1102. 'He will dwell in the tents of Shem' means so that the internal features of worship may be present in the external features. This becomes clear from all that has been stated already about Shem, to the effect that 'Shem' is the internal Church or internal worship, and that external worship is something altogether soulless or unclean if it does not have internal worship to give it life and sanctify it. That 'tents' means nothing else than the holiness of love and worship arising out of this becomes clear from the meaning of 'tents' dealt with already in 414. Among the ancients 'wandering about and dwelling in tents' was common expression, and by 'tents' in the internal sense was meant holy worship, for the reason that the most ancient people not only wandered about with tents but also dwelt in tents and used to celebrate holy worship in them. Consequently 'wandering about and dwelling' also meant in the internal sense living.

[2] In addition to the places quoted already in 414, let the following as well serve to confirm that 'tents' means holy worship: In David,

God forsook the dwelling-place at Shiloh, the tent where He dwelt with man. Psalms 78:60.

Here 'tent' has a similar meaning to the Temple, in which God is said 'to dwell' when He is present with someone within love. For this reason the individual in whose life holy worship had a place was called by the ancients 'a tent', and later 'a temple'. In Isaiah,

Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out. Isaiah 54:1.

This stands for enlightenment in the things that belong to true worship. In Jeremiah,

The whole land has been laid waste; suddenly My tents have been laid waste, My curtains in a moment. Jeremiah 4:20.

Here it is quite evident that tents are not meant but holy worship. In Zechariah,

Jerusalem will dwell yet again in her own place, in Jerusalem Jehovah will save the tents of Judah. Zechariah 12:6-7.

Here 'the tents of Judah' stands for worship of the Lord arising out of the holiness of love.

[3] From these quotations it now becomes clear what 'dwelling in the tents of Shem' means, namely, so that internal worship may be present in external. But because 'Japheth', the member of the external Church, has little knowledge of what internal things are, a brief description of him will be given. When a person feels or perceives within himself that he has thoughts regarding the Lord which are good and thoughts regarding the neighbor which are good, and he wishes to perform acts of kindness for him, but not for the sake of any gain or for the sake of his own position, and when he feels that he has pity for anyone who suffers misfortune, and more so for him who errs in regard to the doctrine of faith, he may then know that 'he is dwelling in the tents of Shem', that is, that there are with him things of an internal nature by means of which the Lord is working.

2056. That 'the uncircumcised male' means one who does not possess the truth of faith is clear from the meaning of 'a male' as the truth of faith, dealt with above in 2046. 'The uncircumcised male' here therefore means one who does not possess the truth of faith and so is subject to falsity. 'Uncircumcised' has reference to what stands in the way and defiles, as stated already. When added to the word 'male' it refers to that which stands in the way of and defiles truth. And when added in a similar way to anything else it means the degradation and corruption of that same thing, as with 'an uncircumcised ear' in Jeremiah,

On whom shall I speak and testify and they will hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot listen. Behold, the Word of Jehovah has become a reproach; they have no wish for it. Jeremiah 6:10.

'Uncircumcised ear' stands for the fact that they did not listen at all and that to them the Word was a reproach.

[2] The present verse also deals with those inside the Church who are subject not only to falsity but also to the impurity of self-love and love of the world, for this verse continues what has gone before. Hence the statement 'the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin' - thus having the meaning of falsity joined to impurity of life. How much those persons are in danger of eternal condemnation becomes clear from what has been stated above in 2051. Here it means in particular people inside the Church who profane the goods and truths of faith, of whom it is said that 'that soul will be cut off from his peoples'. For unlike those outside the Church, they are capable of profaning, as shown in Volume One, in 593, 1008, 1010, 1059.