2822. 'And said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said, Here I am' means a perception of comfort in the Divine Good of the Rational following temptation. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'saying' in historical parts of the Word as perceiving, often dealt with already. The reason why here it is a perception in the Divine Good of the Rational is that 'Abraham' here means the Divine Good within the Lord's Rational or Human. What perception in the Divine Good of the Rational is cannot be explained intelligibly, for prior to any explanation of it an idea of the Lord's Divine Human must be formed from knowledge of many things. Until such an idea has been formed all things offered by way of explanation would fall into ideas that were either empty or obscure, which would either pervert truths or bring these among ideas out of keeping with them.

[2] In this verse the Lord's first state following temptation is the subject, which is a state of comfort. This explains why the name God is not now used any more but Jehovah, for God is used when reference is being made to the truth from which the battle is fought, but Jehovah when reference is being made to the good from which comfort springs, 2769. All comfort following temptation is instilled into good, for good is the source of all joy, and from the good it passes over into truth. Here therefore 'Abraham' means the Divine Good of the Rational, as he also does in other places, and wherever the name Jehovah occurs in the same verse.

2769. 'And He said to him, Abraham' means the Lord's perception from Divine Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' - in the historical parts of the Word - as perceiving, dealt with in 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord. This perception sprang from Divine Truth, as may be seen from the consideration that the name GOD is used, not JEHOVAH. For in the Word when truth is the subject the name God occurs, but when good is the subject the name Jehovah, see 2586. This explains why the name God is used in the present verse and in those that follow as far as verse 11, in that temptation is the subject in those verses, and why Jehovah is used in verse 11 and those that follow, in that deliverance is the subject in these verses. For it is from truth that all temptation and condemnation come about, but from good that all deliverance and salvation are effected. Truth condemns but good saves, see 1685, 2258, 2335.