Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 29:14-15
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AC 3811. Verses 14, 15. And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he dwelt with him a month of days. And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? Tell me, what shall be thy reward? "And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh," signifies conjoined in respect to truths and to goods; "and he dwelt with him a month of days," signifies a new state of life; "and Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother," signifies because they have blood relationship from good; "shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me what shall be thy reward," signifies that there must be a means of conjunction.

AC 3812. And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. That this signifies conjoined in respect to truths and to goods, is evident from the signification of the words, "thou art my bone and my flesh," as being conjunction. The ancients had this form of speaking concerning those who were of one house, or of one family, or in some relationship-" my bone and my flesh" (n. 157); and hence by these words is signified conjunction. The reason why it signifies as to truths and as to goods, is that all spiritual conjunction is effected by these, and all natural conjunction has relation to the same. Moreover by "bone and flesh" is signified what is man‘s own; by "bone," the own of his understanding, and by "flesh" the own of his will; thus by "bone" is signified what is his own in respect to truth, for this is of the understanding; and by "flesh" is signified what is his own in respect to good, for this is of the will (n. 148, 149).

[2] As regards man’s own in general it is of two kinds, one infernal and the other heavenly; that which is infernal is received by man from hell, and that which is heavenly from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord; for all evil, as well as all the derivative falsity, flows in from hell; and all good, and the derivative truth, from the Lord. This is known to men from the doctrine of faith, but scarcely one in ten thousand believes it. For this reason man appropriates to himself or makes his own the evil which flows in from hell, and the good which flows in from the Lord does not affect him, consequently is not imputed to him. The reason why man does not believe that evil flows in from hell, and good from the Lord, is that he is in the love of self, which love carries this with it, insomuch that it is exceedingly indignant when it is said that everything inflows. This therefore is the reason why all that is man‘s own is nothing but evil (n. 210, 215, 694, 731, 874-876, 987, 1023, 1044, 1047). But that man believes that evil is from hell and good from the Lord comes from the fact that he is not in the love of self, but in love toward his neighbor and in love to the Lord, for this love is attended with such a belief. Thus it is that man receives from the Lord a heavenly own (n. 155, 164, 731, 1023, 1044, 1937, 1947, 2882, 2883, 2891).

[3] In both senses this own is signified by "bone and flesh;" and consequently by "bones" in the Word is signified truth, and in the opposite sense falsity, and by "flesh" good, and in the opposite sense evil. That this is the signification of "bones," may be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:--

where "making strong the bones" signifies to make alive the own of the understanding, that is, to enlighten it with intelligence; whence it is said, "that thou mayest be like a watered garden." A "garden" signifies intelligence, (n. 100, 108, 1588). Again:--

where by "bones flourishing like the grass," the like is signified as above.

[4] In Jeremiah:--

the "Nazirite" denotes the celestial man (n. 3301); "whiter than snow and fairer than milk" denotes to be in celestial truth; and because this truth is from the love of good, it is said that "their bones were more ruddy than gems." "Whiteness" and "fairness" are predicated of truth, (n. 3301); "ruddiness," of good, (n. 3300); "gems," of truths which are from good, (n. 114). By "their skin cleaving to their bone" is described a changed state as to the celestial things of love, namely, that there was no flesh on the bones, that is, no longer any good; for then all truth becomes like skin which cleaves to the bone; it is "withered and become like wood."

[5] In Ezekiel:--

where a "caldron" signifies violence offered to good and truth, wherefore it is called a city of bloods" (Ezek. 24:6) the pieces, the good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder gathered into it," are flesh, by which are meant goods; the "choice bones" with which the caldron was filled, denote truths a " hearth of bones," the affection of truth; the "bones being boiled in the midst of it," violence offered to truths. Everyone can see that Divine arcana are stored within this parable; and also that these arcana can in no wise be known unless it is known what is signified in the internal sense by a " caldron" or "pot," by "pieces," by "thigh and shoulder," by "choice bones," by a "hearth of bones," and by "boiling." In Micah:--

where the signification is the same.

[6] In Ezekiel:--

The subject here treated of in general is the setting up again of the church among the Gentiles; and in particular, the regeneration of man: "dry bones" denote the own of the understanding, which is inanimate before it receives the life of good from the lord, but is thereby animated or made alive; the "flesh which the Lord causes to come up upon the bones" is the own of the will, which is called the heavenly or celestial own, and thus signifies good; "breath" is the Lord’s life, and when this inflows into that good of the man which he seems to himself to will and do from his own, the good is then vivified, and from the good the truth, and out of the dry bones there is made a man.

[7] In David:--

where the subject is the Lord‘s temptations as to Divine truths, which were the Lord’s own, and hence are called "my bones;" and as to Divine good, which was the Lord‘s own, and hence is called "my heart." The "heart" signifies good, (n. 3313, 3635). And because "bones" signify these truths, the numbering of which denotes to desire to dissipate them through reasonings and falsities, therefore there immediately follow the words, "they parted my garments, and cast a lot upon my vesture;" for "garments" also signify truths, but exterior ones (n. 297, 1073, 2576); "dividing them and casting a lot upon the vesture," involves the like as also in (Matthew 27:35). Again:--

where it is evident that in the spiritual sense "bones" denote the own of the understanding. Again:--

where the "exulting of the bones which were bruised" signifies re-creation through truths after temptations.

[8] As "bone" signified the own of the understanding, that is, the own as to truth, and in the supreme sense the Divine truth which was the Lord’s own, it was for this reason ordained as a statute of the passover that they should not break a bone of the paschal lamb; concerning which we read in Moses:--

And in another place:--

"not to break a bone," in the supreme sense signifies not to do violence to truth Divine; and in the representative sense, not to do violence to the truth of any good whatever; for the quality of good and the form of good are from truths, and truth is the support of good, as bones are of flesh.

[9] That the Word, which is Divine truth itself, vivifies the dead, was represented by the man reviving and standing upon his feet who when cast into the sepulchre of Elisha, touched his bones (2 Kings 13:21). Elisha represented the Lord as to truth Divine, or the Word, (n. 2762). That in the opposite sense "bones" signify the falsity which is from man‘s own, is manifest from the following passages. In Jeremiah:--

In Ezekiel:--

In Moses:--

In the second book of Kings:--

In Moses:--

[10] As "bones" signify falsities, and "sepulchres" the evils in which they are, and as hypocrisy is evil appearing outwardly as good, but is inwardly defiled with things false and profane, therefore the Lord says in Matthew:--

From these passages it is now evident that by "bones" is signified the own of the understanding, both as to truth and as to falsity.

AC 3813. As regards "flesh," in the supreme sense it signifies, the own of the Lord’s Divine Human, which is Divine good, and in the relative sense it signifies the own of man‘s will made alive by the own of the Divine Human, that is, by His Divine good. This own is what is called the heavenly own, which in itself is the Lord’s alone appropriated to those who are in good, and thence in truth. Such an own have the angels who are in the heavens, and men who as to their interiors or as to the spirit are in the Lord‘s kingdom. But in the opposite sense, "flesh" signifies the own of man’s will, which in itself is nothing but evil, and not being vivified by the Lord is called "dead," and thus the man himself is said to be dead.

that here "flesh" is the own of the Lord‘s Divine Human, thus the Divine good, is very evident; and this is what in the Holy Supper is called the "body." That in the Holy Supper the "body" or "flesh" signifies the Divine good; and the "blood" the Divine truth, may be seen above (n. 1798, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3735); and because "bread and wine" signify the same as "flesh and blood," namely, "bread," the Lord’s Divine good, and "wine," His Divine truth, therefore the latter were enjoined instead of the former. This is the reason why the Lord said, "I am the living bread; the bread which I shall give is My flesh; he that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, abideth in Me, and I in him; this is the bread which came down from heaven." To eat" signifies to be communicated, to be conjoined, and to be appropriated, (n. 2187, 2343, 3168, 3513, 3596).

[3] The same was represented in the Jewish Church by the ordinance that Aaron, his sons, and they who sacrificed, and others who were clean, might eat the flesh of the sacrifices, and that this was holy (Exod. 12:7-9; 29:30-34; Lev. 7:15-21; 8:31; Deut. 12:27; 16:4). If therefore an unclean person ate of that flesh, he was to be cut off from his people (Lev. 7:21). These sacrifices were called "bread," (n. 2165). That "flesh" was called the "flesh of holiness" (Jer. 11:15; Haggai 2:12), and the "flesh of the offering which was on the tables in the Lord‘s kingdom," see (Ezek. 40:43), where the new temple is described, by which there is evidently signified the worship of the Lord in His kingdom.

[4] That in the relative sense "flesh" signifies the own of man’s will made alive by the Lord‘s Divine good, is evident also from the following passages. In Ezekiel:--

where the "heart of stone out of their flesh" denotes the will and the own not vivified and the "heart of flesh," the will and the own vivified. The "heart" is a representative of the good of the will, (n. 2930, 3313, 3635). In David:--

Again:--

[5] In Job:--

to be "encompassed with skin" denotes with the natural, such as man has with him after death (n. 3539); "from the flesh to see God" denotes the own vivified; therefore he says, "whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another." As it was known to the churches that flesh signified man’s own, and as the book of Job is a book of the Ancient Church (n. 3540), he therefore spoke concerning these things from what is significative, as concerning many other things, in accordance with the custom of that time; so that those who deduce from this passage that the dead body itself shall be collected from the four winds, and shall rise again, are not acquainted with the internal sense of the Word. They who know the internal sense, know that they shall come into the other life with a body, but a purer one; for in the other life there are purer bodies; for they see each other, converse together, and enjoy every sense as in the present body, but in a more exquisite degree. The body which man carries about here on earth is for uses on earth, and therefore consists of bones and flesh; and the body which the spirit carries about in the other life is designed for uses in that life, and does not consist of bones and flesh, but of things which correspond to them (n. 3726).

[6] That in the opposite sense "flesh" signifies the own of man‘s will, which in itself is nothing but evil, is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah:--

Again:--

In Jeremiah:--

In Zechariah:--

In Moses:--

The own of man’s will, that is, the nature of man, is thus described, for this is nothing else than evil and the derivative falsity; thus is hatred against truths and goods, which is signified by "eating the flesh of his arm, the flesh of sons and daughters, and the flesh of a companion."

[7] In John:--

that here by the "flesh of kings, of captains, of mighty men, of horses and of those that sit upon them, of all, both free and bond," are not signified such things as these, must be evident to everyone; thus that by "flesh" are signified other things which have hitherto been unknown. That evils which are from falsities, and evils from which are falsities, both from the own of man‘s will, are signified, is manifest from the several expressions.

[8] As in the internal sense the falsity which results from the own of man’s understanding is "blood;" and as the evil which results from the own of his will is "flesh," therefore the Lord speaks as follows concerning the man who is to be regenerated:--

Hence it is that by "flesh" in general is meant every man (n. 574, 1050); for whether you say man, or man‘s own, it is the same thing.

[9] That by "flesh" in the supreme sense is signified the Lord’s Divine Human, is manifest from the passage above quoted, and also from this in John:--

From this "flesh" all flesh is vivified, that is to say, every man is vivified from the Lord‘s Divine Human by the appropriation of His love, which appropriation is signified by "eating the flesh of the Son of man" (John 6:51-58), and by "eating the bread" in the Holy Supper; for the "bread" is the "body" or "flesh" (Matt. 26:26, 27).

AC 3814. And he dwelt with him a month of days. That this signifies a new state of life, is evident from the signification of "dwelling," as being life (n. 1293, 3384, 3613); and from the signification of a "month of days," as being a new state. All "times" denote states, (n. 1274, 1382, 2625, 2788, 2837, 3254, 3356, 3404); and therefore so do "years, "months," and "days;" but the quality of the states signified is evident from the numbers affixed). But when a "year," "month," or "day" is mentioned in the singular number, it signifies an entire state; thus the end of the preceding and the beginning of the subsequent state, as has been shown above throughout the explications. Here therefore by a "month" is signified the end of the preceding and the beginning of the subsequent state, thus a new state, as also in other parts of the Word. As in Isaiah:--

In John:--

"yielding its fruit every month" signifies a state ever new, in regard to the reception of good, and the practice thence resulting.

[2] In Moses:--

it was because the end of a preceding and the beginning of a subsequent state (that is, a new state), was signified by a "month," that it was commanded that their numbering should be "from the son of a month and upward." Again:--

where a "month of days" plainly denotes the end of a preceding, and the beginning of a subsequent or new state.

AC 3815. And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother. That this signifies because they have blood relationship from good, is evident from the representation of Laban, as being the collateral good of a common stock; and from the representation of Jacob, as being the good of the natural; and from the signification of "brother," as being good (n. 3803); here consanguineous good, because it is said by Laban to Jacob, consequently by good to good. Moreover all blood relationship derives its origin from good, for good is of love. The nearest degree of love in the descending line is called blood relationship, and is understood in the proper sense by "brother." That in the spiritual world, or in heaven, no other consanguinities and affinities exist than those of love to the Lord and of love toward the neighbor, or what is the same, of good, has been made manifest to me by the fact that all the societies which constitute heaven, and which are innumerable, are perfectly distinguished from one another, in accordance with the degrees and differences of love, and thence of the derivative faith (n. 685, 917, 2739, 3612); and also from the fact that they recognize each other, not from any relationship that had existed in the life of the body; but solely from good and the derivative truth. A father does not recognize a son or a daughter, nor a brother a brother or sister, nor even a husband a wife, unless they have been in similar good. They indeed meet when they first come into the other life, but are soon dissociated; for good itself, or love and charity, determines and assigns everyone to his own society. The blood relationship commences in the society in which each person is; and from this proceed the other relationships, even to the circumferences.

AC 3816. Shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? Tell me, what shall be thy reward? That this signifies that there must be a means of conjunction, is evident from the signification of "serving for nought," as being without any obligation; and from the signification of "reward" as being a means of conjunction. "Reward" is occasionally mentioned in the Word, and in the internal sense signifies nothing else than a means of conjunction. The reason is that the angels are utterly unwilling to hear anything about a reward, as being on account of anything in them; nay, they are utterly averse to the idea of reward for any good or good action; for they know that with everyone that which is his own is nothing but evil, and that therefore whatever they do from their own would be attended with that which is contrary to reward; and that all good is from the Lord, and flows in, and this solely from mercy; thus that that is not from themselves for which they would think of reward. In fact good itself becomes not good when reward for it is thought of, for then a selfish end instantly adjoins itself, and in so far as this is the case, it induces a denial that the good is from the Lord, and from mercy; consequently so far it removes the influx, and of course so far removes from itself heaven and the bliss which are in good and its affection. The affection of good (that is, love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor) has bliss and happiness within it; these being within the affection and love itself. To do anything from affection and its bliss and to do it at the same time for the sake of reward, are things diametrically opposed to each other. Hence it is that when "reward" is mentioned in the Word, the angels do not perceive anything of reward, but that which is bestowed gratis and of mercy by the Lord.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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