10638. Behold, I drive out from thy faces the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. That this signifies the removal then of evils and of the falsities thence derived, is evident from the signification of “driving out from the faces,” as being to remove from the interiors that belong to the thought and the affection; for “to drive out” denotes to remove; and the “faces” denote the interiors (as may be seen at the places cited in n. 9546), and the interiors of man are those things which belong to his understanding and his will, or which belong to his thought and affection; consequently “to drive out from the faces” denotes to remove from these interiors; and from the representation of the nations in the land of Canaan, as being evils and falsities (see at the places cited in n. 9327). But what evil and falsity is represented by each nation may be seen in the explications where they are treated of; as what by the Amorite (n. 6306, 6859); what by the Canaanite (n. 1573, 1574, 4818); by the Hittite (n. 2913, 6858); by the Perizzite (n. 1573, 1574, 6859); by the Hivite and the Jebusite (n. 6860). But these things are said of the Word, because by Moses, from before whose faces these nations were to be driven out, is represented the Word, as can be seen from what goes before.

[2] How the case herein is shall be briefly told. It is said that if Moses’ people observe that which Jehovah commands, He will drive out these nations from their faces, by which is signified that if they do the primary precepts which are of the eternal truth, evils and falsities will be removed. These precepts are the things which follow in the internal sense, the chief of which are that they should not acknowledge any other god than the Lord; and that from Him is all good and truth; and also that salvation and eternal life are from Him. With those who believe these things, and love it to be so, all evil and falsity are removed while they are reading the Word, because the Lord then enlightens them and leads them. And then they do not think from themselves, nor are they affected by the Word from themselves, but from the Lord; consequently no evil and falsity of evil enter, because the Lord removes these. These are they who understand the Word, and are affected by the truths from it, and also love to live according to them.

[3] But those who do not acknowledge these chief precepts, which are of the eternal truth, are not enlightened when they read the Word, thus do not from the Lord see the truths therein; but what they see they see from self, and to see from self is to see falsities instead of truths. And if they see truths, they nevertheless falsify them by means of principles adopted by themselves; or else by means of their own loves, to which they turn the truths, and to which they thus apply them, whence come falsities of evil. These are the things which are signified by these words in the internal sense. The reason why these things are signified, is that the angels, who perceive the Word in its internal sense when it is being read by man, do not know what Moses is, nor what the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite are, for names do not enter into heaven, but the things which are signified by them, thus by Moses the Word, and by these nations evils and falsities.