Arcana Coelestia #3929
3929. Verses 9-11. And Leah saw that she had stood still from bearing, and she took Zilpah her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob for a woman. And Zilpah Leah’s handmaid bare Jacob a son. And Leah said, A troop cometh, and she called his name Gad. “And Leah saw that she had stood still from bearing,” signifies that no other external truths had been acknowledged; “and she took Zilpah her handmaid,” signifies an affirmative conjoining means; “and gave her to Jacob for a woman,” signifies that this effected conjunction; “and Zilpah Leah’s handmaid bare Jacob a son,” signifies acknowledgment; “and Leah said, A troop cometh,” signifies in the supreme sense omnipotence and omniscience, in the internal sense the good of faith, and in the external sense works; “and she called his name Gad,” signifies its quality.
Arcana Coelestia #3819
3819. The name of the elder was Leah. That this signifies the affection of external truth with its quality; and that the name of the younger was Rachel signifies the affection of internal truth with its quality, is evident from the representation of Leah, as being the affection of external truth; and of Rachel, as being the affection of internal truth (see n. 3793); and from the signification of “name,” as being quality (n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006). Leah is called the “elder” because external truth is first learned, and Rachel is called the “younger” because internal truth is learned afterwards, or what is the same, man is first affected with external truths, and afterwards with internal ones; for external truths are the planes of internal ones, being generals into which singulars 1 are insinuated; for without a general idea of a thing man comprehends nothing that is singular. This is the reason why in the literal sense of the Word there are general, but in the internal sense singular, truths. The former are those called external truths; but the latter internal ones; and as truths without affection are not truths, because of no life, therefore when mention is made of external and internal truths, the affections of them are understood.
Fußnoten:
1. “Singulars” are individuals; i.e. indivisibles-things that cannot be divided, and therefore singular. The Century Dictionary recognizes “singulars” as a plural noun and quotes Ben Johnson and Cudworth as authorities for the use of it. Singulars and Particulars are not the same, for particulars are not necessarily indivisible. Singulars are the correlatives of Universals, as Particulars are of Generals. [Reviser.]
