6904. 'And now let us go, we beg you, a way of three days into the wilderness' means a life of truth in a state totally removed from falsities, even though it is led in a state of obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'going' as leading a life, dealt with in 3335, 4882, 5493, 5605; from the meaning of 'a way' as truth, dealt with in 627, 2333; from the meaning of 'three days' as a complete state, dealt with in 2788, 4495, so that when the expression is used in connection with being removed from falsities, it describes a state totally removed from them ('putting a journey of three days between' is a total setting apart, see 4010); and from the meaning of 'the wilderness' as that which is uninhabited and uncultivated, dealt with in 2708, 3900. Which in the spiritual sense is obscurity of faith. For the subject here is the establishment of the spiritual Church, which is meant by 'the children of Israel'; and those who belong to that Church are in comparative obscurity so far as the good and truth of faith are concerned, see 2708, 2715, 2716, 2718, 2831, 2849, 2975, 2937, 3141, 3246, 3837, 4402, 6289, 6500, 6865. A life of truth is the life that is led by those who belong to the spiritual Church; for when the truth that they know from the Word or from the teaching of the Church becomes a matter of life it is called good, yet it is truth expressed in action.

2975. 'Before the eyes of the sons of Heth' means according to their understanding, that is to say, the understanding of those who belong to the new spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the eyes' as the understanding, dealt with in 212, 2701, and from the meaning of 'the sons of Heth' as those who belonged to the new spiritual Church, dealt with in 2913, 2928. In verse 16 above it was said that 'Abraham spoke in the ears of the sons of Heth', which meant according to their ability, 2965, 2967. Here however the words 'before the eyes of the sons of Heth' are used, which mean according to their understanding. The first statement implies that which conformed to their will, the second that which conformed to their understanding, for a person is reformed as to both these parts. Indeed unless will and understanding are in agreement so as to make one a person remains unregenerate, that is, unless good and truth, or what amounts to the same, charity and faith, make one; for charity belongs to the will but faith to the understanding. This explains why earlier on the words 'in the ears of the sons of Heth' are used, but here 'before the eyes of the sons of Heth'.