1868. That these things are signified by these nations it would be too tedious to confirm from the Word; and there is no need to do so here, because they are merely named. Some of them have been treated of above; the “Rephaim” as signifying the persuasions of falsity (n. 567, 581, 1673); the “Amorite” as signifying evils (n. 1680); the “Canaanite” as signifying evils (above at verse 16); the “Perizzite” as signifying falsities (n. 1574). What is the specific signification of the other nations, shall of the Lord’s Divine mercy be told in what follows, as they occur.

[2] As regards the nations which are to be expelled from the Lord’s kingdom, the case is this. In the other life the evil and diabolical spirits desire nothing more than to come up into the world of spirits and infest the good spirits, but as often as they do so they are cast out, in like manner as in a man who is being regenerated the falsities and evils which have taken possession of him are subjugated and dissipated, and the goods and truths of the Lord’s kingdom are implanted in their place.

[3] These were represented by the nations that were expelled from the land of Canaan by the sons of Jacob; and the same were represented by the Jews themselves, who were afterwards expelled from the land. The same occurred with many nations of old that represented similar things, as the Horites who were driven from Mount Seir by the descendants of Esau (spoken of in Deuteronomy 2:12, 22); and the Avvim who were expelled by the Caphtorim (mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:23); also the Emim or Rephaim who were driven out by the Moabites (spoken of in Deuteronomy 2:9-11); and also the Zamzummim who were expelled by the Ammonites (mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:19-21); besides many others spoken of in the Prophets.

582. After that the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare to them. That this signifies that they became Nephilim when they had immersed the doctrinals of faith in their cupidities, is evident from what was said and shown above in verse 2, namely, that the “sons of God” signify the doctrinal things of faith, and that “daughters” signify cupidities. The birth thereby produced must needs make light of and profane the holy things of faith, for the cupidities of man, being those of the love of self and of the world, are altogether contrary to what is holy and true. Now in man cupidities prevail, so that when what is holy and true, and is acknowledged to be such, is immersed in cupidities, it is all over with the man, for the cupidities cannot be rooted out and separated; they cling to every idea, and in the other life it is ideas that are communicated from one to another, so that as soon as any idea of what is holy and true is brought forth, what is profane and false is joined to it, which is instantly perceived. Therefore such persons have to be separated and thrust down into hell.