7547. 'And you would be cut off from the earth' means that thus there would be no communication any longer through things of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'being cut off', when said of things of the Church, as being separated, and when they are separated - that is, when there is no longer any communication or contact with heaven through those things of the Church - that person sinks into hell, which is 'being cut off', see above in 7545; and from the meaning of 'the earth' as the Church, dealt with in 662, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 2571, 2928, 3355, 4535, 4447, 5577.

1261. As 'nations' meant goods so also did families, for each nation was composed of families. 'Houses' likewise had the same meaning, for each family was made up of a number of houses. Concerning a house, see 710. 'Families' however means goods when used in reference to nations, but truths when used in reference to peoples, as in David,

All the families of the nations will bow down before You, for the kingdom is Jehovah's, and He rules among the nations. Psalms 22:27-28.

And in the same author,

Give to Jehovah, O families of the peoples, give to Jehovah glory and strength! Psalms 96:7.

In the present verse and in the previous verse of this chapter 'families' has reference to goods because they were families of nations.