5665. 'And he brought Simeon out to them' means that he linked to those truths the will to practise them. This is clear from the representation of 'Simeon' as faith in the will, or a will that desires to put the truth of faith into practice, dealt with in 3869-3872, 4497, 4502, 4503, 5482; and from the representation of the sons of Jacob, the ones here to whom he brought out Simeon, as truths known to the Church which were present in the natural, dealt with in 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512. From this it is evident that 'he brought Simeon out to them' means that he linked to those truths the will to practise them.

5403. 'And Jacob said to his sons' means perception regarding truths as a general whole. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' in the historical narratives of the Word as perception, dealt with in 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509; and from the meaning of 'sons' as the truths of faith, dealt with in 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373, 4257. Also, because they were Jacob's sons, truths as a general whole are meant; for 'the twelve sons of Jacob', like the twelve tribes, meant all aspects of faith, and so truths as a general whole, see 2129, 2130, 3858, 3862, 3926, 3939, 4060.