8467. 'Gather from it, each according to the mouth of his eating' means receiving and making it their own, each in accordance with his own ability. This is clear from the meaning of 'gathering' - when said in regard to the good of truth, which is meant by 'the manna' - as receiving; and from the meaning of 'each according to the mouth of his eating' as making their own, each in accordance with his own ability. For when 'according to the mouth of one's eating' refers to food it means in accordance with what is requisite and necessary to nourish [the body]; but when the expression refers to the good of truth it means in accordance with the ability to receive and make one's own, since 'eating' in the spiritual sense means making a thing one's own, 3168, 3513 (end), 3596, 4745.

4745. 'And they sat down to eat bread' means making evil that was a product of falsity their own. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in 3168, 3513 (end), 3596; 3832; and from the meaning of 'bread' as the good of love, dealt with in 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, as well as all food in general, 2165. Here however 'bread' means the opposite of that good, namely evil, for it is well known that those who eat bread in the Holy Supper in an unworthy manner do not make good but evil their own. From this it is evident that in the contrary sense 'eating bread' means making evil their own. It was a practice among the ancients to eat together when they reached an important decision that was endorsed by everyone else. By eating together they were indicating that they approved the decision and so had made it their own, as in Ezekiel,

Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his power, ¹ have been among you and have shed blood. Men of intrigue have been among you, [ready] to shed blood, and have eaten on the mountains. Ezekiel 22:6, 9.

What is more, it should be recognized that generally evil has two sources, the first being life and the second doctrine. That which has its origin in false doctrine is called evil that is a product of falsity; and it is this kind of evil that is meant here.

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