2637. When Isaac his son was born unto him. That this signifies when the Lord’s rational was made Divine, is evident from the signification of “being born,” which is to come forth [existere] (see n. 2584, 2621, 2629) and from the representation of “Isaac,” as being the Divine rational (see n. 2630). This is said to be “born to Abraham,” when made Divine; as also above, verse 3: “Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him” (see n. 2628).

2621. That “conceived and bare” signifies that it Was and Came forth, namely (as follows) the Divine rational, from the unition of the Lord’s Divine spiritual with His Divine celestial, is evident from the signification of “conceiving and bearing.” That in the internal sense of the Word no other conceptions and bearings are meant than those which are spiritual and celestial, may be seen above (n. 2584); but here those which were Divine, because the subject here treated of is the Lord’s rational made Divine; and of Him, namely, the Lord, Being and Coming forth [Esse et Existere] are chiefly predicated; for He alone Is and Comes forth. As regards Being and Coming forth (Esse et Existere) we may add that they seem as if they were nearly the same, but are not the same. Every person and every thing, has its Being from conception, but its Coming forth from birth; and thus, as conception is prior to birth, so Being is prior to Coming forth.

[2] The soul is the Being itself of man, and the sensitive or corporeal faculty is its Coming forth, for the former comes forth in the latter. Celestial and spiritual love are the very Being of the man who is being regenerated; and the rational and sensitive faculties, when imbued with that love, are his Coming forth. And so it is with each and all things in the universe; for there is nothing whatever which has not its conception that it may Be, and its birth that it may Come forth; which may also be illustrated in the terms of philosophy by saying that every effect has its cause, and every cause has its end. The end is the Being of the cause, and the cause is the Coming forth of the end. In the same way, the cause is the Being of the effect, and the effect is the Coming forth of the cause.