4602. Verses 22-26. And the sons of Jacob were twelve. The sons of Leah, Reuben Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin. And the sons of Bilhah Rachel’s handmaid, Dan and Naphtali. And the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram. “And the sons of Jacob were twelve,” signifies the state of all things now in the Divine natural; “the sons of Leah,” signifies external Divine goods and truths in their order; “Reuben Jacob’s firstborn,” signifies the good of faith; “and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun,” signifies the essential things of these; “the sons of Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin,” signifies interior goods and truths; “and the sons of Bilhah Rachel’s handmaid, Dan and Naphtali,” signifies subsequent things that are of service to interior goods and truths; “and the sons of Zilpah Leah’s handmaid, Gad and Asher” signifies those which are of service to exterior goods and truths; “these are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram,” signifies their origin and their present state.

3926. A second son to Jacob. That this signifies a second general truth, is evident from the signification of a “son,” as being truth (see n. 489, 491, 533, 1147). That the signification here is a general truth, is evident from what has been said above concerning the twelve sons of Jacob, and the twelve tribes named from them, as being the general things of the church, and accordingly the general things of faith and love, or of truth and good, which are signified and represented by them; and that in the opposite sense are also meant general things not of faith and love, but all things of falsity and evil, will appear hereafter.