3979. 'Laban said to him' means perception from the good meant by Laban. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with in 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509, and from the representation of 'Laban' as a parallel good from the Divine, dealt with in 3612, 3665, 3778. The reason why it is perception from this good that is meant by 'Laban said to him' is that in the Word persons mean nothing else than spiritual realities. In the highest sense Divine things present in the Lord are meant, in the internal sense the kind of things present in man which are discussed here, so that two persons are used to mean two things present in the same individual.

1898. That 'Sarai said to Abram' means that it was so perceived by Him is clear from the meaning of 'Sarai' and of 'Abram', that is to say, 'Sarai' is truth allied to good, while 'Abram' is the Internal Man. Consequently the phrase 'Sarai said to Abram' cannot in the internal sense mean any talking of one to another, but perception. At that time the Lord's perception came from truth allied to the good which served to dictate to Him what the situation was. Something similar occurs with the celestial man who receives perception, in that there is something of truth allied to good which dictates, and later on good from which, or through which, truth is perceived. 'Saying' in the internal sense means perceiving, see 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822.