4020. And the flocks brought forth party-colored, speckled, and spotted. That this signifies that thereby natural good had such things from the mediate good signified by “Laban,” is evident from the signification of “bringing forth,” as being acknowledgment and conjunction (see n. 3911, 3915); from the signification of “party-colored,” as being the truths with which evils are mingled (n. 4005); from the signification of “speckled,” as being the goods with which evils are mingled; and from the signification of “spotted,” as being the truths with which falsities are mingled (concerning which, n. 3993, 3995, 4005). Such are the things here signified, and which coming from the good signified by “Laban” accrued to the good of natural truth represented by Jacob.

3908. And if not, I am dead. That this signifies that thus there would be no rising again, is evident from the signification of “dying,” as being not to rise again into life. In ancient times wives called themselves “dead” when they did not bring forth a son or a daughter; and they also believed themselves to be so, because no memory of them, or as it were no life, would be left to posterity. Their so calling and believing themselves was indeed for worldly causes; but as every cause comes forth from a cause prior to itself, and thus everything of cause in the natural world from a cause in the spiritual world, so also does this. The cause in the spiritual world was the heavenly marriage of good and truth, in which there are no other births than truths of faith and goods of charity. These there are “sons and daughters,” and are also signified by “sons and daughters” in the Word. Whoever has not these births, that is, truths of faith and goods of charity, is as it were dead, that is, is among the dead who do not rise again to life or heaven. From this we may see what is signified by these words of Rachel: “If not, I am dead.”