2868. 'His concubine, whose name was Reumah' means gentiles whose worship was idolatrous but in whom good was present. This becomes clear from what has gone before, for in the former place come those gentiles meant by the sons born to Nahor from his wife, in the latter those born from his concubine. As has been shown, those born from his wife were people outside the Church who dwelt in a brotherly relationship by virtue of good, 2863, whereas these latter sons are people outside the Church whose worship was idolatrous but in whom good was present. Thus the latter were born from a less legitimate union than the former, though the union was nevertheless legitimate, for in those times children born from servant-girls were accepted as legitimate, as becomes clear from Jacob's sons born from the servant-girls Bilhah and Zilpah, Genesis 30:4-12, from whom tribes descended no less than from the sons born from Leah and Rachel, and who in this respect were no different from the latter. Yet that a difference did exist is clear from Genesis 33:1-2, 6-7.

[2] Servant-girls whom in those times a wife gave to her husband for the sake of producing children were called concubines, as is evident from Bilhah, Rachel's servant-girl, who is also called Jacob's concubine in Genesis 35:22. The practice of producing children by means of servant-girls or concubines was allowed in those times so that those outside the Church might be represented, as well as those of lower degree within the Church. The statement that the concubine's name was Reumah embodies the essential nature of that group of people, 1896, 2009, which in this case is exaltation, this being what Reumah means. Regarding the state and condition of nations and peoples outside the Church, see 593, 932, 1032, 1059, 1327, 1328, 1366, 2049, 2051, 2284, 2589-2604.

1059. 'This is the sign of the covenant that I am establishing between Me and all flesh that is on the earth' means that it was a token of the Lord's presence in charity not only with the member of the Church but also with him who is outside the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'all flesh' as all people, and therefore the whole human race. That the whole human race is meant, both those inside the Church and those outside the Church, is clear not only from the fact that the expression 'all flesh' is used but also that the expression 'living soul in all flesh', which appeared previously, is not used. And the point is made plainer still by the addition of the phrase 'which is on the earth'.

[2]That the Lord is as much present in charity with those outside the Church who are called gentiles as with those inside the Church may be seen above in 932, 1032. Indeed He is more present with them, for the reason that there is less cloud in the understanding part of their minds than is normally the case with so-called Christians. Indeed gentiles have no knowledge of the Word and do not know what the Lord is, and as a consequence do not know what the truth of faith is. This being so, they are incapable of opposition to the Lord and to the truth of faith. Consequently their cloud does not stand in opposition to the Lord or to the truth of faith, such cloud being dispersed easily when they are enlightened.

[3] But the cloud existing with Christians does stand in opposition to the Lord and to the truths of faith, and this cloud is so obscure as to be darkness. And when hatred is there instead of charity it is thick darkness. This applies even more to people who profane the truths of faith, something gentiles are incapable of doing because they live in ignorance of the truth of faith. Nobody can profane that of which he does not know the nature or the existence. This explains why more of the gentiles are saved than of Christians, as also the Lord said, in Luke 13:23, 28-30, in addition to saying that their children all belong to the Lord's kingdom, Matthew 18:10, 14; 19:14; Luke 18:16.