3979. 'Laban said to him' means perception from the good meant by Laban. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perception, dealt with in 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3395, 3509, and from the representation of 'Laban' as a parallel good from the Divine, dealt with in 3612, 3665, 3778. The reason why it is perception from this good that is meant by 'Laban said to him' is that in the Word persons mean nothing else than spiritual realities. In the highest sense Divine things present in the Lord are meant, in the internal sense the kind of things present in man which are discussed here, so that two persons are used to mean two things present in the same individual.

2862. 'That it was pointed out to Abraham, saying' means the Lord's perception. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'being pointed out' as thought and reflection, and of 'saying' as perceiving, often dealt with already. The Lord's reflection and perception, dealt with in the internal sense of the Word, cannot be expressed in any other way in historical narratives than as 'being pointed out' and 'laying'. Furthermore reflection and perception in itself is an internal pointing out and saying.