3470. And he took for a woman Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. That this signifies the adjunction of natural truth from another source than from genuine truth itself, is evident from the signification of a “woman,” as being truth adjoined to good (concerning which see above, where Sarah and Rebekah are treated of, n. 1468, 1909, 2063, 2065, 2172, 2173, 2198, 2507, 2904, 3012, 3013, 3077); but the subject here treated of is natural truth adjoined to natural good; and from the representation of “Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite,” as being truth from another source than genuine truth itself. For the Hittites were among the upright Gentiles in the land of Canaan, among whom Abraham dwelt, and from whom he bought the cave of Machpelah for a sepulchre (Genesis 23); and by whom is there represented a spiritual church among the Gentiles (n. 2913, 2986); and because this church is not in truth from the Word, by the same is signified truth not from genuine truth itself. For the nation that represents a church, signifies also the truth and good such as belongs to that church; a church being a church from truth and good; so that when a church is mentioned, truth and good are understood; and when truth and good are mentioned, a church is understood.

[2] The case herein is this: Until it has been reformed, the natural good of truth is not spiritual good, that is, the good of faith and the good of charity. As just stated (n. 3469) natural good is from parents; but spiritual good is from the Lord; and therefore in order that a man may receive spiritual good, he must be regenerated; and while this is taking place there are first adjoined to him truths from another source than from genuine truth itself, which are such as do not adhere, but serve only as means for introducing genuine truths; and when these have been introduced, the truths not genuine are separated. The case herein is as it is with children, who first learn many things, even trifling ones, such as things relating to sports and the like; not that these may make them wise, but that they may prepare the way for the reception of useful things which are of wisdom; and when these have been received, the former are separated, and indeed cast away. Or as is the case with fruits, which are first filled with sour juice before they can receive sweet juice, the sour juice which is not genuine being the means of introducing the sweet, on the entrance of which the former is dispersed.

[3] Such also is the case with man’s natural when being regenerated, for natural good is such that of itself it is not willing to obey and serve rational good as a servant serves its master, but desires to command. But in order that it may be reduced to a state of compliance and service, it is harassed by states of vastation and temptation until its concupiscences decline; and then by the influx of the good of faith and of charity through the internal man from the Lord, the natural is tempered, until the good received hereditarily is by degrees extirpated, and a new good is implanted in its place, into which good the truths of faith are then insinuated, which are like new fibers inserted into the heart of man, through which fibers new juice is introduced, until a new heart has by degrees grown there.

[4] The truths which are first introduced cannot be from a genuine fountain, because evils and falsities are in the former or natural good; but they are such seeming truths, or such appearances of truths, as have a certain affinity with genuine truths, by which there is gradually given the opportunity and place for real genuine truths to insinuate themselves. Genuine good is like the blood in the arteries, or the juice in the fibers, and leads and applies truths into form. The good which is thus formed in the natural or external man is a general good, as it were woven or connected together of the particulars and singulars of spiritual good through the rational or internal man from the Lord, who alone forms and creates anew. Hence it is that in the Word the Lord is so often called the Former and Creator.

3469. And Esau was a son of forty years. That this signifies a state of temptation as to the natural good of truth, is evident from the representation of Esau, as being the natural good of truth (n. 3300, 3302, 3322); and from the signification of “forty years,” as being states of temptation. (That “forty” signifies temptations may be seen above, n. 730, 862, 2272; and that “years” signify states, n. 487, 488, 493, 893.) The reason why these things concerning Esau are joined to what has been related concerning Abimelech and Isaac, is that those are treated of who are in the good of truth, that is, who are in life according to things that are derived from the literal sense of the Word; for these are signified by “Abimelech, Ahuzzath, and Phicol,” as before repeatedly said.

[2] They therefore who are in the good of truth, or in a life according to doctrinal things, are regenerate as to the interiors, which are their rational, but not yet as to the exteriors, which are their natural things; for man is regenerated as to the rational before he is regenerated as to the natural (n. 3286, 3288); because the natural is altogether in the world, and in the natural as in a plane there are founded man’s thought and will. This is the reason why during regeneration man observes a combat between his rational or internal man and his natural or external man; and why his external man is regenerated much later, and likewise with much greater difficulty, than his internal man. For that which is nearer to the world and nearer to the body cannot be easily constrained to render obedience to the internal man; but only after considerable length of time and by means of many new states into which the man is introduced, which are states of self-acknowledgment, and of acknowledgment of the Lord, that is, of one’s own wretchedness, and of the Lord’s mercy; thus states of humiliation resulting from temptation combats. Because this is so, there is here next adjoined what is said of Esau and his two wives, whereby such things are signified in the internal sense.

[3] Everyone knows what natural good is, namely, that it is the good into which man is born; but what the natural good of truth is, is known to few, if any. There are four kinds of natural good, that is, of the good that is born with man, namely, natural good from the love of good, natural good from the love of truth, and also natural good from the love of evil, and natural good from the love of falsity. For the good into which man is born he derives from his parents, either father or mother; for all that which parents have contracted by frequent use and habit, or have become imbued with by actual life until it has become so familiar to them that it appears as if natural, is transmitted into their children, and becomes hereditary. If parents who have lived in the good of the love of good and in this life have perceived their delight and blessedness, conceive offspring in this state, the offspring receive therefrom an inclination to similar good; and if parents who have lived in the good of the love of truth (concerning which good see n. 3459, 3463) and in this life have perceived their delight, are in this state when they conceive offspring, the offspring receive therefrom an inclination to the like good.

[4] The case is similar with those who receive hereditarily the good of the love of evil and the good of the love of what is false. These latter are called goods by reason of their appearing in outward form as goods in those persons in whom they are, although they are the very reverse of goods. Very many in whom natural good appears have such good. They who are in the natural good of the love of evil are pliant and prone to evils of every kind; for they suffer themselves to be easily led astray, and from this good are compliant, especially to foul pleasures, to adulteries, and also to cruelties; and they who are in the natural good of falsity are prone to falsities of every kind, and from this good learn with avidity what is persuasive, especially from hypocrites and cunning persons, who know how to captivate the mind, to insinuate themselves into the affections, and to feign innocence. At the present day most people who in the Christian world are in natural good, are born into these so-called goods of evil and falsity, because their parents have by actual life contracted the delight of evil and of falsity, and thus have implanted it in their children, and thereby in their descendants.