4237. And he called the name of that place Mahanaim. That this signifies the quality of the state, is evident from the signification of “calling a name,” as being quality (see n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 3421); and from the signification of “place” as being state (n. 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387). In the original language “Mahanaim” means “two camps;” and “two camps” signify both heavens, or both kingdoms of the Lord, the celestial and the spiritual; and in the supreme sense the Lord’s Divine celestial and Divine spiritual. Hence it is evident that the quality of the Lord’s state when His natural was being enlightened by spiritual and celestial good, is signified by “Mahanaim.” But this quality of the state cannot be described, because the Divine states which the Lord had when He made the human in Himself Divine, do not fall into any human apprehension, nor even into angelic, except by means of appearances enlightened by the light of heaven which is from the Lord; and by means of the states of man’s regeneration; for the regeneration of man is an image of the Lord’s glorification (n. 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490).

1896. And her name was Hagar. That this signifies the life of the exterior or natural man, may be seen from what has been said, and also from the meaning of “Hagar,” which is “a stranger” or “sojourner.” Strangers represented those who were to be instructed, and sojourning represented instruction and also principles of life [vitae instituta], as shown above (n. 1463). When anyone’s name is stated in the Word, as here that “her name was Hagar,” it signifies that something is involved in the name to which attention should be given, for to “call by name” means to know a person’s quality (as before shown, n. 144, 145, 340). No syllable in the Word is there without a cause, or without a signification in the internal sense of some actual thing.