3681. 'To take a wife for himself from there' means a joining together thereby through the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a wife' as the affection for truth, dealt with in 1468, 2517, 3236. 'Taking a wife' is being joined through that affection.

1468. 'That he said to Sarai his wife' means that He thought in the following way about truths to which celestial things were allied. This is clear from the meaning of 'Sarai' when she is called 'a wife'. In the internal sense of the Word 'a wife' means nothing other than truth joined to good, for truth joined to good is altogether like a marriage. When the noun 'husband' (maritus) is used in the Word it means good and 'wife' means truth. But when instead of this another noun for 'husband' (vir) is used, it in that case means truth, and 'wife' means good; and this is a consistent usage in the Word, as also stated already in 915. Since 'Abram' has been mentioned by name in this passage, 'Sarai his wife' means truth. Thus the meaning of 'he said to Sarai his wife' is in the internal sense that He thought in the following way about truths to which celestial things were allied. It is true historically that when he travelled into Egypt Abram spoke to his wife in this way; but, as has been stated, all the historical events recorded in the Word are representative and every word carries a spiritual meaning. No other historical details have been brought in, and those that have are not presented in any other sequence, nor expressed in any other words than such as in the internal sense may express these arcana.