Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 30:31-33
previous  -  next  -  text  -  summary  -  Genesis  -  BM Home  -  Full Page

AC 3988. Verses 31-33. And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me anything; if thou wilt do this word for me, I will return, and feed and keep thy flock. I will pass through all thy flock this day, removing from thence every small cattle that is speckled and spotted, and every black one among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and these shall be my reward. And my righteousness shall answer for me on the morrow, because thou comest upon my reward before thee; everyone that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the lambs, stolen is this by me. "And he said, What shall I give thee?" signifies knowledge; "and Jacob said," signifies reply; "thou shalt not give me anything, if thou wilt do this word for me," signifies that it should be brought on the part of the good which is from truth; "I will return, and feed and keep thy flock," signifies that the good signified by Laban is to be applied to use; "I will pass through all thy flock this day," signifies that He perceives the quality of all the good; removing from thence every small cattle that is speckled and spotted," signifies that all the good that is His will be separated wherewith there is mingled evil (signified by the "speckled"), and falsity (signified by the "spotted") "and every black one among the lambs," signifies an own that is innocent, which belongs to the good signified by "Laban;" "and the spotted and speckled among the goats," signifies that then all the good of truth in which falsity and evil are mingled shall be His; "and this shall be my reward," signifies that it was from Himself; "and my righteousness shall answer for me," signifies the Divine holiness which He had; "on the morrow," signifies to eternity; "because thou comest upon my reward before thee," signifies what is His own; "everyone that is not speckled and spotted among the goats," signifies what is not from the good signified by "Laban" mingled with evil and falsity in the goods of truth; "and black among the lambs," signifies the first state of innocence; "stolen is this by me," signifies that it was not His.

AC 3989. And he said, What shall I give thee? That this signifies knowledge, may be seen from its being an entreaty and inquiry in order to know what and how much he wished to have for his hire or reward. And Jacob said, that this signifies reply, is evident without explication.

AC 3990. Thou shalt not give me anything, if thou wilt do this word for me. That this signifies that it should be brought on the part of the good which is from truth, is evident from the signification of "not giving anything," as being not to be brought by the good represented by Laban; but by the good represented by Jacob, which is the good of truth (n. 3669, 3677, 3829). But that which was to be brought is described in what follows.

AC 3991. I will return, and feed and keep thy flock. That this signifies that the good represented by Laban is to be applied to use, namely, to introduce genuine goods and truths, as shown above, is evident from the signification of a flock," here that of Laban, as being the good represented by him. "To return and feed and keep his flock," is to apply this good to use, as is evident also from what follows; for by that flock Jacob acquired his own, because it served him as a means, and thus for use.

AC 3992. I will pass through all thy flock this day. That this signifies that He perceives the quality of all the good, is evident from the signification of a "flock," as being good (n. 343, 3518); and from the signification of "passing through it all," as being to know and perceive its quality.

AC 3993. Removing from thence every small cattle that is speckled and spotted. That this signifies that all the good and truth that is His will be separated wherewith there is mingled evil (signified by the "speckled"), and falsity (signified by the "spotted"), is evident from the signification of "removing," as being to separate; and from the signification of a "flock" (here one of goats and lambs), as being goods and truths (n. 1824, 3519). That there are arcana in these and the following verses of this chapter, may be seen from many of the things being such as would not be worthy of mention in the Divine Word, unless there were within them things more arcane than appear in the letter; as that Jacob asked for his reward or hire the speckled and spotted among the goats, and the black among the lambs; that he then placed in the gutters rods of hazel and plane-tree with the bark peeled off to the white before the flocks of Laban when they grew warm, and that as regards the lambs, he set the face of the flock toward the variegated and the black in Laban’s flock; and that he thus became rich, not by a good but by an evil art. In these things there does not appear anything Divine, whereas all things of the Word both in general and in particular, down to the smallest jot, are Divine. Moreover to know all this is not of the slightest avail for salvation and yet the Word, being Divine, contains within it nothing that is not conducive to salvation and eternal life.

[2] From all this, and the like things elsewhere, everyone may conclude that some arcanum is contained within, and that each one of the particulars, notwithstanding its being of such a character in the letter, yields things more Divine within. But what they yield within cannot possibly appear to anyone, except from the internal sense; that is, unless he knows how these things are perceived by the angels, who are in the spiritual sense while man is in the historic natural sense. And how remote these two senses appear from each other, although most closely conjoined, may be clearly seen from the particulars already explained and from all the rest. The arcanum itself contained in this and the following verses of this chapter, can indeed be known in some degree from what has been already said concerning Laban and Jacob, namely, that "Laban" is such good as can serve to introduce genuine goods and truths, and that "Jacob" is the good of truth. But as few persons know what the natural is that corresponds to spiritual good, and still fewer what spiritual good is, and that there must be a correspondence between them; and as still fewer know that a kind of good which only appears to be good is the means of introducing genuine goods and truths, the arcana that treat of these things cannot be easily explained to the apprehension, for they fall into the shade of the understanding, and it is as if one were speaking in a foreign language, so that however clearly the matter may be set forth, the hearer does not understand. Nevertheless it is to be set forth, because that which the Word stores up in its internal sense is now to be opened.

[3] In the supreme sense the subject here treated of is the Lord, how He made His natural Divine; and in the representative sense the natural in man, how the Lord regenerates it, and reduces it to correspondence with the man that is within; that is, with him who will live after the death of the body, and is then called the spirit of the man, which when released from the body takes with it all that belongs to the outward man, except the bones and the flesh. Unless the correspondence of the internal man with the external has been effected in time, or in the life of the body, it is not effected afterwards. The conjunction of the two by the Lord by means of regeneration is here treated of in the internal sense.

[4] The general truths that man must receive and acknowledge before he can be regenerated have been treated of heretofore--being signified by the ten sons of Jacob and Leah and the hand-maids-- and, after the man has received and acknowledged these truths, the conjunction of the external man with the interior, or of the natural with the spiritual signified by "Joseph" is treated of. And now in accordance with the order the subject treated of is the fructification of good and the multiplication of truth, which come forth for the first time when this conjunction has been effected, and precisely so far as it is effected. This is what is signified by the "flock" that Jacob acquired by means of the flock of Laban. By "flock" here is signified good and truth, as elsewhere frequently in the Word; and by the "flock of Laban," the good represented by Laban, the nature of which has been already stated. The "flock of Jacob" signifies the genuine good and truth procured by means of the good represented by Laban, and there is here described the manner in which these genuine goods and truths are acquired.

[5] But this cannot by any means be comprehended unless it is known what is signified in the internal sense by "speckled," by "spotted," by "black," and by "white," which therefore must now be explained in the first instance. That which is speckled and spotted is that which is composed of black and white; and in general "black" signifies evil, and specifically what is man‘s own, because this is nothing but evil. But "dark" signifies falsity, and specifically the principles of falsity. "White" in the internal sense signifies truth, properly the Lord’s righteousness and merit, and derivatively the Lord‘s righteousness and merit in man. This white is called "bright white," because it shines from the light that is from the Lord. But in the opposite sense "white" signifies man’s own righteousness, or his own merit; for truth without good is attended with such self-merit, because when anyone does good, not from the good of truth, he always desires to be recompensed, because he does it for the sake of himself; whereas when anyone does truth from good, this good is then enlightened by the light that is from the Lord. This shows what is signified by "spotted," namely, the truth with which falsity is mingled; and what by "speckled," namely, the good with which evil is mingled.

[6] Actual colors are seen in the other life, so beautiful and resplendent that they cannot be described (n. 1053, 1624); and they are from the variegation of light and shade in white and black. But although the light there appears as light before the eyes, it is not like the light in this world. The light in heaven has within it intelligence and wisdom; for Divine intelligence and wisdom from the Lord are there presented as light, and also illumine the universal heaven (n. 2776, 3138, 3167, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3225, 3339-3341, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3862). And in like manner although the shade in the other life appears as shade, it is yet not like the shade in this world; for the shade there is absence of the light, and accordingly is lack of intelligence and wisdom. As therefore the white and black there come forth from a light that has intelligence and wisdom within it, and from a shade that is lack of intelligence and wisdom, it is evident that by "white" and "black" are signified such things as have been stated above. Consequently as colors are modifications of light and shade in whites and blacks, as in planes, it is the variegations thus produced that are called colors (n. 1042, 1043, 1053).

[7] From all this we can now see that that which is "speckled," that is, that which is marked and dotted all over with black and white points, signifies the good with which evil is mingled and also that that which is "spotted" signifies the truth with which falsity is mingled. These are the things that were taken from the good of Laban in order to serve for introducing genuine goods and truths. But how these can serve this purpose is an arcanum which can indeed be presented clearly before those who are in the light of heaven, because as before said within this light there is intelligence; but it cannot be clearly presented before those who are in the light of the world, unless their light of the world has been enlightened by the light of heaven, as is the case with those who have been regenerated; for every regenerate person sees goods and truths in his natural light from the light of heaven, because the light of heaven produces his intellectual sight, and the light of the world his natural sight.

[8] A few words shall be added to further explain how the case herein is. In man there is no pure good, that is, good with which evil is not mingled; nor pure truth, with which falsity is not mingled. For man‘s will is nothing but evil, from which there continually flows falsity into his understanding; because, as is well known, man receives by inheritance the evil successively accumulated by his progenitors, and from this he produces evil in an actual form, and makes it his own, and adds thereto more evil of himself. But the evils with man are of various kinds; there are evils with which goods cannot be mingled, and there are evils with which they can be mingled; and it is the same with the falsities. Unless this were so, no man could possibly be regenerated. The evils and falsities with which goods and truths cannot be mingled, are such as are contrary to love to God and love toward the neighbor; namely, hatreds, revenges, cruelties, and a consequent contempt for others in comparison with one’s self; and also the consequent persuasions of falsity. But the evils and falsities with which goods and truths can be mingled, are those which are not contrary to love to God and love toward the neighbor.

[9] For example: If anyone loves himself more than others, and from this love studies to excel others in moral and civic life, in memory-knowledges and doctrinal things, and to be exalted to dignities and wealth in preeminence to others, and yet acknowledges and adores God, performs kind offices to his neighbor from the heart, and does what is just and fair from conscience; the evil of this love of self is one with which good and truth can be mingled; for it is an evil that is man‘s own, and that is born hereditarily; and to take it away from him suddenly would be to extinguish the fire of his first life. But the man who loves himself above others, and from this love despises others in comparison with himself, and hates those who do not honor and as it were adore him, and therefore feels a consequent delight of hatred in revenge and cruelty--the evil of such a love as this is one with which good and truth cannot be mingled, for they are contraries.

[10] To take another example: If anyone believes himself to be pure from sins, and thus washed clean, as one who is washed from filth by much water; when such a man has once performed repentance and has done the imposed penance, or after confession has heard such a declaration from his confessor, or after he has partaken of the holy supper--if he then lives a new life, in the affection of good and truth, this falsity is one with which good can be mingled. But if he lives a carnal and worldly life, as before, the falsity is then one with which good cannot be mingled.

[11] Again: The man who believes that a man is saved by believing well, and not by willing well; and yet wills well and in consequence does well--this falsity is one to which good and truth can be adjoined; but not so if he does not will well and therefore do well. In like manner if anyone is ignorant that man rises again after death, and consequently does not believe in the resurrection; or if he is aware of it, but still doubts, and almost denies it, and yet lives in truth and good--with this falsity also good and truth can be mingled; but if he lives in falsity and evil, truth and good cannot be mingled with this falsity, because they are contraries and the falsity destroys the truth, and the evil destroys the good.

[12] Again: The simulation and cunning that have what is good as their end, whether it is that of the neighbor, or that of our country, or of the church, are prudence; and the evils that are mixed up with them can be mingled with good, from and for the sake of the end. But the simulation and cunning that have evil as their end, are not prudence, but are craft and deceit, with which good can by no means be conjoined; for deceit, which is an end of evil, induces what is infernal upon all things in man both in general and in particular, places evil in the middle, and rejects good to the circumference; which order is infernal order itself. And it is the same in numberless other cases.

[13] That there are evils and falsities to which goods and truths can be adjoined, may be seen from the mere fact that there are so many diverse dogmas and doctrines, many of which are altogether heretical, and yet in each there are those who are saved; and also that the Lord’s church exists even among the Gentiles who are out of the church; and although they are in falsities, nevertheless those are saved who live a life of charity (n. 2589-2604); which could by no means be the case unless there were evils with which goods, and falsities with which truths, can be mingled. For the evils with which goods and the falsities with which truths can be mingled, are wonderfully disposed into order by the Lord; for they are not conjoined together, still less united into a one; but are adjoined and applied to one another, and this in such manner that the goods together with the truths are in the middle and as it were in the center, and by degrees toward the circumferences or circuits are such evils and falsities. Thus the latter are lighted up by the former, and are variegated like things white and black by light from the middle or center. This is heavenly order. These are the things that are signified in the internal sense by the "speckled" and the "spotted."

AC 3994. And every black one among the lambs. That this signifies an own that is innocent that belongs to the good signified by "Laban," is evident from the signification of "black," as being what is man‘s own (n. 3993); and from the signification of a "lamb," as being innocence. As regards an own that is innocent, signified by the "black among the lambs," the case is this. In all good there must be innocence in order that it may be good. Charity without innocence is not charity; and still less is love to the Lord possible without innocence. For this reason innocence is the very essential of love and charity, consequently of good. An own that is innocent is to know, acknowledge, and believe, not with the mouth but with the heart, that nothing but evil is from one’s self, and that all good is from the Lord; and therefore that what is man‘s own is nothing but blackness; that is to say, not only the own of his will, which is evil, but also the own of his understanding, which is falsity. When man is in this confession and belief from the heart, the Lord flows in with good and truth, and insinuates into him a heavenly own, which is white and lustrous. No one can ever be in true humility unless he is in this acknowledgment and belief from the heart; for he is then in annihilation of self, nay, in the loathing of self, and thus in absence from self; and in this manner he is then in a state capable of receiving the Divine of the Lord. It is by this means that the Lord flows in with good into a humble and contrite heart.

[2] Such is the own that is innocent, which is here signified by the "black among the lambs" that Jacob chose for himself; but the white among the lambs is the self-merit that is placed in goods. "White" is merit, (n. 3993). This Jacob did not choose, because it is contrary to innocence; for he who places self-merit in goods, acknowledges and believes that all good is from himself; because in the goods he does he has regard to himself, and not to the Lord, and accordingly demands recompense on account of his merit. Such a one therefore despises others in comparison with himself, and even condemns them, and consequently in the same proportion recedes from heavenly order, that is, from good and truth. From all this it is now evident that charity toward the neighbor and love to the Lord are impossible unless there is innocence within them consequently that no one can come into heaven unless there is something of innocence in him according to the Lord’s words:--

by a "little child" here and elsewhere in the Word is signified innocence. Infancy is not innocence, but innocence dwells in wisdom, (n. 2305, 3494): What the innocence of infancy is, and what the innocence of wisdom, (n. 2306, 3183): What man‘s own is when vivified by the Lord with innocence and charity, (n. 154): Innocence causes good to be good, (n. 2526, 2780).

[3] "Lambs" signify innocence may be seen from many passages in the Word, of which the following may be adduced in confirmation. In Isaiah:--

where the subject treated of is the Lord’s kingdom, and the state of peace and innocence therein. The "wolf" denotes those who are against innocence; and the "lamb," those who are in innocence. Again in the same Prophet:--

where the "wolf" as above denotes those who are against innocence; and the "lamb," those who are in innocence. As the "wolf" and the "lamb" are opposites, the Lord also said to the seventy whom He sent forth:--

In Moses:--

here in the internal sense the celestial things of the Ancient Church are treated of, and the "fat of lambs" denotes the charity of innocence.

[4] In the original language "lambs" are expressed by various names, by which are signified the different degrees of innocence; for as before said, in all good there must be innocence to make it good; consequently there must be the same in truth. "Lambs" are here expressed by the same word that is used for "sheep" (Lev. 1:10; 3:7; 5:6; 17:3; 22:19; Num. 18:17); and it is the innocence of the faith of charity that is signified. Elsewhere they are expressed by other words, as in Isaiah:--

By still another word in the same Prophet:--

where to "gather the lambs in His arm, and carry them in His bosom," denotes those who are in charity in which there is innocence.

[5] In John:--

"By Peter" here and elsewhere is signified faith (n. 2135A, 2760, 3750); and as faith is not faith unless it is from charity toward the neighbor, and thus from love to the Lord; and as charity and love are not charity and love unless they are from innocence, for this reason the Lord first asks Peter whether he loves Him, that is, whether there is love in the faith, and then says, "Feed My lambs," that is, those who are in innocence. And then, after the same question, He says, "Feed My sheep," that is, those who are in charity.

[6] As the Lord is the innocence itself which is in His kingdom, the all of innocence being from Him, He is called the "Lamb;" as in John:--

And in the Revelation:--

That in the supreme sense the paschal lamb is the Lord, is well known; for the passover signified the Lord’s glorification, that is, the putting on of the Divine in respect to the Human; and in the representative sense it signifies man‘s regeneration; and the paschal lamb signifies that which is the essential of regeneration, namely, innocence; for no one can be regenerated except by means of the charity in which there is innocence.

[7] As innocence is the primary thing in the Lord’s kingdom, and is the celestial itself there, and as the sacrifices and burnt-offerings represented the spiritual and celestial things of the Lord‘s kingdom, therefore the very essential of the Lord’s kingdom, which is innocence, was represented by lambs. For this reason a perpetual or daily burnt-offering was made of lambs, one in the morning, and another in the evening (Exod. 29:37-39; Num. 28:3, 4), and a double one on the Sabbath days (Num. 28:9, 10), and of still more lambs on stated festivals (Lev. 23:12; Num. 28:11, 17, 19, 27; 29). The reason why a woman in child-bed, after the days of her cleansing were accomplished, was to offer a lamb for a burnt-offering, and the young of a pigeon or a turtle-dove (Lev. 12:6), was that the effect of conjugial love might be signified. Conjugial love is innocence (n. 2736); and also because innocence is signified by "infants."

AC 3995. And the spotted and speckled among the goats. That this signifies that then all the good of truth in which falsity and evil are mingled shall be His, is evident from the signification of "spotted," as being falsity; and from the signification of "speckled," as being evil; as shown above (n. 3993); and from the signification of "she-goats," as being the good of truth, or the charity of faith (n. 3519). That all this will be His, is also signified by what follows--"and it shall be my reward."

[2] A few words as to what the good of truth is, or the charity of faith. When a man is being regenerated the truth which is of faith apparently comes first, and the good which is of charity apparently follows but when the man has been regenerated, then the good which is of charity manifestly takes the precedence, and the truth which is of faith manifestly follows. The former is the appearance, and the latter the real truth, (n. 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3616, 3701). For when a man is being regenerated, he does what is good from the truth he has learned, because from truth he learns what is good; nevertheless it is the good within that effects this. For good flows in from the Lord by an internal way, that is, by the way of the soul; but truth flows in by an external way, or by the way of the senses, which is that of the body. The truth that enters by the latter way is adopted by the good that is within, and is conjoined with it, and this even until the man has been regenerated. A revolution then takes place, and truth is done from good. From this it is evident what the good of truth is, and what the truth of good. This is the reason why so many now say that the goods of charity are the fruits of faith; for so it appears in the beginning of regeneration, and from the appearance they draw this conclusion. Nor do they know otherwise, because there are few who are being regenerated, and no one can know this except the man who has been regenerated, that is, who is in the affection of good, or in charity. From the affection of good, or from charity, this can be clearly seen, and also perceived; but they who have not been regenerated do not even know what the affection of good, or charity, is; but reason about it as about something that is foreign to them, or outside of them; for which reason they call charity the fruit of faith, when yet faith is from charity. However, it is not very important for the simple to know which is prior and which posterior, provided they live in charity; for charity is the life of faith.

[3] By "cattle" here are meant not only lambs, but also sheep, kids, she-goats, rams, and he-goats, although only lambs and she-goats are mentioned; and this because by "lambs" is signified innocence; and by "she-goats," the charity of faith; for these are the things here treated of in the internal sense. For this reason "spotted" is expressed in the original language by a word that also means "lambs" (Isa. 40:10, 11); and "speckled" by a word that also means a "herdman" (2 Kings 3:4; Amos 1:1).

AC 3996. And this shall be my reward. That this signifies that it was from Himself, is evident from the signification of " reward," as being what was his, that is, Jacob‘s, on account of his service; and that these things signify from His own power, or what is the same, from Himself, may be seen above (n. 3975, 3977, 3982).

AC 3997. And my righteousness shall answer for me. That this signifies the Divine holiness the Lord had, is evident from the signification of "righteousness," as being predicated of good (n. 612, 2235); but when, as here, it is predicated of the Lord, it signifies the Divine holiness; for all spiritual and celestial good proceeds from the Divine holy of the Lord.

AC 3998. On the morrow. That this signifies to eternity, is evident from the signification of the "morrow." When "yesterday," "today," or "to-morrow" is mentioned in the Word, eternity is signified in the supreme sense; " yesterday" signifying from eternity; "today," eternity and "to-morrow," to eternity. "Today" signifies eternity, (n. 2838). For the times mentioned in the Word signify states; as "ages," "years," "months," "weeks," "days," and "hours," as has often been shown. With the Lord however there are no states; but everything is eternal and infinite. This shows that by "tomorrow" is signified to eternity.

AC 3999. Because thou comest upon my reward before thee. That this signifies what is His own, is evident from the signification of "reward," when predicated of the Lord, as being what is His own; that is, acquired by His own power (n. 3975, 3977, 3982, 3996).

AC 4000. Everyone that is not speckled and spotted among the goats. That this signifies what is not from the good meant by "Laban," mingled with evil and falsity in the goods of truth, is evident from what was said above (n. 3993, 3995), where similar words occur.

AC 4001. And black among the lambs. That this signifies the first state of innocence, is evident from the signification of "black," as being what is man’s own; and from the signification of a "lamb," as being innocence (n. 3994). That the "black in the lambs" here signifies the first state of innocence, is because at first the own of the man who is being regenerated reigns; for he supposes that he does what is good from his own, and also he must do it as if from his own, in order that he may be endowed with a heavenly own (n. 1712, 1937, 1947, 2882, 2883, 2891). This is the reason why by the "black among the lambs" is here signified the first state of innocence.

AC 4002. Stolen is this by me. That this signifies that it was not his, is evident without explication. In the sense of the letter this expression does indeed sound somewhat harsh; but when it passes toward heaven, it loses its harshness, and becomes gentle and mild. A similar expression occurs in Matthew:--

These expressions are used concerning the Lord; "as a thief" merely signifies that which is unlooked for and unexpected. In the internal sense "to steal" denotes to claim for self that which is the Lord‘s, namely, good and truth; and as in the beginning of regeneration all do this, and as this is the first state of innocence (n. 4001), the expression is milder than it sounds in the letter. Consequently, "stolen is this by me" signifies that it was not his.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

www.BibleMeanings.info