3778.“他对他们说，拿鹤的孙子拉班，你们认识吗”表他们拥有这个家族的良善吗？这从“拉班”和“拿鹤”的代表清楚可知：“拉班”是指源于一个共同家族的旁系良善（参看3612，3665节）；“拿鹤”是指拉班代表的良善所源自的那个共同家族；“认识”在内义上表示来自那个来源，这从整个思路明显看出来。有必要简要阐述通过拿鹤、彼土利和拉班来代表旁系良善的情况。这三个儿子，即亚伯兰、拿鹤和哈兰（创世记11:27）的父亲他拉代表众教会所源自的那个共同家族。他拉本人其实是个偶像崇拜者，但代表并不关注这个人，而是关注他所代表的事物（1361节）。由于代表性的犹太教会始于亚伯拉罕，在雅各的子孙后代当中重新建立，故他拉和他儿子就成了众教会的代表。亚伯兰代表纯正教会，就是诸如存在于那些拥有圣言之人当中的教会；他兄弟拿鹤则代表诸如存在于没有圣言的外邦人当中的教会。主的教会遍布全世界，也存在于过着仁爱生活的外邦人当中，这一点从各处关于外邦人的说明清楚可知。
这就是为何拿鹤、他儿子彼土利和彼土利的儿子拉班代表源自一个共同家族的旁系良善，也就是诸如属于主在外邦人当中的教会之人所具有的那种良善。该良善不同于来自这共同家族的直系良善，因为与其良善结合的真理并不纯正。相反，他们绝大部分人具有被称作感官幻觉的外在表象，因为这些外邦人没有圣言，无法从圣言接受光明。实际上，良善本质上是一个单一实体，但它从植入在它里面的真理获得自己的品质，并由此变得多样化。被外邦人视为真理的真理通常是以下观念：他们要敬拜某位神，他们通过这神寻求自己的好处，并将这好处归给他们的神，并且只要活在这个世上，他们就知道这神就是主；还有，他们要以他们奉为神圣的形像来崇拜他们的神等等。尽管如此，只要他们生活在对他们神的爱和对邻之爱中，这些观念并不妨碍他们和基督徒一样得救。因为通过这种生活，他们在来世就拥有接受内层真理的能力（参看932，1032，1059，2049，2051，2284，2589-2604，2861，2863，3263节）。这一切表明此处源自一个共同家族的旁系良善是什么意思。因为拿鹤代表那些在教会外凭良善具有兄弟情谊的人（2863，2866，2868节）；彼土利代表第一类外邦人的良善（2865，3665节）；拉班代表对外在或肉体良善的情感，严格来说，代表源自一个共同家族的旁系良善（3612，3665节）。
至于这种良善，情况是这样：首先，它作为获得属灵良善的工具而服务于人，因为它是外在和肉体的，源于本身为感官幻觉的外在表象。人在孩童时期只承认这些为真理与良善，尽管他被教导何为内在良善与真理，但他仍对它们没有其它概念，只有肉体概念。由于这就是他的最初概念，所以这类良善与真理就是内层真理与良善得以引入所凭借的初始工具。这就是此处雅各和拉班所代表的奥秘。
Potts(1905-1910) 3778
3778. And he said unto them, Know ye Laban, the son of Nahor? That this signifies, Have they the good of this stock? is evident from the representation of Laban, as being the collateral good of a common stock (see n. 3612, 3665); and from the representation of Nahor, as being that common stock from which is the good represented by Laban; that "to know," in the internal sense signifies to be therefrom, is manifest from the series. How the case is with the representation of collateral good by Nahor, Bethuel, and Laban, shall be briefly stated. Terah, who was the father of three sons-Abram, Nahor, and Haran (Gen. 11:27), represents the common stock from which come churches. Terah himself was indeed an idolater, but representatives do not regard the person but the thing (n. 1361). And because the representative Jewish Church commenced in Abraham, and was renewed among his descendants from Jacob, therefore Terah and his three sons put on the representation of churches-Abram the representation of a genuine church, such as exists with those who have the Word; but Nahor his brother the representation of a church such as exists among the Gentiles who have not the Word. That the Lord's church is scattered throughout the universal earth, and that it exists among those Gentiles also who live in charity, is manifest from what has been shown here and there concerning the Gentiles. [2] This therefore is the reason why by Nahor, his son Bethuel, and Bethuel's son Laban, there is represented the collateral good of a common stock, that is, the good in which they are who are of the Lord's church among the Gentiles. This good differs from the good of a common stock in the direct line of descent, in this respect-that the truths which are conjoined with their good are not genuine, but most of them are external appearances which are called fallacies of the senses; for these Gentiles have not the Word whereby they can be enlightened. In its essence indeed good is only one, but it receives its quality from the truths implanted in it, and thereby becomes various. The truths that to the Gentiles appear as truths are in general that they should worship some God from whom they seek their good and to whom they attribute it, and so long as they live in the world they do not know that this God is the Lord; also that they should adore their God under images, which they account holy; besides many other things. Nevertheless these things are no hindrance to their being saved equally with Christians, provided they live in love to their God and in love toward the neighbor; for thus in the other life they have a capacity to receive interior truths (see n. 932, 1032, 1059, 2049, 2051, 2284, 2589-2604, 2861, 2863, 3263). This shows what is here meant by the collateral good of a common stock. That by Nahor are represented those out of the church who are in brotherhood by virtue of good, may be seen above (n. 2863, 2866, 2868); that by Bethuel is represented the good of the Gentiles of the first class (n. 2865, 3665); and by Laban the affection of external or corporeal good, and properly the collateral good of a common stock (n. 3612, 3665). [3] With this good the case is that first of all it serves man as a means of procuring for himself spiritual good, for it is external corporeal, and is grounded in external appearances which in themselves are fallacies of the senses. In childhood man acknowledges nothing else as truth and good, and although he is taught what internal good and truth are, still he has no other idea concerning them than a corporeal one; and because such is the first idea, therefore such good and truth are the first means by which interior truths and goods are introduced. This is the arcanum which is here represented by Jacob and Laban.
Elliott(1983-1999) 3778
3778. 'And he said to them, Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?' means, Did they possess good from that stock? This is clear from the representation of 'Laban' as a parallel good springing from a common stock, dealt with in 3612, 3665, and from the representation of 'Nahor' as that common stock from which the good meant by 'Laban' springs - 'knowing' meaning, in the internal sense, from that source, as is evident from the train of thought. Let a brief statement be made about the representation of a parallel good by means of Nahor, Bethuel, and Laban. Terah who was the father of three sons - Abram, Nahor, and Haran, Gen 11:27 - represents the common stock from which the Churches sprang. Terah himself was in fact an idolater, but representatives have no regard to the person, only to the actual subject represented by him, see 1361. And since the Jewish representative Church had its beginnings in Abraham and was re-established among his descendants from Jacob, Terah and his three sons take on the representation of Churches. Abram takes on the representation of the genuine Church as it exists among those who possess the Word, while Nahor his brother takes on that of the Church as it exists among gentiles who do not possess the Word. The Lord's Church is spread throughout the whole world, existing also among gentiles who lead charitable lives, as is evident from what has been shown in various places regarding the gentiles.
[2] This then is why Nahor, his son Bethuel, and Bethuel's son Laban represent a parallel good that springs from a common stock, that is, the good which exists with people who belong to the Lord's Church among the gentiles. This good differs from good coming in a direct line from the common stock, in that those gentiles do not have genuine truths which are joined to their good. Instead they have for the most part external appearances which are called illusions of the senses, for they do not possess the Word from which they may receive light. Actually good is in essence a single entity, but it acquires a specific character from the truths implanted in it and in this way is made various. The truths that are seen by gentiles as truths are in general the idea that they should worship some God from whom they seek their own good and to whom they attribute it - though they do not know so long as they live in this world that that God is the Lord; also the idea that they should adore their God under images which they hold sacred; besides many other ideas. But these ideas do not make it any less possible for them to be saved than for Christians, provided that they lead lives in which love to their God and love towards the neighbour are present. For by leading such lives they have the ability to receive interior truths in the next life, see 932, 1032, 1059, 2049, 2051, 2284, 2589-2604, 2861, 2863, 3263. This shows what is meant by a parallel good that springs from a common stock. For Nahor represents those outside the Church who by virtue of good are bound together as brethren, see 2863, 2864, 2868; Bethuel represents good as it exists with those who make up a first group of gentiles, 2865, 3665; and Laban represents the affection for external or bodily good, strictly speaking a parallel good springing from a common stock, 3612, 3665.
[3] This good is such that first of all it serves a person as a means for acquiring spiritual good, for it is external and bodily and derives from external appearances which in themselves are illusions of the senses. In childhood a person acknowledges nothing other than these as truth and good, and although taught what internal good and truth are he still has no more than a bodily concept of it. This being his concept at first, this kind of good and truth is the initial means by which interior truths and goods are brought in. This is the arcanum which Jacob and Laban represent here.
Latin(1748-1756) 3778
3778. `Et dixit illis, An cognoscitis Labanem filium Nahoris?' quod significet num illis bonum ejus stirpis, constat ex repraesentatione `Labanis' quod sit bonum communis stirpis collaterale, de qua n. 3612, 3665; et ex repraesentatione `Nahoris' quod sit communis illa stirps, ex qua bonum quod `Laban';`cognoscere' quod sit in sensu interno esse inde, ex serie patet. Quomodo se habet cum repraesentatione boni collateralis per Nahorem, Bethuelem et Labanem, paucis dicendum est: Terahus, qui fuit pater trium filiorum, nempe Abrami, Nahoris, et Haranis, Gen. xi 27, repraesentat communem stirpem ex qua Ecclesiae; ipse Terahus quidem fuit idololatra, {1} at repraesentativa non spectant personam sed rem, videatur n. 1361; et {2} quia Ecclesia repraesentativa Judaica incohabatur in Abrahamo, et instaurabatur apud posteros ejus a Jacobo, induit Terahus et tres ejus filii repraesentationem Ecclesiarum; Abram induit repraesentationem genuinae Ecclesiae, qualis est apud illos qui Verbum habent, at Nahor ejus frater induit repraesentationem Ecclesiae qualis apud gentes quae non Verbum habent; quod Ecclesia Domini sparsa sit per universum terrarum orbem, et quoque sit inter gentes quae in charitate vivunt, patet ab iis quae de gentibus passim ostensa sunt. [2] Inde nunc est quod per Nahorem, ejus filium Bethuelem, et hujus filium Labanem repraesentetur bonum communis stirpis collaterale, hoc est, bonum in quo sunt illi qui ab Ecclesia Domini apud gentes; hoc bonum differt in eo a bono communis stirpis in linea recta, quod non sint vera genuina quae bono illorum conjunguntur, sed quod pleraque sint apparentiae externae quae fallaciae sensuum vocantur, nam Verbum non habent ex quo illustrari possunt; bonum quidem in sua essentia unicum est, sed accipit quale a veris quae ei implantantur, inde varium fit; vera quae {3} gentibus apparent ut vera, sunt in genere quod colant aliquem Deum, a quo suum bonum petunt, et cui id tribuunt, et quamdiu in mundo vivunt, ignorant quod ille Deus sit Dominus; et quoque quod Deum suum sub imaginibus quas sanctas habent, adorent; praeter alia plura; sed usque illa non impediunt quin salventur aeque ac Christiani, modo in amore in Deum suum, et in amore erga proximum vivunt; nam sic in facultate sunt recipiendi vera interiora in altera vita, videatur n. 932, 1032, 1059, 2049, 2051, 2284, 2589-
2604, 2861, 2863, 3263: inde patet quid per bonum communis stirpis collaterale intelligitur {4}; quod per Nahorem repraesententur illi extra Ecclesiam, qui in fraternitate ex bono sunt, videatur n. 2863, 2864, 2868; quod per Bethuelem repraesentetur bonum gentium primae classis, n. 2865, 3665; quod per Labanem affectio boni externi seu corporei, et proprie bonum communis stirpis collaterale, n. 3612, 3665. Cum hoc bono ita se habet, quod omnium primo inserviat homini pro medio comparandi sibi bonum spirituale, est enim externum corporeum, et ex apparentiis externis, quae in se sunt fallaciae sensuum; in pueritia homo non aliud pro vero et bono agnoscit, et tametsi docetur quid bonum et verum internum, usque non de hoc aliam ideam habet quam corpoream; et quia talis est prima idea, ideo tale bonum et verum est primum medium per quod introducuntur vera et bona interiora; hoc arcanum est quod hic per Jacobum et Labanem repraesentatur. @1 sed$ @2 at$ @3 illis$ @4 significatur$