4539. Arise, go up to Bethel. That this signifies that the perception is concerning the Divine natural, is evident from the signification of “arising,” as being elevation (see n. 2401, 2785, 2912, 2927, 3171, 4103), here the elevation of the natural to the Divine; from the signification of “to go up,” as being more toward the interiors (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “Bethel,” as being the Divine in the natural, or in the ultimate of order (n. 4089). For in the original language “Bethel” means the “house of God,” and as the house of God is where the knowledges of good and truth are, by “Bethel” in the proximate sense are signified these knowledges (as shown above, n. 1453). But as the interiors are terminated and closed in the ultimates of order, and are together there, and as it were dwell together in one house; and as the natural in man is the ultimate with him in which his interiors are terminated, therefore by “Bethel” or the “house of God” is properly signified the natural (n. 3729, 4089), and indeed the good therein, for in the internal sense a “house” is good (n. 2233, 2234, 3720, 3729); moreover knowledges are in the natural, or in the ultimate of order.

[2] That “to go up” denotes toward the interiors is because interior things are what are called higher things (n. 2148), and therefore when progress toward interior things is treated of in the internal sense, the expression “to go up” is employed, as “to go up” from Egypt to the land of Canaan, and in the land of Canaan itself “to go up” to the interior parts, and from all parts of it to Jerusalem, and in Jerusalem itself to the house of God there. For example “to go up” from the land of Egypt to the land of Canaan, in Moses:

Pharaoh said to Joseph, Go up and bury thy father; and Joseph went up, and all the servants of Pharaoh went up with him; and there went up with him both chariots and horsemen (Genesis 50:6-7, 9).

And in the book of Judges:

And the angel of Jehovah went up from Gilgal to Bochim, and he said, I made you go up out of Egypt (Judg. 2:1);

for by “Egypt” in the internal sense is signified that memory-knowledge which is to serve for apprehending the things of the Lord’s kingdom; and by the “land of Canaan” is signified the Lord’s kingdom. And as memory-knowledges are lower, or what is the same, are exterior, and the things of the Lord’s kingdom are higher, or what is the same, interior, therefore one is said “to go up from Egypt to the land of Canaan,” and on the other hand “to go down from the land of Canaan to Egypt” (Genesis 42:2-3; 43:4-5, 15).

[3] In the land of Canaan itself “to go up” to its interior parts, in Joshua:

Joshua said, Go up and spy out the land; and the men went up and spied out Ai; and they returned unto Joshua and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; let about two thousand men or about three thousand men go up; so there went up thither of the people about three thousand men (Josh. 7:2-4);

as the “land of Canaan” signifies the Lord’s kingdom, the parts which were more remote from its ultimate boundaries signified things interior, and therefore the expression “to go up” is here used. In like manner from all the surrounding parts to Jerusalem; and in Jerusalem to the house of God (1 Kings 12:27-28; 2 Kings 20:5, 8; Matthew 20:18; Mark 10:33; Luke 18:31 other places). For Jerusalem was the inmost of the land, because by it was signified the Lord’s spiritual kingdom; and the house of God was the inmost of Jerusalem, because by it was signified the Lord’s celestial kingdom, and in the supreme sense the Lord Himself. Hence men spoke of “going up” to them. From all this it is evident what is signified by “arise, go up to Bethel,” namely, progress toward the interiors, which is the subject treated of in this chapter (n. 4536).

4536. GENESIS 35

1. And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and abide there; and make there an altar unto God who appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from before Esau thy brother.

2. And Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the gods of the stranger which are in the midst of you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments:

3. And let us arise, and go up to Bethel, and I will make there an altar unto God who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I walked.

4. And they gave unto Jacob all the gods of the stranger which were in their hand, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

5. And they journeyed; and a terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

6. And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, this is Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.

7. And he built there an altar, and called the place El-Bethel; because there the gods were revealed unto him when he fled from before his brother.

8. And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried from under Bethel under the oak; and he called the name of it Allon-bacuth.

9. And God was seen by Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him.

10. And God said to him, Thy name is Jacob; thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name; and He called his name Israel.

11. And God said to him, I am God Shaddai; be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be from thee, and kings shall go forth from thy loins.

12. And the land which I gave to Abraham and to Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

13. And God went up from upon him in the place in which He spoke with him.

14. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place in which He spoke with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured out a drink-offering thereon, and poured oil thereon.

15. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.

16. And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was still a tract of land to come to Ephrath; and Rachel brought forth, and suffered hard things in her bringing forth.

17. And it came to pass in her suffering hard things in her bringing forth that the midwife said unto her, Fear not, for this also is to thee a son.

18. And it came to pass as her soul was going forth that she was about to die; and she called his name Benoni; and his father called him Benjamin.

19. And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, this is Bethlehem.

20. And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave; this is the pillar of Rachel’s grave even to this day.

21. And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

22. And it came to pass, while Israel abode in this land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard. And the sons of Jacob were twelve.

23. The sons of Leah, Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun.

24. The sons of Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin.

25. And the sons of Bilhah Rachel’s handmaid, Dan and Naphtali.

26. And the sons of Zilpah Leah’s handmaid, Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

27. And Jacob came unto Isaac his father to Mamre Kiriath-arba, this is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

28. And the days of Isaac were a hundred years and eighty years.

29. And Isaac expired and died, and was gathered unto his people, old and sated of days; and Esau and Jacob his sons buried him.

THE CONTENTS.

The subject treated of in the internal sense of this chapter is the residue in the Lord’s natural, that it was made Divine. The interior things of the natural that were made Divine are here “Israel.” The progress toward things still more interior, where is the rational, is described by the birth of Benjamin, and afterwards by the coming of the sons of Jacob to Isaac.