3209. The servant told Isaac all the words that he had done. That this signifies perception from the Divine natural as to how the case was, appears from the signification of “telling” as being to perceive; for perception is a kind of internal telling; wherefore perceiving, in the historicals of the Word, is expressed by “telling,” and also by “saying” (n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862); and also from the signification here of the “servant,” as being the Divine natural (concerning which presently); and from the signification of “words,” as being actual things (see n. 1785); from which considerations it is plain that “the servant told all the words that he had done,” signifies that Divine good rational perceived from the Divine natural how the case was. The case herein is this: The rational is in a degree above the natural, and rational good in the Lord was Divine; but the truth which was to be elevated out of the natural was not Divine until it was conjoined with the Divine good of the rational. In order therefore that the good of the rational might flow into the natural, there must be a medium; this medium could be nothing else than something natural which should partake of the Divine; and this is represented by the “elder servant in Abraham’s house, administering all things which he had” (n. 3019, 3020); and that this “servant” signifies the Divine natural, may be seen above (n. 3191, 3192, 3204, 3206).

1821. Verse 9. And He said unto him, Take thee a heifer of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. “He said unto him,” signifies perception; “take a heifer of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years,” signifies the representatives of the celestial things of the church; a “heifer” being representative of exterior celestial things, a “she-goat” of interior celestial things, and a “ram” of spiritual celestial things; they were to be “three years” old, because they were to involve all things of the church as to times and states; “and a turtledove and a young pigeon,” signifies the representatives of the spiritual things of the church; a “turtledove” those which are exterior, and a “young pigeon” those which are interior.