6104. 'In the land of Rameses' means the inmost part of the mind and the essential nature of it. This is clear from the consideration that all names in the Word, both of persons and of places, mean spiritual entities, 1888, 3412, 4298, 4442, 5095, 5215. And since 'the land of Goshen' is the inmost part of the natural mind, 5910, 6018, 6031, 6068, 'Rameses', which was the best region in the land of Goshen, is the inmost part of the spiritual within the natural mind. But the essential nature of this inmost part can hardly be comprehended by man since it contains countless and also indescribable features which can be seen only in the light of heaven, and so only by angels. The same applies to the essential nature meant by all other names both of places and of persons that occur in the Word.

4298. 'And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel' means a state of temptations. This is clear from the train of thought, for in former times names were given to places where some special incident took place, and those names served to mean that incident which took place there, and the state associated with it, 340, 2643, 3422. To this place a name was given which meant a state of temptations, because it is a state of temptations that is described here by Jacob's wrestling and contending. In the original language 'Peniel' means 'the face of God', and the fact that 'seeing the face of God' means suffering the severest temptations will be explained in what follows immediately below.