4610. 'These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram' means the origin and state of these at this point. This is clear from what has now been stated generally and specifically about the sons of Jacob, namely that in general they mean all things which were now present in the Lord's Divine Natural, 4603, so much so that all those things taken together are now meant by 'Jacob'. Where they originate is meant by the words 'born to him in Paddan Aram', that is, in cognitions of truth and good, these being meant by Paddan Aram, 3664, 3680. And because all taken together are now meant by 'Jacob', the singular 'who was born to him' is therefore used in the original language. In what follows next the subject is the joining of the Divine Natural to the Divine Rational, that joining together being represented by Jacob's coming to his father Isaac.

3664. 'Go to Paddan Aram' means the cognitions of such truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'Aram' or Syria as cognitions, dealt with in 1232, 1234, 3249. The reason 'Paddan Aram' means cognitions of truth is that it was situated in Syria of the [Two] Rivers, where Nahor, Bethuel, and Laban lived; for 'Syria' means the cognitions of truth, see 3051. Paddan Aram has also been referred to previously in 25:20, and is mentioned again in 31:18 below; and in those places too it means cognitions of truth.