4471. Verses 18-24 And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor's son. And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob's daughter; and he was honoured above all those of his father's house. And Hamor came, then Shechem his son, to the gate of their city, and they spoke to the men of their city, saying, These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and carry on trade throughout it; behold, the land is broad and spacious before them. Let us take their daughters to us as wives (femina), and let us give our daughters to them. Only on this [condition] will the men consent to us to dwell with us, to be one people: That every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised. Their acquisition, ¹ and their purchase, and all their beasts, will these not be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us. And they listened to Hamor and Shechem his son, all who went out of the gate of his city; and they circumcised every male, all who went out of the gate of his city.

'Their words were good in the eyes of Hamor' means conformity in life. 'And in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor's son' means in doctrine. 'And the young man did not delay to do the thing' means a strong desire to accept. 'Because he delighted in Jacob's daughter' means the semblance of religion in that Church. 'And he was honoured above all those of his father's house' means the foremost of the truths of the Church among the Ancients. 'And Hamor came, then Shechem his son, to the gate of their city' means the goods and truths of the Church among the Ancients which lay within their doctrine. 'And they spoke to the men of their city, saying' means persuasion. 'These men are at peace with us' means agreement. 'Let them dwell in the land' means in life. 'And carry on trade throughout it' means in doctrine. 'Behold, the land is broad and spacious before them' means extension. 'Let us take their daughters to us as wives, and let us give our daughters to them' means a joining together. 'Only on this [condition] will the men consent to us to dwell with us' means that they would agree in life. 'To be one people' means in doctrine. 'That every male be circumcised, as they are circumcised' means provided they were introduced by this means into their representatives and meaningful signs, solely into the external observances involved in these. 'Their acquisition, and their purchase' means their truths. 'And all their beasts' means goods. 'Will these not be ours?' means that these two kinds of goods and truths would be alike and take the same form. 'Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us' means, If we conform to this. 'And they listened to Hamor and Shechem his son' means consent. 'All who went out of the gate of his city' means that they departed from the doctrine of the Church among the Ancients. 'And they circumcised every male, all who went out of the gate of his city' means the acceptance of externalities.

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