3860. And Leah conceived and bare a son. That this signifies spiritual conception and birth from what is external to what is internal, is evident from the signification of “conceiving and bearing,” as in the internal sense being to be regenerated; for the man who is being regenerated is conceived and born anew, wherefore regeneration is called a new birth, but spiritual. Man is indeed born of his parents as a man, but he does not become a man until he is reborn of the Lord. Spiritual and heavenly life is that which makes a man, for this distinguishes him from brute animals. It is this spiritual conception and birth which is signified in the Word by the conceptions and births mentioned therein; and by what is here said-that “Leah conceived and bare a son.” (That the generations and nativities are those of faith and love, which they signify, see above, n. 613, 1145, 1255, 2020, 2584, 3856.) That these conceptions and births take place from what is external to what is internal, is signified by “Leah conceiving and bearing,” for by Leah is represented the affection of external truth (n. 3793, 3819); and by Reuben the truth of faith, which is the first of regeneration, and the external from which regeneration commences. How the case herein is will appear from what follows concerning the children of Jacob by Leah and by Rachel.

613. That the “generations” are those of faith, does not appear from the sense of the letter, which is historical; but as internal things only are here treated of, generations of faith are signified. It is also evident from the connection that the generations here are no others. It is the same in other passages of the Word, as in Isaiah:

They that shall be of thee shall build the waste places of old; thou shalt raise up the foundations of generation and generation; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in (Isaiah 58:12).

All these things signify what is of faith; the “waste places of old” signify celestial things of faith; the “foundations of generation and generation” spiritual things of faith, which had lapsed from the ancient times that are likewise signified.

Again:

They shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, they shall renew the waste cities, the desolations of generation and generation (Isaiah 61:4);

with similar signification. And again:

They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them (Isaiah 65:23).Here also “bringing forth” [generare] is predicated of the things of faith; “laboring” of those of love. Of the latter it is said that they are “the seed of the blessed of Jehovah;” of the former, that they are “offspring.”