3568. 'And he said, Bring it to me, and I will eat from my son's venison' means a desire to join natural truth to itself by means of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as joining together and making one's own, dealt with in 2187, 2343, 3168, 3513 (end), and from the meaning of 'my son's venison' as truth acquired from good, dealt with in 3309, 3501, 3508. The fact that a desire is meant is self-evident.

3550. 'I am Esau your firstborn' means that it believed itself to be natural good itself. This is clear from the representation of 'Esau' and from the meaning of 'firstborn' as good, and indeed natural good, represented by 'Esau'. For the truth which a person possesses prior to regeneration is believed by him to be good itself. People who have perception know that it is not good but truth appearing under the form of good; but those who do not have perception are not aware of any such difference, as will also be more evident from what follows below.