8571. To make me die, and my sons, and my cattle, with thirst. That this signifies that from the lack of truth everything of spiritual life is expiring, is evident from the signification of “dying,” as being to expire, here in respect to the spiritual life; from the signification of “me, my sons, and my cattle,” as being all things of spiritual life; for by “me,” or the man of the church, is signified the good of charity and of faith; by “sons,” the interior truths of faith; and by “cattle,” the exterior truths from which is good; thus all things which are of the spiritual life. For spiritual life consists of the good of charity and of faith, and of the truth of faith internal and external. (That “man” denotes good, see n. 4287; that “sons” denote the truths of faith, n. 489, 491, 533, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3372, 3704; and that “cattle” denote the truths from which is good, n. 6016, 6045, 6049.) And from the signification of “thirst,” as being a lack of truth (of which just above, n. 8568).

2802. Isaac said unto Abraham his father; and he said, My father; and he said, Here am I, my son. That this signifies the Lord conference from love—of the Divine Truth with the Divine Good-is evident from the signification of “Isaac the son,” as being the Divine Truth; and from the signification of “Abraham the father,” as being the Divine Good; which are treated of in what presently follows; and from the affection that is in these words, as being from love on both sides. Hence it is manifest that it is a conference of the Lord with His Father. That more arcana lie hid in these words than can come to human perception, is evident from the fact that the words “he said” occur four times in this verse. It is usual in the Word, when any new thing is begun, to say, “and he said” (see n. 2061, 2238, 2260). The same is evident from the fact that the words are words of love; and when such come to the perception of the celestial angels who are in the inmost sense, they form for themselves from them most celestial ideas; for they form for themselves luminous ideas from the affections in the Word, whereas the spiritual angels do so from the significations of the words and of the things (n. 2157, 2275); and thus from these words, in which there are four distinct periods and affections of love, the celestial angels form such things as can in no wise come down to human apprehension, nor can be put into words; and this with ineffable abundance and variety. Hence we can see what the quality of the Word is in its internal sense, even where it appears simple in the letter, as in this verse.