4668. These are the births of Jacob. That this signifies the things which follow, is evident from the signification of “births,” as being the derivations of those things which are of the church, namely, of truth from good, or of faith from love; for no other births are meant in the internal sense of the Word. These are also treated of in what follows, wherefore it is said that the “births of Jacob” denote the things which follow. That such is the signification of “births” is evident also from the fact that no genealogical births are mentioned in what follows; but only Joseph, his dreams, the conspirings of his brothers against him, and at last his being carried away into Egypt. (That “births” denote such derivations, see n. 1145, 1255, 1330, 3263, 3279, 3860, 3868, 4070)

3775. And Jacob said unto them. That this signifies the truth of good, is evident from the representation of Jacob, as being the Lord’s Divine natural, concerning which see above. Inasmuch as all things in general and particular, wherever they may be, have relation to good and truth (see above, n. 3166, 3513, 3519), so also have those in the natural; and because during man’s regeneration the good and truth in the natural are at first in a different state from what they are during the progress and at the end of it, therefore by Jacob is represented the natural as to truth and good according to the state at the time, here, in respect to the truth of good. But to explain in detail these various things in every case would be to render the subject obscure, especially with those who have not a distinct idea concerning truth and good, and still less concerning the truth through which is good, and the truth which is from good.