1439. Verse 6 And Abram went through the land as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak-grove of Moreh. And the Canaanite was at that time in the land.

'Abram went through the land as far as the place of Shechem' means the Lord's second state, when the celestial things of love, which are meant by Shechem, became apparent to Him. 'As far as the oak-grove of Moreh' means a third state, namely a first perception, which is 'the oak-grove of Moreh'. 'And the Canaanite was at that time in the land' means the hereditary evil from the mother, in His external man.

Down" is used many different ways, and its spiritual meaning in the Bible is highly dependent on context. Phrases like "bowing down," "lying down" and "falling down" are defined primarily by "bowing," "lying" and "falling"; there is also a great difference between a person descending, the Lord sending fire from heaven and someone handling an object, to offer a few examples. In a very general sense, though, "down" indicates a lowering from more internal spiritual states to more external ones. That's why the journey is described as going "down" to Egypt from Canaan, and people from all quarters go "up" to Jerusalem. It's also why the Lord comes "down" to us, which generally indicates a state of judgment.