Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 4915

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4915. Verses 27-30. And it came to pass in the time of her travail, and behold twins were in her womb. And it came to pass when she travailed, and one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound double-dyed upon his hand, saying, This came out first. And it came to pass as he drew back his hand, that behold his brother came out; and she said, Wherefore hast thou broken upon thee a breach? And he called his name Perez. And afterward came out his brother, that had the double-dyed upon his hand; and he called his name Zerah. "And it came to pass in the time," signifies a following state; "of her travail," signifies acknowledgement on the part of internal truth; "and behold twins were in her womb," signifies both things of the church; "and it came to pass when she travailed," signifies production; "and one put out a hand," signifies power; "and the midwife took," signifies the natural; "and bound double-dyed upon his hand" signifies that she put a mark upon it-"double-dyed" denotes good; "saying, This came out first," signifies that it had the priority; "and it came to pass, as he drew back his hand," signifies that it concealed its power; "that behold his brother came out," signifies the truth of good; "and she said, Wherefore hast thou broken upon thee a breach?" signifies its apparent separation from good; "and he called his name Perez," signifies the quality; "and afterward came out his brother," signifies good actually prior; "that had the double-dyed upon his hand" signifies acknowledgment that it was good; "and he called his name Zerah," signifies the quality.


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