1987. THE INTERNAL SENSE

Verse 1. And Abram was a son of ninety years and nine years; and Jehovah appeared unto Abram, and said unto him, I am God Shaddai; walk thou before Me and be thou perfect [integer]. “Abram was a son of ninety years and nine years,” signifies the time before the Lord had fully conjoined the internal man with the rational; “Abram” signifies the Lord in that state and in that age; “and Jehovah appeared to Abram,” signifies manifestation; “and said unto him,” signifies perception; “I am God Shaddai,” in the sense of the letter signifies the name of Abram’s God, by which name the Lord was first represented before them; “walk thou before Me,” signifies the truth of faith; “and be thou perfect,” signifies good.

881. That “seven” signifies what is holy, because charity is now treated of, is evident from the signification of “seven” (concerning which above, n. 395, 716. Moreover “seven” is inserted here for the coherence of all things historically, as “seven” and “seven days” in the natural sense add nothing but a certain holiness, which this second state has from the celestial, that is, from charity.