6012. 'And the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father' means that truths which were spiritual ones caused natural truth to move ahead. This is clear from the representation of 'the sons of Israel' as spiritual truths, dealt with in 5414, 5879; and from the representation of 'Jacob' as natural truth, dealt with in 3305, 3509, 3525, 3546, 3599, 3775, 4009, 4234, 4520, 4538. The reason 'they carried' means that they caused it to move ahead is that the expression is used of spiritual truths in relation to natural truth. Nor can anything else than what is spiritual cause natural truth to move ahead, for what is spiritual is the source of its life and power of action. This now explains why Jacob's sons here are called 'the sons of Israel' but Jacob himself 'Jacob'.

3546. 'Into the hand of Jacob her son' means that such was the affection for natural truth This is clear from the fact that this phrase concludes those that go before it, and that at that point Jacob - who represents natural truth, 3305, 3509, 3525 - appeared thus; that is to say, he was wearing the skins of the kids of she-goats on his hands and neck and had in his hand savoury food which he was to take to his father Isaac.