2080. That 'God said' means the reply that was perceived is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, dealt with just above in 2077. And because in the previous verse the words 'Abraham said' were used, which meant perception, and in this verse the words 'God said' (or replied) occur, a perceived reply, that is, a reply received in the form of perception, is consequently meant. All perception entails both a proposition and a reply, the perception of the two being expressed here in the historical sense by the phrases 'Abraham said to God' and 'God said'. That 'God's saying' means perceiving, see 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, and in various places above in this chapter.

1791. 'Abram said, O Lord Jehovih' means the Lord's perception. This becomes clear from the fact that the Lord had the inmost and most perfect perception of all. As stated already, this perception was a perceptive feeling and awareness of all that was happening in heaven; it was also a constant communication and internal conversing with Jehovah, which the Lord alone had. This perception is what is meant in the internal sense by the statement 'Abram said to Jehovah', and thus is what was represented by Abram when he addressed Jehovah. The same applies in what follows whenever the expression 'Abram said to Jehovah' occurs.