1
ιδουσα δε ραχηλ οτι ου τετοκεν τω ιακωβ και εζηλωσεν ραχηλ την αδελφην αυτης και ειπεν τω ιακωβ δος μοι τεκνα ει δε μη τελευτησω εγω
Genesis 30:1
Arcana Coelestia # 4038
4038. And camels, and asses. That this signifies the truths of good, exterior and external, is evident from the signification of “camels,” as being general memory-knowledges of the natural man (see n. 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145—general memory-knowledges are the lower or more exterior truths of good), and from the signification of “asses,” as being still lower, that is, the external, truths of natural good (see n. 2781). What the interior goods and truths are; also the mediate ones; and likewise the exterior and external ones, may be seen from what was said above (n. 4009).
[2] Speaking generally, there are in man three things, namely, the corporeal, the natural, and the rational. The corporeal is the outermost, the natural is the intermediate, and the rational is the interior. So far as one of these reigns in man above another, he is said to be either corporeal, or natural, or rational. These three parts of man communicate in a wonderful manner; the corporeal with the natural, and the natural with the rational. When first born, man is merely corporeal, but within has the capacity of being perfected. Afterwards he becomes natural, and at last rational; from which it may be seen that there is communication of one part with another. The corporeal communicates with the natural by means of the senses, and does so in a distinct and separate manner by those which belong to the understanding, and by those which belong to the will, for both of these faculties must be perfected in man in order that he may become and may be a man. The senses of sight and hearing are especially those which perfect his intellectual faculty; and the other three senses have especial regard to the will. By means of these senses man’s corporeal communicates with his natural, which as before said is the middle part. For the things that enter by the senses, place themselves in the natural as in a kind of receptacle, which is the memory. The delight, the pleasure, and the desire therein, belong to the will, and are called natural goods; and the memory-knowledges belong to the understanding, and are called natural truths.
[3] By means of the things just spoken of, man’s natural communicates with his rational, which as before said, is the interior part. Such things as elevate themselves from the natural toward the rational, also place themselves in the rational, as in a kind of receptacle, which is the interior memory (concerning which see above, n. 2469-2480). What is blessed and happy therein belongs to the will, and is of rational good; and the interior mental views of things and perceptions belong to the understanding, and the things that belong to these are called rational truths. These three are what constitute man, and there are communications among the three. The external senses are the means by which man’s corporeal communicates with his natural; and the interior senses are those by which man’s natural communicates with his rational. And therefore those things in the natural that partake of the external senses, which are proper to the body, are those which are called the exterior and external truths of good; but those which partake of the internal senses which are proper to his spirit, and which communicate with the rational, are what are called interior goods and truths. Those which are between the two, and partake of both, are what are called mediate goods and truths. These three are in order from the interiors, and are what are signified in the internal sense by “flocks, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.”
Genesis 22
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It happened after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" He said, "Here I am."
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He said, "Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of."
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Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him.
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On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off.
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Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go yonder. We will worship, and come back to you."
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Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. They both went together.
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Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, "My father?" He said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
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Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they both went together.
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They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood.
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Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to kill his son.
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The angel of Yahweh called to him out of the sky, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" He said, "Here I am."
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He said, "Don't lay your hand on the boy, neither do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."
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Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
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Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh Will Provide. As it is said to this day, "On Yahweh's mountain, it will be provided."
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The angel of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time out of the sky,
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and said, "I have sworn by myself, says Yahweh, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son,
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that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies.
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In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
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So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba. Abraham lived at Beersheba.
20
It happened after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, "Behold, Milcah, she also has borne children to your brother Nahor:
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Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,
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Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel."
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Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
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His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
