3239. And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. That these represent the general classes of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom in the heavens and on earth, cannot so well be established from the Word, because none of these men are elsewhere mentioned, with the exception of Midian, of whom something will be said hereafter. Yet this may be seen from the fact that all persons named in the Word represent something; as is sufficiently evident from all those mentioned hitherto, from the first chapter of Genesis. (That in the internal sense of the Word names, both of persons and of kingdoms, provinces, and cities, signify actual things, may be seen above, n. 768, 1224, 1264, 1876, 1888, and in many other places where this is in particular confirmed from the Word.) The reason why none of these except Midian are mentioned elsewhere in the Word, is that they are of the sons of the east, who are sometimes mentioned in the Word. (That in general the “sons of the east” signify those who are of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom, may be seen below, at verse 6 of this chapter.)

[2] That these sons of Abraham by Keturah have this representation, is evident from the fact that Abraham and Keturah represent the Lord as to the Divine spiritual, namely, Abraham the Lord as to Divine good spiritual, and Keturah as to Divine truth spiritual conjoined with this good (concerning which see just above, n. 3235, 3236). From this it follows that their sons represent the general classes or lots of the kingdom which is from the Lord’s Divine spiritual. They are called general classes or lots because the Lord’s kingdom is represented by land, which is distributed by lots among those to whom it is given to be possessed as an inheritance, just as the land of Canaan was allotted to the sons of Israel. There are in general twelve classes, for by “twelve” are signified all the things of charity and of the derivative faith, which are of the Lord’s kingdom (concerning which see below, at verse 16); but here there are six, thus one-half the number; but the half of a number involves the same as the whole, for provided a like thing is involved, multiplication and division do not vary the thing itself as to what is essential.

768. That by “Noah” is signified what was of the church, and by “Shem, Ham, and Japheth” what pertained to the churches that were derived therefrom, is evident from the fact that here they were not called merely his “sons” as before in the seventh verse (Genesis 7:7), but are called by their names. When thus named they signify the man of the church. The man of the church is not merely the church itself, but is everything that belongs to the church. It is a general term comprehending whatever is of the church, as was said before of the Most Ancient Church, which was called “Man” and likewise of the other churches that were named. Thus by “Noah” and by “Shem, Ham, and Japheth” is signified whatever is of the church and of the churches that were derived from it, in one complex.

[2] Such is the style and manner of speaking in the Word. Thus where “Judah” is named, in the Prophets, the celestial church is mostly signified, or whatever is of that church; where “Israel” is named, the spiritual church is mostly signified, or whatever is of that church; where “Jacob” is named, the external church is signified; for with every man of the church there is an internal and an external of the church, the internal being where the true church is, and the external being what is derived therefrom, and this latter is “Jacob.”

[3] But the case is different when the men are not named. The reason why this is so is that when named they refer representatively to the kingdom of the Lord. The Lord is the only Man, and is the all of His kingdom; and as the church is His kingdom on earth, the Lord alone is the all of the church. The all of the church is love or charity; and therefore a man (or what is the same, one called by name), signifies love or charity, that is, the all of the church; and then his “wife” signifies simply the church thence derived. So it is here. But what kind of churches are signified by “Shem, Ham, and Japheth” will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be stated hereafter.