2460. And dwelt in the mountain. That this signifies that they then betook themselves to a kind of good, is evident from the signification of a “mountain,” as being love in every sense, namely, celestial and spiritual love (n. 795, 1430); and also the love of self and of the world (n. 1691); and this because most things in the Word have also an opposite sense. And as all good is of some love, by the “mountain” is here signified good; but what kind of good is described in what follows, namely, that it was obscure, and became impure; for it is presently said that he “dwelt in a cave,” and afterwards that profane things took place there.

1430. When he went forth out of Haran. That this signifies an obscure state of the Lord, like that of man’s childhood, is evident from the signification of “Haran” in the preceding chapter, whither Terah first came with Abram, and where Terah the father of Abram died,(Genesis 11:31-32); and also from what follows, in that Jacob went to Haran, where Laban dwelt (Genesis 27:43; 28:10; 29:4). Haran was a region where worship was external; and indeed, as regards Terah, Abram, and Laban, it was idolatrous; yet in the internal sense the same is not signified as in the external, but only something that is obscure. When from the external sense we pass to the internal the idea of idolatry does not remain, but is wiped away, just as the idea of holy love arises from the mention of a mountain (see n. 795 passing from the external sense to the internal, the idea of a mountain first perishes, and there remains the idea of height, and by height is represented holiness. So in all other cases.