3949. 'And Jacob came from the field in the evening' means the good of truth in a state of good, yet also in obscurity such as envelops the natural. This is clear from the representation of 'Jacob' as the good of natural truth, dealt with in 3669, 3677, 3775, 3829; from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church as regards good, dealt with in 2971, and so as good itself; and from the meaning of 'evening' as obscurity, dealt with in 3056, 3833.

3669. 'And you will be an assembly of peoples' means abundance. This becomes clear without explanation. 'An assembly of peoples' in particular has reference to truths; for 'peoples' in the Word means those who are governed by truth, see 1259, 1260, 2928, 3581, whereas 'nations' means those who are governed by good, 1259, 1260, 1416, 1849. The reason why the phrase 'an assembly of peoples' is used here is that the subject is the good of truth, represented by 'Jacob'; for good that results from truth is one thing, good from which truth stems is another. Good which results from truth is what 'Jacob' represents here, and good from which truth stems is what 'Esau' represents. Good which results from truth is the inverse of good from which truth stems. Good which results from truth is the good that exists with those who are being regenerated before they have been made regenerate; but good from which truth stems exists with the same persons once they have become regenerate. For their state is an inverse one, see 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603.