To beget or to be begotten is very similar in meaning to birth: It represents one spiritual state leading to the next spiritual one. "Beget," however, is generally linked to fatherhood and the man's role in procreation, while bearing and giving birth is solely the woman's province. This leads to some shades of meaning: Since men typically represent true ideas and women good affections, "begetting" often illustrates how ideas can lead us to do what is good, while giving birth often illustrates how good affections lead us to true thoughts. But it's a blurry line, affected by context and sometimes affected by translation issues. In fact, the most famous "begetting" – Jesus's place as God's "only begotten son" – runs contrary to that pattern. God in His essence is perfect divine love, expressed in the form of perfect divine truth. In "begetting" Jesus He gave his own divine truth – His divine expression – a human form, of human flesh. So it was love begetting truth.

6341. Verses 3-4 Reuben my firstborn, you are my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in eminence and excelling in worth. Light as water, may you not excel, because you went up to your father's bed; at that time you profaned [it] - he went up to my couch.

'Reuben my firstborn' means faith which seemingly occupies the first place. 'You are my might' means that through that faith comes the power which good possesses. 'And the beginning of my strength' means that through that faith comes the initial power which truth possesses. 'Excelling in eminence and excelling in worth' means the resulting glory and powerfulness. 'Light as water' means that faith alone does not possess such qualities. 'May you not excel' means that neither does it have any glory or powerfulness. 'Because you went up to your father's bed' means because when separated from the good of charity faith is involved in a foul liaison. 'At that time you profaned [it]' means that if it were joined to evil, profanity would exist. 'He went up to my couch' means because it would contaminate spiritual good in the natural.