2552. 'Abraham said' means a perception, which constituted a reply. This is clear from the meaning in historical narratives of the Word of 'saying', dealt with many times already, as in 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2061, 2080, 2238, 2260, 2271, 2287. As regards the Lord's thought from the doctrine of faith being meant by the expression 'Abimelech said to Abraham' but a perception which constituted a reply, by the expression 'Abraham said', the position is that perception is something higher, which in the Lord's case was from the Divine itself, whereas thought is something lower, which in the Lord's case was from the understanding itself. And because it was perception from which His thought sprang, so was the reply possessed by His thought derived from perception. This may be illustrated by means of something similar with man. The celestial man is unable to think except from perception, and the spiritual is unable to do so except from conscience, 2515. The perception of the celestial man, like the conscience [of the spiritual], originates in the Lord, though to the individual himself it is not apparent where it comes from; but his thought springs from the rational and seems to him to originate in himself. Thus again when he thinks about any matter from the rational the conclusion within his thought, or the reply, comes either from perception or from conscience. Consequently any reply which he receives from the Lord is conditioned by his own state of life, by his affection, and by the truth of doctrine implanted or imprinted in conformity with these.

2080. That 'God said' means the reply that was perceived is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with just above in 2077. And because in the previous verse the words 'Abraham said' were used, which meant perception, and in this verse the words 'God said' (or replied) occur, a perceived reply, that is, a reply received in the form of perception, is consequently meant. All perception entails both a proposition and a reply, the perception of the two being expressed here in the historical sense by the phrases 'Abraham said to God' and 'God said'. That 'God's saying' means perceiving, see 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, and in various places above in this chapter.