4453. 'Carry on trade throughout it, and have possessions in it' means matters of doctrine which, because they are comunicated, would accord with one another. This is clear from the meaning of 'carrying on trade" as acquiring cognitions for oneself and also communicating them, dealt with in 2967 - 'carrying on trade throughout the land' therefore meaning entering into the cognitions of good and truth which Shechem the son of Hamor and his city mean; and from the meaning of 'having posession of a land make one and accord with one another. The reason why 'carrying on trade' means acquiring cognitions for oneself and also communicating them is that in heaven, where the Word is perceived, which in general is the acquisition and communication of cognitions, and specifically the reality meant my whatever commodity is mentioned. For example, if gold is mentioned, the good of love and wisdom is understood, 113, 1551, 1552; if silver, the truth that belongs to intelligence and faith, 1551, 2048, 2954. If mention if made of sheep, rams, kids, or lambs with which people traded in ancient times, the kinds of things meant by sheep, rams, kids and lambs are understood; and so on.

[2] As in Ezekiel,

Say to Tyre, one that dwells upon the entrances of the seas, that she is the trader of the peoples to many islands: Tarshish was your merchant because of the abundance of all riches; silver, iron, tin, and lead, they exchanged for your wares. Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your traders in the souls of men - and they gave vessels of bronze for your commerce. The sons of Dedan were your traders; many islands were the merchandise of your hand. Syria was your merchant in the multitude of your handiworks; Judah, and the land of Israel, they were your traders. Wheat of Minnith, and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm they exchanged for your commerce. Damascus was your merchant in the multitude of your handiworks, because of the multitude of all riches - in the wine of Helbon, and the wool of Zahar. Dan and Javan traded with yarn for your wares. Dedan was your trader in chariot cloaks. ¹ . The Arab and all the princes of Kedar were the merchants of your hand, in lambs, and rams, and goats; in these were they your merchants. The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they were your traders in the best of every spice; and by means of every precious stone and gold they provided your tradings. Haran and Canneh and Eden, the traders of Sheba; Asshur, Chilmad, was your trader. These were your traders in choice wares - balls of violet, and embroidered garments; and treasure-chests of precious garments, bound cords, and objects made of cedar were among your merchandise. The ships of Tarshish were your squadrons in your merchandise from which you have been filled and made exceedingly honoured in the heart of the seas. Ezekiel 27:1-25.

[3] From here and many other paces in the Word it may be seen that tradings, commerce, merchandise, and wares mean nothing other than undertakings involving cognitions of good and truth. For what connection can the prophetical Word have with the trading activities of Tyre unless they mean things that are spiritual and celestial? That being so, it is quite clear not only that things other than wares are meant by 'wares' but also that the nations mentioned by name there mean people among whom these other things reside. It is also clear that no one can know what is meant by any of them except from the internal sense - what is meant by Tarshish, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, the sons of Dedan, Syria, Judah, Israel, Dan, Javan, Dedan, the Arab, Shebah, Raamah, Haran, Canneh, Eden, Asshur, and Chilmad. Nor can one know what is meant by their wares - by silver, iron, tin, lead, vessels of bronze, wheat, minnith, pannag, honey, oil, balm, the wine of Helbon, the wool of Zahar, yarn, chariot-cloaks, lambs, rams, goats, spices, precious stones, gold, balls of violet embroidered garments, bound cords, and objects made of cedar. These and others like them mean the goods and truths of the Church and of the Lord's kingdom, and the cognitions of those goods and truths. It is because Tyre means cognitions, 1201, that Tyre is the subject at this point in Ezekiel. And because such 'wares', that is, goods and truths, exist in the Church and the Lord's kingdom, the land of Canaan, which means the Church and the Lord's kingdom, was from most ancient times so named from a word meaning wares or merchandise, for this is what the name Canaan means in the original language. From all this one may now see what is meant by 'carrying on trade throughout the land'.

Footnotes:

4574. 'A nation and a company of nations will be from you' means good and Divine forms of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a nation' as the good of the Church, dealt with in 1259, 1260, 1362, 1416, 1849, and from the meaning of 'a company of nations' as truths which spring from good, or what amounts to the same, which are forms of good, and as - in the highest sense in which the Lord is the subject - Divine Truths which spring from Divine Good, which are Divine forms of Good.

[2] What forms of good are must be stated first, and after this the fact that 'a company of nations' means such forms. Truths which spring from good are called forms of good because they are nothing else than goods that have been given outward form. Anyone who conceives of truths in any other way, more so anyone who separates them from good, does not know what truths are. Truths do indeed seem to be separate from good and so seem to be forms that exist unconnected to anything else. Yet they seem to be so only to those who have no affection for what is good, that is, people whose thought and speech are at variance with what they will and therefore do. For the human being has been so created that his understanding and will may constitute a united mind; and they do constitute a united mind when the understanding acts in unison with the will, that is, when his thought and speech are in keeping with what he wills and therefore does, in which case also the thoughts in his understanding are the forms which give expression to his will. Thoughts present in the understanding are called truths, for truths belong properly to the understanding, whereas desires present in the will are called goods, for goods belong properly to the will. Consequently, regarded in itself that which exists in the understanding is nothing else than the form taken by that which exists in the will.

[3] But since the expression 'forms' smacks of human philosophy, let an example serve to show that truths are the forms taken by good: Two virtues of everyday life, public or private, are integrity and propriety. Integrity consists in the heartfelt desire for another person's good within everyday life, whereas propriety consists in the demonstration of that integrity in speech and gestures, so that regarded in itself propriety is nothing other than the form which integrity takes, for this is what gives rise to propriety. This being so, when integrity displays itself through propriety, that is, through proper and appropriate speech and gestures, integrity is seen in every aspect of proper behaviour. This is so much the case that everything uttered through speech or expressed through gestures is seen as integrity, for everything is a form or image by means of which integrity shines forth. Integrity and propriety accordingly go together like essence and its form, or what is essential and what is formal. But if anyone severs integrity from propriety - that is, if he bears ill-will towards his fellow man, yet speaks well of him and behaves well towards him - there is no longer any integrity at all in his words or actions, no matter how much he tries to present through propriety an outward form that looks like integrity. It is absence of integrity, and one who is clear-sighted calls it this, because it is either pretentious, fraudulent, or deceitful.

[4] From all this one may see what the situation is with truths and goods. Truths in spiritual life may be likened to propriety in everyday life, and good in spiritual life to integrity in everyday life. This comparison shows what truths are like when they are the forms assumed by good, and what they are like when severed from good. When they are not extensions from good, they are extensions from something bad and are forms assumed by this, no matter how much they may be spoken of as forms assumed by good. As regards 'a company of nations' meaning forms of good, this becomes clear from the meaning of 'nations' as goods, dealt with immediately above. Hence a company or assembly of them is a gathering together of them, which is nothing other than the form they receive; and this, as has been shown, is truth. Since truths are meant, yet 'a nation' means good, not only 'a nation'- it is said - will descend from him but also 'a company of nations'. Otherwise one of the expressions would be sufficient. Furthermore 'company', 'assembly', and 'multitude', when used in the Word, have reference to truths. For 'multitude' or 'being multiplied', see 43, 55, 913, 983, 2846, 2847.