3582. 'Be lord over your brothers' means the apparent dominion at first of the affection for natural truth over affections for natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'being lord over' as having dominion, and from the meaning of 'brothers' as affections for good, in this case natural good, dealt with in 367, 2360, 3303. Regarding the apparent dominion at first of truth over good, see 3324, 3325, 3330, 3332, 3336, 3470, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570.

2172. That 'Abraham' here is the Lord in that state as regards good is clear from the representation of 'Abraham'. Abraham represents the Lord in the human when he is speaking to Jehovah, as is the case here, and also previously in 1989, where he represented the Lord in that state and at that time of life, for that too was an occasion when He spoke to Jehovah. In other places 'Abraham' represents the Lord's Divine Good and 'Sarah' Divine Truth, and therefore he represents His rational good.