9347. 'When you serve their gods' means if worship is kindled by falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'serving' as worship, dealt with in 7934, 8057; and from the meaning of 'gods' as falsities, dealt with in 4544, 7873, 8367, 8941.

4478. 'And they spoke to the men of the city, saying' means persuasion. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as willing and also as flowing in, dealt with in 2951, 3037. In this case persuading is meant because persuasion exists in one who wills something; and when anyone like this influences another he communicates his persuasion. Furthermore 'the men of the city' means those with whom the truths of doctrine are present, in this case truths like those with Shechem. For in ancient times a city was nothing other than one family belonging to a nation; the dwelling together of those who belonged to one family was called a city. And because in the internal sense it is not the family that is meant but the essential nature of that family so far as life and doctrine are concerned, 'city' means the truth of doctrine and 'inhabitants' the good of doctrine, see 402, 2268, 2449, 2451, 2712, 2943, 3216. But when the inhabitants of a city are referred to as 'the men of the city' it is not the good of doctrine that is meant but the truths of it; for in the Word 'men' means truths, 3134.