1261. As nations signified goods, so also did families, for each nation consisted of families; and so in like manner did households, for each family consisted of a number of households. (Concerning a "household" or "house," see above, n. 710.) "Families," however, signify goods when predicated of nations, and truths when predicated of peoples, as in David:
All the families of the nations shall bow themselves before Thee; for the kingdom is Jehovah's, and He is the ruler over the nations (Ps. 22:27-28). Again:
Give unto Jehovah, ye families of the peoples, give unto Jehovah glory and strength (Ps. 96:7). In the verse now before us, and also in the preceding verse of this tenth chapter of Genesis, "families" are predicated of goods, because they were families of the nations.
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