4108. To go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. That this signifies in order to be conjoined with the Divine good of the rational, to the intent that His human might be made Divine, is evident from the representation of Isaac, as being the Divine rational (see n. 1893, 2066, 2083, 2630); and specifically the Divine good of the rational (n. 3012, 3194, 3210); and from the signification of the “land of Canaan,” as being the Lord’s celestial kingdom (see n. 1607, 3481), and in the supreme sense, that is, when predicated of the Lord, His Divine Human (n. 3038, 3705). This shows that by the words, “to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan,” is signified in order to be conjoined with the Divine good of the rational, to the intent that His human might be made Divine.

[2] As regards the conjunction of the rational and the natural in man, be it known that the rational is of the internal man and the natural of the external; and that their conjunction produces the human, of such a quality as is the conjunction, and that there is conjunction when they act as a one; and they act as a one when the natural ministers and is subservient to the rational. With man this is impossible unless it is done by the Lord; but with the Lord it was done by Himself.

1893. Sarai, Abram’s wife, did not bear unto him. That this signifies that the rational man was not yet, will be evident from what follows, where Isaac is treated of. For, as has been said, there are in every man an internal man, a rational man that is intermediate, and an external, which is properly called the natural man. With the Lord these were represented by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the internal man by Abraham, the rational by Isaac, and the natural by Jacob. The internal man in the Lord was Jehovah Himself, for He was conceived of Jehovah; on this account He so often called Him His “Father,” and in the Word He is called the “Only-begotten of God,” and the only “Son of God.” The rational man is not born with man, but only the capacity for becoming rational, as all may see from the fact that new-born infants are not endowed with any reason, but become rational in process of time by means of things of sense external and internal, as they are imbued with knowledges [scientiae et cognitiones]. In children indeed there is an appearance of rationality, yet it is not rationality, but is only a kind of rudiment of it, which is known from the fact that reason belongs to adults and men of years.

[2] The rational man in the Lord is treated of in this chapter. The Divine Rational itself is represented by Isaac; but the first rational before it was made Divine, by Ishmael; and therefore that “Sarai, Abram’s wife, did not bear unto him” here signifies that hitherto there was no Divine rational. As before said, the Lord was born as are other men, and as regards all that He drew from Mary the mother He was like other men; and as the rational is formed by means of knowledges [scientifica et cognitiones], which enter through things of the external senses, or those of the external man, therefore His first rational was born as with any other man; but as by His own power He made Divine all the human things that appertained to Him, so did He also make the rational Divine. His first rational is described in this chapter, and also in chapter 21, where Hagar and Ishmael are likewise treated of (from verses 9 to 21), and it is said that Ishmael was expelled when Isaac grew up, by whom is represented the Divine rational.