3988. Verses 31-33. And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me anything; if thou wilt do this word for me, I will return, and feed and keep thy flock. I will pass through all thy flock this day, removing from thence every small cattle that is speckled and spotted, and every black one among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and these shall be my reward. And my righteousness shall answer for me on the morrow, because thou comest upon my reward before thee; every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the lambs, stolen is this by me. "And he said, What shall I give thee?" signifies knowledge; "and Jacob said," signifies reply; "thou shalt not give me anything, if thou wilt do this word for me," signifies that it should be brought on the part of the good which is from truth; "I will return, and feed and keep thy flock," signifies that the good signified by Laban is to be applied to use; "I will pass through all thy flock this day," signifies that He perceives the quality of all the good; removing from thence every small cattle that is speckled and spotted," signifies that all the good that is His will be separated wherewith there is mingled evil (signified by the "speckled"), and falsity (signified by the "spotted"); "and every black one among the lambs," signifies an own that is innocent, which belongs to the good signified by "Laban;" "and the spotted and speckled among the goats," signifies that then all the good of truth in which falsity and evil are mingled shall be His; "and this shall be my reward," signifies that it was from Himself; "and my righteousness shall answer for me," signifies the Divine holiness which He had; "on the morrow," signifies to eternity; "because thou comest upon my reward before thee," signifies what is His own; "every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats," signifies what is not from the good signified by "Laban" mingled with evil and falsity in the goods of truth; "and black among the lambs," signifies the first state of innocence; "stolen is this by me," signifies that it was not His.
