4469. 'And if you do not listen to us to be circumcised' means unless they forsook their own truths and accepted external representatives. This is clear from what has been explained above in 4462. The statements made in these verses by Jacob's sons carry a meaning which is the opposite of that which Hamor and Shechem had in mind, and therefore also that which is the opposite in the internal sense, as shown by the explanations given. The reason for this is as stated in verse 13, that they spoke deceitfully, and the thoughts and feelings of one who speaks deceitfully are different from those of the one to whom he is speaking, 4459.

To “dwell” somewhere, then, is significant – it’s much more than just visiting – but is less permanent than living there. And indeed, to dwell somewhere in the Bible represents entering that spiritual state and engaging it, but not necessary permanently. A “dwelling,” meanwhile, represents the various loves that inspire the person who inhabits it, from the most evil – “those dwelling in the shadow of death” in Isaiah 9, for example – to the exalted state of the tabernacle itself, which was built as a dwelling-place for the Lord and represents heaven in all its details. Many people were nomadic in Biblical times, especially the times of the Old Testament, and lived in tents that could be struck, moved and raised quickly. Others, of course, lived in houses, generally made of stone and wood and quite permanent. In between the two were larger, more elaborate tent-style structures called tabernacles or dwellings; the tabernacle Moses built for the Ark of the Covenant is on this model.