3189. And her damsels. That this signifies the subservient affections, is evident from the signification of “damsel,” when Rebekah was so called, as being an affection in which is innocence (see n. 3067, 3110); but when they are so called who followed Rebekah to serve her, they signify subservient affections. Every affection appears as something simple, or as one thing; but that it contains things innumerable, may be seen above (n. 3078); all things which are therein are affections, consociated in an incomprehensible form; they are also mutually subordinate to one another, for there are some which administer, and some which serve. The societies of heaven are in such a form, nay, so is the whole heaven, being arranged in order by the Lord according to the Divine form which is in Himself. The form of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom comes forth in accordance with the orderly arrangement of the affections in His Divine Human, which orderly arrangement is treated of in the internal sense of this chapter and the following one. But there are very few things herein which can be unfolded to the apprehension, they being adapted to the perception of angels.

3078. Who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. That this signifies all the origin of this affection, is evident from the representation of Bethuel, and also of Milcah, and of Nahor, and of Abraham. What each represents specifically cannot be set forth and presented to the apprehension, for the reason that the first affection of truth did indeed derive its origin from the Divine things acquired by the Lord in the natural man (n. 3019), but still things from the mother were there, which could not be separated in a moment, and the affection was from them also. The quality of this affection in its origin is described in the internal sense by the words, “born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother.”

[2] Every affection, although it appears simple and as one thing, nevertheless contains within it things so innumerable that it cannot be comprehended by any idea, still less be described; for in every affection there is the man’s whole life that has been acquired from his infancy even to the time of life when he is in the affection; nay, there are other things besides, namely, those which he has inherited from father and mother, grandparents and great-grandparents; for the affection is the whole man such as he is. In the other life, by a manifestation of the affection there is sometimes presented to view how much there is in anyone of the love of self, and how much of the love of the world; and how much of the love of principles, and for what end and use; also how much of the love of good and truth, and what is the quality of that good and truth, and also how the good and truth are disposed, that is, how far conjoined, approximating, or separate; thus how much they agree or disagree with heavenly order. As just stated, all these things are presented to view by a manifestation of the affection, because the affection is the whole man. That such is the case appears incredible to man, and yet it is true.