3110. 'He said, Whose daughter are you?' means further investigation concerning innocence. This is clear from the question 'whose daughter?' as an investigation, a further investigation in this case, as is evident from what has been stated already in 3088, 3101. Its being an investigation concerning innocence that is meant is clear from the meaning of 'a girl' as affection that has innocence within it, dealt with in 3067. Here, it is true, the word 'girl' is not used, but because Rebekah is called 'a girl' in verses 14 and 16 above and she is the one to whom the question is addressed here, nothing else is meant here by 'you' than the girl. As for the subject itself - namely that truth was investigated to see what innocence it held within it, and shortly after that what charity, before it was introduced into good and then joined to it - this must inevitably seem extraordinary to those who have no knowledge of the matter. However let such persons recognize that an absolutely thorough investigation occurs in everyone when truth is to be introduced into and joined to good, an investigation which is such that it goes far beyond the full extent of his belief.

[2] None but perfect truth is ever allowed to be with perfect good. When anything less than perfect truth approaches, this does not join itself to perfect good but to some variety of good that is not in itself good yet seems as if it were good. If falsity approaches, the good retires to an inward position and the falsity joins itself outwardly to some evil which it believes to be good. This Divine ordering is effected by the Lord by means of spirits and angels, and is completely hidden in this world, but fully known in the next. Anyone also of sound reason is able to know this and at least to comprehend it. For evil and falsity constitute hell and flow in from hell, whereas good and truth constitute heaven, and also flow in by way of heaven from the Lord. This being so, evil and truth can no more be joined together than hell to heaven. For this reason a more delicate balance is preserved in these matters than anyone can possibly believe. This then is what is meant by investigation.

3088. 'The servant ran to meet her, and said' means investigation by Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'running to meet her' as investigating to see whether things turned out as he declared in his heart - the internal sense dictates this; as well as from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, often dealt with already, and thus also as investigating. The reason the investigation was made by Divine Good is that here the servant is acting on behalf of his master ¹ - who was Abraham, and also Isaac. For one who has been sent assumes the identity of him who sends him, as is the case many times in the Word - such as when one reads about angels, they are first spoken of as angels, but afterwards are called Jehovah. This was so with him who appeared to Moses in the bramble bush, Exodus 3:2, 4 and following verses, and with the one who appeared to Gideon, Judges 6:11-12, 14. This also explains why Rebekah addresses him as 'my lord' in the next verse. ¹

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