4346. And he himself passed over before them. That this signifies the universal, thus all things, is evident from the representation of Jacob, who here is “himself,” as being the good of truth, that is, truth in will and act (see n. 4337). The good of truth is the universal of all things; for the generals, particulars, and singulars spoken of just above, belong to it, because they are in it.

4336. GENESIS 33

1. And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and saw, and behold Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children over unto Leah, and over unto Rachel, and over unto the two handmaids.

2. And he put the handmaids and their children first, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph after.

3. And he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the earth seven times, until he drew near even unto his brother.

4. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell upon his neck, and kissed him; and they wept.

5. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are these to thee? And he said, The children whom God hath graciously bestowed upon thy servant.

6. And the handmaids drew near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.

7. And Leah also and her children drew near, and they bowed themselves; and afterwards Joseph and Rachel drew near, and bowed themselves.

8. And he said, What to thee are all these camps which I met? And he said, To find grace in the eyes of my lord.

9. And Esau said, I have much my brother, be to thee what is to thee.

10. And Jacob said, Nay I pray, if I pray I have found grace in thine eyes, then accept my present from my hand; for because that I have seen thy faces like seeing the faces of God, and thou hast accepted me.

11. Take I pray my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath graciously bestowed upon me, and because I have all. And he urged him, and he took it.

12. And he said, Let us journey, and go, and I will go close by thee.

13. And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and that the flocks and the herds are suckling with me, and if they drive them on in one day, all the flocks will die.

14. Let my lord I pray pass over before his servant, and I will proceed slowly to the foot of the work that is before me, and to the foot of the children, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.

15. And Esau said, Let me set I pray with thee of the people who are with me. And he said, Wherefore is this? Let me find grace in the eyes of my lord.

16. And Esau returned in that day unto his way, unto Seir.

17. And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his acquisition; therefore he called the name of the place Succoth.

18. And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came thither from Paddan-aram, and encamped to the faces of the city.

19. And he bought the portion of the field, where he had stretched his tent, from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred kesitah.

20. And he erected there an altar, and he called it El Elohe Israel.

THE CONTENTS.

The subject here treated of in the internal sense is the conjunction of Divine good natural which is “Esau,” with the good of truth which is “Jacob;” thus the submission of the latter, and its instilling into Divine good natural. The process by which this is effected is described. Lastly the acquisition of interior truths is treated of.