2913. 'And spoke to the sons of Heth, saying' means those with whom a new spiritual Church was to exist. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Heth' and of Hittite. Many were the nations inhabiting the land of Canaan who are mentioned one by one in various places in the Word, among them the Hittites, see Genesis 15:20; Exodus 3:8, 17; 13:5; 23:23; Deuteronomy 7:1; 20:17; Joshua 3:10; 11:1, 3; 12:8; 24:11; 1 Kings 9:20; and elsewhere. Most of them belonged to the Ancient Church which was spread through many lands, including the land of Canaan, see 1238, 2385. All who belonged to that Church acknowledged charity as the chief thing, and everything they taught was about charity or life. People who cultivated teachings about faith were called Canaanites and were separate from the rest of the inhabitants in the land of Canaan, Numbers 13:29 - see 1062, 1063, 1076.

[2] The Hittites belonged among those in the land of Canaan who were more acceptable. This is also made clear by the fact that Abraham, and subsequently Isaac and Jacob, dwelt among them and had a burial-place there, and also by the fact that they treated Abraham with greatest respect, as is quite clear from what is recorded about them in this chapter, especially verses 5-6, 10-11, 14-15. Since they were an upright nation they therefore represent and mean the spiritual Church, or the truth of the Church. But it happened that like all the others who belonged to the Ancient Church the Hittites fell away in the course of time from charity or good that goes with faith; and this explains why later on they mean the falsity of the Church, as in Ezekiel 16:3, 45, and elsewhere. Yet the Hittites did belong among those who were more honourable, as may be seen from the fact that David had Hittites with him, such as Ahimelech, 1 Samuel 26:6, and Uriah, who was a Hittite, 2 Samuel 11:3, 6, 17, 21 - by whose wife Bathsheba David begot Solomon, 2 Samuel 12:24. 'Heth' means exterior cognitions that have regard to life and which constitute the external truths of the spiritual Church, ¹ see 1203.

[3] The subject in the present verse is a new Church which the Lord establishes when the previous one breathes its last, and in the verses which follow the subject is the reception of faith among those people. The subject is not some particular Church among the sons of Heth but in general the re-establishment by the Lord of a spiritual Church after its predecessor fades away and approaches its end. The sons of Heth are simply those who represent and carry a spiritual meaning. Please see what has been stated already about Churches in the following places:

In course of time a Church goes into decline and decay, 494, 501, 1327, 2422.

It departs from charity, and brings forth evils and falsities, 1834, 1835.

At that point the Church is said to be vastated and made desolate, 407-411, 2243.

The Church is established among gentiles; the reason why, 1366.

Within a Church undergoing vastation something of the Church is always preserved as a nucleus, 468, 637, 931, 2422.

If the Church did not exist in the world the human race would perish, ibid.

The Church is like the heart and lungs in that vast body, of which every member of the human race is a part, 637, 931, 2054, 2853.

The nature of the spiritual Church, 765, 2669.

Charity constitutes the Church, not faith separated from charity, 809, 916.

If all possessed charity the Church would be one even though they differ in matters of doctrine and in forms of worship, 1285, 1316, 1798, 1799, 1834, 1844, 2385.

All people on earth who belong to the Lord's Church, though they are scattered throughout the entire world, still so to speak make a single whole, as is the case in heaven, 2853.

Every Church is internal and external, and both together constitute a single Church, 409, 1083, 1098, 1100, 1242.

The external Church is valueless if there is no internal Church, 1795.

The Church is compared to the rise and the setting of the sun, to the seasons of the year, and also to the periods of the day, 1837.

The Last Judgement is the final period of the Church, 900, 931, 1850, 2117, 2118.

Fußnoten:

1422. That 'I will bless those who bless you' means pure happiness to those who from their hearts acknowledge the Lord becomes clear from the meaning of 'blessing', which includes every single thing received from the Lord, both that which is good and that which is true, thus every celestial, spiritual, natural, worldly, or bodily form of what is good and true. And because in the universal sense 'blessing' embraces all of these, the meaning of 'to bless' in individual places may be seen from the context in which it occurs, for it fits in with those matters to which it then refers. From this it is clear that 'I will bless those who bless you' means pure happiness to those who from their hearts acknowledge the Lord, since here in the internal sense, as has been stated, the Lord is the subject.

[2] 'Blessing Jehovah (or the Lord)' was an expression used commonly among the ancients, as is clear in the Word, for example in David,

Bless God in the assemblies, even the Lord from the fountain of Israel. Psalms 68:26.

In the same author,

Sing to Jehovah, bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day. Psalms 96:2.

In Daniel,

In the vision of the night the arcanum was revealed. Therefore Daniel blessed the God of heaven; he said, Let the name of God Himself be blessed for ever and ever, for wisdom and power are His. Daniel 2:19-20.

And one also reads of Zechariah and Simeon blessing God, Luke 1:64; 2:28. Here it is evident what 'blessing the Lord' implies, namely singing to Him, proclaiming His salvation, declaring His wisdom and power, and so confessing and acknowledging Him from the heart. People who do so are most certainly blessed by the Lord, that is, they are gifted with those things which constitute blessing, namely celestial good, spiritual good, natural good, worldly good, and bodily good, and when these forms of good flow consecutively in this order happiness exists within them.

[3] Since 'blessing Jehovah (or the Lord)' and 'being blessed by Jehovah (or the Lord)' were expressions used commonly among the ancients it was therefore also common to say 'Blessed be Jehovah', as in David,

Blessed be Jehovah, for He has heard the voice of my prayers. Psalms 28:6.

In the same author,

Blessed be Jehovah, for He has made His mercy marvellous to me. Psalms 31:21.

In the same author,

Blessed be God, who has not cast away my prayers, nor His mercy from me. Psalms 66:20.

In the same author,

Blessed be Jehovah God, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things; and blessed be the name of His glory for ever; let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Psalms 72:18-19.

In the same author,

Blessed are You, O Jehovah, teach me Your statutes! Psalms 119:12.

In the same author,

Blessed be Jehovah, my rock, who trains my hands. Psalms 144:1.

In Luke,

Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the God of Israel, for He has visited and brought deliverance to His people. Luke 1:67-68.