4270. And he rose up in that night, and took his two women, and his two handmaids, and his eleven sons, and passed over the passage of Jabbok. That this signifies the first instilling of the affections of truth together with the truths acquired, is evident from the signification of the "two women," here Rachel and Leah, as being affections of truth (see n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819); from the signification of the "two handmaids," here Bilhah and Zilpah, as being exterior affections of truth that serve as means (n. 3849, 3931); from the signification of the "sons," as being truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373); and from the signification of the "passage of Jabbok," as being the first instilling. That the "Jabbok" denotes the first instilling is because it was a boundary of the land of Canaan. That all the boundaries of that land were significative of the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom, according to their distance and situation, see n. 1585, 1866, 4116, 4240; and thus also the ford or passage of the Jabbok, which was such relatively to the land of Canaan beyond Jordan, and was the boundary of the inheritance of the sons of Reuben and Gad, as is evident from Num. 21:24; Deut. 2:36, 37; 3:16, 17; Josh. 12:2; Judges 11:13, 22. That that land fell to these as an inheritance was because by Reuben was represented faith in the understanding, or doctrine, which is the first of regeneration, or truth of doctrine in the complex by which the good of life is attained (see n. 3861, 3866); and by Gad were represented the works of faith (n. 3934). These truths of faith or doctrinal things, and the works of faith which are first exercised, are the things through which the man who is being regenerated is insinuated into good. It is for this reason that by the "passage of Jabbok" is signified the first instilling.