1920. 'Behold, your servant-girl is in your hand' means that this rational was conceived from the controlling power of the affection for truth allied to good. This is clear from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with already in 878, and from the meaning of 'Hagar the Egyptian' as the affection for knowledge, also dealt with already. Following the conception of the rational by means of the internal man flowing into the life belonging to the exterior affection for knowledge, 'servant-girl' is used to mean that tender embryonic rational which however is represented, when born and developed, by Ishmael, who is the subject below. That the Lord had control over the rational residing with Him and that He subdued it by His own power will be clear from what is to be stated next.

1394. The perception which angels and spirits have is such that any one of them can know in an instant the nature of the love and faith in another Hence it is that according to their similarity with one another they are joined together into communities, and according to their dissimilarity they are withheld from such associations. And this is so completely the case that not even the smallest difference fails to draw them together or to set them apart. Consequently the communities in heaven are so distinct and separate from one another that it is impossible to envisage anything more distinct, such distinctness being determined by all the differences of love to and faith in the Lord, which are countless. This is how the heavenly form is produced, the nature of which is such that it presents itself as one human being. And this form is constantly being perfected.