4361. 'And Leah also came near, then her sons, and they bowed down' means the affection for the truth of faith so far as exterior things and their truths are concerned, and their submissive introduction. This is clear from the representation of 'Leah' as the affection for exterior truth, dealt with in 3793, 3819, and therefore the affection for the truth of faith so far as exterior things were concerned; from the meaning of 'sons' as truths, dealt with immediately above; and from the meaning of 'bowing down' as submission, that is, a submissive introduction into Divine Natural Good, which 'Esau' represents.

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.