8489. 'They gathered twice as much' means the joining together resulting from the reception of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'gathering from the manna' as the reception of good, 'gathering' meaning reception, see 8467, 8472, and 'manna' the good of truth, 8464; and from the meaning of 'twice as much' as the joining together, dealt with in 8423.

8423. 'And it shall be double to what they shall gather day by day' means that they are to be joined together. This is clear from the meaning of 'being double' as being joined together, the reason why being joined together is meant by 'double' being that 'two' means conjunction, dealt with in 1686, 3519, 5194; from the meaning of 'gathering' as receiving, as above in 8418; and from the meaning of 'day by day', or every single day, as continually, as also above in 8418. The reason why 'two' means conjunction is that there are two realities to which everything that exists is related. Those two are goodness and truth, or what amounts to the same thing, love and faith since intrinsically good is love and truth is faith. Therefore also a person has two entities composing his life, namely will and understanding. A person's will has been fashioned to receive goodness or love, and his understanding to receive truth or faith. When the two are joined together it is called a marriage. For the two joined together resemble married partners, loving each other, conceiving and giving birth; and their offspring are called the fruit. From all these considerations one may now see why 'two' or 'double' means conjunction, for unless those two realities have been joined together nothing is ever born or produced. Let it be said in addition that those considerations prove plainly that faith without love or charity cannot produce any fruit; rather, fruit must be the product of both joined together.