4105. And he carried away all his acquisition, and all his substance which he had gathered. That this signifies the separation of the truth and good derived from what was Laban’s, is evident from the signification of “carrying away,” as being to separate; from the signification of “acquisition,” as being truth; and from the signification of “substance,” as being good. “Which he had gathered,” has regard to Laban and his flock, by means of which they had been procured. The reason why “acquisition” denotes truth, and “substance” good, is that in the original language “acquisition” is a word which also signifies cattle in general, and by “cattle” specifically are signified truths, when by “flocks” are signified goods; and by “substance” is signified the resources from which all these are procured. For when two things of nearly similar signification are mentioned in the Word, the one is predicated of truth, and the other of good, on account of the heavenly marriage of truth and good in every particular of the Word (see n. 683, 793, 801, 2173, 2516, 2712).

2173. That “Sarah” is here the Lord as to truth, is evident from the representation of Sarah, as being intellectual truth adjoined to good; here, as being rational truth, for the same reason as just now stated in regard to Abraham. (That Sarah represents truth may be seen above, n. 1468, 1901, 2063, 2065). In the historicals of the Word good and truth cannot be represented otherwise than by a marriage, for this is really the case with them, for there is a Divine marriage between things celestial and spiritual, or what is the same, between those which are of love and those which are of faith, or again what is the same, between those of the will and those of the understanding. The former are of good, the latter are of truth. There is such a marriage in the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens; such also in the Lord’s kingdom on the earth (that is, in the church); such a marriage in every man, in every single thing of him, nay, in the veriest singulars of all. That which is not in such a marriage does not live. Nay, from that Divine marriage there is such a marriage in universal nature, and in every particular of it, but under other form and appearance, otherwise nothing whatever would there subsist. Because there is such marriage in everything, therefore with the Prophets every matter is expressed in a twofold manner, especially in Isaiah-one expression referring to what is celestial, or to good, and the other to what is spiritual, or to truth (see n. 683, 793, 801). That in everything there is a resemblance of a marriage, may be seen above (n. 718, 747, 917, 1432). Hence it is that the Lord’s good is represented by Abraham, and His truth by Sarah.