3447. And Abimelech went to him from Gerar. That this signifies the doctrine of faith that looks to rational things, is evident from the representation of Abimelech, as being the doctrine of faith that looks to rational things (n. 2504, 2509, 2510, 3391, 3393, 3397); and from the signification of “Gerar,” as being faith (n. 1209, 2504, 3365, 3384, 3385); what the doctrine is that looks to rational things, may be seen above (n. 3368). In this passage, and as far as verse 33, they are treated of who are in the literal sense of the Word and from this in the doctrinal things of faith; and also the agreement of their doctrinal things with the internal sense insofar as they are from the literal sense. Abimelech and Ahuzzath his companion, and Phicol the chief captain of his army, represent these doctrinal things; they are such as make faith the essential, not indeed rejecting charity, but making it secondary, and thus setting doctrine before life. Our churches at this day are almost all of this character, except that which is in Christian Gentilism, where it is permitted to adore saints and their idols.

[2] As in every church of the Lord there are those who are internal men and those who are external, and the internal are those who are in the affection of good, and the external those who are in the affection of truth; so also with those who are here represented by Abimelech, his companion, and the chief captain of his army-the internal are those treated of above (chapt er 21, verses 22 to 33), where it is said of Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his army that they came to Abraham and made a covenant with him in Beersheba (n. 2719-2720); but the external are those here treated of.

3365. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines, unto Gerar. That this signifies the doctrinal things of faith, is evident from the representation of Isaac, as being the Lord as to the Divine rational (see above, n. 1893, 2066, 2072, 2083, 2630; and that “Isaac” is the Lord’s Divine rational as to Divine good, n. 3012, 3194, 3210; and also as to Divine truth, which is represented by the marriage of Isaac with Rebekah, n. 3012, 3013, 3077); thus by Isaac is here represented the Lord as to Divine truth conjoined with the Divine good of the rational; for Rebekah was with Isaac, and was called “sister;” from the representation of Abimelech, as being the doctrine of faith that looks to rational things (n. 2504, 2509, 2510, 2530); and from the signification of the “king of the Philistines,” as being doctrinal things (that in the internal sense a “king” denotes the truth which is of doctrine, may be seen above, n. 1672, 2015, 2069; and that the “Philistines” signify the memory-knowledge of knowledges, which also is that of doctrinal things, n. 1197, 1198); and from the signification of “Gerar,” as being faith (n. 1209, 2504).

This shows what is signified by Isaac’s going to Abimelech king of the Philistines, unto Gerar, namely, that from the Lord comes the doctrine of faith that looks to rational things; or what is the same, the doctrinal things of faith. All those things are called doctrinal which are of doctrine, and which insofar as they can be received and acknowledged in heaven by angels, and on earth by men, are said to look to rational things, for it is the rational that receives and acknowledges them. But the rational is such that it cannot possibly apprehend Divine things, for it is finite, and the finite cannot apprehend what is of the infinite; and consequently truths Divine from the Lord are presented before the rational by means of appearances. Hence it is that doctrinal things are nothing but appearances of truth Divine, that is, nothing but celestial and spiritual vessels, within which is what is Divine; and because the Divine, that is, the Lord, is in them, they affect us, whence comes the conjunction of the Lord with angels and men.