4445. 'Because he had done something disgraceful in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, a thing that ought not to be done' means a joining together which in their eyes was not permissible, going against the truth which they possessed. This is clear from the meaning of 'doing something disgraceful by lying with Jacob's daughter' as a joining together that was not permissible. As regards lying with her and defiling her meaning a wrongful joining together, see above in 4439. The expression 'in Israel' is used because 'Israel' means the internal Church, and after that the expression 'Jacob's daughter' because 'Jacob' means the external aspect of the Church. For 'Israel' means the internal aspect of the Church and 'Jacob' the external, see 4286, 4292, 4439. Its seeming in their eyes to be a joining together that was not permissible, though in fact it was permissible, becomes clear from what has been stated and shown immediately above in 4444 and elsewhere.

3672. 'To inherit the land of your sojournings' means the life acquired through receiving instruction. This is clear from the meaning of 'inheriting' as possessing the life of another, dealt with in 2658, 2851, in this case life received from the Divine, which is the meaning of the words that follow immediately after this, and from the meaning of 'sojournings' as forms of instruction, dealt with in 1463, 2025. 'The land' means where life is. A life acquired through receiving instruction, as referred to here, is the life of good springing from the truth which 'Jacob' represents here. For when a person lives according to the truths in which he receives instruction there is in him the life that is acquired through receiving instruction.