1489. Because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. That this signifies because of the truth that was to be adjoined to what is celestial, is evident from the signification of a “wife,” and consequently of “Sarai the wife,” as being truth that is to be adjoined to the celestial, concerning which above, at verse 12. The case is this: unless the knowledges which in childhood have performed the use of making the man rational, are destroyed, so that they are as nothing, truth can never be conjoined with what is celestial. These first memory-knowledges are for the most part earthly, corporeal, and worldly. However Divine may be the precepts that a child learns, he still has no other idea concerning them than that which is obtainable from such knowledges; and therefore, so long as those lowest knowledges cling to him, from which are his ideas, his mind cannot be elevated. With the Lord it was the same, because He was born as are other men, and was to be instructed as are others, but according to Divine order, which is such as has been stated. In these things which are said concerning Abram in Egypt, there is described the Divine order-how in the Lord the external man was conjoined with the internal, so that the external also might become Divine.