3239. 'She bore to him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah' represents general divisions of the Lord's spiritual kingdom in heaven and on earth. This is less clear from the Word since none of these names is mentioned anywhere else, except Midian, who is dealt with further on. The meaning becomes sufficiently clear however from the consideration that, without exception, all the persons named in the Word each have some representation, as with all those mentioned so far from the beginning of Genesis and onwards. In the internal sense of the Word the names both of persons and of kingdoms, and also of regions and cities, mean real things - see 768, 1224, 1264, 1876, 1888, and many times elsewhere, where this matter in particular is confirmed from the Word. The reason why the rest of these names apart from Midian are not mentioned elsewhere in the Word is that they are the names of 'the sons of the east' who are referred to in various places in the Word and who in general mean members of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, as will be seen below at verse 6 of this chapter.

[2] It is clear that these sons of Abraham by Keturah have this representation from the consideration that Abraham and Keturah represent the Lord's Divine Spiritual; that is to say, 'Abraham' represents the Lord's Divine Spiritual Good, 'Keturah' His Divine Spiritual Truth joined to that Good, dealt with just above in 3235, 3236. And because Abraham and Keturah represent the Lord's Divine Spiritual, their sons therefore represent general divisions of the kingdom which originates in the Lord's Divine Spiritual. The expression 'general divisions' is used because the Lord's kingdom is represented by 'the land' which is divided up among those to whom it is given to possess as an inheritance, as the land of Canaan was given to the children of Israel. There are in general twelve divisions, for twelve means all things of charity and of faith derived from this which constitute the Lord's kingdom, dealt with below at verse 16. Six, thus half that number, is mentioned here; but half of a number embodies the same as the whole number, for provided that which it embraces is similar, multiplying and dividing does not vary the essential character of the thing itself.

768. 'Noah' means what belonged to that Church, and 'Shem, Ham, and Japheth' what belonged to the Churches that derived from it. This is clear from the fact that here they are not called simply 'his sons', as they were previously in verse 7, but that their names are added as well. When their names are mentioned in this way they mean the member of the Church. The member of the Church is not only the Church itself, but also everything belonging to it. It is a general term embracing whatever belongs to the Church, as stated already in reference to the Most Ancient Church which was called Man, and likewise in reference to the others mentioned by name. 'Noah' therefore and 'Shem, Ham, and Japheth' mean whatever belongs in its entirety to the Church and to the Churches deriving from it.

[2] Such is the style and manner of expression used in the Word. For example, when Judah is mentioned in the Prophets it means in most cases the celestial Church or whatever belongs to that Church. When Israel is mentioned it means in most cases the spiritual Church or whatever belongs to that Church. And when it is Jacob it means the external Church. For with every member of the Church there exist the internal aspect of the Church and the external. The internal is where the true Church is to be found, while the external is what derives from it, which is Jacob.

[3] It is different when they are not mentioned by name, for the reason that in that case they relate to the Lord's kingdom in a representative fashion. The Lord is the only Man, and is the All of His kingdom. And because the Church is the Lord's kingdom on earth, the Lord alone is the All of the Church. The All of the Church is love or charity, and therefore 'man', or what amounts to the same, someone who is mentioned by name means love or charity, that is, the All of the Church. 'Wife' in that case means quite simply the Church that comes from it, as is also the case here. The character of the Churches meant by 'Shem, Ham, and Japheth' however will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on.