2155. He said. That this signifies that the Lord so thought, is evident from the signification of “saying,” when found in the historical sense, as being to perceive (see n. 1898, 1919, 2080).

1899. Behold I pray, Jehovah hath shut me up from bearing. That this signifies the state before the interior or Divine rational man was born, is evident from what has been already said about the conception and birth of the rational man, namely, that the Lord’s Divine rational man is represented by Isaac, but His first rational man, which was to become Divine, by Ishmael. In order that these things might be represented, Sarai remained so long barren, even until Ishmael had become a lad (spoken of in Genesis 21); on which account it is here said that “Jehovah shut her up from bearing.”