3118. 'The man bowed, and bowed down to Jehovah' means gladness and joy. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing' and of 'bowing down' as being glad and joyful. Bowing and bowing down are movements of the body that express humility, or humility in act, either in a state of grief or in a state of joy - in a state of grief when things do not turn out as one wishes, in a state of joy when they do turn out well, as here when Rebekah, according to the prayer already in the man's heart, gave him a drink from her pitcher, and also gave a drink to the camels. For bowing down can be a movement of the body expressing joy as well, see 2927, 2950. The reason why gladness is mentioned as well as joy is that 'gladness' in the Word has reference to truth, but 'joy' to good. Furthermore gladness belongs to the face whereas joy belongs to the heart; or what amounts to the same, gladness belongs to spiritual affection, or to truth, joy to celestial affection, or to good. Thus gladness occurs in a less degree than joy, as also does 'bowing' than 'bowing down'. This is also evident from the fact that the spiritual member of the Church merely bows before the Lord and calls upon grace, whereas the celestial member of the Church bows down before the Lord and pleads for mercy, 598, 981, 2423. Both are mentioned here on account of the marriage of truth and good existing in every individual part of the Word, 683, 793, 801, 2516, 2712.

2950. 'Abraham bowed before the people of the land' means the Lord's joy at the goodwill of those who belonged to the new spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing' here as feeling joy, as also above in 2927, from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, often dealt with already, and from the meaning of 'the people of the land' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with above in 2928, where the same words occur. But there it is said that 'he bowed to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth', verse 7; and the reason why the expression 'the sons of Heth' is added there is that members of the Church who are first introduced [to truth] are meant, as is also meant by 'the sons of the people', 2947. The present verse however refers to those who are making progress, and therefore simply 'the people of the land' is used without the addition of 'the sons of Heth'. The previous verse meant His joy at being received kindly, the present His joy at their goodwill. Reception comes first because it is an activity of the understanding, goodwill after because it is an activity of the will, see 2954.