146. These considerations make plain the connection between the things that are meant. Verse 18 said that 'it is not good that the man should be alone, I will make for him a help suitable for him', and directly after that beasts and birds are mentioned even though they have been dealt with already. Immediately after this the statement is repeated that 'for man there was not found a help suitable for him', meaning that when he had been made aware of what he was in character as regards affections for good and cognitions of truth he still had his heart set on the proprium. In fact, people such as desire the proprium begin to despise those things that are the Lord's, no matter how well they are represented and shown to them.

1896. 'Her name was Hagar' means the life of the exterior or natural man. This becomes clear from what has been stated already, and also from the meaning of Hagar' as a foreign woman or one living in foreign parts. 'Foreigners' represented people who were to receive instruction, and living in foreign parts represented instruction, and also rules of life, as shown already in 1463. When it is stated in the Word what a person's name is, as here, that 'her name was Hagar', it means that the name embodies something to which attention should be paid, for 'calling by name' is knowing a person's character, as shown already in 144, 145, 340. Not one particle exists in the Word without a reason and without meaning some real thing in the internal sense.