4290.就内在历史意义而言，“雅各说，你不给我祝福，我就不容你去”表示他们坚持作代表；因为“我就不容你去”表示他们的坚持，“给祝福”表示代表教会。关于这个问题，即雅各的后代坚持作教会的代表，尽管他们和其它民族一样，都不是选民，从包含在字义中的圣言历史来看，这一点的确不那么明显；因为字义上的圣言历史含有天堂的深层奥秘在里面，这一系列奥秘会相应地接踵而来；还因为这些名字本身表示属灵事物，其中许多名字在至高意义上甚至表示主自己，如亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各。他们在至高意义上表示主，这在前文早已多次说明（参看1965，1989，2011，3245，3305e，3439节）。
雅各的后代并不是选民，但他们坚持认为教会应在他们中间；这一事实从圣言的许多经文及其内在历史意义可以看出来，并公开体现在以下摩西五经的经文中：
耶和华对摩西说，你和你从埃及地所领出来的百姓从这里上去，往我曾起誓应许给亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各之地去，我曾（对他们）说，要将这地赐给你的种。我不在你们中间上去，因为你们是硬着颈项的百姓，恐怕我在路上把你们灭绝。百姓听见这凶信就悲哀，各人把身上的妆饰摘下来。摩西拿一个帐棚给自己支搭在营外，离营却远。摩西对耶和华说，看，你对我说，将这百姓领上去，却没有叫我知道你要打发谁与我同去。我如今若在你眼前蒙恩，求你将你的道指示我，使我可以认识你，好在你眼前蒙恩。看哪，这民族也是你的百姓。耶和华说，我必亲自去，给你安息。（出埃及记33:1-7，12-14）
在出埃及记的这一章，经上说摩西让百姓从埃及地出来上去，然后摘下自己的妆饰，并悲哀；摩西又把自己的帐棚支搭在营外，耶和华也同意了；这一切清楚表明，他们是自己坚持的。
又：
耶和华对摩西说，这百姓藐视我要到几时呢？我在他们中间行了这一切神迹，他们还不信我要到几时呢？我要用瘟疫击杀他们，除灭他们，叫你成为一个民族，比他们更强大、更昌盛。但摩西哀求，耶和华因恳求就说，我要照你的话赦免。然我是活着的那一位，全地必充满耶和华的荣耀；这些人虽看见我的荣耀和我在埃及与旷野所行的神迹，仍然试探我这十次，不听从我的声音，他们断不得看见我向他们的祖宗所起誓应许之地。凡藐视我的，一个也不得看见。你们的尸首必倒在这旷野；但你们的小孩，我却要把他们领进去。（民数记14:11-13，20-23，29，31）
从这些话也明显可知，耶和华想除灭他们，因而不想把教会建在他们当中，只是他们坚持教会要设在他们中间，所以也就是这样做了。此外还有许多其它场合，耶和华本可以除灭这个屡屡叛逆的民族，却屡屡让自己被他们的哀求所安抚。
这也适用于以下事实：巴兰没有被允许诅咒这百姓（民数记22，23，24章，以及其它地方），在那里，经上说，耶和华后悔将这百姓领进来；还说，耶和华被安抚；以及祂屡次与他们立新约。就内在历史意义而言，“雅各说，你不给我祝福，我就不容你去”这句话表示这类事。雅各从以扫那里夺走长子名分，还利用欺诈手段从他那里夺走祝福（创世记25和27章）也表示这类事。
Potts(1905-1910) 4290
4290. In the internal historical sense, by "he said, I will not let thee go unless thou bless me," is signified that they insisted upon being representative; for their insisting is signified by "I will not let thee go," and representing a church by being "blessed." In regard to this subject - that the posterity of Jacob insisted upon being representative of a church, and that they were chosen above all other nations - this cannot indeed be made so evident from the historicals of the Word in the sense of the letter, for the reason that the historicals of the Word in the sense of the letter enfold within them deep secrets of heaven, and therefore these so follow in the series; and also because the names themselves signify things; many names indeed in their supreme sense signify the Lord Himself, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That these in the supreme sense signify the Lord, has been shown many times in what precedes (see n. 1965, 1989, 2011, 3245, 3305, 3439). [2] That the posterity of Jacob were not chosen, but insisted that a church should be among them, may be seen from many passages of the Word, from its internal historical sense, and openly in the following. In Moses:
Jehovah spoke unto Moses, Go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast made to go up out of the land of Egypt, into the land of which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it; I will not go up in the midst of thee, for thou art a stiffnecked people; lest I consume thee in the way. And when the people heard this evil word, they mourned, and put off everyone his ornament from upon him. And Moses took the tent, and pitched it for himself without the camp, in removing far from the camp. And Moses said unto Jehovah, See, Thou sayest unto me, Make this people go up, and Thou hast not made known to me whom Thou wilt send with me. Now therefore I pray If I have found grace in Thine eyes, make known to me I pray Thy way, that I may know concerning Thee, that I have found grace in Thine eyes; behold also that this nation is Thy people. He said therefore, My faces shall go until I give thee rest (Exod. 33:1-7, 12-14). It is here said that Moses made the people go up out of the land of Egypt, and then that they put off their ornament and mourned, and that Moses pitched his tent without the camp, and that thereby Jehovah assented; thus plainly showing that they themselves insisted. [3] In the same:
Jehovah said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke Me, and how long will they not believe in Me, for all the signs which I have wrought in the midst of them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and will extinguish them, and will make of thee a nation greater and mightier than they. But Moses supplicated, and Jehovah being entreated said, I will be gracious according to thy word: nevertheless, I live, and the whole earth shall be filled with the glory of Jehovah; for as to all those men who have seen My glory, and My signs which I wrought in Egypt, and in the wilderness, yet have tempted Me these ten times, and have not obeyed my voice, surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked Me see it. Your bodies shall fall in this wilderness; but your little children will I bring in (Num. 14:11-12, 20-23, 29, 31). From these words it is also manifest that Jehovah willed to extinguish them, and consequently not to set up a church among them, but that they insisted and it was therefore done - besides many other times also, when Jehovah willed to utterly destroy that nation so often rebellious, but as often suffered Himself to be entreated by their supplications. [4] The like is also involved in Balaam's not being permitted to curse that people (Num. 22, 23, 24); and in other places also, where it is said that Jehovah repented that He had brought in that people; also that Jehovah was entreated; and also that He so often made a new covenant with them. Such things are signified in the internal historical sense by the words "I will not let thee go, unless thou bless me." The same is also signified by Jacob's taking away the birthright from Esau, and also by his taking the blessing from him by fraud (Gen. 25 and 27).
Elliott(1983-1999) 4290
4290. In the internal historical sense 'he said, I will not let you go unless you bless me' means that they insisted on being representative, for being insistent is meant by 'I will not let you' and the representative of the Church by 'being blessed'. This particular matter - the insistence of Jacob's descendants that they should be representative of the Church, though they were no more the elect than any other nation - is not very clear, it is true, from the historical narratives of the Word contained in the sense of the letter. It is not clear because those narratives hold the arcana of heaven within them, which accordingly follow one another in a connected sequence, and also because the actual names there are used to mean spiritual realities, many of which names indeed are used in the highest sense to mean the Lord. Examples of these are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who mean in the highest sense the Lord, as has been shown many times in what has gone before; see also 1965, 1989, 2011, 3245, 3305 (end), 3439.
[2] The fact that Jacob's descendants were not the elect, yet they insisted that the Church should have its existence among themselves, may be seen from the internal historical sense in many places in the Word, openly so in the following statements in Moses,
Jehovah said to Moses, Go up from here, you and the people which you made to go up out of the land of Egypt, into the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, To your seed I will give it. I will not go up in your midst, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way. When the people heard this bad news,a they mourned and took off every one his ornament from upon him. And Moses took a tent and pitched it for himself outside the camp, far away from the camp. Moses said to Jehovah, See, You say to me, Make this people go up, when You have not made known to me whom You will send with me. Now therefore, if, I pray, I have found favour in Your eyes, make known to me, I pray, Your ways, so that I may know of You, that I have found favour in Your eyes. See also that this nation is Your people. He said therefore, My presence will go [with you], until I give you rest. Exod. 33[:1, 3, 4, 7, 12-14].
In this chapter of Exodus it is said that Moses made the people go up out of Egypt and then that they took off their ornaments and mourned, and that Moses pitched the tent outside the camp and that Jehovah gave His assent. This shows plainly that they themselves were insistent.
[3] In the same author,
Jehovah said to Moses, How long will this people provoke Me? And how long will they not believe, for all the signs which I have performed in their midst? I will strike them down with pestilence and annihilate them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are. But Moses entreated Jehovah, who being appeased said, I will be gracious according to your word. But yet, I am the living One, and all the earth will be filled with the glory of Jehovah; for as for all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the desert, and despite this have tempted Me these ten times and have not obeyed My voice, they will not see the land which I swore to their fathers; all who provoke Me will not see it. In this desert Will your bodies fall, but I will bung in your children. Num. 14[:11-13, 20-23, 29, 31].
From these verses also it is evident that Jehovah was willing to annihilate them and therefore not to establish the Church among them, but that they insisted it should be established among them, and therefore it was done. And there were many other occasions besides this when Jehovah would have wiped out that repeatedly rebellious nation but repeatedly He allowed Himself to be appeased by their entreaties.
[4] The same is also implied by the fact that Balaam was not allowed to curse that people, in Chapters 22-24 of Numbers; in addition to other places where it is said that Jehovah repented of having brought that people in; also that Jehovah was appeased, as well as that He repeatedly made a new covenant with them. These are the kinds of things that are meant in the internal historical sense by the words 'I will not let you go unless you bless me'. Something similar is also meant by Jacob's taking the birthright from Esau as well as taking the blessing by deceit from him, in Chapters 25 and 27 of Genesis.
Latin(1748-1756) 4290
4290. In sensu interno historico per `dixit non mittam te quin benedixeris mihi' significatur quod instarent ut essent repraesentativi; instare enim significatur per `non mittam {1} te,' et repraesentativum Ecclesiae per `benedici.' Quod hanc rem attinet, (o)nempe quod Jacobi posteri institerint ut essent repraesentativi Ecclesiae, et quod non prae ceteris gentibus electi sint, non quidem ita constare potest ex historicis Verbi in sensu litterae, ex causa quia historica Verbi in sensu litterae involvunt arcana caeli, ac ideo ita sequuntur in serie; et quia ipsa nomina significant res, immo plura nomina in sensu supremo Ipsum Dominum, ut Abrahamus, Jishakus, et Jacobus, qui quod Dominum in supremo sensu significent, in illis quae praecedunt, multis {2} ostensum est, videatur etiam n. 1965, 1989, 2011, 3245, 3305 f., 3439. [2] Quod Jacobi posteri non electi fuerint, sed institerint ut apud illos Ecclesia esset, constare potest in pluribus locis Verbi ex sensu ejus interno historico, et aperte in his apud Mosen, Locutus est Jehovah ad Mosen, Ascende hinc tu et populus, quem ascendere fecisti e terra Aegypti, in terram quam juravi Abrahamo, Jishako et Jacobo, dicendo, Semini tuo dabo illam;... non ascendam in medio tui, eo quod populus durus cervice tu, ne consumam te in via. Cum audirent {3} populus verbum malum hoc, luxerunt, et posuerunt quisque ornatum suum a super se;... et Moses sumpsit tentorium, et tetendit illud sibi extra castra, procul removendo e castris;... dixit Moses ad Jehovam, Vide Tu dicens ad me, Ascendere fac populum hunc, cum Tu non notum feceris mihi, quem missurus sis mecum;... jam ergo si quaeso inveni gratiam in oculis Tuis, notas {4} quaeso fac mihi vias Tuas, ut cognoscam de Te, quod invenerim gratiam in oculis Tuis; vide etiam quod populus Tuus gens haec: dixit itaque, Facies Meae iturae, donec quietem dedero tibi, Exod. xxxiii [1, 3, 4, 7, 12-14];dicitur hic quod Moses ascendere fecerit populum e terra Aegypti;
tum dein quod deposuerint ornatum et luxerint, et quod Moses tetenderit tentorium {5} extra castra et sic quod Jehovah annuerit;
ita manifeste quod ipsi institerint: [3] apud eundem, Dixit Jehovah ad Mosen, Quousque irritabunt Me populus hic? et quousque non credent in Me, ob omnia signa quae feci in medio ejus? percutiam illum peste, et exstinguam illum, et faciam te in gentem magnam et validam prae illo.... Sed supplicavit Moses, et exoratus... Jehovah dixit {6}, Propitius ero juxta verbum tuum; attamen, vivus Ego, et implebitur gloria Jehovae universa terra; nam quantum ad omnes viros, qui viderunt gloriam Meam, et signa Mea, quae feci in Aegypto, et in deserto, tentaverunt tamen Me his decem vicibus, nec oboediverunt voci Meae, si videbunt terram quam juravi patribus eorum, omnes irritantes Me non videbunt eam;... in deserto hoc concident corpora vestra;... infantes autem vestros introducam, Num. xiv [11-13, 20-23, 29, 31];
ex his quoque patet quod Jehovah voluerit exstinguere illos, proinde apud illos Ecclesiam non instaurare, sed quod institerint, ac ideo factum {7}: praeter etiam alibi pluries, cum Jehovah gentem illam toties rebellem prorsus delere voluisset, sed toties per supplicationes se exorari passus. [4] Simile etiam involvit quod Bileamo non permissum maledicere populo illi, Num. xxii, xxiii, xxiv; et quoque alibi ubi dicitur quod paenituerit Jehovam quod populum illum introduxerit; tum quod Jehovah exoratus sit'; ut et quod toties novum foedus cum illo pepigerit: talia significantur in sensu interno historico per haec verba, `non mittam te quin benedixeris mihi; simile etiam' per quod Jacob primogenituram Esavo, tum quoque benedictionem ei fraude abstulerit, (o)Gen. xxv et xxvii. @1 mittere$ @2 manifeste$ @3 audiret$ @4 notum A, I, Sch. In n. 10565 S has notam viam tuam$ @5 I i suum$ @6 est Jehovah, tunc dixit Jehovah$ @7 et sic quod exoratus Jehovah fuerit$