3259. 'So it was after the death of Abraham' means after the state and period of the representation of the Lord by means of Abraham. This is clear from the meaning of 'dying', when the representative life of someone is the subject, as the end of representation by means of that someone, dealt with above in 3253. Consequently here 'after the death of Abraham' means after the state and period of the representation of the Lord by means of Abraham.

3253. 'And Abraham breathed his last and died' means the end of the representation portrayed by means of Abraham. This is clear from the meaning of 'breathing one's last and dying' as finishing or coming to an end, 494, here the end of the representation. For the whole of Abraham's life as described in the Word does not have to do with Abraham, except in the historical sense, but with the Lord and His kingdom. Consequently when he is spoken of as breathing his last and dying nothing else can be meant in the Word, that is, in its genuine sense, than that the state representative of the Lord which was portrayed by Abraham reaches its end.