4242. 'And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall you say to my lord Esau' means the first acknowledgement that good occupied the higher position. This becomes clear from the meaning here of 'commanding the messengers to say' as reflection and consequent perception that this is so, dealt with in 3661, 3682, and therefore as acknowledgement; and from the representation of 'Esau' as good, dealt with above in 4234, 4239. The acknowledgement that it occupied the higher position is meant by his calling Esau not his brother but his 'lord' and also by calling himself in the next breath his 'servant', and likewise further on. For while a person is being regenerated truth seemingly occupies first position and good second, but once he has been regenerated good occupies first and truth second, see 1904, 2063, 2189, 2697, 2979, 3286, 3288, 3310 (end), 3325, 3330, 3332, 3336, 3470, 3509, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3579, 3603, 3701. This is also what is meant by the prophetic utterances made by father to son - when Isaac declared to Esau,

By your sword you will live, and you will serve your brother; and it will be, when you have dominion over him, that you will break his yoke from above your neck. Genesis 27:40.

It is the turning round within this state, foretold in these prophetic utterances, that is dealt with here.

3514. 'And I will bless you before Jehovah' means conjunction thereby. This is clear from the meaning of 'I will bless you' as an alliance to its own life, dealt with above in 3504. Here, because the words 'I will bless you before Jehovah' are used, conjunction is meant. The expression 'alliance' is used to refer to the communication of the truth of the natural with the good of the rational, but the expression 'conjunction' to refer to the communication of the good of the natural with the good of the rational. For a parallelism exists between God and man so far as celestial things, which are forms of good, are concerned, but not where spiritual things, which are forms of truth, are concerned, see 1832.