3115. 'And a place to spend the night' means that state. This is clear from the meaning of 'a place' as a state, dealt with in 2625, 2837, and from the meaning of 'spending the night' as abiding or having a resting-place, dealt with in 2330. Here therefore the state of the affection for truth, as to its origin, is meant. Its origin is described by the things represented by Bethuel, Milkah, and Nahor, and its relationships by Laban who is mentioned later on. Since the origin of that affection is obscure its state is therefore meant by 'a place to spend the night', as also above in 3111.

Since this aligns so well with the meaning of "wonder" or "marvel" as a noun, it seems safe to conclude that "wondering" or "marveling" indicates a state of being in direct contact with the Lord's power and wisdom. Used as nouns, "marvels" and "wonders" are generally synonymous with miracles, which are expressions of the Lord's power in the world. In particular, the Lord tells Moses on Mt. Sinai that he will "do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation." This means that the Lord would use the Israelitish nation to create His Word, as contained in the Bible, and that the Word would be a spiritual document -- a marvel -- that will contain everything of the Lord. Overall, then, a wonder or marvel is something that brings us into contact with the Lord and His divine power. So what does this mean concerning "wondering" or "marveling" as verbs? There are just a few references to this in the Works of Swedenborg, most notably when Abraham's servant observes Rebekah at the well in Genesis 24:21, and "wonders" at the fact that she is performing all the signs that he had prayed for. This represents a state of perception -- an openness to the truth flowing in directly from the Lord.