5403. 'And Jacob said to his sons' means perception regarding truths as a general whole. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with in 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509; and from the meaning of 'sons' as the truths of faith, dealt with in 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373, 4257. Also, because they were Jacob's sons, truths as a general whole are meant; for 'the twelve sons of Jacob', like the twelve tribes, meant all aspects of faith, and so truths as a general whole, see 2129, 2130, 3858, 3862, 3926, 3939, 4060.

1819. 'He said, O Lord Jehovih' means a conversing, so to speak, of the Interior Man with the Internal Man. This is clear from what was stated in the previous verse at the words 'Jehovah said to him', and also from what was stated in verse 2 of this chapter about the Lord Jehovih, as meaning a conversing of the Interior Man with the Internal Man, or Jehovah, especially when He was undergoing temptation.