3613. 'And stay with him for a few days' means in that which was subsequent. This is clear from the meaning of 'staying' as being similar to dwelling, and so as living, dealt with in 1293, 2268, 2451, 2712, 3384 - though 'staying' has reference to the life of truth when accompanied by good, and 'dwelling' to the life of good when accompanied by truth; and from the meaning of 'days' as periods of time and states, dealt with in 23, 487, 488, 493, 2788, 3462. So it is the life belonging to periods of time and states that follow, to what is subsequent therefore, that is meant here by staying with him for a few days. This subsequent stage, or Jacob's staying with Laban, is dealt with in the chapters that follow.

1293. 'And they dwelt there' means the life that resulted. This becomes clear from the meaning in the Word of 'dwelling' as living. The expression to dwell occurs many times in both the prophetical and the historical sections of the Word, and in the internal sense it as a rule means to live. The reason is that the most ancient people dwelt in tents and celebrated their most holy worship in them, and this also is why 'tents' in the Word means the holiness of worship, as shown in 414. And since 'tents' meant the holiness within worship, 'dwelling' in a good sense also means living, or life. In a similar way it is because the most ancient people travelled around with their tents that 'travelling' in the internal sense of the Word means the established patterns and order of life.