8537. 'And the children of Israel ate the man[na] forty years' means making the good of truth their own in the state involving all temptations. This is clear from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198; from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in 3168, 3513(end), 3596, 4745; from the meaning of 'the man[na]' as the good of truth, dealt with in 8464; and from the meaning of 'forty years' as states involving temptations, 'years' meaning states, see 482, 487, 488, 493, 893, and 'forty' meaning temptations, 730, 862, 2272, 2273, 8098.

6862. 'And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me' means compassion on those belonging to the spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the cry' as a calling for help, dealt with in 6801, and consequently when it says that the cry came to Jehovah or the Lord, much the same is implied by it as by 'hearing' ('hearing' means bringing the help of His mercy, or having compassion, see 6852); and from the meaning of 'the children of Israel' as those belonging to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6637.