3809. 'And brought him to his house' means to their being joined together. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing to the house' as taking to oneself, for in the internal sense a person himself is called 'a house', see 3128, 3242, 3538. He is so called by virtue of good, which strictly speaking is 'the house', 2233, 2331, 3652, 3720. In this case therefore a bringing to the good represented by 'Laban' is meant. That being so, 'bringing to his house' here means a joining together. This verse in the internal sense describes the whole process by which natural good meant by 'Jacob' is joined to a parallel good meant by 'Laban'. The following five phases constitute that process: Mutual acknowledgement, agreement, affection, an initial stage to a joining together, and actual joining together. Mutual acknowledgement was meant by 'Rachel ran and told her father' and by 'Laban heard the news about Jacob his sister's son', dealt with in 3804, 3805: agreement by 'Laban ran to meet him', dealt with in 3806: affection by 'Laban embraced him', dealt with in 3807: the initial stage to a joining together by 'he kissed him', dealt with in 3808: and the joining together by 'he brought him to his house', dealt with in this paragraph.

3653. From these considerations it may now be seen that these verses give a thorough description of the state of the Church when vastated as regards the goods of love and as regards the truths of faith. At the same time they urge what is to be done in those circumstances by those with whom such goods and truths are present. There are three kinds of people within the Church, namely, those who are moved by love to the Lord, those who are moved by charity towards the neighbour, and those who are moved by the affection for truth. Members of the first group - those moved by love to the Lord - are meant specifically in the injunction, Let those who are in Judea flee into the mountains. Members of the second group are those who are moved by charity towards the neighbour; and these are meant specifically in, Let him who is on the roof of the house not go down to take anything out of his house. Members of the third group are those who are moved by the affection for truth; and these are meant specifically in, Let him who is in the field not turn back to get his clothing. See what has been stated and explained already about these matters in Volume Two, in 2454, and also in the same paragraph what is meant by 'turning back' and 'looking back behind oneself'.