3299. 'And behold, there were twins in her womb' means that the two were conceived simultaneously. This is clear from the meaning of 'twins' as the two, that is to say, good represented by 'Esau' and truth represented by Jacob', and from the meaning of 'in the womb' as conception, dealt with above in 3293. With regard to the two, that is to say, the good and the truth of the natural, being conceived simultaneously, the situation is that anything that is born owes its being (esse) to the father but its manifestation (existere) to the mother. Both are necessary if anything is to come into existence. As regards good the natural is conceived from the good of the rational as the father, and as regards truth from the truth of the rational as the mother, 3286, 3288. It is good that confers life, but it does so through truth. Though both are called the soul good is nevertheless primarily the soul, while truth clothes it in a kind of thin casing or body, so that the good resides within the truth. This is what is meant by 'twins in her womb'.

3289. 'And the sons struggled together within her' means conflict, which is the subject here. This is clear from the meaning of 'struggling' as conflicting, and from the meaning of 'sons' here as the Natural both as regards good and as regards truth. For Esau and Jacob, who are 'the sons' here, represent the Lord's Divine Natural - 'Esau' the good of the Divine Natural, 'Jacob' the truth - as will be clear from what is stated further on. This struggle or conflict is also the subject in the present chapter, being a struggle or conflict over priority - whether good is prior or whether truth is. Or what amounts to the same, whether charity which is akin to good is prior or faith which is akin to truth. In the spiritual Church this was from earliest times a point over which many were in conflict with one another. And since that question of priority is the subject in what follows, it is here said that 'the sons struggled together within her' meaning conflict, which is the subject here.