6675. And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools. That this signifies a discernment of the truth and good flowing in from the internal into the memory-knowledges of the church, is evident from the signification of “doing the office of a midwife,” as being reception of the good and truth flowing in from the internal into the natural, for the natural is a “midwife” insofar as it receives the influx (see n. 4588, 6673); from the signification of “the Hebrew women,” as being things of the church (n. 5136, 5236); from the signification of “seeing,” as being to discern (n. 2150, 3764, 4567, 4723, 5400); and from the signification of “stools,” as being those things in the natural which receive the goods and truths flowing in from the internal, thus true memory-knowledges, for these receive. Hence it is evident that by “When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women and see them upon the stools,” is signified a discernment of the truth and good flowing in from the internal into the memory-knowledges of the church which are in the natural.

4723. And they saw him afar off. That this signifies perception of the Lord’s Divine Human remotely, is evident from the signification of “seeing,” as being perception (see n. 2150, 3764); from the signification of “afar off,” as being remotely; and from the representation of Joseph, who it was that they saw afar off, as being the Lord as to Divine truth (n. 4669). That it is the Lord’s Divine Human which is here meant by “Joseph,” is because this is the supreme of Divine truth. There are two essentials which constitute the church, and hence two principal things of doctrine—one, that the Lord’s Human is Divine; the other, that love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor make the church, and not faith separate from love and charity. Because these are the primary things of Divine truth, these also are represented by Joseph; for the same person that represents Divine truth in general, represents also the specific things of Divine truth; but what is specifically represented, is evident from the series.

4567. And God was seen by Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. That this signifies interior natural perception, is evident from the signification of “God was seen,” as being interior perception. (That “to see” denotes to understand and perceive, see n. 2150, 2807, 3764, 3863, 4403-4421.) Hence “God was seen,” when predicated of the Lord, denotes perception from the Divine, which is the same as interior perception. That the natural had this perception, is signified by God’s being seen by Jacob, for Jacob represents the Lord’s natural, as has been frequently shown. “Again when he came from Paddan-aram” signifies after he had acquired the knowledges of good and truth which are signified by “Paddan-aram” (see n. 3664, 3680, 4112). “And blessed him,” signifies progression to the more interior things of the natural, and the conjunction of good and truth there; for “to bless” is predicated of all the good with which anyone is gifted by the the Lord, (n. 1420, 1422, 2846, 3017, 3406), especially of the conjunction of good and truth (n. 3504, 3514, 3530, 3565, 3584).