489. 'Sons and daughters' means the truths and goods which they perceived, 'sons to be exact meaning the truths and 'daughters' the goods. This becomes clear from very many places in the Prophets. For in the Word, as happened in earliest times, conceptions and births of the Church are called 'sons and daughters', as in Isaiah,

Nations will walk to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes round about and see; they all gather and they come towards you. Your sons will come from far, and your daughters will be nursed at your side. Then you will see and abound, and your heart will be astounded and enlarged. Isaiah 60:3-5.

Here 'sons' stands for truths and 'daughters' for goods.

In David,

Rescue me and snatch me from the hand of sons of the foreigner, whose mouths speak lies. Our sons are like plants made large in their youth, our daughters like corner-pillars cut in the form of the temple. Psalms 144:11-12.

'Sons of the foreigner' stands for spurious truths, which are falsities, 'our sons' for matters of doctrine concerning truth, and 'daughters' for matters of doctrine concerning good.

In Isaiah,

I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Do not withhold. Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the end of the earth. Bring forth the blind people, and they will have eyes, and the deaf, who will have ears. Isaiah 43:6, 8.

Here 'sons' stands for truths, 'daughters' for goods, 'the blind' for people who will see truths, and 'the deaf' for those who comply with them.

In Jeremiah,

From our youth shame is devouring the work of our fathers - their flocks, their herds, their sons, and their daughters. Jeremiah 3:24.

Here 'sons and daughters' stands for truths and goods.

[2] 'Male children' and 'sons' stand for truths in the following in Isaiah,

Jacob will no more be ashamed, and no more will his face grow pale. For when he sees his male children, the work of My hands, in his midst they will sanctify My name, and they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and stand in awe of the God of Israel. Those who err in spirit will know understanding Isaiah 29:12-24.

'The Holy One of Jacob, the God of Israel' stands for the Lord, 'male children' for regenerate people who have an understanding of good and truth, as is also explicitly stated.

In the same prophet,

Sing, O barren one, who did not bear, for the sons of her that is desolate are more than the sons of her that is married. Isaiah 54:1

'The sons of her that is desolate' stands for truths of the Primitive Church, or Church among gentiles, while 'the sons of her that is married' stands for truths of the Jewish Church.

In Jeremiah,

My tent has been laid waste, and all My cords torn away; My sons have gone away from Me, and they are not. Jeremiah 10:20.

'Sons' stands for truths.

In the same prophet,

Their sons will be as they were of old, and their congregation will be established before Me. Jeremiah 30:10

Here 'sons' stands for the truths of the Ancient Church.

In Zechariah,

I will rouse your sons, O Zion, together with your sons, O Jehovah, and I will set you as the sword of one who is powerful. Zechariah 9:13.

Here 'sons' stands for truths of faith inherent in love.

3768. For out of that well they watered the droves. That this signifies that the memory-knowledge is thence derived-that is, from the Word-is evident from the signification of a “well,” as being the Word (n. 3765); and from the signification of “watering,” or “giving to drink,” as being to be instructed (n. 3069); and from the signification of “droves” as being the memory-knowledge of doctrinal things (see n. 3767). Hence it is evident that by “watering the droves out of the well” is signified that the memory-knowledge of the doctrinal things of good and truth is from the Word. In what now follows concerning Jacob, the Lord is treated of in the supreme sense-how He made His natural Divine, and in this chapter the initiation is treated of; and in the internal representative sense those who are being regenerated are treated of-how the Lord renews their natural man, and in this chapter the initiation is treated of; therefore the subject here treated of is the Word and the doctrine thence derived; for initiation and regeneration are effected by means of doctrine from the Word. And inasmuch as these things are signified by a “well” and by “three droves of the flock,” therefore these are mentioned historically, which would have been of too trifling import to be mentioned in the Divine Word unless they had signified such things. What they enfold is evident, namely, that all the memory-knowledge and doctrine of good and truth are from the Word.

[2] The natural man can indeed know, and also perceive, what good and truth are, but only natural and civic good and truth; but spiritual good and truth he cannot know, because this must come from revelation, thus from the Word. For example: a man may know from the rational that is possessed by everyone that his neighbor ought to be loved, and that God ought to be worshiped; but how the neighbor is to be loved, and how God is to be worshiped, thus what spiritual good and truth are, can be known only from the Word-as that good itself is the neighbor, consequently they who are in good, and this according to the good in which they are; and that good is the neighbor because the Lord is in good, and therefore in the love of good the Lord is loved.

[3] In like manner they who have not the Word cannot know that all good is from the Lord, and that it inflows with man, and causes the affection of good, and that this affection is called charity; neither can they who have not the Word know who is the God of the universe; and that He is the Lord is hidden from them; when yet the inmost of affection or of charity, consequently the inmost of good, must look to Him. From this it is evident what spiritual good is, and that this cannot be known except from the Word. With regard to the Gentiles, so long as they are in the world they indeed do not know this, nevertheless while they live in mutual charity with one another, they thence derive such a capacity that in the other life they can be instructed concerning such matters, and they also easily receive and become imbued therewith. (See n. 2589-2604)