4111. And Rachel stole the teraphim which were her father’s. That this signifies a change of the state signified by “Laban” in respect to truth, is evident from the signification here of “stealing” as being to take away what is dear and holy, thus to change the state; from the signification of the “teraphim,” as being truths (concerning which below); and from the signification of “father,” here Laban, as being the good signified by him (concerning which above); “father” also signifies good (n. 3703). From all this it is evident that by “Rachel stole the teraphim which were her father’s,” is signified a change of the state signified by “Laban” in respect to truth.

[2] What these things involve may also be seen from the state of spirits when they are being separated. The states of spirits in respect to good and truth are in accordance with the societies in which they are; for as before shown all thought inflows through others, and proximately through those with whom the subjects of the thought are in society; and therefore when these are removed from one society and are sent into another, the states of their thoughts and affections are changed, and consequently their state as to truth and good. But if they are sent into unaccordant societies, they have a sense of discomfort, and consequently a sense of restraint, and therefore they are separated from those societies and are carried away into accordant ones. It is for this reason that the evil cannot be present or stay in societies of the good, nor the good in societies of the evil; and that all spirits and angels have been distinguished into societies in accordance with the affections which are of love. But every affection of love contains within it manifold and various things (n. 3078, 3189, 4005); and yet one thing is regnant, so that each spirit can be in a number of societies, but still strives continually toward that one which is of his reigning affection, and is at last brought into it.

[3] As regards the good signified by “Laban,” and its change of state, so long as it was with the good represented by Jacob, it was nearer the Divine, for “Jacob” is that good in the natural; and as it was nearer the Divine, it was also then in a more perfect state of truth and good; but when it was separated from this good, it came into another state both as to truth and as to good. For speaking generally, the changes of state in the other life are nothing else than approaches to the Divine and removals from the Divine. From this it is now manifest what is meant by the change of state when the good signified by “Laban” was being separated.

[4] That “Rachel stole the teraphim which were her father’s,” signifies a change of state as to truths, is because by the “teraphim” are meant his gods, as is evident from what follows, for Laban says to Jacob:

Wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? And Jacob answered, With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, he shall not live before our brethren (Genesis 31:30, 32);

and in the internal sense “gods” signify truths, for which reason in the Word “God” is named when the subject is truth (see n. 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822).

[5] The teraphim were idols that were used when they consulted or inquired of God, and because the answers which they received were to them truths Divine, truths were therefore signified by “teraphim,” as in Hosea:

The sons of Israel sat many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without ephod and teraphim (Hos. 3:4);

“ephod and teraphim” denote the truths Divine they received by the answers, for when they inquired of God, they put on the ephod (1 Samuel 23:9-12).

In Zechariah:

The teraphim speak iniquity, and the diviners see a lie, and the dreams speak vanity (Zech. 10:2); where also the “teraphim” denote answers, but in that state iniquitous ones.

[6] And because such things were signified by “teraphim,” they were found with some, although they were forbidden; as with Micah, in the book of Judges:

Micah had a house of God, and he made an ephod and teraphim, and filled the hand of one of his sons, that he might become his priest. And some of the Danites said to their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod and teraphim, and a graven image and a molten image? And when these went into the house of Micah, they took the graven image, the ephod and the teraphim, and the molten image. And the priest’s heart was good, and he took the ephod and the teraphim and the graven image. And Micah followed the sons of Dan, and said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and are gone away, and what have I more? (Judg. 17:5; 18:14, 18, 20, 24).

Michal also, David’s wife, had them, as related in the first book of Samuel:

And Michal took the teraphim, and laid them in the bed, and covered them with a garment. And Saul’s messengers came, and behold, the teraphim were in the bed (1 Samuel 19:13, 16).

That nevertheless they were idols, which were forbidden, is manifest from what is said of them elsewhere (1 Samuel 15:23; 2 Kings 23:24; Ezekiel 21:26).

3690. And Jacob went out from Beersheba. That this signifies life more remote from Divine doctrinal things, is evident from the signification of “going,” as being to live (see n. 3335, 3685); thus “going out” signifies living more remotely; and from the signification of “Beersheba” as being Divine doctrine (see n. 2723, 2858, 2859, 3466); hence it is evident that by “Jacob went out from Beersheba” is signified life more remote from Divine doctrinal things. Life is said to be more remote when it is in external truths, and is lived according to them, as is the life of the infancy and childhood of those who are being regenerated (concerning whom see above, n. 3688).

[2] In order to show further what this life is, and what its quality, it may be expedient to add a few words. All the histories of the Word are truths more remote from essential Divine doctrinal things, but still are of service to little children and older children, in order that thereby they may be by degrees introduced into the interior doctrinal matters of truth and good; and at last to Divine things themselves; for within them, in their inmost, is the Divine. While children are reading them and are affected by them from innocence, the angels who are with them are in a happy celestial state, being affected from the Lord with the internal sense, consequently with those things which the historical facts represent and signify; and it is the celestial happiness of the angels that flows in and causes the delight with the children. In order that this first state may exist, that is, the first state of infancy and childhood of those to be regenerated, the histories of the Word were given, and were so written that all things therein both in general and in particular contain within them things Divine.

[3] How far removed these historical matters are from Divine doctrinal things can be seen from the following example from them. When anyone first knows only that God descended on Mount Sinai, and gave tables to Moses, on which were written the Ten Commandments, and that Moses broke those tables, and that God wrote like commandments on other tables; while delighted solely with this history, he is in the life of external truth remote from Divine doctrinal things; but afterwards when he begins to be delighted and affected with the commandments or precepts themselves therein contained, and lives according to them, he is then in the life of truth, yet still remote from the Divine doctrinal things themselves. For a life according to the commandments is only a moral life, the precepts whereof are known to all who live in human society, from civil life itself and the laws thereof-as that the Deity is to be worshiped, and parents honored; and that murder, adultery, and theft must not be committed.

[4] But he who is being regenerated is led by degrees from this more remote life (that is, moral life), into a life nearer to Divine doctrinal things; that is, into spiritual life. When this comes to pass the man begins to wonder why such commandments or precepts were sent down from heaven in so miraculous a manner, and written on tables by the finger of God, when yet they are known to every people, and are also written in the laws of those who have never heard anything from the Word. If when he comes into this state of thought he is among those who are capable of being regenerated, he is brought by the Lord into a still more interior state, namely, into a state of thinking that deeper things lie concealed therein, with which as yet he is unacquainted; and when he reads the Word in this state, he finds everywhere in the Prophets, and especially in the Evangelists, that each one of these precepts contains within it things still more heavenly.

[5] For example, in respect to the honoring of parents, he now sees that when men are born anew, that is, when being regenerated, they receive another Father, and then become His sons, and that it is He who is to be honored; thus that this is the sense that lies hidden within this precept. And by degrees he learns that this new Father is the Lord; and at last that He is to be honored by being worshiped, and that He is worshiped when He is loved. When one who is being regenerated is in this truth, and in a life according to it, he is in Divine doctrine, and is then in an angelic state, and from this state looks at the things he before knew as following on in order, and as flowing from the Divine as it were according to the steps of a ladder, above which is Jehovah or the Lord; and on the steps whereof are His angels ascending and descending; thus he sees the things with which he had previously been delighted as more remote from him according to degrees. The case is the same with the other precepts of the Decalogue (see n. 2609). From this it is now evident what is meant by a life more remote from Divine doctrinal things, which is here signified by “Jacob went out from Beersheba.”