1889. In this chapter it is the same with the names Abram, Sarai, Hagar, and Ishmael; and what they involve may be seen from the CONTENTS, and further on from the explication of each name in its place. But these matters are of a nature that does not admit of easy explication, for the subject treated of in connection with these names is the Lord's rational, and how it was conceived and born, and what its quality was before it was united to the Lord's Internal, which was Jehovah. The reason why this subject is not of easy explication, is that at this day it is not known what the internal man is, what the interior, and what the exterior. When the rational is spoken of, or the rational man, some idea can be formed of it; but when it is said that the rational is the intermediate between the internal and the external, few if any comprehend it. Yet as the subject here treated of in the internal sense is the Lord's Rational Man, and how it was conceived and born by the influx of the internal man into the external, and as it is these very matters that are involved in the historical facts stated concerning Abram, Hagar, and Ishmael, therefore in order to prevent what we have to say in the following explication from being utterly unintelligible, be it known that in every man there is an internal man, a rational man which is intermediate, and an external man, and that these are most distinct from one another. (Concerning this subject see what was said above, n. 978.) GENESIS 16 1. And Sarai, Abram's wife, did not bear unto him; and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, and her name was Hagar. 2. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold I pray, Jehovah hath shut me up from bearing; go in I pray unto my handmaid; it may be that I shall be built up by her. And Abram harkened to the voice of Sarai. 3. And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after ten years of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram, her man, for a woman to him. 4. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived; and she saw that she had conceived, and her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5. And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee; I gave my handmaid unto thy bosom; and she saw that she conceived, and I am despised in her eyes; Jehovah judge between me and thee. 6. And Abram said unto Sarai, Behold thy handmaid is in thy hand, do to her that which is good in thine eyes; and Sarai humbled her, and she fled from her face. 7. And the Angel of Jehovah found her by a fountain of waters in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8. And he said, Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, whence comest thou? and whither goest thou? And she said, From the face of Sarai, my mistress, am I fleeing. 9. And the Angel of Jehovah said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hands. 10. And the Angel of Jehovah said unto her, In multiplying I will multiply thy seed, and it shall not be numbered for multitude. 11. And the Angel of Jehovah said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Ishmael; because Jehovah hath heard thine affliction. 12. And he will be a wild-ass man; his hand against all, and the hand of all against him and he shall dwell against the faces of all his brethren. 13. And she called the name of Jehovah that was speaking unto her, Thou God seest me; for she said, Have I also here seen after Him that seeth me? 14. Therefore she called the fountain, The fountain of the Living One who seeth me; behold it is between Kadesh and Bared. 15. And Hagar bare Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son that Hagar bare, Ishmael. 16. And Abram was a son of eighty years and six years, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.