3393. 'And Abimelech called Isaac and said' means the Lord's perception from doctrine. This is clear from the representation of 'Abimelech' as doctrine which has regard to rational concepts, dealt with in 2504, 2509, 2510, 2533, 3391; from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with above; and from the meaning of 'laying' as perceiving, dealt with in 1898, 1919, 2080, 2862. And because 'Abimelech' means that doctrine, in which the Divine was now perceived, 3392, Abimelech also represents the Lord in regard to that doctrine. For every single thing in the Word refers in the highest sense to the Lord. Indeed the Lord is doctrine itself, that is, the Word, not only as to the highest sense there, but also as to the internal sense, and even as to the literal sense.

[2] For the literal sense is the representative of, and carries all that is meant in the internal sense, and the internal sense in turn is representative of and carries all that is meant in the highest sense In the Word every representative or meaningful sign is in essence that which is represented or meant by it, and for that reason is the Lord's Divine. For a representative is nothing else than an image of the one who is being represented, and the image holds within itself the one who is presented. This may be seen from a person's speech and also from his gestures; that is to say, his speech and gestures are merely images of the things that are going on inwardly in that person's thought and will, so that speech and gestures are the thought and will expressed in outward form. Take away thought and will from them and you would be left with something wholly lifeless, and so with nothing human at all. From this one may see the true nature of the Word - that it is Divine, even in the letter.

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.