3819. 'The name of the elder was Leah' means the nature of the affection for external truth; 'and the name of the younger Rachel' means the nature of the affection for internal truth. This is clear from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for external truth, and of 'Rachel' as the affection for internal truth, both dealt with in 3793; and from the meaning of 'the name' as the nature of, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006. Leah is called 'the elder' because external truth is learned first, and Rachel 'the younger' because internal truth is learned from then on after that; or what amounts to the same, a person first of all feels an affection for external truths, and from then on after that an affection for internal truths. external truths provide the basic outline for internal truths, for they are the general outlines into which particular details are added. Unless a person has a general outline of the idea of a thing he does not make sense of any particular aspect of it. This explains why the literal sense of the Word contains general truths but the internal sense particular truths. General truths are called external, but particular truths internal. And because truths devoid of affection are not truths because there is no life to them, the affections for them are therefore meant when external and internal truths are referred to.

2173. That 'Sarah' here is the Lord as regards truth is clear from the representation of 'Sarah' as intellectual truth allied to good, and here as rational truth, for the same reason as has just been stated in reference to 'Abraham'; for 'Sarah' represents truth, see what has been stated already in 1468, 1901, 2063, 2065. In the historical sections of the Word good and truth cannot be represented by anything other than a marriage, for they go together as two that are married. Indeed a Divine Marriage exists between celestial and spiritual things, or what amounts to the same, between the things of love and those of faith; or what still amounts to the same, between things of the will and those of the understanding. Those of the will are forms of good, those of the understanding forms of truth. Such a marriage exists in the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and such also exists in the Lord's kingdom on earth, which is the Church. Such a marriage exists in every individual, and in each part of him, indeed in the most individual parts of all. That which does not have its existence within such a marriage has no life. Indeed from this Divine Marriage such a marriage exists in the entire natural order and in each individual part of it - though it does so under a different shape and form - otherwise nothing would ever continue to exist there. Because such a marriage exists in each individual part, everything is described in the Prophets, especially in Isaiah, by a pair of expressions. The one expression has to do with that which is celestial or with good, the other with that which is spiritual or with truth, dealt with in 683, 793, 801. As regards the likeness of a marriage being present in every individual part, see 718, 747, 917, 1432. This explains why 'Abraham' represents the Lord's good, and 'Sarah' His truth.