8538. 'Until they came to an inhabited land' means before they reached heaven, where good resides everywhere. This is clear from the meaning of 'land', at this point the land of Canaan, as the Lord's kingdom, thus heaven, dealt with in 1607, 3038, 3481, 3686, 3705, 4240, 4447, 5136. Heaven is called 'an inhabited land' because of the good present there, for 'inhabited' means having life as a result of the existence of good, 2268, 2451, 2712, 3613, 8269, 8309.

2268. 'Will You for five destroy the whole city?' means, Will mankind perish for the small amount that is lacking? This is clear from the meaning of 'five' as small, referred to immediately above, and from the meaning of 'a city' as truth, also dealt with already. The human mind as regards truths is in the Word compared to and also called 'a city', and as regards the goods that are present within truths is there compared to and also called 'the inhabitants'. For a similarity indeed exists, in that if the truths in a person's two memories ¹ and in the thoughts of his mind are devoid of goods, they are like a city that has no residents and so is vacant and empty. Indeed it can also be said of angels that they dwell so to speak in a person's truths and implant affections for good from the Lord when that person leads a life abiding in love to the Lord and in charity towards the neighbour, for they are delighted so to dwell, that is, to live, with such persons. It is different in the case of those with whom some truths exist but no goods that flow from charity.

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