4206. 'May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge between us' means the Divine flowing into both, that is to say, into the good existing with those inside the Church, and into the good with those outside it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the God of Abraham' as the Lord's Divine regarding those inside the Church, and from the meaning of 'the God of Nahor' as the Lord's Divine regarding those outside the Church; and from this it is evident that these two expressions mean the Divine flowing into both kinds of good. The reasons why 'the God of Abraham' means the Lord's Divine regarding those inside the Church is that 'Abraham' represents the Lord's Divine, and consequently that which comes directly from the Lord, 3245, 3778. Those therefore who are inside the Church are meant in particular by 'Abraham's children', John 8:39. And the reason why 'the God of Nahor' means the Lord's Divine regarding those outside the Church is that 'Nahor' represents the Church consisting of gentiles, and 'his children' those among them who dwell in a brotherly relationship with one another, 2863, 2864, 2868, 3052, 3778. So also at this point, 'Laban' who was Nahor's son represents good that is 'out of line', such as gentiles receive from the Lord.

[2] The reason why such variations involving the Lord are represented is not that those variations exist within the Lord but that His Divine is received variously by men. It is like the life present in man. This life flows into and activates the various sensory and motor organs of the body, and the various members and viscera. At every point variety presents itself, for the eye sees in one way, the ear hears in another, and the tongue discerns in yet another; also the arm and hand have one kind of movement, the lower limbs and feet another; then again the lungs act in one way, the heart in another; also the liver in one way, the stomach in another; and so on. Yet it is one single life that activates them all so variously; not that the life itself acts in different ways but because it is received in different ways. Indeed it is the form that each organ takes that determines how it acts.

593. 'Whom I have created from upon the face ¹ of the ground' means mankind among the descendants of the Most Ancient Church. This is clear not only from the use of the word 'created' in the phrase 'man whom He created', that is, whom He regenerated, and subsequently from the use of the word 'made' in the phrase 'whom He made', that is, whom He perfected or regenerated to the point of his becoming celestial; but also from the use of the expression 'from upon the face ¹ of the ground'. The ground is where the Church is, as shown already. It is additionally clear from the fact that the subject is the people who immersed doctrinal matters concerning faith in their own evil desires. Those however who had no doctrine of faith were unable to act in this fashion. For people outside of the Church have no knowledge of truth and good, and those who do not have that knowledge can have a type of innocence even when they say or do something that is contrary to the truths and goods of faith. For they can be inspired with zeal for the system of worship which they have been brought up in since early childhood, and which they therefore suppose to be true and good. But in the case of people who do possess a doctrine of faith the matter is altogether different, for they are capable of mixing truths with falsities, and sacred things with profane. For this reason their lot in the next life is far worse than that of those called gentiles, who in the Lord's Divine mercy will be considered later on.

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