3861. And she called his name Reuben. That this signifies the quality thereof, which is described, is evident from the signification of “name” and of “calling a name,” as being quality (see n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3321). The quality itself is described by the words, “Jehovah hath seen my affliction, for now my man will love me,” which are “Reuben.” (That all the names in the Word signify actual things has been often shown above, n. 1224, 1264, 1876, 1888; and that the ancients gave names significative of states, see n. 340, 1946, 2643, 3422.) That here the names of all the sons of Jacob signify the universals of the church, will be shown. A real universal has also been put into the name of each; but what universal it is impossible for anyone to know, unless he knows what is involved in the internal sense of the expressions from which each one was called-as for instance in the expression, “hath seen,” from which Reuben was named; in the expression, “hath heard,” from which Simeon was named; in the expression, “will adhere,” from which Leviticus was named; and in the expression, “will confess,” from which Judah was named; and so with regard to all the others.

3422. After the names which his father called them. That this signifies significatives of truth, is evident from the fact that the names which in ancient times were given to persons, places, and things, were all significative (n. 340, 1946, 2643); thus the names given to fountains and wells were significative of the things that were formerly understood by fountains and wells, and which had relation to truth (as was shown above (2702), n. 2702, 3096); and because names were significative, by “name” also, and by “calling by name” is signified in general the quality of either a thing or a state (as just stated, n. 3421); and this being so, by the names in the Word, in its internal sense, is not signified any person, or any nation, or any kingdom, or any city, but always some actual thing. That by “wells” in this passage there is signified something heavenly must be obvious to everyone; for unless this were so, to mention so many particulars concerning wells would not be worthy of the Divine Word, because it would be of no use to know them; as for instance that the Philistines stopped up the wells which the servants of Abraham digged; that Isaac digged them again, and that he called their names after their former names; and afterwards that the servants of Isaac digged a well in the valley about which the shepherds strove; and that they digged again another well about which they also strove; and afterwards another about which they did not strive; and again another; and lastly that they told Isaac about a new well (verses 15, 18-22, 25, 32-33); but the heavenly signification of these wells is now manifest from the internal sense.