3469. And Esau was a son of forty years. That this signifies a state of temptation as to the natural good of truth, is evident from the representation of Esau, as being the natural good of truth (n. 3300, 3302, 3322); and from the signification of “forty years,” as being states of temptation. (That “forty” signifies temptations may be seen above, n. 730, 862, 2272; and that “years” signify states, n. 487, 488, 493, 893.) The reason why these things concerning Esau are joined to what has been related concerning Abimelech and Isaac, is that those are treated of who are in the good of truth, that is, who are in life according to things that are derived from the literal sense of the Word; for these are signified by “Abimelech, Ahuzzath, and Phicol,” as before repeatedly said.

[2] They therefore who are in the good of truth, or in a life according to doctrinal things, are regenerate as to the interiors, which are their rational, but not yet as to the exteriors, which are their natural things; for man is regenerated as to the rational before he is regenerated as to the natural (n. 3286, 3288); because the natural is altogether in the world, and in the natural as in a plane there are founded man’s thought and will. This is the reason why during regeneration man observes a combat between his rational or internal man and his natural or external man; and why his external man is regenerated much later, and likewise with much greater difficulty, than his internal man. For that which is nearer to the world and nearer to the body cannot be easily constrained to render obedience to the internal man; but only after considerable length of time and by means of many new states into which the man is introduced, which are states of self-acknowledgment, and of acknowledgment of the Lord, that is, of one’s own wretchedness, and of the Lord’s mercy; thus states of humiliation resulting from temptation combats. Because this is so, there is here next adjoined what is said of Esau and his two wives, whereby such things are signified in the internal sense.

[3] Everyone knows what natural good is, namely, that it is the good into which man is born; but what the natural good of truth is, is known to few, if any. There are four kinds of natural good, that is, of the good that is born with man, namely, natural good from the love of good, natural good from the love of truth, and also natural good from the love of evil, and natural good from the love of falsity. For the good into which man is born he derives from his parents, either father or mother; for all that which parents have contracted by frequent use and habit, or have become imbued with by actual life until it has become so familiar to them that it appears as if natural, is transmitted into their children, and becomes hereditary. If parents who have lived in the good of the love of good and in this life have perceived their delight and blessedness, conceive offspring in this state, the offspring receive therefrom an inclination to similar good; and if parents who have lived in the good of the love of truth (concerning which good see n. 3459, 3463) and in this life have perceived their delight, are in this state when they conceive offspring, the offspring receive therefrom an inclination to the like good.

[4] The case is similar with those who receive hereditarily the good of the love of evil and the good of the love of what is false. These latter are called goods by reason of their appearing in outward form as goods in those persons in whom they are, although they are the very reverse of goods. Very many in whom natural good appears have such good. They who are in the natural good of the love of evil are pliant and prone to evils of every kind; for they suffer themselves to be easily led astray, and from this good are compliant, especially to foul pleasures, to adulteries, and also to cruelties; and they who are in the natural good of falsity are prone to falsities of every kind, and from this good learn with avidity what is persuasive, especially from hypocrites and cunning persons, who know how to captivate the mind, to insinuate themselves into the affections, and to feign innocence. At the present day most people who in the Christian world are in natural good, are born into these so-called goods of evil and falsity, because their parents have by actual life contracted the delight of evil and of falsity, and thus have implanted it in their children, and thereby in their descendants.

3322. Therefore he called his name Edom. That this signifies his quality therefrom as to good, to which were adjoined the doctrinal things of truth, is evident from the signification of “calling a name,” or of “calling by name,” as being the quality (see n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006); and from the representation of Edom. There is frequent mention in the Word of Esau, and also of Edom; and by “Esau” is there signified the good of the natural before the doctrinal things of truth have been thus conjoined with this good, and also the good of life from influx out of the rational; and by “Edom” is signified the good of the natural to which have been adjoined the doctrinal things of truth. But in the opposite sense, “Esau” signifies the evil of the love of self before falsities have been thus adjoined to this love; and “Edom” signifies the evil of this love when falsities have been adjoined to it. As has been frequently shown, most names in the Word have also an opposite sense, because the same things that in the churches have been good and true, in process of time through various adulterations degenerate into what is evil and false.

[2] That such things are signified by “Esau” and “Edom” may be seen from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in His apparel, marching in the multitude of His strength. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and Thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-press? I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the peoples there was no man with Me. I looked, but there was none to help, I was amazed that there was none to uphold, and Mine own arm brought salvation unto Me (Isaiah 63:1, 3, 5); where it is clearly evident that “Edom” is the Lord; and that it is the Lord as to the Divine good of the Divine natural is manifest, for the subject is the conjunction of good and truth in the Lord’s Human, and also the temptation combats by which He conjoined them. That “garments” here are the truths of the natural man, or truths relatively inferior, may be seen above (n. 2576); and that “red” is the good of the natural (n. 3300). That the Lord by His own power, through temptation combats, conjoined truths in the natural with good, is described by, “I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the peoples there was no man with Me. I looked but there was none to help, I was amazed that there was none to uphold, and Mine own arm brought salvation unto Me.” (That “arm” denotes power, see above, n. 878)

[3] In the book of Judges:

O Jehovah when Thou wentest forth out of Seir, when Thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, the clouds also dropped water; the mountains flowed down (Judg. 5:4-5);

to “march out of the field of Edom” signifies nearly the same as, in Isaiah, to “come out of Edom.” In like manner in Moses:

Jehovah came from Sinai, and rose from Seir unto them (Deuteronomy 33:2).

Again:

I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not nigh; there shall come up a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; and Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession of his enemies, while Israel doeth valiantly. And he shall have dominion over Jacob, and shall destroy the remnant from the city (Numbers 24:17-19);

treating of the coming of the Lord into the world, whose Human Essence is called a “star out of Jacob,” and a “scepter out of Israel.” “Edom” and “Seir,” which should be a “possession,” signify the Divine good of the Lord’s Divine natural; their being the “possession of his enemies” signifies that this should succeed in the place of those things which were before in the natural; dominion then over truths therein is meant by “having dominion over Jacob, and destroying the remnant from the city.” (That “Jacob” signifies the truth of the natural, see above, n. 3305; and that “city” signifies what is doctrinal, n. 402, 2268, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216.) Dominion is said to be had over these when they are subordinated and subjected to good; for before this they are called “enemies,” because they continually resist, as was shown above (n. 3321).

[4] In Amos:

In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of eternity; that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the nations that were called by My name (Amos 9:11-12).

The “tabernacle of David” denotes the church and worship of the Lord; the “remnant of Edom,” those who are in good within the church; the “nations that were called by His name,” those who are in good out of the church. (That “nations” are those who are in good, see above, n. 1259, 1260, 1416, 1849.) In David:

Upon Edom will I cast my shoe. Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will lead me unto Edom? Wilt not Thou, O God? (Psalms 60:8, 10); where “Edom” denotes the good of the natural, as is evident from the signification of “shoe,” as being the lowest natural (n. 1748).

[5] In Daniel:

At the time of the end shall the king of the south thrust at him; and the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind with a chariot, and shall overflow and pass through; and when he shall come into the beauteous land many shall be overthrown; but these shall be rescued out of his hand, Edom and Moab, and the firstfruits of the sons of Ammon (Daniel 11:40-41); where the last state of the church is treated of; the “king of the north” denotes falsities, or what is the same, those who are in falsities; “Edom,” those who are in simple good, which is such good as exists with those who constitute the Lord’s external church; in like manner “Moab” and the “sons of Ammon” (n. 2468); and because both, namely, “Edom” and “Moab,” signify those who are in good, therefore in many passages both are named together; but the difference is that “Edom” is the good of the natural to which are adjoined the doctrinal things of truth, while “Moab” is natural good such as exists with those in whom these have not been conjoined; the two appear alike in the external form, but not in the internal.

[6] From this it is now evident why it was said:

Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for he is thy brother; thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian, because thou wast a sojourner in his land (Deuteronomy 23:7);

as by an “Edomite” is signified the good of the natural, and by an “Egyptian,” the truths thereof which are those of memory-knowledge (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462), therefore both are mentioned in a good sense. This shows why Jehovah said to Moses that they should not contend ¹ with the sons of Esau, and there should not be given of their land to the sons of Jacob so much as for the sole of the foot to tread upon (Deuteronomy 2:4-6).

[7] But in the opposite sense by “Esau” and “Edom” are represented those who turn aside from good through the fact that they altogether despise truth, and are unwilling that anything of the truth of faith should be adjoined, which is chiefly owing to the love of self; and therefore in the opposite sense such persons are signified by “Esau” and “Edom;” as was also represented by the circumstance that the king of Edom went forth with a numerous people and a strong hand, and refused to permit Israel to pass through his border (Numbers 20:14-22). This evil of the love of self, which is of such a nature as not to admit the truths of faith, thus neither the doctrinal things of truth, is described in various passages of the Word by “Esau” and “Edom,” and at the same time the state of the church when it becomes of this quality; as in Jeremiah:

Against Edom. Is wisdom no more in Teman? Is counsel perished from the intelligent? Is their wisdom become of an ill savor? Flee ye; they have turned themselves away, they have gone into the deep to dwell, inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him. I will make Esau bare, I will reveal his hidden things, and he shall not be able to hide himself; his seed is laid waste, and his brethren, and his neighbors. Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in Me. Edom shall become a waste, everyone that passeth by it shall be amazed, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof (Jeremiah 49:7-8, 10-11, 17).

[8] In David:

They say, Let the name of Israel be no more in remembrance; for they consult together with one heart; against thee do they make a covenant, the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab, and the Hagarenes (Psalms 83:4-6).

In Obadiah:

Thus saith the Lord Jehovih concerning Edom, Behold I have made thee small among the nations; thou art greatly despised. The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, in the height of thy habitation; that saith in thine heart, Who shall bring me down to the earth? Though thou mount on high as the eagle, and though thou settest thy nest among the stars, I will bring thee down from thence. How are they of Esau searched out! their hidden things discovered! Shall I not in that day destroy the wise men out of Edom, and the intelligent from the mount of Esau? From the slaughter on account of the violence of thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off forever. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble; and they shall enkindle them, and devour them; and there shall not be any residue to the house of Esau; and they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau (Obad. 1:1-10, 18-19).

In this passage “Esau” and “Edom” denote the evil of the natural man originating in the love of self, which despises and rejects all truth, whence comes its devastation.

[9] In Ezekiel:

Son of man, set thy face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, and say unto it, Thus saith the Lord Jehovih, I am against thee, O Mount Seir, and I will stretch out Mine hand against thee, and I will make thee a waste and a devastation. Because thou hast had an enmity of eternity, and hast given over the sons of Israel to the hands of the sword, in the time of their calamity, in the time of the iniquity of the end. Because thou hast said, These two nations, and these two lands, shall be mine, and we will possess it, and Jehovah is there. And thou shalt know that I Jehovah have heard all thy blasphemies, which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel. Thou shalt be a waste, O Mount Seir and all Edom, all of it (Ezekiel 35:2-3, 5, 8-10 (Ezekiel 35:5)12, 15); where it is very evident that in the opposite sense “Edom” denotes those who despise, reject, and vilify spiritual goods and truths, which are the “mountains of Israel.”

[10] Again:

Thus saith the Lord Jehovih, If I have not spoken in the fire of My jealousy against the remains of the nations, and against all Edom, which have given My land unto themselves for a possession, with the joy of all their heart, with despite of soul (Ezekiel 36:5); where the sense is the same; to “give the land unto themselves for a possession” denotes to vastate the church, that is, the good and truth of the church.

[11] In Malachi:

The word of Jehovah against Israel. I have loved you, saith Jehovah; yet ye say, Wherein hast Thou loved us? Is not Esau Jacob’s brother? Yet I loved Jacob, but Esau I hated, and I make his mountain a waste (Malachi 1:1-3); where “Esau” denotes the evil of the natural that does not admit spiritual truth which is “Israel” (n. 3305), and what is doctrinal of truth which is “Jacob” (n. 3305); and on this account he is vastated, which is being “hated” (that “hating” is nothing else, is manifest from what was adduced above from the Word concerning Esau and Edom in a good sense); but when truth does not suffer itself to be adjoined to good, then evil is on the other hand predicated of Jacob, as in Hosea:

To visit upon Jacob according to his ways; according to his works will He recompense him; in the womb he supplanted his brother (Hos. 12:2-3).

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