4822. And he called his name Er. That this signifies its quality, is evident from the signification of “calling a name,” as being quality (n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3421), namely, the quality of the falsity of the church, of which just above (n. 4821). It is said “the quality of the falsity,” because falsities differ one from another, just as truths do, and to such a degree that their different kinds can scarcely be enumerated; and each kind of falsity has its own quality by which it is distinguished from another. There are general falsities which reign with the depraved in every church, and the falsity is varied with everyone in the church according to his life. The falsity which was in the Jewish Church, and which is here treated of, was falsity from the evil of the love of self, and of the derivative love of the world (see n. 4818).

1896. And her name was Hagar. That this signifies the life of the exterior or natural man, may be seen from what has been said, and also from the meaning of “Hagar,” which is “a stranger” or “sojourner.” Strangers represented those who were to be instructed, and sojourning represented instruction and also principles of life [vitae instituta], as shown above (n. 1463). When anyone’s name is stated in the Word, as here that “her name was Hagar,” it signifies that something is involved in the name to which attention should be given, for to “call by name” means to know a person’s quality (as before shown, n. 144, 145, 340). No syllable in the Word is there without a cause, or without a signification in the internal sense of some actual thing.