon: for the crown of your head has received the crown of grace. The same in a bad part: the crown of hairs having walked about in their own delights, that is, in the height of iniquity. [Prov. 4:9; Ps. 67(68):22(21)]

The hair is the ornament of righteousness or sense; in the gospel: moreover, the hairs of your head are counted. [Matt. 10:30]

The eyes are the understanding of faith and are simple; in the gospel: blessed are your eyes because they have seen. And in a bad part of the gospel: if your eye were worthless. [Matt. 13:16; Matt. 6:23]

The ears are obedience to the faith; in the gospel: and your ears because they have heard. [Matt. 13:16]

The nostrils are the breath of faith and of the strength of the good; in Job: and the Holy Spirit is in my nostrils. And in a bad part of Job: smoke, that is, the devil, came from his nostrils. [Job 27:3; Job 41:11]

The throat is discernment of understanding; in the book of Job: does not my throat meditate on wisdom? And in a bad part: my throat has been made hoarse. [Job 12:11; Ps. 68(69):4(3)]

The mouth is conversation itself; in the psalm: the mouth of the righteous meditates on wisdom. [Ps. 36(37):30 Vulgate]

The tongue is the same as above; in the psalm: and his tongue speaks righteousness. [Ps. 36(37):30]

The hand is work; in the psalm: and I have washed my hands among innocents. [Ps. 25(26):6]

The right hand is good works; in the gospel: let your left hand not know what your right has done. [Matt. 6:3]

The left hand is works that are not good; in the gospel: the same as above.

The breast is the mystery of understanding; in the gospel: the disciple whom Jesus loved the most reclined on the breast of the Lord. [John 21:20]

The stomach is the rational capacity; in Habakkuk: my stomach is disturbed within me. [Hab. 3:16]

The kidneys are the interior sense; in the psalm: my reins teach me at night, at all times, and from above. [Ps. 15(16):7 Vulgate]

The loins are strength of soul; in the apostle: gird the loins of your mind. [Eph. 6:14]

The navel is the center of desire; in Job: and his strength is above the navel of the stomach, that is, because the female genitals here mean the same as the loins of men. [Job 40:11]

The fat marrow is divine grace; in the psalm: my soul is filled with marrow and fat. The same in a bad part: the marrow is the thickness of evil; in the psalm: they have enclosed their marrow. [Ps. 16(17):10 Vulgate]

The bones are the firmness of the soul; in the psalm: my bones say, Lord, who is like You? And in a bad part of the book of Job: my bones are like a tube in the air. [Ps. 34(35):10; Job 40:13]

The innards are the effect of piety and mercy; in the apostle: anything in your innards and compassion. And in another part in the acts of the apostles of Judea: his innards were poured out. [Phil. 2:1; Acts 1:18]

The skin is a sign of mortality; in Genesis: and He made them garments of skin. [Gen. 3:21]

The blood is the work of the flesh; in the psalm: free me from blood, O Lord, Lord of my salvation. And in the same: Flesh and blood cannot possess the kingdom of God. [Ps. 50(51):16(14); I Cor. 15:50]

The flesh is the exterior man; in the apostle: my flesh desires against my spirit, and my spirit also against my flesh. [Gal. 5:17]

The knees are a confession of humility; in the song: and now the knees of my heart are bent. The knees are also the strength of faith; in the prophet: leave me seven thousand men, who not bend their knees to Baal. [Eph. 3:14; III(I) Kings 19:18]

The feet are the course of life and stability of mind, or of faith; in the psalm: our feet were standing. And in a bad part in the prophet: why do you maim our feet and our necks? and: their swift feet to the letting of blood. [Ps. 121(122):2; III(I) Kings 18:21]

The heel is the deceit of the shrewd; in Genesis: she will herself watch out for your head, and you for his heel. And in a bad part: he has lifted his heel against me. [Gen. 3:15; John 13:18]

The footstep is the completion of work; in the psalm: direct my footsteps on Your path. [Ps. 16(17):5 Vulgate]

Footprints are signs of virtues; in the psalm: let my footprints not be moved. And in another part of Solomon: and our life, that is, of impieties, has passed like the footprint of a ship. [Ps. 16(17):5 Vulgate; Wisdom 2:3]

The robe is the clothing of baptism or of faith; in the gospel: quickly bring out the first robe. [Luke 15:22]

A garment of goat hair is a sign of repentance; in the gospel: at times they repented in sackcloth and ashes. [Matt. 11:21]

The belt is girding with spiritual works; in the psalm: and he has girded me with joy. [Ps. 29(30):12(11)]

Shoes are a preparation for peace; in the apostle; I have shod my feet in preparation for the gospel of peace. [Eph. 6:15]

The arms are the interior man; in the apostle: put on the breastplate of righteousness and the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. [Eph. 6:16-17]