3277. And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria. This signifies the extension of intelligence; and he fell upon the faces of all his brethren, signifies contentions respecting truth, but that he was superior; as is evident from what is said above (n. 115, 1951), where these expressions are explained.

115. When the most ancient people spoke of “lands” they understood what was signified by them, just as those at the present day who have an idea that the land of Canaan and Mount Zion signify heaven, do not so much as think of any land or mountain when these places are mentioned, but only of the things which they signify. It is so here with the “land of Havilah” which is mentioned again in Genesis 25:18, where it is said of the sons of Ishmael, that they “dwelt from Havilah even unto Shur, which is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria.” Those who are in a heavenly idea perceive from these words nothing but intelligence, and what flows from intelligence. So by to “compass”—as where it is said that the river Pishon “compasseth the whole land of Havilah”—they perceive a flowing in; as also in the onyx stones on the shoulders of Aaron’s ephod being encompassed with ouches of gold (Exodus 28:11), they perceive that the good of love should inflow into the truth of faith. And so in many other instances.