4005. 'And he removed on that day the variegated and spotted he-goats' means that the truths of good that were interspersed among and mingled with the evils and falsities belonging to the good meant by 'Laban' were singled out. This is clear from the meaning of 'removing' as singling out; from the meaning of 'he-goats' as the truths of good, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'variegated' as those which were interspersed among and mingled with evils, also dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'spotted' as those which were interspersed among and mingled with falsities, dealt with above. 'He-goats' are mentioned here and then 'she-goats' after them because 'he-goats' means the truths of good and 'she-goats' the goods of truth. For the nature of the difference between the two, see above in 3995.

[2] In the Word a careful distinction is made between the males and the females, as is evident from the sacrifices and the burnt offerings in which it was explicitly laid down whether a male lamb was to be offered or a ewe-lamb, a she-goat or a he-goat, a sheep or a ram, and so on. From these it becomes clear that one thing was meant by a male, another by a female. In general a male means truth and a female good. Here therefore 'he-goats' is used to mean the truths of good, and 'she-goats', mentioned immediately after, to mean the forms of good which are coupled with those truths. And this difference between males and females also explains why it is said that he removed the variegated he-goats but not, as in the reference to the she-goats, the speckled ones; for 'variegated' means truth interspersed among and mingled with evils, whereas 'speckled' means good interspersed among and mingled with them, dealt with above in 3993. Truth mingled with evils belongs specifically to the understanding, but good mingled with evils specifically to the will. This is how the two differ from each other. And they come from the good meant by 'Laban', as is evident from the fact that the he-goats and the she-goats were taken from Laban's flock. For 'a flock' in the Word means good and truth, or what amounts to the same, those in whom good and truth are present, and so those who belong to the Lord's Church.

[3] This arcanum is unable to be explained any further because it cannot become clear except to a mind that has been taught about truths and goods, and at the same time has been enlightened. Indeed one has to know what the truths of good are and what the kinds of good originating in these are, as well as the fact that from the one kind of good represented here by Laban so many varying forms of it can be singled out. Nor do people who are unaware of these matters know that each kind of good includes countless forms of it, so many indeed that these can hardly be arranged into general divisions by even the most knowledgeable mind. For there are forms of good which are acquired by means of truths, truths which are born from those forms of good, and forms of good acquired in turn by means of these truths. There are truths born from forms of good, which also exist in a connected series. Then there are forms of good mingled with evils, and truths with falsities, dealt with above in 3993, the minglings and mutual modifications of which are so varying and manifold that they exceed many millions. These are also made various by all the states of life through which people pass, and these states of life in general by the time of life which those people have reached, in particular by whatever affections reign in them. From all this one can comprehend to some extent that so many varying things were able to be singled out from 'Laban' good, some of which were joined to the truths meant by the sons of Jacob, and some left behind from which others were derived. But as has been stated, these matters are of such a nature that they cannot be understood unless the mind has been taught about goods and truths and has at the same time been enlightened.