4200. If thou shall afflict my daughters, and if thou shalt take women over my daughters, there is no man with us. That this signifies that the affections of truth are to remain within the church, is evident from the signification of “daughters,” here Rachel and Leah, as being the affections of truth (see n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819); from the signification of “women,” as being the affections of a truth that is not genuine, thus such as are not of the church; for the affections of truth make the church; so that to “take women over them” signifies that there would be other affections than those of genuine truth; from the signification of “no man with us,” as being when a man shall be hidden from his fellow, that is, when they are separated (concerning which just above, n. 4199). From this it is manifest that by these words is signified that the affections of genuine truth are to remain within the church, and not to be defiled with truths not genuine.

3759. Afterwards by the birth of the four sons of Jacob by Leah is described in the supreme sense the ascent from external truth to internal good; but in the representative sense the state of the church, which is such that it does not acknowledge and receive the internal truths that are in the Word, but external truths; and this being the case, it ascends to interior things according to this order, namely, that at first it has the truth which is said to be of faith; next, practice according to this truth; afterwards the consequent charity; and finally celestial love. These four degrees are signified by the four sons of Jacob borne of Leah, namely, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.