4283. 'He said, Let me go, for the dawn is coming up' means that the temptation came to an end when the joining together was at hand. This is clear from the meaning of 'letting me go' - that is to say, 'give up wrestling with me' - as the ending of the temptation (for 'wrestling' means temptation, see above in 4274; and the fact that it did come to an end is evident from what follows); and from the meaning of 'the dawn' as the joining of natural good, meant by 'Jacob', to the celestial-spiritual, that is, to the Divine good of truth, also dealt with above in 4275.

[2] The reason why the wrestling began before the dawn came up and why it finished after it came up, and why what happened when the sun had risen is mentioned after that, is that the times of day, like the seasons of the year, mean states, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3785. At present the state of conjunction effected by temptations is meant; for when the joining of the internal man to the external takes place it is 'dawn' to him, because at that time he enters a spiritual or a celestial state. At that time also light like that at dawn is seen by him, if his state is such that he is able to observe it. What is more, the understanding part of his mind receives light and becomes for him like the experience of waking up in the morning from sleep, when dawn first sheds her light and starts off the day.

4275. 'Until dawn came up' means before natural good, meant by 'Jacob', was joined to the celestial-spiritual, that is, to the Divine good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the dawn' in the highest sense as the Lord, in the representative sense as His kingdom, and in the universal sense as the celestial element of love, dealt with in 2405, and in this case the celestial-spiritual. For when the dawn came up Jacob received the name Israel, by which the celestial-spiritual man is meant. Before the coming up of the dawn therefore means before natural good, now meant by 'Jacob', was joined to celestial-spiritual good. What celestial-spiritual is will be stated below at verse 28, where Israel is the subject.