. And Laban answered and said unto Jacob. That this signifies an obscure state of perception, is evident from the signification of "answering and saying," as being perception. In the historic parts of the Word "to say" denotes to perceive, (n. 1898, 1919, 2080, 2862, 3395, 3509). That the state of perception is obscure is evident from what Laban says, namely, that the daughters, the sons, and the flock were his, whereas they were not his; and from the internal sense, that the mediate good claimed all goods and truths as its own. As regards these things said by Laban, (n. 3974, 4113).
. The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock. That this signifies that all the affections of truth, and all the truths and goods, were its own, is evident from the signification of "daughters," here Rachel and Leah, as being the affections of truth (n. 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819); from the signification of "sons," as being truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 3373); and from the signification of "flock," as being goods (n. 343, 1565, 2566). That it claimed them for itself as if they were its own, is manifest, for Laban said, "the daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock."
. And all that thou seest is mine. That this signifies that so was all the perceptive and intellectual faculty, is evident from the signification of "seeing," as being to perceive and understand (n. 2150, 3863), thus that all the perceptive and intellectual faculty of truth and good belonged to it. How the case herein is has already been stated, and has been illustrated by what takes place in the other life, namely, that when spirits, especially those of a mediate kind, are in an angelic society, they do not then know otherwise than that the affections of good and truth which flow into them from the society are theirs, such being the communication of affections and thoughts in the other life; and in proportion as they are conjoined with that society, so do they think. When these same spirits are separated from the society, they are indignant; and when they come into this state of indignation, they also come into an obscure state (n. 4184); and in this state having no interior perception, they claim for themselves the goods and truths which belong to the angelic society, and which they had by the communication above mentioned. It is this state which is described in this verse. Moreover by much experience it has been given me to know how the affections of good and truth are communicated to others. Spirits of this kind have sometimes been with me, and when conjoined by somewhat of affection, they knew no otherwise than that my thoughts and affections were theirs. And I was informed that the like takes place with all men; for every man has spirits with him, who as soon as they come to him and enter into his affections, know no otherwise than that all things which are the man‘s (that is, all things of his affection and thought) are theirs. In this way spirits are conjoined with a man, and through them he is ruled by the Lord (n. 2488); concerning which facts something shall be stated from experience hereafter, at the end of the chapters.
. And what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their sons which they have born? That this signifies that it did not dare to claim them for itself, is evident from the signification of "daughters," as being the affections of truth; and of "sons," as being truths (n. 4185). That its not daring to claim them for itself is signified by "what can I do this day unto them?" is manifest from what precedes, namely, that God said to him in a dream, "Take heed to thyself lest thou speak with Jacob from good even to evil" (verse 24).
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