4196. 'And Jacob called it Galeed' means the nature of it on the part of the good of the Divine Natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the Lord's Divine Natural, often dealt with already. 'Galeed' means a heap and a witness, or a witness-heap, in the Hebrew language or language of Canaan, where Jacob came from. What a witness-heap means in the internal sense follows next.

1946. 'And you will call his name Ishmael' means its state of life. In ancient times sons and daughters used to be given names which meant the state that their parents were passing through, especially that of their mothers at the time of conception, or while they were with child, or when they gave birth, or after their infants had been born. Names accordingly carried a meaning. The origin of Ishmael's name is explained here, namely 'because Jehovah has hearkened to your affliction', which was his mother's state. What Ishmael represents however is described in the next verse.