2619. As He had spoken. That this signifies as He had thought, is evident from the signification of “speaking,” as being to think (see n. 2271, 2287). The perception which is signified by “Jehovah said” was from the Divine celestial; but the thought which is signified by “Jehovah spoke” was from the Divine celestial through the Divine spiritual; and there is therefore an apparent repetition in the sense of the letter, namely, “as He said,” and “as He spake.” But what it is to perceive from the Divine celestial and to think from the Divine celestial through the Divine spiritual, does not fall into even the most enlightened apprehension by means of things that belong to the light of the world. This shows how infinite the rest of the Word may be. (That thought is from perception may be seen above, n. 1919, 2515.) With man the case is this: it is good from which he perceives, but it is truth by means of which he thinks. Good is of love and its affections, consequently from it is perception; but truth is of faith, consequently this is of thought. The former is signified in the historic parts of the Word by “saying,” but the latter by “speaking.” But when “saying” is found alone, it then sometimes signifies perceiving, and sometimes thinking; because “saying” involves both.

2287. Jehovah went when He had completed His speaking unto Abraham. That this signifies that this state of perception in which the Lord was, then ceased to be such, is evident from the signification of “speaking,” and from the representation of Abraham. “To speak,” in the internal sense, signifies to think (as shown above, n. 2271); but here it signifies to perceive, because it is declared of Jehovah that He “had completed His speaking” to Abraham; for the thought was from perception, as before said, and the perception was from the Lord’s internal, which was Jehovah. But “Abraham” in this chapter represents the Lord in the human state, as often stated above. From this we can see that by its being said that “Jehovah went when He had completed His speaking unto Abraham,” nothing else is signified in the internal sense than that the state of perception in which the Lord had been, then came to its close and completion. The reason why the Lord’s perception and thought are so much treated of in this chapter in the internal sense, may be seen above (n. 2249).