3620. 'I loathe my life on account of the daughters of Heth' means a connection with natural truth from some other source. This is clear from the meaning of 'loathing one's life' as no connection, that is to say, of the truth of the natural with the truth of the rational - for when these two are not connected to each other it seems to the rational as though its own life were no life, as may be seen from what has been stated above in 3493; and from the meaning of 'the daughters of Heth' as affections for truth from a non-genuine source, in this case affections for natural truth, since Rebekah said this to Jacob who, as shown above, represents natural truth. For 'the daughters' means affections, see 2362, and 'Heth' or Hittite truth from a non-genuine source, 3470. From these meanings it is clear that 'I loathe my life on account of the daughters of Heth' means that there should not be any connection with the natural through truth which does not come from a genuine source, thus that no connection with natural truth from some other source should exist. The connection with natural truth is dealt with later on where Jacob's stay with Laban is the subject - that is to say, when truths from a common stem have been joined on to it. Since the truths which 'the daughters of Heth' represent did not come from that common stem no connection of them with natural truth was possible, because they were dissimilar and did not accord with it. Actually the spiritual Church among gentiles, 2913, 2956, is represented by 'the sons of Heth', but as the Word does not exist in that Church the Word is not the source of its truths.

1844. 'In a land that is not theirs' means where there will be a Church which does not so to speak consist of people in whom charity and faith are present. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land' as the Church, dealt with in 566, 662, 1066, 1068. At the present day people speak of doctrinal matters of faith, these alone, as the things which make the Church; and it is on the basis of these that they distinguish the Lord's Churches from one another. They are not concerned about the kind of life people lead, whether or not they foment inner hatred and like wild animals tear one another apart, violently rob one another, deprive one another of reputation, position, and wealth, and at heart deny whatever is holy. The Church however does not exist in any way with people who are like this but with those who love the Lord and their neighbour as themselves, who have conscience, and who turn away from the kinds of hatred that have been mentioned. When the latter with whom the Church in fact exists are among the others described above they are like 'strangers', and they are subjected by these others to every possible insult and persecution, or are regarded by them as being simple, insignificant, and worthless. This then is what is meant by 'your seed will be strangers in the land'.