3688. 'The sister of Nebaioth, as a wife in addition to the wives he had' means an affection for celestial truth more internally. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sister' as intellectual or rational truth, dealt with in 1495, 2508, 2524, 2556, 3386; from the representation of 'Nebaioth' as the good that constitutes the spiritual Church, dealt with in 3268 - therefore 'the sister of Nebaioth' means the affection for celestial truth, or what amounts to the same, the affection for spiritual good; from the meaning of 'wives' or the daughters of Heth as affections for truth from a non-genuine source, dealt with in 3470, 3620-3622, 3686, and from the meaning of 'taking a wife' as being brought into association or joined together. From all these meanings it is evident that these words, together with those that come immediately before them, mean the joining together of the good represented by 'Esau' with truth from a Divine source, thus with the affection for celestial truth more internally.

[2] The actuality of these matters is indeed as stated already, yet they are of such a nature that they can hardly be understood at all as long as the most general features of the subject remain unknown. Furthermore they are the kind of things in which the world of today does not have any interest, for it is earthly things, not heavenly ones, in which it is interested, for the reason, as people even say, that they see and know earthly things, but they do not see or know the heavenly. Now because what is contained in the internal sense of the Word has to be not merely disclosed but also explained, let an example be taken to show what the expressions the truth of good, which 'Esau' represents, and the good of truth, which 'Jacob' represents, are used to mean. At the same time the example will clarify the point that until a person has been regenerated the good of truth in relation to the truth of good exists inversely, but after he has been regenerated they are joined together. This example will accordingly illustrate the matters stated so far.

[3] Take as our example the kind of person who can be regenerated; for the Lord foresees that he can be, and because He foresees it He also makes provision for it. At the outset while a young child he does not yet know what the works of charity towards the neighbour are, for he does not yet know what charity is or what the neighbour is. Consequently because he knows from the Word that one ought to give to the poor and that anyone who does so has his reward in heaven he helps beggars more than all others for he believes that these are the poor who are meant in the Word. He does not take into account the fact that the kind of people who beg on the streets for the most part lead godless and even criminal lives, despise everything associated with Divine worship, and surrender themselves completely to laziness and inactivity. Nonetheless a person in the first stages of regeneration helps those people with all his heart. These good actions are examples of the good which springs from external truth and with which his regeneration begins. The truth of good, which is more internal, flows accordingly into those actions, fashioning these as directed by the cognitions which the child knows?

[4] At a later stage however, when more enlightened, he is willing to do good to all he believes to be poor and needy, but he still makes scarcely any distinction between the godly poor and needy and the ungodly poor and needy. He believes that all are to be regarded and rated equally as the neighbour. But when he becomes more enlightened in these matters he does make a distinction and provides help only to the good and upright. He knows that providing help to the evil does harm to many, for by the aid and support these get he gives them the opportunity to harm others. At length when he is being regenerated he does not do good to any but the good and the godly, for at this point he is not stirred by an affection simply for the person he does good to but by the good itself residing with that person. And since the Lord is present within all good and godliness he accordingly bears witness also, through his affection towards what is good, to his love to the Lord. When he is at heart moved by charity such as this he can become regenerate.

[5] From this it is evident that in relation to this state his previous state was an inverse one, that is to say, he believed that to be good which was not in fact good. Nevertheless at the beginning of regeneration he still had to put into practice that which, though not in fact good, he believed to be so since what he knew went no further and since more interior good that flows from charity was not able to enter into any truth apart from that of which he actually knew. It is also evident that more interior good was always present and fashioning it, and this good could not have manifested itself previously until by means of cognitions he had been gradually enlightened about the nature of goods and truths. From this it is evident to some extent what is meant by the good of truth, which 'Jacob' represents here, what is meant by the truth of good, which 'Esau' represents, and that at first these exist inversely but subsequently are joined together.

3268. 'Nebaioth, Ishmael's firstborn, and Kedar, and Abdeel, and Mibsam; and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa; Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah' means everything that constitutes the spiritual Church, in particular among the gentiles. This is clear from the representation of these individuals whose names are given. Some of them are mentioned again in the Word, in particular in the prophetical part, such as Nebaioth, Kedar, Dumah, and Tema. There they mean such things as constitute the spiritual Church, in particular among gentiles. This is in addition evident from the fact that there are twelve of them, and 'twelve' means all things that make up faith, and so the Church, to be dealt with below. In verse 16 below it is therefore said that they were 'twelve princes of their peoples'.

[2] That 'Nebaioth and Kedar' represent those things that constitute the spiritual Church, in particular among gentiles, that is to say, its goods and its truths derived from these, is clear in Isaiah,

A drove of camels will cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense, and will proclaim the praises of Jehovah. The whole flock of Kedar will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; they will come up with acceptance on My altar. Isaiah 60:6-7.

This refers in the highest sense to the Lord, and in the relative sense to His kingdom. 'The flock of Kedar' stands for spiritual good - 'a flock' being spiritual good, see 343, 415, 2566. 'The rams of Nebaioth' stands for spiritual truth - 'a ram' being spiritual truth, 2833.

[3] Kedar is Arabia, as is evident from the places quoted below; and Arabia was named Kedar after Ishmael's son, as becomes clear from the fact that the names mentioned in these two verses are those of countries or nations which were all named after the sons and grandsons of Abraham, as Midian, Ephah, and Sheba above in verses 2-4, and so Kedar and Nebaioth here. In Ezekiel,

Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, these were the merchants of your hand in lambs, and in rams, and in he-goats. In these they were your merchants. Ezekiel 27:21.

This refers to Tyre, that is, to people who possess cognitions of good and truth - 'Tyre' being such persons, see 1201. 'Arabia' stands for spiritual good, 'the princes of Kedar' for spiritual truths. 'Lambs, rams, and he-goats' are spiritual goods and truths.

[4] In Jeremiah,

Arise, go up to Kedar, and lay waste the sons of the east. They will take their tents and their flocks, their curtains and all their vessels, and bear their camels away from them. Jeremiah 49:28-29.

This refers to the vastation of the spiritual Church meant by 'Kedar' and 'the sons of the east'. 'Tents and flocks' stands for the goods of that Church, 'curtains and vessels' for its truths. The sacred things of worship are meant by 'tents and flocks', and by 'curtains and vessels'; but the sacred things of worship are all related to good and truth.

[5] Those however who have no truth because no good resides with them are represented by Arabs and Kedarites in the wilderness, as in Isaiah,

Babel will not be dwelt in for ever, the Arab will not remain there. Isaiah 13:20.

In the same prophet,

Let the wilderness and its cities lift up [their voice], the villages which Kedar inhabits. Isaiah 42:10-11.

In Jeremiah,

By the wayside you have sat waiting for them, like an Arab in the wilderness. Jeremiah 3:2.

In David,

Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshech; I delay among the tents of Kedar. Psalms 120:5.

In Isaiah,

In the forest in Arabia you will spend the night, O bands of Dedanites. To the thirsty bring water; O inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet with his bread the fugitive, for they will flee before the swords, before the drawn sword, before the bent bow, and before the grievousness of war. For thus said the Lord to me, Within a year, according to the year of a hireling, and all the glory of Kedar will come to an end; and the remainder of the number of the bows of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar [will be few]. Isaiah 21:13-17.

'Spending the night in the forest of Arabia' stands for being vastated as regards truth, and 'the bands of Dedanites' stands for those who possess cognitions, 3240, 3241 (end). 'The inhabitants of the land of Tema' stands for those in whom simple good is present, such as exists with upright gentiles - people, it is clear, who were descended from Ishmael's son called Tema. 'Kedar' stands for those who possess simple truth, of whom it is said that 'they are going to flee before the swords, and before the grievousness of war', which means that they will not experience the conflicts that are brought about by temptations because good does not exist with them any longer.

[6] In Jeremiah,

Pass over to the islands of the Kittians and see, and send to Kedar and examine closely, and see whether there has been such a thing, whether a nation has changed its gods, which are no gods. Jeremiah 2:10-11.

'The islands of the Kittians' stands for those who are more remote from worship, that is, for gentiles in whom simple good and consequently natural truth are present, 1156, 1158 - 'Kedar' also meaning, it is evident, such people. In the same prophet,

I took the cup from Jehovah's hand and made all the nations to whom Jehovah sent me drink it - Dedan and Tema, and Buz, and all who have cut the corners [of their hair]; and all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the west, dwelling in the wilderness. Jeremiah 25:17, 23-24.

This too refers to the vastation of the spiritual Church which among other names is called Tema and Arabia. From this it is evident that Tema, like Arabia, means those who belong to the spiritual Church. To Arabia however kings and also cities are attributed, but to Kedar princes and villages.

[7] In addition to these Dumah is also mentioned, in Isaiah 21:11-12. The reason why those nations mean the things that constitute the spiritual Church is that the Ancient Church, which was a spiritual Church, existed among them also, 1238, 2385, though their doctrinal teachings and religious observances varied. Nevertheless there was only one Church because those people made charity, not faith, the essential thing. In course of time however, as charity came to an end, that special feature of the Church which existed with them died out. Nevertheless a representative of the Church through them was maintained which differed according to that form of the Church that had once existed among them. Consequently when these nations are mentioned in the Word it is not these nations that are meant but only that form of the Church in general which had once existed there.