3465. 'And he called it Shibah' means the conjunction of confirmed truth by means of them. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling', that is to say, 'calling by name', as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 3421, and so from the fact that names mean a real thing or a state, 1946, 2643, 3422. Meant here therefore is the conjunction of confirmed truth by means of them, that is, by matters of doctrine; for in the original language Shibah is a word for an oath, which means confirmation, 2842, 3375. It is called the conjunction of confirmed truth when interior truths join themselves to exterior truths, which are matters of doctrine drawn from the literal sense of the Word. The fact that with such persons the conjunction is effected by means of the truths of faith and not so much by the goods of charity has been stated above in 3463.

144. As to 'calling by name' meaning recognizing their nature, it must be realized that the ancients understood nothing else by 'a name than the essential nature of a real thing, and by 'seeing and calling them by name' recognizing the nature of such. This was why they gave their sons and daughters names in keeping with the things that were meant by them; for there was something unique to every name, as a means of knowing the origin and nature of those children, as will also be seen later on where, in the Lord's Divine mercy, the twelve sons of Jacob are dealt with. Since therefore a name embodied a person's origin and nature nothing else was meant by 'calling by name'. This manner of speaking was customary among them; but anyone who does not understand is sure to wonder whether they do have these meanings.