5972. And the spirit of Jacob their father revived. That this signifies new life, is evident from the signification of the “spirit reviving,” as being new life; and from the representation of Jacob, as being natural good (see n. 5965). Thus by “the spirit of Jacob revived” is signified new life to natural good. Life becomes new when what is spiritual flows in from the internal and acts from within in those things which are in the natural. Thereby natural good becomes spiritual, adjoined to the spiritual good which is represented by Israel, for which reason also Jacob is now called “Israel,” for it is said, “the spirit of Jacob revived, and Israel said.”

5801. Have ye a father, or a brother? That this signifies the good which is the source, and the truth which is the means, is evident from the representation of Israel, who is here the “father,” as being spiritual good or the good of truth (see n. 3654, 4598), that it is the good which is the source, is because the truths in the natural are from the spiritual good; and from the representation of Benjamin, who is here the “brother,” as being truth; that it is the truth which is the means, is because through this there is conjunction of the truths of the church in the natural (which Jacob’s sons represent) with the spiritual good which is “Israel;” and as the conjunction is through this, it is described in many passages how his father loved Benjamin who represents this truth, and how Judah could not return with the others to his father unless Benjamin were with them. (In regard to this truth, see below, n. 5835)