. And Abram took Sarai his wife. That this signifies good to which truth has been adjoined, is evident from that which is dignified in the Word by a man and his wife (n. 915); thus here, in the internal sense, by Sarai" is signified truth. In all things of man both in general and in particular there is an image of a marriage; nor can there possibly be anything so small as not to contain this image within it, whether it be in the external man and each and everything belonging to it, or in the internal man and each and everything belonging to it. The reason is that all things both in general and in particular come forth and subsist from the Lord, and from the unition of His Human Essence, as in a marriage, with His Divine Essence; and from the conjunction or heavenly marriage of both with His kingdom in the heavens and on earth. In the present case therefore, where there was to be represented the truth that is joined to the Lord’s good, and this by historic facts concerning Abram, it could be represented in no other way than by a "wife." That there is an image of a marriage in all things both in general and in particular, may be seen above (n. 54, 55, 718, 747, 917).
. That by "Abram" is meant the Lord, in the present case when He was a child; and that by "Sarai his wife" is meant truth, is evident from what has been already said.
. And Lot his brother‘s son. That this signifies sensuous truth, and thus the first that was insinuated into the Lord when a child, is evident from the signification of "Lot," as being the sensuous-as stated in the explication of the preceding verse-and from the signification of "son," as being truth (n. 264, 489, 491, 533); and also from the signification of "brother," as being the truth of faith (n. 367). Thus sensuous truth is what is here signified, for in the internal sense there is no reflection on the persons and words, but only upon their signification. In heaven they do not know who Lot is, but only the quality that is represented by him; nor do they know what a son is, but the spiritual state by which one is relatively as a son; nor do they know what a brother is, except from brotherhood such as there is in heaven. As regards sensuous truth, it is the first truth that insinuates itself’ for in childhood the judgment does not go higher. Sensuous truth consists in seeing all earthly and worldly things as being created by God, and each and everything for a purpose, and in all things whatsoever a certain image of God‘s kingdom. This sensuous truth is insinuated solely with the celestial man; and as the Lord alone was a celestial man, these and similar sensuous truths were insinuated into Him in earliest childhood: whereby He was prepared for the reception of celestial things.
. And all the substance that they had gotten. That this signifies all things that are sensuous truths, is evident from what has already been said. All the memory-knowledge from which a man thinks, is called "acquisition" or "substance." Without the acquisition of memory-knowledges, a man cannot as a man have any idea of thought. The ideas of thought are founded upon those things which have been impressed on the memory from the things of sense; and therefore memory-knowledges are vessels of spiritual things; and affections that are from good pleasures of the body are vessels of celestial things. All these are called "the substance got. ten," and indeed in Haran, by which is signified an obscure state, such as is that of infancy up to childhood.
. And the soul that they had gained in Haran. That this signifies every living essential that was possible in that obscure state, is evident from the signification of " soul," as being what is living essential; and from the signification of " Haran" as being an obscure state, concerning which see the preceding verse. The soul in the proper sense signifies that which lives in man, and thus his very life. That in man which lives is not the body, but the soul, and the body lives by means of the soul. The life itself of man, or the living part of him, is from celestial love; there cannot possibly be anything living which does not derive its origin from this; and therefore by "soul" is here signified the good which lives from celestial love, which good is the living essential itself. In the literal sense, by "soul" is here meant every man, and also every beast that was alive, and which they had procured for themselves; but in the internal sense nothing else is signified than what is living essential.
. And they went forth to go into the land of Canaan. That this signifies that He thus advanced to the celestial things of love, is evident from the signification of "the land of Canaan." That the land of Canaan represents the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens and on earth, is evident from many things in the Word. The reason is that the Representative Church was instituted there, in which all things both in general and in particular represented the Lord and the celestial and spiritual things of His kingdom. Not only were the rites representative, but everything connected with them, as well the persons who ministered, as the things by which they ministered, and also the places of the ministration. As the Representative Church was there, the land was called the Holy Land, although it was anything but holy, for it was inhabited by the idolatrous and the profane. This then is the reason why by " the land of Canaan," here and in what follows, are signified the celestial things of love; for the celestial things of love, and these alone, are in the Lord‘s kingdom, and constitute His Kingdom.
. And into the land of Canaan they came. That this signifies that He attained to the celestial things of love, is evident from what has just been said concerning the land of Canaan. There is here described the first thing in the Lord’s life-from birth to childhood - namely, that He attained to the celestial things of love. The celestial things of love are the very essentials; the rest come from them. With these He was first of all imbued; for from these as from their seed were all things afterwards made fruitful. The seed itself in Him was celestial, because He was born of Jehovah; and therefore He was the only one who had this seed in Himself. All men whatever have no other seed than something filthy and infernal, in and from which is what is their own; and this is from what is inherited from the father, as is known to every one; wherefore, unless they receive from the Lord a new seed and a new Own, that is, a new will and a new understanding, they cannot be otherwise than accursed to hell; from which all men, spirits, and angels, are drawn forth, and are continually withheld by the Lord.
GENESIS 12:5previous
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