1226. That 'the sons of Shem' means the attributes of wisdom is clear merely from the fact that 'Shem' is the internal Church whose sons mean nothing else than attributes of wisdom. The expression wisdom is used for everything that springs from charity, for it comes by way of charity from the Lord, the source of all wisdom because He is Wisdom itself. From that Wisdom true intelligence derives, also true knowledge, and true cognition. All of these are 'sons' of charity, that is, the Lord's sons begotten by means of charity. And because they are the Lord's sons begotten by means of charity, each one is referred to as wisdom, for each one has within itself wisdom from which it draws its life; so much so in fact that neither intelligence nor knowledge, nor cognition, receives any life except from the wisdom that belongs to charity, which is the Lord's.