3825. 'And Laban said, It is better for me to give her to you than for me to give her to another man; remain with me' means the means by which interior truth is joined to that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the reward', of which the words in this reply are a definite promise, as the means by which the two are joined together, dealt with in 3816 - Rachel, to whom 'her' refers here, representing interior truth, and Jacob, to whom 'you' refers, representing good, as shown already. As regards the joining of the good represented by 'Jacob' to the good represented by 'Laban' through interior truth represented by 'Rachel', this is an arcanum which cannot be described easily and intelligibly. A clear mental image of both kinds of good, and also of the affection for interior truth, must be gained first. Furthermore the understanding of any subject is dependent on the ideas about it. No understanding exists if there is no idea at all about it; an obscure understanding if the idea is obscure; a perverted understanding if the idea is perverted; and a clear understanding if the idea is clear. The understanding is also dependent on the affections which cause the idea, even if clear, to be varied.

[2] Let it be stated briefly that with everyone who is being regenerated the good of his natural, like that represented here by 'Jacob', is first of all joined to good like that represented here by 'Laban', through the affection for interior truth, which is represented here by 'Rachel', and subsequently together with the good of the rational and its truth, which are 'Isaac and Rebekah'. By means of that initial conjunction a person is in a right state for receiving internal or spiritual truths, which are the means by which the natural is joined to the rational, that is, the external man to the internal.