2467. Verses 37-38 And the firstborn gave birth to a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of Moab even to this day. And the younger also gave birth to a son and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the children of Ammon even to this day.

'The firstborn gave birth to a son' means the religion of that Church as regards good. 'And called his name Moab' means the nature of it. 'He is the father of Moab even to this day' means that these are the origins of such people. 'And the younger also gave birth to a son' means the falsified truth of that Church. 'And called his name Ben-ammi' means the nature of it. 'He is the father of the children of Ammon even to this day' means that these are the origins of such people.

1672. 'And the kings who were with him' means the apparent truth that goes with that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'kings' in the Word. Kings, kingdoms, and peoples in the historical and prophetical sections of the Word mean truths and the things that belong to truths, as may be confirmed from many places. In the Word a careful distinction is made between people and nation, 'people' meaning truths, 'nation' goods, as shown already in 1259, 1260. Kings have reference to peoples, and not so much to nations. The children of Israel, before they sought to have kings, were 'a nation' and represented good, or that which is celestial; but after they desired a king and received one, they became 'a people' and represented not good or that which is celestial, but truth or that which is spiritual, and this was the reason why this was ascribed to them as a fault in 1 Samuel 8:7-end. This, in the Lord's Divine mercy, will be explained elsewhere. In the present verse, since 'Chedorlaomer' is referred to, and then the phrase 'the kings who were with him' is added, both good and truth are meant - good by 'Chedorlaomer' and truth by 'the kings'. But what kind of good and truth it was when the Lord's temptations first began has been stated above.