Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 25:11
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AC 3258. Verse 11. And it came to pass after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac his son; and Isaac dwelt at Beer-lahai-roi. "And it came to pass after the death of Abraham," signifies after the state and time of the representation of the Lord by Abraham; "that God blessed Isaac his son," signifies the beginning of the representation of the Lord by Isaac; "and Isaac dwelt at Beer-lahai-roi," signifies the Lord’s Divine rational in Divine light.

AC 3259. And it came to pass after the death of Abraham. That this signifies after the state and time of the representation of the Lord by Abraham, is evident from the signification of "dying," as being, when the representative life of anyone is treated of, the end of the representation (n. 3253); hence, in this case, "after the death of Abraham" signifies after the state and time of the representation of the Lord by Abraham.

AC 3260. That God blessed Isaac his son. That this signifies the beginning of the representation by Isaac, may be seen from the signification of the expression, "God blessed." Among the ancients, when a work was to be commenced, it was customary to say, "May God bless it;" and by this was signified the same as is meant by the expression of the wish, "May it be prosperous and happy;" and thus in a more remote sense, by, "May God bless," as well as by, "May it be prosperous and happy," there is signified a beginning, here the beginning of the representation by Isaac, because this follows immediately after the end of the representation by Abraham, which is signified by his death.

AC 3261. And Isaac dwelt at Beer-lahai-roi. That this signifies the Lord‘s Divine rational in Divine light, is evident from the signification of "dwelling," as being to live (n. 1293); and from the signification of "Beer-lahai-roi," as being Divine good rational born from Divine truth itself (n. 3194). Thus the proximate sense is that the Divine rational lived or was in the Divine good which was born from Divine truth itself; but it was not in it; and therefore it is not said "in Beer-lahai-roi," but "at (cum) Beer-lahai-roi," that is, when interpreted, "At the fountain of him that liveth and seeth me," which denotes with that Divine good. For Isaac dwelt in the land of the south, as stated in the foregoing chapter (Genesis 24:62), where we read "and Isaac came from coming to Beer-lahai-roi, and he dwelt in the land of the south;" and as by the "land of the south" in that place there is signified Divine light therefrom (n. 3195), therefore here also nothing else than this is signified.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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