2652. 'The son of Hagar the Egyptian' means into the merely human rational, 'Hagar the Egyptian' being the affection for knowledge, from which affection as its mother that rational was born. This is clear from the meaning of 'the son', who was Ishmael, as the first rational which the Lord had, dealt with in Chapter 16, where Hagar and Ishmael are the subject, and from his representation and that of Hagar the Egyptian who was his mother, also dealt with in that chapter. As regards the first or merely human rational with the Lord being conceived from the Divine celestial as a father, and being born from the affection for knowledge as a mother, see 1895, 1896, 1902, 1910.

1910. 'And she conceived' means the initial life of the rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'conception' as initial life. As regards the rational, this receives its life, as has been stated, from the life that belongs to the internal man, and is life flowing into the life of the exterior man's affection for cognitions and knowledge. The life of the affection for cognitions and knowledge provides the rational so to speak, with a body, that is, it clothes the life of the internal man as the body does the soul. So it is exactly with cognitions and knowledge. The idea or image of soul and body exists with a human being in every part of him, in every part of his affection, and in every part of his thinking, for there is nothing, however simple it may appear to be, that does not have constituent parts and does not arise from that which is prior to itself.