4643. Verses 2-5 Esau took his wives (femina) from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite; and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite; and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau; and Basemath bore Reuel; and Oholibamah bore Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

'Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan' means the first joining of Natural good - to the affection for apparent truth. 'Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite' means its essential nature which it received from the Ancient Church. 'And Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth' means the second joining - to the affection for truth from a Divine stem. 'And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel' means the first derivatives. 'And Oholibamah bore Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah' means the second derivative. 'These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan' means from the good of the Lord's kingdom.

989. As regards ruling over falsities the same applies as with ruling over evils, namely that of himself no one is able in the slightest to rule over falsity. Since the subject here is the regenerate person' s rule over evil desires, which are 'the beast of the earth' and over falsities, which are 'the bird of the air', ¹ it should be recognized that nobody can possibly say he has been regenerated unless he acknowledges and believes that charity is the primary constituent of his faith and unless he is moved to love his neighbour and pity him. It is from charity that his new will is formed, and it is by means of charity that the Lord works good and truth deriving from it, and not by means of faith devoid of charity. There are people who practise the works of charity solely out of a sense of obedience, that is, because it has been so commanded by the Lord, but who are nevertheless not regenerate. Provided they do not presume any righteousness to lie in their works, these people are regenerated in the next life.

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