Chapter 10
THE
SPIRITUAL GAINS PRECEDENCE OF THE
MENTAL
GENESIS 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36
Charles Fillmore
Mysteries of Genesis
MAN DEVELOPS his
faculties in an orderly manner when he
looks to Divine Mind as the one and
only guide. But he does not always seek
this inner wisdom, and the result is a
disorderly development. Jacob
represents the mind in man that directs
the physical body (Esau) in all its
acts. In divine order Jacob should be
born first--we should think before we
act--but we find that as a rule people
do not reflect and then act, and
especially is this true among people
who are in the first stages of their
race journey.
The natural man in his
immature consciousness is moved by
desire and not by rational thinking. He
seeks to satisfy appetite regardless of
higher law and sells his birthright for
a mess of pottage. When understanding
(Jacob) takes the ascendancy, there is
an entire change. Jacob went toward
Haran ("enlightened," "mountainous").
The significance of this sentence is
that when we let our meditations and
blessings fall on the "knowing" part of
ourselves (Jacob instead of Esau) we go
into a higher mental state or an
exalted condition of mind, wherein we
receive a higher and clearer conception
of things spiritual.
Gen. 32:1, 2. And
Jacob went on his way, and the
angels of God met him. And Jacob
said when he saw them, This is
God's host: and he called the name
of the place Mahanaim.
The name Mahanaim means
"two camps," "two hosts," "companies."
In the individual consciousness
Mahanaim represents spiritual ideas and
the physical realm ("two hosts"). This
idea is brought out very clearly in the
naming of the place by Jacob. The "two
hosts" are the angels of God
(messengers of God: spiritual ideas) on
the one hand, and Jacob and his
company, his wives, children, and
possessions (manifestations of ideas)
on the other.
Gen. 32:3-28. And
Jacob sent messengers before him to
Esau his brother unto the land of
Seir, the field of Edom. And he
commanded them, saying, Thus shall
ye say unto my lord Esau: Thus
saith thy servant Jacob, I have
sojourned with Laban, and stayed
until now: and I have oxen, and
asses, and flocks, and
men-servants, and maid-servants:
and I have sent to tell my lord,
that I may find favor in thy sight.
And the messengers returned to
Jacob, saying, We came to thy
brother Esau, and moreover he
cometh to meet thee, and four
hundred men with him. Then Jacob
was greatly afraid and was
distressed: and he divided the
people that were with him, and the
flocks, and the herds, and the
camels, into two companies; and he
said, If Esau come to the one
company, and smite it, then the
company which is left shall escape.
And Jacob said, O God of my father
Abraham, and God of my father
Isaac, O Jehovah, who saidst unto
me, Return unto thy country, and to
thy kindred, and I will do thee
good: I am not worthy of the least
of all the lovingkindnesses, and of
all the truth, which thou hast
shown unto thy servant; for with my
staff I passed over this Jordan;
and now I am become two companies.
Deliver me, I pray thee, from the
hand of my brother, from the hand
of Esau: for I fear him, lest he
come and smite me, the mother with
the children. And thou saidst, I
will surely do thee good, and make
thy seed as the sand of the sea,
which cannot be numbered for
multitude.
And he lodged
there that night, and took of that
which he had with him a present for
Esau his brother: two hundred
she-goats and twenty he-goats, two
hundred ewes and twenty rams,
thirty milch camels and their
colts, forty cows and ten bulls,
twenty she-asses and ten foals. And
he delivered them into the hand of
his servants, every drove by
itself, and said unto his servants,
Pass over before me, and put a
space betwixt drove and drove. And
he commanded the foremost, saying,
When Esau my brother meeteth thee,
and asketh thee, saying, Whose art
thou? and whither goeth thou? and
whose are these before thee? then
thou shalt say, They are thy
servant Jacob's; it is a present
sent unto my lord Esau: and,
behold, he also is behind us. And
he commanded also the second, and
the third, and all that followed
the droves, saying, On this manner
shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye
find him; and ye shall say,
Moreover, behold, thy servant Jacob
is behind us. For he said, I will
appease him with the present that
goeth before me, and afterward I
will see his face; peradventure he
will accept me. So the present
passed over before him: and he
himself lodged that night in the
company.
And he rose up
that night, and took his two wives,
and his two hand-maids, and his
eleven children, and passed over
the ford of the Jabbok. And he took
them, and sent them over the
stream, and sent over that which he
had. And Jacob was left alone; and
there wrestled a man with him until
the breaking of the day. And when
he saw that he prevailed not
against him, he touched the hollow
of his thigh; and the hollow of
Jacob's thigh was strained, as he
wrestled with him. And he said, Let
me go, for the day breaketh. And he
said, I will not let thee go,
except thou bless me. And he said
unto him, What is thy name? And he
said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name
shall be called no more Jacob, but
Israel: for thou hast striven with
God and with men, and hast
prevailed.
Edom was the name of the
country where Esau's descendants lived.
It represents the outer man, the body,
or the carnal, physical phase of man's
consciousness and organism. The
significance of Seir is virtually the
same as that of Edom. Seir apparently
designates especially the emotional and
stormy yet deep-seated carnal
tendencies in the physical.
The Jordan ("flowing of
judgment") may be said to represent
that place in consciousness where we
are willing to meet the results of our
thoughts face to face and
understandingly and courageously to
pass judgment on all
thoughts.
In the soul's unfoldment
the higher faculties forge ahead,
establish states of consciousness, and
gather possessions of substance that
must afterward be distributed to the
lower faculties. Jacob represents the
soul that has become rich in ideas. A
time comes when an equalizing process
begins and the body (Esau) must be
given some of the riches of the
soul.
Until love has done its
perfect work man is fearful. Jacob
feared to meet Esau. We find it hard to
face the full claims of the body (Esau)
after we have cheated it of its
birthright, unity of soul and body in
spiritual thought. Divine courage must
supplant this fear before we are equal
to facing the consequences of our
self-centered thoughts and to taking up
the task of harmonizing all our forces.
But the vital power of Spirit animates
the body, and it responds readily to
our true thought when we give it of our
substance.
The soul does not like
to enter into struggles to overcome
material habits, but it is necessary
that it do so. The name of the ford
where Jacob wrestled with the angel
means "wrestling," and the inference is
that it was hard for Jacob to put aside
the things that he loved and to enter
alone into the invisible to wrestle
with the forces of the subconsciousness
or sense consciousness in darkness.
This struggle with the physical is
illustrated in the overcoming by Jesus
in the garden of Gethsemane. The error
is "pressed out" and the rich oil of
reality saved.
The life in the
subconsciousness has several planes of
action. In the deep recesses of the
nerves it sends its energy to and fro,
coming to the surface here and there in
flesh-and-blood sensation. There is a
strong man down there about whom the
average person knows little. He lives
so far below the plane of common
consciousness that the great majority
of men go through their whole life
without making his acquaintance. This
man is pure nature, the foundation of
the body. Without him man could not
take form, and it is his tenacity that
keeps our organism intact. He belongs
to nature and is universal; hence when
the individual attempts to control him
and to lift him up, there is
resistance, and a severe struggle with
him is inevitable. "The flesh lusteth
against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh."
The mind controls the
body through the thoughts acting on the
nerves. The sciatic nerve runs down the
leg through the hollow of the thigh,
and the will acts directly through this
nerve. When the intellect (Jacob)
exercises its power in the effort to
control the natural man within, there
follows a letting go of human
will--Jacob's thigh is out of joint. A
great light of understanding breaks in
on the struggling soul, of which the
intellect is a part, when it discovers
that there is a divine-natural body,
and it clings to that inner life and
strength until it brings to the surface
the blessing of perpetual physical
vigor. Jacob (intellect) said, "I will
not let thee go, except thou bless me."
The blessing carried with it a new
name, Israel; one who has striven with
God and with men and has prevailed.
"Israel" is one who is a prince and has
power as regards both God and man, the
spiritual and the material.
We can appreciate why
Jacob (the intellect) after this
experience was willing to make amends
to Esau (the body), whom he had cheated
and neglected all these years. When the
intellect or conscious mind realizes
and exercises its superior ability
there is an intuitive feeling of
injustice and a fear of the results. An
awareness of having disregarded divine
law coupled with inability to recall
the cause of this fear results in much
mental concern. Persons who let the
ambitious intellect override the
demands and rights of the body (Esau)
eventually find themselves afraid and
anxious to make restitution to the
body.
Gen. 32:29-32. And
Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me,
I pray thee, thy name. And he said,
Wherefore is it that thou dost ask
after my name? And he blessed him
there. And Jacob called the name of
the place Peniel: for, said he, I
have seen God face to face, and my
life is preserved. And the sun rose
upon him as he passed over Penuel,
and he limped upon his thigh.
Therefore the children of Israel
eat not the sinew of the hip which
is upon the hallow of the thigh,
unto this day: because he touched
the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the
sinew of the hip.
Instead of Jacob being
weaker, as his limp would indicate, he
was stronger, because he had made a
spiritual adjustment between the higher
and the lower in his body
consciousness. One can change one's
attitude toward the body and thus
change the body itself by following the
advise of Paul: "Be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind." Do not
judge by the appearance, do not call
your body temple evil or corruptible
flesh; do not fall into the error of
mortal mind. See in the body what Jacob
saw, the face of God; for it is ever
the temple of the living
God.
The name Peniel means
"turned toward God," "face of God,"
"within the presence of God." Peniel
symbolizes the inner realization of the
divine presence, the realization of
having met God face to face and of
having succeeded through prayer in
attaining the divine favor and blessing
that have been sought.
(Penuel is the same name
as Peniel and carries the same meaning
and symbology.)
The "children of Israel
eat not the sinew of the hip which is
upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this
day," as a reminder of a spiritual
truth that they may not understand now
but will eventually.
Gen. 33:1-11. And
Jacob lifted up his eyes, and
looked, and, behold, Esau was
coming, and with him four hundred
men. And he divided the children
unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and
unto the two handmaids. And he put
the handmaids and their children
foremost, and Leah and her children
after, and Rachel and Joseph
hindermost. And he himself passed
over before them, and bowed himself
to the ground seven times, until he
came near to his brother. And Esau
ran to meet him, and embraced him,
and fell on his neck, and kissed
him: and they wept. And he lifted
up his eyes, and saw the women and
the children; and said, Whose are
these with thee? And he said, The
children whom God hath graciously
given thy servant. Then the
handmaids came near, they and their
children, and they bowed
themselves. And Leah also and her
children came near, and bowed
themselves: and after came Joseph
near and Rachel, and they bowed
themselves, And he said, What
meanest thou by all this company
which I met? And he said, To find
favor in the sight of my lord. And
Esau said, I have enough, my
brother; let that which thou hast
be thine. And Jacob said, Nay, I
pray thee, if now I have found
favor in thy sight, then receive my
present at my hand; forasmuch as I
have seen thy face, as one seeth
the face of God, and thou wast
pleased with me. Take, I pray thee,
my gift that is brought to thee;
because God hath dealt graciously
with me, and because I have enough.
And he urged him, and he took
it.
Jacob, now become
Israel, was reunited with Esau after he
crossed the ford Jabbok ("wrestling").
The universal law of the unity of all
things was fulfilled. The way in which
the mind (Israel) projects its thoughts
toward the body (Esau) is symbolized by
the way in which Rachel and her
children, Leah and her children, and
the handmaids with their children were
presented to Esau. The handmaids were
presented first because they represent
physical thoughts. Leah and her
children, presented next, represent
intellectual thoughts. Rachel (most
beloved) and her son Joseph were
presented last because they represent
the more spiritual thoughts. Then Jacob
himself "passed over before them, and
bowed himself to the ground seven
times, until he came near to his
brother." This means that the intellect
recognizes the body as its equal and
the body's well-being as necessary to
harmonious existence. In his spiritual
self man must give his body place as a
divine creation and co-operate with it
in his evolution.
The body always obeys
the conscious or subconscious behests
of the mind. "Esau ran to meet him, and
embraced him, and fell on his neck, and
kissed him: and they wept." He rufused
at first to accept the proffered gifts
of Jacob. The body at first feels its
own completeness and resists the rich
ideas that the mind has developed in
its unfoldment. Jacob (illumined
intellect) said, "Receive my present at
my hand; forasmuch as I have seen thy
face, as one seeth the face of
God."
Job says, "In my flesh
shall I see God." (A.V.) Jesus said,
"He that hath seen me hath seen the
Father." The mind must ideate the body
as God substance. This will raise the
body to the higher consciousness of its
innate divinity. The I AM does not make
spiritual union with the body until it
sees it as the pure and holy temple of
God.
The gifts that Jacob
gave to Esau represent the innate
abilities that are wrapped up in the
body and that can be expressed only
through union with the mind. Persons
who are skilled in exercises of agility
and strength must have the will to win
a contest before they are victorious,
and trainers are giving more and more
attention and assigning ever greater
importance to the mental state of their
athletes.
Gen. 33:12-16. And
he said, Let us take our journey,
and let us go, and I will go before
thee. And he said unto him, My lord
knoweth that the children are
tender, and that the flocks and
herds with me have their young: and
if they overdrive them one day, all
the flocks will die. Let my lord, I
pray thee, pass over before his
servant: and I will lead on gently,
according to the pace of the cattle
that are before me and according to
the pace of the children, until I
come unto my lord unto Seir. And
Esau said, Let me now leave with
thee some of the folk that are with
me. And he said, What needeth it?
let me find favor in the sight of
my lord. So Esau returned that day
on his way unto Seir.
Here is a lesson in
co-operation between mind and body.
This unity is essential not only to the
development of the mental and the
physical but to the unfoldment of the
spirit. The body is lifted up and the
mind strengthened when they work in
unison. The children of the mind are
the new ideas ushering in the untried
capacities of both mind and body. They
were now penetrating into the body
consciousness (Seir) or the home of the
physical (Esau), where the mind will
lay hold of the essential physical
elements and lift them up to a higher
plane.
Gen. 33:17. And
Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and
built him a house, and made booths
for his cattle: therefore the name
of the place is called
Succoth.
The name Succoth means
"interwoven," "booths," "tents." Booths
or tents represent temporary abiding
places as compared with permanent
houses. Succoth represents the seeming
temporary, carnal, material organism of
man, which is the fruit or
manifestation of the belief that the
spiritually unawakened man holds
concerning his physical body. The
abiding, spiritual body will come into
manifestation when man learns that he
is wholly spiritual and that no part of
him, not even his body, is material and
subject to corruption. Spiritual, true
thinking will transform the present
material seeming and will bring forth
immortality, eternal life, throughout
the whole man's being.
Gen. 33:18-20. And
Jacob came in peace to the city of
Shechem, which is in the land of
Canaan, when he came from
Paddan-aram; and encamped before
the city. And he bought the parcel
of ground where he had spread his
tent, at the hand of the children
of Hamor, Schechem's father, for a
hundred pieces of money. And he
erected there an altar, and called
it El-Elohe-Israel.
Jacob again entered the
land of Canaan, as the Lord had
promised he should, and encamped there.
His fears gone--he came in peace to
Shechem--he was free to pitch his tent
wherever he pleased. So we, studying
his example, may overcome the self
through the transforming power of love.
We may have a vision of the power of
God indwelling, and in the patience
that this vision teaches us we may
cease striving with the personal self
and henceforth strive only for the
possession of the eternal ideal. Thus
we make a new name for ourselves,
supplanting the former natural self
with the divine self. We find our new
name written on the white stone that no
one else knows, for it is
"I."
When love has preformed
its work in his consciousness man
ceases to struggle against the seeming
evils in the world without and turns
his attention to overcoming the
inharmonies of the world within
himself. "Ye have heard that it is
said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth
for a tooth: but I say unto you, Resist
not him that is evil . . . Ye have
heard that it was said, Thou shalt love
thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: but
I say unto you, Love your enemies, and
pray for them that persecute
you."
All through the Bible
life is compared to a battle but not to
war: "the battle is Jehovah's." The
Lord does not fight ignorance and evil;
the foundation of all existence being
good, the law is constantly at work
reducing error to its exact stature. As
man develops in consciousness, both the
soul and the body constantly become
more refined under the law of Spirit.
This causes a seeming struggle
sometimes with adverse conditions,
materiality, ignorance, and
evil.
The city of Shechem in
the land of Canaan is in the locality
where Hamor and his son Shechem dwelt.
This is the consciousness into which
Jacob (illumined intellect) came. The
children of Hamor ("stubborn," "dark,"
"ignorant") represent the earthly,
carnal, state of mind. Shechem
represents a burden-bearing attitude of
mind ("bending down," "a burden"). The
name El-Elohe-lsrael means "Elohe
[Elohim], God of Israel," "mighty God
of Israel," "Elohim He of Israel." The
altar symbolizes the giving up of the
"mind of the flesh" in individual
consciousness to make way for the
spiritual so that the spiritual may
prevail throughout and God alone may be
recognized. Thus Israel (the true,
spiritual thoughts, beliefs, and
faculties) may indeed become a prince,
prevailing and ruling with God, having
power with both God and man; that is,
having power for good in every phase of
the consciousness, from the very
highest to the most material
plane.
Gen. 34:1-3. And
Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom
she bare unto Jacob, went out to
see the daughters of the land. And
Shechem the son of Hamor the
Hivite, the prince of the land, saw
her; and he took her, and lay with
her, and humbled her. And his soul
clave unto Dinah the daughter of
Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and
spake kindly unto the
damsel.
The name Dinah means
"justified," "avenged." Dinah
represents the soul side of or the
feminine element in the judgment
faculty in man, which may be called
intuition, the intuition of the natural
man. The thought of vengeance that is
suggested in the name always comes to
the natural man in the process of
judging; he is more likely to discern
the error side of a proposition than
the true side. Dinah, representing this
feminine element, went out and mingled
with the daughters of the land, who
were Hivites. The Hivites were
descended from Canaan, son of Ham, and
represent the physical and carnal
qualities in the individual. Any
unlawful relationship of thoughts or
elements results in a heavy,
burdensome, attitude of mind (Shechem).
Hamor represents a central or ruling
thought (he was a Hivite prince) in the
carnal consciousness of man.
Gen. 34:4-7. And
Shechem spake unto his father
Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel
to wife. Now Jacob heard that he
had defiled Dinah his daughter; and
his sons were with his cattle in
the field: and Jacob held his peace
until they came. And Hamor the
father of Shechem went out unto
Jacob to commune with him. And the
sons of Jacob came in from the
field when they heard it: and the
men were grieved, and they were
very wroth, because he had wrought
folly in Israel in lying with
Jacob's daughter; which thing ought
not to be done.
Shechem (burden-bearing
thoughts), representing a belief in the
reality of the material and physical,
sought to make his relationship with
Dinah (feminine, intuitional element)
permanent. When Jacob's sons (the
offspring of the illumined intellect)
discovered the unholy state of affairs
they were naturally grieved and
angered.
Gen. 34:8-31. And
Hamor communed with them, saying,
The soul of my son Shechem longeth
for your daughter: I pray you, give
her unto him to wife. And make ye
marriages with us; give your
daughters unto us, and take our
daughters unto you. And ye shall
dwell with us: and the land shall
be before you; dwell and trade ye
therein, and get you possessions
therein. And Shechem said unto her
father and unto her brethren, Let
me find favor in your eyes, and
what ye shall say unto me I will
give. Ask me never so much dowry
and gift, and I will give according
as ye shall say unto me: but give
me the damsel to wife. And the sons
of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor
his father with guile, and spake,
because he had defiled Dinah their
sister, and said unto them, We
cannot do this thing, to give our
sister to one that is
uncircumcised; for that were a
reproach unto us. Only on this
condition will we consent unto you:
if ye will be as we are, that every
male of you be circumcised; then
will we give our daughters unto
you, and we will take your
daughters to us, and we will dwell
with you, and we will become one
people. But if ye will not hearken
unto us, to be circumcised; then
will we take our daughter, and we
will be gone.
And their words
pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's
son. And the young man deferred not
to do the thing, because he had
delight in Jacob's daughter: and he
was honored above all the house of
his father. And Hamor and Shechem
his son came unto the gate of their
city, and communed with the men of
their city, saying, These men are
peaceable with us; therefore let
them dwell in the land, and trade
therein; for, behold, the land is
large enough for them; let us take
their daughters to us for wives,
and let us give them our daughters.
Only on this condition will the men
consent unto us to dwell with us,
to become one people, if every male
among us be circumcised, as they
are circumcised. Shall not their
cattle and their substance and all
their beasts be ours? only let us
consent unto them, and they will
dwell with us. And unto Hamor and
unto Shechem his son hearkened all
that went out of the gate of his
city; and every male was
circumcised, all that went out of
the gate of his city. And it came
to pass on the third day, when they
were sore, that two of the sons of
Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's
brethren, took each man his sword,
and came upon the city unawares,
and slew all the males. And they
slew Hamor and Shechem his son with
the edge of the sword, and took
Dinah out of Shechem's house, and
went forth. The sons of Jacob came
upon the slain, and plundered the
city, because they had defiled
their sister. They took their
flocks and their herds and their
asses, and that which was in the
city, and that which was in the
field; and all their wealth, and
all their little ones and their
wives, took they captive and made a
prey, even all that was in the
house. And Jacob said to Simeon and
Levi, Ye have troubled me, to make
me odious to the inhabitants of the
land, among the Canaanites and the
Perizzites: and, I bring few in
number, they will gather themselves
together against me and smite me;
and I shall be destroyed, I and my
house. And they said, Should he
deal with our sister as with a
harlot?
The whole purpose of
Jacob (illumined intellect) in
penetrating down into the city of
Shechem (materiality) in the land of
Canaan (the physical and carnal) was to
lay hold of new vigor, vitality and
substance. Dinah represents the
intuitive natural judgment that
determines virtue and law in the
physical. When this intuitive natural
judgment is united with sense it loses
its protective integrity, which is
resented by the related faculties on
that plane of consciousness (Dinah's
brothers). A strict law of chastity is
often observed even among primitive
people. They may be cannibals or
head-hunters yet be concerned for the
preservation of the purity of their
women. "And they slew Hamor and Shechem
his son with the edge of the sword, and
took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and
went forth."
The thought of judgment
and punishment that is suggested in the
name Dinah is carried out in the action
of Simeon and Levi in taking vengeance
for Dinah's disgrace on Shechem and his
people. As man becomes more spiritual
in his ideas of judgment, thoughts of
revenge, punishment, and evil are
eliminated from his mind and he sees
the love, mercy, and goodness of God
instead.
(On the subject of
circumcision see interpretation of Gen.
17:9-14.)
The Canaanites represent
the elemental life forces in the
subconsciousness.
The Perizzites were
inhabitants of Canaan and, like the
Canaanites, represent the fundamental
life element in the organism, only
elevated to a more exalted plane by the
outer, personal man and more strongly
entrenched in the sense consciousness
of the individual.
Gen. 35:1-7. And God
said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to
Beth-el, and dwell there: and make
there an altar unto God, who
appeared unto thee when thou
fleddest from the face of Esau thy
brother. Then Jacob said unto his
household, and to all that were
with him, Put away the foreign gods
that are among you, and purify
yourselves, and change your
garments: and let us arise, and go
up to Beth-el; and I will make
there an altar unto God, who
answered me in the day of my
distress, and was with me in the
way which I went. And they gave
unto Jacob all the foreign gods
which were in their hand, and the
rings which were in their ears; and
Jacob hid them under the oak which
was by Shechem. And they journeyed:
and a terror of God was upon the
cities that were round about them,
and they did not pursue after the
sons of Jacob. So Jacob came to
Luz, which is in the land of Canaan
(the same is Beth-el), he and all
the people that were with him. And
he built there an altar, and called
the place El-beth-el; because there
God was revealed unto him, when he
fled from the face of his
brother.
God commanded Jacob to
arise (lift up his thoughts) and go
unto Beth-el ("house of God"). After a
progressive soul has passed through
such an experience as the one recorded
in the preceding chapter, this soul
feels the need of and affirms the
cleansing, purifying, and uplifting
power of the word and resolves to keep
its face turned more steadfastly toward
the light. The foreign gods here
referred to supposedly are little
images (made of a material substance
such as clay or iron) representing
ideas. The rings symbolize ornaments in
which a vain and frivolous soul
delights.
All these relics of the
country they were leaving were now to
be cast out of the conscious mind. The
change of garments represents a change
of thoughts. The name Luz means
"turning away," "departing," "a shrub
bearing nuts." Luz indicates
separation. It also carries with it the
idea of substance and strength ("a
shrub bearing nuts") of a more or less
material character. When Jacob realized
the omnipresence of God he changed the
name of Luz to Beth-el ("house of
God"). (See interpretation of Gen.
28:18-22.)
On the occasion of this,
Jacob's second journey to Luz, he set
up an altar and called the place
El-beth-el, which means "toward
Beth-el; strength of the house of God."
It symbolizes the revelation from
within that the true origin of man is
spiritual, that God dwells in man and
reveals Himself when man comes to the
place in consciousness where he is
willing to give up the lower for the
higher (builds an altar to Jehovah).
Man is the house (temple) of God, and
he is greatly strengthened when he
perceives this truth.
Gen. 35:8. And
Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and
she was buried below Beth-el under
the oak; and the name of it was
called Allon-bacuth.
Rebekah represents the
soul's natural delight in the
beautiful. The name of Deborah means "a
bee." The name Allon-bacuth means "oak
of weeping." Weeping is an expression
of emotion, a negative condition, a
letting go throughout the organism.
Rebekah's nurse Deborah represents the
quality of the soul by virtue of which
it serves instinctively and is guided
by discrimination and judgment. In
mixed states of consciousness, where
error seems strongest, Spirit can lead
by following the guidance of instinct.
Deborah was buried below Bethel ("house
of God") under the oak (the protection
of Spirit).
Allon-bacuth ("oak of
weeping") represents the inner
strengthening of the true man that
comes when, in trying to serve, he lets
go of the outer personal activities and
goes within to the source of all
strength and true energy (the oak) and
rests there in God.
Gen. 35:9-15. And
God appeared unto Jacob again, when
he came from Paddan-aram, and
blessed him. And God said unto him,
Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall
not be called any more Jacob, but
Israel shall be thy name: and he
called his name Israel. And God
said unto him, I am God Almighty:
be fruitful and multiply; a nation
and a company of nations shall be
of thee, and kings shall come out
of thy loins; and the land which I
gave unto Abraham and Isaac, to
thee I will give it, and to thy
seed after thee will I give the
land. And God went up from him in
the place where he spake with him.
And Jacob set up a pillar in the
place where he spake with him, a
pillar of stone: and he poured out
a drink-offering thereon, and
poured oil thereon. And Jacob
called the name of the place where
God spake with him, Beth-el.
The foregoing incident
left an idelible impression on Jacob's
mind, and he counted it as a great
spiritual experience and set up a stone
as a pillar in commemoration of
it.
The name Aram means
"high," "exalted," and Aram denotes the
intellect. The name Paddan means
"field," "tableland." Paddan-aram
represents substance lifted to a broad,
level place in the intellectual thought
of the individual. This incident in the
life of Jacob has much in common with
an earlier one. (See interpretation of
Gen. 28:18-22).
Gen. 35:16-21. And
they journeyed from Beth-el; and
there was still some distance to
come to Ephrath: and Rachel
travailed, and she had hard labor.
And it came to pass, when she was
in hard labor, that the midwife
said unto her, Fear not; for now
thou shalt have another son. And it
came to pass, as her soul was
departing (for she died), that she
called his name Ben-oni: but his
father called him Benjamin. And
Rachel died, and was buried in the
way to Ephrath (the same is
Beth-lehem). And Jacob set up a
pillar upon her grave: the same is
the Pillar of Rachel's grave unto
this day. And Israel journeyed, and
spread his tent beyond the tower of
Eder.
Ephrath is the original
name of the town of Bethlehem. Ephrath
represents a realization of abundant
substance, this increase of substance
ideas in consciousness bringing about a
corresponding fruitfulness, abundance,
throughout one's life and
affairs.
The last of the sons of
Jacob was born after his return to
Canaan. The death of Rachel and birth
of Benjamin represent the transition of
a potential soul quality from the
subjective to the objective plane of
consciousness. Rachel ("ewe," "lamb")
represents the pure, innocent,
potentially spiritual soul that is a
composite of faith, love, power, and
the like. It is through Jacob (the
intellect) that these qualities are
made objective, and when this comes to
pass there is temporary sorrow ("son of
my sorrow"), followed by rejoicing at
the realization of the birth of the new
power that has come through the
transition ("son of my right hand"). "A
woman when she is in travail hath
sorrow, because her hour is come: but
when she is delivered of the child, she
remembereth no more the anguish, for
the joy that a man is born into the
world."
The name Eder means
"troop," "flock." The tower called
Eder, beyond which Israel (Jacob)
journeyed and spread his tent,
symbolizes the gathering of thoughts of
dominion and rulership (Israel means
"rulership with God") and the raising
of them to a higher degree of
understanding; lifting them to a
spiritual level by realizing that power
and dominion come from God.
Gen. 35:22. And it
came to pass, while Israel dwelt in
that land, that Reuben went and lay
with Bilhah his father's concubine:
and Israel heard of it.
All these illustrations
show that the divine law must be
observed in developing the faculties.
Reuben's laying with Bilhah evidently
symbolizes an abortive attempt of man's
perception of Truth (Reuben) to develop
them through an illegitimate union with
a negative element (Bilhah:
"bashfulness," "timidity"). That there
is no record of any progeny from this
union indicates that it was not in
divine order.
Gen. 35:23-26. Now
the sons of Jacob were twelve: the
sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's
first-born, and Simeon, and Levi,
and Judah, and Issachar, and
Zebulun; the sons of Rachel: Joseph
and Benjamin; and the sons of
Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid: Dan and
Naphtali; and the sons of Zilpah,
Leah's handmaind: Gad and Asher:
these are the sons of Jacob, that
were born to him in
Paddan-aram.
Leah ("weary,"
"exhausted") represents the human soul.
She became the mother of six
sons:
Reuben, whose name means
"behold a son," "vision of the son,"
represents faith in its aspect of
discernment, of sight in the outer.
Reuben like Simeon bespeaks
understanding.
Simeon, whose name means
"hearkening," "obeying," represents the
bringing forth of hearing;
receptivity.
Levi, whose name
signifies "joining," "clinging,"
represents the love faculty in human
consciousness.
The name Judah means
"praise Jehovah." Judah symbolizes the
prayer and praise faculty in
consciousness.
The name Issachar means
"he will bring reward," "who brings
recompense." Issachar represents active
zeal.
The name Zebulun means
"habitation," "dwelling." Zebulun
represents the order
faculty.
Rachel ("ewe," "lamb")
symbolizes the spiritual soul. She
became the mother of Joseph and
Benjamin.
The name Joseph means
"Jehovah shall increase." Joseph
represents the imagination.
The name Benjamin means
"son of good fortune." Benjamin
represents an active, accomplishing
faith.
Bilhah ("bashfulness,"
"timidity") represents a tendency
toward self-abasement. She bore Jacob
two sons, Dan and Naphtali:
Dan ("a judge")
symbolizes the faculty of
judgment.
Naphtali ("my
wrestling") represents the power of
elimination.
Zilpah ("distilling,"
"dropping," "leaking") represents the
unfolding soul of man in the phase of
its awakening to spiritual thought,
marked by hesitation and lack of
perseverance; too much of the human is
expressed and much of the good is
dissipated (leaking). Zipah's two sons
were Gad and Asher.
Gad ("fortunate," "good
fortune") represents the faculty of
power, but still mostly on the personal
plane.
Asher
("straightforward") symbolizes the
faculty of understanding.
Gen. 35:27, 28. And
Jacob came unto Isaac his father to
Mamre, to Kiriath-arba (the same is
Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac
sojourned.
And the days of Isaac
were a hundred and fourscore years. And
Isaac gave of the ghost, and died, and
was gathered unto his people, old and
full of days: and Esau and Jacob his
sons buried him.
Kiriath-arba ("city of
Arba") represents the tendency of the
sense mind to attribute strength,
power, knowledge, and greatness to the
outer formed world rather than to
Spirit. Kiriath-arba was the old name
of Hebron, which represents an
association of ideas.
Mamre signifies a
consciousness of substance and
riches.
The death of Isaac
represents the passing or giving up of
that phase of the individual
consciousness which has to do with the
pleasures of the natural man; or its
sinking back into the subconsciousness
(giving up of the ghost).
Gen. 36:1-5. Now
these are the generations of Esau
(the same is Edom). Esau took his
wives of 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, sister of
Nebaioth. And Adah bare to Esau
Eliphaz; and Basemath bare Reuel;
and Oholibamah bare Jeush, and
Jalam, and Korah: these are the
sons of Esau, that were born unto
him in the land of Canaan.
Metaphysically Esau
symbolizes the body or physical vigor.
He took wives from among the daughters
of Canaan ("lowland"), which represents
the body consciousness.
His first wife was Adah
("beauty," "comeliness," "adornment,"
"ornament," "pleasure"), who represents
a phase of the human soul or love
nature. Love, even in its limited
expression in personal consciousness,
adorns a person with a certain beauty
of character and a grace and comeliness
not found in those lacking in
love.
Another of Esau's wives
was Oholibamah, whose name means "tent
of the high place," "my tabernacle is
exalted." Oholibamah was the
granddaughter of Zibeon the
Hivite.
The name Zibeon means
"wild robber," and the Hivites
represent thoughts belonging to the
carnal consciousness in man. Oholibamah
signifies the lifting up and exalting
of materiality by the carnal phase of
the soul.
Another of his wives was
Basemath, whose name means "fragrant,"
"sweet," "pleasant." Basemath
represents the soul or feminine element
in man in the fineness of its ability
to perceive or receive
intuitively.
Adah bore to Esau a son,
Eliphaz, whose name means "God is
purification," "God is dispenser," "God
of strength."
Basemath bore Reuel,
whose name signifies "led of God,"
"shepherded of God," "companion of
God." Reuel denotes a thought of divine
guidance and care; also a sense of
mutual understanding, comradeship,
fellowship existing between God and
man.
Oholibamah bore Jeush
and Jalam and Korah.
The name Jeush means "he
will bring together." Jeush represents
strong, unifying, attracting,
accumulating thoughts in consciousness;
also the final lifting up and unifying
of the entire man in spiritual life and
wholeness. The name Jalam means "whom
God hides."
The name Korah means
"ice," "bald." Korah denotes the
coldness, the crystallization ("ice"),
and the barrenness (baldness) of
consciousness that result from
dominance of the "mind of the flesh"
(Esau) in the individual.
Gen. 36:6-12. And
Esau took his wives, and his sons,
and his daughters, and all the
souls of his house, and his cattle,
and all his beasts, and all his
possessions, which he had gathered
in the land of Canaan; and went
into a land away from his brother
Jacob. For their substance was too
great for them to dwell together;
and the land of their sojournings
could not bear them because of
their cattle. And Esau dwelt in
mount Seir: Esau is Edom.
And these are the
generations of Esau the father of
the Edomites in mount Seir: these
are the names of Esau's sons:
Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of
Esau, Reuel the son of Basemath the
wife of Esau. And the sons of
Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho,
and Gatam, and Kenaz. And Timna was
concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son;
and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek:
these are the sons of Adah, Esau's
wife.
The original separation
between mind (Jacob) and body (Esau)
was caused by the cunning mind taking
advantage of the stupid body; also the
lusts and weaknesses of the body
appetite played their part. Here is
illustrated a further separation
because of the physical possessions of
Esau. Those who cultivate the physical
grow physically and require so much
room that the mental is crowded out,
and they exalt the things of the flesh.
Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. The name Seir
means "shaggy," "rough," "tempestuous,"
"hairy," pointing to the deep-seated
emotions in carnal consciousness.
Eventually the two states of
consciousness represented by Jacob and
Esau must be merged.
(For Eliphaz and
Basemath see the interpretation of Gen.
36:3, 4.)
The sons of Eliphaz were
Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and
Kenaz.
The name Teman means
"prosperity," "abundance," "good
faith." Teman denotes the realm of the
subconsciousness, with its inherently
rich stores of substance and good. Here
this realm is under the influence of
the Esau-Edom state of mind in the
individual; in other words, under the
influence of material thought. Omar
represents the ability of the outer man
to receive the higher Truth ideals
("mountaineer," "summit") and to
express them ("bringing forth,"
"bearing into the light"). The name
Zepho (Zephi) means "outlook,"
"watchtower." Zepho represents an
expectant state of mind that seemingly
belongs to the outer or physical man
but whose desire is toward
Spirit.
The name Gatam means
"puny," "exhausted," and the like.
(Eliphaz, father of Gatam, represents
an active thought of strength.)
Strength is from God, while that
represented by Eliphaz is of the
physical consciousness and does not lay
hold of the truth about strength. The
meanings attributed to Gatam's name
--"puny," "greatest fatigue," "burned
field"--clearly indicate the results of
believing in material strength. Until
man realizes that his strength is
spiritual it cannot become abiding,
unfailing, and enduring.
The name Kenaz means
"spear thrower," "lancer," "archer,"
"hunter." A "hunter," in the sense of a
Kenaz, denotes a thought that is
connected with the animal forces of the
organism. Kenaz symbolizes the thought
of man engrossed in the animal phase of
his nature, in animal strength and
activity ("spear thrower," "lancer,"
"archer").
Timna was Eliphaz's
concubine. Timna represents a
restricting, curbing influence
("withheld," "restrained," "forbidden")
that is ever at work in the soul of man
and in his body consciousness. If there
were no restraint on the carnal mind in
man and its activities, man would
destroy himself utterly.
Timna bore Amalek, whose
name means "warlike," "dweller in the
vale," "that licks up or consumes."
Amalek symbolizes lust, the base desire
that, once established in the animal
forces of the subconscious mind of man,
is the begetter of destructive,
rebellious, perverted appetites and
passions. Amalek's father was Eliphaz,
whose name means "God of strength,"
"God is purification." Thus desire at
its origin is good and is of God; but
when it is misinterpreted by the carnal
man it becomes lust
(Amalek).
Gen. 36:13. And
these are the sons of Reuel:
Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and
Mizzah: these were the sons of
Basemath, Esau's wife.
(For Reuel see
interpretation of Gen.
36:4.)
Reuel's first son was
Nahath, who represents one of the
prevailing beliefs of the outer man at
a certain period of his unfoldment:
restful, lulling, contentment
("resting," "quieting") in his
seemingly material type of expression
("lowness"). However higher thoughts
must be introduced into even the outer
consciousness of man if he is to be
aroused out of the false lethargy of
the carnal and to be quickened
throughout his whole spirit, soul, and
body to the Truth of his
being.
The name of another son,
Zerah, means "sunrise," "germination of
a seed." "splendor." Zerah denotes the
rise of new light or understanding in
the consciousness; the first conscious
awakening to the presence of this new
inner light or understanding. (The sun
rises in the east; and the east
signifies the within.)
Shammah, a third son,
represents a destructive, fearful
tendency in consciousness that leads to
inharmonies of mind and body. The outer
man, apart from the dominion of Spirit,
is very likely to swing from one
extreme to the other, from the height
of noble thinking and feeling ("fame,"
"renown") to the depths of fear,
desolation, emptiness, and error. By
consciously laying hold of the Christ
Truth and making it practical in his
life, this outer man must come into a
better balance, greater stability and
poise.
Mizzah, the fourth son,
represents a steady tearing down and
wearing away of the consciousness and
organism ("flowing down,"
"disintegration," "exhaustion") as the
result of fear, fear being one of the
most subtle and destructive errors that
the carnal mind in man contains. The
destructive element is redeemed through
divine love, which knows only the
good.
Gen. 36:14. And
these were the sons of Oholibamah
the daughter of Anah, the daughter
of Zibeon, Esau's wife: and she
bare to Esau Jeush, and Jalam, and
Korah.
(For Oholibamah see
interpretation of Gen. 36:2. For
Oholibamah's sons, Jeush, Jalam, and
Korah, see interpretation of Gen.
36:1-5.)
Gen. 36:15-19. These
are the chiefs of the sons of Esau:
the sons of Eliphaz the first-born
of Esau: chief Teman, chief Omar,
chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, chief
Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek:
these are the chiefs that came of
Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these
are the sons of Adah. And these are
the sons of Reuel, Esau's son:
chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief
Shammah, chief Mizzah: these are
the chiefs that came of Reuel in
the land of Edom: these are the
sons of Basemath, Esau's wife. And
these are the sons of Oholibamah,
Esau's wife: chief Jeush, chief
Jalam, chief Korah: these are the
chiefs that came of Oholibamah the
daughter of Anah, Esau's wife.
These are the sons of Esau, and
these are their chiefs: the same is
Edom.
(See interpretation of
Gen. 36:9-12 for the sons of Eliphaz:
Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, Gatam, and
Amalek. For Korah, see interpretation
of Gen. 36:5.)
(See interpretation of
Gen. 36:13 for the sons of Reuel:
Nahath, Zerah, Shammah,
Mizzah.)
(See interpretation of
Gen. 36:1-5 for the sons of Oholibamah:
Jeush and Korah.)
(See interpretation of
Gen. 36:1-5 for Jalam.)
Gen. 36:20-30. These
are the sons of Seir the Horite,
the inhabitants of the land: Lotan
and Shobal and Zibeon and Anah, and
Dishon and Ezer and Dishan: these
are the chiefs that came of the
Horites, the children of Seir in
the land of Edom. And the children
of Lotan were Hori and Heman; and
Lotan's sister was Timna. And these
are the children of Shobal: Alvan
and Manahath and Ebal, Shepho and
Onam. And these are the children of
Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; this is Anah
who found the hot springs in the
wilderness, as he fed the asses of
Zibeon his father. And these are
the children of Anah: Dishon and
Oholibamah the daughter of Anah.
And these are the children of
Dishon: Hemdan and Eshban and
Ithran and Cheran. These are the
children of Ezer: Bilhan and Zaavan
and Akan. These are the children of
Dishan: Uz and Aran. These are the
chiefs that came of the Horites:
chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief
Zibeon, chief Anah, chief Dishon,
chief Ezer, chief Dishan: these are
the chiefs that came of the
Horites, according to their chiefs
in the land of Seir.
The Horites were very
closely connected with the Edomites,
the descendants of Esau. They were
inhabitants of the land of Mount Seir
before they were overcome by Esau.
After that they lived in the land with
the Edomites.
Metaphysically the
Horites, like the Edomites, represent
forces having their seat of action in
the physical organism. The Horites
denote more especially the deep-seated,
subconscious errors (cave dwellers) and
fleshly tendencies and activities of
the physical in man, while the Edomites
designate forces in the outer or body
consciousness.
The name of Lotan, the
son of Seir the Horite, means
"covered," "secret," "dark."
Metaphysically Lotan represents a
secret, hidden, ignorant ruling thought
in the realm in man symbolized by the
Horites.
Shobal, the name of
another son, means "way," "traveling."
Each individual is "traveling" the
pathway of life. To a great extent the
race has been and still is "wandering"
about in ignorance and darkness as to
the true source of man's being. The
"way" that each takes in his thoughts,
beliefs, and expressions determines
whether that which he brings forth
shall be the fruit of the "mind of the
flesh" or the fruit of the Spirit
("growing," "producing ears,"
"rain").
The name Zibeon means
"immersed," "ravenous preyer," "wild
robber," "dyed." Metaphysically Zibeon
symbolizes a wild, lawless sense
thought that has the capacity of
adapting itself to the varying ideas
and moods of the individual, and that
thus remains in his consciousness
(until it is cast forth by Truth),
robbing his body of its energy and
substance.
The name Anah means
"answering." Metaphysically Anah
denotes error tendencies or strongly
influencing thoughts deep within the
subjective life forces in the
individual consciousness that cause
these life forces to respond to the
desires of the flesh or sense man
("answering") instead of listening to
Spirit. (The Hivites and the Horites
were descendants of Canaan, son of Ham;
they were hostile to the Israelites in
the Promised Land, and they had to be
destroyed.)
The name Dishon means
"fatness," "opulence," "fertile,"
"ashes." Metaphysically Dishon
symbolizes richness and seeming
fertility on the physical
plane.
The name Ezer means
"envelop," "help," "unite," "treasure."
Metaphysically Ezer symbolizes man's
innate belief in a substance, a wisdom
("treasure"), an established oneness
with All-Good (unity), and a power to
aid and to protect ("envelop," "help")
that comes from something higher,
stronger, and more real and lasting
than sense consciousness can
give.
The name Dishan means
virtually the same thing as Dishon.
Metaphysically Dishan represents a very
active, rich, or fertile controlling
thought belonging to the Horite
consciousness in the
individual.
The children of Lotan
were Hori and Heman.
The name Hori means
"cave dweller," "imprisoned," "black."
Metaphysically Hori denotes thoughts
belonging to the depths of the
subconsciousness ("cave dweller"), or a
person wholly given over to the error
beliefs signified by the
Horites.
The name Heman means
"lasting," "faithful," "trustworthy."
Heman represents thoughts full of faith
and trust in God. Great wisdom and
harmony are the result of these
thoughts.
The children of Shobal
were Alvan and Manahath and Ebal,
Shepho and Onam.
The name Alvan means
"tall," "sublime." Metaphysically Alvan
denotes a lofty concept on the part of
man in regard to the sensual or
physical phase of his organism, whereby
he glimpses the truth that even the
outer man has his origin in
Spirit.
The name Manahath means
"resting," "restoring," "forsaking."
Metaphysically Manahath designates a
peaceful, restful thought and place in
consciousness; a ceasing from outer
activity, wherein both soul and body
are nenewed, and wherein something of
error is forsaken and a degree of Truth
is realized.
The name Ebal means
"stripped of all," "bare," "barren,"
"stone." Metaphysically Ebal represents
the adverse activity of the law in
those who think and act out of harmony
with divine principle; that in us which
takes cognizance of the working out of
error resulting from ignorance and
disobedience. This phase of the
activity of the law always seems hard
("stone") to the sense consciousness
upon which it falls, and it surely
exposes ("bares") the nothingness of
all that does not measure up to the
spiritual.
The name Shepho means
"nakedness," "barren," "wasted away,"
"unconcerned." Metaphysically Shepho
denotes a mental activity in the body
consciousness that is wholly
"unconcerned" with the things of
Spirit, hence is unfruitful and "naked"
in so far as real life, strength,
wholeness, substance, and good are
concerned ("nakedness," "barren"
"wasted away").
The name Onam means
"vigorous," "powerful," "wealthy,"
"substantial." Metaphysically Onam
denotes thoughts pertaining to strength
and vigor; also to understanding and
substance. He represents a belief in
purely physical strength and power,
outer possessions, and the carnal
thought of understanding.
The children of Zibeon
were Aiah and Anah.
The name Aiah means "a
cry," "a clamor," "a vulture."
Metaphysically Aiah denotes
destructive, devouring thoughts
pertaining to the animal consciousness
and to what should be the higher
thought realm in the individual ("a
cry," "a clamor," and so
on).
The name Anah means
"answering." (For further comment see
interpretation of Gen.
36:20).
The children of Anah
were Dishon and Oholibamah. (For Dishon
see interpretation of Gen. 36:21; for
Oholibamah, Gen. 36:2.)
The children of Dishon
were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran,
Cheran.
The name Hemdan means
"desirable," "pleasant," "precious."
Metaphysically Hemdan represents the
seemingly "desirable" and "pleasant"
sense beliefs and activities of one who
is not awakened spiritually. These
beliefs and activities however are but
transitory and soon turn to dust and
ashes, to vanity and vexation of
spirit.
The name Eshban means
"man of wisdom," "man of
understanding," "son of fire."
Metaphysically Eshban represents the
belief held by the outer man that
wisdom and understanding come through
the perceptions of the senses, and
through reasoning.
The name Ithran means
"abundant," "excellent," "plenty,"
Metaphysically Ithran represents ideas
of great "excellence" and of great
value; thoughts that are superior to
their fellows, being active both in the
deep-seated sense consciousness
(Horites) in the individual and on the
more spiritual level of his mind (the
Israelites). These are ideas that have
taken on abundant substance, they
involve belief in bountiful supply, and
they lead to "plenty."
The name Cheran means
"lyre," "united," "a joyous shout."
Metaphysically Cheran denotes a
harmonious, unifying thought that is
active in the depths of the physical
being of man ("united," "lyre"). Since
this thought is not consciously united
with Spirit, though its origin and
tendency are good, it cannot bring
about the perfect union of man with God
and the true spiritual harmony implied
by the meaning of the name.
The children of Ezer
were Bilhan, Zaavan, and
Akan.
The name Bilhan means
"confused," "weak," "tender."
Metaphysically Bilhan represents a
"confused" state of mind and a lack of
self-assertion ("weak") that are the
result of a giving way to the
fulfillment of the thoughts and desires
of the unredeemed
subconsciousness.
The name Zaavan means
"disquieted," "trembling," "terrified."
Metaphysically Zaavan denotes a
confused, fearful, unstable thought
tendency in the outer or body
consciousness of the
individual.
The name Akan means
"warped," "keen of vision."
Metaphysically Akan represents a ruling
thought, or at least a very strong
influential thought, in the sense
consciousness. This thought aids in
diverting the individual from Truth and
causes much trouble in the flesh. It is
quick to perceive ("keen") on the sense
plane but is blind ("warped") to the
real truth of man's being.
The children of Dishan
were Uz and Aran.
The name Uz means
"substantiation," "formative power,"
"purpose," "fertility." Metaphysically
Uz denotes the process of thought by
which man arrives at a conclusion (be
it Truth or error) and establishes it
in consciousness ("substantiation," and
so forth).
The name Aran means
"active," "a wild goat," "firmness."
Metaphysically Aran represents
aggressiveness and a firmness or
obstinacy of thought that is untrained
and undisciplined and is guided not by
understanding but by outer desires ("a
wild goat," "firmness"). This makes a
place of refuge for many of the sense
ideas of man that should be
overcome.
(For the names of the
chiefs that came of the Horites--Lotan,
Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and
Dishan--see interpretation of Gen.
36:20, 21.)
Gen. 36:31-39. And
these are the kings that reigned in
the land of Edom, before there
reigned any king over the children
of Israel. And Bela the son of Beor
reigned in Edom; and the name of
his city was Dinhabah. And Bela
died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of
Bozrah reigned in his stead. And
Jobab died, and Husham of the land
of Temanites reigned in his stead.
And Husham died, and Hadad the son
of Bedad, who smote Midian in the
field of Moab, reigned in his
stead: and the name of his city was
Avith. And Hadad died, and Samlah
of Masrekah reigned in his stead.
And Samlah died, and Shaul of
Rehoboth by the River reigned in
his stead. And Shaul died, and
Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned
in his stead. And Baalhanan the son
of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned
in his stead: and the name of his
city was Pau; and his wife's name
was Mehetabel, the daughter of
Matred, the daughter of
Me-zahab.
The name Bela means
"destroy," "utterly consume."
Metaphysically Bela represents
destructive tendencies in
consciousness.
The name Dinhabah means
"robbers' den," "place of plundering."
Metphysically Dinhabah signifies an
aggregation of thoughts belonging to
man's outer, carnal consciousness.
These thoughts are error; they build up
and sustain destructive sense
tendencies that rob the real inner man
of the substance that is rightly his.
The name Jobab means "howling of wild
beasts," "wail of tribulation."
Metaphysically Jobab denotes the noisy,
contentious tumultuousness of the outer
personal man while under the dominion
of the "mind of the flesh."
The name Husham means
"hasting," "vehement," "passionate."
Metaphysically Husham represents the
hurried attitude of mind as related to
satisfying physical desire. This
attitude belongs to the outer
consciousness and tends to confusion
and disorder.
The name Hadad means
"quick," "might," "majesty."
Metaphysically Hadad represents the
setting up as all-powerful of the
intellect in its spiritually unawakened
state.
The name Samlah means
"outer garment," "mantle," "clothed."
Metaphysically Samlah represents the
general ruling characteristics of the
outer, mortal phase of consciousness in
man represented also by
Edom.
The name Shaul means
"desired," "demanded," "inquiring,"
"excavating." Shaul is a form of the
name Saul, and its meaning is the same.
Shaul symbolizes the will in individual
consciousness, the presonal
will.
The name Baalhanan means
"Baal is gracious," "possessor of
compassion," "lord of mercy."
Metaphysically Baalhanan represents
grace, mercy, and kindliness as
belonging to and being expressed by the
outer man ("Baal is gracious," and so
forth). All these God qualities are
expressed in a measure by the outer
physical and mental man even before
their true origin is understood to be
spiritual. Until man learns the Truth,
he usually takes to himself all the
honor and glory resulting from any good
that he does, instead of ascribing all
honor and glory to God, Divine
Mind.
The name Hadar, a form
of the name Hadad, means "where one
returns for rest," "concealed inner
chamber," "hidden principle." While
Hadad represents the setting up as
all-powerful of the intellect in its
spiritually unawakened state, Hadar, in
addition to that, represents the
"hidden principle" of all light, all
wisdom, all knowledge (God, Spirit)
that exists back of the intellect, back
of every expression of intelligence or
understanding.
Matred ("a short spear")
and Mehetabel ("God benefits"), women
of Edom, represent activities in the
soul's progress toward spiritual
perfection. Even the phase of the soul
represented by Edom, the outer physical
man, has impulses that are uplifting
and that are ever moving toward the
more perfect understanding and
expression of Being.
Me-zahab, the name of
Matred's father, means "water of gold,"
"emanations of the shining one."
Me-zahab represents a wisdom that is of
the one light or sun, Spirit, though it
may be somewhat negative, as suggested
by "water," "water of gold." Matred
represents a pushing or urging forward
of the soul ("thrusting forward"), by
means of the wisdom symbolized by
Me-zahab, to still higher and clearer
light and dominion ("a scepter").
Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred ("to
whom God does good," "God is the
greatest good") represents the further
awakening of the human soul to the
goodness of God.
Gen. 36:40-43. And
these are the names of the chiefs
that came to Esau, according to
their families, after their places,
by their names: chief Timna, chief
Alvah, chief Jetheth, chief
Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief
Pinon, chief Kenaz, chief Teman,
chief Mibzar, chief Magdiel, chief
Iram: these are the chiefs of Edom,
according to their habitations in
the land of their possession. This
is Esau, the father of the
Edomites.
(For Timna see the
interpretation of Gen.
36:12.)
The name Alvah means
"sublimation (of evil)," "sublimity,"
"wicked." Metaphysically Alvah
represents the animal nature exalting
itself--"sublimation (of evil)." This
is evil in the sight of Truth, since
true sublimity and exaltation come only
from the unifying of the entire being
with the spiritual or Christ
consciousness.
The name Jetheth means
"securing," "stability," "subjection,"
Metaphysically Jetheth represents in
the outer, material consciousness of
man a ruling belief in the use of force
to compel, drive, suppress in order to
keep the individual steadfast. This of
course is error and leads to bondage
instead of true freedom.
The name Elah means
"terebinth," "oak," a name implying
strength, hardiness, and size.
Metaphysically Elah represents the
consciousness of strength and
protection that is based on material
beliefs; hence a limited consciousness,
one likely to fail at the very time
when most needed.
The name Pinon means
"darkness," "perplexity,"
"hopelessness." Metaphysically Pinon
represents the great anxiety,
confusion, and hopelessness that often
come over the purely mortal, darkened
consciousness of man in times of error
reaping.
The name Kenaz means
"possessor," "lancer," "hunter,"
"flank." The name Teman means
"abundance," "good faith," "firm." (For
further comment see interpretation of
Gen. 36:11.)
The name Mibzar means
"inaccessible," "lofty," "impervious."
Metaphysically Mibzar represents ruling
belief of the carnal mind in man that
the things of Spirit, of God, are hard
to understand, that they are so far
removed from the apparently finite mind
of man that they are
unattainable.
The name Magdiel means
"most precious fruits of God," "praise
of God," "God is renowned."
Metaphysically Magdiel represents the
truth about the outer and seemingly
material phase of man's being Esau and
Edom). This truth is that even man's
physical body is the precious fruit of
God. It has its origin in Spirit and is
innately spiritual. It must eventually
express and manifest God, Spirit, thus
giving all praise, honor, and glory to
the Father-Mind, through which it came
into existence ("God is
renowned").
