3600. 'Behold, of the fatness of the land will be your dwelling-place' means life received from Divine Good; 'and of the dew of heaven from above' means from Divine Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'fatness' as good, dealt with in 353, in this case Divine Good since it is used in regard to the Lord; from the meaning of 'dwelling-place' as life, dealt with in 1293, 3384, for 'dwelling-place' has reference to good, 2268, 2451, 2712; and from the meaning of 'the dew of heaven' as truth coming from good which is the product of a state of peace and innocence, dealt with above in 3579, in this case Divine Truth since it is used in regard to the Lord. Similar things had been told to Jacob, that is to say, 'God will give to you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the land', in verse 28 above. There however 'the dew', and so truth, is mentioned first, and 'the fatness of the land', and so good, second Jacob was also told that 'God would give of' these things to him. Here however Esau is first told about 'the fatness of the land', and so about good, and secondly about 'the dew of heaven', and so about truth. He is not told however that 'God would give of' these, but that 'of them would his dwelling-place be'. From this it is also evident that 'Jacob' represents truth and 'Esau' good, and also that truth apparently occupies the prior position at first, which is a reversal of order, as accords with what has been shown many times already.

2268. 'Will You for five destroy the whole city?' means, Will mankind perish for the small amount that is lacking? This is clear from the meaning of 'five' as small, referred to immediately above, and from the meaning of 'a city' as truth, also dealt with already. The human mind as regards truths is in the Word compared to and also called 'a city', and as regards the goods that are present within truths is there compared to and also called 'the inhabitants'. For a similarity indeed exists, in that if the truths in a person's two memories ¹ and in the thoughts of his mind are devoid of goods, they are like a city that has no residents and so is vacant and empty. Indeed it can also be said of angels that they dwell so to speak in a person's truths and implant affections for good from the Lord when that person leads a life abiding in love to the Lord and in charity towards the neighbour, for they are delighted so to dwell, that is, to live, with such persons. It is different in the case of those with whom some truths exist but no goods that flow from charity.

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