3688. The sister of Nebaioth, over his women to himself for a woman. That this signifies the affection of celestial truth more interiorly, is evident from the signification of “sister,” as being intellectual or rational truth (see n. 1495, 2508, 2524, 2556, 3386); from the representation of Nebaioth, as being the good which is of the spiritual church (n. 3268); from which the “sister of Nebaioth” signifies the affection of celestial truth; or what is the same thing, the affection of spiritual good; from the signification of “women,” or the “daughters of Heth,” as being the affections of truth from a ground not genuine (n. 3470, 3620-3622, 3686); and from the signification of “taking a woman,” as being to be associated and conjoined. From this it is evident that by these words, together with those immediately preceding, there is signified the conjunction of the good represented by Esau with truth from a Divine origin, thus with the affection of celestial truth more interiorly.

[2] How these things are circumstanced has indeed been already stated, but they are such as are understood with difficulty so long as the most general things of the subject are unknown. Moreover at the present day the world cares not for such things, because earthly things and not heavenly ones are the objects of its care, for the reason as they allege, that they see and know the former things, while the latter they neither see nor know. But inasmuch as the things contained in the internal sense of the Word are not merely to be disclosed, but are also to be explained, we may illustrate by an example how the case is with the truth of good that Esau represents and the good of truth that Jacob represents; and at the same time how the case is with the fact that before the man has been regenerated the good of truth is the inverse of the truth of good; but that they are afterwards conjoined; thus how the case is with all that has been said before.

[3] Let the following serve as the example: A man who is such as to be capable of being regenerated-for the Lord foresees, and since He foresees, He also provides for this-at first, like an infant child, does not yet know what works of charity toward his neighbor are, because he does not as yet know what charity is, nor what his neighbor is, and therefore as he knows from the Word that he ought to give to the poor, and that whoever gives to the poor has a reward in heaven, he does good to beggars more than to others, because he believes that they are the poor who are meant in the Word, not considering that such as beg in the streets for the most part live an impious and wicked life, despise whatever belongs to Divine worship, and surrender themselves to mere sloth and idleness. Nevertheless he who is in the first state of regeneration does good to such persons from his heart; and these good deeds are the goods of external truth from which regeneration begins; the truth of good, which is interior, flows thus into these acts, and does the work according to the knowledges in which the child is.

[4] But afterwards, when he is more enlightened, he is desirous to do good to all whom he believes to be in want and distress; but as yet hardly makes a distinction between the pious and the impious who are in this state, believing everyone to be his neighbor in the same respect and degree. But when he is further enlightened in these matters, he then makes the distinction, and renders aid only to the upright and good, knowing that to aid the wicked is to do harm to many, inasmuch as by his benefits and services he supplies the wicked with the means of injuring others. At last, when he is regenerate, he does good only to the good and pious, because he is then affected not with the person of him to whom he does good, but with the good that is in him; and inasmuch as the Lord is present in what is good and pious, he thereby through his affection for what is good testifies his love to the Lord. When the man is in this charity from the heart, he is regenerate.

[5] From this it is evident that his former state was inverse in respect to this state, inasmuch as he had believed that to be good which was not good; but still at the beginning of regeneration he must needs do that good, because his knowledge of the matter then goes no further; and because the interior good of charity could not flow into any other truth than that which was of the knowledge thereof; and it is also evident that interior good had always been present and had wrought this, but was not able to manifest itself until by knowledges the man had been successively enlightened concerning the true nature of goods and truths. From this it is in some measure evident what the good of truth is which Jacob here represents; and what the truth of good which Esau represents; and that at first these are inverse, but afterwards are conjoined.

3268. The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam; and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa; Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. That these signify all things that belong to the spiritual church, especially among the Gentiles, is evident from the representation of those who are here named, some of whom are mentioned elsewhere in the Word, particularly in the prophetical books-as Nebaioth, Kedar, Dumah, and Tema-and who there signify such things as belong to the spiritual church, especially among the Gentiles; moreover the same is manifest from their being twelve, for “twelve” signifies all things of faith, thus of the church, as will be shown hereafter; and for this reason it is said in the sixteenth verse that they were “twelve princes of their peoples.”

[2] That by Nebaioth and Kedar are represented the things that belong to the spiritual church, especially among the Gentiles, namely its goods and derivative truths, is evident in Isaiah:

The abundance of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and frankincense, and they shall proclaim the praises of Jehovah. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee; they shall come up with acceptance on Mine altar (Isaiah 60:6-7)

which in the supreme sense is said of the Lord, and in the relative sense of His kingdom. The “flocks of Kedar” denote spiritual good (that a “flock” is spiritual good may be seen above, n. 343, 415, 2566); the “rams of Nebaioth” denote spiritual truth (that a “ram” is spiritual truth may be seen above, n. 2833).

[3] That “Kedar” is Arabia is manifest from the following passages, and that Arabia was called “Kedar” from the son of Ishmael is evident from the fact that in both verses lands or nations are enumerated all of which are named from the sons and grandsons of Abraham-as Midian, Ephah, and Sheba (concerning which see above, verses 2-4); and here likewise Kedar and Nebaioth.

[4] In Ezekiel:

Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, these were the merchants of thy hand; in lambs, and rams, and he-goats, in these were they thy merchants (Ezekiel 27:21);

treating of Tyre, that is, of those who are in the knowledges of good and truth. (That “Tyre” has this signification may be seen above, n. 1201.) “Arabia” denotes spiritual good; the “princes of Kedar,” spiritual truths; “lambs, rams, and he-goats” denote spiritual goods and truths.

[5] In Jeremiah:

Arise ye, go up to Kedar, and lay waste the sons of the east. Their tents and their flocks shall they take; they shall carry away for themselves their curtains, and all their vessels, and their camels (Jeremiah 49:28-29); where the subject is the vastation of the spiritual church, meant by “Kedar and the sons of the east.” “Tents and flocks” denote the goods of this church; “curtains and vessels,” its truths; the holy things of worship are what are signified by “tents and flocks,” and by “curtains and vessels;” and all the holy things of worship relate to good and truth.

[6] But those who are not in truth, because not in good, are those who are represented by the “Arabians and Kedarites in the wilderness” as in Isaiah:

Babylon shall not be inhabited forever, neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there (Isaiah 13:19-20).

In the same:

Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up [their voice], the villages that Kedar doth inhabit (Isaiah 42:11).

In Jeremiah:

By the ways hast thou sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness (Jeremiah 3:2).

In David:

Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell with the tents of Kedar (Psalms 120:5).

[7] In Isaiah:

In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanites. Bring ye waters to meet him that is thirsty; ye inhabitants of the land of Tema forestall the fugitive with his bread. For they shall wander before the swords, from before the drawn sword, from before the bent bow, and from before the grievousness of war. For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Yet within a year, according to the years of a hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall be consumed; and the residue of the number of bows of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar (Isaiah 21:13-17).

To “lodge in the forest of Arabia” denotes vastation as to truth; “the travelling companies of Dedanites” denote those who are in knowledges (n. 3240, 3241); “the inhabitants of the land of Tema” denote those who are in simple good, such as is that of the well-disposed Gentiles. It is evident that these were called “Tema” from Ishmael’s son. “Kedar” denotes those who are in simple truth; of whom it is said that they shall “wander from before swords, and from before the grievousness of war,” by which is signified that they will not endure temptation combats, because they are no longer in good.

[8] In Jeremiah:

Pass over to the isles of Kittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see whether there hath been done such a thing, whether a nation hath changed gods, which yet are no gods (Jeremiah 2:10-11).

The “isles of Kittim” denote those who are more remote from worship, that is, Gentiles who are in simple good, and thereby in natural truth (n. 1156, 1158); that “Kedar” also denotes the same is manifest.

[9] In the same:

Then took I the cup from the hand of Jehovah, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom Jehovah had sent me; Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are clipped at the corner [of the beard]; and all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the west, that dwell in the wilderness (Jeremiah 25:17, 23-24); where also the vastation of the spiritual church is treated of, and Tema and Arabia are named along with several others, from which it is manifest that by “Tema,” as by “Arabia,” those are signified who are of the spiritual church; but to Arabia are attributed kings and cities, while princes and villages are ascribed to Kedar.

[10] Besides these, Dumah also is mentioned in Isaiah (21:11). The reason why by these nations are signified the things that belong to the spiritual church, is that the Ancient Church, which was spiritual, was also among them (n. 1238, 2385); their doctrinals and rituals differed, and yet they were one church because they did not make faith, but charity, essential. In course of time however, as charity ceased, even that which there was of the church with them was lost; yet there still remained a representative of the church by them, with variety according to what there had been of the church with them. Hence it is that wherever they are named in the Word, they themselves are not signified, but only that of the church in general which had been there.