7983. 'And the dwelling of the children of Israel, when they dwelt in Egypt' means the duration of the molestations. This is clear from the meaning of 'the dwelling' as a state of life, dealt with in 1293, 3384, 3613, 4451, 6051, at this point a state consisting of molestations, this being the state of life which is the subject at present and which is meant by the number 'four hundred and thirty', to which the words under consideration refer.

3613. 'And stay with him for a few days' means in that which was subsequent. This is clear from the meaning of 'staying' as being similar to dwelling, and so as living, dealt with in 1293, 2268, 2451, 2712, 3384 - though 'staying' has reference to the life of truth when accompanied by good, and 'dwelling' to the life of good when accompanied by truth; and from the meaning of 'days' as periods of time and states, dealt with in 23, 487, 488, 493, 2788, 3462. So it is the life belonging to periods of time and states that follow, to what is subsequent therefore, that is meant here by staying with him for a few days. This subsequent stage, or Jacob's staying with Laban, is dealt with in the chapters that follow.