“Genesis 29: 32. And Leah conceived and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, Because Jehovah hath seen my affliction, for now my man will love me. "And Leah conceived and bare a son" signifies spiritual conception and birth from what is external to what is internal; "and she called his name Reuben" signifies the quality thereof which is described; "for she said, Because Jehovah hath seen" signifies in the supreme sense foresight, in the internal sense faith, in the interior sense understanding, in the external sense sight, and in the present case faith from the Lord; "my affliction" signifies a state of arriving at good; "for now my man will love me" signifies that hence would come the good of truth. And Leah conceived and bare a son. That this signifies spiritual conception and birth from what is external to what is internal, is evident from the signification of conceiving and bearing, as in the internal sense being regenerated; for the man who is being

regenerated is conceived and born anew, wherefore regeneration is called a new birth, but spiritual. Man indeed is born as a man of his parents, but he does not become a man until he is reborn of the Lord. Spiritual and heavenly life is what makes a man, for this distinguishes him from brute animals. It is this spiritual conception and birth which is signified in the Word by the conceptions and births mentioned therein, and by what is here said, that Leah conceived and bare a son. That generations and nativities are of faith and love, which they signify, see above. That these conceptions and births come about from what is external to what is internal, is signified by Leah's conceiving and bearing, for by Leah is represented affection for external truth, and by Reuben the truth of faith, which is the first thing of regeneration, and the external from which regeneration commences. How the case herein is, will be manifest from what follows