3844. Verses 27-30. Fulfill this week, and we will give thee her also, for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled this week, and he gave him Rachel his daughter for a woman. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be to her for a handmaid. And he came also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. “Fulfill this week,” signifies a succession of the study; “and we will give thee her also, for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years,” signifies that then there would be a full state of study; “and Jacob did so, and fulfilled this week,” signifies the effect of this; “and he gave him Rachel his daughter for a woman,” signifies now the conjunction of good with the affection of interior truth; “and Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be to her for a handmaid,” signifies the exterior affections which are the bonds or subservient means; “and he came also unto Rachel,” signifies conjunction with the affection of internal truth; “and he loved also Rachel more than Leah,” signifies the love of internal truth more than of external truth; “and served with him yet seven other years,” signifies holy study.

2044. And a son of eight days. That this signifies any beginning of purification whatever, is evident from the signification of “the eighth day.” A “week,” which is seven days, signifies an entire period of any state or time, as of reformation, of regeneration, of temptation, whether of man in particular, or of the church in general; thus a period is called a “week,” whether it be one of a thousand years, of a hundred, of ten, or of as many days, hours, minutes, and so on ((728) as may be seen from the passages cited in Part First, n. 728). And as the eighth day is the first day of a new week, it signifies any beginning whatever. This shows also that, as circumcision was itself a representative of purification, so also was the time of it, namely, the eighth day; not that they then entered into a purer state, and were purified on that account, but for the reason that, as “circumcision” signified purification, so “the eighth day” signified that this ought to be effected at all times, and thus always, as from a new beginning.