Arcana Coelestia, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1749-56], tr. by John F. Potts [1905-10], at sacred-texts.com

Arcana Coelestia

I have done according as thou spokest unto me. That this signifies obedience, is evident without explication.

Arise I pray thee, sit, and eat of my hunting. That this signifies the truth of the affection of such good, is evident from the signification of "arising," as involving somewhat of elevation (see n. 2401, 2785, 2912, 2927, 3171); and from the signification of "sitting," as involving somewhat of tranquillity; from the signification of eating," as being appropriation (n. 2187, 3168); and from the signification of "hunting," as being the truth which is from good (n. 3501), hence in the present case the affection of that good from which is truth, for the things signified by "arising," "sitting," and "eating," in the internal sense belong to affection, and therefore only affection is mentioned to denote them.

That thy soul may bless me. That this signifies conjunction, is evident from the signification of "to be blessed," as being conjunction (see n. 3504, 3514, 3530).

And Isaac said unto his son. That this signifies the perception of the rational represented by Isaac concerning the natural which is represented by Jacob; and that "to say" denotes to perceive, has often been shown before.

How is it that thou hast hastened to find it, my son? That this signifies production so speedy, is evident without explication.

And he said, Because Jehovah thy God made it come to meet my face. That this signifies providence, is also evident without explication. The providence here treated of is that during regeneration good and the derivative truth are thus disposed in order with man, that is, that they appear outwardly, or are there presented, with a face like that of genuine good and its derivative genuine truths; when nevertheless they are not such, but as before said are domestic good and the derivative truths that are of service merely for the regenerating of man, thus for introducing goods and truths of a grosser nature, because such are conducive to the end.

Verses 21-23. And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near I pray, and I will feel thee my son, whether thou be my very son Esau, or not. And Jacob came near to Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he recognized him not, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands; and he blessed him. "And Isaac said unto Jacob," signifies perception concerning this natural; "come near I pray, and I will feel thee my son," signifies inmost perception from presence; "whether thou be my very son Esau, or not," signifies that it was not natural good; "and Jacob came near to Isaac his father," signifies a state of presence; "and he felt him," signifies thence all perception; "and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau," signifies that in this case the intellectual part is of truth which is within, but the will part is of good which is without, thus they are of inverted order; "and he recognized him not, because his hands were hairy as his brother Esau's hands," signifies that from the will part that was without it was perceived that it was natural good; "and he blessed him," signifies the consequent conjunction.

And Isaac said unto Jacob. That this signifies perception concerning this natural, is evident from the signification of "saying," as being to perceive, concerning which above; and from the representation of Jacob as being the natural as to truth, here only the natural, because he also represented apparently, or in an external form simulated, Esau; thus also the natural as to good, which is Esau, and likewise his hunting, which is the truth that is of that good (n. 3501). The reason why "he said" is so often repeated, is also because what is new thus begins, or a new perception (n. 2061, 2238, 2260).

Come near I pray, and I will feel thee my son. That this signifies inmost perception from presence, is evident from the signification of "coming near" as being presence; and from the signification of "feeling," as being an inmost and complete perception (n. 3528).

Whether thou be my very son Esau, or not. That this signifies that it was not natural good, is evident from the doubt expressed in these words and in those which presently follow; and as it is the rational which perceives what and of what quality the natural is, there is signified a perception that it was not natural good, or Esau.

And Jacob came near to Isaac his father. That this signifies a state of presence, is evident from what goes before.

And he felt him. That this signifies all perception, is evident from the signification of "feeling," as being an inmost and complete perception (see above, n. 3528, 3559), here, all perception, because the perception of all things is from that which is inmost, that is, they who are in inmost perception are in the perception of all things which are beneath; for the things which are beneath are nothing but derivations and compositions therefrom, inasmuch as the inmost is the all in all of the things beneath it; for unless whatever is beneath is from things interior; or what is the same, from things superior, as an effect from its efficient cause, it does not come into existence. And this shows why the end makes a man happy or unhappy in the other life; for the end is the inmost of every cause, insomuch that unless the end is in the cause, nay, unless it is the all thereof, the cause is not; and in like manner the end is the inmost of every effect, for the effect is from such cause; and because this is so, whatever pertains to man derives its being from the end which is in him, and hence in the other life his state is such as is his end (see n. 1317, 1568, 1571, 1645, 1909, 3425). From this it may be seen that as feeling signifies inmost perception, it therefore signifies all perception.

And said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. That this signifies that in this case the intellectual part is of truth which is within, but that the will part is of good which is without, thus that they are of inverted order, is evident from the predication of "voice" as being of truth, and from the predication of "hand" as being of good (that "voice" is predicated of truth is evident from what was adduced in volume 1, n. 219-220); and from its being said, "the voice is Jacob's voice," by whom is represented natural truth, as has been repeatedly shown above. And the reason why "hand" is predicated of good is that by "hand" is signified power and faculty (n. 878, 3541), which is derived from no other source than good, all the power and faculty of truth being therefrom, although it appears to be from truth; the same is evident also from its being said, "the hands are the hands of Esau," by whom good is represented, as also has been shown above. That these things are of inverted order is evident from the fact that it is according to order for good which is of the will to be within, and for truth which is of the understanding to be without. However, as before said, these things are such that they cannot be so well set forth to the apprehension, because few are in any knowledge concerning such things; for even if they should be most clearly set forth, yet when knowledge is wanting they are not apprehended and yet it is necessary to state how the case is, because this is the subject here treated of. [2] The good of the natural comes forth from no other source in man than interior good, that is, from the good of the rational; that the natural has good from no other source is evident; but the influx causes the good in the natural to be such as the natural is; and as this is the only source of the good of the natural, the truth of the natural is from the same source; for where good is, there is truth, both being necessary in order that there may be anything; but the influx causes the truth therein to be such as is that into which it flows. The influx takes place in this way: The good of the rational flows into the natural in two ways; through the shortest way, into the good itself of the natural, thus immediately; and through the good of the natural into the truth there; this good and this truth are what is represented by Esau and his hunting. The good of the rational also flows into the natural by a way less short, namely, through the truth of the rational, and by this influx forms something like good, but it is truth. [3] It is according to order that the good of the rational should inflow into the good of the natural and at the same time into its truth, immediately; and also through the truth, of the rational into the good of the natural, thus mediately; and in like manner into the truth of the natural both immediately and mediately; and when this is the case, then the influx is according to order. Such influx exists with those who have been regenerated; but as before said there is another influx before they have been regenerated, namely, that the good of the rational does not flow immediately into the good of the natural, but mediately through the truth of the rational, and thus presents something like good in the natural, but which is not genuine good, and consequently not genuine truth; yet it is such that inmostly it really has good from the influx through the truth of the rational; but no further. Therefore also good comes forth there under another form, namely, outwardly like the good which is represented by Esau, but inwardly like the truth which is represented by Jacob; and as this is not according to order, it is said to be of inverted order; but yet in respect to the fact that man can be regenerated in no other way, it is according to order. [4] I am aware that these things, even though clearly stated, and consequently possible of clear perception on the part of those who are in the knowledge of such things, are yet obscure to those who do not know what influx is; and still more so to those who do not know that the rational is distinct from the natural; and still more so to those who have not any distinct idea about good and truth. But what the quality of natural good is, and of natural truth, in the state previous to regeneration, can appear solely from the affections at that time. When man is affected with truth, not for the sake of ends of life, but for the sake of other ends, such as that he may become learned, and this from a certain affection of emulation, or from a certain affection of childish envy, and also from a certain affection of glory; then are the good of the natural and the truth of the natural in such an order as is here represented by Jacob, consequently relatively to each other they are in inverted order; that is, the will part which is of good is without, and the intellectual part which is of truth is within. [5] But in the state after regeneration it is otherwise; for then man is not only affected with truth for the sake of ends of life, but still more is he affected with the good itself of life; and the former affections, namely those of emulation, of childish envy, and of glory, separate themselves, and this until it appears as if they were dissipated; for then the good which is of the will is within, and the truth which is of the understanding is without; yet still in such a manner that truth acts as a one with good, because from good. This order is genuine; and the former order tends to the forming of this order, inasmuch as the will part, which is then without, admits many things that are serviceable to regeneration, and is like a sponge that absorbs both clear and muddy waters; thus also it admits things that would otherwise be rejected, which yet serve as means, and also for forming ideas about goods and truths, and for other uses.

And he recognized him not, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands. That this signifies that from the will part which was without it was perceived that it was natural good, is evident from the fact that he did not recognize Jacob to be Jacob, that is, the truth which Jacob represents; but he perceived Esau, that is, the natural good which was without; and this because of the influx spoken of above (n. 3563), for between interior good and exterior good there is communication, because there is parallelism (n. 1831-1832, 3514); but not between good and truth, unless the influx of good into truth is such as has been described just above.

And he blessed him. That this signifies the consequent conjunction, is evident from the signification of being blessed," as being conjunction (n. 3504, 3514, 3530); but in this state the conjunction was no other than that which was described above (n. 3563). With the truth represented by Jacob there was inmost conjunction, but not mediate conjunction; thus through the end which is the inmost good, and which was that thus and no otherwise it could be effected. When there is this end, then for the first time there is a conjunction of the inmost things with the outermost; mediate conjunction comes successively, and is produced by the end; for in the end lies concealed all the progression, inasmuch as the Lord acts through the ends, and through them successively disposes the intermediate things into order; from which comes the conjunction which is signified by Isaac blessing Jacob.

Verses 24, 25. And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am. And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's hunting, that my soul may bless thee; and he brought it near to him, and he did eat, and he brought him wine, and he drank. "And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am," signifies the state of the affection of natural truth, that from the external form it then believed itself to be natural good; "and he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's hunting" signifies a longing to conjoin with itself natural truth through good; "that my soul may bless thee," signifies conjunction; "and he brought it near to him, and he did eat," signifies the conjunction of good first; "and he brought him wine, and he drank," signifies the conjunction of truth afterwards.

And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am. That this signifies the state of natural truth, that from the external form it then believed itself to be natural good, is evident from Isaac's inquiry, "Art thou my very son Esau?" by which in the internal sense nothing can be signified than the influx of the rational from good into the natural truth represented by Jacob; and from the reply, "and he said, I am," as signifying that it then believed itself to be good. (See what is said above, n. 3550.)

And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's hunting. That this signifies a longing to conjoin with itself natural truth through good, is evident from the signification of "eating," as being to conjoin and appropriate (n. 2187, 2343, 3168, 3513); and from the signification of "my son's hunting," as being the truth of good (n. 3309, 3501, 3508). That a longing is signified, is evident.

That my soul may bless thee. That this signifies conjunction, is evident from the signification of "being blessed," as being conjunction (n. 3504, 3514, 3530, 3565).

And he brought it near to him, and he did eat. That this signifies the conjunction of good first; and that "he brought him wine and he drank" signifies the conjunction of truth afterwards, is evident from the signification of "eating," as being to be conjoined and appropriated in respect to good (concerning which just above, n. 3568); and from the signification of "wine," as being the truth which is from good (n. 1071, 1798); and from the signification of "drinking," as being to be conjoined and appropriated in respect to truth (n. 3168). In regard to the circumstance that the good of the rational, represented by Isaac, conjoins with itself good first, and truth afterwards, and this through the natural, which is Jacob, the case is this: When the natural is in the state in which it is outwardly good and inwardly truth (n. 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563), it then admits many things which are not good, but which nevertheless are useful, being means to good in their order. But the good of the rational does not conjoin and appropriate to itself from this source anything but that which is in agreement with its own good;, for good receives nothing else, and whatever disagrees, it rejects. The rest of the things in the natural it leaves, in order that they may serve as means for admitting and introducing more things that are in agreement with itself. [2] The rational is in the internal man, and what is there being transacted is unknown to the natural, for it is above the sphere of its observation; and for this reason the man who lives a merely natural life cannot know anything of what is taking place with him in his internal man, that is, in his rational; for the Lord disposes all such things entirely without the man's knowledge. Hence it is that man knows nothing of how he is being regenerated, and scarcely that he is being regenerated. But if he is desirous to know this, let him merely attend to the ends which he proposes to himself, and which he rarely discloses to anyone. If the ends are toward good, that is to say, if he cares more for his neighbor and the Lord than for himself, then he is in a state of regeneration; but if the ends are toward evil, that is to say, if he cares more for himself than for his neighbor and the Lord, let him know that in this case he is in no state of regeneration. [3] Through his ends of life a man is in the other life; through ends of good in heaven with the angels; but through ends of evil in hell with devils. The ends in a man are nothing else than his loves; for that which a man loves he has for an end; and inasmuch as his ends are his loves, they are his inmost life (n. 1317, 1568, 1571, 1645, 1909, 3425, 3562, 3565). The ends of good in a man are in his rational, and these are what are called the rational as to good, or the good of the rational. Through the ends of good, or through the good therein, the Lord disposes all things that are in the natural; for the end is as the soul, and the natural is as the body of this soul; and such as the soul is, such is the body with which it is encompassed; thus such as the rational is as to good, such is the natural with which it is invested. [4] It is known that the soul of man commences in the ovum of the mother, and is afterwards perfected in her womb, and is there encompassed with a tender body, and this of such a nature that through it the soul may be able to act in a manner suited to the world into which it is born. The case is the same when man is born again, that is, when he is being regenerated. The new soul which he then receives is the end of good, which commences in the rational, at first as in an ovum there, and afterwards is there perfected as in a womb; the tender body with which this soul is encompassed is the natural and the good therein, which becomes such as to act obediently in accordance with the ends of the soul; the truths therein are like the fibers in the body, for truths are formed from good (n. 3470). Hence it is evident that an image of the reformation of man is presented in his formation in the womb; and if you will believe it, it is also the celestial good and spiritual truth which are from the Lord that form him and then impart the power to receive each of them successively, and this in quality and quantity precisely as like a man he looks to the ends of heaven, and not like a brute animal to the ends of the world. [5] That the rational as to good through the natural conjoins with itself good first, and truth afterwards, which is signified by Jacob's bringing dainties and bread to Isaac and his eating, and bringing him wine and his drinking, may also be illustrated by the offices which the body performs for its soul. It is the soul which gives to the body to have appetite for food, and also to enjoy the taste of it, the foods being introduced by means of the delight of appetite and the delight of taste, thus by means of external good; but the foods which are introduced do not all enter the life, for some serve as menstruums for digesting; some for tempering; some for opening; some for introducing into the vessels; but the good foods selected are introduced into the blood, and become blood, out of which the soul conjoins with itself such things as are of use. [6] The case is the same with the rational and the natural: to appetite and taste correspond the desire and the affection of knowing truth; and knowledges correspond to foods (n. 1480); and because they correspond, they are circumstanced in like manner; the soul (which is the good of the rational) gives to long for and to be affected with the things which are of memory-knowledge and of doctrine, and introduces them through the delight of the longing and the good of the affection. But the things which it introduces are not all such as to become the good of life; for some serve as means for a kind of digesting and tempering; some for opening and introducing; but the goods which are of life it applies to itself, and thus conjoins them with itself, and from them forms for itself truths. From this it is evident how the rational disposes the natural, in order that it may serve it as the soul or what is the same, may serve the end, which is the soul, to perfect itself, that it may be of use in the Lord's kingdom.

Verses 26-29. And Isaac his father said unto him, Come near I pray, and kiss me, my son. And he came near, and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which Jehovah hath blessed. And God shall give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fat things of the earth, and a multitude of corn and new wine. Peoples shall serve thee, and peoples shall bow down themselves to thee. Be thou a master to thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down themselves to thee; cursed are they that curse thee, and blessed are they that bless thee. "And Isaac his father said unto him, Come near I pray," signifies a degree of perception still more interior; "and kiss me, my son" signifies whether it can be united; "and he came near, and kissed him," signifies presence and unition; "and he smelled the smell of his garments," signifies that which was grateful from the truth of good which he perceived; "and blessed him," signifies conjunction thus; "and said, See, the smell of my son," signifies that which was grateful from the truth of good; "is as the smell of a field," signifies as from good ground out of which is truth; "which Jehovah hath blessed," signifies that it is multiplied and made fruitful from the Divine; "and God shall give thee of the dew of heaven," signifies from Divine truth; "and of the fat things of the earth," signifies from Divine good; "and a multitude of corn," signifies the derivative natural good; "and new wine," signifies the derivative natural truth; "peoples shall serve thee," signifies the truths of the church, or spiritual churches; "and peoples shall bow down themselves to thee," signifies the truths of good; "Be thou a master to thy brethren," signifies the dominion at first appearing to be that of the affection of natural truth over the affections of natural good; "and let thy mother's sons bow down themselves to thee," signifies over all other affections of truth; "cursed are they that curse thee," signifies that he who disjoins himself shall be disjoined; "and blessed are they that bless thee," signifies that he who conjoins himself shall be conjoined.

And Isaac his father said unto him, Come near I pray. That this signifies a degree of perception still more interior, is evident from the signification of "saying that he should come near," as being a degree of more interior perception from presence; "to come near" has no other signification.

And kiss me my son. That this signifies whether it can be united, is evident from the signification of "kissing;" as being unition and conjunction from affection. "Kissing," which is an outward thing, signifies nothing else than the affection of conjunction, which is an inward thing; they also correspond. As is evident from what has been said above, the subject here treated of in the supreme sense is the glorification of the natural in the Lord, that is, how the Lord made the natural in Himself Divine; but in the representative sense the subject is the regeneration of the natural in man, thus the conjunction of the natural with the rational; for the natural is not regenerated until it has been conjoined with the rational. This conjunction is effected by the immediate and mediate influx of the rational into the good and truth of the natural; that is to say, from the good of the rational immediately into the good of the natural, and through this into the truth of the natural; and mediately through the truth of the rational into the truth of the natural, and thence into the good of the natural-which conjunctions are here treated of. [2] These conjunctions are impossible except by means provided by the Divine, and indeed by such as are utterly unknown to man, and of which he can scarcely have any idea by means of the things of the world's light, that is, which are of the natural lumen with him; but only by means of the things which are of the light of heaven, that is, which are of rational light. Nevertheless all these means have been disclosed in the internal sense of the Word, and are manifest before those who are in that sense, thus before the angels, who see and perceive innumerable things on this subject, of which scarcely one can be unfolded and explained in a manner suited to the apprehension of man. [3] But from effects and the signs thereof it is in some measure manifest to man how the case is with this conjunction; for the rational mind (that is, man's interior will and understanding) ought to represent itself in the natural mind just as this mind represents itself in the face and its expressions, insomuch that as the face is the countenance of the natural man, so the natural mind should be the countenance of the rational mind. When the conjunction has been effected, as is the case with those who have been regenerated, then whatever man interiorly wills and thinks in his rational presents itself conspicuously in his natural, and this latter presents itself conspicuously in his face. Such a face have the angels; and such a face had the most ancient people who were celestial men, for they were not at all afraid that others should know their ends and intentions, inasmuch as they willed nothing but good; for he who suffers himself to be led by the Lord never intends or thinks anything else. When the state is of this character, then the rational as to good conjoins itself immediately with the good of the natural, and through this with its truths; and also mediately through the truth that is conjoined with itself in the rational with the truth of the natural, and through this with the good therein; and in this way the conjunction becomes indissoluble. [4] But how far man is at this day removed from this state, thus from the heavenly state, may be seen from the fact that it is believed to be of civil prudence to speak, to act, and also to express by the countenance, something else than what one thinks and intends, and even to dispose the natural mind in such a manner that together with its face it may act contrary to the things which it interiorly thinks and wills from an end of evil. To the most ancient people this was an enormous wickedness, and such persons were cast out from their society as devils. From these things, as from effects and their signs, it is evident in what consists the conjunction of the rational or internal of man as to good and truth with his natural or external man; and thus what is the quality of a man-angel, and what the quality of a man-devil.

And he came near, and kissed him. That this signifies presence and unition, is evident from the signification of "coming near," as being presence; and from the signification of "kissing," as being unition or conjunction from affection (n. 3573). That "kissing" has this signification is evident also from the following passages in the Word. In David: Serve Jehovah with fear. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish in the way, for His anger will soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him (Ps. 2:11-12); where the Lord is treated of, whose Divine Human is the " Son;" to "kiss Him" is to be conjoined with Him through the faith of love. Again: Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other (Ps. 85:10); "righteousness and peace have kissed each other" denotes their conjunction together. In Hosea: Ephraim spoke horror, and became guilty in Baal; and now they sin more and more and have made them a molten image of their silver, even idols in their own intelligence, all of them the work of the craftsmen; they say to them, Let the sacrificers of men kiss the calves (Hos. 13:1-2); "Ephraim" denotes intelligence, here, man's own intelligence, that is, those who believe themselves to be wise, and who desire to be wise, not from the Lord; the "molten image of their silver" denotes good falsified; "all of them the work of the craftsmen" denotes self-intelligence. They who are such are said to "kiss the calves," that is, to embrace magic and to adjoin themselves thereto. In the first book of Kings: Jehovah said to Elijah, I have caused to be left seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth that hath not kissed him (1 Kings 19:18); where "to kiss" denotes to join one's self from affection, thus to worship.

And he smelled the smell of his garments. That this signifies that which was grateful from the truth of good which he perceived, is evident from the signification of the "smell," as being that which is grateful (n. 925), and of "smelling," as being to perceive that which is grateful; and from the signification of "garments," as being truth (n. 297, 1073, 2576); and because they were Esau's, who is here meant by "his," and by Esau is represented the good of the natural, therefore it is the truth of good which is signified. The truth of good is that which is produced in the natural by means of the immediate and mediate influx of the rational (see above n. 3573); this truth was that which was desired; but because it could not be produced by immediate influx from the good of the rational, unless at the same time by mediate influx (that is, through the truth of the rational), and as this could not be produced except by means of a number of means, which are what are here described by "Esau" and "Jacob" in the internal sense, therefore by "smelling the smell of his garments" is signified the truth of good which was perceived.

And he blessed him. That this signifies conjunction thus, is evident from the signification of "being blessed," as being conjunction (n. 3504, 3514, 3530, 3565). From these particulars which are related concerning Esau and Jacob it is evident that the good of the rational conjoined itself inmostly with the good of the natural, and through the good therein with truth; for Isaac represents the rational as to good; Rebekah, the rational as to truth; Esau, the good of the natural; and Jacob, the truth of it. That the rational as to good, signified by "Isaac," conjoined itself inmostly with the good of the natural, signified by "Esau," and not with the truth of the natural, signified by "Jacob," except mediately, is evident from the fact that Isaac had Esau in mind when he pronounced the blessing on Jacob; nor did he then think of Jacob, but of Esau. He who pronounces a blessing, blesses him of whom he is thinking, and not then him of whom he is not thinking. All the blessing that is uttered with the mouth goes forth from within, and has life in it from the will and thought of him who blesses, and therefore it essentially belongs to him for whom he wills, and of whom he thinks. He who takes it away and thus makes it his own is like one who steals something which should be restored to another. That when Isaac blessed he thought of Esau and not of Jacob, is evident from all that goes before, as from verses 18 and 19, where Isaac says to Jacob, "Who art thou my son?" and Jacob said unto his father, "I am Esau thy firstborn;" and from verses 21, 22, and 23, where Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near I pray, and I will feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau, or not;" and after he had felt him, he said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau, and he recognized him not;" also from verse 24, "And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am;" and at last when he kissed him, he smelled the smell of his garments," namely, Esau's; and when he then blessed him, he said, "See, the smell of my son;" from all which it is evident that by the son whom he blessed no other was meant than Esau; and therefore also when he heard from Esau that it was Jacob, "Isaac shuddered with exceeding great shuddering" (verse 33), "and said, Thy brother came with fraud" (verse 35); but the reason why Jacob retained the blessing, according to what is said in verses 33 and 37, is that the truth represented by Jacob was apparently to have the dominion for a time, as has been shown several times above. [2] But after the time of reformation and regeneration has been completed, then the good itself which had lain inmostly concealed, and from within had disposed each and all things that had appeared to be of truth, or that truth had attributed to itself, comes forth and openly has the dominion. This is signified by what Isaac said to Esau: "By thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother, and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from upon thy neck" (verse 40), the internal sense of which words is that so long as truth is being conjoined with good, good is apparently made to take a lower place; but that it will be in the prior place, and then there will be a conjunction of the rational with the good of the natural, and thereby with the truth; and thus truth will come to be of good; consequently Esau will then represent the good itself of the natural, and Jacob the truth itself thereof, both conjoined with the rational; thus in the supreme sense the Lord's Divine natural; Esau, as to the Divine good, and Jacob as to the Divine truth, therein.

As the smell of a field. That this signifies as from good ground out of which comes truth, is evident from the signification of the "smell of a field," as being the perception of truth from good, like the exhalation from the harvest in a field (that "field" denotes good ground may be seen above, n. 3500). The reason why "smell" signifies perception, is that the delights of good and the pleasant things of truth which are perceived in the other life, manifest themselves there by corresponding odors (see n. 1514, 1517-1519); and from this and also from the correspondences it is evident that smell is nothing else than the perceptive, but the natural perceptive that corresponds to the spiritual perceptive.

Which Jehovah hath blessed. That this signifies that it is multiplied and made fruitful from the Divine, is evident from the signification of "Jehovah blessing," as being to be multiplied as to truth and to be made fruitful as to good (see n. 2846, 3406).

And God shall give thee of the dew of heaven. That this signifies from Divine truth, and that "of the fat things of the earth" signifies from Divine good, is evident from the signification of the "dew of heaven," as being truth (of which in what follows); and from the signification of "fat things," as being good (n. 353), both Divine in the supreme sense, in which they are predicated of the Lord. With the multiplication of truth and fructification of good the case is this: When the rational flows into the natural, it there presents its good in a general form; through this good it produces truths therein, almost as the life in man builds up fibers, and disposes them into forms according to uses. This good, through these truths disposed into heavenly order, produces further good; and through this good further truths, which are derivations. Such a natural idea may be had of the formation of truth from good, and further of good through truth, whereby again truth is formed; but a spiritual idea cannot be had except by those who are in the other life, for there ideas are formed from the light of heaven, in which is intelligence. [2] That "dew" signifies truth is evident also from the Word elsewhere, as in Zechariah: The seed of peace, the vine shall give her fruit and the earth shall give her produce, and the heavens shall give their dew (Zech. 8:12); speaking of a new church, where the "vine giving its fruit" denotes the spiritual of the church or the truth of faith, giving good; and the "earth giving its produce," the celestial of the church or the good of charity, giving truth; these are the "dew which the heavens shall give." In Haggai: Because of Mine house that lieth waste over you the heavens are closed from dew, and the earth is closed from her produce (Hag. 1:9-10); where the "dew of the heavens and the produce of the earth," which were restrained, have a like signification. [3] In David: From the womb of the dawning, thou hast the dew of thy birth (Ps. 110:3); concerning the Lord; the "dew of birth" denoting the celestial of love. In Moses: Blessed of Jehovah be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep lying beneath (Deut. 33:13); concerning Joseph; the "precious things of heaven" are spiritual things (n. 3166), which are signified by "dew;" the "deep lying beneath" signifies natural things. Again: Israel dwelt securely, alone at the fountain of Jacob, in a land of corn and new wine, yea his heavens dropped down dew (Deut. 33:28); where also the "dew which the heavens dropped" denotes the spiritual things which are of truth. [4] In the genuine sense "dew" is the truth of good which is from a state of innocence and peace; for by "morning" or "day-dawn," when the dew descends, are signified these states (see n. 2333, 2405, 2540, 2780); hence also the manna which was from heaven was with the dew that descended in the morning, as may be seen from Moses: In the morning the dew was laid round about the camp; and when the laying of the dew withdrew, behold on the faces of the wilderness a small round thing, small as the hoar frost on the ground (Exod. 16:13-14). When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it (Num. 11:9). As the manna was heavenly bread, in the supreme sense it signified the Lord as to the Divine good; hence with men the celestial of love, for this is from the Divine of the Lord (n. 276, 680, 1798, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478); the "dew" in which and with which the manna descended, in the supreme sense denotes the Divine truth; and in the relative sense, the spiritual truth with men; "morning" is the state of peace in which these goods are (n. 92, 93, 1726, 2780, 3170). [5] Inasmuch as "dew" signifies the truth which is from good, or what is the same, the spiritual which is from the celestial, therefore also in the Word spiritual truth is compared to "dew;" for things which signify serve also for comparison with the same thing, as in Isaiah: Thus hath Jehovah said unto me, I will be still, and I will behold in My dwelling-place; like serene heat upon light; like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest (Isa. 18:4). In Hosea: O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? For your holiness is as a cloud of the dawn, and as the dew that falleth in the morning (Hos. 6:4; 13:3). Again: I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall blossom as the lily, and shall fix his roots as Lebanon (Hos. 14:5). In Micah: The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as dew from Jehovah, as drops upon the herb (Micah 5:7). In David: Like the goodly oil upon the head that came down upon the border of Aaron's garments; like the dew of Hermon that cometh down upon the mountains of Zion; for there Jehovah commanded the blessing of life forevermore (Ps. 133:2-3). And in Moses: My doctrine shall drop as the rain, My word shall distil as the dew; as the small rain upon the grass; and as drops upon the herb (Deut. 32:2); where "dew" denotes the multiplication of truth from good, and the fructification of good through truth; and as the dew is that which every morning renders the field and vineyard fruitful, good itself and truth are signified by "corn and new wine," concerning which in what follows.

And a multitude of corn. That this signifies the derivative natural good, and that "new wine" signifies the derivative natural truth, is evident from the signification of "corn," as being good; and from the signification of "new wine," as being truth; which when predicated of the natural signify natural good and truth, and then "bread and wine" are predicated of the rational. (That "bread" is celestial good, see above, n. 276, 680, 1798, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478; and that "wine" is what is spiritual, thus truth from good, n. 1071, 1798.) [2] That "corn and new wine" have this signification, may be seen also from the following passages in the Word. In Haggai: The heavens are closed from dew, and the earth is closed from her produce. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine; and upon that which the ground bringeth forth (Hag. 1:10-11); where "drought" denotes a lack of dew and of rain, thus a lack of truth derived from any good; "drought upon the corn" is a lack of good and "drought upon the new wine" is a lack of truth. In Moses: Israel shall dwell securely, alone at the fountain of Jacob in a land of corn and new wine; yea, his heavens shall drop down dew (Deut. 33:28); "alone" denotes those who are not infested by evils and falsities (n. 139, 471); a "land of corn and new wine" denotes the good and truth of the church. [3] In Hosea: I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall bud forth as the lily, and shall fix his roots as Lebanon; his branches shall go forth, and his honor shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon; they that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall vivify the corn, and blossom as the vine; his memory shall be as the wine of Lebanon (Hos. 14:5-7); where "corn" denotes spiritual good and wine," spiritual truth. In Isaiah: The curse shall devour the earth. The new wine shall mourn, the vine shall languish, all the glad of heart shall sigh (Isa. 24:6-7); where the vastation of the spiritual church is treated of; the "new wine mourning" denotes that truth shall cease. [4] In Jeremiah: Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob. And they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together unto the goodness of Jehovah, to the corn and to the new wine, and to the oil, and to the sons of the flock and of the herd (Jer. 31:11-12); the "corn and new wine" denote good and the derivative truth; "oil," the good from which they come, and which is from them; "the sons of the flock and of the herd," the truth which thus comes therefrom; and as these things have such a signification, they are called "the goodness of Jehovah." [5] In Hosea: She did not know that I gave her the corn, and the new wine, and the oil, and multiplied unto her silver and gold which they made for Baal. Therefore will I return and take away My corn and My new wine in their appointed season, and I will pluck away My wool and My flax (Hos. 2:8-9); where the church perverted is treated of; and it is manifest that by "corn" is not meant corn; nor by "new wine," new wine; neither by "oil," "silver," "gold," "wool," and "flax," are such things meant, but those which are spiritual; that is, those of good and truth. [6] In like manner where a new church is treated of, in the same Prophet: I will betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness and thou shalt know Jehovah. And it shall come to pass in that day that I will hearken to the heavens; and these shall hearken to the earth; and the earth shall hearken to the corn, and the new wine, and the oil; and these shall hearken to Jezreel (Hos. 2:20-22); where "Jezreel" denotes a new church. In Joel: Awake ye drunkards and weep, and howl all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it is cut off from your mouth. The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted, the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth (Joel 1:5, 10). [7] Again: Rejoice ye sons of Zion, and be glad in Jehovah your God; for He hath given you the early rain for righteousness; and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the early rain and the latter rain in the first. And the floors shall be filled with pure corn, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil (Joel 2:23-24). Again in the same Prophet: And it shall come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall go forth out of the house of Jehovah (Joel 3:18); where the Lord's kingdom is treated of; and by "sweet wine," by "milk," and by "waters," are signified spiritual things whose abundance is thus described. [8] In Zechariah: Jehovah their God shall save them in that day as the flock of His people. For how great is His goodness! and how great is His beauty! corn shall make the young men to flourish, and new wine the virgins (Zech. 9:16-17). In David: Thou dost visit the earth, and delightest in it; Thou greatly enrichest it; the stream of God is full of waters; Thou preparest them corn; the meadows are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing (Ps. 65:9, 13). From all this we can see what is signified by "corn and new wine."

Peoples shall serve thee. That this signifies the truths of the church, and that "peoples shall bow down themselves to thee" signifies the truths of good, is evident from the mention of serving," as being concerning truths (n. 2567, 3409); and from the signification of "peoples," as being truths (n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295). By the "peoples" first mentioned are signified the truths of the church, which are called spiritual truths; and by the "peoples" mentioned the second time are signified the truths of good, which are spiritual goods, and are called truths relatively, the goods of charity being such truths. Because there is this distinction, the "peoples" mentioned in the first place and in the second are not expressed in the Hebrew tongue by the same word, but yet by a word somewhat akin.

Be thou a master to thy brethren. That this signifies the dominion at first appearing to be of that of the affection of natural truth over the affections of natural good, is evident from the signification of being "a master," as being dominion and from the signification of "brethren," as being the affections of good, here, of natural good (n. 367, 2360, 3303). (Concerning the apparent dominion at first of truth over good, see n. 3324-3325, 3330, 3332, 3336, 3470, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570.)

And let thy mother's sons bow down themselves to thee. That this signifies over all other affections of truth, is evident from the signification of "sons," as also being truths (see n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373); and from the signification of mother," as being the affection of spiritual truth, and thence the church; because the church is and is so called from truth and the affection thereof (n. 289, 2691, 2717).

Cursed are they that curse thee. That this signifies that he who disjoins himself shall be disjoined; and that "blessed are they that bless thee" signifies that he who conjoins himself shall be conjoined, is evident from the signification of "being cursed" as being to be disjoined; and of "being blessed," as being to be conjoined (n. 3504, 3514, 3530, 3565). These things are predicated of truths, and by "those who curse" are signified falsities which separate themselves from truths; and by "those who bless" are signified truths which adjoin themselves to other truths; for with truths and goods the case is that they form a society together, at last making as it were one city; and in such a manner they also consociate. This originates from the form of heaven, in which the angels are ranged in order according to the relationships and affinities of good and truth, and thus together constitute one kingdom or one city, from which truths and goods flow in with man, and are disposed in him into a similar form, and this by the Lord alone. But how the case herein is, will be more plainly evident from the correspondence of the Grand Man, which is heaven, with each and everything that is in man; which correspondence will of the Lord's Divine mercy be described at the close of the chapters. From all this it is now evident what is involved in the blessing of Isaac pronounced to Jacob, but meant with respect to Esau; namely, the fructification of good through the multiplication of truth, and again the fructification of truth.

Verses 30-33. And it came to pass as Isaac made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was scarcely yet gone out from the faces of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came from his hunting. And he also made dainties, and brought unto his father; and he said unto his father, Let my father arise and eat of his son's hunting, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau. And Isaac shuddered with exceeding great shuddering, and said, Who then is he that hath hunted hunting, and brought it to me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest and blessed him? Yea, and he shall be blessed. "And it came to pass as Isaac made an end of blessing Jacob," signifies when the first conjunction had been thus effected; "and Jacob was scarcely yet gone out from the faces of Isaac his father," signifies progression and change of state; "that Esau his brother came from his hunting," signifies the truth of good and its arrival; "and he also made dainties, and brought unto his father," signifies things desirable and delightful to the Divine rational; "and he said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's hunting," signifies that it should appropriate to itself the truth of natural good; "that thy soul may bless me," signifies that there might be conjunction; "and Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau," signifies a state of perception concerning natural good and the derivative truth; "and Isaac shuddered with exceeding great shuddering," signifies a great alteration in respect to the inversion of the state; "and said, Who then is he that hath hunted hunting, and brought it to me," signifies an inquisition concerning that truth; "and I have eaten of all before thou camest," signifies that it was appropriated; "and blessed him; yea, and he shall be blessed," signifies that it had been conjoined.

And it came to pass as Isaac made an end of blessing Jacob. That this signifies when the first conjunction had been thus effected, is evident from the signification of "blessing," as being conjunction (see above, n. 3504, 3514, 3530, 3565, 3584); thus "as Isaac made an end of blessing" signifies when conjunction had been effected; that the first conjunction was with truth, represented by Jacob, is evident from what has been already said.

And Jacob was yet scarcely gone out from the faces of Isaac his father. That this signifies progression and change of state, is evident from the signification of "going out from the faces," as being when those things ceased which were represented by Jacob, thus when the state was changed; for the subject is now Esau, and in the internal sense the good of the natural, how as before said this comes forth from the inmost and manifests itself; and when reformation has been accomplished by the ministry of truth, has the dominion.

That Esau his brother came from his hunting. That this signifies the truth of good and its arrival is evident from the representation of Esau, as being the good of the natural (concerning which see above); from the signification of "coming," as being arrival; and from the signification of "hunting," as being the truth which is from good (n. 3501).

And he also made dainties, and brought unto his father. That this signifies things desirable and delightful to the Divine rational, is evident from the signification of dainties," as being the delightful things which are of good and the pleasant things which are of truth (n. 3502, 3536), the delightful things which are of good are the desirable things, and the pleasant things which are of truth are the delightful things; for the affection of good is that which desires, and then the affection of truth is that which delights.

And he said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's hunting. That this signifies that the Divine rational should appropriate to itself the truth of natural good, is evident from the representation of Isaac, who here is the "father," as being the good of the rational (concerning which frequently above) from the signification of "eating," as being to appropriate (see n. 2187, 2343, 3168, 3513); and from the signification of "hunting," as being the truth of natural good (see just above, n. 3588).

That thy soul may bless me. That this signifies that there might be conjunction, is evident from the signification of "being blessed," as being conjunction (see also above, n. 3504, 3514, 3530, 3565, 3584).

And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? and he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau. That this signifies a state of perception concerning natural good and the derivative truth, is evident from what was said above (n. 3548-3550), at verses 18 and 19, where similar words occur.

And Isaac shuddered with exceeding great shuddering. That this signifies a great alteration in respect to the inversion of the state, is evident from the signification of "shuddering," as being an alteration; that it is in respect to the inversion of the state, is evident from what has been said above concerning the two states of the man who is being regenerated-the state before he has been regenerated, and the state after he has been regenerated-namely, that in the state before he has been regenerated, truths apparently have the dominion; while in the state after he has been regenerated, truths give place, and good receives the dominion (on which subject see what has been frequently shown above, n. 1904, 2063, 2189, 2967, 2979, 3286, 3288, 3310, 3325, 3330, 3332, 3336, 3470, 3509, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3579).

And said, Who then is he that hath hunted hunting, and brought it to me. That this signifies an inquisition concerning that truth, is evident from the representation of Jacob, in reference to whom it is here said, "Who is he," as being the natural as to truth (concerning which above); and from the signification of "hunting," as being truth from good (n. 3501); here, an inquisition concerning that truth, as to whether it was from good.

And I have eaten of all before thou camest. That this signifies that it had been appropriated, is evident from the signification of "eating," as being to be appropriated (n. 2187, 2343, 3168, 3513).

And blessed him; yea, and he shall be blessed. That this signifies that it has been conjoined, is evident from the signification of "being blessed," as being to be conjoined (n. 3504, 3514, 3530, 3565, 3584). How the case is with the appropriation and conjunction of the truth represented by Jacob may be seen from what has been said above. But as these subjects are of such a nature as to transcend the apprehension of the natural man, and cannot be seen except in the light in which is the rational or internal man, in which light at the present day there are but few, because few are being regenerated, therefore it is better to illustrate them no further, for the illustration of things unknown and transcending the apprehension does not bring them into light, but into more shade. Moreover such things are to be built upon ideas of natural truths, through which they are to be apprehended, and at the present day these also are wanting. This is the reason why the words just preceding have been explained so briefly, and merely as to the internal sense of the expressions. [2] From what has been said it may be seen what is involved in the statement that Isaac asked hunting of his son, that he might eat of it before he blessed him, and that he did not bless him till after he had eaten, and thus that after eating followed the blessing of him who prepared and brought the dainties-as is also evident from Isaac's words (here concerning Jacob), "he brought to me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and blessed him; yea, and he shall be blessed." The reason referred to appears from the internal meaning of the rituals of the Ancient Church; for with them eating signified appropriation and conjunction-conjunction that is to say with him with whom or of whose bread they had eaten. Food in general signified what is of love and charity, that is, the same as celestial and spiritual food-bread what is of love to the Lord, and wine what is of charity toward the neighbor. When these had been appropriated, the persons were conjoined; thus they spoke to each other from affection, and were consociated together. Feasts with the ancients were nothing else, nor was anything else represented in the Jewish Church by their eating together of the holy things, nor was anything else represented in the primitive Christian Church by their dinners and suppers.

Verses 34-40. When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, me also, O my father. And he said, Thy brother came with fraud, and hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is it not that his name is called Jacob? And he hath supplanted me these two times; he hath taken away my birthright, and behold now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold I have made him thy master, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and new wine have I sustained him; and what then shall I do for thee, my son? And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but this one blessing, my father? Bless me, me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold of the fat things of the earth shall be thy dwelling, and of the dew of heaven from above. And upon thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion that thou shalt break his yoke from upon thy neck. [2] "When Esau heard the words of his father" signifies the observation of natural good from Divine good; "he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry" signifies its great alteration in respect to the inversion of the state; "and said unto his father, Bless me, me also, O my father" signifies that it longed for conjunction, even although by what had gone before truth had been conjoined; "and he said, Thy brother came with fraud" signifies what is inverted of order; "and hath taken away thy blessing" signifies conjunction in that manner. [3] "And he said, Is it not that his name is called Jacob" signifies its quality; "and he hath supplanted me these two times" signifies that it had inverted order; "he hath taken away my birthright" signifies the loss of the priority; "and behold now he hath taken away my blessing" signifies the loss of the conjunction; "and he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me" signifies whether there was for it anything in respect to conjunction in that former state. [4] "And Isaac answered and said unto Esau" signifies instruction; "behold I have made him thy master" signifies that in that state it should have the dominion; "and all his brethren have I given to him for servants" signifies that to the affection of truth at that time there had apparently been subordinated the affections of good; "and with corn and new wine have I sustained him" signifies, as before, its good and truth; and "what then shall I do for thee, my son" signifies that in that state there is nothing else for good. [5] "And Esau said unto his father" signifies the observation of natural good; "hast thou but this one blessing, my father" signifies whether in that case anything else could be adjoined from natural good; "bless me, me also, O my father" signifies that it longed for conjunction even although thereby truth had been conjoined; and "Esau lifted up his voice and wept" signifies a further state of alteration. [6] "And Isaac his father answered and said unto him" signifies perception concerning natural good, that it would be made Divine; "behold, of the fat things of the earth shall be thy dwelling" signifies that life is from the Divine good; "and of the dew of heaven from above" signifies that it is from the Divine truth. [7] "And upon thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy brother" signifies that so long as truth is being conjoined with good, good will in appearance be in a lower place; "and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion" signifies that it shall be in the prior place; "that thou shalt break his yoke from upon thy neck" signifies that the conjunction would then be through good, and that truth would be of good.

Inasmuch as the things contained in verses 34 to 38 are such as have been already unfolded, and what they involve may be seen from what has been already said, it is therefore needless any further to unfold them in respect to the internal sense, except that merely the things contained in verses 39 and 40, relating to the blessing of Esau by Isaac his father, shall be illustrated.

And Isaac his father answered and said unto him. That this signifies perception concerning natural good, that it would be made Divine, is evident from the signification of Isaac, as being the Lord's Divine rational as to the Divine good therein (n. 3012, 3194, 3210); and from the signification in the historicals of the Word of "saying," as being to perceive, which has already been frequently treated of; and from the representation of Esau, to whom he spoke, as being natural good, concerning which also much has been already said. That it should be made Divine, is evident from the blessing, now to be considered. It was said above that Esau represents the Lord's Divine natural as to Divine good, and Jacob His Divine natural as to Divine truth; but here, that Esau represents the natural good which was to be made Divine; and in what goes before, that Jacob represented the natural truth which also was to be made Divine. How the case herein is may be seen from what was said above (n. 3494, 3576); but that it may become still clearer, a few words shall be added. [2] The natural good which Esau first represents is the natural good of the Lord's infancy, which was Divine from the Father, but human from the mother; and insofar as it was from the mother it was imbued with hereditary evil; and being such, it could not be at once in an order capable of receiving the Divine that was inmostly within it; but had first to be reduced into order by the Lord. The case is the same with the truth represented by Jacob; for where there is good there must be truth in order for there to be anything; all that which is of thought, even with infants, is of truth, adjoined to the will part which is of good. Wherefore after the Lord had reduced the natural as to good and as to truth in Himself into order, so that it might receive the Divine, and that thus He Himself might inflow from His Divine, and after by successive steps He had expelled all the human that was from the mother; then Esau represents the Lord's Divine natural as to good, and Jacob His Divine natural as to truth. [3] But Esau and Jacob represent the Divine good and Divine truth of the Lord's Divine natural as conjoined with each other like brothers, which Divine good and Divine truth considered in themselves are nothing else than one simultaneous power for the formation and reception of actual good and truth. This actual good and truth are treated of later. From all this it is evident what great arcana are contained in the internal sense of the Word, which arcana are such that not even their most general points fall into the understanding of man; as possibly may be the case with the things just stated; and how then can the innumerable particulars relating thereto do so? Yet are they well adapted to the understanding and apprehension of the angels, who concerning these and the like things receive from the Lord heavenly ideas illustrated by representatives of ineffable loveliness and bliss; from which some conception may be formed of the nature of angelic wisdom, yet remotely, because such things are in the shade of the human understanding.

Behold of the fat things of the earth shall be thy dwelling. That this signifies that life is from Divine good; and that "of the dew of heaven from above" signifies that it is from Divine truth, is evident from the signification of "fatness," as being good (n. 353), here, Divine good, because it is spoken of the Lord; and from the signification of "dwelling," as being life (see above, n. 1293, 3384), and that "dwelling" is predicated of good (n. 2268, 2451, 2712); and from the signification of the "dew of heaven," as being truth derived from the good of a state of peace and innocence (n. 3579), here, Divine truth, because it is spoken of the Lord. Similar words were spoken to Jacob, namely, "God shall give thee of the dew of heaven and of the fat things of the earth" (verse 28) but there "dew" (thus truth) is spoken of in the first place; and the "fat things of the earth" (thus good) in the second; and also that "God should give" of them; whereas here in relation to Esau, the "fat things of the earth" (thus good) are spoken of in the first place; and in the second place the "dew of heaven" (thus truth); and it is not said that "God would give," but that "his dwelling should be of them;" which also shows that Jacob represents truth, and Esau good; also that truth as apparently in the former place is first; but that this is the inverse of order, according to what has already been frequently shown.