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Genesis 29

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1 And Jacob continued his journey, and went into the land of the children of the east.

2 And he looked, and behold, there was a well in the fields, and behold there, three flocks of sheep were lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks, and a great stone was at the mouth of the well.

3 And when all the flocks were gathered there, they rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again on the mouth of the well in its place.

4 And Jacob said to them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.

5 And he said to them, Do ye know Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We do know [him].

6 And he said to them, Is he well? And they said, [He is] well; and behold, there comes Rachel his daughter with the sheep.

7 And he said, Behold, it is yet high day; it is not time that the cattle should be gathered together; water the sheep, and go, feed [them].

8 And they said, We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water the sheep.

9 While he was still speaking to them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.

10 And it came to pass when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep of Laban his mother's brother.

11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.

12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was a brother of her father, and that he was Rebecca's son; and she ran and told her father.

13 And it came to pass when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house; and he told Laban all these things.

14 And Laban said to him, Thou art indeed my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him a month's time.

15 And Laban said to Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou serve me for nothing? tell me, what shall be thy wages?

16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger, Rachel.

17 And the eyes of Leah were tender; but Rachel was of beautiful form and beautiful countenance.

18 And Jacob loved Rachel, and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.

20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they were in his eyes as single days, because he loved her.

21 And Jacob said to Laban, Give [me] my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.

22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.

23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in to her.

24 And Laban gave to her Zilpah, his maidservant, to be maidservant to Leah his daughter.

25 And it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done to me? Have I not served thee for Rachel? Why then hast thou deceived me?

26 And Laban said, It is not so done in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn.

27 Fulfil the week [with] this one: then we will give thee the other one also, for the service that thou shalt serve me yet seven other years.

28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled the week [with] this one, and he gave him Rachel his daughter to be his wife.

29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, Bilhah, his maidservant, to be her maidservant.

30 And he went in also to Rachel; and he loved also Rachel more than Leah. And he served with him yet seven other years.

31 And when Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

32 And Leah conceived, and bore a son, and called his name Reuben; for she said, Because Jehovah has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.

33 And she again conceived, and bore a son, and said, Because Jehovah has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this one also; and she called his name Simeon.

34 And she again conceived, and bore a son, and said, Now this time will my husband be united to me, for I have borne him three sons; therefore was his name called Levi.

35 And she again conceived, and bore a son, and said, This time will I praise Jehovah; therefore she called his name Judah. And she ceased to bear.

   

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Arcana Coelestia #3820

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3820. And Leah’s eyes were weak. That this signifies that the affection of external truth is such in regard to the understanding of it is evident from the representation of Leah as being the affection of external truth (see n. 3793); from the signification of “eyes” as being the understanding (n. 2701); and from the signification of “weak” as being relatively such. That the affections of external truth are weak in regard to the understanding; or what is the same, that they who are in them are so, may be seen from external, that is, general, ideas that are not yet illustrated by singulars, in that they are infirm and wavering, and are as it were carried away by every breath of wind, or in other words, suffer themselves to be drawn over to every opinion; whereas when the same have been illustrated by singulars, they become firm and steadfast, for from these they have the things both essential and formal which are signified by the “beautiful form and beautiful look of Rachel,” by whom are represented the affections of interior truth.

[2] What is meant by external truths and their affections, and by internal truths and their affections, and by the former being relatively weak-eyed, and the latter beautiful in form and look, may be illustrated by an example. They who are in external truths know the mere general truth that good is to be done to the poor; and they do not know how to discern who are truly poor, and still less that by the “poor” in the Word are meant those who are spiritually so. In consequence of this, they do good alike to the evil and the good, not being aware that doing good to the evil is doing evil to the good, for thus there is given the evil the means of doing evil to the good; and therefore they who are in such simple zeal are subject to the greatest infestations from the cunning and deceitful. They on the contrary who are in internal truths know who are the poor, and discriminate among them, and do good to everyone according to his quality.

[3] To take another example: they who are in external truths know the mere general truth that they ought to love their neighbor; and they believe that everyone is the neighbor in the same degree, and thus that everyone is to be embraced with the same love, and so they suffer themselves to be led astray. But they who are in internal truths know in what degree everyone is the neighbor, and that each person is so in a different degree. Consequently they know innumerable things of which those who are in external truths are ignorant; and therefore they do not suffer themselves to be led away by the mere name of neighbor, nor to do evil from the persuasion of good which the name induces.

[4] To take yet another example: they who are in external truths alone, suppose that in the other life the learned will shine like the stars; and that all who have labored in the Lord’s vineyard will receive a reward above others. But they who are in internal truths know that by the “learned,” the “wise,” and the “intelligent,” are signified those who are in good, whether they be in any human wisdom and intelligence or not, and that these shall shine as the stars; and that they who labor in the Lord’s vineyard receive a reward each in accordance with the affection of good and truth from which he labors; and that they who labor for the sake of themselves and the world, that is, for the sake of self-exaltation and opulence, have their reward in the life of the body; but in the other life have their lot with the wicked (Matthew 7:22-23). Hence it is manifest how weak in understanding are they who are only in external truths; and that internal truths are what give to these essence and form, and also give quality to the good with them. Nevertheless they who during their life in this world are in external truths and at the same time in simple good, in the other life receive internal truths and the consequent wisdom; for from simple good they are in a state and capacity of reception.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.