1261. As 'nations' meant goods so also did families, for each nation was composed of families. 'Houses' likewise had the same meaning, for each family was made up of a number of houses. Concerning a house, see 710. 'Families' however means goods when used in reference to nations, but truths when used in reference to peoples, as in David,

All the families of the nations will bow down before You, for the kingdom is Jehovah's, and He rules among the nations. Psalms 22:27-28.

And in the same author,

Give to Jehovah, O families of the peoples, give to Jehovah glory and strength! Psalms 96:7.

In the present verse and in the previous verse of this chapter 'families' has reference to goods because they were families of nations.

710. 'Enter, you and all your house, into the ark' means things that constitute the will. This is clear from what has just been stated. In the previous chapter, which dealt with things of the understanding, verse 18 reads differently, namely 'You shall enter into the ark, you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons' wives with you'. That 'a house' means the will and what constitutes the will is clear from various places in the Word, as in Jeremiah,

Their houses will be turned over to others, their fields and wives together. Jeremiah 6:11.

Here both 'houses' and 'fields and wives' refers to things of the will. In the same prophet,

Build houses and dwell in them; and plant gardens and eat their fruit. Jeremiah 29:5, 28.

Here 'building and dwelling in houses' has to do with the will, 'planting gardens' with the understanding. The same applies in other places. And frequently 'the house of Jehovah' stands for the Church where love is the chief thing. 'The house of Judah' stands for the celestial Church, 'the house of Israel' for the spiritual Church, because 'a house' means the Church. Consequently the mind of the member of the Church, which has within it things of the will and those of the understanding, that is, of charity and of faith, is meant by 'a house'.