5597. And they said, Asking the man asked unto us. That this signifies that it clearly perceived the things in the natural, is evident from the signification of “asking,” as being to perceive another’s thought (of which in what follows); and from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob, who are here meant by “us,” as being the things of the church which are in the natural (see n. 5403, 5419, 5427, 5458, 5512). That by “asking” is meant perceiving another’s thought, is because in heaven there is a communication of all thoughts, so that no one has need to ask another what he is thinking. Hence it is that “asking” signifies perceiving another’s thought; for in the internal sense the quality of a thing on earth is its quality in heaven.

5403. And Jacob said to his sons. That this signifies perception regarding truths in general, is evident from the signification of “saying,” in the historicals of the Word, as being perception (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509); and from the signification of “sons,” as being the truths of faith (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373, 4257); and because they were the sons of Jacob, truths in general are signified; for by Jacob’s twelve sons, as by the twelve tribes, were signified all things of faith, thus truths in general (n. 2129, 2130, 3858, 3862, 3926, 3939, 4060).