3612. 'Flee to Laban my brother, to Haran' means in the direction of the affection for external or bodily good. This is clear from the representation of 'Laban' as the affection for good in the natural man, dealt with in 3129, 3130, 3160, and from the meaning of 'Haran' as that which is external and therefore obscure in comparison with other things, dealt with in 1430. But what precisely 'Laban' and 'Haran' mean here becomes clear from what appears further on where Laban and Haran are mentioned; that is to say, a parallel good that springs from a common stock is meant. Indeed goods and truths are interrelated as parents, brothers, blood relatives, and relatives by marriage are in families, 685, 917, 2508, 2524, 2556, 2739. But these matters are completely concealed from anyone in whom the life of good is not present. He does not even know what good is, nor consequently what truth is. If he first knew these - that is to say, knew from doctrine coupled to life, or from life coupled to doctrine - he would know and discern countless things concerning good and truth, gradually knowing them more and more distinctly. He would eventually come to know and discern their various links and relationships to each other and at length their close ties to each other within their lines of descent, and again in each close relationship countless more things He would in the end accordingly know and discern heaven and the form it takes, that is, its beauty and happiness.

2729. The derivation of genuine conjugial love from good married to truth may also be evident from the fact that it cannot exist with anyone unless good united to truth and truth to good from the Lord are present in him. That derivation may also be evident from the fact that heavenly blessedness and happiness reside in that love, and that everyone in whom that love exists comes into heaven, that is, into the heavenly marriage. It is also evident from the fact that when angels are talking about the union of good and truth, that which is a representative of marriage presents itself in a lower sphere among good spirits, but that which is a representative of adultery presents itself among evil spirits. This explains why in the Word the union of good and truth is called a marriage, but the adulteration of good and the falsification of truth is called adultery and whoredom, see 2466.