4565. 'And its name was called Allon Bacuth' means the essential nature of the natural which was cast out. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3421. In the original language 'Allon Bacuth' means an oak of weeping; and that place was called this because 'an oak' means the lowest part of the natural, into which and finally outside which hereditary evil was cast. As regards 'an oak' meaning the lowest part of the natural and also that which lasts for ever, see 4552. But 'weeping' means the final farewell - hence the custom to weep for the dead when they were being buried, even though people recognized that through burial merely the corpse was cast away, and those who had lived in what was now their corpse were still alive so far as the interior aspects of them were concerned. From this one may see what the essential nature is that is meant by 'Allon Bacuth' or an oak of weeping.

340. That 'she said, I have gained a man, Jehovah' means that with those called Cain faith was known and acknowledged as something existing by itself is clear from what has been stated in the preliminary sections of this chapter. ¹ Previously they had not so to speak known what faith was, for what they possessed was a perception of everything that constituted faith. But once they started to make distinct and separate doctrine out of faith they drew on things which had been with them matters of perception and reduced them to doctrine. This doctrine they called 'I have gained a man, Jehovah', as though they had come upon something new. So that which had previously been written on the heart was now made into factual knowledge. In early times people used to find a name for anything that was new, and used to attach explanations as to what such names embodied. For example, to indicate what Ishmael meant, the explanation was added, Jehovah hearkened to her affliction', Genesis 16:11; what Reuben meant, 'Jehovah has seen my affliction', Genesis 29:32; what Simeon meant, 'Jehovah heard that she was less loved', ibid. Verse 33; and what Judah meant, 'This time I will confess Jehovah', ibid. Verse 35. The altar built by Moses was called 'Jehovah is my banner', Exodus 17:15. And here likewise doctrine concerning faith is called 'I have gained a man, Jehovah', which is what Cain meant.

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