3323. Verses 31-33 And Jacob said, Sell me - as if today - your birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am going to die; so what is this birthright to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me, as if today; and he swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Jacob.

'Jacob said' means the doctrine of truth. 'Sell me - as if today - your birthright' means that in the short term the doctrine of truth was apparently prior. 'And Esau said, Behold, I am going to die' means that [the good of the natural] would after that rise again 'So what is this birthright to me?' means that at this time there is no need for that good to be prior. 'And Jacob said' means the doctrine of truth. 'Swear to me, as if today; and he swore to him' means confirmation. 'And he sold his birthright to Jacob' means that in the meantime priority was conceded [to the doctrine of truth].

2268. 'Will You for five destroy the whole city?' means, Will mankind perish for the small amount that is lacking? This is clear from the meaning of 'five' as small, referred to immediately above, and from the meaning of 'a city' as truth, also dealt with already. The human mind as regards truths is in the Word compared to and also called 'a city', and as regards the goods that are present within truths is there compared to and also called 'the inhabitants'. For a similarity indeed exists, in that if the truths in a person's two memories ¹ and in the thoughts of his mind are devoid of goods, they are like a city that has no residents and so is vacant and empty. Indeed it can also be said of angels that they dwell so to speak in a person's truths and implant affections for good from the Lord when that person leads a life abiding in love to the Lord and in charity towards the neighbour, for they are delighted so to dwell, that is, to live, with such persons. It is different in the case of those with whom some truths exist but no goods that flow from charity.

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