1252. There is no need to provide any further confirmation that these things are meant, as the same words occur above in verse 20 - see what has been said there. Specific meanings - as with the meanings here of 'families', 'tongues', 'lands', and 'nations' - are determined by those things to which such expressions have reference. In verse 20 they are used in reference to Ham, or corrupted internal worship, but in this verse in reference to 'Shem', or true internal worship. Consequently 'families and nations' in verse 20 have regard to the habits and customs, and 'tongues and lands' to the individual beliefs, which belong to the corrupted internal Church; whereas 'families and nations' in this verse have regard to the charity, and 'tongues and lands' to the faith, which belong to the true internal Church. For the meaning of nations and families, see what follows in this chapter.