4507. 'And whatever was in the city, and whatever was in the field they took' means every truth and good of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the city' as doctrine, and so the truth of the Church, dealt with in 402, 2268, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493, and from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church in regard to good, and so as the good of the Church, dealt with in 2971, 3310, 3766, 4440, 4443. Consequently 'whatever was in the city, and whatever was in the field' means every truth and good of the Church.

4443. 'And Jacob's sons came from the field' means that the counsel they took was based in their semblance of religion. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sons of Jacob' as the nation descended from them, among whom a representative of the Church was established, and from the meaning of 'the field' as their semblance of religion, dealt with above in 4440. The fact that 'coming' from there means consultation based on this follows from the sequence of thought, and also from the fact that it is their semblance of religion to which the verb 'coming' has reference.