110. Verses 11-12 The name of the first is the Pishon; this encompasses the whole land of Havillah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good; bdellium is there and the shoham stone.

The first river or 'the Pishon' means intelligence which comprises faith deriving from love. 'The land of Havillah' means the mind; 'gold' that which is good; 'bdellium and shoham' that which is true. The reason gold is mentioned twice is that it means the good that belongs to love, and the good that belongs to faith deriving from love. And the reason bdellium and shoham are mentioned is that the first means the truth that belongs to love, and the second the truth that belongs to faith deriving from love. Such is the nature of the celestial man.

1961. 'And Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael' means the nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the name' as knowing the nature of, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, and also from the representation and meaning of 'Ishmael' as rational truth, described in verses 11 and 12 by the words,

You will call his name Ishmael because Jehovah has hearkened to your affliction. And he will be a wild-ass man; his hand will be against all, and the hand of all against him; and he will dwell in opposition to ¹ all his brothers.

For the meaning of these words, see the explanation of those two verses. It is the nature of this rational that is described here.

Imibhalo yaphansi: