4125. 'And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night' means the obscure perception of that good when left to itself. This is clear from the representation of 'Laban' as intermediate good, dealt with already, also called 'the Aramean' when separated from the good represented by 'Jacob', 4112; and from the meaning of 'a dream by night' as obscurity, dealt with in 2514, 2528. Perception within that obscurity is the meaning of the statement 'God came in a dream by night'.

2528. 'God said to him in the dream' means a perception that was less obscure. This is clear from what has been stated and explained above in 2514. The reason why in this chapter the name 'God' is used but not 'Jehovah', except in the last verse, is that spiritual matters, that is, matters of doctrine concerning faith, are the subject. For when spiritual matters are referred to, the name 'God' is used, but when celestial matters, that is, love and charity, are dealt with, the name Jehovah' is used, see 709, 732, 2001.