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.

2701. God opened her eyes. That this signifies intelligence, is evident from the signification of “opening” and of “God opening,” and also of “eyes” as being to give intelligence (that “eyes” signify the understanding may be seen above, n. 212, in like manner as “sight” or “seeing,” n. 2150, 2325). It is said that “God opens the eyes” when He opens the interior sight or understanding; which is effected by an influx into man’s rational, or rather into the spiritual of his rational. This is done by the way of the soul, or the internal way, unknown to the man. This influx is his state of enlightenment, in which the truths which he hears or reads are confirmed to him by a kind of perception interiorly within his intellectual. This the man believes to be innate in him, and to proceed from his own intellectual faculty; but in this he is very much mistaken; for it is an influx through heaven from the Lord into what is obscure, fallacious, and seeming with the man, which by means of the good therein causes the things which he believes to be similar to truth. But they only who are spiritual are blessed with enlightenment in the spiritual things of faith. It is this which is signified by “God opening the eyes.”

[2] That the “eye” signifies the understanding is because the sight of the body corresponds to the sight of its spirit, which is the understanding; and because it corresponds, in the Word the understanding is signified by the “eye” in almost every place where it is mentioned, even where it is believed to be otherwise; as where the Lord says in Matthew:

The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light; but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness; if therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness (Matthew 6:22-23; Luke 11:34).

Here the “eye” is the understanding, the spiritual of which is faith, as also is evident from the explication: “if therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness.”

So too in the same:

If thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee (Matthew 5:29; 18:9).

The “left eye” is the intellectual, but the “right eye” is its affection: that the right eye is to be plucked out means that the affection is to be subdued if it causes stumbling.

[3] In the same:

Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear (Matthew 13:16);

and in Luke:

Jesus said to the disciples, Blessed are the eyes which see the thing which ye see (Luke 10:23).

Here by the “eyes which see,” intelligence and faith are signified; for their seeing the Lord, and also His miracles and works, did not make them blessed; but comprehending them with the understanding and having faith, which is “seeing with the eyes;” and obeying, which is “hearing with the ears.” That to “see with the eyes” is to understand, and also to have faith, may be seen above (n. 897, 2325) for the understanding is the spiritual of the sight, and faith is the spiritual of the understanding. The sight of the eye is from the light of the world, but the sight of faith is from the light of heaven. Hence it is common to speak of seeing with the understanding, and of seeing by faith. (That to “hear with the ear” is to obey, may be seen above, n. 2542)

[4] Also in Mark:

Jesus said to the disciples, Do ye not yet perceive, neither understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes see ye not? And having ears hear ye not? (Mark 8:17-18); where it is manifest that not to be willing to understand and not to believe, is to “have eyes and not see.”

In Luke:

Jesus said of the city, If thou hadst known the things that belong unto thy peace; but now it is hid from thine eyes (Luke 19:41-42).

And in Mark:

This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes (Mark 12:11); where to be “hid from the eyes,” and to be “marvelous in the eyes,” means to be so to the understanding, as is known to everyone from the signification of the eye even in the common use of language.