4607. 'The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin' means interior goods and truths. This is clear from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819, and therefore 'the sons of Rachel' are interior goods and truths, the essential characteristics of which are represented by 'Joseph and Benjamin'. In the highest sense 'Joseph' means the Divine Spiritual, in the internal sense the spiritual kingdom, and in the external sense the good of that kingdom, dealt with in 3969, while 'Benjamin' means the Divine spiritual of the celestial, dealt with in 3969, 4592. These are the essential characteristics within interior goods and truths.

3819. 'The name of the elder was Leah' means the nature of the affection for external truth; 'and the name of the younger Rachel' means the nature of the affection for internal truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, and of 'Rachel' as the affection for internal truth, both dealt with in 3793; and from the meaning of 'the name' as the nature of, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006. Leah is called 'the elder' because external truth is learned first, and Rachel 'the younger' because internal truth is learned from then on after that; or what amounts to the same, a person first of all feels an affection for external truths, and from then on after that an affection for internal truths. external truths provide the basic outline for internal truths, for they are the general outlines into which particular details are added. Unless a person has a general outline of the idea of a thing he does not make sense of any particular aspect of it. This explains why the literal sense of the Word contains general truths but the internal sense particular truths. General truths are called external, but particular truths internal. And because truths devoid of affection are not truths because there is no life to them, the affections for them are therefore meant when external and internal truths are referred to.