31
ὁράω-VB--AAPNSM δέ-X κύριος-N2--NSM ὅτι-C μισέω-V2--PMI3S *λεια-N---NSF ἀναοἴγω-VAI-AAI3S ὁ-
A--ASF μήτρα-N1A-ASF αὐτός-
D--GSF *ραχηλ-N---NSF δέ-X εἰμί-V9--IAI3S στεῖρα-N1A-NSF
31
ὁράω-VB--AAPNSM δέ-X κύριος-N2--NSM ὅτι-C μισέω-V2--PMI3S *λεια-N---NSF ἀναοἴγω-VAI-AAI3S ὁ-
A--ASF μήτρα-N1A-ASF αὐτός-
D--GSF *ραχηλ-N---NSF δέ-X εἰμί-V9--IAI3S στεῖρα-N1A-NSF
3835. 'And Laban gave to her Zilpah his servant-girl - to Leah his daughter to be her servant-girl' means external affections or external bonds which are subservient means. This is clear from the meaning of 'a servant-girl' as external affections, dealt with in 1895, 2567. Laban's giving her means that they derive from a parallel good springing from a common stock, for this is the source of such affections. They are called external bonds because all affections are bonds, see 1077, 1080, 1835, 1944. For nothing else holds someone in bonds than his affection. No person's affection seems to him to be a bond, but it is nevertheless called such for the reason that it governs him and is for him binding. Internal affections however are called internal bonds, even as affections for truth and good are called the bonds of conscience. External bonds or affections correspond to these, for everything internal possesses a corresponding external. Since it is by means of external things that one who is being regenerated is introduced to internal things, and since this state is the subject here, mention is therefore made here of Laban's servant-girl's being given to his daughter Leah as a servant-girl. This description means that the kind of affections which served as means were given. The fact that these affections were the most external, like those called bodily affections, is evident from the consideration that 'Leah' represents the affections for external truth. But in the Lord's Divine mercy more about these matters too will appear elsewhere.
1147. 'And sons were born to them' means matters of doctrine deriving from those three. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' in the internal sense as truths of faith, and also as falsities. Consequently matters of doctrine, both true and false, are meant, for such are the doctrines of Churches. That 'sons' has such a meaning, see above in 264, 489, 491, 533.