5817. 'And so it was, when we went up to your servant my father' means a raising up to spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of 'going up' as a raising up, dealt with below; and from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with in 4286, 4598. A raising up of the kind meant here by 'going up is a movement towards more internal things; here it is a raising up from the truths in the natural, which are represented by 'Jacob's ten sons', to spiritual good from the natural, represented by 'Israel'. For there is an exterior natural and there is an interior natural, 5497, 5649. The interior natural holds spiritual good, which is 'Israel', while the exterior natural holds the truths known to the Church, which are 'Jacob's sons', and therefore 'going up to their father' means a raising up of these to spiritual good.
Arcana Coelestia #1341
1341. Verse 13 And Arpachshad lived after he begot Shelah four hundred and three years; and he begot sons and daughters.
'Arpachshad lived after he begot Shelah four hundred and three years' means duration and state, 'Arpachshad' here, as previously, meaning knowledge, and 'Shelah' that which is the offspring of knowledge. 'And he begot sons and daughters' means matters of doctrine.