1706. Verse 14 And Abram heard that his brother had been taken captive, and he brought out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan.

'Abram heard that his brother had been taken captive' means that the Interior Man perceived the nature of the state of the External Man. 'And he brought out his trained men, born in his house' means those goods residing with the External Man which were now released from the yoke of slavery. 'Three hundred and eighteen' means the nature of those goods. 'And pursued as far as Dan' means the beginning ¹ of purification.

Footnotes:

1710. 'And pursued as far as Dan' means a state of purification. This is clear from the train of thought in the internal sense. 'Pursuing enemies' here means casting out the evils and falsities which were present with goods and truths and which caused these to be no more than goods and truths in outward appearance, and thus it means liberating them and purifying them. 'As far as Dan' means to Canaan's furthest boundary, and so to the outer limits to which they had fled. That Dan means the furthest boundaries or outer limits of Canaan is clear from various parts of the Word, as in Samuel,

To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah. from Dan even to Beersheba. 2 Samuel 3:10.

In the same book,

The whole of Israel from Dan even to Beersheba will be assembled together. 2 Samuel 17:10.

In the same book,

David said to Joab, Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan even to Beersheba. 2 Samuel 24:2, 15.

In the Book of Kings,

Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every one under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba. 1 Kings 4:25.

From these quotations it is evident that Dan was the furthest boundary of Canaan, in which direction the enemies were pursued that were infesting the goods and truths of the External Man. But because Dan was a boundary of Canaan, and so inside Canaan, they were driven still further away so that they should not remain there - namely to 'Hobah on the left of Damascus', as is clear from the verse that comes next - and in this way purification was accomplished. As stated already, 'the land of Canaan' means in a holy sense the Lord's kingdom, and thus the celestial element of love, or the good of love, chiefly the good residing in the Lord.