3709. And in thee shall all the families of the ground be blessed. That this signifies that all the truths of the good of doctrine should be conjoined with good, is evident from the signification of being blessed,” as being to be conjoined (see n. 3504, 3514, 3530, 3565, 3584); from the signification of “families,” as being goods, and also truths of good (n. 1159, 1261) and from the signification of “ground,” as being that which is of the church, consequently the doctrine of good and truth in the natural or external man, which man is here represented by Jacob (n. 268, 566, 990, 3671). All this shows that by the words “in thee shall all the families of the ground be blessed,” is signified that all the truths of the good of doctrine should be conjoined with good. Truths of the good of doctrine are the doctrinal things of love to the Lord and of charity toward the neighbor, which are said to be conjoined with good in the natural man when to know them for the sake of doing them is a pleasure and a delight.

1261. As nations signified goods, so also did families, for each nation consisted of families; and so in like manner did households, for each family consisted of a number of households. (Concerning a “household” or “house,” see above, n. 710.) “Families,” however, signify goods when predicated of nations, and truths when predicated of peoples, as in David:

All the families of the nations shall bow themselves before Thee; for the kingdom is Jehovah’s, and He is the ruler over the nations (Psalms 22:27-28).

Again:

Give unto Jehovah, ye families of the peoples, give unto Jehovah glory and strength (Psalms 96:7).

In the verse now before us, and also in the preceding verse of this tenth chapter of Genesis, “families” are predicated of goods, because they were families of the nations.