4765. 'And said, The lad is no more' means that no faith in Him exists. This is clear from the meaning of 'the lad' as the truth of faith; for 'a son' means truth, 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373, 3704, and so 'the lad', which here refers to Joseph, represents Divine Truth, as has been shown. Now because all truth is the truth of faith - for that which was called truth or what is true in the Ancient Churches is called faith in the new Church, 4690 - 'the lad is no more' consequently means that no faith in Him exists.

2623. 'A son' means the Divine Rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'a son'. In the internal sense of the Word 'a son' means truth, 489, 491, 533; and because truth is the principal element in the rational, 2072, 2189, 'a son' also means the rational. But here the Divine Rational is meant in which the principal element is good. 'Isaac' too, to whom 'a son' refers, represents this good, as will be shown further on.