3882. And she stood still from bearing. That this signifies ascent by a ladder from the earth to Jehovah or the Lord, is evident from the signification of “bearing,” or of “birth,” as being truth and good; for these are births in the spiritual sense, inasmuch as man is regenerated or born anew by means of truth and good. These also are what are signified by the four sons born of Leah-Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. “Reuben” signifies the truth which is the first of regeneration, or of the new birth; this is truth merely as to memory-knowledge, thus it is to know truth. “Simeon” signifies the truth which is the second of regeneration, or of the new birth; this is truth as to the will, thus it is to will truth. “Levi” signifies the truth which is the third of regeneration, or of the new birth; this is truth as to affection, thus it is to be affected with truth, which is the same thing as charity. But “Judah” signifies good, which is the fourth of regeneration, or of the new birth, and this is the celestial of love. When the regenerate man, or he who is born anew, arrives at this stage, the Lord appears to him, for he has then ascended from the lowest step, as by a ladder, up to the step where the Lord is.

[2] This also is the ascent which was signified by the ladder seen by Jacob in a dream, which stood upon the earth, whose top reached to heaven, and on which the angels of God ascended and descended, and upon which stood Jehovah or the Lord (concerning which see the foregoing chapter, verse). Hence it is evident that such is the signification of “standing still from bearing.” That by “conceiving and bearing,” here mentioned four times, is signified advancement from external to internal, or from truth to good, that is, from earth to heaven, may be seen above (n. 3860, 3868, 3874, 3879). Descent follows afterwards, for man cannot descend unless he has first ascended.

Descent is nothing else than looking at truth from good, as from a mountain upon which he has climbed, a man views the things which lie beneath. That he then can comprehend in one view innumerable things more than they who stand beneath or in the valley, is manifest; and the case is precisely the same with those who are in good (that is, in love to the Lord and in charity toward the neighbor), as compared with those who are only in truth, that is, in faith alone.

2584. And they brought forth. That this signifies fruitfulness, is evident from the signification of “bringing forth” and of “birth.” In the internal sense of the Word none but spiritual and celestial things are signified; on which account where mention is made of “conception” or of “conceiving;” of “bearing” or of “bringing forth;” of “birth” or of “being born;” of “generation” or of “generating,” as well as of those who beget, as “father and mother;” and of those who are begotten, as “sons and daughters,” all these are meant in none but a spiritual sense, for in itself the Word is spiritual and celestial; and such is the case here in regard to “bringing forth,” by which is signified fruitfulness in respect to the things of doctrine.

[2] That in the Word “birth” means no other kind of birth than this, is evident from the passages that follow.

In Samuel:

The full have hired out themselves for bread, and the hungry have ceased, until the barren hath borne seven, and she that hath many children hath languished; Jehovah killeth and maketh alive. He causeth to go down into hell, and bringeth up (1 Samuel 2:5-6).

In Jeremiah:

She that hath borne seven languisheth, she breatheth out her soul; her sun is gone down while it is yet day (Jeremiah 15:9).

In Isaiah:

Sing, O barren, that did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, that did not travail with child; for more are the sons of the desolate than the sons of the married wife, saith Jehovah (Isaiah 54:1).

In David:

The voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to calve, and strippeth the forests; and in His temple everyone speaketh glory (Psalms 29:9).

In Isaiah:

Blush, O Zidon, for the sea hath spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, nor brought forth, neither have I brought up young men, nor caused maids to grow up; as with the report of Egypt, they shall travail according to the report of Tyre (Isaiah 23:4-5).

Before she travailed she brought forth, and before her pain came she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Does the earth travail in one day, and shall I not cause to bring forth? saith Jehovah; shall I cause to bring forth, and close up? said thy God (Isaiah 66:7-9).

In Jeremiah:

Ask I pray and see whether a man bringeth forth; wherefore have I seen every man with his hands on his loins, as one that bringeth forth (Jeremiah 30:6).

In Ezekiel:

I will set a fire in Egypt, and Sin travailing shall travail, and No may be...(Ezekiel 30:16).

In Hosea:

Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from conception (Hos. 9:11).

In the same:

The pains of one that travaileth came upon Ephraim; he is an unwise son, for at the time he will not stand in the place of the breaking forth of sons (Hos. 13:13).

In John:

A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars; and she being with child cried, travailing, and pained to bring forth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, that when she brought forth her son, he might devour him. And she brought forth a man child, who was to pasture all nations with a rod of iron; but the child was caught up unto God and to His throne (Revelation 12:1-5).

[3] Who cannot see from all these passages that no other conceptions and births are signified than those which are of the church? And the same is the case with what is here said concerning Abimelech, that “God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants, and they brought forth;” and that “Jehovah closing had closed up every womb of the house of Abimelech, because of the word of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.” What is signified by these things in the internal sense is evident from the explication of the same, namely, the quality of the doctrine of faith when regarded from Divine truths, and when regarded from the rational: when it is regarded from Divine truths, that is, from the Word, then each and all things, of both reason and memory, confirm it; but this is not the case when it is regarded from human things, that is, from reason and memory-knowledges; for then nothing of good and nothing of truth is conceived; for to regard it from the Word is to regard it from the Lord, whereas to regard it from reason and memory-knowledge is to regard it from man. From the former comes all intelligence and wisdom; from the latter all insanity and folly.