4179. And thou hast changed my reward ten ways. That this signifies its state toward Him when He was applying these goods to Himself, is evident from the signification of “reward,” when predicated of the Lord, as denoting from Himself (see n. 3996, 3999), thus when he was applying goods to himself; and from the signification of “changing” them, as being the state of the good signified by “Laban” toward Him. “Ten ways” denote a very great change (see n. 4077).

2066. And I will give thee a son from her also. That this signifies the rational, is evident from the signification of a “son,” as being truth (see n. 489, 491, 533, 1147); and as all that is rational begins from truth, the rational is here signified by a “son.” The Lord’s first rational was represented and signified by Ishmael, born of Hagar the handmaid treated of in the preceding chapter 16. . The second rational, treated of here, is represented and signified by Isaac who was to be born from Sarah. The former, that is, the rational represented by Ishmael, was the rational that was afterwards expelled from the house; but this second rational, represented by Isaac, is that which remained in the house, because it was Divine. But concerning this rational, of the Lord’s Divine mercy we shall speak in the following chapter, where Isaac is treated of.