6458. 'Which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite' means redemption. This is clear from the meaning of 'buying' as making one's own, dealt with in 5374, 5397, 5410, 5426, thus also redeeming, since what one redeems one makes one's own; from the representation of 'Abraham' in the highest sense as the Lord, dealt with in 1965, 1989, 2011, 3245, 3251, 3305, 3703, 4615, 6098, 6185, 6276; from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church, dealt with in 2971, 3766; and from the representation of 'Ephron the Hittite' as those with whom the ability exists to receive what is good and true, dealt with in 2933, 2940, 2969. From all this one may see what the meaning of these words is - the redemption by the Lord of those in the Church with whom the ability exists to receive what is good and true.

3766. 'In the field' means provided for the Churches. This is clear from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church as regards good, dealt with in 2971. In the Word the Church is meant by the expressions 'land', 'ground', and 'the field', though each has a different shade of meaning. The reason 'the field' means the Church is that like a field it receives the seeds of goodness and truth; for the Church has the Word, the source of those seeds. This also is why everything included in the field means some aspect of the Church, such as that which is sown, that which is harvested, standing grain, wheat, barley, and everything else. And each of these too has a different shade of meaning.