8571. 'To cause me, and my children, and my livestock to die of thirst?' means, in order for everything constituting spiritual life to perish, owing to the lack of truth? This is clear from the meaning of 'dying' as perishing, at this point so far as spiritual life is concerned; from the meaning of 'me, my children, and my livestock' as everything constituting spiritual life, since 'me' - or a person (homo) belonging to the Church - means the good of charity and faith, 'children' or 'sons' interior truths of faith, and 'livestock' exterior truths leading to good, thus everything constituting spiritual life (spiritual life consists of the good of charity and faith, and of the truth of faith, internal and external; for the meaning of 'person' or 'man' (homo) as good, see 4287; 'children' or 'sons' as the truths of faith, 489, 491, 533, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373, 3704; and 'livestock' as truths leading to good, 6016, 6045, 6049); and from the meaning of 'thirst' as the lack of truth, dealt with just above in 8568 (end).
