8650. 'Of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land)' means the essential nature of the good of truth of those outside the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3421, 6674. That essential nature is described by the words uttered by Moses then, which were, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land. The reason why these words mean the good of truth of those outside the Church is that 'a sojourner'' means those who were born outside the Church, yet were receiving instruction in things of the Church; and 'a foreign land' means a place where the Church does not exist. For the meaning of 'a sojourner' as those who were born outside the Church and were receiving instruction in things of the Church, see 1463, 4444, 7908, 8007, 8013. The reason why 'a foreign land' is where the genuine Church does not exist is that 'land' or 'earth' means the Church, 662, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577, and 'foreign' a place where what is genuine does not exist; for the Lord's Church is spread throughout all lands, and so exists also among gentiles, 2049, 2284, 2589-2604. Furthermore when Gershom was born Moses was outside his own Church, among those with whom the good of simple truth existed, who are meant by 'the Midianites', see 6793-6796.

4445. 'Because he had done something disgraceful in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, a thing that ought not to be done' means a joining together which in their eyes was not permissible, going against the truth which they possessed. This is clear from the meaning of 'doing something disgraceful by lying with Jacob's daughter' as a joining together that was not permissible. As regards lying with her and defiling her meaning a wrongful joining together, see above in 4439. The expression 'in Israel' is used because 'Israel' means the internal Church, and after that the expression 'Jacob's daughter' because 'Jacob' means the external aspect of the Church. For 'Israel' means the internal aspect of the Church and 'Jacob' the external, see 4286, 4292, 4439. Its seeming in their eyes to be a joining together that was not permissible, though in fact it was permissible, becomes clear from what has been stated and shown immediately above in 4444 and elsewhere.