3933. 'And Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl, bore Jacob a son' means acknowledgement, that is to say, of external truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'bearing' as acknowledgement; from the meaning of 'a servant-girl' as an affirmative means joining two together; and from the meaning of 'a son' as truth, dealt with in 489, 491, 533, 1147.

1147. 'And sons were born to them' means matters of doctrine deriving from those three. This is clear from the meaning of 'sons' in the internal sense as truths of faith, and also as falsities. Consequently matters of doctrine, both true and false, are meant, for such are the doctrines of Churches. That 'sons' has such a meaning, see above in 264, 489, 491, 533.