2688. 'And she sat some distance away' means a state of thought. This is clear from what has been stated above in 2684, where the same words occur. The reason they occur a second time in this verse is that the state of thought was intensified and made worse to the utmost extremity of grief, as is evident from what went immediately before, 'Let me not see the death of the boy', and from what comes immediately after, 'She lifted up her voice and wept'.

2684. 'She went and sat by herself some distance away' means a state of thought. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'going' and also of 'sitting by herself' and of doing so 'some distance away' as these phrases are used in connection with what comes before and after. 'Going' - here going away from the boy - means a removal from spiritual truth, which removal is further expressed and defined by its being said that she withdrew 'about a bowshot'. 'Sitting by herself' means a state of feeling alone, as the state of thought is during grief and despair. 'Some distance away' means so that she could not bear to look and yet could not bear not to look - for 'looking' means thinking, see 2245, which also is further expressed and defined by her saying, 'Let me not see the death of the boy; and she sat some distance away'. Thus embodied in these words is the state of thought of those who experience desolation of truth and consequently experience despair.