Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 29:27-30
previous  -  next  -  text  -  summary  -  Genesis  -  BM Home  -  Full Page

AC 3844. Verses 27-30. Fulfill this week, and we will give thee her also, for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled this week, and he gave him Rachel his daughter for a woman. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be to her for a handmaid. And he came also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. "Fulfill this week," signifies a succession of the study; "and we will give thee her also, for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years," signifies that then there would be a full state of study; "and Jacob did so, and fulfilled this week," signifies the effect of this; "and he gave him Rachel his daughter for a woman," signifies now the conjunction of good with the affection of interior truth; "and Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be to her for a handmaid," signifies the exterior affections which are the bonds or subservient means; "and he came also unto Rachel," signifies conjunction with the affection of internal truth; "and he loved also Rachel more than Leah," signifies the love of internal truth more than of external truth; "and served with him yet seven other years," signifies holy study.

AC 3845. Fulfill this week. That this signifies a further succession of study, is evident from the signification of "fulfilling," as here being to serve or fulfill by serving, thus study (n. 3824); and from the signification of a "week," as being a state and also an entire period (n. 728, 2044) in the present case therefore a subsequent state and period, consequently what is successive. In regard to the signification of a "week," this is the same as with the signification of a "month" (n. 3814), namely, that when it is mentioned in the singular number, it signifies the end of a former and the beginning of a subsequent state, thus a new state, to "fulfill" which is to proceed from the beginning to the end. The reason why a "week," like all times specifically, signifies a state and also a period, is that all states have also their periods, that is; their beginning, successive progress, and end; yet in the other life these are not perceived as times, but as states and their revolutions. It is here very evident what the ancients understood by a week, namely, in a proper sense, every period that was distinguished into seven, whether it was of days, or of years, or of ages; thus whether it was great or small. That here it is a period of seven years is manifest; and as with the ancients seven signified that which is holy (n. 84-87, 395, 433, 716, 881), a "week" signified a holy period, and also the holiness of a period.

AC 3846. And we will give thee her also, for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. That this signifies that then there would be a full state of study, is evident from the signification of "service" and of "serving," as being study (n. 3824); and from the signification of" seven years," as being the same as a "week," namely, a state and an entire period, as above (n. 3845) thus a full state, which is also holy (n. 3824). This expression, "we will give thee her also," signifies that then there would he conjunction with the affection of internal truth. The reason why in the internal sense "serving" is study, is that the labor of the external man is study in the internal man. Hence study is called a labor of the mind.

AC 3847. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled this week. That this signifies the effect of this, is evident from the signification of "fulfilling a week," as being a succession of the study (n. 3845); and that the effect of this is here meant, is manifest.

AC 3848. And he gave him Rachel his daughter for a woman. That this signifies now the conjunction of good with the affection of interior truth, is evident from the representation of Jacob as being the good of the natural, as already shown; and from the representation of Rachel as being the affection of interior truth, as also before shown: that "giving her for a woman" signifies conjunction, is manifest. As all the conjunction of good with truth at first apparently proceeds from exteriors to interiors in order, and at last to inmosts, therefore it is here said the affection of interior truth, for the affection itself which is of truth, flows in from good. The conjunction of good with the affection of internal truth takes place for the first time when the good of the natural is being conjoined with rational truth, and through this with rational good. This conjunction is represented by Jacob after the birth of his twelve sons, when he returned to the house of his mother and father, concerning which hereafter.

AC 3849. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be to her for a handmaid. That this signifies the exterior affections, which are the bonds or subservient means, is evident from what was said above (n. 3835). The reason why by "Bilhah" the handmaid of Rachel are signified exterior affections; and by " Zilpah" the handmaid of Leah, external affections, is that by Rachel is represented the affection of internal truth, and by Leah the affection of external truth. Exterior affections are natural affections which are subservient to internal ones. The reason why these exterior affections are means serviceable to the conjunction of truth with good, is that nothing which is of doctrine, and indeed nothing which is of memory-knowledge, can enter into man, save by means of affections; for in affections there is life, but not in the truths of doctrine and of memory-knowledge without affections. That this is the case is very plain; for a man cannot even think, nor so much as utter a syllable, without affection. He who pays attention to the matter will perceive that a voice without affection is like the voice of an automaton, and thus is but a lifeless sound; and that in proportion to the amount and the quality of the affection therein, such is the amount and the quality of the life in it. This shows what truths are without good; and that the affection is in the truths from the good.

[2] He who pays attention may also know, from the nature of man‘s understanding, that it is no understanding unless the will is in it; the life of the understanding being from the will. This again shows what truths without good are, namely, that they are no truths at all; and that truths derive their life from good; for truths belong to man’s intellectual part, and good to his will part. From all this anyone can judge what faith (which is of truth) is without charity, which is of good; and that the truths of faith without the good of charity are dead; for as before said the amount and the quality of the affection in truths, determine the amount and the quality of the life in them. But that truths nevertheless appear animated, even when there is no good of charity, is from the affections of the love of self and the love of the world, which have no life, except that which in the spiritual sense is called death, that is, infernal life. It is said affection, and thereby is meant that which is continuous of love.

[3] From all this we can see that affections are means subservient to the conjunction of truth with good; and that affections are what introduce truths, and also dispose them into order--genuine affections, which are of love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor, into heavenly order; but evil affections, which are of the love of self and the love of the world, into infernal order; that is, into the opposite of heavenly order.

[4] The most external affections are those of the body, and are called appetites and pleasures; the next interior affections are those of the natural mind, and are called natural affections but the internal affections are those of the rational mind, and are called spiritual affections. To these last--spiritual affections of the mind--doctrinal truths are introduced by means of exterior and most external, or natural and bodily affections. Hence these affections are subservient means, and are signified by the handmaids given by Laban to Rachel and to Leah. Their being called "Laban‘s" handmaids, signifies that they derived their origin from the good which is represented by Laban, which good has been described above. For the truths that are first learned cannot be at first insinuated by means of any other affections than these; genuine affections come in course of time, but not until the man acts from good.

AC 3850. And he came also unto Rachel. That this signifies conjunction with the affection of internal truth, is evident from the signification of "coming to," as being to be conjoined; and from the representation of Rachel, as being the affection of internal truth; concerning which above.

AC 3851. And he loved also Rachel more than Leah. That this signifies the love of internal truth more than of external truth, is evident from the representation of Rachel and of Leah; Rachel being internal truth, and Leah external truth. What internal truth is, and what external truth, see (n. 3820).

AC 3852. And served with him yet seven other years. That this signifies holy study is evident from the signification of "serving," as being study (n. 3824, 3846), and from the signification of "seven," as being what is holy (n. 395, 433, 716, 881, 3824). That is called holy study through which internal truths are conjoined with good, for all internal truths look to the Lord, and are conjoined through love to Him, this love being holiness itself.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

www.BibleMeanings.info