Arcana Coelestia #4116
4116. And he passed over the river. That this signifies a state wherein is conjunction, is evident from the signification of the “river,” here the Euphrates, as being conjunction, namely, with the Divine. The “river” has this signification here, because it was the boundary of the land of Canaan on that side; and all the boundaries of the land of Canaan represented and thence signified what was last and what was first; what was last because there there was an ending, and what was first because there there was a beginning; for all boundaries are of such a nature as to be last to those who are going out, and first to those who are entering in. As Jacob was now entering in, that river was his first boundary, and consequently denotes conjunction, namely, in the supreme sense, with the Divine; for by the land of Canaan in the internal sense there is signified the Lord’s celestial kingdom (n. 1607, 3481); and in the supreme sense the Lord’s Divine Human (n. 3038, 3705). From this it is evident what is here signified by Jacob’s passing over the river. (That all things in the land of Canaan were representative in accordance with their distances, situations, and boundaries, may be seen above, n. 1585, 3686; and that so were the rivers which bounded it, as the river of Egypt, the Euphrates, and the Jordan, n. 1866)
Genesis 15
1
After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Don't be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."
2
Abram said, "Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?"
3
Abram said, "Behold, to me you have given no seed: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir."
4
Behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir, but he who will come forth out of your own body will be your heir."
5
Yahweh brought him outside, and said, "Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." He said to Abram, "So shall your seed be."
6
He believed in Yahweh; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.
7
He said to him, "I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it."
8
He said, "Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?"
9
He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
10
He brought him all of these, and divided them in the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he didn't divide the birds.
11
The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
12
When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him.
13
He said to Abram, "Know for sure that your seed will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years.
14
I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth,
15
but you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried in a good old age.
16
In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full."
17
It came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
18
In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:
19
the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,
20
the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,
21
the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."
