4471. Verses 18-24. And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor, and in the eyes of Shechem Hamor's son. And the lad delayed not to do the word, because he was well pleased 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 spoke unto the men of their city, saying, These men are peaceable with us, and let them dwell in the land, and range through it trading, and behold the land is broad in spaces before them; let us take their daughters to us for women, and let us give our daughters to them. Nevertheless in this will the men consent to us to dwell with us, to be for one people, in every male being circumcised to us, even as they are circumcised. Their acquisition, and their purchase, and all their beast, will they not be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us. And they listened to Hamor and to Shechem his son, all that went out of the gate of his city; and they circumcised every male, all that went out of the gate of his city. "And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor," signifies condescension in respect to the life; "and in the eyes of Shechem Hamor's son," signifies in respect to the doctrine; "and the lad delayed not to do the word," signifies a longing to accept; "because he was well pleased in Jacob's daughter," signifies in relation to the religiosity of that church; "and he was honored above all the house of his father," signifies what is primary of the truths of the Church among the Ancients; "and Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city," signifies the goods and truths that were in the doctrine of those who belonged to the Church among the Ancients; "and spoke unto the men of their city, saying," signifies persuasion; "these men are peaceable with us," signifies agreement; "and let them dwell in the land," signifies in respect to life; "and range through it trading," signifies in respect to doctrine; "and behold the land is broad in spaces before them," signifies the extension; "let us take their daughters to us for women, and let us give our daughters to them," signifies conjunction; "nevertheless in this will the men consent to us to dwell with us," signifies that they would agree in respect to life; "to be for one people," signifies in respect to doctrine; "in every male being circumcised to us even as they are circumcised," signifies provided they would be initiated thereby into their representatives and significatives in respect to external things alone; "their acquisition, and their purchase," signifies their truths; "and all their beast," signifies their goods; "will they not be ours?" signifies that these were alike and of one form; "only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us," signifies if we condescend; "and they listened to Hamor and to Shechem his son," signifies consent; "all that went out of the gate of his city," signifies that they would recede from the doctrine of the Church among the Ancients; "and they circumcised every male, all that went out of the gate of his city," signifies accession to external things.
