3440. 'And I will bless you, and will cause your seed to multiply' means the increase of good and truth from there. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing you' as an increase of good, dealt with in 3406, and from the meaning of 'your seed multiplying' as an increase of truth, dealt with in 43, 55, 913, 983, 2846, 2847 - 'seed' meaning truth, in reference to which 'multiplying' is used, see 1025, 1447, 1610, 2848, 3038, 3373, 3380. One reason why even from the literal sense of the Word an increase of good and truth takes place with man is that within that sense also every single thing is Divine, as stated just above in 3439. And another reason is that in many places in the literal sense the internal sense is openly revealed, for example in the Old Testament, in the Prophets, where the Lord's future coming to be the salvation of the human race is stated; where it is stated that to love God and to love the neighbour constitute all the Law and all the Prophets; or where it is stated that hatred is murder, for anyone who harbours hatred is committing murder moment by moment, insofar as his hatred is willful and is the delight of his life. These are examples of where the internal sense can be seen within the literal sense; and there are many others besides these.

2861. That 'so it was, after these events' means the things that had been accomplished in regard to those within the Church is clear from the meaning of 'words' as real things. In the original language real things are called 'words', so that 'after these events' means the things that had been accomplished. The subject in what has gone before, from verse 13 to the present verse, has been the salvation of those who are spiritual by the Lord's Divine Human, and indeed of those who are endowed with good within the Church. These are ones who are able to be truly spiritual because they possess the Word and so the truths of faith. It is by means of the truths of doctrine joined to goodness of life that a person becomes spiritual. Everything spiritual originates in these when joined together. But gentiles outside the Church, because they do not possess the Word nor thus the truths of faith as long as they are in the world, even though the good of charity exists with them, are not truly spiritual until they have been taught the truths of faith. And because most gentiles in the world are not able to be taught, those who have led charitable and obedient lives one with another are, in the Lord's providence and mercy, taught in the next life. At that time they accept the truths of faith without difficulty and become spiritual. For such is the state and condition of gentiles in the next life, see 2589-2604.

[2] Since those within the Church who are saved by the Lord's Divine Human have been the subject in what has gone before, the subject in what follows from here to the end of the chapter is therefore those outside the Church who are saved. These are meant by the sons who were born to Nahor, Abraham's brother, by Milkah his wife and by Reumah his concubine. This also follows in the sequence of thought. Anyone who is unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word would imagine that these words merely presented the family-tree of the house of Terah, given on account of Rebekah, who became the wife of Isaac, and also on account of Bethuel, whose two granddaughters, Leah and Rachel, became the wives of Jacob. But in fact, as has often been stated and shown, all names in the Word mean real things, 1224, 1264, 1876, 1888. And unless they meant real things the Word would not be Divine but worldly. From this it may also become clear that the words which follow have regard in the train of thought to the Lord's spiritual Church, but that Church as it exists among gentiles. It was traced back through Nahor, Abraham's brother, so as to mean those who exist in a brotherly relationship by virtue of good, as shown below in 2863.