3973. Send me away, and I will go to my place, and to my land. That this signifies that there was then a longing of the natural represented by Jacob for a state of conjunction with the Divine of the rational, is evident from the representation of Jacob, who speaks these words, as being the good of natural truth (n. 3972); from the signification of “place,” as being state (n. 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387); and from the signification of “land” here, as being the Divine of the rational; for by “my land” is meant his father Isaac and his mother Rebekah, as it was to them he desired to be sent and to go. (That “Isaac” is the Divine rational as to good, may be seen above, n. 2083, 2630, 3012, 3194, 3210; and also that “Rebekah” is Divine truth conjoined with the Divine good of the rational, n. 3012, 3013, 3077.) That a longing for conjunction is signified, is evident from the affection contained in the words.

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.