Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 31:22-25
previous  -  next  -  text  -  summary  -  Genesis  -  BM Home  -  Full Page

AC 4118. Verses 22-25. And it was told Laban on the third day, that Jacob was fled. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him a way of seven days, and joined him in the mountain of Gilead. And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed to thyself lest thou speak with Jacob from good even to evil. And Laban came up with Jacob, and Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain; and Laban pitched with his brethren in the mountain of Gilead. "And it was told Laban on the third day," signifies the end; "that Jacob was fled," signifies separation; "and he took his brethren with him," signifies goods in place of those which it had lost; "and pursued after him," signifies continued ardor of conjunction; "a way of seven days," signifies the holy of truth; "and joined him in the mountain of Gilead," signifies somewhat of conjunction thereby; "and God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night," signifies the obscure perception of that good when left to itself; "and said unto him, Take heed to thyself lest thou speak with Jacob from good even to evil," signifies that there was no longer any communication; "and Laban came up with Jacob," signifies something of conjunction; "and Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain," signifies the state of the love in which was the good now meant by "Jacob"; "and Laban pitched with his brethren in the mountain of Gilead," signifies the state of this good in somewhat of that conjunction.

AC 4119. And it was told Laban on the third day. That this signifies the end of the conjunction, is evident from the signification of the "third day," as being that which is last, and also that which is complete, and thus the end (n. 1825, 2788), and also the beginning (n. 2788); for the end of a state of conjunction is the beginning of the following state, which is one of separation, and is here signified by the "third day."

AC 4120. That Jacob was fled. That this signifies separation, is evident from the signification of "fleeing," as being to be separated (n. 4113, 4114).

AC 4121. And he took his brethren with him. That this signifies goods in place of those which it had lost, is evident from the signification of "brethren," as being goods (n. 2360, 3160, 3303, 3459, 3803, 3815). By "brethren" in the internal sense are signified those who are in similar good and truth, that is, in a similar affection of good and truth. For in the other life all are consociated in accordance with the affections, and those who are consociated constitute a brotherhood. Not that they call themselves brethren, but that they are brethren by conjunction. In the other life it is good and truth that produce that which on earth is called relationship by blood and by marriage; and therefore there is a correspondence between the two things; for regarded in themselves goods and truths acknowledge no other father than the Lord, for they are from Him alone. Hence all who are in goods and truths are in brotherhood; but still there are degrees of relationship according to the quality of the goods and truths. These degrees are signified in the Word by "brothers," "sisters," "sons-in-law," "daughters-in-law," "grandsons," "granddaughters," and by other family names.

[2] On earth they are so named with reference to a common parentage, however they may differ in regard to affections; but this brotherhood or relationship is dissipated in the other life, and unless they have been in similar good on earth, they there come into other brotherhoods. At first indeed they for the most part come together, but in a short time are separated; for in that world it is not wealth that keeps men together, but as just said, affections, the quality of which is then manifest as in clear day, and also the kind of affection which one has had toward another. And as these are manifest, and as everyone‘s affection draws him to his society, those who have been of a discordant disposition are dissociated; and all the brotherhood and friendship which had been of the external man are obliterated on both sides, and that which is of the internal man remains. That by "he took his brethren with him" are signified goods in place of those which it had lost, is because as before said when one society is separated from another, it comes to a different society, and therefore to other goods in place of the former (n. 4077, 4110, 4111).

AC 4122. And pursued after him. That this signifies a continued ardor of conjunction, is evident from the signification here of "pursuing," as being a continued ardor of conjunction. In the internal sense the subject here treated of is the separation of mediate good from genuine good, after the mediate good had served its use. In this sense the process of separation is fully described, but it is of such a nature that it cannot even be observed by man to have any existence; and yet to the angels it is very manifest, together with innumerable varieties; for in the man who is being regenerated, and with whom they are present as ministers, they see and perceive in this manner all the changes of his state; and according to them and by means of them from the Lord they lead him to good, in so far as the man suffers himself to be led; and because the process is of such great use in heaven, it is treated of so much at length here. Hence also it may appear what is the quality of the internal sense, namely, that it is the angelic Word.

AC 4123. A way of seven days. That this signifies the holy of truth, is evident from the signification of a "way," as being truth (n. 627, 2333) and from the signification of "seven," as being what is holy (n. 395, 433, 716, 881). Here the signification is that there was the ardor of conjunction, that is, of conjoining itself with the holy of truth.

AC 4124. And joined him in the mountain of Gilead. That this signifies somewhat of conjunction thereby, is evident from the signification of "joining," as being conjunction; and from the signification of the "mountain of Gilead," as being the good which is the first of conjunction (n. 4117). Thus by "he joined him in the mountain of Gilead" is signified somewhat of conjunction.

AC 4125. And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night. That this signifies the obscure perception of that good when left to itself, is evident from the representation of Laban, as being mediate good, as shown above, who is called "the Aramean" when separated from the good represented by Jacob (n. 4112); and from the signification of a "dream by night," as being what is obscure (n. 2514, 2528). The perception in this obscurity is signified by "God coming in a dream by night."

AC 4126. And said unto him, Take heed to thyself lest thou speak with Jacob from good even to evil. That this signifies that there was no longer any communication, is evident from the signification of "speaking from good even to evil," as being to speak good and think evil, and from this at last to speak evil and do evil; for he who thinks evil, at last speaks it and does it. He who is such is no longer conjoined with another, because it is thought and will which conjoin, but not words. In the world indeed words conjoin, but only when the hearer believes that the speaker also thinks good and wills good. But in the other life all thought is manifest, for it is communicated by a certain sphere (which is a spiritual sphere) that proceeds from the person and makes manifest of what kind of disposition (that is, of what kind of will and thought) he is; and conjunction is therefore effected in accordance with this sphere. From this it is manifest that by the words, "lest thou speak from good even to evil," is signified in the internal sense that there was no longer any communication.

AC 4127. And Laban came up with Jacob. That this signifies something of conjunction, may be seen from what is said above (n. 4124).

AC 4128. And Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain. That this signifies the state of the love in which was the good now meant by " Jacob," is evident from the signification of a "tent," as being the holy of love (n. 414, 1102, 2145, 2152, 3312); and of "pitching a tent," as being the state of that love; and from the signification of "mountain," as being good (n. 4117); here, the good now meant by "Jacob" (n. 4073).

AC 4129. And Laban pitched with his brethren in the mountain of Gilead. That this signifies the state of this good in somewhat of that conjunction, is evident from the representation of Laban, as being the good now separated from the good represented by Jacob; from the signification of "pitching," as being the state of this good (it is not said that he "pitched a tent," because the state referred to was not a state of the holy of love, except by somewhat of that conjunction); from the signification of "brethren," as being the goods with which the good signified by "Laban" had been consociated (n. 4121); and from the signification of the "mountain of Gilead," as being where there is the first and the last of conjunction (n. 4117). From this it is manifest that by "Laban pitched with his brethren in the mountain of Gilead," is signified the state of this good in somewhat of that conjunction. What further is involved in the words that have now been explained, cannot be so well set forth to the apprehension, except from the things that happen in the other life, when societies of spirits and angels are adjoined to a man by the Lord, and are separated from him; such being the process of their adjunction and separation, in accordance with the order there existing. The steps of this process have been fully described in this chapter, but as they are wholly unknown to man, to set them forth in detail would be to speak mere arcana, some of which have been already stated, where the subject treated of was the conjunction and the separation of societies with a man in the process of regeneration. Suffice it to know that the arcana of this process are here contained in the internal sense, and that they are so great and of such a nature, that they cannot be fully set forth to the apprehension even as to one thousandth part of them.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

www.BibleMeanings.info